T5 Off-Tanking

Hi Guys,

Let me start off my saying that it has been a mighty struggle to get my static working on T5. We have a couple people who lag behind the rest in skill and (cough) internet connection. Each and every piece of content in the game I have been able to clear through PUGs faster than my static has gotten through it (I'm usually clearing things about 1-2 weeks after they come out, static still doesn't have Titan X or Twin down, despite starting to work together in late January).

We are finally starting to actively work on the Divebomb/Snake phase, our best attempt had us almost killing the 4 smaller snakes, but I died as the OT immediately after LB brought down the snakes to a sliver. My question specifically pertains to how to handle the transition there.

Our healers are struggling to get me even close to topped off preceding or during the second set of dive bombs (I have about 7900 hp with food with the echo now, as a PLD) - I burn Rampart at the start, wait 10s, hit conval, wait 10 secs, hit Bulwark, then hit sentinel during the second set of divebombs. This is barely keeping me up for the most part.

All I have left is Hallowed and my junk CDs at this point, so I have been running across after the second divebomb, hitting tempered will, then hitting HG after I make contact with the snakes. Usually about 12 seconds into that I am struggling to stay alive.

My questions:

- I know that I should be trying to save CDs for later on, but I am taking a massive amount of damage at the start - should I refrain from flash/CoS to avoid getting a random hit or 2 from the big snake and just let the dps take a bonk on the head as I am single target-aggroing the little snakes? Or is there is a sweet spot to stand?
- Are my healers just not cutting it? If so, are there any tips or tricks to healing during DBs? Swift Cast Medica II? Swift Cast Cure II/III?
- Is my timing correct on Hallowed/Tempered? Or should I be saving HG for later on?

Any and all advice welcome, including, "stfu, newb - this is how my static does it and you're totally wrong." I am extremely open to anything anyone has to offer.

Thank you all!

Almost sounds like to me it's ur healers suck. My static has no issues healing me on that phase. Really ot having 2 little snakes I shouldn't have to blow thru ur CDs until after the db. U have ur own stoneskin so could spam that but in all those heals gotta come in. Now once u have 4 then I would rampart and bulwark then at the end of that sent. You should be saving hg for the 5x liquid hells bc u can eat 2 then pop hg and eat the other 3 then move so there not everywhere.

Just used hallowed. With the hp buff you can easily keep yourself up with lesser cool downs + stoneskin if you get liquid hells during the hatch phase.

SCH will stay on MT during Dive Bombs.
WHM will heal OT during all snake phases.

All you should need for Divebombs in the hole is Rampart and Bulwork.
During the 2nd Set of Divebombs we use the strat were the OT kites the snakes around after the 1st Divebomb. You should be at full health or next to it when the new set of snakes appear. Pop Convo and Sent here. If the WHM can not keep you up for the 5 seconds the 2 snakes are attacking you there is nothing else you can do.

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Originally Posted by Ehayte

My questions:

- I know that I should be trying to save CDs for later on, but I am taking a massive amount of damage at the start - should I refrain from flash/CoS to avoid getting a random hit or 2 from the big snake and just let the dps take a bonk on the head as I am single target-aggroing the little snakes? Or is there is a sweet spot to stand?
- Are my healers just not cutting it? If so, are there any tips or tricks to healing during DBs? Swift Cast Medica II? Swift Cast Cure II/III?
- Is my timing correct on Hallowed/Tempered? Or should I be saving HG for later on?

Any and all advice welcome, including, "stfu, newb - this is how my static does it and you're totally wrong." I am extremely open to anything anyone has to offer.

Thank you all!

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If they are having no issues during the standstill portion of the snakes, then it sounds like they don't understand the timing of Divebombs. Have the SCH put his fairy at the top of where everyone is running to from the ditch. WHM should be Regening both tanks (have them divine seal regen for the run if this helps while learning) for this movement aspect (preferably while they are moving). Both WHM and SCH have time to get off a Cure/Physik at the top of the hill. You would literally have to be getting zero heals (if regen is on) to die to snakes at that point. I healed this on i82 SCH (very minimum to get in) and could keep the MT at 100% just from one Physik cast each time at the top of the hill, and ran back down to stack.

We always keep WHM on OT and SCH on MT. Never should have to use lustrate just doing the run up and down with the snakes. If you do it is because someone messed up a cure, or no regens. As a tank, you should just use Foresight during the run up and down, and need nothing during the pickup/holding of the 2 Hygeia before 2nd divebomb set. If you are dieing during that, your healers suck. If your MT can't take Asclepious off your flash within 2-4 seconds, he is doing it wrong. Heavy swing + Brutal Swing > Skull Sunder will usually always take it when I Warrior tank, and if it doesn't > Butcher Block will. There shouldn't even be enough cumulative damage from snakes to kill you in that time. So flash away and tell your Warrior to 1 - 2 - 3 better.

Always save HG for later. Your healers are in for a rude awakening if they can't heal you through that, as the tanks get stacks from Hygeia's death and you'll be taking way more damage. You can of course position the MT to not get stacks, but your first times through I wouldn't count on it, till you get a feeler. Even if you think you should use HG for snake phase, use it as snakes are dieing, because it is the only part till Liquid Hells on neruolink that you'll have to worry about damage. You can use all your other CDs for the Hygeias dieing though, since you don't tank again, and only take damage in Hatch phase (plenty of time to regain CDs).

Thanks - especially Traek - for the in depth advice. I really appreciate it and helped me get a good perspective on how much responsibility each role needs to take for the tank's hit points.

You don't need to use Hallowed, but I guess it depends greatly on your healers. The two snakes alone won't do a lot of damage, even without cooldowns. If all else fails, use Hallowed, but I'd only use it as a last ditch effort to stay alive. Here's how I did it as PLD:

Rampart after I have initial aggro > Foresight + Awareness when those wear off > Conv near the end when I'm about to go running for the rest of the snakes > Sentinel when they're all gathered > if they're not dead, Bulwark.

Everything's back up again when the egg phase happens.

My group handles Dive Bombs/Snakes a little differently than the "regular" way. We do the Mr Happy method, where we group up in the center, and run to the side, then the center, then the side again. Reason being if some unlucky person gets caught by Divebombs, then they wouldn't bring the whole party down with them. It requires a bit more coordination though, since you kind of have to start running before the Divebomb indicator appears (about 1 second before it appears).

Regardless of how I do Dive Bombs, as the PLD OT, I will pop Rampart during the second set of Dive Bombs. In between Divebombs, your healers have enough time to throw a Cure your way. The 2nd set of Divebombs has 3 dive bombs, which is 10 seconds apart for each, and Rampart lasts for about 30 seconds, so it's helpful mitigation. If the Snakes aren't too blind-resistant yet, they can also be Blinded.

When I then pull the 3rd snake, I pop Sentinel. My MT pulls the 4th snake, and we then use Mage LB on the 4 snakes + Asclepius. We don't care who gets stacks. The reason this works is because the vulnerabilty up debuff lasts for 45 seconds, and with the way we do it, 45 seconds is more than enough time to kill the snake, and for the debuff to fall off from everyone before Twintania re-appears for the Aetheric Profusion. I never have to use Hallowed with this method.

Not saying the regular way is easier/harder/worse/better, but it's just something to consider.