The following article is full of tricks and handy hints for both the veteran and newby.
This is a strategy for when we are faced with superior enemy player numbers. The whole idea is to get our team playing offensively instead of defensively. It is great for developing strong teamwork strategies and eliminating boring repetition. By the end you will have learned something about the Savage Hearts gameplay philosophy.
The Crown
This player is the boss. He/she calls the shots and looks at the game from a “Big Picture” point of view. This takes a little experience and skill. But we are not mindless robots and we can actively participate in the strategy and really help the crown decision making process.
The main challenge is that the crown has to keep one step ahead of the play, as well as recruit new players, hook them up to Discord, speak to his team, participate in raids, speak to other allied crowns.
However, with some smart directions other players can be very helpful in assisting the crown.
So this is how it works.
A combination of Full Raids, Coordinated Raids and Phantom Raids will have the enemy on the back foot and never really knowing what is real and what is illusion.
The goal is that they will be forced to split their numbers and divert their Zergs all over the map in a defensive measure to combat real and perceived attacks in their territory.
The beauty of this plan is that it can work with large numbers causing trouble or small raiding parties running interference.
New players gain experience in the safety of their group, and experienced players can use their superior knowledge for the benefit of the whole group.
The trick is teamwork and the major difference is that some important crown jobs are given to the Crown Assistant and Raid Group Leaders.
Crown Assistant
This person has two main tasks
1. Recruit new players. (Including getting them on Discord)
2. Assign missions to each raiding group using the mission boards. This requires a little skill abandoning and sharing quests with groups. Other players can assist in this operation by getting the mission for their group and sharing it. The result is that it takes a huge load off the crown.
Raid Group Leader
This person leads his group on the assigned mission. A leader can have as little as four or up to twelve in his group. He can take his group to a separate Discord channel if needed.
Raid groups can have a huge influence on the outcome of the overall campaign.
Missions
The mission will be proactive in that the initiative is in our hands and not the enemies. We will take the fight to the enemy. Depending on our goal the whole party can just melt into the background using the stealth buff or make a show of a big fight. When killed the party re-groups at a pre destined location, ready to fight again. There is no shame in using this tactic to Blood-port to a new location and whilst no one likes to die it can be a very effective tactic to keep the enemy guessing. This way our mission keeps the pressure on and confuses the enemy crown.
Raiding party
Typically our raiding parties are made up of six groups of four people. Normally when crown has twenty four people like this they will take the whole party and raid. This is good fun if you are winning but demoralizing if you keep getting killed. My suggestion takes a little discipline, some organizing and a cooperative team. Other guilds have similar structures and now Savage Hearts has its own structure too. Note that some of our ally guilds specialise in large army tactics and others keep very small scouting parties. We cooperate with them all and if required will on occasion leave our mission to assist them. However your first loyalty should always be the Savage Hearts Guild.
A Phantom Raid
This is a raid made up of three groups of four players and is designed to make the enemy think that their asset is going to be taken by a large army. In truth, it is a diversion to get the enemy rushing to defend.
Example of how it works.
Twelve players travel in stealth mode to the objective.
At least one in each of the three groups of four is in Discord contact with the others. For example let us say Castle Brindle is the objective. Each group of three goes to a resource in stealth. They stack in stealth on top of each other, not near but right on top of each other to ensure a small foot print, this is a very effective buff for hiding if used correctly. When all three groups are in position a quick ready check is made. Then a coordinated attack is executed on the resources.
The trick is that as soon as the asset is flagged the group melts into the countryside. The enemy send their players to the castle and come out to recapture the resources. Each resource adds strength to the enemy’s army so it is important to capture the mine, the lumber mill and farm as soon as possible.
The effect is that the false or phantom raid diverts enemy numbers away from attacking our assets. If executed correctly and in combination with other tactics as outlined below it has proven to be a real winner.
If the enemy are only in small numbers the Phantom Raid can attack them, adding to the confusion, however this will attract more enemy players to the area and could eventually result in a defeat.
After the initial raid the party has two choices, they can join up as a whole group of twelve and take each resource a second time, all the time reporting back to the crown on numbers or they can move to a different location and phantom raid another asset. In the case of Castle Brindle it could be Vlastarus, where the same tactics could be applied but in this case the three groups join to actually take the village. So a Phantom Raid becomes a real Full Raid and a re-spawn location is secured behind lines.
Full Raid
This is when four groups of four players stealthily position themselves at resources and a chosen wall breach position. At a given signal they attack. Each resource adds strength to the wall so as soon as it is taken the small group joins the wall breach group.
In this raid it is important to get in as soon as possible.
The wall breach should have three ballistae near the ram so that the number of players is doubled up on the ram. There are many different tactics for wall breach attacks but I won’t cover them here.
Once you are inside there are different things that need to be done as soon as possible. More on this in another article.
A full raid could be run as a separate event or one that coordinates with other raids. For example, the taking of Castle Faragyle cuts off the enemy from its Northern assets. This makes it easier to take possession of Castles like Brindle, Roebeck and Alessia. The enemy have to travel on foot to get to the conflict and this delay buys us valuable time in pursuing our goals.
Coordinated Raids
These raids can be either phantom or full and all they entail is the same stealth and surprise element of the phantom raid or full raid. The only difference is that they all happen at the same time. This throws the enemy into chaos and we take the upper hand.
The jobs of crown, crown assistant and group leader belong to our senior players but are easily swapped around so that all who would like a try get the chance. We like to encourage all players to have a go at leading, and taking on different tasks.
The point is that instead of an endless loop of mindless grinding our players can actually get involved with a process that allows them to understand what is happening. Each time you return to base you actually have a purpose and this prepares you to go on other different missions.
The three raid process can also start and stay small, or build as time goes by to a huge Zerg. It is not uncommon to see it reduce again as the globe turns. Quite often we pick up where someone left off or leave a map primed for the next shift of players.
Conclusion
Everyone thinks that in Cyrodiil you must be attacking other PVP players. However this offensive tactic can result in a group victory or at the very least contribute to the campaign. We are always looking to try new and different tactics so if you have an idea, contact our veterans on Discord to discuss it. See you in Cyrodiil.
