About to start endgame, have some questions

[BangoandCash]

Hi everyone,

I hit lvl 50 on my Warrior recently, and I am ready to start the endgame. I have already run the Cape Westwind trial (I tanked main boss, other tank took the adds).

My question is how will the upcoming 8 man dungeons work with 2 tanks, specifically with the normal trash pulls. I have seen several of the "how to" videos for the bosses at Castrum Meridianum, and I get the whole main tank on boss, off tank on adds thing, but how are the trash pulls handled? Does one guy always tank the 3 mobs, does the off tank take any of them? Is there a preferred method.

Additionally when at the boss, does the off tank do anything before the adds? Would I attack the main boss until adds come, or wait by the adds spawn points to ensure I grab them right away?

Sorry if my questions seem basic, I am fairly new to MMOs. I am having a blast being a tank so far.

Appreciate your help.

[Bixby]

The only trash in CM that requires any strategy is pulling the big mechs back to the cannons. Usually the tanks take turns so they can keep up a steadier stream of adds, and the rest is just a matter of remembering where the cannons are. The rest of the trash is pretty much just AOE spam-fests. Follow other people to try and skip the skippable trash, be ready to grab it when someone inevitably gets spotted, and tank what you can.

On bosses, if you have time to safely DPS, do it. You can at least contribute Storm's Path and/or Eye between add waves. Prioritize being in position for the adds you can be in position for, though. Until you're comfortable with the timing, get to your spot early and wait.

[BangoandCash]

Thanks for the quick and helpful response!

[Ehayte]

CM is going to be different than most of what you have done so far due to the fact that it was gamed pretty badly back in the day to farm Philosophy Tomes, so basically any CM you do will have 1-7 people trying to "speed run" the dungeon.

The best advice I can give you in CM is to listen to whomever has taken charge, and make sure people aren't dying from getting enmity.

You have a great attitude, so continue to learn and get better!

[Moonwolfthegrey]

Most people u do the run with already have loads of experience, just go along with them.
Only thing I should add, as an ot and at trash pulls , keep hate on anything big( eg. Giants). As they can do large fatal DMg to ur dps and healers
For a first time I would just follow the other tank during trash phase and help him out by taking some mobs off him

[SpookyGhost]

1st post already covered everything you need to know about CM, but I'd like to note something that I had a massive amount of trouble with the first time I went into CT (never caused a wipe but gave me a huge headache): During the fight where you're waiting on Cid to do "a thing", your co-tank will be tanking a Giant. During this time, Garlean adds will pop up and start murdering your healers. It's your job to go grab those, and at first it's pretty easy. But the 2nd to last wave and final wave can get a bit hectic.

I'd recommend telling both healers to stack in a certain place (I put them on the other side of the ramp that the MT isn't on) so that all adds go to one place and you don't have to run around like a chicken with your head cut off. Just make sure to get the adds off (Overpower/Steel Cyclone/Flash your butt off) your healers before they get killed and you're golden.

Thankfully, until off tanking T4 in phase 6, you'll never have to deal with this massive annoyance again. So glhf!