PSA: How to Off-Tank in World of Darkness

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyalia

The first boss...I feel like the "correct" way to deal with the boss is to have 2-3 tanks "MT" it.

As a tank+healer main, I disagree. Any tank should have no problem (unless extremely badly geared) maintaining 2nd place enmity on this boss. Standing in front is a complete waste of healing resources. As healer, I've kept party-B tanks alive many times when B healers dropped. The true PSA here should be asking all WHMs to keep Regen running on the MT. That alone improves MT survivability by many times (unless there's no WHMs in the alliance).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyalia

pick up the adds. If you do that while still standing right in front of the boss stacked with the MT, your DPS can AoE them all at once easily.

A tip on add positioning: do not stand in front of mobs another tank is tanking! When two tanks want to have DPS AOE both their targets, and one or both of their targets have cleave attacks, you should stack the mobs, not yourself, so that you, the mobs, and the MT form a right angle or bigger depending on the cleave area. Minimize the damage you sustain, while forming a safe spot for the melee DPS, that is what you should be doing.

I can't count the number of times tanks drag mobs together and face their cleaves in every direction possible, forcing healers to spam AOE heals because all the melee plus all the tanks are all getting cleaved left right and center. You want faster kills? Then you should not only position the mobs, but also face the mobs properly, so your WHMs are not wasting time healing the DPS, but contributing with their Holy spam.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyalia

there's never a reason for a tank to go inside Cerberus. The Unknowns deal laughable damage and are not the threat. Stay outside and tank the Wolfsbanes - it is much more important.

One tank can hold all the Unknowns and let DPS (and healer) burn the targets unhindered. It's a pain in the a** trying to cast spells with a mob whacking at you. And unless you have a DPS building enmity on the Unknowns, they're going to go for the healer. Someone is going to end up tanking them, it might as well be you, the tank, because...well...there's already another tank outside for the Wolfsbanes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyalia

If you wait too long to get into the middle of the circle, a DPS or healer will run there too and unnecessarily take the damage.

Ranged DPS and healers are actually great for meteors because they can take the hit while still dealing damage to whatever needs killing. Especially when clouds and meteor overlap. As melee you are of more use chasing clouds with your full arsenal than shield lobbing at them waiting under a meteor.

But you have stressed one thing that seriously needed stressing: pick up adds! Gosh I can't count how many times I got tanks who think they are DPS and ignore the adds...

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyalia

I've heard that's the way things are done on JP datacenters.

JP server here and probably 99% of runs in all Crystal Tower raids will naturally have the B tank being MT, and A/C leader will mention what they do before the pull.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyalia

I wonder if JP datacenters have a problem with trolls

Haven't seen trolls, although Bone Dragon gets burned about 70% of the time anyways and you notice most of the experienced healers will be ready spamming AoE heals if skeletons are making their goals. Teleporter spam I've noticed once or twice out of a whole month perhaps.

I just go in with sword oath, if I have agro I tank, if I don't have agro then I grab adds...its pretty simple.

When I go into WoD I go in with the mind set that I will OT until the MT can't MT anymore. Otherwise I try to keep adds of from people and cover my healers. I am ilvl 111 with ATMA and when I have MT'ed in WoD I have had very little issues doing so. On a side note I never fight for aggro. If a tank rips it off from me...then I just switch to Sword Oath and assist. Also I don't consider myself some epeen freak when I go into WoD or anywhere else. I like to think I am a decent tank, and when under pressure work well. If it means not being the MT to ensure the run is smooth then meh.....I'll do it.