Heroes Ascent

Introduction

This guide is intended as some kind of "getting-started" guide regarding Heroes Ascent (HA). Heroes Ascent itself is a constantly running tournament with different maps, which will ultimately lead to the Hall of the Heroes. There are currently 10 maps in the tournament map rotation, however one of them is not inteded for fighting (The Vault). Each map has a distinct game type associated with it, ranging from

• Deathmatch,
• Priest Annihilation,
• Relic Run,
• Capture Points to
• King of the Hill

The Hall of the Heroes is an exception, as it can vary between KotH, RR or CP.

Prequesites

In order to have access to Heroes Ascent, one character of your account must have won 5 matches - not neccesarily consequtive wins - in the Team Arena. This will unlock Heroes Ascent permanently. To get to the Team Arena, you need 5 consequtive wins in the Random Arena

Finding a Group

Finding a group can be a tough task in Heroes Ascent. Not only do most groups require a minimum Rank, but you have to be at the right place and know the different build types, as well as constantly monitor the public chat. A lot of "Looking for Groups" do not show up in the party window's search tab. A good spot is usually the International District 1, where most of the players meet at any time of the day.

A word about Rank

Commonly, a Rank >= 3 was required. But you will see quite a lot of groups searching for high ranked players. Even if you do not meet their postulated requirements, simply try to get into those groups. Show your Hero Title and let them decide. Especially if you see them searching for some time, you will notice that their requirements will start to drop. Another option is to join groups playing Randomway, which is a little bit like BYOB. It's a good way to get into the game and collect the first couple of fames, since Randomway usually does not care for your Rank.

The Basics (aka Homework)

Before starting with Heroes Ascent, you should do a little bit of homework first. It will help keeping your own, as well as your teams frustration level as low as possible and will give you a grasp about what is going on.

Reading this Guide

Is obviously what you are currently doing. Good. Keep it up and don't be afraid to ask questions. That's what the Discussion page is there for. You will also find other valuable sources of information on the internet, so go ahead and get into them, as well.

Understanding the Builds

It is important to know how all the various builds currently played in the Metagame. The importance of that can not be stressed enough. At the very least, you should know

• What types of characters are in which build ?
• How does a certain build do damage ?
• What type of damage is a build doing ?
• How does a certain build heal it's party ?

Let's have a look at each one of these items to help you understand why exactly you should know about these for any given builds.

What types of characters are in which build ?

When entering the map, usually a Monk tries to snoop around and figure out, how the opposing party is put together. Sometimes they are near enough so you can see them. From seeing 2-3 different characters and their class combinations, you have to deduce the build they're playing and decide on your own tactics. If you see a combination of N/A, this is most likley a Bloodspike. A W/E on position 1 would sort of indicate a Balanced build, whereas R/? could be a Rangerspike of some sorts. Then again, a couple of N/Rt would give away an Icy Veins spike, ..., you get the drift ? The reason why the Monk should be doing this is, that you hardly give away your team setup by exposing a Monk, which might give you a very small tatical advantage.

How does a certain build do damage ?

This is manyfold. You should know if it's a Pressure or a Spike build, and be prepared for it. Then you need to know how exactly a build manages to create such pressure, or which skill combinations are involved to create a spike. Once you understand this, you know how to prevent an enemy spike, or how to reduce the pressure, rendering them less effective and allowing you to win. Other builds use life stealing, cold damage, ..., so you might want to adjust your shields / armor for that. As an example, a Glass Arrows Ranger Spike has the following team setup

• 1x R/N with Rend Enchantments,
• 2x R/Me with Hex Breaker,
• 1x P/? with Chest Thumper,
• 1x Rt/E with Sundering Weapon, Brutal Weapon

So how do they to their damage and spike a target to death ?

• The Rangers are maintaining Glass Arrows and are using Forked Arrow + Savage Shot. In addition, at least two of them will have a Brutal Weapon, further increasing their damage.
• The Paragon will spike with Chest Thumper. Since he will get a Sundering Weapon right on the spike, he will be creating a Deep Wound, which is essential to kill the target.

Let's do some math to get down to business on this sample, shall we ?

• Glass Arrows @ 14 = +19 Damage, 19s Bleeding per Arrow
• Brutal Weapon @ 10 = +12 Damage
• Forked Arrow x 3 = 6 Arrows
• Savage Shot x 3 = 3 Arrows
• Chest Thumper x 1 = Deep Wound

We're basically shooting 9 Arrows, each with +31 Damage, with Bleeding and a Deep Wound. Combined with the regular Damage the arrows will inflict, this is enough to take down an opponent. Sometimes, they also use Rigor Mortis to prevent blocking, mostly on Monks. So, where's the weakness of this build ? Well, there are several, which you've might spotted already. Without a Deep Wound, it's very likely that your target does not die. But the Deep Wound requires two things: (1) the Paragon can spike with their team, and (2) he has a Sundering Weapon on him, else he will not inflict a Deep Wound. So, take down the Ritualist, and you take out a whole lot of damage (in the above sample, its 108 Damage and a Deep Wound, the Ritualist is responsible for). Or take down a Ranger. With only two Rangers, they can not deal enough damage anymore. Additionally, Forked Arrow does not like Enchantments or Hexes, will will reduce the number of arrows (=damage). Forcing their Prot Monk to throw Prots on a Ranger and/or Hexing the Rangers will reduce the effectiveness. In this case, the Rangers will try to spike with Hunter's Shot + Savage Shot. However, the recharge of that combination is higher which will reduce their spike frequency.

How does a certain build heal it's party ?

Next, you should also know how their heal works. Do they have real Healers, or are they reliant on N/Rt combinations ? Is there a Protection Monk with them, what kind of spike-prevention are they using. How would they deal with Pressure ? Now, that's a lot of questions to start with, but let's try to get to the bottom of it. If you're dealing with a regular Monk backline (2 or 3 Monks), the key player is usually the Protection Monk (Restore Condition). He will be able to mitigate alot of the damage that you're dealing, be it by using Spirit Bond on a spiked target, effectively allowing the Infuse enough time to heal, or preventing Knockdowns using Aura of Stability. Taking down the Prot will also dramatically reduce the amount of Enchantment Removal that your own team has to use. If you have a Mesmer, let him work on the Prot and on a Spike throw a Shame on the Infuse. Remember that the Prot can not protect himself against Knockdowns. In addition to that, most Monks use Channeling as energy management. Removing these Enchantments will cause them alot of trouble, as they're running low on energy. This is even more true if the enemy plays with a Healer's Boon monk. They don't like enchantment removal at all. If your build has enough of these, look out for Channeling and Healer's Boon and remove them. A Signet of Humility on a Monk also works nicely. If the enemy is using a regular WoH Health Infuse Monk, he will most likely not have enough healing power to heal himself, once his Word of Healing gets disabled. He has to face the choice to either Infuse - in which case he will be a prime target - and die, or not to infuse and live, while his teammate dies. Either way, you've got your kill. Sometimes builds using N/Rt for healing. They can provide a decent amount of healing power, however their heal outout will always be inferior to a Monk counterpart. Take down those Healer's first, as they lack a propper Protection monk.

Know the Maps

Well, this is part of what the guide does. It should give you a walkthrough the different maps currently used in HA. Familiarize yourself with those maps, so you know each maps' pecularities, hidden pro's and con's. The combination of the current map you're playing on, the build your team is runing should drive your basic strategy. Adjust that for whatever you feel neccesary due to the enemy's build and tactics. But i will discuss these in later sections of the guide.

Observer Mode

Use the observer. It's a usefull tool. Check what type of game you are currently observing, identify the various different builds used by the teams and see how they deal with it.

• Which targets are they attacking ?
• Why ?
• How does the enemy react to it ?
• What is their position play ?

Don't just sit there and watch the game, learn from it. That is the whole point of the Observer mode. Try to watch both, the matches in the Hall of the Heroes, as well as those on the other map.

Position Play

GvG players be warned - HA will most likely screw your position play at first. Since the maps are smaller, you have less tactical possibilities, you can't really split (unless it's Capture Points) and will be facing 8x8 most of the times. Then there's the Channeling issue for the Monks, which makes them act right within the enemies. However, there is still a fair amount of position play that you should keep in mind. Later maps will allow for more space and offer certain advantages that you could use. Unless your build requires it, please do not mob up. It's always bad, and will most likely trigger some kind of snaring with heavy AoE damage = death. Try to "sourround" your enemy team. Since the monks are mostly at the center, you can line up at the outer limits of their aggro range. This will allow them to see where a spike is headed and react accordingly. Kite out of AoE damage. Plain and simple. Your monks will be thankful for it ! If a spike is being called, try to make sure that you've got the target in range, but still prevent from mobbing up. It's ultimately damage mitigation and will make the enemy waste alot of their energy for nothing. Use your surroundings. Certain maps have walls, stairs and obstacles that you can use for hiding, so use them. Stairs will give you a higher ground, which is what Rangers like. The downside is a more confined space, so you need to be more aware about AoE damage (or simply kill those chars that deal AoE damage).

Ghost Control

There's quite a few builds that rely on ghosts, be that Extinction, Nature's Renewal, Life, Recuperation and the like. As a principle, you need to control and kill those as quickly as possible. Extinction and Nature's Renewal are deadly for your team, the latter for your backline. They will most likely be hidden somewhere, which would make a Caster / Ranged-Attacker ideal to kill those (Ele, Paragon, Ranger). Clearly indicate who is responsible for Ghost control. Also, consider that alot of the N/Rt healer builds rely on skills that become more effective, the more ghosts there are. Removing them in a timely fashion will decrease their performance heavily. Also, ghosts are ideal for building up adrenaline.

The Priest

This is one of the special ghosts in some matches, typically Priest Annihilation. As long as the Priest is alive, he will resurrect fallen allies every full 2 minute counter. He will also resurrect a fallen Ghostly Hero. The priest itself will more or less spam Heal Area, so if you're trying to solo him, this will heal you, as well. Most of the times, you will want to kill the priest shortly before the 2min counter is full. A time-kill on a priest always occures before the counter reaches the next full 2 minutes. Howerver, it might also be advisable to not try to kill the priest to soon in the match, as we will also resurrect the enemy's Ghostly Hero. This allows you to replenish your Signets and "farm" a Morale Boost by killing the Ghostly every 2 minutes and having him resurrected by his priest. Bear in mind that this tactics will require a solid control on the enemy team.

The Ghostly Hero

This is the other special character you'll be dealing with. The Ghostly Hero will be part of each team. Killing him will award your team a 10% Morale Boost, which will recharge your Resurrection Signets. He will be resurrected every 2 minutes on maps with a Priest, Capture Points, Relic Runs or King of the Hill. As a consequence, an enemy team will try to kill your Ghostly after they've had a couple of deaths and are running low on Signets. Be prepared to protect your Ghostly, or have him killed before you actually killed an enemy, which wastes the recharging effect to their Signets. The Ghostly is an absolute master when it comes to using D-Shot and D-Chop, so using him to attack a casting target will most likely result into interrupts. Usually, a Monk takes the Ghostly with him, depending on your build and the map. Controlling the Ghostly can be a bitch at times and requires a bit of training. On the other hand, if you aggro the Ghost, he will attack. This comes in handy when running something like IWAY, which requires your pets to die. The enemy will most of the times not try to kill them, so initially attack the Ghostly, lock your pets on him and let his Cyclone Axe do the rest for you. (The same is sometimes true for stupid heroes like Vekk, Zhend, ..., but they can still be controlled by a player. The Ghostly is a bit different there). On capture point maps, the Ghostly counts as 4 players, when capping shrines. Team him up with a single player (mostly the RC) and they can quickly cap shrines, while the rest of the team messes with the enemy.

Common Tactics

This section is a rule by the thumb and does not always apply. So much depends on your builds, your skill-level, the enemy as well as the current map you're playing on. However, some of the pointers should be useful and some tactics are worth considering, so have a go at them.

• Speedbuffs are good. Use them. Fall Back is extremely usefull as it also heals the party at the same time. Putting a Make Haste on the monks will allow them to more easily kite melee damage.
• Snares are equally good. If you see the enemy mobbing up, snare them. No questions asked.
• Walls are good to hide behind and not be targeted by Warriors, Ranges and Paragons. Especially if you are a caster yourself.
• "Separated" sections of the map which are not easily accessible but still are in range of the fight are usually good spots for Mesmers or Necros. Use them yourself, and render the enemy useless by retreating out of range.

Annihilation

The Annihilation is a very basic match type, which simply requires you to kill the enemy team.

• on narrow spots, you might want to place a Ward against Foes, Grasping Earth or similar, to snare the enemy and put AoE damage on them.
• if your team has to pass a narrow spot on a map, ensure you're not running through it as a mob and that you have a speedbuff on you.
• since the Ghostly will not be resurrected, you can "sacrifice" him on the beginning of the match, if you have the feeling you can't protect him all the game long.

Priest Annihilation

The Priest Annihilation is very similar to the regular Annihilation match. If you have not yet been DP'ed to 60%, your Priest will resurrect you every full 2 minute counter, as he will do with the Ghostly as well.

• if you plan to kill the enemy Priest, do so before a 2min counter
• the Priest uses Heal Area, so stand close to him to gain the health boost
• since the Priest resurrects the Ghostly as well, you could kill the enemy Ghostly, have him resurrected, then go for the Priest and kill the Ghostly again to get 20% Morale Boost. (Repeat as you like / are able to)
• usually you will have to kill the Priest to win the match, though.

Relic Run

The Relic Run only happens in the Unholy Temples and Hall of Heroes given the current map rotation. You will need to carry your teams relic to either the Ghostly (Unholy Temples) or the main Altar (Halls). Upon delivering the Relic, you are being awarded a point and the Relic respawns.

• body block and snare the enemy Relic runner. This can also be a full-block with your whole team blocking, or just the exits to your relic area in Temples.
• body block your own Relic (works surprisingly well), then kill
• on Temples, time-kill the Ghostly so the enemy can't deliver a Relic
• take out the enemy snare character (Grasping Earth and others)
• Guardian and Aura of Stability is a must on the Runner
• Pre-Holy Veil the current runner
• RC usually stays with the Runner, the Healer stays behind and keeps an eye on the own Ghostly and the Relic
• if tied, or the next relic you deliver would tie the match, ensure to deliver it at the last possible second. In a tie, the team who last returned a Relic wins !

King of the Hill

The King of the Hill match is played in The Courtyard as well as in Halls. Your Ghostly need to on the Altar and claim the altar for your team using Claim Resource. At the same time, you do not want an enemy Ghostly doing the same.

• sometimes it's useful to wait before moving your Ghostly on the Altar, depending on the enemy teams
• interrupt the enemy's Ghostly Claim Resource
• protect your Ghostly with Song of Concentration, Guardian and Aura of Stability
• beware enemy casting Well of the Profane on the Altar, it renders your prots useless
• if you own the Altar, protect your Ghostly (this is for the Monks)
• if you see an enemy team bringing up their Ghostly to the Altar, try to body-block and kill their Ghostly before he reaches the Altar
• if you own the Altar and your Ghostly dies, ensure to take out enemy Song of Concentration and perm. interrupt the Ghostly

Capture Points

The Caputre Points match has usually 5 shrines that you need to capture. Every 30s you will get one point for each shrine that your team owns at that point in time. The Ghostly Hero counts as 4 team members.

• The Restore Condition Monk usually teams with the Ghostly Hero, sometimes a snarer will be used as well
• Pre-Holy Veil the Ghostly
• you can try to rush for the enemy base shrine to kill the Ghostly, reducing their virtual team size by 4
• standard split tactics is
  • RC and Ghostly cap the base shrines
  • 3 team members cap the next-to-base shrines
  • 4 team members cap the top/center shrine
• usually, capping is more effective than fighting
• snaring narrow spots is extremly usefull
• reverse order and try to cap behind the enemy team. Whichever shrine they leave, is the one you should be capping

The Tournament - Step by Step

The Heroes Ascent is a tournament in which you will face opposing teams given a fixed map rotation. Due to activity it could occurr that you skip maps to fill in an empty slot further down the line within the tournament. A new battle in the Hall of the Heroes starts every 12 minutes (xx:00, xx:12, xx:24, xx:36, xx:48). For a chance to get such a hall skip, you should time your victories accordingly.

Zaishen Elite Battle

This is the first test you have to survive in order to pass into the Underworld. The Zaishen team consists of 2 Monks, one Elementalist and 3 additional, randomized Zaishen (Necros, Mesmer, Warriors, Rangers). It's best if a melee fighter of your team rushes in and aims for the Elementalist, which is right in the center, as this might cause the Zaishen to ball around him. Earth Shaker is quite effective, but other AoE damage does it as well.
Depending on the build you are running, please keep in mind that the Zaishen nearest to you on entering the arena can be hit with a longbow, standing on the small pedestal, right where the eye is engraved into the floor. Warriors / Paragons can use this to load up adrenaline, send in their pets to die (IWAY), as well as Rangers using Rangerspikes are able to kill the first enemy - without the countdown starting. This gives you a slight advantage, and you should use that.
In addition, if you have some interrupt skills on you (Mesmer, ...), ensure that this char gets a speedbost. His job is to take out the two Wards, that the Zaishen Elementalit will cast (Ward Against Damage, Ward Against Melee). He sometimes casts a Glyph of Lesser Energy and/or Obsidian Flame before he activates a ward. Preventing these ward will greatly help your team. For all other players, ensure you're not in a Maelstrom, Warrios are often hit by Ineptitude and if you face Rangers, they most likely to put out some Dust Trap, as well as Healing Spring and the like. It's the job of the Midline to constantly hit the Rangers to prevent that.

The Underworld

Underworld (Map)

The Underworld is the first real battle in which you will face human opponents. It's a 1:1 Annihilation Deathmatch, and each team has Ghostly Hero. Killing the Ghostly Hero will award your team a Morale Boost of +10% and recharge all your Resurrection Signets. If you have managed to deplete the enemy's Resurrection Signets, be prepared to protect your Ghostly Hero, as they will try to kill him to obtain the Morale Boost.
A common tactics - depending on the setup the enemy team is running - is to place the Ghostly Hero in front of your team, and simply let him die at the beginning of the match. You might miss is Disrupting Shot every now and then, but the enemy can not recharge the Signets anymore. Also, if the Ghostly dies because of secondary damage effects (like bleeding), the enemy team is NOT awarded a Morale boost. Important to know, as it might help you to prevent that from happening.
Usually, you should avoid fighting under a bridge, because it's a tight spot in which AoE damage will hit you. Push through that narrow as quickly as possible (i.e. under the effects of "Fall Back!") and prevent to ball up. In return, you should try to keep your enemy in exactly that position. That would mean snaring the enemy (Wards, etc) and putting AoE damage on them. Try to use the map to your advantage. For example, a Mesmer could position himself on top of the bridge, while the fighting is down below him. He'd be more or less safe from melee - or would get a headsup which allows him to run away - and can freely cast his shit. If you see something like that happening, tell your team to move to a differnt location, outside the aggro of that char, rendering him useless for some time.

Underworld (Thumbnail)

When under heavy pressure, it might also be a solution to use a speed buff, and run - as a whole group - away from the enemy. Again, "Fall Back!" is perfect, as it'll heal you at the same time. This will reduce the pressure on your backline and will allow them to recharge.
There are a couple of "bugs" on that map, mainly in relation with the bridges. If you face an enemy Rangerspike, it's best to stand on the bridge and hide behind the bridge's walls (blue lines), as they can not hit you there. If the rush for you, round "around" the bridge entry: Cross underneath the bridge, uphill, and down on the other side to make a full circle. If the enemy is on top, you should be under the bridge and vice-versa. This is essential, and will most likely help you to win if you're not dependant on a clear line of sight (Icy Veins, ...).
Another "Bridge Bug" is that at certain locations (red squares), you can be under the brige and hit somebody on top of the bridge with a melee attack. In addition to that, traps that are being put on the bridge will also trigger if you cross underneath it - and vice versa.

Antechamber

Antichamber (Thumbnail)

The Antichamber is the last map before the Hall of Heroes. It's a 1:1 Capture Points map, and each team has Ghostly Hero that will follow the player that talks to him first. Each player in this map adds one pip of momentum toward capturing the point they are standing (with a **maximum of 4 pips** possible). The Ghostly Hero adds 4 pips alone for any point on which he is standing. Killing the Ghostly Hero will award your team a Morale Boost of +10% and recharge all your Resurrection Signets as well as reduce the number of momentum pips possible for the opposing team. Each team is awarded points every 30 seconds based on how many capture points are under your teams control.

Antichamber (Map)

Common tactics - before the play has begun on this map, the team must decide which members will be taking certain tasks and splitting into groups. Since the Ghostly Hero is capable of capturing a point alone, only the player that the Ghostly Hero will follow is needed to stay with him. This is usually a prot monk and they consist of one group.

Links

• PvX Wiki

TODO: Finish this...