Strategies and Tips:Poison Overrides:Cycling poison javs is a good way to keep the poison damage higher, an opponent at the very beginning of a duel will usually be pretty defensive vs your javs, and can make it very hard if you are trying to use plague instead of poison. Throwing poison javs first allows for more area to be covered, with no time delay. Once they get hit, most will charge in. After they do that, throw a plague jav, it will override the poison jav and start the "quick"-dealing damage.
PLR:This is pretty easy, use poison jav against any plr. It just reduces plague so much.
"Boxing":What I call boxing is just simple side-stepping. If a barb is coming at you, predict the ww and sidestep. Pull out bow as he ww's past and fire off a few. Just keep side stepping and throwing javs / shooting guideds. It requires less frw than simply outrunning that barb, and also reduces the barb's synch.
WWlockers:A lot of people complain about ww lock, with a jav zon it makes it easier. If you notice them wwlocking, run away (yes run, not walk) in a straight line, throwing plague javs where you are running to. Even if you don't see them, don't stop. Long sweeping circles and straight running until they die, if you can get back to where you see them, check their life real quick. If it's low or at one, stop/walk and fire off some light bolts. Do not pull out bow.
Random Movements:With the exception of wwlockers, don't run in straight lines. Always use random movements as a zon (plaguer or bowa), especially vs hammerdins. A good random-running zon won't even get hit vs a hdin (by hammers, not charge swap).
Keep block/run close:I changed my run/walk and weapon swap toggles to f1 and f2, whenever I have bow out I am running, hit both at the same time and I'm blocking with shield and walking. Helps with quick and effective swaps.
C/T:C/T is usable on just about any caster character, but is best used on a zon, necro, trap or fissure. It's done by casting/shooting over the
Character or skill
Tree screens. If you put your mouse up to the very top right corner, you can shoot pretty far, but keep that cursor at the top right (while holding down the mouse) and open up the skill tree screen. This extends the range of the guided arrow's "guide" and also helps it to go invisible faster, same for bone spirits. Can be very useful to extend the range on fissures and traps by hitting them from over a screen away. If going left, pop up the character screen. I find it easiest to just start guiding, then pop it up, but it can be done by holding unsummon, popping up the screen - dragging over, and then swapping to guided.
Stay low:The c/t brings me to the next one, always stay below your opponent. For most duels you always want to be below your opponent. This is because of the bar at the bottom that restricts your screen by a short amount. We are wanting to increase the range with c/t, so we don't need to get rid of range by firing down.
Chargers and Kickers:Use of high damage javelins, normal throw, and jab are key to winning these duels (unless they have bad psn res
) Keep the shield out at all times. I like to even have 2x shields, one side having ceremonials for psn dmg, and the other with harpoons. Throw the plague jav and then swap over to harpoons. Keep walk on. 2H chargers should be a breeze with jab. Usually standing in one place and keeping them locked with throw and jab works well enough. Kickers require movement, just stay a few steps ahead of them and throw back. They have a small delay between kick stop/start that allows for some quick jabs if needed. Especially right after a dflight. You can pull out bow vs a kicker if they are a screen away. They will usually try to hit you with dflight from the edge, so wait until you see them go for a dflight and run just outside of the screen. Dflight cancels if you move outside so they will just stand there kicking nothing while they get hit in the face with guideds.
Sorc's:Hardest duel, stay random and never stop. 1-2 attacks at any given time. Sometimes don't even attack, just fake them out to make them stomp you. A good sorc will be very aggressive with stomps and use tk, keep up the wsg if you are getting fhr'd and be patient.
Zons:CS = they will kill you if they have more frw. Run and shoot behind, if they catch up sidestep, do not run straight away or you'll be hit by the charged bolts more than once.
Unless you are just better at zvz than a bowa, this will be a hard duel. Use your life to your advantage, swap to dr + physical dmg setup, you won't hit a good bowa with poison jav enough to be of any use. Plus they have death's on. When you see the opportunity, run in to jab (and throw a psn jav), you'll likely have more life/dr and almost as high jab dmg (mine hits over 700 jab). If they run, make sure to get some NL'd guideds in. Swap out the sojs for manalds or rep/mana rings (or 1 of each like I do). I prefer 1 manald and a 5rep/85 mana ring (could get better). A dtm shield and eth's can make the difference in your zon's endurance in zvz.
Necros:Remember Multi to clear bone walls, then use c/t guided. Sometimes going back and forth, multi then 2 guided.
Teledruid:Always run down, if they stop moving shortly after you were on screen, you are probably namelocked. Don't stop. Run down, multi up. Throw plagues where you will be running, because that's where they are going to be. On top of you.
Anything else that should be added? Some of it is general knowledge for some of us, but I thought needed to be in the guide.