The release of patch 5.15 brought us a new PvP frontline map called Onsal Hakair (Danshig Naadam). PvP doesn’t get a lot of attention, so when new things like maps, rewards, or combat updates come out, you might want to take advantage of the increased activity to shorten the queue.
Here’s what you need to know about this new role, along with some observations I’ve made since day one.
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What does Onsal Hakair (Danshig Naadam) mean?
Onsal Hakair is the name of the hilly area north of the Azim steppe inhabited by the Mol tribe. If you recall the main scenario quest line of Stormblood, the Mol Tribe won the Naadam Conference with the help of the Warriors of Light.
Naadam is a battle held on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, and the winner will gain the right to rule the grassland until the next Naadam. However, since the inhabitants of the steppe were fanatical martial artists, it was decided to organize smaller and more frequent tournaments, called Danshig Naadam, to satisfy their fighting cravings.
Due to the relationship between Steppe Horde and the Eorzea Alliance built throughout Stormblood, Eorzea’s Great Lian was also invited to join, which is the story behind the new PvP Frontline map.
What is this new PvP mode? What is the goal?
Onsal Hakair (Danshig Naadam) is very similar to Seal Rock (Seize), in that you and your alliance must fight for control of specific points on the field, called “ovoos” in this mode. You get into range, interact with it, and switch channels in seconds to capture the ovoo for your team.
Eggs come in three varieties: B (blue triangle), A (red square) and S (yellow pentagon). Areas in the middle of the map are more likely to be higher tier, while areas at the edge of the map closer to the spawn point are more likely to be lower tier. Acquiring these high level eggs is the key to earning a lot of points quickly, as they increase your team’s ranking faster.
The big difference with Onsal Hakair is that you cannot control the other team’s ovoo. When someone requests it, it grants points to that team for its duration. This means you can’t let your entire team sweep and take back sites that have been taken over by other teams. It’s all about getting there first.
In Seal Rock, it was common practice to protect the important Stonehenge along with most members of the Alliance. However, with this new mode, instead of protecting your ovoo, you will spend more time moving around blocking and disturbing other teams or preparing for the upcoming ovoo trigger. AoE attacks are useful here, as you can interrupt multiple enemies interacting with the ovoo at once.
After a while, fewer and fewer eggs appear on the map at once, leading to more battles for control. There is usually an S-rank in the middle of the map and all three teams will fight for a few minutes. Crafty players will roam the map, ready to grab another egg while the others get distracted.
I’d say this new map feels smaller. I think it could be a bit more crowded, but I also run more than when I was in Seal Rock, which adds to the feeling. On top of that, I lost half the time completely because I still hadn’t recognized my surroundings.
A new mode in roulette?
The new mode is Roulette. At least for now. For now, Daily Challenge: Frontline will only get you into Onsal Hakair (Danshig Naadam). However, if you want to line up outside of roulette, it looks like one of the other top queue modes is also available. Today is the first day after the patch and I see Seal Rock (Capture) available in the PvP tab of the quest finder.
I think they’ll be bringing all the maps back to the roulette game soon and just let people experience the new map for a few weeks doing the Daily Challenge: Frontline. I’m sure they’re seeing feedback on the new mode, so it might get some attention in the Q&A.
What can I get from Onsal Hakair? What is the reward?
You get the common milestones Poetics (50), Goetia (50) and Phantasmagoria (20) from this PvP role. You also get the regular 500 Wolf Marks if your team finishes third, 750 for second, and 1000 if they win.
If you manage to help your team win a lot on this map, you can earn new achievements. After 100 wins you will be rewarded with a Construct VII Core as a mount, and after 300 wins you will be awarded the title “…The Battleforged”.
In short
PvP is once again gaining traction with this new mode after slumping over the past few weeks. If you’re annoyed by the long queues for daily PvP matches, you’ll have fun for a while. Well, as long as you like the new map, because that’s all you’ll see in Daily Challenge: Frontline.
You may find yourself getting used to a slightly different tempo, but stick to your allies and make sure you catch those eggs first. Do you like this new map? Let me know what you think about the game mode in the comments.