Guild of the Week: Treacherous Empire (Te)

Founded a mere three days before the release of Guild Wars, Treacherous Empire has become one of the most dominating guilds on the ladder. The guild was formed by a group of self-confessed "nerdy" players who had consistently battled one another in the Alpha test arenas. As time passed, the blood shed between them became a tie that bound them together. Becoming friends through their battles, Te was born.

Te's roster now includes twenty-three members who are an amalgamation of players from past guilds. Guild members share the same philosophy—they believe that online games are about having fun, working as a team, and being competitive. Te's members are firm believers in that in order to be successful, it is important to enjoy what you do in gaming.

The aim of the guild is simple—to be the best! Te is a group with a strong focus on competition that enjoys testing the limits of builds, strategies, and skills in guild-versus-guild battles. The guild battles are the aspect of the game Te enjoys most, and as a guild, they have strived to be unique in their approach to combat, and in the builds that they run.

PvP Team Build: The "Lightnin' Delight"

• Monk/Necromancer: Blood Magic (10), Protection Prayers (13), Divine Favor (11); Reversal of Fortune, Divine Boon, Guardian, Holy Veil, Mend Ailment, Offering of Blood, Rebirth, Protective Spirit.
• Monk/Mesmer: Healing Prayers (14), Divine Favor (11), Protection Prayers (9); Reversal of Fortune, Orison of Healing, Word of Healing, Infuse Health, Mend Ailment, Protective Spirit, Smite Hex, Resurrection Signet.
• Ranger/Mesmer: Inspiration (9), Expertise (12), Wilderness Survival (11), Illusion (4); Flame Trap, Barbed Trap, Spike Trap, Dust Trap, Power Drain, Mantra of Resolve, Distortion, Resurrection Signet.
• Warrior/Ranger: Axe Mastery (16), Strength (11), Beast Mastery (8); Wild Blow, Eviscerate, Penetrating Blow, Executioners Strike, Sprint, Tiger's Fury, Endure Pain, Resurrection Signet.
• Mesmer/Elementalist: Domination (16), Inspiration (11), Illusion (4), Fast Casting (8); Power Spike, Energy Burn, Shatter Hex, Shatter Enchantment, Drain Enchantment, Power Drain, Distortion, Glyph of Renewal.
• Elementalist/Ranger: Air Magic (16), Energy Storage (11), Wilderness Survival (8); Glyph of Lesser Energy, Glyph of Energy, Serpent's Quickness, Chain Lightning, Lightning Orb, Lightning Strike, Dryder's Defenses, Resurrection Signet.
• Elementalist/Mesmer: Air Magic (16), Illusion (4), Inspiration (8), Energy Storage (10); Mind Shock, Lightning Orb, Lightning Strike, Air Attunement, Power Drain, Distortion, Mantra of Concentration, Resurrection Signet.
• Ranger/Monk: Expertise (12), Wilderness Survival (11), Marksmanship (12); Crippling Shot, Apply Poison, Storm Chaser, Holy Veil, Mend Ailment, Distracting Shot, Savage Shot, Troll Unguent.

This is one of the many GvG builds that Te uses when competing on the ladder. The main idea behind this particular build is to maintain field control over the opponent by using ranged attacks from the lightning Elementalists and the Mesmer. By using Traps and the ranged damage, opponents easily can be maneuvered into vulnerable positions for spiking. This is an opportunist build—it relies on capitalizing on your opponent's mistakes and bad habits. An example of this would be an overextended Warrior who gets snared by a Trap, and then hit with focused fire by the Elementalists before he can get back into casting range of his Monks.

Class Descriptions (Offense)

• Elementalist/Mesmer: The Mind Shock Elementalist knocks down specific targets for spikes and attacks overextended players.
• Elementalist/Ranger: This character calls targets and spams Chain Lightning/Lightning Orb on called groups/targets.
• Mesmer/Monk: This character focuses on interrupts and acts as support for the Elementalists on their Air spikes.
• Warrior/Ranger: The "Sheepdog" of the build, this character "herds" soft targets back into their main group, and helps spike targets.
• Ranger/Monk: This character serves as the flag-runner and is designed for one-on-one combat and for harassment of NPCs.
• Ranger/Mesmer: This trapper is used offensively against enemies using wards, and defensively against Warrior-heavy teams.

Defensive Class Descriptions

• Monk/Necromancer: This character serves as a basic Protection Monk.
• Monk/Mesmer: This is a basic Healing Monk with a bit of Protection to help with condition removal and enemy damage spikes.

Strategy: PvP Tips

When it comes to working together as a team, Te feels that good communication is a vital component. Without efficient communication, managing eight players on the field of battle becomes an exceedingly difficult task. For Te, voice communication is a must-have for their matches. Here are some of the key pieces of information that the team uses voice chat to relay to each other:

• Noting the enemy's classes and elite skills
• Monitoring the Energy supply on allied Monks
• Calling out overextensions of allied or opposing players
• Communicating when moving the group (for example: retreats, pushes, or harassment)
• Having the flag-runner keep an eye out for the morale boosts (which arrive at two minute intervals)
• Calling out the opposing team's lead attacker/target caller
• Forewarning allies about traps and incoming spikes
• Containing panic when the enemy does something weird;giving team members assurance/confidence in awkward situations; making quick, clear, and concise decisions.
• Calling out catapult launches, and who is launching it.
• Having a target caller who is consistent and clear with targets. Use a 3-1 or 5-1 countdown for coordinated spikes.

A player's movement and positioning on the field of battle is one of the key factors that Te feels separates a novice player from an expert. These tactics involve moving as a group, kiting as an individual, and distributing character classes where they belong on the field. The following are some examples of problematic situations that may arise, and Te's suggestions on how to solve them:

1.) Problem: Players do not stay with the main group and run off/get killed.

1.) Solution: Communication and cooperation as a team are the only ways to solve this. Players need to be willing to learn and have an understanding as to what is happening. It is important for the group to watch their radars, and for the team leader to call where the group is moving.

2.) Problem: Teammates remain where they are when they are being focus fired.

2.) Solution: If you find yourself as the focus of the enemy's offense - run! Cease any actions your character may have been taking, and retreat to a safer position. This is known as kiting, and is one of the most important tactics for survival in Guild Wars. Since an enemy's damage will almost always outdo the healing power of your Monks, it is important to run while you're still alive. Otherwise, your team's Monks may find themselves quickly running out of Energy, or unable to heal you fast enough.

Steps to effective kiting:

• Cancel any spells or skills that your character may be in the process of using.
• Hit the "X" key to do an about-face, or spin the camera around as fast as possible.
• Run in a straight line away from the enemy in order to get out of enemy casting range.
• Do not move in loops or circles—this will result in your character still taking damage from both ranged casters and sprinting Warriors. The only exception for circling/looping around your opponent is with the use of Wards or snares.
• Try to attempt kiting before the damage takes place. If three Warriors stop what they are doing and turn to attack you, then it perhaps time to consider a tactical retreat.
• Zigzag if the enemy is using spells or projectiles such as Lightning Orb or arrow attacks.
• When you're in the clear, return to your original position on the field and resume fighting.

3.) Problem: Your team's Monks are in front of the Warriors, and the casters are out of healing range.

3.) Solution: Make sure everyone on your team knows where their class belongs on the field. If soft targets (those that have less than 70 armor) are out in the open, pressure will be applied to them, and it will put your team in a bad situation.

Te's advice on battlefield formations:

• Monks should stay far in the back.
• Ranged casters should be in front of the Monks, but behind the Warriors.
• Warriors should be in front of the midline.
• When in a bad situation, your offensive line needs to retreat to the defensive line, and not the other way around. If a Monk goes up past the flag-stand to assist a Warrior, he is then vulnerable to attack and is risking an otherwise avoidable death.
• You should keep this formation on the field consistent, or difficulties might arise out of nowhere.

Player Profiles

Get to know some of the members of Treacherous Empire.

• Handle: Trexton
  Location: Alaska, USA
  Gaming Background: RTS, FPS
  Preferred Character: I love the versatility and power of the Mesmer. It feels really good when your opponents are squirming in their skin just to cast a simple spell. I also enjoy watching my opponents hobble across the field attempting to catch me!
• Handle: Bobangry
  Location: Alaska, USA
  Gaming Background: FPS, RPG, RTS, fighting, and action games.
  Preferred Character: Warrior/X. I used to play a Monk for previous guilds, but once we decided to create our own guild, I saw my chance to revisit my Warrior roots. These days, I mainly play a high DPS Eviscerate Axe Warrior with Frenzy. With the recent UI change however, the top guilds really watch for Frenzy and spike Warriors who use it, to the point of it almost only being useful to "draw aggro," so I'm playing around with some alternative attack speed boosts (not IWAY.)
• Handle: Stepn
  Location: California, USA
  Gaming Background: FPS, RTS, RPGs
  Preferred Character: I'm usually responsible for keeping the team alive as a Monk, but I enjoy playing all the professions. When playing a Monk, I try to watch the field and enemy skill monitors to determine when to button-mash.
• Handle: PaulO or Hutto
  Location: Tennessee, USA
  Gaming Background: MUDs RPGs, RTS
  Preferred Character: When I practiced interrupting a lot, I loved playing a Mesmer. Lately, I've been frequently playing Wilderness-based Rangers, with either Crippling Shot and Apply Poison or Traps.
• Handle: Kriegar
  Location: California, USA
  Gaming Background: RPGs, FPS
  Preferred Character: I love all the classes. Playing a variety of characters is part of the beauty of Guild Wars.
• Handle: cRUMMYdUMMY
  Location: California, USA
  Gaming Background: PvP RTS and FPS
  Preferred Character: I prefer playing Domination/Inspiration Mesmers and all sorts of Rangers. Those two classes have an incredible ability to make the enemies so very angry.
• Handle: awowa
  Location: Texas, USA
  Gaming Background: FPS, MMORGs, RTS
  Preferred Character: Warriors are my favorite class. I like the raw power that a Warrior can dish out with little downtime and no huge reliance on Energy skills. It has a ''go go go'' mindset that I like.
• Handle: Xesh
  Location: Australia
  Gaming Background: FPS, MMORPGs
  Preferred Character: Elementalists/Necromancers. I have always had a fondness for hard-hitting but spongy characters. Necromancers allow a little flavor, but I believe in mastering all classes.
• Handle: Z T N U K
  Location: Canada
  Gaming Background: PvP, FPS
  Preferred Character: I play Monks because I like how the class is largely based on prediction and twitch reflexes. Some of my past favorite skills were Divine Healing and Divine Spirit. I'm currently into Contemplation of Purity and Infuse Health.
• Handle: LuLu
  Location: California, USA
  Gaming Background: Hacking, Cheating, Exploiting, and Abusing since Pong.
  Preferred Character: Mesmer
• Handle: Ogren Ogrepack
  Location: California, USA
  Gaming Background: MUDs
  Preferred Character: Arena Smite buffer. It's very versatile if built right. You can help heal or protect to keep everyone alive, add physical and holy damage, and act as a decoy for the primary Monk.
• Handle: Katsu
  Location: Washington, USA
  Gaming Background: FPS
  Preferred Character: Warrior, because I love the fast pace, in-your-face action. My favorite type of Warrior would have to be an Axe Warrior with Eviscerate or Cleave.
• Handle: Agrias
  Location: Texas, USA
  Gaming Backround: PvP, FPS, RPGs
  Preferred Character: Elementalist, Warrior, or Mesmer. I prefer being on offense because spiking and killing targets is so much fun, especially against worthy guilds with defenses that takes awhile to break.