ArathiBasin
From Game Theory
Contents |
What is Arathi Basin (AB)?
Arathi Basin is a 15-person Battleground based on a 5-node King of the Hill game. The object of the game is to capture nodes which then earn points over time for the team. Each node roughly doubles the rate of accumulation of points. The first team to 2,000 points wins the Battleground.
As shown in the picture, the nodes for Arathi Basin are Stables (ST), Gold Mine (GM), Blacksmith (BS), Lumber Mill (LM) and Farm.
Keys to Success
Defend the Node: After a node is assualted, at least 1 player needs to stay to defend, preferably classes with some CC ability, and decent stamina. Hunters and warlocks make decent defenders. Healers never defend.
Kill Enemy Healers: Putting pressure on their healer will help your cause significantly.
Only Fight Near Flags: Fighting in the middle of nowhere does not accrue the team any points.
Don't go at it alone: The odds of a single player walking up to an enemy node, spending 10 seconds uninterrupted to assault the flag, and then defending it for 60 seconds for a capture is extremely low. Don't do it unless the situation is desparate.
Not All Nodes Are Created Equal: Blacksmith being at the center of the map is the key node for any Battleground and Lumber Mill is superior to Gold Mine because it can be used for scouting ST, BS, and Farm.
Typical PUG Mentality (The No Strat)
The team that controls the majority of the nodes wins the Battleground. The key here is controlling these nodes, not just defending nodes. A common suggestion by players in AB is to "cap 3 and defend" and "put 5 at each node." Unfortunately, these suggestions will not lead your team to victory.
For example, let's say that the Alliance captures ST, LM, and GM and places the recommended 5 at each node. Now, if the Horde will stop by in an orderly fashion, we would invite them over to have tea and sing Kumbaya (this has happened once, please ask Drevash for more details) Usually, the Horde will counter by amassing at BS and attacking a node in force (Illustrated in 3rd thumbnail). Not stopping there, they could proceed to attack ST while the defenders at GM are waiting to be resurrected.
3-cap strat (requires 15 in raid)
Used primarly against other pre-mades, the 3-cap strategy attempts to capture and defend 3 nodes. This can take the form of a 7-7-1 strategy where the team will send 7 to Blacksmith, 7 to Lumber Mill, and leave a defender at stables. If the team meets little or no resistance at lumber mill, part of the group should either assist with the capture of blacksmith or return to stables defense.
5-cap strat (requires 15 in raid)
This is group distribution that was heavily favored in the months before The Burning Crusade was released. In particular, those who were in the Alliance United chat channel on the Alliance side of the Proudmoore server, and in the guild <Crooked Crayon> (formerly <I Have A Big Pvpness>), heavily favored this layout.
| ODD GROUPS (OFFENSE) | EVEN GROUPS (DEFENSE) |
|---|---|
| G1 - BS | G2 - BS |
| 3 DPS, 1 healer | 1 warm body |
| G3 - BS | G4 - LM |
| 2 DPS, 1 healer | 1 warm body |
| G5 - LM | G6 - GM |
| 1 DPS, 1 healer | 1 warm body |
| G7 - GM | G8 - ST |
| 1 DPS, 1 healer | 1 warm body |
Odd groups push farm once their node is clear; even groups cap and stay to guard. If GM or LM has an unusually large force of horde, G3 should peel off and help fortify that location. Once 4 or more nodes have been capped, odd groups can be sent to defend/attack nodes depending on the necessary head count.
Stables duty (Group 8)
Also called "Charles duty" (origins unknown), stables defense (group 8) traditionally goes to the last person to zone into Arathi Basin. Healers tend to be able to wiggle their way out, though, since they're awesome-possum.
