The Jade Quarry

This article is about the competitive mission. For the quests and outposts, see The Jade Quarry (disambiguation).

The Jade Quarry
Campaign	Factions
Region	The Jade Sea
Type	Competitive
Party size	8

The Jade Quarry is a Competitive Mission in which the Luxons and Kurzicks fight for control over jade resources.

Access

This mission can only be entered by level 20 characters from The Jade Quarry (Kurzick) or The Jade Quarry (Luxon).

Mission information

Objectives

Control the jade quarries.

• Be the first team to score 10 points, or score more points than your opponent before 15 minutes have elapsed.
• Claim quarries to begin collecting jade.
• Protect your team's jade carriers.
• [No one controls / Kurzicks control / Luxons control] the Green quarry.
• [No one controls / Kurzicks control / Luxons control] the Purple quarry.
• [No one controls / Kurzicks control / Luxons control] the Yellow quarry.

Rewards

• Imperial faction that is awarded at the end of a match:
  • Each team receives 300 for each jade slab collected.
  • The winning side receives an additional 1,000.
• Players receive 10 Imperial faction plus 10 Balthazar faction per kill in real time.

Description

The Jade Quarry is a resource control arena that is fought between the Luxons and Kurzicks. There are three resource points known as quarries, from where jade is carried back to the base of Luxons or Kurzicks. Carrying the Jade is done by a Hauler Turtle if the Luxons are in control, or by a Carrier Juggernaut if the Kurzicks are in control.

• The first team to bring ten jade slabs to their base or which has the most jade when the time runs out wins the match.
• Each team consists of eight players that are randomly assembled by those entering from the Jade Quarry (Kurzick) and the Jade Quarry (Luxon) staging areas of all districts.
• The map is balanced so that neither side has an advantage over the other. The three quarries are positioned (and colored) as follows: Purple quarry is closest to the Kurzicks, Green quarry is closest to the Luxons, and Yellow quarry is of equal distance from either side. There are a number of guard posts that are situated on the map which may be taken to hinder the passage of opposing players and carriers.
• All players resurrect automatically in their base and do not receive Death Penalty. Each base has three one way teleporters that are labeled for each quarry. These teleporters will take you to a location that is somewhat close to the quarry for which it is labeled.

Quarries start unclaimed: the first side that gets a player stand on the stone platform gains control. The yellow quarry is the only one which is at the same distance from the two sides. The purple quarry is close to the kurzick base while the green quarry is close to the luxon base.

• Five NPCs protect a quarry: one Ranger (Kurzick Far Shot or Luxon Longbow), two Mesmers (Luxon Wizard or Kurzick Illusionist) and two Elementalists (Luxon Storm Caller or Kurzick Thunder). As long as one of them is alive, the quarry belongs to the faction.

The guard posts start either luxon or kurzick. They are only composed of rangers:

• Two if near enemy base.
• Four if near ally base.
• Three otherwise.

In order to gain control over a quarry or a guard post, NPCs occupying that area must be killed. Then, allied NPCs will spawn and guard that area for your side.

Strategies by objectives

Generally speaking, there are three ways you can help your team to win: capturing (usually by nuking quarriers, guard posts), intercepting (opposing players, carriers), defending (allied NPCs, players).

Capturing

Capturing quarries and guard posts is vital. Without quarries your team cannot score any points. Killing the defending NPCs (and to a lesser extent jade carriers) should be your team's top priority.

• Always focus on the closest quarry to your base. Purple for Kurzick/Green for Luxons is usually the easiest one to control and the fastest to retake. Ensuring also control of yellow is usually enough to ensure victory.
• Due to the high number of NPCs, their low health and the fact that they are bunched up together, Area of effect (AoE) damage and health degeneration are extremely effective.
  • Bear in mind that elemental damage is less efficient against the numerous rangers due to their high armor against it. If you plan on using it anyway, armor-piercing effects such as cracked armor and armor penetration (Air Magic, Earth Magic and Channeling notably) or health degeneration such as burning (Fire Magic notably) can help you kill more easily.
  • NPCs will not heal themselves and also not scatter too far from their spot, at least not enough to avoid most of the area of effect damage.
  • NPCs at a quarry spawn in a "V" shape. When using area of effect skills, target the central NPC for better efficiency. If already dispersed by previous attacks, they may be arranged differently.
• Against quarries: quarry mesmers can remove enchantments with Drain Enchantment, interrupt spells with Power Spike and interrupt attacks with Clumsiness (usually twice with Echo, so up to 4 times with the two mesmers), while quarry elementalists can inflict a high amount of damage with Air Magic skills and knock down with Lightning Surge. That's why one or two spells will usually be as much as you can cast if engaging the quarry on your own, and any strategy including melee attacks will be very difficult to use.
• Against guard posts:
  • If using spells which doesn't require a clean line of sight, hide next to walls with an obstructed line of view so that ranged NPCs won't hit you.
  • If possible, try to attack from a higher point than the rangers so that you'll stay out of range of the bow attacks but still be able to attack with range weapons/spells.
  • Being primarly composed of rangers, standard PvE farming builds such as those based on Vow of Strength, Hundred Blades, Whirling Defense, Sliver Armor, possibly combined with a shadow step skill such as Death's Charge can allow for a quick capture.
  • If possible, kite the rangers' arrows and beware not to get crippled
  • Capture guard posts between the quarries and the opposing base, as two rangers are enough to take down a carrier if not hindered.
• If a quarry or a guard post is heavily defended and you and your team are unable to capture it, go to another point to avoid wasting too much time.
• To keep track of your side's status use the mission map as it extends enough to see all arena flags.
• Don't attack opposing players unless they are directly impeding your ability to capture a quarry, a guard post or a carrier.
• Shadow step skills can allow you to move regardless of height difference.

Intercept

• Carriers will not use any skill unless attacked in melee, making them an easy target for skills such as Wastrel's Worry or Wastrel's Demise. They will also always follow the same route, making traps effective in intercepting them. On the contrary, players will not always be able to retaliate if attacked in melee and will usually use skills to escape/heal.
• Carriers and players will almost always be on the move so skills requiring a moving target, such as Melandru's Shot, or more effective against moving foes, such as Lightning Bolt, are very effective.

• Do not kill carriers when they are not holding a jade slab (for example when they are on their way to their quarry to take a new one) and focus on capping the quarry instead, as if you capture the quarry before they reach it they will simply return to base and waste time. If on the contrary they are killed and the quarry is still under opposing control, a new carrier will "spawn" a few moments later at the quarry, making your efforts go to waste.
• Snares, especially crippled, are effective to hinder carriers and players and can give your team a small time advantage to retake a carrier/score more points than the opposing team/kill a carrier holding a jade slab. Knockdowns are valuable against players, since it will slow them down and make them unable to reply to your attacks for a short period of time.
• Shadow Steps skills such as Shadow Prison or Wastrel's Collapse can allow you to quickly get to an unwary player and spike it before it deals any harm to your NPCs or team members. This is especially true for Assassins. Bear however in mind that the player you just killed will be resurrected soon enough.
• Because this is a large map where timing matters, speed boosts are vey valuable to intercept several carriers/players.
• Minions and spirits can be used to bodyblock foes. However, keep in mind that minions are highly vulnerable to Wastrel skills and Ray of Judgment which are very common in the Jade Quarry.

Defense

• Focus first on keeping jade carriers safe, as your team will not score if they don't arrive at the base. Escort them on the way back unless you are 100% sure they will not be attacked.
• Ensure quarries and guard posts NPCs stay alive with skills such as Heal Area. At least one must survive for your team to maintain control over the area. Ritualists can use their spirits to bodyblock foes while also protecting the NPCs.
  • Even bow users can't reach a character in the back of a quarry, allowing you to heal and protect from a safe location.
• Ensure the guard post between a quarry and the base is held by your team's NPCs. This will prevent the carrier from taking too much damage and protect it from melee enemies.
• Boost the carriers' speed with skills such as "Make Haste!" or Windborne Speed.
• It is possible but usually a bad idea to use a bonder build to boost other players' effectiveness or protect carriers due to the split-based nature of the map and the infrequent use of enchantment removal skills.

Strategies by profession

Warriors

Capture, intercept. Warriors are weak in Jade Quarry due to the height difference and snares which are very common. They have very few defense against health degeneration and armor-ignoring damage which are also very popular. They can still try to intercept using skills such as Bull's Strike and sometimes capture shrines with Hundred Blades. They also survive longer than any other classes when attacking quarries and guard posts.

Rangers

Capture, intercept. Bow users are at ease in Jade Quarry due to the height difference. A longbow or flatbow can be used to attack the quarry NPCs from high ground while leaving them unable to retaliate. This is particularly effective with skills such as Barrage, Volley or Incendiary Arrows. Intercepting players and carriers is also rather easy with Melandru's Shot, Pin Down or Crippling Shot to cripple them, and interrupts such as Distracting Shot or Savage Shot. Rangers are effective when it comes to spreading health degeneration conditions such as Bleeding and Poison (and Burning to a lesser extent). Favorable Winds or Read the Wind can help when dealing with kiting foes. Defensive stances, skills such as Troll Unguent and Antidote Signet allows for a high survivability. Some rangers may sometimes use traps to deal damage, apply cripple and bleeding, cause knockdown easily and at the least expected moment.

Monks

Capture, protect. A single 16 smiting prayers Ray of Judgement is enough to capture a post or a quarry. Monks can also fully protect one quarry versus several foes with Heal Area while camping in it (or at the back). They can also choose to protect a single NPC in order to keep control over the quarry or the shrine, in which case Zealous Benediction and Word of Healing are efficient healing moves. Healing and Restful Breezes can help recover health outside of combat, "Fall Back!" and "Make Haste!" are often staples used to speed up carriers. Beware not to stand still for too long in one place or the game will think you are a leecher and you may end up with Dishonorable even if you performed your job.

Necromancers

Capture, intercept, protect. Skills that require corpses are effective here (all wells and minions summoning skills), since there are up to five corpses available at a guard post or quarry after it is captured. Health degeneration such as disease from Rotting Flesh or skills such as Well of Suffering or Life Transfer are very powerful. Curses necromancers can pose a threat to players by inflicting weakness and missing hexes, especially physical such as rangers. Soul Reaping benefit from the high number of deaths. Bombers have stealth and surprise if executed properly plus the fast re-spawning benefit which shortens their travels. Some necromancers can choose to use skills such as Well of Power, Well of Blood or Foul Feast to support allied NPCs and players.

Mesmers

Capture, intercept. Mesmers will find Wastrel's Worry and Wastrel's Demise to be very efficient here against carriers since those almost never use skills. They can also intercept players rather easily, interrupting dangerous AoE skills such as RoJ with skills such as Psychic Instability or using the powerful snares of illusion magic. AoE damage with Chaos Storm and Arcane Echo, as well as interrupt skills are good for capture. Good use of Wall and heights, as well as good timing of interrupts on targets hexed with Wastrel skills is the key to winning as a mesmer.

Elementalists

Capture, intercept, protect. Fire Magic usually prove to be a very efficient choice for elementalists, due to its powerful AoE spells such as Fire Storm, Savannah Heat and burning from Mark of Rodgort or Searing Flames. Air Magic users are powerful spikers with skills such as Chain Lightning or Thunderclap and can also take some posts due to the armor penetration of skills which counters the high armor of rangers, and bring some support with Windborne Speed. Earth Magic, Air Magic and Fire Magic elementalists can also do a decent job with a dedicate bombing build, mainly with skills such as Shockwave, Aftershock, Starburst, Ride the Lightning and Lightning Touch. Water Magic eles can snare opponents and reduce their ability to sweep. Due to their access to wards, their high energy pool and effectiveness in using spells, elementalists can also provide some support to quarries and guard posts. Air Magic eles can finally also boost carriers with Windborne Speed.

Assassins

Capture, intercept. Aside from using Death Blossom and Moebius Strike, assassins have trouble dealing AoE damage and should therefore not be used for capturing (they are usually inferior to rangers and necros when bombing or using Barrage). Their main advantage is their ability to intercept players and spike them, shutting them down for example with skills such as Wastrel's Collapse or Temple Strike. A lot of assassins skills provide snares, knockdowns or cripple.

Ritualists

Capture, protect. Spirit spammers will stand useless against AoE players like nukers, RoJers and Chaos Storm Mesmers which are common due to the capturing nature of the battle. They can however still protect the quarries and guard posts from a distance with protective spirits, and bodyblock foes with their spirits. Several Channeling Magic skills provide AoE damage with armor penetration/cracked armor. Powerful Item Spells such as Grasping Was Kuurong or Destructive was Glaive and the combo Destruction+Draw Spirit can be used for a bombing build. Minions summoned with skills such as Aura of the Lich benefit from Spawning Power's health bonus.

Paragons

Intercept, protect. Paragons are rather weak in this arena due to the scattering of the team, reducing the Leadership energy bonus, and their inability to deal AoE damage. However, Barbed Spear+Maiming Spear and other Spear Mastery skills provide good snare and spike when intercepting players. "Incoming!"/"Fall Back!"/"Make Haste!" can help the team and carriers greatly, especially if used with Enduring Harmony and Vocal was Sogolon.

Dervishes

Capture, intercept. Dervishes—like most melee classes—have trouble in JQ. They can however prove to be great when intercepting foes using Wind Prayers, as several skills, such as Harrier's Haste or Grenth's Grasp, either deal additional damage to moving foes or cripple them. Earth Prayers Dervishes can capture shrines rather easily with skills such as Vow of Strength or Sand Shards. Intercepting carriers is possible but not easy if going melee.

About death

Death occurs rather frequently in Jade Quarry, but resurrection is very fast for players, which explains the presence of bombers. It can sometimes be better to die, by entering the enemy's base or aggroing a quarry's NPCs, in order to restore all your energy and allow you to reassess the situation/be of better use somewhere else.

Any death in Jade Quarry will reset the progress in the survivor title.

NPCs

Kurzicks (blue)

Blue Base

• 20 Kommandant Durheim
• 20 Kurzick Base Defender x6

Carriers

• 20 Green Carrier Juggernaut
• 20 Purple Carrier Juggernaut
• 20 Yellow Carrier Juggernaut

Caravan Guard posts

• 20 Kurzick Far Shot x2 (eastern guard post)
• 20 Kurzick Far Shot x3 (central and northwestern guard posts)
• 20 Kurzick Far Shot x4 (southern guard post)

Quarries

• Kurzick Far Shot
• Kurzick Illusionist x2
• Kurzick Thunder x2

Luxons (red)

Red Base

• 20 Erek
• 20 Luxon Base Defender x6

Carriers

• 20 Green Hauler Turtle
• 20 Purple Hauler Turtle
• 20 Yellow Hauler Turtle

Caravan Guard posts

• 20 Luxon Longbow x2 (southern guard post)
• 20 Luxon Longbow x3 (central and northwestern guard posts)
• 20 Luxon Longbow x4 (eastern guard post)

Quarries

• Luxon Longbow
• Luxon Wizard x2
• Luxon Storm Caller x2

Dialogue

Players on the Kurzick team will see Kommandant Durheim's dialogue and players on the Luxon team will see Erek's dialogue.

After your team scores two points:

Kommandant Durheim: "Well done! We have taken the first steps toward another glorious victory for the Kurzicks!"

Erek: "The great Jade Sea is our home, and its bounty is our bounty. We will not let our enemies take what is ours!"

After your team scores four points:

Kommandant Durheim: "The gods are on our side! Victory will be ours!"

Erek: "As I expected, we are making excellent progress. The jade is plentiful and we are stronger than our enemies. By the frozen waves of the Jade Sea, our victory is assured!"

After your team scores six points:

Kommandant Durheim: "Our storage vaults are heavy with jade! Surely this is a sign that we will defeat these barbarians! Push forward and put an end to this battle so that we might celebrate yet another great victory over the Luxons."

Erek: "Excellent...our jade stores are more than half full. The spirits of our ancestors bless us with the strong winds of their favor at our backs. Come, Luxons! Let us drive these Kurzick invaders from our beloved sea!"

After your team scores eight points:

Kommandant Durheim: "Victory is clearly in sight! Gather quickly, now! The heathens are nearly defeated!"

Erek: "Victory is close at hand. Move with great purpose Luxons!"

Notes

The Guild Wars 2 Wiki has an article on Xunlai Jade Quarry.

• Without speed boosts, the following times are taken for each carrier to travel between the Jade drop-off point and the respective Quarry:
  • Close Quarry (Purple for the Kurzick, the Green for Luxons): 46 seconds.
  • Middle Quarry (Yellow): 52 seconds.
  • Far Quarry (Purple for Luxons, Green for Kurzick): 72 Seconds
  • The carriers spend no time picking up jade from the Quarries, but will wait at the drop-off point for a few seconds if another carrier is delivering Jade.
• Many players use this arena to farm Balthazar faction, Zaishen ranks/Keys, or Kurzick and Luxon titles.
  • If your team is able to score 12 points, you will receive over 4,500 Imperial faction.
  • The lucrative rewards attract leechers and bots.
    • There are two methods of reporting: the in-game report command and creating a support ticket. Because of the high ratio of bots to real people it is recommended you submit a screenshot of the suspected bots to support.
• You can play for either Kurzicks or Luxons, regardless of your guild's allegience.
• Cartographer candidates can uncover approximately 1% of the map of Cantha. (Although some players frown upon mapping during competition.)
• The carriers are the only attackable units in this area with their health equivalent to the base health at level 20 (480 health). All the guard post and quarry NPCs have 330 health.

Bug. The carriers on both sides will sometimes move in the wrong direction with jade, causing the affected team to be at a disadvantage.

Bug. If a carrier meets another carrier and is hit with Carrier Defense the carrier will drop its jade but still continue back to base as if it was still carrying it, therefore wasting a journey.

Trivia

• The Jade Quarry began awarding Imperial faction instead of Kurzick or Luxon faction after the June 2, 2011 update.

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