A Visual Guide to the Bone Dragon in Crystal Tower

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Originally Posted by BotenAnna

Dragon in the centre.

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I have never done it that way, nor has anyone even suggested doing it that way in any run I've completed.

More effective, both in terms of skeleton placement for maximized dps and the distance they need to run and dragon placement to keep it out of the way as much as possible for things like it's breath attack, is to tank it near the edge. This method is also more idiot-proof because of the larger area available to work with in any given direction from the dragon.
http://i43.tinypic.com/nwnh2e.png
Skeleton placement isn't set in stone, as long as every skeleton is on its own square, preferably not on two adjacent squares since it's still possible for them to link after they start moving although it's usually fine even so.

The biggest thing regardless of your set up is:
1. Tanks: If you're pulling a skeleton to a spot, then look on the ground nearby. Dead skeletons are clearly visible on the ground. If you see one, don't pull it there. Also, fighting over hate on skeletons is idiotic. Stop it.
2. DPS: Don't attack the skeletons until they're in position. You can double check their position is okay the same way the tanks do. Placing them correctly is next to impossible if you're nuking them in 6 seconds flat.
3. DPS: Don't kill the dragon before all six skeletons are dead. Every dps in the raid does not need to be attacking it between skeleton pops. A single group out of the alliance is more than enough to kill it with appropriate timing.

Always had Dragon in the center. Spare tanks take paths around the dragon, pull skeletons as listed in OP. Wipes are non-existent unless people are trolling.

Both methods are viable, but the comments about pulling the boss to the edges being heavily painful for Melee DPS is very true, it is also more frustrating on the healers who are force to work harder due to the higher healing load to force players onto the poison far more often than the arena is designed to withstand.

IMO, the Dragon is meant to be tanked in the center.

Always works out pulling the dragon to the back, it's pretty much idiot proof. The only time I've wiped on that boss is when someone keeps it in the center and it causes a lot of arguments, after one wipe in the center is when the trolling comes out then eventually the raid dissolves. IMO if they wanted bosses to be done a certain way the devs would put up restrictions like having the dragon unable to move from the center platform. Being able to do different ways of tackling content makes things more interesting. I'm sure there are other bosses that are tanked the way they are not "supposed" to be tanked.

99% groups tank the dragon north.

I'm sure, but when you try to 'outsmart' the designed mechanics with large numbers of randoms, you more often than not screw it up.

I've done the 'end' tanking thing. It was by far more miserable than the center-tanking method for all involved except those who think they were being intelligent. Poison pool damage is a real PITA for anyone who can't combat at range and worse for uncoordinated teams.

Look at the placement difference between OP MAP and the So called "Better" Map. Not only do no shorter than FOUR of the skeletons path into pooling areas and away from areas where Melee can attack them without suffering damage. But one path is guaranteed to have double up on Skeletons for placement. Meaning if your tanks do not know where perceptively to place that last Skeleton, you're likely go have a pair link and blitz the Dragon for the AoE damage.

In the OP map there's no room for such confusion. One Skeleton per end-square, all Skeleton paths allow for Melee/Tank interception without having to walk through pools.

Which do you think a squad of possible first-timers is going to understand easier? Which is more accessible to all class types?

I understand the drive for trying to be efficient, but honestly, it's fairly moot. You gain little to nothing altering the base tactics for what can amount to a lot of confusion. If you trick the system into making a Premade, sure, but if you're using the Duty Finder to fill in the Alliance I just don't see the logic in it when compared to the simplicity of the other strageity - speaking academically.

Personally, I don't try to force tactics when in CT. I just go with the group and give my best effort. But if we're speaking preferences, I'd rather have the boss in the center.


Also, fake stats are very fake.

Since when are there only six paths in that fight?

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Originally Posted by Hyrist

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I have never wiped on this boss, nor has poison damage ever been an issue. I can't speak for the melee DPS since I'm a healer, but as long as the off-tanks are paying attention and not fighting for aggro, nothing bad happens. I believe this is true for both setups.

As someone else said, this is very common on Ultros and possibly the entire data center, as I've yet to see a group try it with the dragon in the center. As a result, everyone - randoms included - is on the same page. You think having the dragon in the corner is more difficult or less efficient because you haven't tried it where everyone knows hows it works, just as I think having a big dragon in the middle complicates things because I haven't tried it (and to be honest, I like being able to sprint to anywhere in the room without worrying about a huge dragon smacking me).

Both strategies are viable and unless some crazy group of super min-maxing speed runners time both methods to see which is more efficient, no one can argue one way or the other.

I've never seen it tanked in the center in around 100 runs of CT...

Always to the north, in my experience.

I've only seen it tanked up north very rarely.

This may be a definition created based off of preferences of different data center clusters or playtimes.

In all my runs, always in the middle, nowhere else. Always beat, never wiped or any issues.