Rangedattackerswhoareontopofthecoffincanalsofireonenemiesfromthisposition,buttheywillalsobesubjecttolineofsightissuesifthepillarsblocktheirview.However,theycanusethepillarstodeterrangedcounterattacksaswell.Rangedattackerstargetingpeopleontopofthecoffinmustpositionthemselvescorrectlytoattackthem.MeleespecialabilitiessuchasInterceptwillalsoworkagainstcoffin-dwellersifpositionedcorrectly.Inaddition,areaofaffectabilitiessuchasFrostNova,Consecration,andHolyNovamayhityourfoeswhoareontheothersideofthecoffin.
Thepitscanbeusedtogetawayfromthebruntofthefightingandtrytosneakinaquickbandage.Ifyoustayoutofthefightingforalengthoftimeyoumaygooutofcombat,whichwillallowyoutodrinkandeat.Thepitsareaperfectplaceforthiskindofrefresher.Inaddition,becausethedoorwayissmallerthanthewidthoftheroom,youcanmoveinandoutofthedoorwaytobreaklineofsight.
Thegraveyardofferssometacticaladvantagesaswell.Threeofthegravestonesarelargeenoughtoserveascoverandwillbreaklineofsightfromrangedattackers.It’salsoonaslightriseintheterrainofferingincreasedvisibility.
Overview
TheRuinsareamediumsizedarenawithseveraldistinguishingfeatures.
ThePit
Likeinotherarenas,thePitisastagingareawhereyoucanprepareforthematch.However,thePitcanactuallyserveaspartofthefightingareaoncethematchbegins.ThisisduetothefactthatrunningintothePitcanbreaklineofsightatsomeangles,duetothedoorwaybeingsmallerthanthewidthoftheroom.TheCoffin
ThecenterpieceoftheRuinsisalargecoffinwiththreepillarsjuttingfromitscorners.Ittendstobethefocusofbattlesbecauseofitstacticalimportance.Itisthearena’smainpositionofstrengthforbothdefenseandoffense.Controllingthecoffinisakintocontrollingthebattlefield.
TheGraveyard
Ononesideofthearenaisagraveyardlocatedonasmallrise.Theelevationchangecoupledwiththegravestonesofferssometacticalpossibilities.Mostofthegravestonesaretoosmalltobreaklineofsight,buttherearethreelargegravestoneswhichcanbeusedforcover.
MapWalkthrough
BattlesinRuinsofLordaeronwilltendtocenteraroundthecoffinanditsimmediatesurroundings.Thecentrallocation,combinedwiththetacticalopportunitiesitoffers,makesthecoffinastrongdraw.It’sastrongpositiontobothdefendandattackfrom.
Playerswhofindthemselvesthetargetoffocusfirecanusethecoffintotrytodetertheirattackers.Usingthecoffininthiswayiseffectiveagainstbothrangedandmeleeattackers.Forrangedattackers,breakinglineofsightwiththepillarsonthecoffinwilldisrupttheirattacksagainstyou.Whenbeingpursuedbymeleeattackers,suchasarogueorwarrior,kitingthemoverandaroundthecoffinmaypreventthemfromusingtheirattacksandabilities�?particularlyiftheyfailtomakethatjumpontoporrunintoobstaclesatanypoint.
It’sworthnotingthatifaplayerisaffectedbymovementimpairingeffectssuchasHamstring,theywilllikelybeunabletomaketherunningjumpneededtojumpontopofthecoffin.Afteralengthoftimekitingenemiesinthisway,youmayactuallygooutofcombat,givingyouachancetotakenon-combatactionssuchasdrink,stealth,orcharge.