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Leif's Guide to Solo/1vx/Outnumbered PvP in Cyrodiil
LeifErickson
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There are lots of different types of pvp you can get into in Cyrodiil and I wanted to talk a little bit about one that you may be unfamiliar with. Sometimes we never know what we like until we try something new, and this type of pvp may be what you have been looking for without realizing you were looking for it! I am talking about solo pvp, 1vx, and small scale. I'm not necessarily talking about playing solo with your faction around you, I'm talking about playing solo completely by yourself or playing in a group of 2 or 3 with no one else from your faction to help you. Does it sound like something you might think is interesting? Then keep reading!
Why play this type of pvp instead of something else?
I always prefer to do the things I enjoy the most. This type of pvp for me personally is my favorite. If you give it a try, it might be yours too! Not only can it be a lot of fun, but it is also very rewarding! There isn't a better feeling when you win a fight against the odds with only you or your friend to thank. Not only that, but the adrenaline rush you get when you get into a good fight is second to none. You know that feeling you get when you are doing a hard dungeon boss and you have wiped many times and all of a sudden you notice the boss is at 35% and you realize you are going to clear it? And then as soon as you realize this you also start getting sweaty palms and shaky hands? It's that feeling you get when you are about to clear veteran Maelstrom Arena for the first time after so so many attempts. That feeling, that feeling is what you will get when you start getting your first 1vxes.
If that doesn't convince you to try solo out, another great reason to play this type of pvp is that you can actually have a huge impact on the map. The damage I have seen 3 players and a ram do is insane. In addition, for every player fighting you, they are not able to help their faction at the keep under siege. I lost count of how many times we have breached a keep and I have mist formed up to the top of the keep only to pull 6 enemies with me into the very corner while the rest of my faction flips the flags with no opposition.
How is this style of pvp different from others and what kind of build do I need to run to be effective with it?
The main reason solo/small scale is different is you are alone. You can't rely on others to help you, you have to do everything yourself. What that means is you have to create a build that must be able to sustain, do damage, and stay alive. Each class is able to do this in different ways, some more effective than others. To create a build that can do these things, you have to build for the "just enoughs." You can't just build pure damage because you won't be able to sustain. You have to build for just enough damage to kill most people and just enough sustain to not run out of resources in a winnable fight. These kinds of things you need to figure out for yourself. It depends greatly on playstyle. Your friend Billy might run 3200 stam regen and 2500 weapon damage, but you feel you don't need that much regen and prefer more weapon damage.
Creating a build like this not only depends on your playstyle, but also your class. Magicka Sorcerers, for example, tend to build high max magicka because it boosts their damage and their tankiness through the use of damage shields. Being able to build for tankiness and damage with one stat is very efficient. It's hard to fit damage, sustain, and tankiness into one build, so creating the most efficient build by doing tricks like stacking max magicka to increase damage and tankiness is the right thing to do.
How do I get started?
If you have never played solo pvp before, it will take a long time until you are very effective at it. I suggest starting out small. Only try to fight one person if possible. Once you get the hang of that and are winning most of your 1v1s, try taking on 2. As you get better and better, you will be able to take on more players and still win. 1v1s are not the same as 1vxes, but the skills are transferable. Dueling in pve land against others is great practice, especially considering players who are dueling tend to either be practicing like you or are testing out various builds. Dueling these players will make you better. If you don't have a lot of cp, it might be better to stick to the no cp campaign so you are not at a disadvantage.
What are the most effective tools for solo pvp?
Being able to be offensive and defensive at the same time is the best way to be effective for solo pvp. The best way to achieve this is by using hots or block casting. If you are using damage shields, you will want to have those up before going offensive and to keep them up as much as possible. Treat things like vigor as a 4 second buff that you keep up all the time.
Mobility is also key to survival and success as a soloer. A magicka sorcerer, for example, can't fight 5 people all at once, but can string them out and kill them in smaller groups with their high mobility. If you are unable to effectively fight offensively and defensively at the same time, you need to try to fight 1 or 2 people at once by using mobility to split the group instead of all 4 or 5 of them at once. You will also want to use line of sight (LOS) as much as you can. LOS in combination with mobility can turn a 1v4 into 4 1v1s. Don't try to start a fight in an open field unless you know you can retreat to LOS. Taking on a group of players by yourself in an open field is almost always a death sentence.
The last tool you need for solo pvp is good burst. All classes should be able to find a way to deal good burst, but some will be better at it than others. The best way to take someone done quickly is combining a high damage ability with a stun. Ultimates are usually the easiest way to burst someone down. Using these at the right time will get you those kills you need to even the odds. Another thing to note is that ultimates can also be a great tool to go offensive and defensive at the same time. Things like Corrosive Armor, Devouring Swarm, Resto Ult, Sword and Board Ult, etc. will allow you to fight multiple people at the same time while keeping you alive and dealing damage. These ults truly allow you to fight 4 others at once so make the most of them when you use them. But if you don't need the defensive capabilities, it is usually better to go with a more offensive ultimate to get a quick kill as in the long run one less player hitting you means you won't have to go defensive as much.
What if my spec doesn't have good mobility or offensive and defensive capability at the same time?
Classes like Magicka Templar fall under this category where they don't have either of these things. Even lacking one of the two will mean you have a harder time than others solo, but lacking both is extra tough. In these cases, you have to either think outside the box or accept the fact that you will die a lot. It doesn't help either that Magicka Templar is a little lacking in the burst department as well. I have seen good players play all classes effectively solo, but it's no secret that some classes have it easier than others in this department. In these cases, the easiest fix would be to run with a friend or two. However, trying out new builds that all do very different things each time you go into Cyrodiil might lead you to the playstyle you needed to succeed on your tougher class.
I tried out playing solo and I am dying a lot!
This playstyle is not easy. You should be dying a lot. Even the best die all the time. As you slowly play more you will also get better. It just takes time. No one gets Flawless Conqueror on their first try. If you are playing on a low mobility spec, you are going to run into situations where nothing you could have done would have saved you. Sometimes you will run into too many players to fight by yourself and without mobility you just have to fight it out. Accept going into it that you will die a lot in these situations. However, there are places on the map where even a Magicka Dragonkight can escape a zerg from. I like to call these the "DK spots." They take a little bit of parkour and a good eye to find, but they will save you a lot. There are a ton of them on the bridge and there are certain places in keeps that you might be able to escape to. Learn these and try to fight with them in mind to save you from all that horse riding.
I see players do what I am trying to do and it takes a full group to take them down! What am I doing wrong?
If you are seeing magsorcs who need a full zerg to mount up to kill them or mdks that seem like they will never die, stamblades that just keep rolling and rolling and rolling or stamwardens that tank 5 players like its nothing only for them to turn around and instakill someone, you are seeing highly experienced players with hours and hours of practice. If you play a lot and keep at it, you might get there too. It's hard to explain how these players are able to do these things, it's something you need to learn on your own. But the gist of it is if you have a good build that you are comfortable with, you can turtle up on pretty much any spec by going full defensive, and when you are ready and the time is right, quickly switch to the offensive when your opponents don't expect it and get a kill. You can then go back to turtling until the time is right again.
I will try to explain this a little bit on mdk, my main. When I am fighting 4 others, if I am under serious pressure, I keep block up all the time as well as all my buffs and healing. I use mist when I get low on stam and to reposition. When I get my ult, I am able to quickly go on the offensive to try to get a kill. If I succeed, I now have one less player to fight while also having more resources from battle roar so I can turtle up again. This is something you will learn from playing and trying to push the limits of your build and of yourself.
If I'm playing with a friend, what builds would complement each other?
I love playing in a group of 2. I tend to like it more than any other group size. And when I do duo, I usually have the most success when my partner is playing the same build as me. It's ironic considering you usually can't give each other buffs from other classes, but it surprisingly works really well. If both of you run the same build, you both know each other's limits. Two mdks will both be able to hold their ground together. Two magsorcs will both be able to streak away together. Two stamblades will both be able to roll around and cloak together. It just works really well. But playing with other specs is good too! For example, a mdk and a magsorc together is often good because the magsorc will be able to execute those a mdk never could while the mdk keeps the pressure off the magsorc. You can really make anything work in a duo, but I do think that playing the same builds tends to work really well.
The great thing about playing with a friend or two is building to tank, damage, and sustain is now much easier. You don't need to have enough damage to kill someone if your friend ults at the same time as you. You can instead focus on building for more survivability. Or you could do the opposite and realize that your friend will take some of the focus off of you and now you can build more damage. Two players coordinating ults or heals or anything to support each other at the same time makes things much easier than just one. You just don't have enough damage to kill that group of players? You and your friend ulting at the same time might have enough! Just keep in mind that the more people you add to your group, the easier things get, and soon you won't feel like you are making as big a contribution to the fight as you were with just yourself.
Anything else I should know?
That's about all I got for this guide. You will learn most things from experience so get out there and give it a shot! Just remember not to take dying too seriously and bring a friend or two if you need a little more help. If you have any questions, I will try to answer them if I can. Thanks for reading!
Why play this type of pvp instead of something else?
I always prefer to do the things I enjoy the most. This type of pvp for me personally is my favorite. If you give it a try, it might be yours too! Not only can it be a lot of fun, but it is also very rewarding! There isn't a better feeling when you win a fight against the odds with only you or your friend to thank. Not only that, but the adrenaline rush you get when you get into a good fight is second to none. You know that feeling you get when you are doing a hard dungeon boss and you have wiped many times and all of a sudden you notice the boss is at 35% and you realize you are going to clear it? And then as soon as you realize this you also start getting sweaty palms and shaky hands? It's that feeling you get when you are about to clear veteran Maelstrom Arena for the first time after so so many attempts. That feeling, that feeling is what you will get when you start getting your first 1vxes.
If that doesn't convince you to try solo out, another great reason to play this type of pvp is that you can actually have a huge impact on the map. The damage I have seen 3 players and a ram do is insane. In addition, for every player fighting you, they are not able to help their faction at the keep under siege. I lost count of how many times we have breached a keep and I have mist formed up to the top of the keep only to pull 6 enemies with me into the very corner while the rest of my faction flips the flags with no opposition.
How is this style of pvp different from others and what kind of build do I need to run to be effective with it?
The main reason solo/small scale is different is you are alone. You can't rely on others to help you, you have to do everything yourself. What that means is you have to create a build that must be able to sustain, do damage, and stay alive. Each class is able to do this in different ways, some more effective than others. To create a build that can do these things, you have to build for the "just enoughs." You can't just build pure damage because you won't be able to sustain. You have to build for just enough damage to kill most people and just enough sustain to not run out of resources in a winnable fight. These kinds of things you need to figure out for yourself. It depends greatly on playstyle. Your friend Billy might run 3200 stam regen and 2500 weapon damage, but you feel you don't need that much regen and prefer more weapon damage.
Creating a build like this not only depends on your playstyle, but also your class. Magicka Sorcerers, for example, tend to build high max magicka because it boosts their damage and their tankiness through the use of damage shields. Being able to build for tankiness and damage with one stat is very efficient. It's hard to fit damage, sustain, and tankiness into one build, so creating the most efficient build by doing tricks like stacking max magicka to increase damage and tankiness is the right thing to do.
How do I get started?
If you have never played solo pvp before, it will take a long time until you are very effective at it. I suggest starting out small. Only try to fight one person if possible. Once you get the hang of that and are winning most of your 1v1s, try taking on 2. As you get better and better, you will be able to take on more players and still win. 1v1s are not the same as 1vxes, but the skills are transferable. Dueling in pve land against others is great practice, especially considering players who are dueling tend to either be practicing like you or are testing out various builds. Dueling these players will make you better. If you don't have a lot of cp, it might be better to stick to the no cp campaign so you are not at a disadvantage.
What are the most effective tools for solo pvp?
Being able to be offensive and defensive at the same time is the best way to be effective for solo pvp. The best way to achieve this is by using hots or block casting. If you are using damage shields, you will want to have those up before going offensive and to keep them up as much as possible. Treat things like vigor as a 4 second buff that you keep up all the time.
Mobility is also key to survival and success as a soloer. A magicka sorcerer, for example, can't fight 5 people all at once, but can string them out and kill them in smaller groups with their high mobility. If you are unable to effectively fight offensively and defensively at the same time, you need to try to fight 1 or 2 people at once by using mobility to split the group instead of all 4 or 5 of them at once. You will also want to use line of sight (LOS) as much as you can. LOS in combination with mobility can turn a 1v4 into 4 1v1s. Don't try to start a fight in an open field unless you know you can retreat to LOS. Taking on a group of players by yourself in an open field is almost always a death sentence.
The last tool you need for solo pvp is good burst. All classes should be able to find a way to deal good burst, but some will be better at it than others. The best way to take someone done quickly is combining a high damage ability with a stun. Ultimates are usually the easiest way to burst someone down. Using these at the right time will get you those kills you need to even the odds. Another thing to note is that ultimates can also be a great tool to go offensive and defensive at the same time. Things like Corrosive Armor, Devouring Swarm, Resto Ult, Sword and Board Ult, etc. will allow you to fight multiple people at the same time while keeping you alive and dealing damage. These ults truly allow you to fight 4 others at once so make the most of them when you use them. But if you don't need the defensive capabilities, it is usually better to go with a more offensive ultimate to get a quick kill as in the long run one less player hitting you means you won't have to go defensive as much.
What if my spec doesn't have good mobility or offensive and defensive capability at the same time?
Classes like Magicka Templar fall under this category where they don't have either of these things. Even lacking one of the two will mean you have a harder time than others solo, but lacking both is extra tough. In these cases, you have to either think outside the box or accept the fact that you will die a lot. It doesn't help either that Magicka Templar is a little lacking in the burst department as well. I have seen good players play all classes effectively solo, but it's no secret that some classes have it easier than others in this department. In these cases, the easiest fix would be to run with a friend or two. However, trying out new builds that all do very different things each time you go into Cyrodiil might lead you to the playstyle you needed to succeed on your tougher class.
I tried out playing solo and I am dying a lot!
This playstyle is not easy. You should be dying a lot. Even the best die all the time. As you slowly play more you will also get better. It just takes time. No one gets Flawless Conqueror on their first try. If you are playing on a low mobility spec, you are going to run into situations where nothing you could have done would have saved you. Sometimes you will run into too many players to fight by yourself and without mobility you just have to fight it out. Accept going into it that you will die a lot in these situations. However, there are places on the map where even a Magicka Dragonkight can escape a zerg from. I like to call these the "DK spots." They take a little bit of parkour and a good eye to find, but they will save you a lot. There are a ton of them on the bridge and there are certain places in keeps that you might be able to escape to. Learn these and try to fight with them in mind to save you from all that horse riding.
I see players do what I am trying to do and it takes a full group to take them down! What am I doing wrong?
If you are seeing magsorcs who need a full zerg to mount up to kill them or mdks that seem like they will never die, stamblades that just keep rolling and rolling and rolling or stamwardens that tank 5 players like its nothing only for them to turn around and instakill someone, you are seeing highly experienced players with hours and hours of practice. If you play a lot and keep at it, you might get there too. It's hard to explain how these players are able to do these things, it's something you need to learn on your own. But the gist of it is if you have a good build that you are comfortable with, you can turtle up on pretty much any spec by going full defensive, and when you are ready and the time is right, quickly switch to the offensive when your opponents don't expect it and get a kill. You can then go back to turtling until the time is right again.
I will try to explain this a little bit on mdk, my main. When I am fighting 4 others, if I am under serious pressure, I keep block up all the time as well as all my buffs and healing. I use mist when I get low on stam and to reposition. When I get my ult, I am able to quickly go on the offensive to try to get a kill. If I succeed, I now have one less player to fight while also having more resources from battle roar so I can turtle up again. This is something you will learn from playing and trying to push the limits of your build and of yourself.
If I'm playing with a friend, what builds would complement each other?
I love playing in a group of 2. I tend to like it more than any other group size. And when I do duo, I usually have the most success when my partner is playing the same build as me. It's ironic considering you usually can't give each other buffs from other classes, but it surprisingly works really well. If both of you run the same build, you both know each other's limits. Two mdks will both be able to hold their ground together. Two magsorcs will both be able to streak away together. Two stamblades will both be able to roll around and cloak together. It just works really well. But playing with other specs is good too! For example, a mdk and a magsorc together is often good because the magsorc will be able to execute those a mdk never could while the mdk keeps the pressure off the magsorc. You can really make anything work in a duo, but I do think that playing the same builds tends to work really well.
The great thing about playing with a friend or two is building to tank, damage, and sustain is now much easier. You don't need to have enough damage to kill someone if your friend ults at the same time as you. You can instead focus on building for more survivability. Or you could do the opposite and realize that your friend will take some of the focus off of you and now you can build more damage. Two players coordinating ults or heals or anything to support each other at the same time makes things much easier than just one. You just don't have enough damage to kill that group of players? You and your friend ulting at the same time might have enough! Just keep in mind that the more people you add to your group, the easier things get, and soon you won't feel like you are making as big a contribution to the fight as you were with just yourself.
Anything else I should know?
That's about all I got for this guide. You will learn most things from experience so get out there and give it a shot! Just remember not to take dying too seriously and bring a friend or two if you need a little more help. If you have any questions, I will try to answer them if I can. Thanks for reading!
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Finviuswe✭✭✭✭Thanks for this well written guide which will hopefully help more players transition into one of the most interesting parts of this game.
Being an expert 1vXer is something I think we all should aspire to.0 -
StrafeSinnlos✭✭✭Awesome guide! Those 1vx videos were what goth me interested in PvP in the first place, but I am obviously not nearly as good as those players. Your post gives me hope that I'm not hopeless xD0 -
Ragebull✭✭✭✭✭The only time I’ve been able to 1vX is on my stamblade occasionally, probably cause like 90% of my experience is with stamblades
Been trying to figure out Mdk and Magplar the past few days, Mdk feels like it’s almost there but I’m having trouble finishing people off cause of a lack of an execute. Magplar actually feels like it’s very possible but I’m having too much fun as a healer lol0 -
Arthg✭✭✭✭✭
✭LeifErickson wrote: »(...) I am talking about solo pvp, 1vx, and small scale. (...)
I'm talking about playing solo completely by yourself or playing in a group of 2 or 3 (...)
There isn't a better feeling when you win a fight against the odds with only you or your friend to thank. (...)
The damage I have seen 3 players and a ram do is insane. (...)
I love playing in a group of 2. I tend to like it more than any other group size. (...)
Two players coordinating ults or heals or anything to support each other at the same time makes things much easier than just one. (...)
Just remember not to take dying too seriously and bring a friend or two if you need a little more help.(...)
Playing solo or small-scale are two very different beasts.
It's illusory to think the difference between small-scaling and zerging is qualitative, and you contribute to the illusion.
Small-scaling is just another form of Xv1ing.
The difference is one of quantity, not quality, which is why most "small-scalers" will 4v1 no problem, and then QQ crying out "zergling" when 16v4'ed.
The required levels of concentration and the derived adrenaline rushes are much much more superior when soloing.
PC/EU. NoCP PvP. sDK Orc IRL. Flawless tamperor. Pro scrub.1 -
LeifErickson✭✭✭✭✭
✭LeifErickson wrote: »(...) I am talking about solo pvp, 1vx, and small scale. (...)
I'm talking about playing solo completely by yourself or playing in a group of 2 or 3 (...)
There isn't a better feeling when you win a fight against the odds with only you or your friend to thank. (...)
The damage I have seen 3 players and a ram do is insane. (...)
I love playing in a group of 2. I tend to like it more than any other group size. (...)
Two players coordinating ults or heals or anything to support each other at the same time makes things much easier than just one. (...)
Just remember not to take dying too seriously and bring a friend or two if you need a little more help.(...)
Playing solo or small-scale are two very different beasts.
It's illusory to think the difference between small-scaling and zerging is qualitative, and you contribute to the illusion.
Small-scaling is just another form of Xv1ing.
The difference is one of quantity, not quality, which is why most "small-scalers" will 4v1 no problem, and then QQ crying out "zergling" when 16v4'ed.
The required levels of concentration and the derived adrenaline rushes are much much more superior when soloing.
You are right. I just wanted to touch on small scale (groups of 2 to 3) because you can get into similarly outnumbered fights like in solo.0
