Guide:GvG Flag Runner

An Introduction To Flag Running
A Flag Runner is a character that is taken into Guild versus Guild battles, and who is generally in charge of keeping all forms of splits alive, base defending, and yes, running flags. Although their contribution is not as directly visible as other members of the team, Flag Runners are vital in controlling flags for morale boosts.

Flag Running - What does it consist of?
As a flag runner, you will have three primary aims:
 * Defend the base when it is under attack to minimize NPC losses.
 * Run flags to secure morale boosts for your team, and to prevent the other team getting any.
 * Keep alive any offensive split that your team may attempt to pull off.

Speed boost
Almost all flag runners should have a speed boost. If you don't have a permanent 33% speed boost, you will either need snares or a good team that holds up or better kills the enemy runner or you will usually fall behind over the course of a match.


 * This is a popular choice for Monk and Ritualist flaggers, as it is relatively cheap compared to some other speed boosts and requires little to no attribute investment, as well as air elementalist flaggers.


 * The most common speed boost used by water elementalist flaggers.


 * Used by fire elementalist flaggers.


 * Sometimes run on Monk flaggers, particularly Zealous Benediction flaggers.


 * Sometimes used on monk flaggers, often utilizing maintained enchantments, such as Holy Veil, to fuel its speed boost.


 * Sometimes run on Monk flaggers in particular, for whom the lose enchantment on end part of Pious Haste is dangerous.


 * Often used in addition to Dash on Mo/A or Rt/A flaggers.

Damage Reduction

 * A popular skill for water E/Mo flaggers. It negates most degeneration and most armor-affected damage and is nearly impossible to interrupt.


 * A very powerful damage reduction skill, common on Monk flaggers.

Healing

 * The elite skill of choice for Ritualist flaggers. It is both a fast-casting, spammable heal and a condition removal. The popularity of interrupts and conditions on gankers makes this a strong choice.


 * A common elite for Monk primary flaggers, due to its efficiency at dealing with the fairly slow damage typically used by gankers and its attribute.


 * The high regeneration and the addition armor bonus negates most damage dealt by one or even two gankers. The short activation time means it usually can't be interrupted.


 * A powerful healing elite. It's very spammable and efficient.


 * Useful in combination with Weapon of Warding and other defensive weapon spells.

Condition Removal

 * removes a condition and steals life from the attacker


 * able to remove 2 conditions with no attribute investment.


 * less spammable, unusable while carrying a flag, but can potentially relieve a lot of pressure on yourself


 * Another condition removal option available to weapon spell flaggers.


 * Sometimes used on monk flaggers


 * Effective on Burning Isle and also useful in combination with Signet of Mystic Speed

Hex Removal

 * In addition to removing hexes, while maintained, it will slow the casting of any more on the ally.


 * This provides a minor damage reduction in addition to removing a hex extremely quickly, making it ideal for dealing with Shadow Prison and other hex-based assassins.


 * Can be used effectively on Mo/D or Rt/D flaggers for powerful hex removal.


 * It provides healing in addition to hex removal, making it potentially useful on Word of Healing flaggers.

Blocking

 * Effective on ritualist primary or mind blast flaggers, energy intense.


 * Commonly used on Monk and Elementalist flaggers, spammable and cheap.

Missing

 * Commonly used to interfere with the enemy melee characters' offense. It is much less easily removed than blind, especially on a split.


 * Sometimes ran on Ritualist flaggers to provide another protective skill, it blinds anyone attacking the target for a while.

Snares

 * Freezing Gust is a spammable, versatile snare and damage skill.


 * Used to snare groups of foes or when Freezing Gust is recharging or when Blurred Vision is on the person to be snared.


 * A powerful snare on a split, where hex removal is relatively uncommon. It is less useful in an 8v8 battle, however.


 * Occasionally used on Monk Flaggers that otherwise lack a snare.

Flagstand Support

 * Removes one condition from all party members within range. Useful for dealing with disease and poison spam.

Stand Offense

 * This provides a powerful damage buff for your frontliners, particularly at Victory or Death.


 * This damages anyone around the target, making casting it on your frontliners a helpful spike assist.


 * A powerful spike assist on unenchanted targets.

Party Healing

 * This is a staple of almost all monk flagger bars. It's powerful effect and short recharge allows the flag team to cope with pressure much better.


 * Commonly run on ritualist flaggers, this is a cheap party heal that is easy to fit into a build.


 * This skill's long duration and passive effect means that a ritualist flagger can easily set it up at the stand to ease pressure.


 * Life is similar to Recuperation in that it can be left at the stand, but it has a shorter duration and is less effective against pressure. This is most commonly run on Offering of Spirit flaggers due to it's low cost and recharge.