War

WG vs Dead on Arrival in 2005 - possibly WG's most famous war

A clan war is a RuneScape PvP event in which two or more clans battle each other as a demonstration of their in-game strength and power. Modern wars are held in Old-School RuneScape, either in the Wilderness or the Clan Wars arena (CWA). RuneScape 3 wars have fallen out of popularity due to unbalanced PvP and the lack of PvP clans in the game.

Wars differ from PKRIs in that wars are planned by the clans involved in advance, generally giving their members some time to prepare (which can range from less than an hour to more than a week). Historically, "war" would refer to a knock-out (sometimes called an "all out" or "full out") fight in which players did not return to the battle after they were killed. In the early years of RuneScape, "returning" was considered dishonourable - though as PKRIs with returning became more frequent throughout the game's history, the concept of the "run-in" was incorporated into warring.

In modern times, a war where returning is prohibited is known as a "knock-out". These are still held occasionally (often in CWA, to force the prevention of returning and/or interference) - however almost all modern wars are run-ins, in both CWA and the Wilderness. A run-in involves players constantly returning for the entirety of the battle, and victory is achieved if the opposing clan(s) are "cleared" (they do not have enough players on the battlefield to continue fighting) or have "ended" (their members are instructed to leave/cease returning). For run-ins, time and kill caps are used as alternative methods to determine a victor. A draw is also a possible result - usually this occurrs if both clans agree to end the battle before either is cleared or ends, or if another clan interrupts the fight (known as a "crash").

The Wilderness Guardians has fought in thousands of wars since 2004, and continues to hold wars regularly in OSRS.

Structure

To hold a war, the leadership of one clan must first make a declaration of war with another clan. Historically this was often done via diplomatic boards on a clan's forums but is generally simple enough to be done via messages over Discord.

Preparation

WG preparing to fight a war against Vengeance in 2019

If an offer for a fight is accepted, the terms of war are then discussed which include:

• The date and time of the war.
• If it will be a P2P or F2P war.
• If the war will take place in the Wilderness (and if so, what the location and boundaries are) or the Clan Wars arena (and if so, if there will be multiple rounds).
• If the war is a knock-out or run-in, and what method should be used to determine the victor.
• Restrictions on numbers (a "matched-opts" fight will require both clans to start with an even number of members).
• Restrictions on styles (such as a "single-spells" fight which prohibits the use of Ice Burst/Barrage).
• Restrictions on gear (such as a cap on the value of items, or the levels required to wear/wield them).
• Any other provisions.

Once terms are agreed upon, clan members will be notified of the upcoming fight and instructed to prepare. The amount of time ("prep") the clan may have varies greatly, from as little as half an hour to as much as a week or more. The details of the fight will be posted on the forums and members are expected to familiarise themselves with the rules, prepare their accounts in-game to ensure they have the necessary gear and supplies, and make time for themselves to attend the fight when possible. Large scale wars may occasionally warrant the production of a war preparation video to relay all of the details to the clan.

Just before the starting time, the clan will organise themselves in-game ("mass") at a pre-determined location, usually a bank. Common massing locations for WG are Juliet's House in Varrock and the west bank in East Ardougne. Members will prepare themselves for battle and the will depart once they are ready. WG occasionally enjoys taking part in historical traditions such as marching up into the Wilderness from Edgeville, and occasionally the leadership giving a pre-war speech for the most important of fights.

It is common for the two or more clans fighting to greet each other before the battle, compare starting numbers and cut members to match if necessary, and wish each other good luck. One clan will then "defend" (usually the clan with greater numbers) and take up a defensive formation within the war zone. Common defensive positions are:

• Spread out, sometimes around an obstacle such as a rock or tree. Common in P2P multi-spells fights.
• A death dot (DD) where members all stand on one square. Common in P2P single-spells fights.
• A death dance where members all follow each other, making it harder for the attacking clan to right-click and choose a target. Common in F2P fights.
• A box formation. Common in historical F2P fights.

The attacking clan, when ready, will charge the defending clan and the battle will commence.

Battle

WG about to win a "First to 25 kills" CWA war against OdaTribe in 2024

The goal of a knock-out fight is to kill all the members of the opposing clan, while the goals of a run-in vary and can be either:

• Clear the opposing clan - kill enough of their members so that they cannot continue fighting.
• Outlast the opposing clan - continue the fight long enough that they decide to "end" and their members stop returning.
• Have the most members remaining at the end of the fight - a common method of determining a victor in a fight with only a time cap.
• Obtain more kills than the opposing clan - some CWA fights have a "kill cap" where the first clan to reach a certain number of kills is declared the victor.

In order to ensure victory, clans and members utilise various tactics and strategies to try and beat their opponent.

Offensive Tactics

• Piling - all members focusing on one enemy player so as to kill them as quickly as possible.
• Transitioning - switching quickly to a different target in the hopes of catching them off-guard for an easy KO.
• Clumping - concentrating multi-combat attacks (such as ice barrage and black chinchompas) on enemies that are closely grouped together.
• Sniping - having a select few members target enemies who are not the current pile (usually mages). Mass-sniping involves all members sniping with no main pile going.
• Sneak maging - switching into mage robes, casting a spell, and quickly switching back to other gear such as dragonhides.

Defensive Tactics

• Tanking - switching to armour with high defensive bonuses and eating to try and survive an enemy pile as long as possible.
• Hugging - manoeuvring around furniture such as trees or rocks to try and clump an enemy pile or delay their attacks.
• Dragging - running a great distance (sometimes away from the main battle) to disorganise the enemy and/or make them drop the pile.
• Returning - upon death, re-gearing at a bank and returning to the battle to continue fighting as quickly as possible.

In the event of interference by another clan (crashing), the two fighting clans may choose to leave and restart the fight (possibly in a different location), or team together in order to fight the crashing clan.

Conclusion

At the end of a war with no issues (clean), it is common for the victor to take a fall-in and take screenshots of their final numbers (taking ending). The clan may also spam messages such as a "good fight" to respect their opponent's performance, and the opposing clan if still present may do the same. All players then leave the area. The staff member who organised the war will post a recap of the war on the Forums for members to discuss the fight, as well as posting the result on any public communities or social media.

Notable Wars

WG's first war against the Rune Outlaws and Knights of Death in 2004

WG has had thousands of wars over the many years of its existence. Some of the more well-known battles are:

War	Date	Result	Notes
WG vs Rune Outlaws (2004)	27-28 November 2004	Victory by default	WG's first war.
WG vs The Unbreakables	5 June 2005	Victory	Victory gained widespread recognition for WG.
WG vs Dead on Arrival	9 July 2005	Crashed, projected victory	WG's first P2P war, and the first war in RuneScape to use Ancient Magicks.
WG vs Black Dragons	7 January 2006	Victory	Victory put WG in the top 5 P2P clans.
X vs DS	22-23 July 2006	Defeat	Multiple clan alliance taking on the #2 F2P clan.
WG vs Crimson Raiders	3 January 2009	Victory	Victory gained WG rank 10 on the RuneScape Community RAW list.
The Great War	31 January 2010	Defeat	Large-scale war against The British Crusaders.
The Battle of Turning Tides	27 June 2010	Victory	Large-scale war against Dangerous Business which ended a six-month losing streak.
WG vs Pink Patrons of Pain	9-10 April 2011	Victory	War against a clan run by Jagex moderator Mod Poppy.
WG vs Poison	5 May 2013	Crashed, victory	WG's first war in Old School RuneScape.