Destro Guide to SC Strats - Lev 26 Edition

[Luuca]

I see a lot of poor decisions in SCs for Destro that allows our opponents to play to their strengths. What follows is a summary of my opinions on the RoR SCs, and how destro can make better strategic decisions to aid in our winning and end the whining. All of this is based on players focus firing on the same target and killing efficiently. If you want to solo-play in any of these SCs, you won't win.

The reality is that both factions have Scenarios, or areas within a scenario, that favor their usual group compositions.

Tor Anroc, with it's fairly unobstructed, open areas and high ground/low ground set up is great for a RDPS Heavy group. Usually, RDPS groups are found in the BW stacked Order groups and destro favors the melee focus - not always, but usually in my experience. While Order and Destro both have significant punt abilities that make Lava Running the unofficial national pastime, it's not as broken as one would expect as I believe the lava actually hits for less on RoR than it did on live. To win, destro must remain aware of the position of Order tanks in this SC. You must keep your situational awareness to avoid punts into the Lava. If you have the Bauble, retreat it back to the spawn side of the hill, and slowly kite order back, killing overextenders, until the bauble is at the big rock near our spawn. Keeping the bauble on a healer (if you have more than one healer) or a tank (with only one healer) and having the bauble holder stay with his right arm against that large rock, will eliminates punts of the bauble holder into the lava as well as entice mdps into our back line (overextending) and keep us near our respawn point for ease of reinforcements. The Bauble holder can also use the rock as a LoS break from order rdps, ducking behind it from time to time.

If order has the bauble, and has fully retreated to their spawn area, keeping the destro forces out of range of RDPS and slowly drawing them out by backing up seems to work the best to at least get kills by surging into them and taking out 1 or 2 of them; however, once they pull the bauble back to that landing area from their spawn, you will not see the bauble again. You must win on kills. You cannot over extend into their mass and die.

Nordenwatch is a good mix of open areas and LoS obstacles over a seemingly more spread out map (probably not, but perception is reality). Of all the SCs, I feel Noreden is the most Faction Neutral, giving a good mix of Rdps and Mdps opportunities. If I had to say there was an advantage, I'd say that the run distance for Destro to Fort is slightly less. It seems I can get there first every time. To win Nordenwatch, destro must control the Fortress while keeping Barracks. If order pushes barracks, a small force should leave Fort to Cap the order flag. Once capped, they return to fortress. Order will be forced to either leave their flag ours and attack Fort or to retake their spawn flag. Having players at Fort out and up on the rocks and bridge will allow destro to watch for order movements and anticipate where they are going. Calling out these movements in sc chat is paramount to reacting correctly. The main focus should be to keep fort at all times once won.

If you lose Fort, destro must try to take and hold both barracks and the order spawn point, with the main force headed to the order flag and any respawns and a smaller group staying at Barracks. If you ignore Fort, and are successful in drawing out order in smaller, defeat-able groups from Fort, you may be able to ninja take fort or move in force (early in the match) and take Fort. if not, you must win on kills and drawing order into smaller fractions is the only way to to this while holding 2 flags.

Gates of Ekrund, with it's tight hallways and New and Improved LoS walls definitely favors Destruction's mdps heavy usual group composition. Even with the main flag being a RDPS wet dream - high ground and no LoS issues - the propensity for RDPS to focus the players at mid generally leaves the healers of the opposition to heal to their hearts content, fluffing both damage numbers and healing numbers on opposite sides, but no one dies. Keeping a solid Melee train together and responding to flanking attacks quickly are the keys for either side to be successful.

Destro should, like Nordenwatch, take and hold the center flag. I would go so far as to say that once you have the center flag, to leave a tank there to babysit it. While he babysits the flag, some WP/KotBS will come along and try to kill him. It's OK. He'll live long enough for the main group - who is staying together and focusing fire target by target, comes back to kill the WP and KotBS. Take the flag closest to the order spawn and you should cap. most order groups, even premades wont flank very often unless you are fighting for mid early on and a slayer IB combo goes after the healers. You must react and keep your healers alive. Healers should kit to the main element, not away from it, by jumping down and using the walls under the upper deck as cover/LoS from their RDPS.

Since LoS issues with AoE through walls is fixed in GoE, Order doesn't seem to que for it as often and it has cut down the fluff damage from slayers facing a wall and hitting players on the other side.. which brings me to Morkain Temple

Morkain Temple has a design that plays better to the usual order group compositions as well as several design features that allow order some advantages destro just doesn't have. The first design feature that assist order is the small area that they can jump up onto the main deck from their spawn, avoiding the extra run to the stairs. This gives them two distinct advantages; 1. it allows them to get to mid much faster than destro and 2. it allows them an easy escape/reentry route from melee attacks and RDPS LoS. What I see is order RDPS staging near this jump up point and firing away. The second destro mdps gets near them, they simply jump down into the flats near their spawn. destro mdps either follows the kiting BW and dies alone and on fire or knowing that LoS will not allow the healers to heal them, selects a new target, but stays up on the mid platform. The order rdps simply jumps back up and continues mission.

Another tactic I've seen numerous times is for slayers to literally stand in the corners outside the hallway and aoe spam destro fighting order tanks in the hallway while order ranged sits out of the hallway and blasts destro players in the hallway. Pro Tip Destro: Don't fight in that hallway. Take the fight around the side nearest our spawn. Avoid the center except as an escape route or to draw order mdsp out of LoS of his healers to kill. I hope that all SCs will be fixed like GoE, but as of last night, they were not. Getting the bauble and keeping it on a healer (if you have 2) or a tank is important. If order gets the bauble, half the time they will retreat it to another design feature that gives them an advantage - the cubby hole in the mountain just past their spawn. If order manages to get the bauble into that spot, you must win on kills. You cannot simply run in and die. Their RDPS and Healers will sit inside the spawn and heal the bauble holder and burn down any destro players who overextend into the "Cubby of Death"

By staying out of Range of their Rdps, and enticing them to send out a brave IB or two, you'll get a few kills. Eventually, the BWs will get bored and jump down to get that one big bomb on that shammy (or something) once down, a good Melee train should be able to surge in, focus the RDPS, and get a kill, retreating back to repeat the cycle. Sometimes the KotBS (usually)that has the bauble will get bored of sitting in the Cubby of Death, and wander out. Pay attention to his health and try to coordinate a surge/focus on him away from his spawn and as a big bauble tick happens. If you can kill him and take the bauble, retreat it back not to our spawn, as there is no cover, but back to the corner just in front of the ramp onto the mid platform from our spawn. From there, it forces order to come out and around to try and get him. This takes the mdps suiciders from order around and out of LoS, and our melee train and rdps can burn down the overextended mdps out of LoS from the order rdps. Order Rdsp will still try to stay close to the escape hatch near their drop off, so you can easily duck behind the corner to get out of LoS. Destro must stick together here and focus fire order that comes in. Punt away tanks etc.

Reikland Factory has the one set-piece that allows Order to shine - Steam Tank Plant. With it's confined space, twisty overhead walkways, and easy access to the RDPS GUARD form said walkway, Order RDPS groups can literally shoot destro in a barrel if destro is dull enough to allow it. Winning on pure kills for Order while holding Steam Tank is a common occurrence. The key to Destruction's victory in Reikland is to force the game to the open fields in the back of the scenario. By taking the two back flags, destro can splinter the Order forces a bit. Usually, the RDPS is unwilling to give up their perches, and will not bother to go out and capture the rear flags; preferring to wait for prey to step into their web. This allows the order pugs ample time to meander out of Steam Tank into the rear flags, where destro can start getting kills. Moving from one flag to the next, with it's elevation changes and obstacles, provides decent cover for healers and tends to spread out the order players as they hastily retreat to either Steam Tank or unwisely try to kite to their spawn. Kill the ones headed to their spawn, but don't get kited into the RDPS trap of Steam Tank.

Be aware of order RDPS overhead on the train tracks. Depending upon the class and spec, some can reach you with spells/arrows at the flag. Move back, stay out of range, and hope they hop down and try to kite. Be patient and hold those two rear flags and the order players will straggle out to their deaths.

Do not fight in the doorway of their spawn unless you are assured a win (100 point advantage at 450 points or so) their rdps sit under protection of the spawn guards and attempt to kill destro players in the doorway as well as ibs attempt to punt you into their guards. Not worth it at all. let them flee back to their guards. Let them sit in Steam Tank and wait while you kill smaller groups of ordr and hold the back flags, and take the win.

In summary:
In no way is this a complete or end-all-be-all guide to Destro SC tactics. These are some basic strats that, if adopted, will help your team win in SCs. My hope was to allow the solo quers to understad why you dont fight inside Steam Tank against a BW/ENG heavy order SC team(s), why you don't fight in the hallway in MT, how taking key flags is important, as well as when to stick together and when to split forces.

All in all, someone should get on /sc and take charge. Good or bad, it's better to have a plan and try to execute it than to run around all willy-nilly winging it as you go.

[Renork]

Girl, are you trying to kill people with that WALL of text?!

[Twyxx]

+1 for the Cubby of Death

[Penril]

[Joan]

Great guide. Well detailed and structured
Sidenote: Keep in mind that there is no "fixed" plan. Group strats change dynamically as the battle progresses, so you may end fighting something you weren't prepared for.
Good leaders adapt, evolve, and then they overcome the opfor
(Destro is in need of leaders)

[Razid1987]

Damn, great job Luuca. Must have taken you quite a while you write down o.O

That's funny and all, but at least show some kind of respect to OP for putting all that work into a thread...

[Penril]

That's funny and all

Yes it is.

but at least show some kind of respect to OP for putting all that work into a thread...

I respect Luucca, but not because of things like this thread; i don't respect anyone just because they have a large amount of free time. I respect him because his posts make sense most of the time and he remains calmed and civil when arguing with other people.

The suggestions are good, definitely, but the thing is good players already know all that and more. Bad players (the ones who could really benefit from reading guides like this one) will probably ignore this thread and keep on attacking tanks, not guarding, not focusing same target, etc.

[Penril]

Anyway, nice guide Luucca.

[RyanMakara]

There's no Order tips in here, tl;dr!

[magter3001]

Holy Wall of Text batman

Will read it later cuz i'm bad.