Damage Must Land at Zero¶
Core rule¶
When a caller counts down, your damage should land at zero. If you begin casting at zero, you are usually late.
Why it matters¶
A ZvZ engage is a timing puzzle. Clump, pierce, damage, disruption, and follow-up all need to overlap. If DPS lands late, the enemy has time to:
- Guard, Locus, cleanse, or shield
- walk out of the clump
- counter-engage
- heal the first damage
- spread out before the last damage arrives
What good execution looks like¶
- You know your cast time, travel time, stand time, and range.
- You start moving before the countdown becomes urgent.
- You are already in range or using mobility before zero.
- You cast early enough that the spell lands on the called moment.
- If the clump is visible before zero, you trust the timing.
Common failure pattern¶
"I got stopped by their tank/tool."
Sometimes true. But if the stop happened after the hit should already have landed, the real issue was late setup.
Role responsibilities¶
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| DPS | know your own timing; do not wait until zero to start playing |
| Clump tank | create or show the clump before zero |
| Pierce / debuff | land on the actual kill area, not near it |
| Support | expect enemy counter-engage after friendly hit |
| Caller | choose hittable clumps and avoid impossible ranges |
VOD prompt¶
For each engage, ask:
- At what second did I start moving?
- At what second did I cast?
- At what second did my damage land?
- Was I stopped before my correct timing, or only because I was late?