Been using the Canthan Ambassador exploit to ferry people to areas in chapters they don't own and to the ends of each of the chapters for 5k.

go me (albeit on like...a sucker account I don't even care about LOL!!!)

wintersday is in a day OMGGGGG

Snowball Arena - Indepth Guide to Winning
Snowball Arena can be played by talking to a Wintersday Priest in Lion's Arch, Kamadan, or Great Temple of Balthazar.

It is a 4v4 Random Teams PvP mode, race to get 5 presents to your side's god.

Rewards for Winning:
    * 100 Balthazar Faction for each unique kill
    * 50 Balthazar Faction and 3 Candy Cane Shards for winning
    * 50 Balthazar Faction for a Flawless Victory
    * 50 Balthazar Faction for 5 and 10 Consecutive Wins
    * Gladiator points are NOT awarded while participating in this arena.
    * 10 points toward the Gamer title track are awarded for each victory

A Look at the Skills:
Not Dependant on Class:
*Snowball: 1s Recharge Time. You throw a slow-moving snowball at target foe. That foe takes 50 damage if it hits.

This is pretty much your standard attack. Use it when needed.

*Mega Snowball: 4 Adrenaline cost, 1s Recharge Time. You throw a very slow-moving snowball at target foe. That foe is knocked down and takes 75 damage if it hits.

This is useful, but a neat trick is to use it when you are Dazed. It can't be easily interrupted for some strange reason!

*Snow Down the Shirt: 3/4s Activation Time, 20s Recharge Time. For 20 seconds, whenever target touched foe takes any damage while suffering from this Hex, that foe is interrupted.

Use it on present carriers so with Dazed they can't get off their healing.

*Hidden Rock: 2s Activation Time, 10s Recharge TIme. Your next snowball knocks down target foe and causes Daze.

Useful. Use it WHENEVER you can. Target present carriers and steal their present!

*Avalanche (Dwayna side only) : 1s Activation Time, 30s Recharge Time. Target foe and all nearby foes are Crippled for 10 seconds.

Amazing. Use this on flag carriers.

*Yellow Snow (Grenth side only) : 2s Activation time, 4s Recharge time. Lose one Condition. Your next snowball causes Disease for 10 seconds.

Complete and utter crap.

*Ice Fort: 1s Activation Time, 60s Recharge time. For 10 seconds, you block all incoming projectiles. Ice Fort ends if you move.

Useful when you have a present. 

*"Mmmm. Snowcone!": 60s recharge time. You are healed for 300 Health, and all your attacks are disabled for 10 seconds.

Use only if you are carrying a present or under the effects of Ice Fort.

As for Class Specific Skills...
Warrior: Very very very useful. Combos with Mega Snowball, useful for present carriers. Its one of the best class specific skills.

Ranger: Hmm...you can use it while carrying a bundle, and it can't be easily interrupted while Dazed. Also, it deals more damage than Snowball over time to an entire enemy team. Handy.

Elementalist: Combos with Avalanche if you're on Dwayna for amazing present carrier ownage.

Ritualist: Useful if placed right. Otherwise? Complete crap.

Necromancers: Horrible. Just horrible.

Paragon: Worse than Holiday Blues.

Mesmer: Good for the interrupt, and Blind makes projectiles (Snowballs) stray from their target, making them easier to dodge. Plus its a nice cover condition.

Monk: Amazingly useful.

Assassin: Crap. Don't even bother.

Dervish: They both suck.

Tips:
    * Before the doors open, pre-load Hidden Rock. This will allow you to knock down the first opponent you attack.
    * When the game starts, it is common to spread out so each player is coving a potential present spawn point. This way, once the present spawns, someone will be nearby to pick it up.
    * The Target Closest Item bind (default ";") is extremely useful for locking onto presents. Follow with the Interact Action bind (default spacebar) to run and pick it up.
    * The easiest way to steal a present is to use a Hidden Rock loaded Snowball or Mega Snowball when adjacent to the carrier. Target Nearest Item and pick it up before they have a chance to recover.
    * Long distance Snowballs, especially Mega Snowballs can be dodged even if you have a present. Target the player throwing snowballs at you and time your sideways movement to dodge.
    * The snare effect from the frozen stream can sometimes be avoided even when picking up a present if you immediately start moving as soon as the pick up animation begins.
    * The Ice Fort is useful to prevent knockdown when you know your opponent is about to hit you with a Hidden Rock. It will still drop your present, but use the Target Closest Item to immediately pick it up again. Remember, you can still use actions while in the fort, so use it to ready your own glyphs or activate spirits.
    * The combination of Snow Down the Shirt and the dazed effect of Hidden Rock will render the player helpless if kept under pressure. It is very useful when defending your present carrier against an opponent. The Ritualist's Jack Frost can also act as the cover pressure for this.
    * Avalanche is very useful to help delay an enemy present carrier. If you're crippled from Avalanche, use Yellow Snow to remove it.
    * Knock down players on the frozen stream to guarantee a short snare from it.
    * While blacked out from Snowcones, you can still body block to hinder a present carrier's advance.

hahaha

I love how on wow we have normal snowballs you can buy a stack of for 50c or something and hard-packed AV snowballs with a stupid knockback that just pisses everyone off but Guild wars has a whole fuckin snowball pvp mode

hahaha

I love how on wow we have normal snowballs you can buy a stack of for 50c or something and hard-packed AV snowballs with a stupid knockback that just pisses everyone off but Guild wars has a whole fuckin snowball pvp mode

Yeah! It's actually really fun too, especially if you get a group who knows what they are doing!

It's a nice diversion.

Update - Thursday March 6
Skill Updates

    Guild vs. Guild

        * Victory or Death: reduced damage increased to 10%; this skill now reduces healing by 10%.
        * Victory is Ours: both teams now get this bonus at Victory or Death, regardless of how many NPCs either team has; increased damage to 20%.

Very nice....


    Assassin

        * Shroud of Silence: decreased duration to 1..3 seconds.
        * Shadow Prison: decreased duration to 1..7 seconds.
        * Dark Prison: decreased duration to 1..6 seconds.
        * Siphon Speed: increased recharge to 30 seconds; decreased duration to 5..15 seconds; this skill now recharges 50% faster if cast on a moving foe.
        * Augury of Death: increased recharge to 20 seconds.

Lol no more instant gib Assassins.


    Mesmer

        * Imagined Burden: decreased duration to 8..20 seconds.
        * Enchanter's Conundrum: functionality changed to: "For 10 seconds, target foe casts enchantments 100% slower. When this hex is applied, that foe takes 30..120 damage if not under the effects of an enchantment spell."
        * Psychic Instability: this skill has been moved to the Fast Casting attribute; decreased casting time to .25 seconds; functionality changed to: "Interrupt target foe's action. If that action was a spell that foe is knocked down. (50% failure chance with Fast Casting 4 or less.)"
        * Power Lock: decreased recharge to 12 seconds.
        * Cry of Frustration: decreased Energy cost to 10.
        * Simple Thievery: decreased casting time to .25 seconds; increased recharge to 10 seconds; decreased duration to 5..20 seconds; changed functionality to: "Interrupt target foe's action. If that action was a skill, that skill is disabled for 5..20 seconds, and Simple Thievery is replaced by that skill."
        * Power Leak: decreased Energy lost to 3..17.

Some buffs, some nerfs....should be interesting.


    Necromancer

        * Foul Feast: decreased casting time to .25 seconds; this skill has been moved to the Soul Reaping attribute; changed functionality to: "All conditions are transferred from target other ally to yourself. For each condition acquired in this way, you gain 0..45 Health and 0..3 Energy."
        * Enfeebling Blood: decreased Energy cost to 1, decreased casting time to 1 second; increased recharge to 8 seconds.
        * Enfeeble: decreased casting time to .25 seconds; increased duration to 10..30 seconds.
        * Plague Signet: changed functionality to: "Transfer all negative conditions with their remaining durations lengthened by 100..200% from yourself to target foe."
        * Strip Enchantment: functionality changed to: "Remove 1..2 enchantments from target foe. If an enchantment is removed, you steal 5..65 Health."
        * Weaken Armor: decreased casting time to 1 second; this skill now affects all adjacent foes.
        * Plague Sending: decreased Energy cost to 1.
        * Wail of Doom: decreased Energy cost to 1; decreased recharge to 10 seconds; decreased duration to 1..4 seconds; changed skill type to hex; changed functionality to: "For 0..4 second, all of target foe's attributes are set to 0."
        * Rip Enchantment: functionality changed to: "Remove 1 enchantment from target foe and that foe suffers from Bleeding for 5..25 seconds."
        * Vampiric Swarm: decreased casting time to 2 seconds; decreased recharge time to 8 seconds.
        * Deathly Swarm: decreased casting time to 2 seconds; increased recharge time to 6 seconds.

I like where Necros are going....wait what? Wail of Doom? Arcane Echo it? 8 out of 10 seconds 1 person is basically disabled. WOO. Totally overpowered imo.

    Elementalist

        * Glyph of Lesser Energy: canceled spells now count as a use of the Glyph's effect.
        * Glyph of Energy: decreased Energy reduction to 10..35; canceled spells now count as a use of the Glyph's effect.
        * Ward Against Melee: increased recharge to 30 seconds.
        * Blinding Flash: decreased duration to 3..8 seconds.
        * Mind Blast: decreased Energy gain to 1..8; increased recharge to 3 seconds.
        * Flame Djinn's Haste: decreased duration to 8..14 seconds; increased recharge to 20 seconds; the skill now recharges 50% faster if you damage a foe with it.
        * Rodgort's Invocation: increased recharge to 8 seconds.
        * Lightning Orb: functionality changed to: "Send out a lightning Orb that strikes target foe for 10..100 lightning damage and that foe has Cracked Armor for 5..20 seconds if it hits. This spell has 25% armor penetration."
        * Shock Arrow: increased recharge to 8 seconds; functionality changed to: "Send out a Shock Arrow that strikes for 5..50 lightning damage if it hits. If Shock Arrow strikes an attacking foe, you gain 1..9 Energy. This spell has 25% armor penetration."
        * Aftershock: removed the long aftercast.
        * Ward Against Melee: removed the long aftercast.
        * Ward Against Foes: removed the long aftercast.
        * Inferno: removed the long aftercast.
        * Flame Burst: removed the long aftercast.
        * Frozen Burst: removed the long aftercast; increased recharge to 8 seconds.
        * Crystal Wave/Teinai's Crystals: removed the long aftercast.
        * Shockwave: removed the long aftercast.
        * Double Dragon: removed the long aftercast.

The removal of after cast, plus the buff to Lightning Orb + Flame Djinn's are interesting. I don't like the nerf to the E/D template in PvP but...

    Monk

        * Heal Party: increased casting time to 2 seconds.
        * Guardian: increased recharge time to 4 seconds.
        * Reversal of Damage: decreased recharge time to 3 seconds.
        * Symbol of Wrath/Kirin's Wrath: removed the long aftercast.

Meh.


    Warrior

        * Magehunter's Smash: increased adrenaline cost to 7 strikes; functionality changed to: "If this attack hits, target foe is knocked down. If your target is under the effects of an enchantment, this attack cannot be blocked."
        * Axe Rake: decreased adrenaline cost to 5 strikes.
        * Axe Twist: decreased adrenaline cost to 5 strikes.
        * Gash: decreased adrenaline cost to 6 strikes.
        * "Shields Up!": increased armor gain to 60; functionality changed to: "For 5..11 seconds, you and all party members within earshot gain 60 armor against incoming projectile attacks."
        * "Watch Yourself!": functionality changed to: "Party members within earshot gain +5..25 armor for 10 seconds. This shout ends after 1..3 incoming attack."
        * Lion's Comfort: decreased adrenaline cost to 4 strikes; functionality changed to: "All of your signets are disabled for 12 seconds. You are healed for 50..110 Health, and gain 0..3 strike of adrenaline."
        * Sprint: decreased recharge time to 15 seconds.
        * Mokele Smash: decreased recharge time to 12 seconds; increased adrenaline gain to 1..3

Warrior's don't even need half these buffs, but ok.

    Ranger

        * Pin Down: decreased recharge time to 8 seconds.
        * Crippling Shot: increased recharge time to 2 seconds.
        * Hunter's Shot: decreased activation time to 1 second.

Useless.

    Dervish

        * Pious Assault: increased activation time to normal weapon attack activation time.
        * Mystic Regeneration: decreased duration to 5..20 seconds; increased recharge time to 12 seconds.
        * Wounding Strike: functionality changed to: "If this attack hits, target foe suffers from Bleeding for 5..20 seconds. If you are under the effects of an enchantment, target foe also suffers from a Deep Wound for 5..20 seconds."
        * Grenth's Aura: decreased duration to 10 seconds; increased recharge time to 25 seconds; increased Energy cost to 15; increased casting time to 2 seconds.

Thank god.

    Paragon

        * Mending Refrain: increased Energy cost to 10; decreased duration to 15 seconds.
        * Song of Restoration: increased Energy cost to 10; increased recharge to 20 seconds; increased healing to 45..110 Health.
        * Barbed Spear: decreased adrenaline cost to 2 strikes.
        * Blazing Spear: decreased adrenaline cost to 6 strikes.

See above.

    Ritualist

        * Ancestors' Rage: decreased damage dealt to 5..110.
        * Soothing Memories: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; decreased recharge to 4 seconds.
        * Death Pact Signet: now resurrects party member with 15..100% Energy, instead of the caster's current Energy; The energy returned now scales based on your Restoration Magic.

Finally DPS isn't overpowered....and hooray for Ancestors.

General

    * Added a set of player-designed weapons and items that were winners in the 2007Guild Wars Design-A-Weapon Contest.

Yessss

Hero AI

    * Improved hero AI for the skill Broad Head Arrow.
    * Improved hero AI for the skill Warrior’s Endurance.

I don't care.

Bug Fixes

    * Shadow Fang: fixed a bug that caused the duration to incorrectly change based on the Deadly Arts attribute.
    * Fixed a bug that could allow Kurzick players to leave their gated areas early in the Alliance Battle map Kaanai Canyon.
    * Fixed a rare bug that would crash the game server.

The last one is important.

Soooo, unless if this update I'm downloading fixes it, you can use Simple Thievery to steal monster skills.


Players using some of them will crash everyone in the instance.


Fantastic.

EDIT: Such as taking a Bodyguard's Oath of Healing, you crash everyone in a GvG match.

The bug was fixed.

God damnit, that was the best bug next to Signet of Might day.

Hmm, this looks pretty interesting. I love the fact I don't feel like i have to play 14 hours a day or else waste my money. Anyone have any trial keys left over maybe?

I've got Guild Wars now and played it an hour or two. Currently a level 5 Necromancer/Elementalist.

What's your IGN, I can add you and we can group and stuff when you hit level 20.

Update, march 13th, 2008
General
[edit] Concise Skill Description Option

    * Guild Wars now supports two types of skill descriptions: traditional and concise. Traditional descriptions maintain the classic style and have been in place since the first campaign. Concise descriptions are a new style, and are generally shorter in length.
    * The first time you log in, you get a message asking if you'd like to keep using traditional skill descriptions or if you'd like to change to concise descriptions. Once you make your selection, login will continue normally, and you won't see the message again. To change the skill description style while in-game, use the General tab in the Options panel. (Menu > Options > General)
    * Example of a traditional description for Defensive Stance:
          o For 1..7 seconds, you have +24 armor and you have a 75% chance to block melee and projectile attacks. Defensive Stance ends if you use a skill.
    * Example of a concise description for Defensive Stance:
          o (1..7 seconds.) You have 75% chance to block and +24 armor. Ends if you use a skill.
    * If you find any problems with the translations of the concise skill descriptions, or general translation bugs, please report them to:
          o French: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Jason_Yu/French_Localization_Bugs
          o German: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Jason_Yu/German_Localization_Bugs
          o Italian: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Jason_Yu/Italian_Localization_Bugs
          o Polish: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Jason_Yu/Polish_Localization_Bugs
          o Russian: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Jason_Yu/Russian_Localization_Bugs
          o Spanish: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Jason_Yu/Spanish_Localization_Bugs

[edit] Bug Fixes

    * Fixed a spawn bug that prevented bosses in the Domain of Anguish from appearing if everyone in a party had already completed the Mallyx the Unyielding quest.
    * Fixed a bug in Underworld that sometimes prevented mission failure if a Reaper died too quickly after spawning.
    * Fixed a bug that would sometimes allow Necromancers to cast Putrid Flesh and Feast of Death while having no living minions for the spell to target.
    * Fixed a bug in the Tower of Strength quest within the Fissure of Woe that sometimes caused the Tower Mage to become stuck and never reach the tower.
    * Fixed a bug in the Dajkah Inlet challenge mission that could cause teams to crash after a long time spent in the mission.
    * Fixed a bug that caused some treasure chests to not work if more than one player attempted to open the chest at the same time.
    * Fixed a bug in the Moa’vu’Kaal, Awakened quest in Nightfall that caused the starting NPC to sometimes not display a quest marker even though the quest was available.
    * Fixed a bug that affected various sign posts and redirectors in the Eye of the North, Sifhalla, Olafstead, and Gunner's Hold.

[edit] Miscellaneous

    * The daggers known as Dragon Scythes are now named Dragon Kamas to avoid confusion over their weapon type.
    * The axe known as White Scythe is now named White Reaver to avoid confusion over its weapon type.
    * The second RAWR Cup Tournament is now listed on Tolkano.
    * The Xunlai Tournament House NPC now offers prizes for the February tournament and can be found in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Lion's Arch, Kaineng Center, and Kamadan.


YEAH

Been waiting for concise skill descriptions.

Fuck all yes.

All I gotta say is, before I joined another guild, I got bored and did this:

Classic match vid:
http://files.filefront.com/LuM+vs+WMwmv/;9664351;/fileinfo.html

WM vs LuM, Guild Wars World Championship, awesome match. LuM takes anti-physical skills cause they know WM has been running tons of physicals, WM runs like 4 warriors, and still win.