The Colosseum takes us inside the world of the Gladiator (Brutal, Vengeful, Merciless, and otherwise), to interview some of the top Arena fighters in the battlegroups. Our goal is to bring a better understanding of the strategy, makeup, and work that goes into dueling it out for fame, fortune, and Netherdrakes.

It's been six months since the last time we summarized our collection of Colosseum interviews. With at least a season and a half of Wrath of the Lich King now behind us, now's a great time to look over the gladiators who've shared their experiences. We've had Paladins, Hunters, Death Knights, Paladins, a Shaman, Paladins, and even a Warlock. There are certainly common themes among these discussions. By comparing them, we can hope to get a better idea of what's going on this season.

The newer mod has the same functionality as Proximo, but with a few more bells and whistles to go along with it. And even though the hubbub on the forums in January had been that healers didn't have much effect in an Arena match, Lightss argued that a skilled healer was still key to success. Commenters at the time pointed out, however, that a Holy Paladin displayed survivability no other healer could match. The lack of that kind of survivability was what hurt other healers.

Dcane of Korgath represented a significant break from the Holy Paladin/Death Knight mold, however. A Discipline Priest partnered with a Rogue, Dcane is used to a more technical, crowd-control format than the burst/pressure tactic. Using the Rogue's superb player controlling abilities, as well as a Priest's own Fear, they cripple their opponents while focusing their available lethality on the un-controlled target. While a Discipline Priest is able to survive an amazing amount of damage, even Dcane mentioned that it was incredibly difficult to even try and heal through two DPS opponents.

Some of the best advice for new folks coming into the Arena was actually provided in the last few weeks. One of the most frequent questions I see about the Arena and PvP is "How do I get started?" Considering an Arena match is entirely a zero-sum game, it can be incredibly intimidating to newcomers. (Especially since there's more reason to not fight in the Arena than to do so, if you don't think you'll get high enough ratings to get gear.)

    Related Articles