Okay I am about done with tanking

[VargasVermillion]

Regardless of weather it's your fault or not (it isn't, they should be in the middle or at least somewhere you can take aggro on everything quickly.) I wouldn't give it up over it, if you like doing it stick with it. One of the things you have to deal with as a tank is backlash on screw ups, i even expect it from groups that didn't even go off at me or even blame me but at least that way it won't surprise you.

I've encounted some pretty illogical dps that knew nothing of aggro or even boss mechanics. One example is a black mage on aurum vale that didn't understand that the cyclops will attack random targets regardless of aggro and didn't know how to dodge the eye aoes and he was blaming me for not taking aggro, so instead he attacked the boss before i could grab aggro and proceeded to kite around the arena making it harder to snatch it off.

[BMihawk]

I understand what you feel regarding this but its PUGs so dont keep it to heart.

Anyways to resolving this, what i usually do is tell the PUG to do the following:

1. Melee will always be on rook. He can tank it while the group is attacking it. Its chain of attacks will be like this: Land first hit > LB > Bring to middle > Kill it
2. Everyone especially the healers, gather in the middle of the map. Right behind Phase 5 DN. This way, when the adds drop, OT can easily Flash/Overpower
3. To prevent the NW bug being eaten by the DN, i usually tell the bard to get it and bring it to me. Some groups usually dont bother and just allow the Phase DN to feed on it. If they tell you that its causing the wipe because you did not get hate on that BUG, its the MT fault. MT should always Hallowed Ground when 2 DN drops. Bug Fed or not.
4. Not a popular strategy but get the healer healing you to taunt the adds by using Succor/Medica. Its a bit risky as you might mess up while trying to gain aggro fast. I dont have problem as usually Berserk+Overpower would pull hate immediately when the adds converge
5. IF you have hate on enemies run to the freaking tank. Im not sure why people wont do this. They run across the map asking the tank to come to them. I NEVER ever run to them if i'm busy pulling aggro off my healer. Its the DPS job to run to the tanks so tank can get hate. Not stand there and wait for tanks. Tank priorities are only 2 things. Cooldowns so that its easy on the healers, Save the healers from Adds.

Anyway if things like that happens, just leave the group. EVEN if they think you suck. Its a tank PRIDE i know. You want to prove them wrong but sometimes its just ridiculous as to what PUG's expectation of a tank. Its a 8 man raid. Everyone should support one another. Tanks, healers and DPS should do support skills instead of doing what their jobs are intended to do. Teamwork is necessary, PUG or not.

[MicahZerrshia]

We do double dread strat, the dps will lb the rook and the OT grabs the soldier, knight and both spiders, we kill the knight and soldier, than burn down both dreds and finish off with the spiders. They all do down easily before enrage. Even when we were doing this as mostly i85 we only got a few shocks from the enrage.

The spiders shouldn't be that much of a burden. Our OT gathers em up without blinking an eye

[Bloodclaw]

We do double dread strat, the dps will lb the rook and the OT grabs the soldier, knight and both spiders, we kill the knight and soldier, than burn down both dreds and finish off with the spiders. They all do down easily before enrage. Even when we were doing this as mostly i85 we only got a few shocks from the enrage.

The spiders shouldn't be that much of a burden. Our OT gathers em up without blinking an eye

Doesn't sound like you OT this often.

[SpookyGhost]

Doesn't sound like you OT this often.

As someone who does OT this often, it's really a lot simpler than people make it out to be. You only need to grab the spiders if the PLD tanking is undergeared, but if you do all it takes is a little communication. Have the healers stack away from the Dreads, grab the K/S when they spawn, run to the healers, and Steel Cyclone. You don't even need to spam OP, the best method I've found is to only do the one SC, then while you're pulling the mobs away pop Vengeance and Bloodbath (Berserk if you want) -> Infuriate -> SC again. You can also do drive-by Flashes and OPs to maintain hate until the first Dread is dead.

[SwordCoheir]

I think I am about done with it. This morning was trying to do T4, and things didn't go well.

I think the problem is any pickup group is gonna have "their own" way of doing things which they think is best, and that can lead to disaster in so many ways especially if it's a static group hellbent on doing it one way. I myself had some difficulty trying to work with one group on just T1 because their strat differed so greatly from my static. I mean it was one part poor communication, the other was they changed up how they wanted to fight the boss 3 or 4 times, but when I subsequently left the group afterwards and joined up with another group for T2-4 the fights went smoothly with little difficulty.

But I digress, I don't know how you typically handle T4 but from past experiences I my group usually wastes the 2nd Dread (Phase 5) while I kite around the first knight/soldier in the back end of a half circle, and let the spiders get absorbed (typically). When 6th Phase set get ready to spawn I position myself where the 2nd Knight will drop (still tanking the first two), immediately flash the Knight then Shield Lob the 2nd Soldier, pop Hallowed Ground and focus on establishing hate on two new adds with flash, after HG wears I start kiting and popping all of my defensive CD's (you'll be taking quite a bit of damage with all 4 on you). While this is going on the melee will take out the Rook and mage/ranged DPS will start taking out the soldiers. Once the 2nd soldier has been incapacitated, I stop kiting and start straight tanking both knights while the other melee join me, after the soldiers/knights (and any unexpected adds) are taken care of, we just zerg the last Dreadnaught and call it a day.

Usually when the MT is just tanking one Dreadnaught it's not a real burden on the healers despite having absorbed any spiders, and if done right your dps should have taken care of most of the adds before they can do any real damage on your OT.

[OPneedNerfs]

Why do you need the spiders to be held by the OT? Are the healers and/or MT bad? That's the only reason I can think of.

[SwordCoheir]

Why do you need the spiders to be held by the OT? Are the healers and/or MT bad? That's the only reason I can think of.

I can't say for sure, but I have an inkling they're trying to tank both P5 and P6's Dreadnaught at the same time.

[Duuude007]

I can't say for sure, but I have an inkling they're trying to tank both P5 and P6's Dreadnaught at the same time.

This is commonplace. I have MT'd both many times, even with 2 stacks on one all the while.

It just depends on how competent the healers are, of course. And being on the ball with cool-downs, good gear, etc.

[LukeyP666]

I'm the OT for my Static and I always pick up all of the adds in the last phase, except the Rook (that's when things get tricky). Even back when we were more under-geared, we still opted for this strategy. We just have all of the Healers and ranged DPS stack together in the middle, far enough from the Dreads that they don't eat the Bugs.

I then just grab them all as they run for the Healers/DPS, who then scarper as not to get hit by headspins. I pop Berserk and Internal Release when they're about to drop, Flash the Knight, then grab Soldier with a Tomahawk, and when the Bugs get to the middle, with the Knight and the Soldier, I have my Wrath stacks ready and waiting, use Steel Cyclone > Infuriate > Steel Cyclone > Overpower a few times and they're all mine.

Seems to work for us. Our kill order for Phase 5 and 6 is:

Phase 5 Knight & Soldier > Phase 6 Spinner Rook (Melee LB) > Phase 5 Dread > Phase 6 Knight & Soldier > Phase 6 Dread > Phase 6 Bugs

And all before the enrage kicks in usually.

Don't let the pugs deter you man, as I've already seen three of the best Tanks in my FC hang up their Axes, Swords and Boards for the same reason. Good Tanks are hard to find and those who enjoy the role need to keep at it.