General Strategies

Red Map

When the map is held by creeps it is important to report keep statuses when possible and to monitor for freep groups forming. Typically the major gathering points are EC, Goldie, HH, and Ost.

• EC is a relatively strong NPC camp that can be overrun if the creeps bring superior numbers. Send a person in to grab and run off the aggro then kill the freeps. If EC becomes too strong with freeps, this battle tends to dissolve into a South TA bridge fight with creeps falling back into TA when needed and freeps falling into EC when needed.  The bridge itself will change hands depending on who has the stronger advantage.
• Goldie offers some protection to freeps due to the number of bears friendly to them. The bears have a fairly quick respawn rate and will hinder the creeps. Fall back to TR when being pushed.
• HH is a great farming spot for creeps but is popular for freep gank groups due to the sheer number of friendly NPCs. Without overwhelming forces, creeps cannot chase freeps through HH. A reasonable fall back point is the spider ruin just east of HH. Just don't get trapped inside, the large spider does not offer much protection against freeps.
• Ost battles can be performed as standard keep assaults, without going into Ost. These are largely ranged fights with melee covering the north and south approaches for freep reinforcements.

Blue Map

There are largely two types of battles that form on a blue map, the mobile raid and the Gramsfoot mass.

• A mobile raid typically relies on map equipped creeps staying mobile, taking hotspots when possible, taking out small groups of freeps when possible, and looking to sneak keeps like TR and LC. Drawing freeps into the mobile raid requires a defensive position first, good ones are OC, Spiders, and the outpost by Good Grim map in point. This gives a local strongpoint that gives a safe map area if the freeps begin to overwhelm the strongpoint. Seek to engage TR or TA (with OC Tyrant help) if possible if the freeps do not guard it. Lug is usually camped. Deception operations against Lugazag using another group of creeps is also very helpful while the main attack force hits the keeps.  Always engage on your own terms and have superior knowledge of your enemy (locations, numbers, leadership). 

• The Gramsfoot mass uses sheer numbers and a 'close' rez point in Gramsfoot to zerg towards Lugazag to overwhelm it. Tactics are completely dependent on numbers of both freeps and creeps.

Active Battle

Fluid battles across a map with keeps falling requires creeps to keep up overall communication of information. Watch TR/Lug/TA constantly for freep groups moving towards them. As keeps fall, hold in to the last minute (typically Tyrant under 30k for TA or flag flipping is done at TR and Lug) then fall back to another called keep.  If the freeps are weak after killing the Tyrant, consider continuing the fight all the way to the flag room and AoE as much as possible on the flag to prevent them from taking the flag.  Lug and TR are the most valuable keeps due to the rez circles, these get priority in defense. Keep counting minstrels and freeps constantly, when there are several missing freeps, start checking keeps for splinter groups. Maintain information superiority if at all possible with scouts.

Defensive Formations/Maneuvers

Stand and Hold

In general, Stand and Hold is used when territory cannot be given up or it is undesirable to fall further backwards. This is done when friendly forces are approximately equivalent to enemy forces. Melee tend to spend time behind the formation of ranged creeps and identify targets for execution, running in, killing, and getting out. Webs and hinders are frequently targetted onto any freep who moves away from their group. Freeps on the flanks of the raid may be out of support range and frquently can be taken down by a quick web/hinder and a melee strike. The counters to the Stand and Hold rely either on numbers or psychological effects. A mass overwhelming of the defense will crush it generally if seriously outnumbered. Surprise flanks can also be effective in making defending forces run.

Elastic Defense/Yo-Yo

The Elastic Defense looks to exploit communication/coordination breakdowns. By giving up ground and gradually falling back, enemy forces who leap at the opportunity become separated from their support and can be quickly targetted for destruction if they range too far forward in the pursuit of the creep forces. This requires a called fall back and then a subsequent call for a hold and a target, creating a local massed firebase against spread out enemy forces. The counter to the Elastic Defense is to keep the chasing group tight and not letting elements be spread out.

Retreat

One of the most diffcult defensive maneuvers is a retreat in good order. A retreat has a few pre-stages

• Designate a rally point for the retreat, where is everyone backing up to and by how? (maps or walking)

• Lay every BA trap you can and position weavers in the likely path of the freeps. When the retreat is called, everyone needs to move back immediately to the rally point with weaver Web the Earths slowing the pursuing forces. Those who get snared should be bubbled and left to delay the enemy advance while the rest move off. Having people stay back to defend while the majority move off to the rally point leaves the remaining defenders to be overrun.

Offensive Formations/Maneuvers

 Frontal Assault

Frontal assault is the simplest offensive tactic. This tactic is simply sending every creep possible into the freeps as fast as possible. There is a very large psychological shock that comes with this maneuver as the sight of massed creeps closing fast will make less experianced freep groups run away, allowing those who stand be crushed. Targets should be called and valuable freeps such as LM's and Minstrels be taken out first, allowing an effective mop-up of remaining freeps who now have no support. Counters to the Frontal Assault are mitigating the psychological effect by not breaking and setting many traps and use CC to reduce the local firepower in contact with the defending force.  In the post-MoM world, frontal attacks should not be done unless the creeps have significant strength over the freeps.

Flank

A flank is a maneuver by a force to strike at the defenders from some unexpected angle, either its rear or side. In general a flank is done in coordination with a deception operation. With the majority of pressure from one side (generally the front), take another force and make a wide circle undetected then make a coordinated push from both angles. This is again a largely psychological maneuver as it makes the attacking force appear far larger than it really is. Additionally, the flanking group can usually take out valuable targets hiding in the rear, such as minstrels and LM's. Taking these down or otherwise occupying them while the main force makes a frontal assault can lead to many casualties among the defenders.

The counter to a flank is intelligence. Keeping eyes out to the sides and be ready for a flanking maneuver to be done on your formation. There are several possibilities once the flank is detected.

1. Defend both flanks. Stand and Hold and prepare for a two sided attack.
2. Move quickly to attack one group. If both groups are not in tight coordination and the enemy does not have overwhelming numbers, each enemy group is individually inferior to yours. The opportunity presents itself to attack and destroy each smaller force in detail before the second can reinforce it.

3. Move back to a more defensible area if possible.

Ambush

An ambush deals completely with deception, this is hiding strong forces in an unobserved area and then striking the enemy when they least expect it. As with many other maneuvers, this is a very psychological attack and much of it counts on routing the enemy before they can assemble. Typically this is done as a hit and run operation, to kill a few elements then to retreat to safety.

The counter to an ambush is intelligence. Be aware of possible ambush points ahead and keep the formation close and tight. On an ambush situation, gauge the situation and respond quickly and decisively.