Here is my 7th Warrior PVP video, continuing as 1H Riftblade / Paladin:
This short HD video is narrated footage of my level 38 Warrior killing two level 40 Warriors (Manderz and Ditziwt) who *attempted* to gank me.
Here is the 1H Riftblade/Paladin used in the video:
http://rift.zam.com/en/stc.html?t=0cLhg.xGs0dsMGtdz.xrozo
When fighting opponents – especially multiples – keep in mind the following tips:
- burn CC cooldowns aggressively. I stunned the 1st Warrior with the Paladin ranged ability Light’s Hammer early and then followed up with a Stonespear for the root. You want to disrupt the timing of your opponents as much as possible
- try to keep your opponents in front of you for the block/parry as much as possible, break their LoS, and recognize when to close to melee and when to kite
- Rift Strike should be high in your rotation, as the 5% buff to Crit is huge. Also test out your various abilities to see which ones deliver the most damage benefit. As discussed in the video, my Paladin AOE ability Sweeping Strike hits hard enough that it is worth using against a single target over Flamespear or Searing Strike
- be mindful of the finishers that your opponents have. I popped my full heal against the 2nd Warrior because of the risk of getting Deathblow’d
- if you are in a Contested zone, try to keep 2-3 Attack Points up when traveling through the zone. That way if you get jumped you have some AtPts to work with
If you are looking for my macros, check out the skeleton draft version of the Riftblade Warrior Guide.
If you have questions/comments/feedback, post ’em!
Taugrim's MMO Blog 
I just found your blog i have been also leveling as this spec and have had huge amounts of fun in warfronts. I see alot of riftblade champions which i’m taking down without problems even when they are levels above me i wished i had roll’d on a pvp server now but alot of friends went pve. Awesome guides for people wishing to try this i wished i had found it but sometimes trial and error are the best ways to learn good work keep it.
Very impressed. I haven’t gotten around to getting the game yet since my sub to WoW is still pending. Still repping the Prot Pally while holding your guild as gospel I’m proud to say. I only wish you would look into it every once in a while, even if was by a monthly bases. Perhaps even task somebody to assist you in touching it up per patch. Its an invaluable reference and would be disappointed to lose to obscurity. I respect your feelings towards WoW and will hopefully join you soon in Rift. GG
I only wish you would look into it every once in a while, even if was by a monthly bases. Perhaps even task somebody to assist you in touching it up per patch
I only actively update Guides for the game that I play.
I can already tell you how life will be for Prot (and Ret) in 4.l if WoG goes live with any cooldown > 3 seconds: those specs will be pathetically weak in PVP.
In 4.1 the way it’s looking, Prot and Ret won’t be able to heal functionally and their CC is limited compared to other DPS classes. Can’t heal, can’t peel = not viable in PVP.
As I’ve already stated on this blog, I intended to switch from WoW to Rift literally a day WoW 4.1 patch was announced, because that was the same day Rift Head Start began:
https://taugrim.com/2011/02/24/rift-here-i-come/
I’m really glad I made the switch to Rift, the game has been incredibly polished for a brand new game and loads of fun, esp in PVP.
Its all good. I’m well aware of the reasons. Was just hoping against hope I guess. I’ll just continue to ride this flaming chariot into the sun in the meantime.
Question:
*Have you tried open world instances or any PvE content for that matter (not sure what the name is in Rift)? I’m the type that enjoys casual raiding and hardcore PvP.
*Also, is there a particular class/spec that gives your current build any trouble?
Great video. I have a few questions:
1) What is the purpose to your repeated jumping? Is it to gain distance or are you trying to present a harder target to click. I personally tab target most of the time, and use a lot of @mouseover. That generally negates the jumping jack tactic.
2) Going forward, since Riftblade damage might not scale well with end game gear, what are your plans when you get to that point. Re-spec? I”ve been looking at trying to stack as much proc attacks and attacks off the global cooldown as well as looking to pump critical hit and block.
3) Did you see that guardian Necro at the end of your video. He was watching the end of your fight with the other two and decided not to get involved. Maybe the tombstones scared him off :). I guess you were feeling merciful after sating your bloodlust on the other two.
1) What is the purpose to your repeated jumping? Is it to gain distance or are you trying to present a harder target to click
No real purpose.
Although it’s good to be able to time jumps while strafing, as I did at the 2 minute mark of the following video, to jump onto and over a rock while kiting a MDPS as a Healer/RDPS:
2) Going forward, since Riftblade damage might not scale well with end game gear, what are your plans when you get to that point. Re-spec?
I plan to see for myself how viable RB/Pally is at endgame. My plans are to stack Crit and Endurance as much as possible and see how that works out.
I guess you were feeling merciful after sating your bloodlust on the other two.
I don’t gank people in PVP, or initiate a fight, unless:
a. they have superior numbers (e.g. as in Volume 5)
b. they have previously me or other allied players
I’d rather have opponent(s) prepared and ready as opposed to half-dead while fighting a mob.
I’m not a carebear – don’t mistake what I’m saying – I love PVP. But I’m also not a jackass who is trying to frustrate or waste the time of other players.
Hello guys!
Actually I just had an idea. Because of the incoming nerfs to all warriors, i just want to share something that I found by experimenting with the soul calculator. The links is: http://rift.zam.com/en/stc.html?t=1chuk.xrouksbcdMz.gc
We love taugrim because of protection play-style (in wow and rift). The above build is for a 31lvl toon, especially for pvp. If you look closely, and before start whining about paragon and dual-wield, check the paragons ability Path of the wind. Isn’t it something like flamespear for RB? Guys I am too excited to share this at this blog, so eventually i haven’t test it yet. It feels though very PROTECTION PALADIN! Omw to test it.
Taugrim first off great videos you have. Just curious if you have thought about how your going to change your play style with the 1.1 patch coming out. It seems as a Riftblade we cant kite anymore as Flamespear now has a 6 second cooldown and we also cant keep applying Rift Surge since it has a 30 second cooldown now. Not being able to spam Riftblad from range is really going to hurt our attack point build up. I have recently put more points in the Paladin tree to get more melee damage seeing that seems the way the RB/Paly spec is heading. Your thoughts?
how your going to change your play style with the 1.1 patch coming out
Flamespear cooldown has already been adjusted from 6 to 4 seconds.
I don’t plan on changing what I’m doing, except to include the Paladin Shield Throw ability in my macro along with Flamespear.
I’ve reached my target Riftblade investment of 38 points so the rest are going into Paladin or Vindicator.
The Rift Surge nerf is what it is. My objective opinion is that it is getting over-nerfed a bit, but we’ll see how things pan out.
Correction, I did not mean Riftblade from range, I meant to say Flamespear from range.
Isnt there any other range attack point builder? The only that i have found is Path of the wind from Paragon. And besides Flamespear spam, what else Riftblade gives to you?
Path of wind is also getting cooldown as well like Flamespear is.
Your videos are fantastic and have helped me get a grip on PVP in Rift. As someone who plays MMOs purely for PVP, I’m glad that I can finally start getting the hang of this game. I’m looking forward to more videos and hope to play with you sometime, if I ever feel like changing shards.
We’re always inviting new players, including the ones that post here.
If you are ever looking to change servers check Harrow (US RP-PVP) out.
Hi Taugrim,
I have been following your blog closely and have commented a few times. I started watching from WOW and then transferred when you did. I played a riftblade/paladin for a long time and loved it. After getting used to macro’s I then focused my attention on strafing around the players and LOVE this style of play. In fact I have become a little energetic about it all and zig zag continuously as it confused the hell out of them.
What I have found is I prefer to do this with a Nightblade/Riftstalker. I don’t know why I just like the rogue. From what I can see this is essentially the same build as yours but the rogue version. It offers survivability from the riftstalker soul, but instant ranged attacks from the nightblade. I don’t know how much you know about this but I would love your input on whether you can see this as PvP viable endgame? It doesn’t seem to be very popular.
My last question for you is you mentioned in the above comment that you are looking for new players and Im assuming you mean to your guild. I have been looking and looking for a good PvP guild and would very much like an invite if thats possible.
(You can delete this if you like later but you can email me at bassett199@gmail.com. Alternatively, my toons name is salos and I have just made him in the Harrow realm. Having said that there is no pressure. I don’t want to sound like a groupie:).
My last question for you is you mentioned in the above comment that you are looking for new players and Im assuming you mean to your guild. I have been looking and looking for a good PvP guild and would very much like an invite if thats possible.
If you play on Harrow, contact me in-game for an ginvite.
Hey taugrim, kthun here, the guy who posted this a while back (terrorblade is my toon’s name, big DotA fan lol). Trion announced a shard change feature that will possibly come out in the next big patch, so I’ll definitely come to Harrow and play with you. I look forward to it!
Nice fight Taugrim :-) The dwarf did deserve his name of “dimwit” though: No CC, no fear on you, no skill to close the gap??? and the other, no skill to break the mez, no skill to break the root…
You still jumping all around like your old warhammer shammy I see.
Fred
The dwarf did deserve his name of “dimwit” though: No CC, no fear on you, no skill to close the gap???
Exactly.
It’s instructive to see the mistakes that players make, me and my opponents.
They could have easily CC’d me and burned me down. At most only 1 of them should died, assuming I used the full-heal.
Flamespear tooltip shows cooldown of 6secs on the new patch. I find I can’t kite mobs now. I guess I have to use hit and run tactics. Start of with Flamespear, shield throw, dot him with fiery flame , root him with stone spear, rift in CQC rotation, earth burst and rinse from the start.
The cooldown of 6 seconds is a bug, as Sweet acknowledged on my bug thread:
http://forums.riftgame.com/showthread.php?145550-Bug-Flamespear-cooldown-says-and-is-6-seconds-not-4
I played about 10 WFs today and didnt see a significant reduction in our DPS. I was top DPS in 5 games, top 3 in 8 and top 5 in all ten. KBs didnt suffer as well. I found that I could still generate attack points when I needed them, and keep pressuring consistently.
I put Searing Strike back into my melee/ranged spammable, just ahead of my ranged attack to prevent them being on CD when I am in melee range. Also I try to unleash Rift Surge from very close range to disguise the purple beam which tells healers to cleanse immediately.
As for the other callings changes, you’ll see a lot more Pyros. A ton more. One game I counted 7 launching pads at one time. They still go down fast if you pressure them. Hit them with windspear and most will panic and immediately leave their launching pad, making them vulnerable to CC.
I toyed around with the Void Knight. If any soul has reason to be upset, the Void Knight has been burned to the ground. Most of their mana drain has been reduced from 50-75%. They simply dont have much utility at this point in my eyes. If they focus on one healer or mage, they can ususally drain their mana using their full rotation, but a RB could of killed them in that time.
One thing to note: Devouring Blow has been buffed to 100% mana drain. for two points you can egt this ability and put some nice pressure on enemy healers. I will spec into this once I get the points freed up.
Cant wait to see what Taugrim thinks in his next post-patch video.
Cant wait to see what Taugrim thinks in his next post-patch video.
Video for 1.1 was uploaded last night.
TLDR: I wish Rift Surge’s cooldown wasn’t 30 seconds, but aside from that, I’m fine with the changes.