Ganking 101

anking, or "Wtf that asshole won't leave me alone!" as it's more commonly referred to as, is basically killing someone while in a town, while they're out killing mobs, or killing someone worth no honor or much lower in level than you. On PvP servers this takes on a life of it's own, where Rogues and Hunters battle it out for ganking supremacy, and Paladins and Druids get down and dirty in a few in-town battles themselves. Even the occasional mage hops in, leaving himself a portal for a quick escape. Any class can kill another player, but the major point of ganking is not dieing for it. This guide to ganking with the 4 best classes at it, the Hunter, the Rogue, the Paladin, and the Druid, will show you just how to make the most of your player killing experience, and make them hate you for it.

The Hunter - Arguably the best ganking class available. The Hunter has long range, high damage, and the ability to lose all aggro (aka, the guards) every 30 seconds. The best way to gank with a Hunter is to use your range to sit in the guards' deadzone, or an area where they won't catch you if you attack someone. This can be just about anywhere, including on top of buildings or even just standing in a less traveled spot along a wall. I personally like climbing on top of things and shooting since there is a bit of a thrill factor, and the "Where am I getting shot from?" factor as well. Silithus has an amazing stone arch that you can climb on top of and do this from. 90% of the time, they will not figure out where you are until they are almost dead. You gotta remember to feign, though. If you don't, you're just going to cost yourself a bundle in repairs. In short, the way to gank with a Hunter is:

• Find a good spot to shoot from where aggro is less likely.
• Use high damage skills, such as aimed shot and multi-shot.
• Do not use traps; they can give you unnecessary early aggro.
• Some like to use their pets, but generally it's more efficient to do it yourself.
• Don't forget to feign if you catch aggro. If they attack back, and you feign, there is a chance the guards will attack them instead.

The Rogue - The most hated class when it comes to ganking, but not as great a town killer as the Hunter. A rogue can drop a target in about 2 shots if they know what they are doing. Even if they don't instantly kill the target, they still have quite a few other utilities. If you use your poisons correctly, a Rogue can be a devilish enemy. If you go to gank a priest, shaman, druid, or paladin, be ready for heals, shields, fear, slowing, and an assortment of other annoying effects. You may hate it, but against a Druid, Priest, or Shaman, wounding poison can be a great ally. Against any class, crippling poison is almost necessary. Sure, if you drop them in 3 hits they won't have time to do anything to you, but since every class either wears leather or has a way to mitigate damage you will need them to stick around for a bit. The most major problem is that when it comes to town ganking, you are stuck with a 5 minute timer between kills. Rogues are much better at getting people fighting mobs. In short, the way to gank with a Rogue is:

• Ambush cloth or leather, Cheapshot anything else. Ambushing Hunters, Warriors, Shaman, and Paladins does not work very well.
• Don't forget, there is something besides instant poison. Every poison has its use, and you can figure those out only through experimentation.
• Vanish is an awesome skill. Use it to get out of trouble when you try to gank.
• Evasion is only useful when town ganking high armor classes.

The Druid - A mediocre ganking class. The main thing that makes Druids a ganking class is that they can escape movement impairing effects and can dash away, making them efficient runners. Depending on your build, you can either be a great ganker (Feral Druid) or you can be guard fodder (Restoration Druid). Your power lies in damage without eating up all of your mana. This means that Balance Druids or Druids that just spam Moonfire will have no mana to escape with. On the other hand, Feral Druids use Rage and Energy, and their mana can regenerate while in their alternate forms. Really though, the killing isn't what makes the Druid a ganking class, it's the escape. By simply shifting in and out of Travel Form, a Druid can break snares and slows over and over again, a new favorite of many guards. They also have Barkskin which allows them to avoid interruption (if you need to heal) and it gives them a 20% damage reduction. The way to gank with a Druid is:

• Know your spec. Your spec determines just how well you gank. Don't try to gank in Moonkin Form. Innervate may work though.
• Be ready to burn a lot of mana to get away. Always be ready for the train of guards throwing nets or shouting.
• Use anything you can to win. Druids need every extra bit they can get, especially if they are not feral.
• Gank in town. You should be most efficient here, unless it's an indoor town which there are very few of anymore.

The Paladin - Another mediocre ganking class. Paladins are not very damaging, which is why they are mediocre. The main way for a Paladin to gank is to support another class in a ganking attempt. Since healing is the only thing that draws aggro from guards, not how much damage you deal to another target, the Paladin is a great support for town ganking. Not only do they heal, though, they can bless a target, allowing them to move unhindered by the nets and yells of the guards. They personally can even avoid all damage, slows, DOTs, everything with their shield. Their real ganking power is in supporting a ganker, not doing it themselves. The way to gank with a Paladin is:

• Be ready to expend a few decent cooldown abilities.
• Try to outlive the target through healing.
• Use your blessings to escape. They are your best means of surviving after ganking.
• Try to bring a friend. You are support in PvE and PvP.

It really is a simple task if you think about it. Kill the other person. Just don't get killed yourself while doing it. Ganking really is about seeing if you can pull it off more than it is about making others cry while they are smelting. It feels great when you crit a target and they drop like a rock. Next closest thing to LSD, in my opinion.