5v5 Tactics From a Top 200 Pro

It's no secret that the more players you add to any PVP encounter, the more skillful it becomes. That's why the 40 v 40 Alliance Valley will always be the paragon of PVP skill in WoW as opposed to the laughably imbalanced 2 v Druid and RMCleave brackets.  Nevertheless, there is a sweet spot where top notch skill coincides with a reasonably large number of players and that is none other than the most popular arena bracket, 5 v 5.  As a bona fide Top 200 5's player on Nightfail (globally recognized as top tier next to Cyclone-EU and Stormstrike-US) I thought it my duty to help my fellow casual PVPers attain success in the most demanding -- and skilled -- of arena brackets. Please, listen... and learn.


You Can't Argue With Success

Preparation Is Key
Everyone always asks: Roma, how do you prepare for those intense arena sessions?  Well, for 5's I vary things a bit.  See, for 2's I make sure I have a full bottle of the Ketel One chilling in a crystal bucket on ice next to me for ready access.  This week we had a 30 minute game in 2's as prolly/war vs. prolly/hunter and let me tell you, you gotta have the K1 handy for that kind of interactive boredom.  It's not uncommon for me to play 2's with a cigar in hand on my deck, enjoying the warm summer air and a fine Partagas while skillfully spamming flash heal against druid/warrior for 20+ minutes. 

5's, however, is different.  You can get your weekly ten games completed in 15 minutes tops, and ten minutes of that is the one minute arena preparation time. A one minute 5's game is an eternity.  Some friends claimed a 5's game once lasted 90 secs, but frankly I think they were drunk or exaggerating.  See, using WotLK math 2 dps > 1 heals, and 4 dps --> hilarity.  Bottom line, if you have a 40 oz. of Miller Genuine Draft in a brown paper sack, you're more than covered for a hardcore 5's session. Don't even think about a smoke break, you'll miss your entire session if you step outside for a single toke.  Now, onto the tactics that get you the rating of a VENGEFUL DUELIST like me.

Team Composition : Choose Skill Over Power
Unlike 2's (druid + X) or 3's (RMCleave), 5's is much more flexible in its composition.  Below are the classes that you want to stack in order to achieve a balanced harmony:

1- MS class (any, really doesn't matter)
2- DK (death grip is key to detona- er, outskill the closest enemy)
3- As many destro locks, frost mages and ele shaman as possible.
4- 1-2 random healers (class irrelevant, I suggest trade channel in Dalaran)

Unfortunately for us, we had to go with a lineup of two warriors and only one elemental shaman (ie, Gimpsville).  So we were already playing at a disadvantage because of our really low burst. Fortunately players at our skill level can overcome handicaps and still put forth the kind of clutch plays that achieve the Top 200 glory that is our rightful due.

Cooldowns : Blow Them Like Monica
First off, cooldowns are not meant to be saved for some special occasion or rainy day. We're not talking a 1997 Caymus cabernet sauvignon, we're talking spam-worthy cooldowns like wings, divine shield, ice block, etc...  I know every class is different, but here's a macro I found really helpful for my healing in 5's.  You should use this in the first 5-10 seconds of each match, if not sooner.  Hopefully you find it as useful as I do:

#show Avenging Wrath
/use 13 (Trinket)
/castsequence Avenging Wrath, Hand of Sacrifice, Divine Sacrifice, Hand of Salvation, Hand of Protection

Target the person on your team that just got death gripped and spam that as fast as you can.  Don't worry, if the match lasts an eternity (i.e. more than 30 seconds) you can always pop bubble and top yourself off if you're still alive.  Your dps should be using similar macros.  The whole point is to use an entire raid's worth of cooldowns in 3-6 seconds tops to ensure that your skill is greater than your opponents.  Ideally you have gear like Bandit's Inskillnia, Darkmoon Card : Skill, Hand Pyroskill Gloves, etc...to increase the amount of planned RNG.  The last thing you want are cooldowns on the GCD!

Dealing With The Haters
I know this post will be controversial.  I constantly hear "oh Roma, 5's is just a lolzergfest where you blow up randoms with no coordination".  Nothing could be further from the truth! The best thing about 5's is that you always have a 50/50 chance of winning, because you will always -- ALWAYS -- be facing a team that is +/- 500 MMR away from you.  So it's an autowin or an autoloss as soon as the gates open.  As someone who likes having his destiny in his own hands, I like those odds! Besides, it's not like we're queue dodging the other 1-2 teams in the battlegroup that are queueing at prime time on a weekend.  We're here to play, baby!  Remember: Don't Hate, Participate.


A Top 200 Arena Pro

The Fruits Of My Labor
Despite my struggles in the skilless 2's and 3's brackets, I can take comfort that in the most skillful of all PVP brackets I reign (near) supreme. And for that I now qualify for furious bracers.  If you're nice I may even let you rub them in Dalaran (maybe).

With Love From A 1420 Rated Top 200 Nightfail 5's Team,
VENGEFUL DUELIST ROMA VICTOR, Esq. 

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