Threat rotation once I hit 50

[Soulburn32]

My boss starter rotation when I want to make sure to hold threat form dps.

FoF (Buff) + Rampart (Buff) [Before Pull] ->
Shield Lob -> Move into range of target ->
Fast Blade -> SoS -> Savage Blade -> Spirits -> RoH -> Blood Bath (Buff)

This runs through all of your OGC skills and your main threat building 1 -> 2 -> 3 combo.


Mobs of 3 or more where dps will be doing aoe damage
Shield Lob -> Run through the group to face them away -> Flash while running through the group ->
SoS -> Flash -> FB -> Flash -> Riot Blade -> Flash ->

Flash till less than half mp then do some FB -> RB till build mp for next fight, you might need to flash one or 2 more times

[Fyreus]

How do people feel about opening with an uncomboed Rage of Halone?

Not going in with RoH first is like arriving at the beaches of Normandy and not knowing how to reload or going into a gun fight with a stuck safety.

Single: Lob > RoH > Flash > Fast Blade > Spirits > Savage Blade > Scorn > RoH >
Group: Lob > Flash > Scorn > Flash > RoH t1 > Flash > RoH t2 > Flash > RoH t3 > Flash > Combo FB+SB t1 > Combo RoH t2

There are probably better setups out there but i like mine because of the instant build up from the get-go.

*edit* People are confusing the starting action with close range engage. Everyone lobs as they run in but everyone ALSO knows backrow guys are more than likely casting the moment you TOUCH the mob in question.

[juniglee]

Here's how I do it (let's assume 3 mobs per pull):

1. If you are undergeared compared to your DPS/healer
- Shield Lob on #1, then run in
- Your GCD should be up again, use Flash. Some people advocate using Flash two or three times, but go with what you're comfortable with (try one, then two, then three).
- Rage of Halone combo on #1
- Flash
- Start the Rage of Halone combo on #1 again, but use Rage of Halone on #2. That is, use Fast Blade and Savage Blade on #1, then Rage of Halone on #2.
- Flash
- Start the Halone combo again, but use Rage of Halone on #3. On the next rotation, use Rage of Halone on #1.
- Repeat above until there are 2 mobs remaining, then you can leave Flash out of the rotation, and just alternate between each mob

2. If you are overgeared compared to DPS/healer, and they don't build aggro fast like BRD/BLM (if they do, just follow the one above):
- Shield Lob on #1, run in
- Flash once
- Rage of Halone combo on #1
- Flash
- Rage of Halone combo on #2
- Repeat, cycling targets. When there's 2 left, you don't need to use Flash anymore.

As a tank you should rotate your target from time to time, dropping Enmity skills as you can, so that your healers don't end up pulling aggro from you. It's trickier with classes that like to DoT multiple mobs (SMN, BRD), but use Flash as many times as necessary to hold the initial aggro. After that, the rest is experience. Aggro is proportional to damage dealt too, hence why you want to get better weapons, or you can use Fight or Flight to increase your DPS for the initial aggro. Use Circle of Scorn as you would Flash, as and when it's up too, and Spirits Within just for additional DPS. Circle of Scorn and Spirits Within are free skills that do damage, and increase enmity slightly due to the bonus enmity provided by Shield Oath, so no reason not to use them if they are available, unless you are on Silence duty.

[Maelwys]

How do people feel about opening with an uncomboed Rage of Halone?

Only on Bosses.

Shield Lob and FoF whilst running in -> uncomboed RoH + SW (if the boss doesn't have any abilities that require a silence rotation) immediately, then use Fast Blade+Rampart -> Savage Blade + CoS -> RoH. Flash if the Boss isn't blind-immune, then go back to plain old RoH combos, using FoF and CoS on cooldown (as well as SW if no silencing needed!) and weaving in Stoneskin whenever you have a big enmity lead. Job Done.

The first uncomboed RoH is purely to secure a very early hate lead. I run with a lot of DF teams and PUGs and this usually prevents them from ever being able to pull hate from me on a boss, even if they decide to blow all their DPS cooldowns at the very start of the fight. If you're running with a decent team, it's perfectly reasonable to skip that step and just get them to hold back on DPS until you land your first full RoH combo.

[caspergrey]

How do people feel about opening with an uncomboed Rage of Halone?

Situational really. Usually no. fast blade -> savage blade is more threat. And in most cases you have a some lead in time to pull aggro. But if you're looking for quick and dirty aggro, RoH off combo is still your highest standalone threat generating ability.

Places where I have opened with it:

Coil Turn 1 split. RoH is better than shield lob for getting that initial threat, and usually you will be in melee when it spawns.
Coil Turn 2 pulls. Usually those mobs open with repelling cannons. So it's enough to get in a shield lob while running, CoS, and RoH off combo, and then you're dodging the first repelling cannon, vs only getting in that first fast blade before dodging.

[Ladon]

Situational really. Usually no. fast blade -> savage blade is more threat. And in most cases you have a some lead in time to pull aggro. But if you're looking for quick and dirty aggro, RoH off combo is still your highest standalone threat generating ability.

Places where I have opened with it:

Coil Turn 1 split. RoH is better than shield lob for getting that initial threat, and usually you will be in melee when it spawns.
Coil Turn 2 pulls. Usually those mobs open with repelling cannons. So it's enough to get in a shield lob while running, CoS, and RoH off combo, and then you're dodging the first repelling cannon, vs only getting in that first fast blade before dodging.

I'd never use RoH on a fresh spawn if combo wasn't ready because the animation takes way to long and I've ran into situations where enemies run out of range of RoH before the effect is applied. Much better off just tossing out a flash on turn 1 split because it's instant and does not require a target first.

Same with the Turn 4 drop down spawns especially since you can apply the flash effect before the enemies even become targetable here.

I've pretty much stopped using RoH off of combo because there really isn't anything in this game at the moment that is going to be able to get hate off you using Flash => CoS/Spirits => Fast Blade fast enough except a badly timed Medica II. Nothing but a comboed RoH is going to prevent that anyway.

[Maelwys]

I'd never use RoH on a fresh spawn if combo wasn't ready because the animation takes way to long and I've ran into situations where enemies run out of range of RoH before the effect is applied. Much better off just tossing out a flash on turn 1 split because it's instant and does not require a target first.

Same with the Turn 4 drop down spawns especially since you can apply the flash effect before the enemies even become targetable here.

This right here

On Turn #4 it's an enmity race, I generally Flash once as soon as the mobs appear on our enemy list (before they drop) then do steps #1 and #2 of my RoH combo on one mob; tab; and close the combo on the second mob. Then start swapping in combos depending on our predetermined kill order.

YMMV, but I've found that I really can't afford to waste a single GCD on a second Flash, or an uncomboed RoH on Turn 4. They just don't pull enough hate, which hurts our DPS.

On Turn 1's split, you can certainly flash... but I find it's easier to just keep spamming Fast Blade on the original mob on the lead up to the split... then once the split happens, Tab and Savage Blade -> RoH the split. Savage blade's animation is much shorter than RoH which means that first spike of enmity gets applied much sooner - it can make the different between ADS staying in place and deciding to wander off after your healers.