Battlegrounds Archive

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Lufitoom’s Recommended Add-on’s and UI Mod

People often ask me if I use any addons or UI mods and the answer is most definitely yes. I am not a fan of the Blizzard stock UI and it took me a long time to find something I did like.  This is my UI.  I use ElvUI and I [...]

People often ask me if I use any addons or UI mods and the answer is most definitely yes. I am not a fan of the Blizzard stock UI and it took me a long time to find something I did like.  This is my UI.  I use ElvUI and I love it.  It is fully configurable and it comes with some fantastic features like the actionbars, tooltips, unit frames, nameplates, chat and oh so much more.  I actually love the nameplates that come with it, but I use an addon in PvP (which I will talk about later) that isn’t friendly with the ElvUI nameplates so I use Tidy Plates instead.  Out of all the custom UI packages that I have tried, this one is the easiest and lightest to use.  Highly recommended!

On to the addons.  I use a couple that are what I call “epeen” addons.  They serve no other purpose than to stroke my epeen and that makes me happy.  Might as well get them out of the way before we get into the meat of PvP addons.

  • Honor Kill Tab  This is exactly what it says.  As you all know, I am obsessed with Honorable Kills, and Blizzard made it so annoying to try and check your totals.  Instead of having to go to your achievements, then statistics, then kills, etc… you can simply hit H (pulling up the same panel as your battlegrounds/arenas) and there will be a tab at the bottom, just like all the other tabs.  This one will show your kills for the day, total, battleground, world and more.
  • Female Announcer  This woman will make you feel like a true stud.  With every killing blow, she moans out the Unreal Tournament killing spree sayings, getting more excited up to 10 in a row where she reaches the climax with “Holy shit!”.  If you don’t die, she screams “Holy shit!” over and over.  Very motivating and mucho epeen stroking.

Now on to arena.  I am more of a WPvP/Battleground nerd but I have been known to dabble a bit in arena.

  • Arena Unit Frames  Most people use Gladius, but I really prefer Arena Unit Frames.  It does pretty much the same thing, with one major bonus… it talks!  You can set it to use sounds or speech to alert you along with text when something important is happening.  I just love the fact that it will say audibly things like  ”Shaman is drinking!” and “Warlock, trinket used!”.  It really helps in arena when things can get very intense and where text can be missed.

For general PvP, including Rated Battleground, I like the following:

  • Healers Have to Die  Although I usually have no problem with picking out healers from a crowd, this is an exceptional addon.  This is also the one that doesn’t work with the ElvUI Nameplates as I mentioned before but it works superbly with Tidy Plates.  The addon will place a cross above the nameplate of an enemy healer in red, and they seem to glow.  Also, it will identify your friendly healers and announce when they are being attacked and what is attacking them.  They also get crosses above their nameplates as well.  Also, there are two sounds.  One when you happen to mouseover an enemy healer and then another when you actually target them.  This is a must-have for larger battles, not as needed in arena but it can be used and works well there too.
  • Battle Herald  Just replaces the normal text in battlegrounds with a little more information, as well as audible alerts and announcements.  Mouseover in CTF games to see the EFC.  Lighter than Deadly Boss Mods in BGs.
  • MikScrollingBattleText  Seeing those numbers of hits, heals and damage (and more!) scrolling around you is not only fun, but helpful.  One of my personal favorites.
  • SaySapped Let the folks around you know when you have been sapped by a pesky rogue.
  • Stealth Alerter Just what it says.  Lets you know who and what stealths near you.  Very handy!
  • Spy This also shows when someone stealths, but it gives you a clickable list of all enemies near you.  This is by far one of my favorites but I worry it is a little heavy on resources.  I am still testing it now that it works well with 4.2.

Druid Specific Addons:

  • PowerShifter  I have my forms bound but there are times I find that this right clicking of my bar gets me out of some sticky situations.  Try it out… and if you are a clicker (gasp) this is a must have.

I am currently testing BGGlad which is supposed to be like a Gladius for Rated Battlegrounds.  I haven’t had a chance to really give it a go but it sounds promising.  I will certainly let you know when I check it out.

As a Moonkin in PvP, I need all the help I can get thanks to Blizzard and their Moonkin nerfing.  These addons help a lot, and in many cases just make life a lot more fun.

0

So, You Wanna RBG….

Last week we had a few open spots on our RBG team due to our regular team members dealing with computer meltdowns, Harry Potter and I think even some sort of infection.  This left us with the desperate move to PUG the spots.  Ok, so filling them with guildies might [...]

Last week we had a few open spots on our RBG team due to our regular team members dealing with computer meltdowns, Harry Potter and I think even some sort of infection.  This left us with the desperate move to PUG the spots.  Ok, so filling them with guildies might not be “PUGging” to some people, but in my opinion it still was.  I do prefer to go with guildies over the regular random scrub PUGs though so I was happy to see some new names and fresh faces helping out the team.  It became quickly apparent that they had limited PvP experience (which is fine with me if they have a willingness to learn) and were unsure of their abilities outside the relative safety of a PvE instance.  So, that is where the idea for this post was born.  Just some helpful hints for newbs to rated battlegrounds, with an emphasis on Balance and Restoration Druids.

  1. Come appropriately geared.  Blizzard makes it stupidly easy to get decent PvP gear if you just put in the effort.  Showing up to my RBG with low resil/blues/greens (yes, someone had a green on) is like me showing up to your progression raid in the same equivalent and under hit.  Get the gear before you step into the battle.
  2. Just because you are Resto in PvP, doesn’t mean that all you are supposed to do is heal.  This is why Resto Druids have to get the 4% spell hit as well.  Your heals are fantastic but you must be aggressive in addition to healing.  Anything that can stealth should have a Fairie Fire on it.  Insects should be a swarming.  Cyclones and roots galore.  Hunter pets… hibernate.  If you see someone low, don’t be afraid to Moonfire/Wrath.
  3. If you are not aware enough in PvP yet to be able to identify what is happening to you, get an addon that shows you the spells etc. that are affecting you or keep you combat log up.  I have some PvE addons and when I am going to PvE I turn them on.  When I am going to be PvPing, I turn them off.  No excuses.  Personally, I don’t like the idea of required add-ons.  I just know that in some situations I need the extra help for the betterment of the team.  You should be able to tell immediately that you are being mana burned and calling it out will help us help you.
  4. Communication is the key.  There are many things to remember during a match in regards to communication.  First and foremost, don’t be shy.  Although vent/mumble should be as clear as possible, silence is a bad bad thing.  Don’t be shy!  Call out your CC’s.  Call out a low target.  Call out the direction of the EFC.  (Don’t use left/right.  Always use directions such as North/East/West/South or landmarks like Waterworks or Graveyard side.  Remember, left and right depend on your perspective.  Inevitably, half your team will be facing the other direction and will run to the wrong side.)  If you are Resto, call for peels.  By peels I don’t just mean melee, it’s anything that is making it hard for you to heal.
  5. The only person calling out for heals should be the flag carrier.  Our healers should be aware of the damage being done and if you are dying they should know about it already.  If you do die (it happens), call out how many seconds to rez and where are you rezzing.
  6. Focus fire.  Seriously.  When a target is called, GET ON IT.  Make it dead.
  7. If you see a healer running around with no mana, keep it in combat but don’t make it a priority to kill it.  Kill the other healers or DPS first.  They are helpless/harmless and can be blown up after.
  8. If you are low on mana, call it out.  Chances are there will be a druid with our nerfed and weak innervate ready for you.  It might not be much, but it’s something.
  9. Rogues.  Tricks the Moonkin at will.  Thanks.
  10. Last, have respect for your teammates.  Coming into an RBG with a bad attitude and a PvE elitist demeanor will not be received well.  PvE/PvP rivalry will always be there and even I joke around about it but like it or not… when you are in an RBG, you ARE a PvPer.

Oh, wait.  The most important thing is…

HAVE FUN!

People forget that sometimes.

1

Moonkin PvP in 4.2

Even thought I had been dreading the changes to Balance Druids, I wanted to wait and see what actually happened in 4.2. I was accepting my fate of nerfage. Sadly, this has been one nerf after another since Cataclysm dropped. Before you start saying “but but but you have 23% [...]

Even thought I had been dreading the changes to Balance Druids, I wanted to wait and see what actually happened in 4.2. I was accepting my fate of nerfage. Sadly, this has been one nerf after another since Cataclysm dropped. Before you start saying “but but but you have 23% moar damage in your Starfire and Wrath!!!!11!11!!!” let me say that even though that’s nice, it still is a nerf from my PvP perspective.

As a PvPer, I can’t just stand in one spot until the predictable fire/green shit/frost/etc. drops onto the same places it does every time in a PvE encounter. I have to be on the move, avoiding the blender and staying at ranged from some annoying melee classes. My moonfire/sunfire spam allowed me to do that. Now if I had some sort of defense (like the instant roots they took away) I could agree with this change. As it stands now, I cannot be offensive or defensive. I have been reduced to popping everything and hoping the other player(s) are weak enough to go down. That’s it.

I am a firm believer that Blizzard really has not had a knowledgeable person on the staff when it comes to Moonkin PvP. It’s not their fault, we are more rare than you would think in the grand scheme of things. I don’t want to be OP or faceroll (see Mage lol). I just want to be competitive.

So here are just two suggestions:

  • Provide Balance Druids with a serious cc/escape mechanism. Instant roots/cyclones (on a cd of course). Would give us a chance to get back at ranged, but with a good cd, it couldn’t be spammed.
  • Buff starsurge again for pvp. If it procs, we have an opportunity to win. Still running on RNG it wouldn’t be completely controllable and not like the current Pally and Warrior 1-click I win buttons.

Why only two? Because I am a realistic sort of gal. I am not trying to become overpowered. I just would like to be able to have the escapeability that so many (most) of the other classes have. I mean come on, Pally/DK/Warrior/Mage/Priest/Rogue/Hunter/Warlock all have the OSHIT buttons to at least give them a chance. They are instant and powerful. Shaman too, but in a lesser degree (not gonna even talk about healers really… that is as it should be).

So, how ’bout it Blizz? Can a feathered friend get just a little love? You have really broken us.

Don’t make a Moonkin cry.

4

300,000

Yep, that’s right folks.  Little Lufitoom has finally reached 300,000 Honorable Kills.  Not that I get anything for it.  (Other than a growing e-peen.)
That is all.
Tweet

Yep, that’s right folks.  Little Lufitoom has finally reached 300,000 Honorable Kills.  Not that I get anything for it.  (Other than a growing e-peen.)

That is all.300,000 Honorable Kills

0

You’re Not The Boss Of Me!

There I was, wandering around the streets of Stormwind last night, when I received a message from Vayren, a level 81 Mage whom I have never seen before.  The message?

“Stack HASTE not mastery!”

I know that I have gone through this ad nauseam on Twitter and in many a bg conversation, but I figured last night, “What the Hell!” and I regemmed and re-enchanted it all to haste.

To be honest, I had a blast.  The PEW PEW PEW of my LAZERZZZZ was amazing.  I speed at which the magic was flying was incredible!  There was only one small little problem.  I was only about doing 3/4 of the damage I normally do.  I gave it a chance, did several more battlegrounds but the outcome was the same.  Sure I was still top in damage, but I was no where near the numbers I am used to.  In PvP, I rely mostly on my instant cast spells (say what you want but moonfire/sunfire spam is where it’s at) and I only cast to drop a bomb or get closer to that eclipse.

Most of the PvP Moonkins think I’m nuts for stacking mastery but it works for me.  With the four piece PvP set bonus that has been increased to 20 Solar Energy and 13 Lunar Energy, up from 5 and 13, I stay in Eclipse without even trying.  Yes, I get hit that much.  I am a large target after all.

I tried to explain this to the all-knowing mage that messaged me, but as usual, he just logged.  I get that a lot, but usually they are rage tells from a Level 1 Warrior that likes to call me an “old hag”.  Ah well, just gonna go and kill some more Horde in his honor.

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Sometimes There is a Win in a Loss

Not often though.  I have never enjoyed Alterac Valley.  Never.  When I first started playing World of Warcraft, my little computer would nearly have a coronary each time I ventured there.  Now, it’s an annoying place with a bunch of kids who still think they can zerg it and win [...]

Not often though.  I have never enjoyed Alterac Valley.  Never.  When I first started playing World of Warcraft, my little computer would nearly have a coronary each time I ventured there.  Now, it’s an annoying place with a bunch of kids who still think they can zerg it and win with nothing down.

That being said, I got myself into a losing turtle the other day and had a blast.  Even I couldn’t carry this team… but I tried.

My first 1o million damage battleground.  /roar