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Maintankadin

How do you go about AE tanking instances?

Blarg
Sun Aug 19, 2007 11:58 am

How do you go about AE tanking instances?

Part of the reason (ok, probably 75%) that I rolled a pally with BC was hearing about the insane AE potential that we had and how much fun it is to have 9 mobs on you while you laugh at them. Such stategy figured heavily into my levelling and I've been overjoyed at finding the demon hunters to continue with at 70.

As I've been reading this forum for a while now (and I have read a LOT, and done a search before posting) I see talks about just pulling packs, cranking up consecrate and letting God (the one in our basement) sort 'em out. I'm hoping to get a little more specificity in seals and whatnot that you're using for these, and how many you feel comfortable tanking at a time, etc. The priest I usually roll with I honestly don't have a lot of confidence in, he goes oom really quickly, but I think a fair amount of that is him healing every other person in the group who draws aggro, so if I can take it all perhaps I can make things move more fluidly. If the warrior quits trying to taunt off me, that is.

My usual MO is to pull with shield, hit Holy Shield, let CC peel off what they can (hunters have trouble getting attention off of me if I hit their target with the shield) then lay down the Consecrate. I generally use rank 1 HS and Cons for mana reasons. I lay Judge Crusader and use SoR most of the time. Mostly if I lose aggro it's to the healer. I keep my entire group in Salvation, and I used to use Sanctuary, now Kings to make it a bit easier on the healer, but in an instance AE setting, which would be better?

Gear-wise, I think I'm doing ok. I just decided to post another post in the gear section with my thoughts on upgrades. I know I'm not super-beefy, but I believe I should be gtg for any nonheroic. If I'm wrong about that, should I shoot for more def or more hp, or both? Money's not too much of a concern so I can keep myself in Solid Stars, but I still dislike wasting cash on something I'm gonna outgrow as soon as I get lucky on a boss fight.

My group composition is usually myself, a priest, a mage, a warrior (who's a friend of the priest/mage and often ends up tanking bosses so I can play secondary healer, which I know has to kill our dps ((AND he's not full prot spec. That bugs the crap out of me))) and a misc dps 5th, usually a hunter or 'lock. The last run I did I got so frustrated with the warrior ("lol, sorry, I'm used to playing tank") that I just put on my healing clothes and gave up on tanking that run, then afterward respecced so I could have crusader strike and be able to dps a little.

Am I delusional about AEing at this point? Your thoughts are appreciated.
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Pizbit
Sun Aug 19, 2007 12:06 pm
First off, forcefully remove the taunt button off the warrior!

It simply isn't possible to tank at all despite what method/style you use if someone is taunting off you, this includes pets etc.
If someone/thing is taunting don't bother trying to hold aggro, do /dance or something until they stop.

Play around after that is sorted(not much can be done if he's still taunting) then read the other suggestions bound to be posted after me 'cause I'm just a nub.Smile
dgray
Sun Aug 19, 2007 12:13 pm

AOE tanking

First, my favorite group composition for AoE tanking
Me
Healer
Mage/Lock x3

For heroic AoE tanking, substitute another healer or off-healer for one of the casters.

No CC at all, pull with AS into a consecrate. Tell your DPS that if they are gonna single target, go after your target ... otherwise, let consecrate tick a few and open up.

But I agree, toss the warrior to the curb if he isn't willing to stop pulling mobs off ya.
Kaelie
Sun Aug 19, 2007 12:16 pm
Anyone who is shooting random targets, taunting off me, or pulling without asking first gets to play tank for that pull, while I /sit or /dance. After you rezz them they usually learn.
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Barathorn
Mon Aug 20, 2007 12:22 am
Just recently, due to holidays, I have been running with the following group,

Me Tanking
Retri Paladin
2 x Elemental Shaman
1 x Healer

Had suprisingly good results, very different from a mage/lock set up. Actually prefer the above group, its more fun!

Barathorn.
Aina
Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:59 am
In reply to your request about seals; I actually use JoWisdom and SoWisdom often nowadays, always starting with SoR up though incase I need snap aggro on the pull. It depends on your group though, if I know they're all gonna be AoEing, my single-target threat doesn't have to be high. If I know there's a fury warrior DPSing a single target, I probably have to switch to SoR because Consecration/Holy Shield doesn't cut it.

As for group setup, anything that can't do AoE damage is pretty much a wasted spot. Rogues, warriors, enhancement shamans etc. Less overal damage done, and requires more effort to tank for.
Ulushnar
Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:36 am
1. Mark the first mob to be killed with a Skull.

2a. Avenger's shield pull where possible. Open up with a JoW (for weak trash where mana will be a problem) or a JotC (for tough mobs where you want DPS on the mob asap) on the Skull.
2b. If not possible, then body pull with a quick JoR on the Skull.

3. Holy Shield and Consecrate up whilst the mobs are coming towards you. SoV on the Skull, judging where possible. If it's weak trash, you may just wanna use SoR.

4. By the time the first mob's dead, you should have enough aggro on the other mobs to basically start tanking any of them and let the DPS go where they may.
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Guillex
Mon Aug 20, 2007 7:08 am
I mark first and second targets... Usually because I inevitably have a warrior or rogue in my groups, and they love to autoattack the closest target.

I'll up SotC, toss my shield at skull, plop a consecrate and HS when they're close, judge SotC and up SoR. As soon as skull gets to around 4-5%, I tabtarget, up and judge wisdom, and SoR again.

I've started using SoV on bosses, haven't tried it on trash yet, though I'm sure that it's good for when someone does taunt off you... Extra DoT...

Anyways, that's my way of doing it. I'm a bit overgeared for normal 5mans, and a little undergeared for Heroics, so mana's an issue for me in normal runs. For this reason, I love having a pally healer. I find that FoL is perfect to keep me topped up/filling up. Priests tend to toss huge heals which doesn't return too much mana, or Prayer of Mending, which heals too little over time.

That's just how I feel. I never say no to a healer, until they prove to me that they're a complete tool.
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"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist."
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Lore
Mon Aug 20, 2007 7:20 am
If someone's taunting off of you, the problem is not with your technique... the problem is someone's taunting off of you. Make sure you and whoever else both know before you even get to the instance who is tanking and who is not. I generally go about this by asking the Warrior what spec he is. If he's prot, I generally don't bother with the run and let him tank. If he's not (and most Warriors aren't), then I tell him "Cool, I'm prot, go ahead and DPS." I haven't ever had an arms or fury Warrior complain when I tell them I'll handle the tanking and they can just hit things.
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Me, LOL!
Garwin
Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:02 am
don't waste time with this rank 1 sheild and consecrate mana conservation rubish

pull big, sheild up, maxrank consecration and judge rightiousness, use a second max rank consecrate & sheild and make your healer work for his supper Cool

if you have crowd control use it to make your job easier by crippling enemy casters (silence/counterspell is better than sheep imho for this) not to play safe by breaking pulls into small chunks.

be big and bold and burn the heathen in there droves. Make the warrior rue the day he pressed the taunt button. if he's fury spec he'll learn to love the cleave & bloodrage buttons in preference to his silly taunt.

For Boss fighting maybe scale back a rank on sheild and consecrate but open the fight with a sheild throw, Holy sheild and judged rightiousness build a vengence stack up to 5 and then hit avenging wrath and kick every toy out of your pram. oftern with a 200+ spellpower this is enough to rip the agro right out of the warriors hands the second his taunt wears off. and if he retaunts use yours to steal back and continue with another cycle. starve him of rage and carry a mana pot

for simple heroic instance bosses though where all you want is uncritability I push my spellpower to 500+ and make em beg for agro..

I can also approve of dancing when there SCC+ geared, what you do when most of the group totally outgears an instance is source of "the tales of legends"