Dr. Espers guide to hitting positionals with MS paint

Hello, my name is Esper and I have a problem. I play Dragoon.

I've noticed many people commenting on the difficulty of hitting the positional requirements of melee DPS. This, I think, is a common misconception held by people who don't fully understand the anatomy of NPC hit boxes. I've taken the time this morning to illustrate (via MS paint) the safest and most efficient method to hitting positionals.

"But Esssspers!" you say with your typical pubescent whine "You're a loldrg! Why should we listen to you!?" Honestly? You probably shouldn't but I took the time to write this so just shut your mouth and pay attention.

First, lets take a look at what not to do:
http://i.imgur.com/bYDx06e.png?1

This is wrong for two reasons. It creates extra amount of space for you to travel between your GCD's and it exposes you to rear cleaves, like the one Cerberus has.

If you pay attention to the bottom of a mob, you'll notice a little red ring (it's yellow in the following picture, but most of the time it will be red... or purple... shut up) around them. This is actually their hitbox!

http://i.imgur.com/bITxgGz.png

Notice how it's not a complete ring? That's not a graphical error, that's actually where you need to stand to hit the rear.

http://i.imgur.com/LBDL8U1.png?1

As you can see, SE has given us a very clear visual illustration of where we should be standing to pull off our fat dps.

If you train yourself to stand here for flanks:
http://i.imgur.com/tJ2G6dx.png?1

And here for rear hits:
http://i.imgur.com/8hY4T72.png?1

You'll have a much easier time transitioning for your ability's.

This lets you move as little as possible and still pull off incredibly accurate positionals.

A monk rotation would look something like this;
Bootshine,
Step to the right.
Twinsnakes,
Step to the left.
Demolish.

You literally only need to take a single step to hit everyone of your positionals.

Thank you for taking the time to read my incoherent guide. Please feel free to send all your gils to Esperacchius Skybreak on Lamia. Have a nice day.

Edit: Dervy brought this up which I forgot to mention.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dervy

The positional counts at the point of ability activation, not animation.


You can be running circles around the boss and activate Chaos Thrust right as you hit the rear, ending up at the flank during animation cast, but you'll get the Rear Bonus. Useful tip for those trying to hit positional whilst avoiding AOE's.

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Thanks Dervy. He throws out some solid DRG discussion/theory crafting on his youtube channel here.

TL;DR: Positionals aren't that hard, yo.

I like you.

You should probably add that the positional counts at the point of ability activation, not animation.

You can be running circles around the boss and activate Chaos Thrust right as you hit the rear, ending up at the flank during animation cast, but you'll get the Rear Bonus. Useful tip for those trying to hit positional whilst avoiding AOE's.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dervy

You should probably add that the positional counts at the point of ability activation, not animation.

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Okay! Will do.

Also, about those pesky mobs where you can't really tell where they are facing since they don't really turn and they look like they have a butt for a head; you'll most likely see a full circle as their hit box. That means positionals do not matter.

- Just your typical scumbag bard making your guide better.

This whole thread made me giggle :3 Great points! Maybe I'll need to refer some people here...

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Originally Posted by Esperacchius

Hello, my name is Esper and I have a problem. I play Dragoon.

"But Esssspers!" you say with your typical pubescent whine "You're a loldrg! Why should we listen to you!?" Honestly? You probably shouldn't but I took the time to write this so just shut your mouth and pay attention.

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Love it lol. Thanks for the laugh

Needs a MS paint guide to back-hit kraken and demon wall.

And putting up with spin top bosses like Masculine in T7.

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Originally Posted by RiceisNice

Needs a MS paint guide to back-hit demon wall.

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Have you tried running through demon wall?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RiceisNice

Needs a MS paint guide to back-hit kraken and demon wall.

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Please refer to the scumbag bard with no positionals.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seikon

Also, about those pesky mobs where you can't really tell where they are facing since they don't really turn and they look like they have a butt for a head; you'll most likely see a full circle as their hit box. That means positionals do not matter.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wintersandman

Have you tried running through demon wall?

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No, at this point I typically give up, go swimming/jump off and go home to enjoy a pasta dinner.

I have just started playing Monk and you are my favourite person for today :) thank you for this. Amazing.

I'm new to the game, and years of playing WOW have trained me to always stand behind the enemy unless it has a butt-cleave... I had no idea that "flanking" and "behind" were different things in this game until now.

I just want to say I still find this thread useful! I see so many people still doing it wrong.

On bosses like CoD, demon wall etc. do positionals automatically count? Every WoD fight I've done bootshine crits on CoD regardless of not being behind the boss for obvious reasons.

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Originally Posted by VargasVermillion

On bosses like CoD, demon wall etc. do positionals automatically count? Every WoD fight I've done bootshine crits on CoD regardless of not being behind the boss for obvious reasons.

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My understanding is that any mob whose target ring is just a plain circle (with no triangle at the front or blank spot in back) means all positional bonuses apply all the time from any direction.

EDIT: apparently Demon Wall and Cloud of Darkness dont fall into this category though.

Don't Demon Wall and Kraken (Main body, Sash HM) both have frontal cone arrows? This indicates that they actually do lack rear targets.

Demon Wall, Kraken and Cloud of Darkness do have Rear Targets, indeed. They can only be attacked from the Front and Flank.

The last boss of wod does not require you to be in position to get your bonuses. Anywhere counts.

I can confirm that the final WoD boss does not have any positional requirements.

Demon wall and Kraken has a Triangle signaling the front of their hitbox, Cloud of Darkness doesn't.

Thanks! This helped a lot! :p

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RiceisNice

Needs a MS paint guide to back-hit kraken and demon wall.

And putting up with spin top bosses like Masculine in T7.

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funny enough it is possible to hit back-hit demon wall, you just have to stand in the dead center and right up against him, difficult as hell to pull off tho, and if you get repeled while trying to do it, chances are your flying sideways strait off the edge!

EDIT: it seems as though the fight may have been changes since last i was in there so positionals are no longer required?

I tried to hit demon wall from behind as a pally once and as soon as I got behind him it sent me back to entrance of the room. Fun tempered will bugs for the win.

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Originally Posted by Gorlioliolio

I tried to hit demon wall from behind as a pally once and as soon as I got behind him it sent me back to entrance of the room. Fun tempered will bugs for the win.

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you used to be able to do this with a well timed jump on DRG as well since it returns you to your original position, might work with monk as well if you can time a shoulder tackle just right. i'de imagine warrior could to it as well, substituting tempered will with holmgang.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gorlioliolio

I tried to hit demon wall from behind as a pally once and as soon as I got behind him it sent me back to entrance of the room. Fun tempered will bugs for the win.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zamii

you used to be able to do this with a well timed jump on DRG as well since it returns you to your original position, might work with monk as well if you can time a shoulder tackle just right. i'de imagine warrior could to it as well, substituting tempered will with holmgang.

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Does it really even require anything special to do it? I believe all I had to do was just run through him since enemies do not have collision anyways. The game will send you to start so you can't ignore mechanics.

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Originally Posted by HeavensSword

Does it really even require anything special to do it? I believe all I had to do was just run through him since enemies do not have collision anyways. The game will send you to start so you can't ignore mechanics.

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it would do repel and then move, so you have to be on a class that can avoid a knockback or get back to it asap via some form of gap closer (shoulder tackle, spinshatter dive, etc), although i suppose an adlo might work to avoid the knockback also? never tried it.

thanks for this guide. i can stop being a bad MNK now.