Tanks That Hate Fluid Aura

[Purrfectstorm]

If someone politely asks you to stop doing something that bothers them and you don't stop, what does that make you?

Someone that wants to enjoy all the abilities SE gave my job. And to JayCommon above, actually it's not harassment to continue using the abilities SE gave my job. That's crazy talk. I'm not touching the tank's hiney w/ Fluid Form here. I'm playing the game w/ abilities SE gave me using my own best judgment. I think asking me not to do that is equally unreasonable.

[Naberrie]

If it's used properly I don't mind. The way I use it on WHM in parties is if things get ugly and we have one too many mobs to deal with. I Fluid Aura one to knock it back and stun it. I wait a beat, maybe toss off another spell like Cure if needed, then sleep it. Between the knock back, stun and sleep it's a decent cushion to allow the group to recover.

But I never use it in the course of a normal fight. As a tank you want to position mobs so that the reds aren't aimed at mages, and in a set position so that MNKs and DRGs can do their damage dance. If mobs are getting knocked around by Fluid Aura or Carby, it screws that up.

[Rhindas]

There are most certainly uses for it and they've been mentioned. But for the most part, all you're doing is messing up hate control and mob placement.

Now, if you sleep the target right after, not a big deal. That way, healing enmity won't build, and it's unlikely the Arcanist job will be able to Bane it if it's far away. Provoke can help, but all that does is match the *current* enmity of the person whom is highest on the monster's list and then add one point to it. So it's better to wait for the Bind to break to use Provoke, then Lob/Tomahawk, but that's assuming the mob is nice enough to walk into your tank's line of sight. And yes most of the time it's easy to regain hate and usually a hit or two on you won't kill you. But in using this ability, if you messed up that mob's enmity, you're now moving *all* the mobs around because the tank has to get that target again, potentially risking AoE/Line of Sight issues, Lancer/Pugilist placement is now messed up, and if you're in tight quarters where pulling is important to avoid aggroing other mobs (For example, Stone Vigil's Aevis) now the tank has to take that into consideration (and if you think most DPS are gonna wait for bind to wear off and return to the party you're nuts). In these cases, you are not helping the party in any sense of the term by pushing that mob.

None of this really applies if you're in an experienced party with minimal risk, so most of this is moot in that case. But think about the situation and remember you're working with other people whom are also trying to do their jobs.

[Zplinter]

I have a 50 pld and a 50 whm.
-When you are in the lower level dungeons you have to remember that the tanks have far less tools to deal with the unexpected. Be it the fluid aura or the emerald carbuncle push back, they can be problematic for the tank.
-In a roulette it is very possible that you are getting new tanks, just because you are a veteran of the dungeon/game/job does not mean everyone is.
-Just because the devs gave you an ability does NOT mean you are required to used it in certain enviroments.
- "I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do. Tanks will just have to adapt. Besides OMG I lost control of a Tam Tara trash mob. Big deal. I can solo the mobs there on WHM (it's slow admittedly LOL)" is why I would vote kick you honestly. When decide that you are going to do what ever and who cares how someone else then you are an anchor to my run.
-vote kick for a party member that causes mayhem is not an abuse, it is reaction to chaos.

Finally I am a very simple tank, you do something like this and pull agro then you get to tank it. If lose agro due to my own error then I deserve to be chastised too.
(additional)
I have read your response that I missed and frankly you are the reason I refuse to tank for pugs.

[Nanaya]

I've seen WHM use it on a mob readying an AoE, which I suppose is fine, since it stops the attack. If things are going at an even clip and they do it, however, it's just kind of pointless and annoying. Damage is mediocre, and if the three of us fighting are slamming down AoEs, you've extended the fight, because now we have one not taking damage.

There's a time and a place for it. It's not like Blunt Arrow, Leg Sweep, or Steel Peak, where it's fine to just throw it out when it is up, assuming you don't need the Stun. It has situational use, so at least grasp the situation.

[Zakalwe]

What bugs me the most is when white mages use it on sticky mobs like balloons or other ranked mobs. It totally messes up the grouping and my ability to keep hate on everyone with a single flash. Another problem can be if there are melee DPS who are most efficient when the mobs are well grouped.

But most of all, it is just really annoying, except for rare circumstances. Honestly, if you have time for throwing in a DPS skill or two, please stick to the awesome holy or one of your single target DPS skills.

[Calyanare]

So I've been leveling MNK as my first DoW after maxing all the DoMs, and I have never seen so much Fluid Aura-ing in my life. I personally use the skill only very rarely as WHM, but yesterday in Brayflox the WHM in our group was using it constantly for no apparent reason.

One example that particularly irritated me (I was playing MNK) was on the 2nd boss. Just after the add was killed (oh, and this WHM didn't bother even trying to sleep the boss while the add was up, either), the WHM Fluid Aura-ed the boss into the space between the little huts in the arena. The way it landed, there was no possible way to stand behind it, and only a small area of the flank was available. And the tank didn't even bother moving it after that, just tanked it right there in between the huts, and even turned it so that both the back and flank were inaccessible.

[Radkat]

Sometimes it's a good idea to think about your team rather than yourself having fun with abilities. If the healer keeps using fluid aura on mobs that the tank have hate on, I would not hesistate to vote kick him. If healer has time to deal damage, use stone, not fluid aura.

[Swordphobic]

Its just as okay as stunning a boss when you are not the designated stunner. Dunno... maybe you should stick to single player games if you can't work with teams.

[Zfz]

It's fine on secondary mobs, although unless the tank is really, really, really undergeared, as in tanking Brayflox wearing Lv.15 gear, there's little point because how short the root effect lasts. If you have a clever ARC/BRD in the party, however, that root may actually be worth it. However in that case, you would be healing like hell (because obviously the only reason to use Fluid Aura for damage reduction is because the party has no access to crowd control) and it means the tank will have to blow a Provoke on that target when root ends due to your healing enmity, all the while DDs are unloading on the current kill priority.

And guess what. Gladiators don't get Provoke until level 22.

What follows you should already know as a tank. You are now forced to build immediate enmity on the rooted mob (because healer is healing you like there's no tomorrow) and DDs are on another target.

Hence it should only be used as a last resort. When you know the tank will die to this pack. Other than that, it's just better to heal through the damage (which is relatively easy for all leveling content).

I've healed a Lv.15 gladiator wearing only Lv.10 quest gear through Sastasha with no deaths, without using the Fluid Aura. You don't need the Fluid Aura for damage reduction on tanks. Damage only really comes in in Haukke and Brayflox and you would have Repose for that.