Return of Reckoning

My Black Orc has reached rank 29/34, and as I find myself getting closer to playing with the big boys, I wanted to ask about how I should take steps to be ready.

1) So far, I have been trying to keep my RR higher than my rank. I have a couple of other 40s that I just grinded to 40 asap and the low renown can really be felt, and I didn’t want to repeat that experience. However, at what point is it okay to stop focusing on renown and towards xp? Should I be RR 40 before rank 40?

2) I’ve heard that Ruin and Beastlord sets are the first things I should be going after to be effective in RvR. At what rank can I start getting them, and how do I acquire them? I’ve also heard I need my epic weapons. Is there a guide or a list somewhere that details how I can get the gear?

3) Is there anytging else I need to know, or be prepared for, so I can be as effective as possible as a new 40/40?

2) Check wiki

Well, if you have been in the rvr lake past rank 15 you have already been playing with the big boys. But yes i would also check wiki.

Darrell wrote:My Black Orc has reached rank 29/34, and as I find myself getting closer to playing with the big boys, I wanted to ask about how I should take steps to be ready.

1) So far, I have been trying to keep my RR higher than my rank. I have a couple of other 40s that I just grinded to 40 asap and the low renown can really be felt, and I didn’t want to repeat that experience. However, at what point is it okay to stop focusing on renown and towards xp? Should I be RR 40 before rank 40?

2) I’ve heard that Ruin and Beastlord sets are the first things I should be going after to be effective in RvR. At what rank can I start getting them, and how do I acquire them? I’ve also heard I need my epic weapons. Is there a guide or a list somewhere that details how I can get the gear?

3) Is there anytging else I need to know, or be prepared for, so I can be as effective as possible as a new 40/40?

Unterstanding your class, how things work in general > gear.

1#
For a tank RR is vital, missing out on the various avoidances and such can render you nigh useless ~ the more RR, the better.

2#
Gear is a no brainer either way (in the level/RR ranges and the time you could acquire the gear at, e.g.: you drown in officer meds/embs by the time you have BL):
Ruin + ToK jewelries (check wiki) + Epic quest weapons (check wiki) ->
BL + Lair gear (gutslime, jewelries [check wiki],...) ->
Merc/Anni (if you fancy it/wanna mix-match) + T1 SC weapons -?>
Redeye (if you fancy it) + maybe weapons(?)/x/y/z, once Gunbad releases -?>
Conq + Genesis + Subj / Rare Fortune + Harbringer (if you fancy it/have the necessary coins) ->
Dominator (if you fancy it/wanna go loldps) + T2 SC weapons.

Next up are potions and talismans - you should sport the pots at 40/40, and have atleast 18er talis by then.

3#
But the most important thing:
Pick up a guild/group, they have cookies (pots), shinies (talismans) and bash heads in; they can help you out with mechanics and BL/Lairs, too.

E: words, additions, corrections, yadayada.

Do whatever prior to t4.

Once you hit t4 (I think level 31?) level up to 40 asap. The additional abilities and tactic slot make all the difference. Plus everything everyone else said.

You want to have this as a bare minimum which is RR35:

http://waronlinebuilder.org/#renown;000 ... 3000000000

this the specc I would run if I had to start all over again:

http://www.ror.builders/career/black-or ... ,4472,4464

Gearwise as a bare minimum:

Set:
Ruin

Jewelries:
ToK unlock

Weapons:
skip epic weapon quest to be honest and go for SC1 weps.
a bad equipped tank in sc is better than no tank.
farming those will perhabs cost you some nerves but it's more than worth it.
You need RR39 though to wear it.

this leaves you open with the following slots:
Cloak
Girdle
1x Jewel

Wear greens as a gap closer till you reach the T4 influence rewards.
Conq girdle is fast aquired and a decent standalone piece.
BL cloak, jewel and pocket item can be a good substitute.
the cloak has a lot of stats. WS has become more usefull as a defensive stat. it has decent resistance.
option b would be lairboss cloak "Ravicks (?) Changehide (?) and the green +2% block jewel which is in the lower white and green bags from RvR. and option b is a very decent option.


after that work your way towards full genesis full conq.
genesis makes sense once you have the block jewel, the stat heavy jewel with initative and can reach the -crit bonus.

about 3)
have an eye on your initiative.
don't be one of those guys which runs <200.

learn relevant debuffs:
- block / avoid
- incoming heal
- reduced armor
- (-) initiative debuffs

if those are on you, don't try to "crowbar tank" if you are fresh off the boat. you are not really healable with 2 of those or more combined especially inc heal + x.

if you play warband, spam HTL. don't run around trying to DPS or even worse close your distance to targets while not using HTL.
use challenge
use FML on physical dps
use skullthumper on high prio targets and enemy tanks, even if you don't have invested points in it (eg. running waaaagh and toughest) it's still good dmg and pretty damn efficient. try to apply those from behind.
don't expose yourself for DYG / CF! proc, try to use it on turrets and WL pets to guarantee it's procc in RvR, or soft targets with low amounts of parry once distance is closed like BW, RP, WP, AM. if you need to use it "now", same rule as skullthumper, use it from behind to avoid block and parry.

here we go. a 2 min guide.

Pick up bane as a epic weapon 2hnder from I believe empire annihilation epic quest. It is the best 2hnder for you if you ever want to tank with a 2hnder. Arguably better then the SC weapons because of the proc. The slow swing chance on Bane also allows for high burst but for sustained dps you'll want the sc weapons. I don't know what is better as a 2hnder still the SC weapon or bane.

The thing is you don't connect often in pvp but when you do you want to hit like a truck. So the 2hnder sc weapon's have higher dps but shorter swing time and bane has a crazy long swing time so... I'd have to do some testing to actually see whats better in a short burst window. But you should just pick up bane anyway because I still use it as a RR 71 BO.