About the Champion

Bringing a Champions will provide you a great fun, Champions are the frontline-warriors, the ones who will go inside the enemy line spreading death and pain using their weapons.
Champions can work in dual-wielding, usually this is the most used ''build'' which allows a greater speed for your attacks, or in Two-Handed wielding, which grants you slower attack speed but highest damage on the single hit. Please remember that even the skills of the Champion will be different if dual-wielding or if Two-Handed wielding.
Champions usually works in a fervour stance when are doing PvMP which grants you greater damage and an increased power regen but will remove all you chances of parry, miss and evade.


Strenghts:

Heavy Armour dressing, High melee dps, AoE damage, chance to wield shields (normal and heavy), chance to interrupt enemies actions

Weakessness:

No ranged Dps, Stances which will erase defense % in order to allow greater attack power.


About PvMP:

Usually Champions are known to be RAT, the ones who will choose target within the enemy raid, starting the charge to kill them. We can also be set as alternative rat defending Mintrels and other cloth-wearers using AoE skills to keep the creeps off of them. Our greater strenght is the AoE and the attack speed (especially with the dual wielding) that can be assured by a constant use of the Flurry Skill. One of our great weakness are the penalties on our aviodance capacity given by the stance system.

A little example:

Ferovur gives an high damage bonus and a good in combat power regen rate but removes at all the chance of parry/miss/evade, it means that in raid every single it will be totally suffered by the Champions.

Ardour gives less damage bonus and power regen than Fervour but his avoidance penalty is only 50% of our capacity (it means that if we have usually in a ''no-stance'' situation a 20% of parry/miss/evade chance we will have in ardour around 10%).

A solution to this problem might be the Legendary Skill Controlled Burn:
It gives us the same buffs of Fervour entirely removing any avoidance penalty, but it can be activated only while in combat, it ends while off-combat and it will also fall if our morale will drop down 20%.


So we have to keep in mind that:

- Even if we are Heavy Armoured we will suffer more damage than a tank, and if we want to use all our dps we are forced to do so using fervour;

- We are poweer Burner so we need to assure our power reserve, to do that we have to rules to follow:

1) Choosing the skills which will show a good damage/cost reation;

2) Have with us Power Potions.

- Our skills are based on the fervour system, it means that using the X ability will require X fervour and we can obtain it taking damage, with the time (thanks to fervour) and using skills as Swift Strike and Wild Attack.

- We are able to interrupt the creeps casting using the clobber skill (usefoul to stop the healing chain)

- A Champion doing ranged attack from the back of the group is totally useless. We are not ranged we are melee fighters!


Equip and Stats:

A good start equip might be the Mirrored set, a tier set made by all the GM Armourmisther, a little expensive but it can be a good start.
One step up this set there's the Threkkapi set which can be obtained gaining Ranks (Glory) in the ettenmoors.
A good importance is reserved to the Jewelry which has the task to buff up our stats.
The principal stats we have to see are:

Might: It will establish how strong our attacks will be (and to block)
Agility: It will establish our crit chance (and our chance to miss, parry or evade)
Will and Vitality: will establish our Power and Morale level.


usually for the Champs is indicated to set up theri morale power level around 3000+ (even 4000) Morale and 2000+ Power.

The Fight:

We are frontliners ad our strenght is the speed and the AoE. When the charge will begin migh be a good thing to immediately use your flurry in order to grant a better speed (so higher damage over time).
Due to our need of fervor can be a good thing to start our attacks using the Swift Strike (expensive in term of power) or the Wild Attack, immediately followed by the Blade Wall (good AoE strike).
Our first task is to dodamages and AoEing is the best way to do so, for this reason while possible we have to use especially our Blade Storm skill an 360°AoE damage that will do a good amount of damages.
When things are going bad we can protect ourselves smply switching the stance regaining our avoidance capacity, or using up Sudden Defence which grants us a bonus in avoidance that will erase for a short period the Fervour Penalty (Note: Elves are provided of Grace of the Eldar skill which grants 75 ov evade bonus), or using Bracing attack a skill that untraited will grants us +300 morale on each usage (around 30 secs cooldown) and traited around +500 morale. We have even a skill named Dire Need which transmutes 50% of our power into morale (Cooldown 30minutes)
Other skills that have to be used during the Fight are Sound the Attack whit stuns and damages the enemies around the champions (max 5 targets) and Hamstring the MUST skill of the champs that slows down the enemies, especially effective on wargs and reavers.

It is important to know that Champions can even use crafted Horns in order to stun the enemy times, one with the skill and one with the


Common Errors:

As said our task is to choose and charge our target leading the attack and trying to break the enemy lines in the attempt to hit their healers at the back.
To do so we have to be able to establish when we have to chase and when we have to turn, chasing too far will lead us to a certain gank casue we will find ourselves alone in the middle of the creep raid, not charging staying at the back will lower our raid dps.
Due to our role we have the duty to be the RAT (Raid Assist Target) it means that we are the one choosing the target that all the raid melee/ranged has to attack and to put down.
So is good to need that our first targets are the healers (Warleaders and Defilers) followe by the Spiders and the Reaver and the Wargs.
The champion has to choose the healer, charge him, clobber him to stop his healings and AoE like a mad to do the Max damage in the less time possible.


For this in my opinion we have to stay alert and always ready to stop our charge turning our back and entering back into the raid just the time needed to catch the breath and then starting a new charge.


Disquisitions:

There are disquisition concerning COntrolled BUrn, in my personal point of view it is maybe the best legendary skill even if it has some features that i do not like.
Usually for what i know champions in Ettenmoors are AoE traited so it means that they have (using class traits) the chance to improve the number of target that can be hitted and the damage done by their AoE skills.
Probably this is the best way to use at 100% of its power the Champ because it allows him to do massive damage on an high number of players.


This guide it's a personal point of view on the champion, i warmly invite any other champ which has more experience than mine to write here to update, add or correct the contents of this topic!


Arcalimon

A great thanks Arc.

Many vital points here. I hope we can get more posted about the chanmp, and i wish for more to post disadvantages with the champs, seen from other classes etc. That is something that is of great interest to me, to improve my skills even more.

Thanks very much Arcalimon I will eventually try to get all these guides in the same format as mine, yours is the closest upto now and iI can see you put a lot of work into this!

I hope other champs will add their thoughts so we can make it comprehensive.

Just a little upgrade, tonight i've tested the Champion AoE Tratted with ferocious strike and Raging blade.
If ound it absolutely amazing, an high amount of damage splitted on many targets, a little example of what it can do.

Arcalimon has used tonight raging blade tratted (so it means 13 targets hitted (!!!)) and this is what i saw on 1 target:

3 attacks hitting in this way: 175 + 237 + 200= 612 morale damage, if we assume an average damage of 400-500 morale point (i have 284 melee efficiency on fervour with 425 might and a crit chance of 14.9% in dual wielding) it means that we are able to hit 13 targets spreading a damage of 400-500 morale point.
Multiplying it for the numbers of champion available we are able to reach really high amounts of damage.


Considerations:

Frontliners start to seriously consider the chance to set up your champ for AoE damage bonus!

Have you a little idea of what we can do even only with 5 champs?


Waiting for your impressions,
Arcalimon

Currently leveling up my champ for the massive AoE it can do Will be nice to have more champions aroùnd to fight those pesky reavers

Champions usage both in defending and offending tactics:

Ok let's talk about on how the champ will work and what he has to do, telling that he has to do AoE is not completely correct, Champ's duties in an offence situation can be established in two vital tasks:

1) Grouping up at the RAT, every Champion has the duty to follow the charge spreading the maximum damage possible in order to open the other raid, usually i saw that when 2 champs starts to spam AoE creeps have the reaction to spread out, for this reason we have to spread out their raid and focus the attacs on a target but don't forget to use AoE as soon at is it possible, as said remember to choose skill with low power cost and low induction time (personal note: generally my exception was for swift strike nearly an istant cast skill, a little expensive but really usefoul especially for its +1 fervour bonus on usage). Remember that a Champ charge if well managed can be able to break a reaver wall defence of the creep raid, slaying many creeps and heavy damaging the others.

2) One or more champs it depends on how many are we can be splitted in the defence of the minstrel (i tried it) this means that the raid will split its dps because usually 2 groups will follow the main rat target and the other 2 groups of the raid will follow the ''Defending Champ'' rat target.
The task in this way is to take off the creeps from the raid choosing a target allowing the minstrel to survive longer than usual. This tactic works but is still to be perctioned on my personal point of view, only one champ spreading AoE defending the minstrels will use up his power really soon, so be sure to have pots with you.


And now Champion defending:


First of all, stay balled up anytime you can, it is important to avoiding any gank chance from the warg, thinking about reavers wall tactic we tried some day to use in a keep the same tactic of the creeps.
While defending champs have to set up a frontline waiting for enemy charge, and as soon as it starts they MUST start an heavy AoE spamming and Horn usage to eventually stun the creeps.
Trying to set up a good line is vital, cause with a constant damage (LM's help is needed sometimes) creeps that will come closer will suffer high damages.


Those are some tips jumped in my mind, feel free to update, correct delete them

Arcalimon

Well i have a merged build, i have some skill that increase the damage done by attacks and the tratis with raises up my Blade storm to 10 targets and Raging Blade to 13 targets with +2% AoE damage

Is it a viable strategy to put say 1-2 champs on clobbering duty, just run around and clobber the living daylight out of all the WL'ers?

How does it work, is it an AoE attack, how long does the effect last, do you have to be in fervor mode for it?

If we could somehow stop their WL'ers from rezzing/healing we remove an awful lot of the creeps power, without the WL'ers they would be easy prey.

I have no idea how champs work because the class never appealed to me, any champs can say if the above could work? Also how many champs would be needed for this? Could 1 champ do two WL'ers or would you need 2 champs per WL (far to costly)?

Well champion's clobber is a single target skill that is usable each 3 seconds if i'm not wrong. Indeed champions can go around clobber but we even lose an high amount of raid dps if 2 champs are splitted on the warleaders to clobber them.
In my opinion burglar is the best class to do Healing interruptions.

The problem with the Clobbering Champion is that usually there are more than 5 WL's in a creep raid so it means that even with two champs we are not able to clobber and stop the creeps healing powe (usually there are 2 or 3 defilers supporting the Warleaders).

Clobber has no effect duration, it has tobe used while you see that the enemy is casting, and it will interrupt the cast (now the ''Interrupted'' text will pop up properly).

At normal raids setup we might need more than 7 or 8 champions to use this tactic, and in my opinion this will lead to an heavy umbalance of the raid.

Maybe it is better to have one LM for each group and one burglar for each group (it means 4 +4 = 8 CC) instead of 8++ pure interrupters.

My opinion of course

Just a little suggestion from a minstrel(Squizy)

When we have more than 3 champs in the raids,
Can we perhaps 1 of them running back to the minstrels and use their horns there?

This will make sure the minstrels don’t have all the wargs on them, and it shows the champ if there are some wargs around,
It is very annoying when minstrels are under attack and they cant broadcast their heals due to annoying wargs that just run in to stun or fear the minstrels,

I seriously think that this is a way to improve ourselves on the fields,

Yup Pinti,
we tried it I posted my impressions about this defensive champions rat.
Anyway we have to test it again cause we saw that agains an hihg number of enemies it is uneffective, and if it's good because allows the raid to protect the minstrel it is bad cause will cut off the raid dps.

By the way thanks for the suggestion old dwarf :p

Just a few comments.

While I understand the appeal of the Berzerker route for a Champ, especially for those who want maximize their chances at one-on-one sparring, I'm convinced that a full AoE spec (Deadly Storm) is the best general build for a Champ in a PvMP Raid since I think that it will be the most effective to maximize his/her contribution to the Raid.

It would be interesting to hear some other viewponts.

Whatever build chosen though, I would urge all Champs though to consider slotting the 'Improved Rend' trait.

While 'Rend' finally gives us Champs a decent DoT (and to multiple opponents!), the additional bonus of stripping 1,242 from said opponents' armour ratings by slotting 'Improved Rend' surely makes it the most powerful and devastating early-use attacks in the game. Well worth taking up a slot surely?

What's the bet it gets nerfed?

First i dont think Rend will get nerfed. Its an armour rend and its GORGEOUS.

Improved rend should be a must in Ettens. I recieved many comments from reavers i sparred. Oh damn i see you got an armour rend as well now. Damn it hurts. Well it does as creeps doesnt have the same high armour value as freeps.

Small comments on what i use in ettens.

For legendary i use, raging blades, CB, Ferosious strike. I am mix built tbh. Was going berserker but as they totally fucked the legendary up, its pointless. I still got 4 in berserker line for the fervour pipe. one every 4s is pretty nice. I also go improved rend! A MUST !!!! IMproved bracing attack. With this slotted i get 700 healing every 30s, due to runes etc on my legendary weapon.

In big battles i dont use Swift strike. It drains your power and you WILL run out if you got a battle that lasts longer then 5 min. Wild attack and traited blade wall will give you a nice fervoru pip. And dont forget RED HACE. It adds alot to it. please also dont forget HEDGE, ( unsure about the name now, but its the swords that spin around you), Its really usefull 30s duration and a chance to reflect 55 damage. It WORKS. That skill, my bracelets that reflects 21 damage and rend will give me over 100 damage that is bonus. And that is over time. Meaning that during 15s you have the chance to actually add about 600-700 damage extra. WOW

One more thing. Sudden defence. VERY usefull. It does work with fervour and its just to pop it. It adds about 1200 to parry and evade. And it adds from what you have not in fervour stance, NOT from 0. Gives you 30s of FUN. It can also be ugraded with points from legendary. I got mine to 40s now and i use it all the time. You can also get legacys that makes the cooldown shorter, or higher parry or evade bonus etc.


one more point.

Stance.

Fervour. It doesnt allow you to evade or parry. Meaning if you are under attack, drop your stance. It can make the difference if you evade or parry a few blows. Saves you some time for minstrels to heal you up again.

Ardour. Hum im still experimenting with this one. If anyone has please post it. The interesting part here is. You will be able to parry and evade but with a very low number. What could be interesting is to get a weapon and rune that allows you the following. Lowered fervour pipe. Meaning you will generate fervour faster in ardour mode. Other legacy for + to ardour damage. Totally you can get ardour up to 16% with a tier 6 gold legacy. Increased evade and parry.

This is interesting as this would bring your champ a little towards the dream champ. Full dps but able to evade and parry. I know that from the begining we could evade and parry in fervour stance. But we were TO UBER then and we got nerfed to what we got now.

Glory. Hum tank mode. If you want to tank a big mob you might want to go in to this stance. Well i would prefer to tank in no stance at all, but the 60% threat is nice. Well with hunters now days you wont be able to keep aggro anyway....