Tips For Tanks?

[cotti]

We have a New Player Help AND a Tank section on the forums. Not everything needs to come on General...

Anyway, always mark and pay attention on the aggro tables on the party list. Tab cycle the mobs and share attacks when you get the feel of how much aggro you get from each attack.

[Purrfectstorm]

I hate it when tanks spend too much time marking (I main a Tank BTW). Macro "mk 1" to Tomahawk/Shield Lob, run in, use it. Boom done. You can mark the next mob without even actually using the ability. Just activate it when it's on cooldown (right after you use flash or an attack) and you'll put the #1 over its head without using any TP or messing up your rotations. Some people like fast runs. Don't spend 10 min marking mobs from 1 to 50 will get you all the commendations

On a similar note, trust your party, don't be afraid to run in. You're the tank, they're waiting on you to initiate. It's when you regularly play the "scaredy tank" that you'll see DPS or healers pulling.

Also, you don't have to flash repeatedly to keep hate for most things. Hate is pretty simple to maintain and if you just use an enmity generating ability like Flash or Overpower every couple of rotations, you'll usually be fine for most things.

Try to keep mobs with frontal cleaves facing away from the rest of the party. As a frontline role leading the party into dungeons, try to learn dungeons ahead of time unless you want to have that first time dungeon experience. There seems to be a much higher expectation on tanks to know dungeons and fights.

Remember your priorities are (in this order): 1) Get hate. 2) Survive. 3) Do more damage. When in doubt (Do I break up this combo to do Overpower? What piece of gear is better? for instance) always remember your priorities.

Other than that, I'll echo what some have said about trying low level dungeons (which are actually good exp now anyway), watching videos, reading forums for advice and so on. Practice makes perfect.

But above all, stick with it if you enjoy it. People can treat tanks really miserably sometimes and a good many fights depend on perfect positioning. It's easy to screw up and get called named for it. It's awful but it happens. Just keep your head up, ignore the naysayers, and to the best that you can. In the end, people will think you were born to tank and you can put all the other negative BS behind you.

Real life is a lot like that also. Just fight the good fight anyway. Haters gonna hate!

[Ri_ri]

Use Fight or Flight before pulling a boss/big enemy... it helps a lot.

Edit: forgot that warriors are also tanks... orz

[Skotie]

just do a few dungeon runs and u'll get it. its the easiest class to play. but generally what u wanna do is keep the mobs/boss facing the opposite direction. watch the mob list for aggro fluctuations, and spread out ur buff rotations for the hard hitting stuff.

I've played all roles in MMO's I wouldn't consider any of them hard or difficult, but some are more fun then others.

On topic though I would start by reading a well written guide, and ask advice from someone you know you consider a good tank.

[Jyoeru]

Hi, I am just now learning to tank as a marauder. I am only level 24, and here is what I've learned so far:

Macros:

/macroicon "heavy swing"
/ac "heavy swing"
/wait 2.5
/ac "skull sunder"

This macro attacks with heavy swing, then AUTOMATICALLY attacks with skull sunder 2.5 seconds later. You can cancel skull sunder and hit target with Maim by simply pressing the maim hotkey when the GCD is reset (before the macro hits with skull sunder).
------

/macroicon "bloodbath"
/ac "Bloodbath" <t>
/ac "Foresight" <t>

*** This gives you a great buff string for tight spots in fights.

/macroicon "tomahawk"
/marking attack1
/ac "tomahawk"

This marks your first target and attacks it with tomahawk.

TACTICS

I go in with tomahawk, then (while I am MRD) Straight Shot for increased crit (while at the same time I run through the mobs and jump+mouse turn so all mobs are facing away from party), then Overpower, then Heavy Swing, then Maim, then Fracture, then heavy swing macro.

While a lot of emnity building will be situational, and my strategy assumes people will pay attention and not try to destroy my efforts, this strategy is working quite well for me.

The number one thing I think you need to remember as a tank is don't be afraid to speak up. Protect your healer. Defend your healer. Most of the time, things go wrong because of DPS. Sorry, guys, it's true. Y'all get trigger happy and start attacking chandeliers on the ceiling and generally don't pay too much attention. I say this as a healer main, DPS 2nd class, and now tank. It's not always true, but generally.

You control the run. Yeah, we all work as a team, but the tank has to manage a lot and be on his/her feet when something goes wrong. Don't be afraid to lead that party to success. And ALWAYS be helpful. If you see something someone could do a little better (or correctly), feel free and politely offer them your view. It's up to them to take it or leave it.

My first few runs were scary. I simply told the party I was learning to tank and to please be patient. Mostly, people have been good about it. Then I got to a point where I felt comfortable doing chain pulls. I simply watch my healer's mana and any party chat, and just go with the flow.

One thing's for sure: while I have always gotten steady commendations in my BRD/WHM roles in parties, I keep getting sets of 3 as a tank. So, there's that.

Happy tanking!!!!

[EdwinLi]

This you must perform as a Tank

1) keep aggro on yourself

2) Do not let enemies start attacking your party members

3) remember to use defensive buffs and stuff to help lower the tension on the healers

4) Watch your ability to handle certain size mobs. Not everyone can be godly enough to solo 12 mobs with only 1 healer.

5) Do not lead enemies AoE at your party member

Things you should never do as a Tank

1) Never attack only 1 enemy and ignore the others

2) Never let the enemies go crazy on your party members

3) Never ignore the fact every single enemy you aggro is attacking the healer.

4) Never and I MEAN NEVER IGNORE THAT YOU ARE THE REASON WHY YOU"RE THE ONLY ONE ALIVE AND THAT THE TWO, THREE, or FOUR ENEMES YOU DID NOT KEEP AGGRO ON KILLED YOUR ENTIRE GROUP.

(Sorry I just had a horrible tank player join my group today during a Dungeon run where he did everything a Tank should not do)

[Amyas]

Use Fight or Flight before pulling a boss/big enemy... it helps a lot.

Edit: forgot that warriors are also tanks... orz

Really? Whenever I see a tank (always pld) blowing cd's before a pull I get uber p'o'd. There is no reason for it, you cause wipes 80% of the time because of it, and it irks me.

So there! /sigh

[Ri_ri]

Really? Whenever I see a tank (always pld) blowing cd's before a pull I get uber p'o'd. There is no reason for it, you cause wipes 80% of the time because of it, and it irks me.

So there! /sigh

It's not "blowing cd's"... it's buffing your damage so you don't lose enmity.

[Shadowtrek]

We have a New Player Help AND a Tank section on the forums. Not everything needs to come on General...

Calm yourself, no need to be rude.

[ispano]

It's not "blowing cd's"... it's buffing your damage so you don't lose enmity.

He's talking about tanks who use like half their buffs or all right before the pull, wasting time on them. And in some fights, wasting the buff as well. Now what you're speaking of is hitting Fight or Flight right before you lob, so no real loss there anyways.