Eric Replied

What Are you Babbling About?
This isn’t some sort of scientific article. This is a little concept that I’ve always had in the back of my mind as I PvP’d. Most people believe in theories much like this, but is usually expressed in “nerf this” and “nerf that.” The Theory of Tiers is the idea that the rating cap that a player reaches is directly tied to three pre-determined factors (not necessarily measurable). It explains (to some extent) why some players at the end of the season, despite having full Season Gear, can not beat a team with equivalent gear.

Tier 1: The Limit of Gear
Any team looking to get off the ground has to face the first wall: the Limit of Gear. Most people recognize this more as the popular phrase “Get 300 resilience or instantly die.” No matter how much skill a player has, nor how powerful their team composition is, a team with very poor gear will tumble.

Alternatively, a team with the appropriate gear can progress, but will hit another wall as they move up the ranks.

Tier 2: The Limit of Skill
After beating all the “scrubby” teams, every team reaches the Limit of Skill. This is the boundary at which all gear is generally equal (or pretty close), but the skill levels of the team members vary. This is where the average player lives. Most players obtain the proper gear, but to some level never truely develop “advanced” WoW skills to get farther in PvP. It makes the most sense because when you think about all the players in WoW who PvP, the average player will be … average. This is the middle ground.

Players who compete here may continue to progress as their team powers through those that don’t have any skill, but even with the best skill, limitations come back to bite the team.

Tier 3: The Limit of Composition
Two teams of equal gear and “equal” skill will face off at this level. This Tier is commonly known for the “Duelist” level (and in some cases the Gladiator level) players. Even with the right gear and the right talent, the classes in the team dictate whether it comes down to a win or loss. I’m not speaking in absolutes, but you can place bets on certain team compositions defeating others hands-down. This is an interesting point to make because the”flavor-of-the-season (FOTS)” is fluid. When a flavor appears, there’s always a combination (at least I always believe there’s a combination) that hard counters the FOTD.

A good example is today’s current popular setup: Druid and Warrior. Of course, without gear or skill, the composition isn’t quite as effective.

Where Does this All Fit In?
If your team is getting stuck, a little strategy, and a little know-how can help you and your team tweak how you approach a PvP match. If your team has the gear, but may be lacking in skill, you may consider finding new teammates or putting in more matches beyond 10 to continue practicing (never be afraid to practice!).

Every team without exception has strengths and weaknesses. Knowing how teams tick is more than half the battle. If you can find a way to increase any of the first two tiers, your chances of suceeding in tier 3 increase. Of course, when you come up against a team that is equal in gear and skill, it boils down to composition.

-ERP-

Thursday, January 17th, 2008 at 10:54 pm.
Filed under Theorycraft, WoW PvP.
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