AGGRO MANAGEMENT - TEAMWORK, ASSISTS, PART 5: SPECIAL TOPICS

HEALING, AND TANKING 18. ...reserved...

By: Atkinson, guild NAS, Illidan, also Wingman at website 19 - Of DOTs and Warlocks
www.teamnas.com 20. ...reserved...
PART 6: LINKS AND CITATIONS
* * * CONTENTS * * * 21 - Links
PART 1: ALL ABOUT AGGRO AND ASSISTS 22 - Other Citations
1 - Aggro vs. Threat =============================================
2 - What “Assist” Means
3 - Teamwork vs. Solo-Style DPS PART 1: ALL ABOUT AGGRO AND ASSISTS
4 - The Main Assist
5 - Why Not Assist the Tank Directly? “The Tank’s job is to get aggro, the team’s job is to let him keep it.”
6 - How Assist Works After a Pull
7 - What About AOE? ==(1) ==AGGRO vs. THREAT== 2006.0601==
PART 2: HEALING AGGRO I use aggro in its common sense of having the mob on you.
8 - Healing, HOTs, and Threat What Blizzard calls Threat (also called hate), is a cumulative
9 - The Healer’s Job total each mob builds up over time that determines who the
10 - Pre-HOT Tank For the Win mob aggroes on. Research shows that Threat is is generated
PART 3: SHEDDING AGGRO only by persons the mob is “aware” of (by buffing, debuffing,
11 - Losing Aggro doing damage or healing), is cumulative against each of those
12 - Aggro Reduction Tools persons, and does not decay with time (tested over 8 minute
PART 4: TANKING AND AGGRO TOOLS time-frame). Threat from healing or events causing a “you
13 - Off-Tanking gain” health or mana combat log messages is per HP or MP at
14 - Warrior Tanking and Aggro Techniques half the rate of white damage, while “you gain rage”
15 - Bear Tanking and Aggro Techniques generates 5 Threat per point of Rage (see more on this and
16 - Tanking by Other Classes modifiers in Part 2 below). Overheals don’t count, though
16A. Shaman Tanking heals cast on a healthy player appeal to generate some
16B. Paladin Tanking untested minimum level of “buff Threat” (as does buffing in
16C. Pets combat–be very careful about this in raid instances). Threat is
17. ...reserved... from the healer, not the healed, though if you heal yourself
you are the healer for that purpose. Testing shows aggro is
sticky: mobs switch aggro to a new target that has 110% of the
current target’s threat if in melee range and 130% if outside
melee range, and although pulling itself generates no Threat,
being the person who was first on a mob’s Threat list makes
them pick you where Threat is otherwise equal. This
suggests that pulls should be by tanks or feigning hunters to
make it easier to pick up aggro. Most of the Threat testing
data cited is from Kenco’s article, which I suggest all Warriors
read (see the links below). Other data is from Remedy’s
WOW Forum article in 2005, no longer available.
==(2)==WHAT “ASSIST” MEANS== 2006.0601==
Confusingly, “Assist” is not only a common English word but
a critical though unpublicized WOW game function. An
“assist” is created on the currently targeted friendly player if
you type “F” or you can use a macro in the format “/assist
Wingman”. When you attack while assisting, your target is
the one the assisted player targeted at the time you created the
assist, so if he switches you stay on the same target. There is
an option to automatically auto-attack on assist in the game
interface options, and a Cosmos mod that lets a tank
automatically call on you to assist, but you still need to punch
the keys for spells and special attacks.
I previously cited test reports and anecdotal evidence
suggesting that assisting itself affects the Threat of the Main
Assist and the assisting player but at least in the current
version of the game I can’t confirm this and believe it is not
true. However, assists are valuable for the whole team in a
multi-mob fight because assisted attacks bring the targeted
mob down more quickly and players are competing for the
aggro of only one mob, simplifying the Tank’s job.
You could think of assisting as as concentrating team aggro
through the assisted player. Timing your assist is important -
if the assisted player changes targets and you are still focusing
on the old target (which happens unless you hit “assist” again
to retarget). As explained below, however, players assisting a
Tank should NOT be hitting the assist button again until the
initial target is dead because the Tank temporarily switches
among different mobs to “tap” them all and grab solid aggro.
Players assisting on a Main Assist however can hit assist
whenever desirable since they are supposed to hit whatever
the Main Assist is hitting at the time.
==(3)==TEAMWORK vs. SOLO-STYLE DPS==2005.0702==
Everyone trying to do maximum damage quickly as possible
works for soloing but can compromise the success and
survivability of a team. A good Tank gets the best armor and
equipment he can to minimize damage, thus reducing his
need for healing and reducing the potential for the healer to
pull aggro with big heals. While the rest of the team beats
down a single mob quickly the Tank both tries to hold the
aggro of that mob and build Threat on the others to keep them
from easily coming loose on other players.
The healer ramps up his heals over time to reduce the danger
of aggro -- two healers working together and splitting aggro
can reduce the danger greatly (e.g., Druid laying Rejuvenation
on damaged players while a Priest supplements it with Renew
or other Heals as he thinks appropriate). Druids, Shamans or
Paladins are good for a secondary healer/Off-tank role.
Everyone else assists the Main Assist on his target, limiting
their aggro risk to that target. If the mob is a dangerous elite,
it is important to keep aggro on the Tank and big DPSers need
to ramp up damage from low to high (e.g., start with DOTs
and combo builders, end with finishers).
The Tank’s tools are limited by Rage and cooldowns, so don’t
make him waste them. Certain Warrior Threat skills are
reactive and depend on being attacked (e.g., on a
hit/dodge/block/parry) but can’t be used while a mob is
aggroed on someone else. No matter the class, give the Tank a
head start of 5-12 seconds to build Threat, depending on the
mobs. The Tank needs to Tab and hit a lot of buttons to work
on the mobs and it takes a little time; just chill and start on his
signal or after 12 seconds and ramp up damage to keep your
Threat lower than the Tank’s.
==(4)==THE MAIN ASSIST==2005.0609==
The job of the Main Assist (or “MA”) is to stay on a target and
take it down, usually the target initially pulled and most
damaged by the Tank (and which therefore hates the Tank
most). The Tank normally gets a few hits on his initial target
while the MA activates his assist, then switches targets to get a
few hits on the others before cycling back to the MA’s target.
The MA should “V” to enable overhead mob health bars that
show which mobs are most damaged. While the Tank’ tries to
hold aggro on the MA’s target as it gets pounded, this is not
always possible, and it is even more important to hold the
aggro of the other, fresher mobs since they are more
dangerous if they come loose. Sometimes the Tank and MA
flip aggro back and forth while the Tank works on multiple
mobs. If the MA is a Warrior or Bear then it may be wise to let
him have the mob’s aggro to gain rage from being hit, freeing
the Tank to work on other mobs.
Having a melee player such as a Warrior, Bear or Rogue for
MA makes sense because he has to be close to the target
anyway and a mob aggroing on the MA only turns to face him
instead of running off. This makes it easier for the Tank to
pull back or a Rogue to feint off aggro. A melee Shaman can
be a good MA as well, but a ranged MA such as a Hunter may
require chasing a mob, which is harder for the Tank and thus
riskier for the team. Note that a Hunter’s Mark on the MA’s
target can help a great deal in avoiding confusion, especially
in raid groups. Another tip: don’t crowd the mobs or the
Tank - it is easier for the Tank (and off-Tank) to see which
mob is on whom if the players are a yard or two apart (still in
melee range).
==(5)==WHY NOT ASSIST THE TANK
DIRECTLY?==2005.0623==
Reasons for using a separate MA rather than assisting the
Tank directly when there are multiple mobs: (1) avoids
scattering damage by people assisting on different mobs as
the Tank cycles, (2) since mobs except the MA’s target have
been tapped only by the Tank, it is easier to hold them if no
one else taps them, allowing the Tank to cycle less and focus
more on the target the Main Assist is working on killing, (3) a
warrior Tank can, and against multiple mobs should, use a
shield and 1H weapon in defensive stance, thereby reducing
his damage and the need for Threat-generating healing, and
they want the mobs hitting them to allow useful shield-based
combos, and most importantly (4) only the healer and Main
Assist are at high risk of pulling aggro. If the assist structure
falls apart, the Tank’s job becomes much more difficult,
damage increases and is scattered, and the healer is forced to
heal more and risk pulling aggro. Tanking multiple mobs
requires situational awareness of what both players and mobs
are doing and constant use of a range of skills working on
different timers. It is the toughest job in an instance group -
help your Tank by assisting the Main Assist and not crowding
closer to the tank and mobs than needed to fight.
==(6)==HOW ASSIST WORKS AFTER A
PULL==2005.0605==
After the Tank pulls, or picks up aggro if another class pulls,
the Tank will do a few attacks on the first target to build
Threat and give time for the Main Assist to select assist on it.
Then he cycles as needed to build Threat from the other mobs.
AOE aggro tools like shouts or roars also help lock in initial
aggro. People forget that building aggro does not happen
instantly - the best Tank still needs about 5-12 seconds to tap
all the mobs and build aggro on the first target before other
players start doing damage. This gives the MA time to target
using assist and the other players to lock on to that target by
assisting the MA and attacking when he attacks. The only
mob that should be “aware” of them is the MA’s target.
Against tough elites, the DPSers should ramp up damage
from low to high intensity to give the Tank time to build
Threat. Tarsh mobs are less dangerous and can be vaporized
more swiftly.
==(7)==WHAT ABOUT AOE?==2005.0623==
AOE can be critically important, but it can also play havoc
with aggro control and aggro-effective healing. It is a
complex subject, but some things to keep in mind:
* As a rule of thumb, consider AOE only on 3 or more mobs
that are non-Elite or grey to you. It can be used freely against
easy mobs that die quickly. Dangerous mobs take more
thought. Discuss AOE on elites beforehand.
* Mages (and other casters) please inform the group what
AOE spells you have and will use and whether you have
Threat-reduction talents for them.
* AOE should NOT be a surprise. Unless pre-planned before
the specific combat, it should be used only when the Tank
calls “AOE” or in an emergency. The Tank and Healer both
want to know about AOE beforehand.
* Priests should shield the Mage either BEFORE combat to
avoid drawing unnecessary Threat or AFTER the mobs have
already firmly aggroed on the Mage.
* To minimize healing aggro, heal the AOEing caster enough
to keep them alive and AOEing until the mobs are dead.
Sometimes, if they are going to die OOM anyway, let them die
rather than throw big heals so that the mobs run back to the
Tank rather than to the healer. This is a tough judgment call
and the strategy should be mentioned in advance to avoid
angry Mages.
* If you AOE and pull aggro, either stay in place or move
towards the Tank. Don’t run around or to the healer. The
healer is already watching your health bar. If you pull a lot of
mobs you should probably keep spamming AOE as long as
you can. In non-AOE situations it helps to stop attacking to
help an off-tank pull the mob off. The tradeoff between aggro
and destruction can be a hard one.
PART 2: HEALING AGGRO
“The damage you do gets you aggro, the damage you take gets me
aggro.”
==(8)==HEALING, HOTS and THREAT== 2005.0601==
Healing priority is based on who needs to stay alive to win or
at least achieve easy wipe recovery. This usually means the
Tank, self-Rezzer, healers and full-mana Mages tasked to AOE
are high on the list. OOM (out of mana) Mages who
overaggroed themselves are at the bottom of the list. Rogues
and Hunters are constant DPS but can shake off aggro and
bandage, so should not need that much help. Good Warlocks
are resilient and more useful than OOM Mages. Special
consideration goes to the Main Assist because of his key role.
Note that it is safer and sometimes more effective to let a
doomed Healer or Caster die and then Rebirth him rather than
try to heal against mass aggro, because rebirth provides a
large fraction of health and mana so he can get back in the
fight while the mobs should be back on the Tank. Conversely,
sometimes you can’t afford to stop healing a DPS class even if
it sucks all your mana because your healing Threat has
already put you second in line on the mobs’ aggro list and
there is no offtank ready to pick up the load.
Testing shows Threat per HP healed in the recent versions of
the game is half that of white damage. Threat meters such as
KLH Threat Meter also currently use this factor and it
provides valuable results in raid instances. . If you factor in a
Warrior’s threat in Defensive stance with Defiance, the
Warrior taking initial aggro, healing from out of melee
distance and a 20% healer threat reduction, Threat from 1 HP
of Warrior white damage equals Threat from 4.7 HP of
healing (based on Kenco’s tested modifiers). The bigger the
proportion, the greater the safety margin and the more
important it is with multiple mobs where the Tank primarily
has to build Threat on them individually while a heal on the
Tank creates healing Threat by the healer from ALL the mobs
at once (any heal or buff on the Tank cast in combat after the
pull but before a mob has been tapped will send that mob
directly for the healer). More mobs creates the need to balance
concern over rapid damage on the Tank and the risk of losing
him to a “perfect wave” of crits while at the same time you try
to heal less and stabilize his health at a lower level. Healing
the Main Assist is safer because ideally the only mob aware of
the MA is the one the MA is killing, so it is unlikely to come
loose.
In a good fight with well-controlled aggro, the only health
bars that are fluctuating from damage are those of the Tank
and to some extent the Main Assist. Wait to heal until the
Tank has tapped all mobs to build some Threat, which should
not take more than 5-12 seconds depending on the number of
mobs (about 2-3 seconds per mob). Ramp up healing as the
fight goes on to keep your Threat curve lower than the Tank.
Start with Rejuvenation or Renew to stabilize the Tank’s
health. If HOTs are not enough, follow with moderate heals
to stabilize the Tank’s health at about 70-80% with a tough
single boss or 2 mobs and about 40%-60% with many mobs - it
depends on risk level. Whether to burst heal with long pauses
to help regen mana or heal steadily is a tactical decision.
The implications of this for Tanking are simple. High armor,
defensive stance, a shield and protection talents each improve
mitigation and generate a lower ratio of healing required on
the Tank divided by each mob’s total Threat from the Tank
(the “Healing/Aggro Ratio”). Against a single non-boss mob,
a berserk Arms/Fury Warrior with a 2-hander gets the job
done faster and healing aggro should not be a big issue. The
more mobs there are and the harder they hit, the worse the
Healing/Aggro Ratio becomes and the more dangerous the
situation for the healer, so by all means use Defensive Stance
when tanking numerous mobs. Mitigation and protection
become more important. Note that Druids are more
predictable tanks in this regard since their mitigation is
effectively fixed by their armor, 5/5 in Feral Instinct is a
straight 15% Threat bonus in Bear form, and they don’t have
a DPS tanking option. Also note that a Druid or Shaman
tasked as Tank or offtank can use healing Threat to help pull
aggro (e.g., a big heal on the embattled primary healer will
help pull aggro off).
“How can I HEAL you when I am DEAD?”
==(9)==THE HEALER’S JOB== 2005.0614==
The primary healer’s job is to prevent a group wipe, not to
keep everyone alive. Everyone else’s job is to keep the healer
alive to heal and the rezzer (sometimes the same person) alive
to rez. The Tank does this by trying to hold aggro. The offtank
does this by picking up loose mobs (usually heading for the
primary healer or Mage). The secondary healer does this by
healing the primary healer when the primary healer is under
attack (so the primary healer’s aggro is not made worse by
healing himself), sometimes by casting some HOTs to reduce
primary healing Threat, and by stepping in if the primary is
OOM . With a soulstone or other self-rez available, sometimes
the last-ditch priority is to eliminate some prowling mobs to
enable a safe resurrection. These are often split-second
decisions and we should be forgiving of mistakes.
==(10)==PRE-HOT TANK For the Win== 2005.0614==
When healing as a Druid, I typically cast a pre-combat
Regrowth and Rejuv on the Main Tank (Renew and if
appropriate Power Word: Shield when playing a Priest) for
any serious fight and quickly sit down to start drinking to
replenish mana before combat begins, out of range of the
mob’s area effects. As a Druid Tank I preHOT myself and cast
to pull, then go Bear for regen and combat, which helps heal
and helps build Threat. I think of a pre-combat Regrowth as
the Druid’s substitute for Power Word: Shield.
Is it mana inefficient to waste hundreds of HP of healing with
a pre-HOT? Yes to a Mana accountant who only track their
HP healed/Mana Spent ratio and have to file Mana expense
reports with their CPA Guild. Tactically it is efficient to get the
mana back quickly and get aggro-free healing of initial
damage - this helps the Tank maintain aggro. WARNING:
Make sure no one starts combat before you start sitting to
drink. If when your HOT lands the combat has already
started, the mobs are likely to make a beeline for you. Another
little remembered principle of mana efficiency is the principle
of regeneration -- if you are not in combat and your mana is
full then find something useful to cast now rather than later
(e.g., buffs) so you can start mana regen and essentially have
that cast for “free.” This is why I ask for 3-5 minutes of
advance warning for rebuffs since it avoids last-minute
situations.
PART 3: SHEDDING AGGRO
“I didn’t buy that spell since it does no damage.”
==(11)==LOSING AGGRO==2005.0602==
As a member of a team, if you pull unwanted aggro then think
before healing yourself or fighting that mob further, because it
could make all the difference in whether the main Tank or
Off-tank can pull that mob off you. Either way, don’t run
away exposing your back, don’t aggro new adds - hit your
HELP HELP shout and /emote helpme macros and move
closer to the Tank or off Tank. To make it easy for team
members to see which mob is going after which player, don’t
crowd together more than tactically necessary.
==(12)==AGGRO REDUCTION TOOLS==2005.0802==
It is surprising that some medium- and even high-level
players don’t understand or sometimes don’t even buy their
aggro reduction spells. Everyone should be aware of how the
different classes can reduce Threat, shed aggro, or at least buy
time through crowd control.
HUNTER: Disengage reduces threat and attempts to cancel
combat, sending the mob to the next person on its aggro list
(ideally this is the Tank). Feign Death is an excellent solo
move to save your life but should be a last resort after a failed
Disengage when grouped. At best your sudden death causes
confusion with healing, combat resurrection, and tactically.
Yes, Feign Death is funny - out of combat. Macro a /yell
<Hunter’s Name> is FEIGNING DEATH! as the first step of
the Feign to avoid more than momentary confusion.
One implication of this is that Hunters, especially when
pulling but also when fighting, should not only fight at range
but stand well clear of the other casters to avoid them picking
up unnecessary aggro after a real or feigned death.
ROGUE: Feint reduces Threat - it is unclear whether this is a
permanent reduction of some Threat or is temporary like
Fade. I suspect it is temporary. Either way, it should be saved
for when the Rogue pulls aggro, not used pre-emptively
because of its timer and 20 energy cost. It usually flips the
mob back to the Tank, but the mob can come right back to the
Rogue if he follows up with burst damage rather than easing
off with Rupture or other finishers than Eviscerate. The
Rogue and Tank should understand one another - in order to
conserve his Taunt for multiple mobs, the Tank will wait 2
seconds before taunting a mob back from a Rogue in order to
see if Feint flips the mob back - unless you know the Rogue
recently used it from the mob inexplicably flipping back to
you. A good Rogue knows how to grab a loose mob as Off-
tank and bring it back to the Tank to engage - when the Tank
had hit the mob once or twice the Rogue can feint it off.
Burning a Vanish and facing a long cooldown is not a trivial
decision, but if the Rogue is far enough away from the mobs
and the vanish works then the Rogue sheds aggro and goes
out of combat for aggro-free bandaging and restealthing if
needed. With proper assists, the loose mob should go after the
Tank. Like the Hunter, the Rogue has means of getting out of
combat and should use them to help the team manage aggro
and avoid unnecessary healing Threat. This means choose
your vanish spot with regard to whom the mob will attack
next - usually this means backing AWAY from other players
before a vanish to give them space and time. Subtlety is the
best Rogue tree for PVE grouping, offering Preparation
(immediate refresh for all cooldowns) as well as Improved
Sap and Hemo.
MAGE: Sheeping and Frost Nova actually increase Threat but
substitute crowd control for aggro reduction, postponing the
reckoning long enough for an off-Tank to step in or the Main
Tank to pick up the mob if the Mage cooperates by refraining
from piling on more damage. As often the case, solo reflexes
can cause trouble, such as doing maximum burst damage,
blinking, or sheeping a mob in the middle of a melee. A mob
breaking away from the pack to attack the Mage is, however, a
perfect candidate for crowd control with low risk of
interruption. As a Mage, don’t stand too close to the healers -
not only does it put them at more risk of picking up aggro if
you die but it makes it harder for the rest of the team to see
which of you loose mobs are heading for and make an
appropriate response.
PRIEST: Priests have two panic buttons - Psychic Scream for
soloing and Fade for groups. Psychic Scream is effective but
does not reduce Threat and often brings fresh mobs to the
party -- there are some instances where a timely Fear works
well, but generally this panic button should be replaced by
Fade while in an instance group.
Remedy’s research indicates that Fade subtracts a medium
amount of Threat (about 2 small heals, less than a Greater
Heal) for 10 seconds, then returns the Threat at the end of that
period. Despite this, in some tests aggro did NOT return to
the Priest after Fade expired unless some further action was
taken by the Priest (this may be a bug and if so may be fixed).
Note that if Threat is so high that Fade is not enough to flip
the mob away, it does NOT appear to make the mob easier to
pull off the Priest and if the spell fails it may actually make it
harder (i.e., add Threat, but this needs careful testing).
Tactically, the Priest should be standing well back from the
center of combat, spot aggro early, stop damage and healing
during this period, hit the Help macro, wait until the mobs get
close (let them waste time running back and forth without
doing damage), and then hit Fade to send them scurryinig
back. Alternatively, you can lead the mobs back to the Tank
before hitting Fade. Stop everything before Fade ends
(including DOTs and HOTs) to try to avoid renewed aggro.
What about the top Holy talent, Holy Nova? It provides a 10
yard damage AOE combined with a Threat-free group heal
and is on a 30 second timer. It is well worth using before a
Fade if some low-health mobs are close by your Holy Priest.
DRUID: Subtlety is your only aggro reduction tool - for 5
high-tier Restoration talent points you reduce healing Threat
by 20%. Druids have roots (outdoors only) and sleep for
limited crowd control, but damage breaks sleep and helps
break roots. The standard response when pulling serious
aggro while healing is to go Bear without attacking and hit
your HELP macro (or off-tank yourself if tactically
preferable). If you still need to heal then instead then at
higher levels you can use your weapon switch macro for
Warden Staff or Unyielding Maul (+ defense = harder for
them to hit you) and Barkskin to allow more heals or a last-
ditch tranquility.
SHAMAN: Shaman have snares and Threat enhancers, not
Threat reducers. Frost shock slows mobs and Stoneclaw
Totem acts like a target dummy by distracting them, but can
also aggro fresh adds. Aggro is what shields are for.
PALADIN: A Paladin healing himself or others generates
very little Threat – this appears specifically intended to
prevent use of healing as a Paladin tanking tool tool but also
means Paladins can heal with less concern about aggro.
Paladin aggro reduction tools primarily benefit other players.
Blessing of Protection immunizes a party member from
physical attack for up to 10 seconds and wipes aggro, sending
the mob to the next person on its hate list. The Paladin’s
personal immune shield or a 30-second Divine Intervention on
another has a similar effect on aggro. A less dramatic tool is
Blessing of Salvation, which reduces Threat caused by 30%.
WARRIOR: Aggro REDUCTION? Are you kidding? If you
pull too many mobs and the rest of the team is not in combat,
make sure you have all the mobs attention and find a good
place for a rez without putting the team in danger. Even if
some players are in combat, with proper assists often only one
mob will be aware of the ranged assists and the healer should
be out of combat until he heals, so with good teamwork you
may be able to contain some mobs while others run off or
have a partial rather than complete wipe.
PART 4: TANKING AND AGGRO TOOLS
“You’ve won Aggro! Your prize is death.”
==(13)==OFF-TANKING==2005.0625==
Tanking is holding the aggro of all the mobs, or at least all
except the one being focused on by the group and any
additional mob while it is being off-tanked. In some
instances, such as Molten Core, the mobs are so dangerous
that each needs its own dedicated Tank. Tanking is a full-time
job that requires constant attention when you have multiple
targets. Off-tanking is a part-time job but important. It
involves grabbing aggro on a single mob (usually to save a
caster from attack or to take substantial pressure off the Main
Tank) and tanking it until:
(a) you can pass it off to the Main Tank when feasible,
(b) some damage dealers help you kill it, or
(c) you kill it or die trying.
An Off-tank needs the ability to grab single target aggro,
ability to hand off aggro to a Tank, and the ability to keep
fighting and sustain or avoid damage for as long as it takes to
do the job, which is first of all to keep the mob busy and
second of all to kill it. For tactic (a), Rogues and Hunters have
all 3 skill sets, with both basic and last-ditch aggro transfer
tools that other classes lack and that can help a Main Tank
pull back aggro. Warriors, Paladins, Bears and Shamans (all
having good armor and health) are better at (b) and (c). The
tactical challenge for an Off-tank is that, unlike a Main Tank,
you goal is NOT to achieve an optimal Healing/Aggro Ratio
(see Section 8 above) but to accomplish (a), (b) or (c). Skill and
teamwork determine the best choice in each situation. Further
aggro-vating the mob can make it hard to hand-off the mob to
the Main Tank, so for (a) damage mitigation is more
important than doing damage and you act quickly to pass the
mob back, while for (b) and (c) the balance of damage done vs.
received and timing are important.
Before you start out, agree who will off-tank to rescue the
healer and other casters from aggro. In particular, determine
if the Main Assist needs to act as off-Tank. If so, make sure
those assisting him don’t switch from the mob they are
currently killing. Kill, then switch. This gives time for the
Main Assist to pass off the mob to the Main Tank if he
chooses. If there is a Rogue plus a Druid, Shaman or Paladin I
like the Rogue as Main Assist and the hybrid class to use its
versatile skills to backstop various roles - assist in melee, buff
the group, off-Tank as needed, and keep half mana in reserve
for backup healing and emergencies.
==(14)==WARRIOR TANKING AND AGGRO
TECHNIQUES==2005.0702==
“My shield is in the bank.”
*1. Character level does not prove tactical understanding. A
level 10 alt may know better than a 60 about teamwork and
aggro control. As Tank, you and the healer need to have an
understanding and set expectations: explain how the assist
function works to control aggro, tell the team to wait to attack,
ramp up damage so as not to pull aggro, not crowd the Tank,
making it hard to see what the mobs are doing, and that if
aggroed the squishies should lead the mob close enough to
you to taunt (or whoever is off-tanking).
*2. Tank and damage-dealer are different and conflicting roles
for a Warrior. As a damage-dealer or solo, max damage on
target is your goal. Arms/Fury Warriors make good damage
dealers and Main Assists. But a Tank’s responsibility is not
max damage but holding aggro from the mobs without
exceeding a safe Healing/Aggro Ratio on any of them. When
a Tank has to work on more mobs, the Threat he can put on
each is lower so the Healing/Aggro Ratio goes up
proportionately and damage mitigation becomes more and
more important to hold down the healing side of the
equation. Having 2 healers split healing on you helps reduce
each healer’s Ratio from each mob. For a 10-man Raid, a
Priest and Druid with stackable heals cross-healing the Tanks
and AOEing casters is ideal for Healing/Aggro control.
Watch your healers’ mana bars as a rough indicator of the
healing Threat they’ve been building. The hits the non-Tanks
are taking indicates how much of that Threat comes through
you.
*3. Warriors love their quality 2H weapons, but they should
generally be reserved for solo, PVP, and doing DPS as Main
Assist, situations where damage and Rage are the priority. In
group/instance tanking, if you can knock out a fight quickly
with no or minimal healing (e.g., single targets or a few non-
elite trash mobs), go ahead and weaponswap to speed things
up, or go 2H when other options fail to pull back a loose mob
aggroed on a healer. Otherwise, stick with sword-and-board
and keep your healers alive and happy.
*4. Tanking gear should emphasize Stamina and mitigation
(high armor, + defense, good shield vs. melee mobs, resists vs.
casters). Protection is the tanking Talent tree, but for many
Warriors its added group value for tanking is personally
outweighed by the advantages of other trees for PVP and
damage-dealing. Even if focused elsewhere, consider talents
including Defiance, Improved Taunt and also Improved
Revenge.
*5. Defensive stance is the primary tanking stance, with 10%
reduction of damage from ALL sources as well as a 30%
Threat bonus even without Defiance. Berserk Stance actually
increases damage suffered and reduces Threat generated =
bad for tanking. This said, using Battle Stance to open the
fight with a Charge and Berserk Stance with whirlwind to
attract the attention of numerous trash mobs are favored by
some. If planning to stance dance, get the Arms talent Tactical
Mastery to save some Rage when shifting or burn it with
Threat-builders before you switch.
*6. AOE skills include Demoralizing Shout, Thunderclap,
Cleave, Whirlwind, and Challenging Shout. Battle Shout
provide both AOE Threat and a terrific group melee buff.
Shield Block reportedly has a small AOE effect. Snap-aggro
tools are Taunt, Mocking Blow and Challenging Shout. Basic
tanking skills are Sunder Armor, Shield Block/Revenge, and
Shield Bash (for interrupts). Hamstring is needed rarely in
instances because targeted mobs usually go down too quickly
to run far and it saves Rage to to have a Rogue use Crippling
Poison.
*7. Demo Shout is a Rage-efficient AOE Threat and debuff,
more effective in Defensive Stance. Thunder Clap requires
Battle Stance - it debuffs mob attack speed and builds Threat
on 4 targets, but is low damage and expensive at 20 Rage. If
your AOE is resisted you can attack or Taunt the loose mob.
Sunder Armor remains the main Threat-builder. With
multiple mobs, Sunder the initial target twice to give the MA
time to lock on target, then TAB-Sunder the others. Sunder
stacks 5x but 2-3 is enough against non-Bosses. Use Revenge
when available for good Threat at only 5 Rage. It requires
block, parry or dodge, so complements use of a Shield and
Shield Block. Shield Bash is low damage but interrupts casters
and can silence with talents (also use to build Threat while
disarmed).
*8. Taunt is the most basic but misused aggro tool. It has no
effect and wastes your timer if the mob is already aggroed on
you. When a mob moves away to attack a squishy, taunt after
that player fails to shed aggro (see Sec. 12 above), then hit,
Sunder or Shield Block/Revenge it a few times to build
Threat. Mocking Blow is your 10 Rage emergency backup if
Taunt is on cool-down.
*9. Cooldown Skills: Many Warrior skills are on cooldowns
and reward skillful timing. Challenging Shout puts all mobs
in range on you for 6 seconds, restoring order to chaos, but
you need to act quickly to firm up aggro with a fresh AOE
followed by cycling Sunder on the formerly-loose mobs.
Intimidating Shout fears all but your target, providing a brief
respite (at the risk of adds). Retaliation is like Thorns or
Retribution Aura and stacks with them, but on a 30 min
cooldown. The Last Stand talent gives a bonus 30% of max
health for 20 seconds and Shield Wall briefly cuts damage
taken by 75%. These are usually saved for near-wipes and
boss fights.
*10. Hellmount in his excellent tanking article (see link below)
distinguishes “Rage Burner” skills which should be reserved
for use of excess Rage or critical moments (e.g., taking down a
boss or a mob about to kill a player). Most damage skills are
Rage Burners, such as Mortal Strike, Heroic Strike,
Overpower, Execute, and Cleave. Whirlwind is also
expensive at 25 Rage but can be worth it if you have 3 or 4
targets you need to hit quickly.
*11. Pick a safe combat area with minimal risk of adds,
runners and accidents (e.g., knockback into lava or off a
ledge). Pull smart. If risky, use a Hunter or Rogue as needed
and tell the crew to stay back out of combat until it is time to
join in. It is better to die alone than wipe the party. Allow
room for Hunters to shoot and for Rogues to attack the mobs
from behind. To help with this and gain better situational
awareness, try dragging the mobs aggroed on you in a small
half circle so you end facing back towards your group,
offering them the mobs’ backs. Charge mobs when you want
to fight them where they stand. To bring them to the group, a
Hunter, Rogue or sheeping can pull them to the combat area
where you charge/intercept them. Use your gun or bow
when needed for a precise pull. The group should stay out of
aggro range until ready. Tell them you need 5-12 seconds to
firm up aggro and to wait for your signal to attack (e.g., when
they see the first Sunder Armor icon).

*12. Pre-combat Power Word: Shield prevents damage
without healing Threat, but as patched it eliminates Rage
generation from damage. Although Rage from doing damage
exceeds Rage from being hit, in some situations the
incremental Rage is still going to outweigh the value of
reducing healing Threat. Talk with your Priest about initial
PWS. Note that PreHOTs provide a safety margin without
adversely affecting Rage.
*13. Example Single-Target Boss Combat Sequence: Battle
stance 1H/Shield, Charge, (Thunderclap,) (Mortal Strike,)
Defensive Stance, Demo Shout, Sunder up to 5x, Revenge
when available, Shield Bash to interrrupt casts, refresh
debuffs, add Rage Burners. Parentheses indicate optional
moves.
*14. Example Multi-Target Sequence: Battle stance 1H/Shield,
Charge, Thunderclap, Piercing Howl (Fury talent), (Berserk
Stance & Whirlwind,) Defensive Stance, Demo Shout, Sunder
or Revenge on primary target, TAB cycle Sunder on all nearby
mobs, return to hit primary target, refresh Demo Shout, (Battle
Stance + refresh Thunderclap, Defensive Stance,) start with
primary and cycle Sunder/Revenge.
*15. A Warrior should be expected to handle 2 mobs with
ease even if the group is sloppy with assists, 3-4 non-Boss
mobs effectively with proper assists, and 5+ non-elites loosely
(meaning healing or AOE is liable to strip some off) with skill
and luck. The more numerous the mobs, the more important
are crowd control and an alert off-Tank.
==(15)==BEAR TANKING AND AGGRO
TECHNIQUES==2005.0702==
Warrior tanking concepts also apply to Bears, but Bears have a
narrower set of aggro tools. In a common order of use these
include Enrage, Faerie Fire (4th tier talent), Demoralizing
Roar, Maul, Swipe (repeat, repeat), Growl, Bash, Feral Charge,
and Challenging Roar. Talents in Sharpened Claws and
Primal Fury boost crits and Rage, and Furor is valuable for
initial rage entering Bear Form since Enrage takes time
(though if Furor is nerfed as proposed these talents should go
elsewhere). In Bear form you can body-pull normally or
ranged-pull with the Faerie Fire armor debuff. I prefer to save
Rage and do initial damage by pulling with Starfire, Moonfire
and/or Faerie Fire in caster form before switching to Bear. A
pre-HOT self-Regrowth is also a good idea for healing while a
Rejuv cast after pulling but before going to Bear will build
your aggro. Thorns should be continually refreshed.
Thorns, Swipe, Demo Roar and Challenging Roar are the
Bear’s multi-mob aggro tools. Swipe hits 3 opponents, Thorns
hits everyone attacking you. Demo Roar keeps the mobs
debuffed for 30 seconds, mitigating damage and is ideal for
initial threat on a group of mobs once they are all nearby.
Because of the cooldown, Challenging Roar is a last resort
tool when you need to pull back multiple loose mobs. I use
Enrage at every opportunity -- the armor reduction is greatly
outweighed by the added Rage and Threat. Frenzied
Regeneration should be properly timed.
Growl is a taunt that temporarily puts you on top of the
Threat list - rather than adding permanent Threat. It has no
effect on a mob already attacking you. If you want to keep the
mob’s attention, have extra rage ready to Maul and get a few
hits in after the Growl to get aggro. Researchers have
reported that Demo Roar is equivalent to about 1/4th the
attack power debuff amount in Bear form damage, thorns 1:1
with Bear damage. Faerie Fire is similar to Warrior Sunder (or
Rogue Expose Armor) and stacks with these. It causes Threat
-- how I don’t know. I also am not clear on the extent to which
Bear Swipe and Maul generate additional aggro out of
proportion to normal Bear damage, but it is generally believed
they do.
With a little time to build Threat, some Rage-building talents,
and FF Bear, a Bear can hold aggro against dps classes on any
single boss or mob without an aggro-wiping knock-back
(those are hard for Warriors as well). With 3-target Swipe as
an AOE attack, Bears should be expected to hold 3 mobs easily
with proper assists and 4 or 5 non-elites more loosely with
skill and luck. To help round up loose mobs, Bears have
Growl and Challenging Roar but not the range of aggro tools
that a Warrior has. Properly equipped, talented and skilled
Bears can and have Main Tanked all instances through Molten
Core, but even Druids with healer spec and gear can off-tank.
Particularly if pulling with Starfire and moonfire before going
into Bear, a Druid with no Feral talents can readily maintain
aggro off-tanking a boss or other single mob while the group
focuses on its current target. Feral talents are valuable for
tanking multiple mobs.
==(16)==TANKING BY OTHER CLASSES==2005.0825==
“Don’t worry, my pet will tank.”
Sometimes you don’t have a Warrior or Druid to tank, so that
role falls upon other classes that can create Threat but lack
special tanking-specific skills. They must rely on direct Threat
generation through damage or healing as well as particular
Threat-generating or reducing casts. With generally lower
damage mitigation they require more heals, which creates
more healing aggro, so this means they should try to tackle
fewer mobs at a time, have the group be careful about always
assisting, and that being a higher level in order to do more
damage and sustain less damage (or soak up more before a
heal is required) becomes particularly important. Just as
Druids can use self-healing to enhance Threat, other healers
can do the same to keep the mobs sticking to them (though
Paladin healing creates reduced Threat). Note that both
Shamans, and more so Paladins, rely on mana for aggro
generation, and their mana pool may dry up in a long fight
while Rage keeps Warriors and Bears going. Because of this,
Shaman and Paladin tanks face a greater equipment challenge
in balancing tanking stats (stamina, armor, strength, and
defense) with sufficient intellect and spirit/mana regen.
Although DPS classes can be good at generating Threat and
grabbing aggro and may be able to off-tank, because of
damage mitigation the only other classes that should be
considered for a Main Tank role when Warriors or Druids are
not available (or when the class is substantially higher in level
than the rest of the party) are Paladins and Shamans or, as a
last expedient, either Voidwalkers or Hunter pets with high
armor or health and tanking talents. Comparing Shamans and
Paladins: Paladins have better damage mitigation; Paladins
can reduce Threat on group members; Shaman healing creates
more Threat; Shamans have higher DPS. Both can heal, have
aggro-generating specials, and can choose talents more or less
useful for tanking. Both classes have limitations on the use of
multiple totems, seals or auras, which places a premium on
appropriate tactics for the circumstances. Let me stress that
tanking is not the best use of a Paladin or Shaman if there is a
Warrior or Bear available, but sometimes neither is available.
Both Shamans and Paladins can be effective Main Assists, but
may be more valuable as a secondary melee assist while also
supporting the group with their casts and acting as backup
healer and off-tank while a Rogue acts as Main Assist.
Shaman ability to act as a Main Tank substitute declines at
higher levels and drops off dramatically after Sunken Temple
(which is still easy if you are a 60). Paladins, with their greater
mitigation, last somewhat longer, and have tanked all bosses
up to UBRS and off-tanked in Molten Core. Some players
have pointed out that engineering not only helps PVP but also
provides AOE damage, crowd control and taunt toys that help
tanking (as well as the ability to build repairbots, a plus when
seeking entry to high-end instance groups).
--16A--SHAMAN TANKING--2005.0910—
In addition to the relevant points above, following are
additional useful points about Shaman tanking, most also
applicable to off-tanking techniques.
*1. Shaman have Rockbiter, Earth Shock, and a variety of
AOE shock, totems and attacks as well as potentially powerful
melee, totem and AOE attacks (depending on spec), and their
healing aggro is not reduced like Paladins (a benefit for
tanking, though not if group healer). Many Enhancement
talents are useful for tanking as well as melee in general, while
Improved Lesser Healing Wave and Nature’s Swiftness in the
Restoration tree are very useful for uninterrupted healing
while tanking. Unlike a Druids, who needs to change into
vulnerable caster form to cast a heal, a Shaman can
simultaneously tank and build Threat through needed heals.
*2. Shamans can generate Threat but lack the tools Warriors
and Bears have to handle multiple mobs, so zergs are more
dangerous. Pull to a safe area and limit the mobs you tank to
3 at a time if you can. Sharing the burden between 2 Shaman
tanks or with a pet is useful; the weaker tank should act as
Main Assist on the group’s target while the stronger tanks all
the other mobs. Shamans don’t have the taunts to fight over a
mob’s aggro with the Main Assist or another player while
tanking multiple others. If a mage/hunter/rogue won’t assist
and insists on getting personal aggro you can’t stop him so
don’t try. You can always rez him later. Focus on the loose
mobs.

*3. For tanking or off-tanking swap in high-armor Tanking
gear with a mix of STAM/AGI/STR as well as adequate INT
for endurance and survivability. Add as much +Defense gear
as you can manage without seriously affecting your stats
(assuming you have Parry and a shield to Block with). Hitting
60 your set should have 4000-4500 health and 5000-6000
armor. Use a Shield + 1 Hander except against a small
number of trash mobs. I use Wardrobe to switch outfits
between mobs and Weaponswap to switch weapon/shield
combos in combat.
*4. Tanking is greatly aided by Enhancement talents. The tree
up to Parry is commonly recommended for all Shamans while
leveling up, usually combined with Restoration. Thundering
Strikes, 2 Handers, Improved Lightning Shield, Flurry, and
Parry are useful for both DPS and tanking. Shield Spec,
Anticipation and Toughness are more useful if tanking/off-
tanking often or focusing on a melee build but can be
substituted for with better gear.
*5. You can’t handle sloppy situations like a Warrior nor do
Earth Shock cooldowns let you pick up solid aggro against a
large number of mobs as quickly. When tanking, pay extra
attention to coordinating crowd control, the effect of your
AOEs, maintaining proper Main Assist/Secondary Assist
roles, and having the team ramp up damage over time rather
than fire their heavy artillery right away.
*6. Apply Rockbiter and Lightning Shield before the fight. Get
Thorns or Fire Shield to help build incremental Threat on
mobs you are not hitting. Lay down totems (e.g., Grace of Air
and either Stoneskin or Strength of Earth) and then pull with
Chain Lighting for multi-mob initial aggro. Your mana
priority is having Earth Shocks available for Threat. If you
decide to use fire totems for damage rather than initial AOE
threat against multiple mobs, use them only if you have
already tagged all mobs so they won’t pull aggro and be
immediately destroyed.
*7. Use your highest Earth Shock (enhances Threat) on the
first target mob as early as possible in the pull and then hit
and ES the next one to get solid Threat on both of them.
Cycling hits with Rockbiter and using an Earthshock against
each mob in the pull will build good aggro. Once cycled, you
may decide to conserve ES for use like a taunt on any loose
mobs rather than burn it to build further aggro - it depends on
the situation. In any case, keep Rockbiting.
*8. Selective and well-timed use of Improved Lesser Healing
Wave and Nature’s Swiftness can help improve your
survivability, build aggro, and reduce the primary healer’s
healing aggro risk. If a sapping rogue or other player pulls
initial aggro and takes damage, a quick heal on him will create
Threat on all mobs aware of him and pull them to you. Do
your own first heal if you can. If the healer pulls aggro,
throwing a big heal on him can help pull the mobs back. But
remember you are the tank, not the healer - conserve your
mana for keeping the mobs on you.

*9. Frost shock runners. Tauren can War Stomp to buy time
to throw a tactical heal or stop a mob from killing the healer.
*10. Of course, when Shamans in a group are NOT tanking or
off-tanking tactics change. They should avoid unnecessary
aggro by ramping up damage over time, avoiding Rockbiter,
and using Earth Shocks only for interrupts at level 1.
Flameshock has more mana-efficient shock damage. If off-
tanking part-time, Rockbiter can be applied to one weapon
and Windfury to another and a weaponswap macro used to
wield either at need.
--16B--PALADIN TANKING-- 2006.0206—
In addition to relevant points above, following are some
additional points about Paladin tanking:
*1. The weakness of a Paladin compared with a Warrior or
Bear is handling numerous mobs. Lack of a taunt or other
snap-aggro tool after a mob knockback wipes aggro (it is even
more important to fight with your back to a corner or wall to
limit knockbacks) or recovering other loose mobs aggroed on
other players makes it even more important to get proper
/assists from the team and have them give you 10-15 seconds
of personal time with the mobs before unleashing DPS.
Shamans beat Paladins in aggro, Paladins beat Shamans in
survivability. It is this high armor mitigation, self-healing, and
effective tools to build Threat over time that make Paladins
good off-tanks and viable single-target tanks even in the
endgame.
* 2. Properly specced Paladins can do considerable damage,
but focusing on boosting damage rather than Threat can be a
fatal error. Patch 1.9 replaced the old Seal of Fury/Judgement
of Fury combo with the Righteous Fury (RF) self-buff (also
available at level 16), which generates 60% increased Threat
from ALL of the Paladin’s Holy attacks. Fully Improved
Righteous Fury (requiring a minimum of 13pts in Protection)
increases Fury-related Threat by 90%. Paladins report that RF
generates less single-target Threat than SOF did, but it applies
to ALL Holy attacks so increases tanking ability against
multiple mobs using Consecration/Holy Wrath AOEs. Seal of
Righteousness (SOR) remains the basic tanking seal, as it
creates additional Holy damage in melee. Holy Shock can be
useful for Paladin ranged pulling and trying to recover aggro,
but as a 31pt Holy talent is not part of a normal tanking build.
*3. Unlike a Shaman, a Paladin needs to use talents to have
access to key tanking tools. Consecration is an essential talent
and provides an 8-second Holy damage AOE for the 11th pt in
Holy (for a tank the preceding talents would be Divine
Strength and Improved Seal of Righteousness). Improved
Righteous Fury (tps 11-13 in Protection) is also important,
however, which with Consecration leaves 27tps for use in the
Protection or Retribution trees. Once you have mobs hitting
you, Consecration combines well with Holy Shield (the 31 TP
Protection talent), which increases block rate and inflicts Holy
damage for up to 4 shield blocks, and increased blocking from
Redoubt and Shield Specialization. However, Protection in
1.9 is generally viewed as a weak primary tree overall
compared with Retribution, which has a variety of talents that
increase damage generation. Unfortunately, you can’t fit Holy
Shield, Consecration and Seal of Command into 51tps. [To be
checked: Righteous Fury effect on Threat from blocks and
retribution aura?]
*4. Single target tanking is simple - keep Improved Righteous
Fury on, judge Crusader on the mob, and do as much damage
as possible, focusing on Holy damage. Use Holy Shield early
if you have it in order to build Threat. Retribution Aura and
Consecration are primarily multi-mob tools, but can also help
keep aggro on a single target (as can Thorns). Against
multiple mobs, you can begin with Consecration to pull initial
aggro and Retribution Aura to build Threat, hit Holy Shield if
you have it, judge Crusader and hit with SOR on the initial
group target a few times, and then cycle a few hits through
the other mobs while spamming Consecration every 8
seconds. Because Consecration can break crowd control,
sapping followed by a sheep or hunter pull to your
consecrated area will help. To conserve mana in longer multi-
mob fights, use lower ranks of Consecration and Holy Shield
to keep them active as much as possible. Against Undead,
pulling with Holy Wrath will get their attention, but your
Priest should know to shackle only after the pull.
*5. To help forestall difficulties in recovering aggro lost to
healer or DPS classes, Blessing of Salvation can be cast on
them for 30% Threat reduction. If that fails, Blessing of
Protection can be cast to immunize the teammate from assault
and help pull aggro back, but even improved it has a 3 minute
timer so should be saved for emergencies. Hammer of Justice
can stun loose mobs and creates Threat, but due to the timer
should also be saved for dangerous runners or saving your
healer. Never bubble when tanking as the mobs will turn on
your group.
*6. Paladin self-healing in combat benefits greatly from the
Spiritual Focus Holy talent, giving up to 70% non-
interruptability. Lacking this, a Hammer of Justice stun or
Concentration Aura can be used to help heal, but neither are
suitable for this purpose while tanking, and tanking is mana-
intensive, leaving less mana for heals. Threat from Paladin
healing was recently increased, but still generates less Threat
per HP than other classes’ heals. This makes Paladins better
healers and more survivable tanks but makes healing aggro a
weak tool. This is OK because the Paladin should be healed
by the group healers in order to conserve mana for tanking.
For a long fight, keep Blessing of Wisdom on yourself and
carry mana potions.
*7. Retribution Aura inflicts Holy damage on every mob
attacking any person with the Aura and can be improved for
TPs 16-17 in Retribution. Like thorns, it is useful for tanking
multiple mobs, but because it works on ALL members of your
party any aggro they pull becomes more sticky. When the
number of mobs is manageably few and you have a lot of
casters, Concentration Aura uninterruptability may be more
worthwhile. For 21 TPs in Retribution, Sanctity Aura
provides a nice boost to Holy damage.
*8. Choosing Paladin gear is always a tradeoff. Tanking does
not simplify the decision because your need for +defense gear,
stamina, and AC increases but you still need mana. Mana
regen gear and BOWisdom remain important for long fights.
With Wisdom judged on your target you will gain mana from
both the normal hits and the “phantom hit” from Righteous
Fury. Even with only Redoubt, you will block a lot and
always get the best shield spike you can. Consider armor or
trinkets that proc damage against anyone attacking you or
have another useful AOE effect against multiple mobs.
--16C--PETS--2005.0605—
Pets can be actively managed to aggro multiple mobs with
growl and an attack or two each to build light aggro, but this
process is relatively slow compared with the speed with
which multiple mobs will aggro on party members. Keep in
mind that pets are built to grab single target aggro and hold it
reasonably well in the face of a controlled level of DPS from
the Hunter or Warlock - i.e., they are designed as off Tanks
and expecting them to Tank two or more mobs for a group in
the face of concentrated damage or healing Threat generation
is unrealistic. They can, however, keep one or two mobs busy
for a time and sacrifice themselves so the party members can
get the job done.
Although the Voidwalker is the most effective for this purpose
with the multi-mob Suffering taunt (especially if improved
with Demonology talents), in instances the stamina buff and
ranged damage of the Imp or the crowd control of the
Succubus are usually more useful. Use the Hunter’s pet if
available. With the pet tanking, the Hunter is Main Assist and
everyone should assist on him. As always, all Pets should be
on passive, controlled via the pet bar. If the pet has to tank, it
should be sorted out in advance whether the Hunter will be
responsible for healing his pet. Since it is tanking, the primary
healer is normally going to heal the pet. This is easier now
that pet portraits are in the game.
Although greater customization is promised by Blizzard,
currently Hunter pets are fairly generic, varying to some
degree in three key attributes: armor, health, and dps. Pets are
either high in one, medium in another and low in the third, or
somewhere in the middle on all three like boars, vultures,
hyenas, and wolves. Pets also vary in attack speed, with DPS
pets usually faster. Pets with high armor have the most
physical damage mitigation, but with multiple mobs, and
magic attacks that are not affected by armor, they going to
take considerable damage and may require chain healing, so
high health, medium armor, low dps (i.e., bears) would be my
first choice for a pet tank.
Conversely, where a pet is not needed as a Tank or durable
Off-tank, a high-dps pet (cat, bat, owl, raptor, or spider) may
help the group the most by assisting the Hunter.
==(17)==RESERVED==
PART 5: SPECIAL TOPICS
==(18)==RESERVED==
==(19)==OF DOTS AND WARLOCKS==2005.0802==DOTs
are a perfect tool for ramping up damage and curses like curse
of weakness for weakening or otherwise hindering mobs (I
suggest the primary healer save their mana for healing and
not build additional Threat with DOTs). In theory, warlocks How does the healer feel about life tap? It is good practice for
should be perfect for cycling through the mobs the Tank has a Warlock to life tap if at full health but low mana in order to
aggroed but the main assist is not working on and laying first benefit from both health and mana regen, but excessive life
a curse of weakness to reduce their damage to the Tank and tapping looks like severe damage and may draw a heal away
then rounds of damage DOTs, before moving to more from another player who needs it. Life tapping combined
damaging casts to help the Main Assist while staying below with healing to replenish the health bar is an effective way to
the Threat curve. keep the Warlock doing damage in a long fight. (When
healing, it is surprising how many Warlocks don’t listen when
Doing a direct assist on the Tank while the Tank cycles would I tell them they should life tap to get needed mana in combat,
maximize safety (ideally the warlock would cycle with the and that they need to make room on their health bar before I
Tank by hitting assist before casting). Curse of recklessness on can land a heal there.) A Warlock and healer should have an
the Main Assist’s target when it gets low on health both understanding -should the healer not feel obligated to heal the
reduces its armor and keeps it from running, although the Warlock until the Warlock is dipping low in both health and
mob does additional damage as well. What I am not clear on mana, AOEing or sends a HELP HELP message?
is to what extent curses build Threat beyond normal Threat
from damage or debuffs. Warlocks also often have high HP http://www.wowhealers.com/content/view/200/50/
and the ability to in effect heal themselves by sucking the life
from their foes, something which can inadvertently waste
valuable healing mana when the Warlock does not really need
a heal. What I suggest is that the Warlock talk with the Tank
and healer about some things other than just soulstones, fear,
crowd control and passing out healthstones to everyone (Tank
first so he can self-heal, building Threat, then Main Assist,
healer and others). Should the Warlock DOT all the mobs or
focus on helping the Main Assist? If so, the warrior needs to
take more care to build Threat from the mobs. Will the
Warlock be his own off Tank/crowd control if he pulls aggro?
An experienced Tank will have some definite views on what
would work best.