SWTOR Warzone Series: The Finer Points of Huttball

Hello People!
 Well it is Monday, we are coming off a jam packed Beta Weekend. If all the full servers were any indication, the weekend was a successful one. Today i am going to touch on Huttball.

 I played quite a bit of huttball this weekend on a couple different characters. With it being beta weekend we had lots of new testers so i knew going in Huttball was going to be a bit messy.

Ball in the Center Starting Point

 If your new to SWTOR, Huttball is a team based pvp warzone where the ball is in the center. The teams race to the ball. The team that gets it has to carry the ball over the line at the opposing teams end. You can carry the ball or throw the ball to a teamate. Throwing the ball requires you to aim on the spot where you are throwing. If is important if you think somebody is going pass the ball to you that you keep still or ball will hit the ground and reset, or get intercepted by the opposing team.

Huttball Field

 Carrying the ball is a good way to insure a quick death. Quick passing is the key. From what i seen this past weekend is the lack of communication and anticpation. You really have to be smart in Huttball and think a couple moves ahead. You have to anticipate a knockback or stun coming. Generally running a ball over a firepit is a no-no. If you break one stun you are going to get stunned again and burn in the fire. This past weekend i found even  though Sith Warrior is a bit underpowered, force leap a game changer in Huttball. Carrying the ball i would just leap to an enemy across the fire or to a higher platform across a couple pits. Also if you see a class rushing you and you are caught flatfooted turn your back to something quick if at all possible. Let them blow their knockback for nothing.

Huttball Fire Trap

On Defense i have seen the opposite. People standing in perfect positions to get charged on and gain a big advantage for the other team. If the ball carrier is coming your way and can charge, you need to move out of line of sight, They are going to use you to advance the ball.

 Huttball is like football where it is a total team effort. One player is not going to win this game. Healers in this game are also going to have a challenge. As a healer you need to be constantly on the move as the ball is always on the move. The different levels of the zone present many line of sight healing issues. The best move is to not be behind the play. Run ahead of the ball if possible. If you get caught behind you will have difficulty catching up.
Huttball is a double-edged sword. If can be great fun if your rolling with a team that knows what they are doing and where to be positionwise. Ventrillo is really needed. If you are pugging Huttball it is going to be a long frustrating night!