PvP amateurs and experts alike, it's time to dominate the seasonal ranked arena: Arena of Solare. Matchmake with other Adventurers in 3 vs 3 matches and obtain special outfits.
Black Desert Online recently updated to include a Practice Mode. You can party up with friends and guildmates to test each other out and try some new strategies. With our Arena of Solare guide, brush up on the arena rules and also dominate with our suggested Arena compositions.
Have you claimed your free Black Desert Online key for an exclusive SteelSeries Bundle? Visit our Game On page for details or go into the Giveaways section in the GG app and scroll down to the MMORPG section! The keys are limited so don't hesitate!
Arena of Solare Tips and Strategy
1. Contest the objectives
Depending on the map, neutral objectives will appear during the match that grant powerful buffs to the team that scores the last hit on the buff. Obtaining these buffs gives your team a significant advantage (increased attack power/attack speed/defense/healing).
Some of the objectives always appear at a certain time during the match, so it’s important to coordinate with your team to start positioning near the spawn area of the buff.
The objective can also be used as a bait to punish greedy opponents. You can choose to not contest the buff and instead allow your opponents to try to take it for free. Once your opponents burn important cooldowns or skills to try to take the buff, you can engage them to catch them off guard. #tactics
2. Peel for your teammates
Peeling means defending or protecting your teammate when they are being attacked, usually by using your crowd control (CC) and disabling skills. Depending on the classes on your team, you may have to switch up your playstyle and focus on peeling or defending your teammates. Certain classes such as Wizard or Ranger have incredible ranged CC and DPS skills but are susceptible to assassin classes like Ninjas or Kunoichis.
Always try to keep an eye on your teammates to peel for them in case they get CC’d or are being combo’d.
3. Utilize terrain depending on your class
There are some terrain elements that you can use to gain positional advantages in each map. If you’re a ranged class like Ranger, try to climb on top of rocks or ledges to avoid melee classes and get free CCs/damage off on the enemy team.
Other maps have small alleyways or chokepoints that benefit classes with lots of AoE skills like Berserker or Nova, so always consider team comps and classes to pick the best fights for your team.
Black Desert Online Team Comp Ideas
The "Classic MMO Trinity" Team
- Awakening Warrior
- Awakening Ranger
- Succession Witch or Wizard
This is the classic MMO class trinity of “melee-ranged-magic." However, BDO combat and PvP doesn’t work like other MMOs, so any notions of the typical “tank-DPS-healing" doesn’t apply. Every class in BDO can carry and the three listed work well together by covering each other’s main weaknesses. This is well-balanced team comp designed with flexibility and versatility in mind.
The Awakening Warrior plays the role of initatior/engage with his burst mobility, fast CC skills and grapple. In addition, he has some AoE debuffs to throw out in order to slow down assassin classes that might want to chase down his teammates.
The Awakening Ranger offers some of the best CCs in the game (both ranged and melee), and incredible combo potential for DPS. Her primary role is to function as a “wingman” that follows up on the Awakening Warrior’s CC catches (#ShaqKobeDuo). In addition, the hybrid melee-ranged playstyle of Awakening Ranger also lets her function as a bodyguard for the Wizard/Witch to disrupt assassin classes that try to fight in melee range.
The Succession Witch/Wizard has the some of the best AoE healing and buffing skills in the game, which complement the other classes perfectly as they have no self-healing/sustain. In addition, Succession Witch/Wizard also have strong ranged skills to capitalize on the catches of the Ranger and Warrior.
Pros
- Excellent ranged damage and CC.
- Has two grapples (Warrior and Ranger) skills to counter defensive classes that rely on blocks or Super Armor.
- Combo and DPS potential is extremely high due to long CC durations. Kills are basically guaranteed against CC’d opponents.
Cons
- The Succession Wizard/Witch is susceptible to focus by faster assassin classes like Musa, Maehwa, and Ninja. They require team coordination for peeling in case they get caught.
- Melee combat potential is lacking compared to other team comps.
- Ranger and Wizard are squishy, so the team is more fragile overall than other team comps.
"Turtle" Team
- Awakening Valkyrie
- Succession Guardian
- Succession Nova
This team comp contains three of the tankiest classes in the game. Their ability to control space on the map is unmatched as they have a plethora of AoE CC and damage skills as well as tons of Super Armor and blocks. This team excels at controlling objectives and fighting in chokepoints in melee range.
The Awakening Valkyrie is similar to “paladin” classes of other MMOs. She is a melee fighter equipped with great utility in the form of AoE healing and buffs. She also has “vacuum” abilities that pull enemies into a single spot, leaving them susceptible to further AoE CC and damage. Her role in this team is to set up her team with her CCs and engage, while also healing and buffing teammates.
The Succession Guardian is a slow, but heavy-hitting “viking/berserker” class with tons of Super Armor and AoE damage. Her role in this team is to follow up on the CC provided by her teammates, as she has some of the most dangerous “nuke” abilities in the game (single skill with huge damage).
The Succession Nova is a unique class that fights with mid-range ice abilities as well as personal minion summons. Her block is the strongest in the game and her mid-range abilities provide some reach that the Awakening Valkyrie and Succession Guardian lack. Another unique skill of Nova’s is “Winter Testudo” which summons a wall of minions that blocks enemy movement, making her extremely good at zoning enemies and controlling chokepoints or objectives.
Pros
- Tanky and immovable when facing ranged classes. Capable of deflecting almost all CC and damage.
- High AoE CC and damage means great team fighting and objective control.
- Each teammate has a grapple which allows them to counter defensive play.
Cons
- Low mobility. They can be easily kited by faster classes. Regrouping towards other teammates can also be more difficult.
- Slow to medium-speed attacks means they are more predictable and easier to counter during their big windups.
- A lack of ranged skills means they have no methods to counter other ranged classes that are harassing them.
"Assassins" Team
- Succession Ninja
- Awakening Musa
- Succession Hashashin
Aggressive players who like blitzing or flanking their opponents should give this team comp a try. In BDO, assassin classes are feared because of their amazing mobility and tons of quick and fast-hitting CCs. This team comp is designed to be as frustrating and disorienting as possible and excels at isolating and bursting opponents after they’ve been caught out of position.
The Succession Ninja is the pick of choice for small-scale fights and dueling. His burst mobility and a large number of CCs apply huge pressure and force opponents into defensive positions. In addition, he can apply bleed debuffs that do damage over time to enemies, effectively canceling out their healing skills. His role in this team is to lead the attack and catch unprepared enemies who can’t react to his speed. Succession Ninja is also currently the main class of North America’s Ranked 1 Arena of Solare player.
The Awakening Musa is one of the fastest classes in the game, making him incredibly difficult to lock down and chase. His kit contains heavy-hitting AoE skills that also have Super Armor, making him a fantastic hit-and-run class. His role is to follow up and provide damage for his team after the Ninja or Hashashin get a CC on an opponent.
The Succession Hashashin is another assassin class with tons of CC and burst mobility. An assassin hailing from the Valencian deserts, he can vanish into sand tornados to disorient opponents and catch them. He can also summon sandstorms to apply slow debuffs onto his opponents, making them easier to catch for his team.
Pros
- Difficult to lock down and catch due to high mobility, stealth, and repositioning skills.
- Tons of fast CC skills makes them extremely oppressive and hard-to-react against.
- High burst damage leads to fantastic kill confirmation after a catch.
Cons
- Overall, the team lacks the defense and protections for sustained fights. They can be eventually caught in the middle of enemy attacks if opponents manage to withstand the initial onslaught of CCs.
- Only one grab on this team (Succession Ninja) means they will struggle against classes with heavy Super Armor or blocks if the Ninja is taken out early.
- Slow debuffs nullify the main strength of this comp – their speed. Once slowed, it is very difficult for this team comp to execute their strategies and follow-up.
Remember, claim your exclusive SteelSeries Black Desert Online Bundle! Visit our Game On page for details or go into the Giveaways section in the GG app and scroll down to the MMORPG section!
