Let's make a Codex Guild and First Impressions

Codex Arena so far is a fun alternative to random arena. That being said rank discrimination is alive and kicking and rather annoying. Rather than being used to filter out those with no skills, it's being used to filter out PvE or casual players by those too lazy or unskilled to tell the difference between a team build that works and a team build that doesn't. So I decided I'll hunt for like minded people who like Codex Arena enough to join a guild dedicated to the format. Once four of us like the format enough to guild hop, we'll make a guild of our own and play at a set time daily. Any rank and any skill is welcome. The time will be late afternoon to early evening Eastern Time.

Codex is shaping up to be a non-caster arena. The best teams are full of dervishes, warriors, assassins, paragons, rangers and so on. Of course those who understand the game knew this would happen (see this ancient post by Ensign). Guild Wars is centered around the melee, warriors especially, and a caster's main purpose is to stop melee from dealing its damage. But the nature of Codex means energy management is even more of a massive pain for casters. Also some days there isn't enough shutdown. For example a powerful Random Arena build is Water Trident, Blurred Vision, Glyph of Immolation, Steam, Freezing Gust, Ice Spear, Water Attunement, Resurrection Signet. That's knockdown, a hex, blind, and a snare as melee shutdown for those counting. However Codex gives you one or two of the Water Elementalist shutdown line, if you're lucky and if you're very lucky energy management. What that means is casters, already at a massive disadvantage in terms of damage, are even more difficult to play in Codex because working shutdown in Guild Wars requires multiple types and intensive energy management. Without working shutdown a caster is basically useless, an inferior damage dealer and inferior support character. This isn't anything to do with Codex, but just the way Guild Wars is designed. Maybe one day you'll be lucky enough to have blinding surge, air attunement and blinding flash all in the Codex but most days shutdown will be insufficient. It also doesn't help that monks rely on stances and guardian to stay alive and most days those won't be available.

So those of you who like melee will love this format. Those who like casters will be lukewarm.

Speed is also important. Today is the day for Return and It's Just a Flesh Wound in Codex. Random Arena was getting to the point where monks would stand still with Dolyak Signet and Bonetti's Defense and nobody would kite. With shutdown and protection like guardian not guaranteed in Codex, a monk's best friend is kiting and teleporting. Monks are using walls, using terrain, using body blocking to stay alive rather than standing out in the open like in Random Arena. In other words they're using their brains. We'll see how long that lasts.

So in summary,

1. I want to put together a Codex Guild. Leave your character name in comments if you are interested. It will play afternoon/evening Eastern time for one to two hours daily.

2. Codex Arena is shaping up to be melee heavy.

3. The name of the game is still avoiding damage, except using speed and brains rather than dolyak signet and stances like in Random Arena.

4. Degeneration seems particularly powerful. Even with Cautery Signet, It's Just a Flesh Wound and Foul Feast in today's Codex, winning teams ran poison rangers.