A Healer Talks About Tanks

[sQQuare]

jada jada, we are Tanks because we are surrounded by steel and like to take a beating, if you need hugs and comfort make a tailor...

(sarcasm, sort of)

[Mistoltin]

Ummm you can't stay on tanks target as a dps as they are constantly changing in order to keep hate.

I may have gotten carried away in expressing my point, sorry..

[Pixiestyx]

Lol I'm not a tank but I've been grouping with same one for few levels to point I'm marking targets for him while he goes afk. He comes back and boom we are ready.
Tanks need to use the signs. As they really do help make fights go smoother. Put the chain sing up and DPS or healer knows to sleep it. If #2 is attacking the melee DPS then you can ask them nicely to attack in order its very helpful.

[Pixiestyx]

I may have gotten carried away in expressing my point, sorry..

I was replying to how OP said to always attack the tanks target. I'm not an idiot I know what the signs are for. I don't attack one mob with a fire spell then hit next mob with fire then back to first. I said we don't do that. So you're the one who needs to learn to read

[Mistoltin]

There is an onus on the tank to make a the run somewhat organized. Battles need to be formulated and tanks are encouraged, at least from what I've seen and experienced, to be the "leader" of the group, per se.
I've never gotten any bad words as a tank, the only time I've encountered a bad experience from other players was when someone wasn't clearly following the numbered order and would pull before me, though, to my discredit, instead of informing him of his error I simply let him die instead. He and the healer both chewed me out because I didn't instruct them or tell them of their error. To this day that's the only negative thing I've had to hear as a tank.

If it's your first run, it doesn't matter, read a guide, sure, you won't be able to lead as effectively but you need to at least know everything. You can have someone in your party who does know act as a sort of tactician to you. Number your targets, be aware of patrols and if one joins the fray, pick it up and number it. Make sure the group knows everything that's going to happen beforehand, no surprises.

I queue as a healer sometimes and it clearly shocks me at how there's no communication and the group doesn't even know what to do to get passed certain mechanics. The blob(?) boss in Copperbell is the perfect example, so many times I've ran that dungeon and yet majority of the runs ends with me having to inform the party of how to actually beat the boss because the tank would rush in thinking it was just another tank 'n spank.

All in all, tanks get flak because we're required to be perfect for the rest of the group, if you're not even close to perfect, then you better get there. The group relies on you, if you're down then it's out. There's so much riding on your shoulders that you can't make a mistake, this is why every wrong thing you do is just so blatantly obvious to the rest of the group.

[Jinko]

Simple solution. Someone wants to be a critic, I feint a pull, let them tank, and drop group. I'd rather wait 15 minutes and enjoy my insta-queue with decent people who can accept that they themselves messed up, resulting in the problem.

That's the most retarded thing to do, so you will MPK 2 (or more) innocent people because of one Ahole ?

That actually says more about you than the Ahole IMO.

[Avalon_Albrook]

Ummm you can't stay on tanks target as a dps as they are constantly changing in order to keep hate.

If the tank marks the targets in an order, you sure can stay on the tank's target. He/she may have to rotate to hold aggro (unless mobs are asleep), but the kill order for everyone else doesn't change. (edit: I see the response you gave to someone else who commented on this, and I don't think the problem lies in that person or I being unable to read.)


Also: OP, your post was beautiful and I love you for it. Signed, a tank that loves the healers and DDs I'm matched with.

[Pixiestyx]

OK guess you don't understand what I'm saying. Tanks will change target even if they put signs on it. OP said " Damage dealers, stay on the tank's target unless there's a good, strategy-related reason not to."

Which I said you can not stay on tanks target as they are always changing to keep hate. Meaning if I was to stay on tanks target I would be switching to the target he is then on. I know to stay on the target that has the 1 on it I also know that I'm going to switch to sleep a target if needed. I was just saying we dont switch we stay

[Altheras]

-snip-

*eyes the Pixie* Is you the Pixie from WoW? =D I knew a Pixie in WoW on Argent Dawn and later on Wyrmrest Accord.

[Pixiestyx]

*eyes the Pixie* Is you the Pixie from WoW? =D I knew a Pixie in WoW on Argent Dawn and later on Wyrmrest Accord.

I played wow as pixiestyx but different server. Also played ffxi as pixiestyx on panda server. As a Taru which is where I first used name lol


Oh and you can know me now instead, we are on same server . I have no idea why I'm still up at 3am though lol