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Player vs. Player

Player vs. Player games in Guild Wars 2 are easy to learn and quick to join but offer a variety of challenges for new players, casual gamers, and tournament PvPers alike.

In PvP matches, teams of players compete to eliminate each other and capture strategic objectives to score points. Enormous diversity can be injected into PvP games by changing the strategic objectives—players may have to survive a strafing dragon in one match or destroy an enemy siege weapon supply depot in another. Of course, there are always opposing players to contend with...

In "hot joinable" PvP, new and casual players can easily hop into an ongoing match and start playing right away without worrying about setting up teams beforehand. Competitive players looking for more organized play can try tournament mode, which pits teams of five players against each other in pick-up tournaments as well as monthly and player-run tournaments.

Everyone plays at the same level in Guild Wars 2 PvP, where skill and strategy provide players with the winning edge. All players are set to max level and given all the skills and gear they need to meet their opponents on even terms.


Player vs. Player Articles
Player vs. Player Overview by Game Designer Jon Peters

IGN: Conquest Mode PvP Gameplay

Player versus Player

Player versus player (PvP) is a style of gameplay that pits players against each other in a competition. The objective in PvP is to defeat the opposing team(s), which can be accomplished by one of several different means, depending on the format. This could be capturing control points, defeating the opponent's Guild Lord, scoring a higher kill count or just regular deathmatch. As balance is a concern in PvP, many skills are weaker in competitive play than in PvE.

PvP-only characters

In addition to using roleplaying (PvE) characters, players can also create a PvP-only character, which have unlimited access to options that have been unlocked on that account: runes, upgrade components, skills, and insignias. Options can be unlocked by finding them in PvE, by spending Balthazar faction, or by spending real money. Many guilds that focus on PvP play require a PvP-only character for membership because of the flexibility in changing configurations that they provide; a strong PvP player is expected to be able to play multiple professions and multiple builds well.

Arenas and formats

The PvP arenas are:
Random Arenas — two randomly-selected teams of four compete in a deathmatch
Fort Aspenwood/Jade Quarry — two random teams compete in a mini-mission.
Alliance Battles — six organized teams of four, allied three-three against each other and randomly matched up compete for capture points
Codex Arena — two organized teams of four compete using only a limited pool of skills; the Codex.
Heroes' Ascent — two organized teams of eight compete in a variety of trials, ending in the Hall of Heroes
Guild versus Guild — two organized teams of eight attempt to kill each other's Guild Lord

Strategy and tactics

PvP tactics and strategy differ between the formats, but in general, PvP differs from PvE in the following ways:
Everyone in the party should expect to take damage. Characters with high intrinsic durability (Warriors) should generally not waste skill slots on self-survival skills
Softer characters need some combination of good kiting skills and defensive equipment/skills.

Melee characters should carry speed boosts to catch targets, otherwise kiting can negate damage.
Mobility and positioning are far more important than in PvE.
Most teams will have healing, and any offensive strategy must have a way to overcome it. Disabling skills, knock downs, interrupts, and skills that prevent or delay opponents from acting are stronger in PvP. Bull's Strike and Diversion are useless for mainstream PvE, but very strong in many PvP formats.
A typical Guild versus Guild team may only feature two characters of eight who are primarily damage-dealers, with the rest as support.
Skills with a long activation time (e.g. Binding rituals and Meteor Shower) will almost certainly be disrupted.

Characters must be able to fight continuously for several minutes without running out of energy, since you cannot "rest between fights"; energy-managing skills are essential.
Spike damage is important, so that players can deliver focused damage to a single target to overwhelm any healing on that foe.
High maximum health is critical. Superior runes are almost never used, and even the use of major runes is considered a bold choice.

Special tactics

These tactics are specific to a subset of PvP:
Voice communication is essential to succeed in organized play.
In formats without auto-resurrection, all characters (other than dedicated healers) should carry a quick-activation resurrection skill.

Low-level PvP:

In addition, there are low-level PvP arenas only accessible to roleplaying characters. Elite skills are banned in these arenas.
Ascalon Arena in Ascalon City — Level 1 to 10 only.
Shiverpeak Arena in Yak's Bend — Level 1 to 15 only.
Shing Jea Arena from Shing Jea Monastery — Level 1 to 10 only.
Sunspear Arena from Kamadan — Level 1 to 10 only.

Arena battles

Arena battles put two teams of four players against each other. The winning objectives vary, depending on the map. Losing players are sent back to the lobby area, while the winning team awaits the next opposing team for the next match.

There are two kind of arenas, Random Arena and Codex Arena. In Random Arenas, players are randomly put together into teams. In the Codex Arena, parties are formed but they have only a limited number of skills that change every day.

Notes:
Arena battles are fast paced. Fights usually end in less than three minutes.
Random Arenas are often used by many players as a "quick fix" of PvP. Other than a few points of Balthazar faction there is nothing at stake and there are no lengthy party forming periods, which can take a huge amount of time in Tournament Battles and GvG. For these reasons, Random Arenas are also a good way to try out PvP for new players.
Leaving the party after the battle or mission has started is generally considered rude, and will often make players angry. In Random Arena battles, missing party members get replaced by a new player between battles. So if you need to leave, do so after your party has won the battle, but before the timer for the next map starts.

Tournament battles

The Global Tournament is only accessible through Heroes' Ascent. Teams consist of eight players, with no more than two henchmen. The tournament consists of several consecutive maps. The losers drop out, the winners advance to the next round. Different map types are used, many of them consisting of more than two teams. However, only one team advances to the next round. The highest number of teams that can play used to be 6, however the number of teams in one battle is now limited to 3. The number of teams is also determined by the map the player is on.

For more information, see Heroes' Ascent.

Guild vs Guild Battles

Guild Battles are the highest form of PvP in Guild Wars. Elaborate builds and strategies are used during guild matches. They are the only source of guild rating, which determines the guilds rank on the guild ladder. For more detail, see the article: Guild versus Guild.

Automated tournaments

Three times a day, automated tournaments take place for Guild versus Guild. After paying a small entry fee, guilds compete in several round robin matches. Winning matches gives players Tournament Reward Points (used to unlock new skins for items and weapons in PvP) and the top guilds in each tournament receive qualifier points needed to enter a monthly tournament.

Conduct and etiquette

Where there is no automatic resurrection, make every effort to carry a Resurrection Signet in your build, as it can turn the tide of battle. Many teams win simply due to having a Resurrection Signet when the other team does not (especially in the Random Arenas). Monks, Ritualists and Paragons can carry other resurrect skills, or none at all, as they may not have time to resurrect.
Running away from your enemies for the sole purpose of prolonging a match is considered rude. Most people who do this use Ranger builds because of their defensive stances or Assassin Shadow Step abilities; however, it is possible for any profession to run. However, basic kiting and such is good tactics/playing so long as you are not simply running away.
Dishonorable Combatant System is used to punish players who leave a PvP match prematurely, for leeching experience or faction, or for falsely reporting team members for leeching.

Low-level PvP

In addition, there are low-level PvP arenas only accessible to roleplaying characters. Elite skills are banned in these arenas.


Ascalon Arena:

The Ascalon Arena is one of the maps in rotation in Random Arenas and is also accessible through Ascalon City as an arena for levels 1 to 10. Meghan is the Arena Guard in Ascalon City. She gives admittance to the Ascalon Arena.


Description:
Players start on opposing sides of the map. The central area of the arena has a pond filled with Tar with a slope leading to a small plateau on one side and a plain area on the other. It is essentially a large circle that you can walk around to both sides.

Objective:
Annihilation: To be victorious, at least one player on your team has to be alive after he has killed the last opponent.

Common tactics/tips:
* Both teams start close enough to each other to select players from the opposing team before the battle starts. Use this to gain early information on the composition of the enemy team.
* The tar will slow you down if you stay a short while in it (both when running and standing still). While this is more or less useless for kiting via running (as it also snares you), this can be very effective for characters who kite via defensive shadow stepping.
* The hill can be used to gain a height advantage when using a bow or a ranged weapon. The tree there can also serve as on obstruction. Though less pronounced, the outer edge of the opposite side of the map also grants a bit of a height advantage.
* The wall map near the start points of each team is relatively jagged (more so than it appears). As such, it is often possible to solo body block a foe in a non-apparent corner.

Notes:
* Elite skills are not allowed in the low-level version of this arena.
* Although it says the levels are 1-10, players can get up to level 11+ if they level up inside the arena.
* This is the first arena that Prophecies PvE Characters experience, its predestroyed form is the Ascalon Academy arena.
* When competing in the low-level version of this arena, you do not get gladiator points.

Shiverpeak Arena:

The Shiverpeak Arena is one of the maps in rotation in Random Arenas and is also accessible through Yak's Bend as an arena for levels 1 to 15.

Description:
Players start on opposing sides of the map. The main geographical feature is a low lying frozen stream of ice that runs through the center of the arena with high cliffs overlooking both ends.

Objective :
Annihilation: To be victorious, at least one player on your team has to be alive after he has killed the last opponent.

Common tactics/tips:
* Running across the stream is generally a bad idea if the other team is heavy with ranged attackers; in this case, going over the hill to either side is preferred.
* The frozen stream in the center of the map will slow players down with Icy Ground if they stop on it, so casting on the ice is discouraged and knocking down foes on the ice is advised.
* While otherwise lacking in obstructions, the small outcropping immediately in front of each team's spawn point can provide some refuge from ranged attacks. Additionally, the walls of the starting area itself can serve the same purpose at the cost of kiting space.

Notes:
* Elite skills are not allowed in the low-level version of this arena.
* A redecorated version of this arena is host to the Dwayna Vs Grenth snowball fight during Wintersday festivities.
* Shiverpeak Arena is commonly referred to as "SA."
* Although it says the levels are 1-15, players can get up to level 16+ if they level up inside the arena.

Shing Jea Arena

The Shing Jea Arena is one of the maps in rotation in Random and Codex Arena and also the map accessible through Shing Jea Monastery as arena for levels 1 to 10.

Description :
The arena has a couple of distinct features. Upon entering the battle, you will see two Miasma fields to both your left and right, regardless of what side you started on. The arena is divided by a shallow river in the middle which players can easily cross over with no effects to them. There is also a bridge that spans the river.

Objective:
Annihilation: To be victorious, at least one player on your team has to be alive after he has killed the last opponent.

Common tactics/tips:
* Battles are usually staged on either side of the river, between the miasma clouds.
* While the elevated bridge may look like a good position for rangers and casters, the time and health lost in getting there can often outweigh its advantages. Furthermore, the time and health required to get back down if your enemies or allies move out of your range can also make it disadvantageous.
* Many of the rocks along the stream cannot be walked across; casters and ranged attackers can use this to their advantage when kiting melee.
* If you are affected by Miasma, stay away from healthy teammates and kite into healthy enemies, since it spreads like Disease.

Notes :
* Elite skills are not allowed in the low-level version of this arena.
* This area contributes approximately 0.29% towards the Canthan Cartographer title. If you did not map the arena before reaching level 10, you can enter it again during The Final Confrontation.

Sunspear Arena

The Sunspear Arena is one of the maps in rotation in Random and Codex Arena and also the map accessible through Kamadan, Jewel of Istan as arena for levels 1 to 10.

Overview :
The opposing teams have a straight path towards each other on this map. The main path is flooded but has no environmental effect. The other feature of this map is a wide bridge over the central battle ground.

Objective:
Annihilation: To be victorious, at least one player on your team has to be alive after he has killed the last opponent.

Common tactics/tips:
* If you stand on the bridge, it's possible to strike enemies who are directly below you in melee, and vice versa.
* In spite of this, being on top of or below the bridge is often advisable for casters when there is melee below or on top of the bridge, respectively, due to the increased distance they have to cover in order to change targets.
* The corners of the bridge supports are the only real obstruction on the map other than the bridge itself and the walls of the starting area. However, the starting area on this map is incredibly small, so turtling there is not advised.

Notes:
* Elite skills are not allowed in the low-level version of this arena.
* Complete exploration of this arena contributes approximately 0.1% to the Elonian Cartographer title, if visited directly from Kamadan, Jewel of Istan
* If you get killed in this arena you will lose the current progress made on the Survivor title.

Arenas

Random Arenas

The Random Arenas (or RA) are a group of Player versus Player arenas where two teams of four people battle each other across thirteen different maps. Both the teams that are generated and the maps themselves are chosen randomly. Because forming parties is done automatically, RA has the shortest waiting period for entering PvP matches among all of the areas. Characters must be level 20 to be able to participate in these arenas.

Objectives
Each map will have one of the following objectives that teams need to meet in order to win a match:

Normal Deathmatch

Most of these matches contain Environmental Effects that are dependent on the map that the team is on. Other than that, it's a straightforward destroy-all-enemies objective.
* Maps: Ascalon Arena, D'Alessio Arena, Fort Koga, Amnoon Arena, Shiverpeak Arena, Shing Jea Arena, Petrified Arena, Sunspear Arena, and Churranu Island Arena.
* Time Limit: 8 minutes
* Victory Condition: All players on the opposing team must be defeated.
* Death Penalty: Yes
* Tiebreaker: Awarded to team with the least amount of DP after the time limit. If both teams have equal DP, then neither team wins.

Deathmatch with Obelisk Flag Stand

In these maps, teams are given a Flag which is held as a bundle by players that carry it. When flags are placed on the flag stand, their team gains control over that stand. Enemies in range of the controlled flag stand will take Obelisk Lightning damage every so often. When a flag is placed on a stand, or it is picked up by the enemy, the item will re-spawn at the team's starting point.
* Maps: Heroes' Crypt and Brawler's Pit.
* Time Limit: 8 minutes
* Victory Condition: All players on the opposing team must be defeated.
* Death Penalty: Yes
* Tiebreaker: Awarded to team with the least amount of DP after the time limit. If both teams have equal DP, then neither team wins.

Deathmatch with Priest

The Priest in this map will resurrect party members whose Death Penalty is less than 60% every two minutes from the start of the match. This NPC is also equipped with the skill Heal Area and will use it whenever he or other team mates are losing health. Be aware that this skill can also heal enemies!
Map: Seabed Arena*
* Time Limit: 12 minutes
* Victory Condition: All players on the opposing team, including the priest, must be defeated.
* Death Penalty: Yes
* Tiebreaker: Awarded to team with the least amount of DP after the time limit. If both teams have equal DP, then neither team wins.

Kill Count

There are two Resurrection Shrines allocated to each team at different parts of the map. Players that are slain can automatically resurrect at every 30 second interval from when the timer begins.
* Map: The Crag
* Time Limit: 3 minutes
* Victory Condition: Awarded to the team with the most kills.
* Death Penalty: No
* Tiebreaker: Where both teams have an equal number of kills after the time limit, Sudden Death will commence. Victory is awarded to the team with the first kill during this tiebreaker. Unlike the other matches, there is no time limit during Sudden Death.

Heroes' Ascent

Heroes' Ascent, also known as HA, is a continuous global tournament between teams of 8 players from all over the world. Teams compete in several arenas in sequence before finally meeting in the Hall of Heroes, where they may win valuable loot. Every victory in the Heroes' Ascent (except the Elite Zaishen Battle) awards Fame to the victorious team, which progresses their Hero Title Trac

The Hall of Heroes has 9 Arenas, 1 qualification round and 1 waiting area:
1.The Elite Zaishen Battle
2.The Underworld
3.Fetid River
4.Burial Mounds
5.Unholy Temples
6.Forgotten Shrines
7.Golden Gates
8.The Courtyard
9.The Antechamber
10.The Vault
11.The Hall of Heroes



Additionally, the following maps are currently out of rotation:
Broken Tower
Sacred Temples
Scarred Earth

Rewards:

Balthazar faction
* unique skill 40
* Victory: 200-800
* Flawless: 200
Famm
* Victory 1-40

Players will also receive a Hero's Zaishen Strongbox after each 3 consecutive wins.
Winning in the Hall of Heroes also gives every player in the team a chance to open the Chest.