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Cynwise taught you the basics of being a flag ninja.

On a side note… I looked at my feed reader and there are 117 posts for Cynwise. I’m hoping this is a result of blog consolidation and not my slackness… although there is no question I am way behind.

Anyway, back on topic, after he posted, we discussed on Twitter how easy it is to fall into the “grand scheme” strategy of BGs and miss the smaller tactical details.

So if he can take it down to the detail of being a Flag Ninja, I can take it down one step further (I’m a Gnome, it doesn’t go down much more than that), to being a Flag Ninja: Mage Style.

This post is also for non-Mages, you need to understand your enemies intent.

Requirements

Required: Mage (any spec, any size)
Toolkit: Slowfall, Invisibility, Ring of Frost, Mirror Image.
Skill Level: 0
Optional: Sacrificial Lamb

Invisibility Cap

This one is pretty simple, pop Invisibility while approaching the flag, preferably while you are shielded, either by a larger group or some other Line of Sight obstacle like a building.

If you have your optional sacrificial lamb with you can sometimes get away with being seen initially so long as your sacrificial lamb grabs their attention and they have short term memory issues.

Inhale.

Go up to the flag. Hump the flag. Become one with the flag.

Exhale.

Watch the defenders. Are their avatars looking in a different direction? (no this is no guarantee that the player is or will continue to look in the other direction, but it’s the best indicator you have).

Check their graveyard to make sure respawns aren’t about to run towards you (or anyone else for that matter)

Check your buff timer, you don’t have to act until you become visible, so breath, be patient…

Cap!

50% of the time you will cap even if you are standing on top of an enemy avatar.

No one expects the Dalaran Illusion!

Usable in: Battle for Gilneas or Arathi Basin

Battle for Gilneas

Mine: From the ship, or back path from Water Works (you can almost make it from the hill from Lighthouse)

Lighthouse: Invisibility as you approach the top of the hill on the way from Mines, or as you run through the trees from Water Works.

Water Works: Behind the buildings or from the water.

Arathi Basin

ST: come from the water, behind the ST, from Trollbane Hall… just come invisible.

LM: go invisible as you get 80% of the way up the hill, or ride around the back of the Mill as if you are chicken, pop invisibility and double back.

BS: from the water, GM, behind the BS.

Farm: from the water and behind the farm building.

GM: from within the mine (lead them in, invisibility, backtrack, cap) or the sky… which brings us to…

Slowfall Invisibility Cap

I won’t explain the Invisibility part again. I can’t be stuffed copy & pasting and you would just gloss over it, so onto the Slowfall bit.

Everyone knows about slowfalling from LM to BS, even from BS to mine. If you are guarding either of these nodes and not also watching the sky, well you deserve to lose the node.

I will however, forgive you if you don’t see the invisible ninja floating in from above.

This works for any node you can Slowfall towards… BS, GM, ST and Farm. Once I work out how to Slowfall to LM, I will include it and let you know.

Simply get in position to not waste Slowfall time (close enough to an edge), buff up, Slowfall on, mount up, ride, jump, pop invisibility, then follow the steps above.

Sure you won’t make it to ST or Farm in one jump, but you will get there on foot while your invisibility is still in effect. Start from the top of the cliff above the paths.

When you get there… well, I’m sure you will know what to do right…

You will probably overshoot the GM flag, this is good as the defenders will approach the cliff to AoE you out of stealth.

If you have a sacrificial lamb, or worst case a PuG you can chat to, set up a ninja as described by Cynwise – get them to fall wide of the flag (bloody noob – going to kill that one), or stop short of the node (on the way to ST or Farm), so guard’s attention is on the visible target.

The beauty of Slowfall-Invisibility is that in stressful situations the mind plays tricks on us and we discount correct observations because they are not supported on a second look.

With the pressure of scanning every horizon, even if they do notice you launch yourself off the cliff out of the corner of their eye, when they look back, there is nothing there.

We’ve all heard the term Jumping at Mages right?

Remember it is human nature NOT to look up (don’t ever place important signs above eye height, they are wasted) and even if a defender does, they will doubt what is quite obviously not there.

No one expects the Dalaran Illusion!

Ring of Frost Cap

The problem with the current incarnation of Ring of Frost is that it takes a few seconds to come into effect (apparently this is changing in MoP).

The good things about the current incarnation of Ring of Frost are that:

1. It’s instant cast (apparently this is changing in MoP), and
2. it is instantly a big ring of mist, partially obscuring vision.

You can use this technique at any time, even when the heat of battle is on the flag itself. As long as there is no AoE, you are good to go. (This is a damn good reason to AoE the flag when defending).

It takes a little practice, but place your Ring of Frost so that one edge is close enough to stand in and cap. That isn’t necessarily directly on the flag, just close enough to cap.

Move into the mist.

What Mage? I don’t see a Mage!

Sure it isn’t as good as a Rogue’s smoke bomb… but we all know a rogue’s smoke bomb is the precursor to a Ninja Cap & hopefully the AoE rolls in.

Not a smoke bomb you need to get into, it’s a Ring of Frost, something to be avoided…

Step away from the Ring of Frost, step away… There is a Mage in Ninja mode.

Use this anywhere any time.

Use it to cover your Ninja Cap.

Use it to cover someone else’s Ninja Cap.

No one expects the Dalaran Illusion!

Ring of Frost Mirror Image Cap

Sometimes the Ring of Frost just isn’t enough. That damn Hunter saw you sidle up to the flag. That damn pet is all over you like it wants a new owner.

Sometimes people see through the mists and in those times you need to up the illusion ante.

Drop your Ring of Frost as described above, then pop your little boys… Ohh that’s what I call them, you pop your mirror images.

As soon as you do that, all your opponents lose you as a target including as a focus target. At that point the Mirror Images assume your threat against NPCs… pets and minions anyone?

Now there are 4 of you, obscured in the mists and 3 of you are casting.

Which ones do you thing the average player is going to attack? I mean you are obviously blowing cooldowns going for the kill, so kill the ones that shooting FFS!

Except… the real danger is the obscured Mage doing not very much… except stealing the flag.

I will give credit to my Guildy Tickk for teaching me this one. God help your enemy that don’t remember the first rule of flag guarding… AoE, AoE, AoE when you have 2 Mages in that ring of frost, . They are so spoiled for choice of targets that they won’t even know the flag has been capped until they Rez at a different node.

Slowfall Invisibility Ring of Frost Mirror Image Cap

I never played consoles much, but I hear combos are deadly.

This is the Ninja Mage’s killer flag capping combo (NMKFCC… nah that wont catch on).

Surprise
Surprise and Obscurity
Surprise, Obscurity and Illusion.
No one expects the Dalaran Illusion!

The beauty of it is, you just add the steps a required.

1. Sprung capping? Ring of Frost
2. Focused in your Ring of Frost? Mirror Image.
3. Targeted in you Ninja Capping, Ring of Frost and your Mirror Images are ignored? Kill the fuckers… Your Mirror Images are already out and that’s why your rolled a Mage right?

When you aren’t the only Ninja in a Node.

You’ve blown your Invisibility cooldown, your approaching the flag and then you notice the little orange or yellow dot on your mini map.

What do you do?

You use your invisibility to convince the enemy you are a failed Ninja.

Whisper the stealthy to cap when you become visible.

Stay away from the flag, and just as your invisibility is about to expire, start moving in.

Make sure you get their attention.

Act surprised and disappointed that you are a failed Ninja, you are now the bait – get and keep their attention.

They will be so proud that they uncovered the Ninja they won’t notice the real Ninja Capper.

Ohh and spare an Ice Lance for that Shaman’s Magma Totem!

Always spare a love tap, no matter what class you are, for the Shaman’s Magma Totem – it’s free flag AoE.. bad enough that the Shaman is probably healing, but AoE’ing the flag without thought…

1 totem love tap – free to Ninja Cap!

Defense Against the Magely Arts

As Cynwise mentioned in his post, even the most experienced flag guardian will take their eyes off the sky, be taunted by easy targets. Some will even get taunted by meaningless emotes.

What you need to remember when guarding a node is to trust your instincts, trust that brief glimpse of a floating Mage, trust that the Ring of Frost isn’t empty, understand you are targeting the wrong Mage, and…

AoE the fucking flag!

Coming Back from a Loss!

At the end of a win last night, a clever PuG complimented us on coming back from a loss.

You don’t come back from a loss.

A loss is a loss is a loss.

Don’t lose… come back from behind!

Gnomer and Out!

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http://gnomeaggedon.net/2012/03/08/flag-ninja-mage-style/