Tanking Question on Garuda

So, I made my first attempts at completing Garuda hard mode last night. In one of the groups, I was the offtank. The strategy I read said that I am supposed to tank the add with the red line while everyone burns the add with the green line because the green one heals Garuda and therefore must be killed as quickly as possible.

However, when the adds came, the green one appeared closer to us and the red appeared across the map. I ran over to try to grab the red one, throwing shield lobs at it while it was coming across. Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting her under control because by the time she got across the healers had spammed a bunch of big heals and had aggro on her. I concede here that I should have timed my provoke better (I used it a little before she got to us, but I should have used it right before a Rage of Halone or something to make sure provoke put me on top and then gained ahead with Rage).

Anyway, we wiped and everyone started telling me that I should tank the add that appears closest and the one coming across gets nuked. Before I had a chance to counter that, everyone called me a bad tank or a noob and left. In the next group I was in, I was MT and we killed her.

So which is the proper strategy? Tanking the one that appears closest, even if it is the green one, or tanking the red one while everyone destroys the green one?

Far as my group's been doing (run with friends here) the MT will tank the one that spawns the closest and the OT will tank the one that comes from further away. But that is just during the circle-strafe phase not during the eye of the storm phase. As that happens the DPS focuses on whichever has the green link, regardless of which tank got it.

During the eye of the storm phase I can't quite remember how we do it, I believe that the OT gets the one with the red link but I can't be sure.

Got a guide here if you are interested! I talk about how to tank and you can see what our tank does, enjoy! :D

Garuda HM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsxNut1t-HM

Honestly, I wish that people would explain the Garuda adds more properly to first timer. They always either say "Pull the one with the red line" or "Don't pull the one with the green line." Instead of saying. "Only one add will have a line. Either pull the one with the red line or the one who doesn't have a red line."

Onto the topic of pulling the red lined add. What I usually do in the case of the farthest. Is toss a shield lob(or two) and then tossa provoke the moment she is really close to me and spam any weaponskill I have. After a few times, you'll get the timing. I've rarely seen any tank manage to succesfully pull the furthest add on their first attempt. So don't let it get to you.

If it's the closest, I just start with flash, shield lob and maybe a provoke depending on the situation. Or something that I've done as well was time my weaponskill so that I was left with a buffed Raged of Halone when Garuda warps. Allowing me to use it on the closest add for 100% succes hate pull.

It really feels like the luck of the draw sometimes as to if that add phase will be easy or chaos. Normally what happens straight away when they spawn is they aggro on the healers since regens and MT heals will happen. I usually try to pop shroud as they spawn if possible to lower my threat but normally it won't take them off me. Hopefully the red one will be close enough for the OT to grab the thing and move it because once the green one gets to the DPS all hell breaks loose and group healing begins drawing loads of aggro.

Sometimes what i see happen is the OT can't get aggro fast enough and both adds massacre the DPS and healers. Personally only know of the strat involving ganking the healing add as fast as possible while the OT tanks the red one and the MT tanks garuda in a sort of triangle formation though i have done a PuG where the MT took both Garuda and the red add while the OT took the green allowing for a faster kill and then took red off the MT.

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Originally Posted by Vydos

Honestly, I wish that people would explain the Garuda adds more properly to first timer. They always either say "Pull the one with the red line" or "Don't pull the one with the green line." Instead of saying. "Only one add will have a line. Either pull the one with the red line or the one who doesn't have a red line."

Onto the topic of pulling the red lined add. What I usually do in the case of the farthest. Is toss a shield lob(or two) and then tossa provoke the moment she is really close to me and spam any weaponskill I have. After a few times, you'll get the timing. I've rarely seen any tank manage to succesfully pull the furthest add on their first attempt. So don't let it get to you.

If it's the closest, I just start with flash, shield lob and maybe a provoke depending on the situation. Or something that I've done as well was time my weaponskill so that I was left with a buffed Raged of Halone when Garuda warps. Allowing me to use it on the closest add for 100% succes hate pull.

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Yeah, when it is close it is obviously pretty easy to grab. So it sounds like you would say to grab the one that doesn't have the green line, even if it is the farthest one? The group I was with thought I should always grab the close one while they burn the far one as it comes across. That sounds wrong to me because if the close one is the green one, it will be healing Garuda while they kill the other one.

I've healed Garuda HM many times. The Sisters phase always comes down to the same problems:

1) All three mobs have frontal cleaves, and
2) Someone gets threat, then drags one or more mobs in front of all the DPS (and/or heals).

The appearance of the Sisters should be treated as a threat wipe. Don't Medica2 up front; leave Regen off the tank; appoint a DPS to act as the puller for the Green sister.

MT keeps Garuda, and has her faced away.
OT keeps Red, and has her faced away.
DPS takes Green; initial DPS tank has her faced away. Think "triangle"; Garuda and her Sisters go at the vertices, facing outward. Heals and DPS to the middle.

If you appoint a high-threat DPS to pick up a sister, they've got a risky job -- but heals will also know who to take care of, making the enterprise survivable. Try not to put all DPS in front of Green due to the cleave; healing has to be AOE to survive, and that generates big threat.

The biggest thing is timing your provoke and positioning the add.

Honestly, it's probably easier in the first add phase to just immediately jump on the close add with Rage of Halone (Combo) to hold it in place, and then use provoke on the other add when it comes in. A good main tank will also toss a provoke and ranged attack on whatever add is not being tanked by the offtank.

Definitely hold on to provoke until the red add is within melee range, because otherwise it will be completely moot.

If any of the healers use medica or pre-buff others with regen your chances of picking up the red add if it's coming from the outside go down dramatically, unless you time provoke properly.