Guild of the Week: Knights Templar (KT)

The Knights Templar (KT) was formed late in 2003 by a group of friends who had previously gamed together in Diablo II. To this day KT remains a guild dedicated to close friendships, and it even includes a few family groups. During alpha testing, KT played in alliance with several other guilds under the tag G.A.M.E. The friendships that were forged as a result of the alliance ultimately lead to a merge between KT and the European Terminal Clan (ETC), and this group of players is now known as the European Templar Crew within KT.

The Knights Templar has a strong community focus, both within the guild and for those who they meet online. This is reflected in everything KT members do, from their operation of a fansite to including non-members in groups for missions or PvP play.

Strategy: Cooperative Play

When running missions, KT members rarely plan out their group ahead of time. Instead, they usually fill out a group with whoever is available, and then adjust their strategies to suit the group composition. Members often run missions they have already completed in order to help others—KT members and strangers alike—complete missions they’ve had difficulty with.

In the rare event that they fail a mission, they usually adjust their tactics in preference to adjusting the team composition, in the belief that smart playing should overcome any deficiencies in the group.

Cooperative Play Quick Tips

When attempting missions, KT offers the tips and strategies below.

• Use the geography of a map to assist your attacks. Ranged attackers should seek high ground, and melee characters can block narrow passes.
• Explore as much as possible. You can often find unexpected rewards, such as NPCs or chests.
• Be patient. Taking the time to make a good decision can, in the long run, save a lot more time than rushing into battle.
• Try to keep your Monks in view, if possible. This will allow you to help them as soon as necessary.
• Be prepared to share items. If you can’t use it, someone else in the group might be able to.
• Use disruption skills against bosses or monsters that use healing skills.

Strategy: PvP Play

KT members play in all forms of PvP, with Arena matches used mostly to test the effectiveness and durability of individual characters. Random team Arena matches introduce an element of not being able to rely on specific allies, while arranged team Arena matches allow smaller groups to practice coordination without the intensity usually found in the eight-player team PvP.

Teams for the Tomb of Primeval Kings are usually structured in the same manner as cooperative mission groups: Players each bring the character they feel like playing, and the team is then fleshed out with non-members as needed. At other times, however, Tombs matches are used as a warm-up before entering Guild-vs-Guild battles. These matches allow members to settle into the character they will be playing, while also helping the team to sort out any coordination issues without putting the guild ranking in jeopardy.

KT members especially enjoy Guild-vs-Guild combat. To that end, most members have been spending their time unlocking skills and items for use on PvP characters so that they will be able to put together strong Guild-vs-Guild teams as often as possible.

KT chose its guild hall—the Isle of the Dead—for strategic reasons. This particular guild hall has NPCs that are more difficult to bypass, and in battle, KT members can keep an eye on the enemy without having to worry about a foe slipping by them along an alternate route. These two factors enable KT members to pursue their preferred aggressive play style while having a strong fallback position if the battle goes badly.

PvP Play Quick Tips

When participating in PvP battles, KT offers the tips and strategies below.

• Stay together as a team. A scattered team is usually less effective.
• Stack important Hexes and Enchantments to make them harder to remove. Always bring removal skills, as these are important against better teams.
• Kept an eye on the game timer; it is not a good idea to assault an enemy base or resurrect a fallen ally immediately before the automatic resurrect.
• Keep an eye on your Morale in Tombs maps and know how to restore your maximum bonus on each map type.
• After killing a foe, watch for someone attempting to resurrect that foe and then interrupt the casting.
• Before a match, take the time to make sure all team members know their individual roles.
• Customize your interface to best suit your role in a group. For example, a healer should make sure that her Party window is large and easy to view, and that her Skill Bar is nearby and easy to access.

Member Profiles

Meet some of the members of the Knights Templar.

• Handle: Wanderer
  Location: East Coast, USA
  Gaming Background: RPG and FPS
  Preferred Character: I really like all of the different combinations of professions and skills you can choose from in Guild Wars. Although I love them all, I can often be found playing a Warrior, since the incredible survivability of the character allows me to outlast many foes and accomplish whatever objective is needed.
• Handle: Mahomet the Templar
  Location: Florida, USA
  Gaming Background: Diablo II and consoles
  Preferred Character: My favorite character is my Mesmer/Elementalist, which is set up to focus fire with our Warriors on the enemy's healers and casters. I also use Water Magic skills to effectively stop the enemy's flag-runner or relic-carrier.
• Handle: The Guardian
  Location: Florida, USA
  Gaming Background: Diverse
  Preferred Character: I don't really have a preferred character. Instead, I enjoy using a variety of professions to create new character builds and team strategies. When participating in guild battles, I usually take on the role of team trapper. A trapper tip: Use evading or blocking Stances to decrease the likelihood of your Traps getting interrupted while being set.
• Handle: The Lionheart
  Location: Florida, USA
  Gaming Background: FPS and race sims
  Preferred Character: I prefer to play a Ranger, either as a Melandru's Monk, a trapper, or a painfully powerful interrupter. I enjoy the support nature of the Ranger and think it is the most versatile of the roles in the game. I also play a Monk in PvP and am known as the designated "Keeper of Mahomet's life."
• Handle: Andromeda of KT
  Location: Canada
  Gaming Background: Online RPGs
  Preferred Character: Ranger/Warrior. This combination makes an effective Warrior that has a high resistance to Elemental damage. What this profession combination lacks in damage, it more than makes up for in attack speed and stances. I've also been known to play an Elementalist/Monk when needed.
• Handle: Sarra Smackdown
  Location: Wisconsin, USA
  Gaming Background: Diverse
  Preferred Character: Warrior/Elementalist. I like being a Warrior because I enjoy being part of the muscle of the guild, and the Elementalist's skills, such as Conjure Flame, add extra damage to my attacks. This build is particularly useful for killing Elementalist and Necromancer primaries.
• Handle: Eva Tempesta
  Location: Florida, USA
  Gaming Background: RTS and MMORPG
  Preferred Character: Monk/Elementalist. As our primary healer, I focus on powerful low-Energy heals like Word of Healing and Dwayna's Kiss to keep my team going. I use Armor of Earth as my self defence and use wards to tip the battle in my group's favor.
• Handle: Mickey
  Location: Europe
  Gaming Background: family gaming
  Preferred Character: Generally Warrior/Monk, but I like to experiment with Necromancers and Mesmers.
• Handle: Falconer
  Location: Eastern USA
  Gaming Background: Diverse
  Preferred Character: I think most people know me as more of a Ranger specialist, though I also enjoy playing an Elementalist. In a nutshell, I like playing support. I believe what draws me to both classes is their inherent flexibility: The Ranger can do a lot of things just by mixing up his Skill Bar, while the Elementalist can serve admirably as the foundation of any other caster secondary.
• Handle: Dan and Mary Landua
  Location: Indiana, USA
  Gaming Background: Diverse
  Preferred Character: My main account has four active characters. Odina Nova is a Ranger/Monk. She is still in the early stages but will later be an anti-caster build. D E L is a Warrior/Monk. He's really just a hack-n-slash character I made for the fun of it. The Black Widow is a Monk/Elementalist. I made this character mostly for self protection and Smiting abilities, so she's not much of a support mage. Blood of the Dead is a Mesmer/Necromancer. This character is a bit of an oddball and hard to keep alive, but it's a great combination and a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.