Does ganking require skill?

Thrasher91604

No and this is why:

My definition of ganking is attacking from an unfair advantage and winning.

So by definition it takes less skill than a fair fight.

What takes skill is surviving and better yet defeating the ganker when he has the tactical advantage (and you aren't a tank).

Ah soooo sweeeeet!

phairdon

Picking off solo players out of stealth, without a chance to defend themselves, no.

Picking off players in a group, without being killed in the process, yes.

Depends on the situation, me thinks.

TX12001rwb17_ESO

Yes and this is why:

I don't gank people, I just roleplay an assassin and it is an assassins job to be swift and unseen.

Soleya

Yes and No.

Someone who can gank in a crowd and escape successfully is skill.

However last week I had 2 players gank me (same time). Both sniped while I was on horse, knocked off, then both crit rushed and spammed dizzying swing over and over before I could stand back up. Took 0 skill to pull off.

However I'd say it's way less skill than being able to 1v1. Only thing that takes less skill than ganking is zerging.

disintegr8

No and this is why:

TX12001rwb17_ESO wrote: »

I don't gank people, I just roleplay an assassin and it is an assassins job to be swift and unseen.

An assassination is a paid kill, implying someone wants you to kill someone for a reason or for gain. If you just sneak up behind someone and kill them without cause or reason and are not being paid to do so, it is murder and I would call it ganking.

Idinuse

No and this is why:

The only requirement is actually to have viewed H.M. Government Public Service Films - No. 42 How Not To Be Seen.

https://youtu.be/zekiZYSVdeQ

chaserstorm16909

Funkopotamus wrote: »

dwemer_paleologist wrote: »

it is weak and stupid, ambushing people when they are at thier most vulnerable mome-.

STOP! Just STAAAAHHHPP RIGHT THERE..

If you are EVER "Vulnerable" in Cyro then you are doing it wrong..

Exactly this^. If you have no situational awareness in pvp expect other players to take advantage.

chaserstorm16909

And who cares about skill. Ganking is an art after all.

Mutagem

Yes and this is why:

Ganking strictly by itself requires no skill.

Being a GOOD ganker requires skill. You need to assess your surroundings, risk factor, how many other players are near, if you can get away with it, and if you can actually kill that person youre trying to gank.

As a rule of thumb I typically avoid ganking people who are:

1. Templars because of their heals and tank-like meta
2. Sorcerers with their shield up with more than 25k health
3. Any player with 28k+ health

Players that are good to gank

1. Any player with 25k or lower HP
2. Low level non tanky players
3. Players without food buffs.

Mind you I seldomly gank unless its people using sieges or im bored of attacking keeps

NoRagret

No and this is why:

Only fire staff mag DK and stam sorc gank takes skill

WhitePawPrints

I will attack areas where I think it will benefit battles the most. I'll cut off reinforcements, hit and run on siege lines, attack Forward Camps, kill Seige merchants, etc. I strike from the shadows, wait for the opportune moment, kill players and burn their siege. Is that considered ganking?

I once fought against an EMP who persistently sieges Bleakers Outpost, burned a dozen trebs (slowed her down enough that she could hardly get a shot off), kept her from breaking in and when my reinforcements finally arrived, took out the EMP. Was that ganking?

I think too many people have different definitions to give a definite answer to this.

Arora

No and this is why:

NO

Kova

No and this is why:

I answered this question in relation to the skill ganking requires when compared to other play styles, like taking on multiple foes without being able to stealth or roll dodge away. In that respect ganking is right above zerging, but still sleeps with the nymphs of no-skill.

Now, in a literal sense. Yes, it technically requires skill. Because you have to press a few buttons in the right order to get a gank combo off if you aren't using a proc build.

So not really, because it's an extremely limited skill.

ParaNostram

No and this is why:

It definitely requires planning and strategy, no doubt. It's the same kind of skill associated with building a deck in Magic the Gathering or something of the sort. In that sense it requires skill, but does it require being skilled with the mechanics of the game when engaged in active gameplay? No, not really. Gank builds are designed to have all of their things go off and end the opponent before they either have the chance to respond or before mechanically it's possible to respond (stun locking).

To continue the Magic the Gathering analogy, it's the equivalent of making a deck that plays itself resulting in turn three victories. I mean, yeah, they're strong decks, but they're no fun to go against. Balancing is used to ensure that decks//builds are able to be enjoyable to play against or at least tolerable with a chance to fight. #BringBackSoftCaps

Derra

No and this is why:

chaserstorm16909 wrote: »

Funkopotamus wrote: »

dwemer_paleologist wrote: »

it is weak and stupid, ambushing people when they are at thier most vulnerable mome-.

STOP! Just STAAAAHHHPP RIGHT THERE..

If you are EVER "Vulnerable" in Cyro then you are doing it wrong..

Exactly this^. If you have no situational awareness in pvp expect other players to take advantage.

That´s the stupidity of esos stealth system. You can have all situational awareness you want. Every enemy has the ability to be permanently invisible and mobile.

Solution: Let sneak drain stamina permanently also while standing still.

SublimeSparo

Yep 1 skill: Incap

Doctordarkspawn

No and this is why:

There is no skill required to sit in sneak for a while watching a specific then then bumrushing someone and killing them before they can react.

#NonPVPCampaignforPVEcontent

Tai-Chi

Doctordarkspawn wrote: »

There is no skill required to sit in sneak for a while watching a specific then then bumrushing someone and killing them before they can react.

#NonPVPCampaignforPVEcontent

I am with you @Doctordarkspawn on your motto "NonPVPCampaignforPVEcontent" - but that is for a separate debate and not here.

Beardimus

Yes and this is why:

It does, unless ur a nightblade, using the Fear 3 button bore kill.

Johngo0036

Yes and this is why:

As a solo ganker yes, when ganking in a group then no.

Sunburnt_Penguin

I two-hit people most of the time but if not a Dawnbreaker will kill them. That doesn't require skill at all: just knowledge of builds and how to maximise your damage output. For me, the only part of the gank that does require skill is escaping so you can kill again. I'm not talking about ganking people on horseback with drained stamina or some solo player, but killing numerous people within a static group/zerg whilst they know you're there and a few are looking for you.

NordSwordnBoard

Yes and this is why:

Gankers are like snipers; if a single player/small group can stem the tide of reinforcements its a contribution to the whole effort. They demoralize the enemy and frustrate them. This is why snipers aren't usually taken prisoner in war. Whoever finds them has some retribution to hand out. In eso, they have a tea party.

EsoRecon

Yes and this is why:

depends on the type of ganking.

Derra

No and this is why:

NordSwordnBoard wrote: »

Gankers are like snipers; if a single player/small group can stem the tide of reinforcements its a contribution to the whole effort. They demoralize the enemy and frustrate them. This is why snipers aren't usually taken prisoner in war. Whoever finds them has some retribution to hand out. In eso, they have a tea party.

That´s a point always brought up - problem with that train of thought: War is not about having fun. This is a game where ideally even a lost encounter should be some fun for the loosing party.

Tabbycat

No and this is why:

Since there was no "It depends" choice:

If you are many levels above your chosen target, it takes no skill.

If you and your target are on equal footing, then yes, it probably would take some skill to get the jump on them.