Tank AOE doging.

Was just wondering how other tanks handle the common cone aoe Dodge. Here is something I have noticed about when I do it that got me thinking maybe most tanks do it differently?

When I Dodge a cone aoe from a mob I am fighting I typically run straight through the mob. In response to this any melee characters in my party tend to adjust their positioning automatically, however after the aoe is done I run back to where I previously was. This causes the dps to again have to move in order to apply buffs and do more damage, the fact that they had to move 2x because of me means that their dps isnt being optimized as it could be, so I was just wondering if the dps move instantly like that just out of instinct or do most tanks stay in the new position they have acquired after dodging and dps are just used to that and change their positions based on it?

DPS should stay where they are. After you move out of the AoE range, you should go back to your usual tanking spot which in turn turns the mob back the way they were. DPS shouldn't need to move.

I run straight through the mob and immediately move back to my original spot once the cast bar is done (not when the animation finishes). The mob doesn't even turn on my screen, so I'm fairly certain melee DPS don't have to adjust, either. I don't think I've ever seen a melee DPS pre-adjust their position based on where I'm standing, as opposed to the mob.

I personally try to minimize my movements as much as absolutely possible.

For the cone attacks I will move slightly in and slightly to the side so that I am just outside of the red and then step right back into place. The mobs barely move at all and as long as you're moving back as soon as the cast bar's finished the mob likely won't move at all.

The key thing really is to be consistent and keep movement to a minimum. For example, unless it's going to make things worse, I will almost always move to the left of my current position. DD seem to pick this up pretty quickly so they know how the mob's going to react to me.

It depends on if we're talking about trash packs (2-4) or mobs (4+): with packs I'll dodge and return to my original spot, with mobs I'll try to reposition during the dodge to keep others safe from AE (when possible) and reduce enemy movement; with many enemies, they're going to be shifting with nearly every movement you make, so trying to reposition after a dodge just makes it more hectic.

I just run through the mob to the "back" side; then run right back, as has been remarked. It works so quickly there shouldn't be any need for the damage-dealers to reposition themselves. Combine this with critters with LARGE character models (last night, for example; Svara in Coerthas) and you can experience a Crowning Moment of Awesome as you fight perfectly centered under the belly of the beast... move... move back... and your crowd of DD layeth the smacketh down continuously and in total safety :)

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I run straight through the mob and immediately move back to my original spot once the cast bar is done (not when the animation finishes). The mob doesn't even turn on my screen, so I'm fairly certain melee DPS don't have to adjust, either. I don't think I've ever seen a melee DPS pre-adjust their position based on where I'm standing, as opposed to the mob.

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this, im back in front of the mob as the move is going off but take no dmg because cast bar was done and enemy never turns around

I prefer to stand in the red and not move, healing isn't my job, my job is to soak damage!! . . . If you move outta red you're better than the anecdotal 50% of tanks who can't even move from 3-5 second charge up moves. Reasonable damage dealing jobs won't rotate just because a mob twists for half a sec, they know you'll be moving right back. Chances are they did their positionals while the mob was casting because, i think, that's about the best time to get them in.

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Originally Posted by Peptaru

I prefer to stand in the red and not move, healing isn't my job, my job is to soak damage!! . . . If you move outta red you're better than the anecdotal 50% of tanks who can't even move from 3-5 second charge up moves. **

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Oh come on :P Damage mitigation is also part of the job description ie dodging dodgable AOEs.

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Originally Posted by krazyrs

this, im back in front of the mob as the move is going off but take no dmg because cast bar was done and enemy never turns around

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This is true and it is easier to pull off.... although i try to dodge to the sides whenever I can just on the offchance that i might not get back in position quick enough and/or the mob has an unfortunate cleave-autoattack. I am merely mitigating the chance of an unfortunate... accident :)

What i do:

Move out of red AOE and immediately move back to original position when it fades away. Mobs don't even move and still busy with the animation :P. Dont know if this work if you have latency issues tho..

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Originally Posted by Peptaru

I prefer to stand in the red and not move, healing isn't my job, my job is to soak damage!! . . . If you move outta red you're better than the anecdotal 50% of tanks who can't even move from 3-5 second charge up moves. Reasonable damage dealing jobs won't rotate just because a mob twists for half a sec, they know you'll be moving right back. Chances are they did their positionals while the mob was casting because, i think, that's about the best time to get them in.

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http://i.imgur.com/sjLZnLq.gif

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Originally Posted by Bamboofox

I run straight through the mob and immediately move back to my original spot once the cast bar is done (not when the animation finishes). The mob doesn't even turn on my screen, so I'm fairly certain melee DPS don't have to adjust, either. I don't think I've ever seen a melee DPS pre-adjust their position based on where I'm standing, as opposed to the mob.

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^ except I move back to position immediately after I go behind the mob.
I actually don't wait for cast bar to finish... Because even though 2.1 supposably fixed delay, it is still there.... So I just pre-move before the cast animation finishes (roughly 85-90%). Maybe it's because of latency

I never move through the mob, I strafe, but it just seems easier for me. Melee dps that move because of that are just used to bad tanks, or are just doing positional stuff like using Twin Snakes on a Monk.

I run through the mob. As soon as the red indicator is gone you can run back through the mob since the action has already been queued by the server and the positional update will recognize you're not in that area. A good example of this is like on the Ultima fight where you have to do the in/out motion. The screen shows you're running into that plume but since the action has already gone off and you weren't in it when the positional check was placed, you don't take any damage.

That's also true with Landslide Btw. Feels awesome to have Titan striking the ground and you effortlessly withstand it (although you never are in danger).

I usually just dodge and once the red cone is over I step back in. Once the animation finishes, I'm back where I was. Think Ninja

You can move in during the attack animation. If you do this correctly the mob/boss shouldn't move at all.

If melee dps cant move and attack then somethings wrong.

Most of the replies here are very good in response to the main subject, but I'd like to throw an additional piece of advise. If you dodge to the left, right, behind or whatever, and the mob turns to your position, I have found that it's best to just keep it there instead of correcting your position, otherwise the DPS will over correct. I've done it many times on my Paladin and only realized it was annoying when I leveled up a Dragoon, where positioning is key to keeping a good rotation going, especially in the later levels.

I have found that just bringing it up in party chat with a brief "I'll dodge AoEs running thru the boss/mob and back in place" or something similar, helps the DPS to know you aren't going to put them in unnecessary harm's way. Or when it is happening, throwing out there a "You don't have to move if you don't want to; I'm moving back in place each time" in party chat helps as well.

Moving through the mob/boss versus slightly out of the way and back also changes in different circumstances: sometimes you can't move slightly out of the way and stay there and run back in place (such as 2+ pugs in WP at once) no matter how good you are, because each mob's AoE starts/ends at different times. So you may have to move 3 times. Or worse, running through the 1 mob's AoE, causes the other mob's AoE to face the other way so no one dodges anything, and could even hit the healer.

In addition to the above:

IMHO, it just comes down to letting people know your plan. Trusting they will catch on doesn't always work. Letting them know your plan pretty much always does. And since it only takes about a minute to let everyone know, it makes it easier for all. Additionally, the DPSers or healers may be tanks themselves and do it one way and think that's the way you are going to do it. Always helps to clarify.

I've also noticed a lot of tank-turned-dd who loves to interrupt/stun/silence those AoE casts.

Please don't unless it was meant to be interrupted.

You know it as well as I do that we rely on the cast to finish properly so the target doesn't turn. Silencing or interrupting something will cause the mob to "snap" towards the tank.

Besides, when the mob is casting something it is not attacking the tank. So choose when you stun/silence.