Guild of the Week: Dynasty Warriors (DW)

Inspired by the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, each member of the Dynasty Warriors guild bears a name from this classic saga. Formed over two years ago, this online gaming community adheres to a code of honor emphasizing respect toward their fellow gamers and good sportsmanship. Though unified by their theme of Chinese history, the Dynasty Warriors guild plays host to a variety of players, predominantly from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

The Dynasty Warriors first discovered Guild Wars during the E3 for Everyone event held in May of 2004. After the initial positive reaction, more of the guild’s members came into the game during the World Preview Event, after which it was decided that the guild would host a competitive division for Guild Wars.

Unlike many guilds, DW caters both to those who enjoy the cooperative aspect of gaming and those who favor competitive play. When participating in cooperative play, the guild primarily focuses on ensuring that its members have fun—sometimes intentionally accruing the maximum Death Penalty before attempting difficult explorable areas in order to make them more challenging. DW’s competitive players also enjoy a good challenge, and during the final BWE in April, the Dynasty Warriors finished in a top-ranking ladder position, and received an in-game PvP template character bearing their name.

Strategy: PvP Play

Members of the Dynasty Warriors play in all forms of competitive matches, although guild-versus-guild battles and the Tomb of the Primeval Kings remain their favorites. While fighting, DW members rely on voice communication as a quick and effective means of relaying information, allowing them to focus on the game rather than typing messages. Typically, they assign one Warrior to the role of target caller, since this profession has an up-close and personal view of the battlefield. DW members feel that Warriors are less of a priority target during a match. This allows them to choose their own targets based on observation and action rather than choosing targets out of bias for their own safety—as might be the case with Monk characters who suddenly find themselves under attack.

When assembling builds for competition, DW members prefer balanced set ups that complement the strengths of the guild's players. They feel that there is often too much of an emphasis on builds that rely on a specific trick or combo in order to win. DW adheres to the old saying, "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link" when devising their PvP builds. By taking out the important characters upon which their opponent's build is based, the rest of the team is likely to fail. For this reason, DW tends to focus on well-rounded builds that have some duplication of their important skills. This ensures that their combos can still work, even if a teammate is downed.

Members of the Dynasty Warriors guild believe that one of the keys to a successful battle is an understanding of the value of patience and knowing when to take risks, a lesson they learned from a war of attrition in one of their memorable guild battles. Set amid the foreboding backdrop of the Isle of the Dead guild hall, the battle started off fiercely as both teams struggled to control the flag stand. Though heavy losses were incurred on both sides, the DW team was finally able to hold the flag. The tenacity of their opponents was not to be underestimated, however, as they fought back to reclaim their flag. Back and forth the battle raged, until finally, the Dynasty Warriors were able to force their foes to fall back to their base. However, the opponents' Archers and Elementalists then provided a defensive advantage. Patiently, the Dynasty Warriors waged several feint attacks designed to chip away at the stone wall of the opposing team's defenses. Nearly an hour into the battle, they decided to take thee risk of leading an all-out charge into the enemy base. What ensued was an intense and frantic battle, from which the Dynasty Warriors finally walked away as the victors. This battle further strengthened their belief that if you're patient, opportunities will present themselves during the course of a battle—and that by knowing when to take risks, you will be able to make the best of those opportunities.

Example Team Build

• Mesmer—Purely anti-caster
• Mesmer/Necromancer—Anti-caster running support skills such as Rigor Mortis
• Air Elementalist—Primarily a damage dealer, with wards for support
• Sword Warrior—Equips skills like Savage Slash, Seeking Blade, and Warrior's Cunning
• Hammer Warrior—Equips skills that center on knock downs
• Protection Monk/Elementalist—Focuses on protection spells, with wards for backup
• Healing Monk (x2)—Pure healing build

This build focuses on control and consistent damage. Using skills like Rigor Mortis and Lingering Curse, the Necromancer leaves the targeted foe susceptible to greater damage from the Warriors, who attack in tandem. Using knock downs and interrupts, the Warriors render their target helpless, while the Mesmers keep the pressure on the opposing team’s Monks, by stopping their ability to heal. The Elementalist assists with the focused damage-dealing, and carries combos such as Arcane Echo and Mind Shock in order to quickly take down the target.

For defensive measures, the Protection Monk and Elementalist duplicate their wards, ensuring that if one of these characters is lost, the build can still function adequately. The Mesmers also provide additional support by equipping resurrect spells to be used in conjunction with their Fast Casting. By having the resurrect capacity relegated to other characters, the Monks can focus on healing their teammates, rather than attempting to raise them.

Member Profiles

Meet some of the members of the Dynasty Warriors guild.

• Handle: Cao Cao
  Location: The Netherlands
  Gaming Background: FPS
  Preferred Character: A Healing Monk (Monk/Mesmer) equipped with the usual healing spells, as well as Channeling, Inspired Hex, and Mend Ailment. I also enjoy playing a Shutdown or Domination Mesmer and any type of Ranger.
• Handle: Huang Zhong
  Location: The Netherlands
  Gaming Background: RPGs and FPS
  Preferred Character: I like any type of Elementalist or Mesmer.
• Handle: Cao Zhen
  Location: The Netherlands
  Gaming Background: RPGs and FPS
  Preferred Character: I prefer being in the middle of a fight, guiding my party through the enemies and dealing lots of damage in a short time. That's why I really enjoy being a Warrior with any kind with fast attack rating.
• Handle: Chun Yuqiong
  Location: The Netherlands
  Gaming Background: PvP
  Preferred Character: My favorite character to play is the Protection Monk. I specifically enjoy trying to create new Monk builds that help the team counter specific guild builds. The Protection Monk has some nice skills that can make him almost invincible when used in the right order, especially against melee damage using Shield of Regeneration and Bonetti's Defense.
• Handle: Liu Pi
  Location: France
  Gaming Background: RPGs and FPS
  Preferred Character: Anything that interferes with specialized team builds! I also use builds such as an Elementalist/Monk with Reversal of Fortune, Divine Boon, and Infuse Health.
• Handle: Ma Liang
  Location: United Kingdom
  Gaming Background: Diverse
  Preferred Character: I prefer the Warrior’s role in combat, since it gives you a clear view of the battlefield. As primary target caller, it also gives you the opportunity to spot certain situations first and act on them quickly so that the rest of the group can follow suit.
• Handle: Sun Quan
  Location: Switzerland
  Gaming Background: Diverse
  Preferred Character: I prefer a Protection Monk, specifically a Monk/Mesmer.
• Handle: Himiko
  Location: Sweden
  Gaming Background: Diverse
  Preferred Character: My favorite characters include a heavy Domination damage drainer (Mesmer/Monk), Shutdown Mesmers, Healing Monks, and any kind of Warrior.
• Handle: Cao Zhang
  Location: Bosnia and Herzegovina
  Gaming Background: RPGs and FPS
  Preferred Character: I usually prefer to play a Necromancer.
• Handle: Yan Liang
  Location: Israel
  Gaming Background: PvP and RPGs
  Preferred Character: I mostly play the Warrior profession; I've been playing them since the first beta, and I've always like playing these kinds of characters. My favorite Warrior build is the KD (Knock Down) Warrior.
• Handle: Cao Pi
  Location: Belgium
  Gaming Background: FPS
  Preferred Character: The Warrior. When paired with the right secondary profession and skill set, Warriors are versatile, allowing them to fill a wide range of roles, which makes them more fun to play. Also, I like doing the target calling, and a Warrior is perfect type for that role.
• Handle: Jia Xu
  Location: England
  Gaming Background: FPS
  Preferred Character: For PvP, I prefer a Monk, purely because I can play this character very well, or so I'm told. For cooperative play and casual PvP, I play a Mesmer or Warrior. I like to play Blackout-based Warriors for fun. My play style is pretty dependent on what the team needs; I basically fill any role that needs filling.