I have a "Learning Party" question:

[Jim_Berry]

I have been trying to learn T9 since before it became DF-able. Now that I have unlimited access to it, I STILL never seen past Golems.

Early today was progress, as I got past the first set (finally seeing all the meteors fall as the second set of Golems drop).

Anywho, I have a question:
- All PF learning groups go with one tank, two heals, five DPS. They also introduce many different mechanics. What is the true reason to enforce learning with one tank as opposed to two tanks? I spam DF a lot for all my content, so when I enter PF using mechanics taught in DF, I then have to switch it up.

[ZhycranaDranix]

The One tank method is just to push DPS obviously as it actually poses no real change in mechanics and you're a healer from what I can see....

You'd do nothing different from one tank than two.......

[Jim_Berry]

Was just curious. There were times when two players ran at me when they had that divebomb-type thing on them, and I'd die. We'd see the other healer struggle, so tank dies.

[Aldora]

It’s mainly to get a higher overall DPS during the battle. Mostly to limit the amount of Meteors that drop during the 1st phase. The less meteors you get, the less the Golems will be buffed. There is a little bit of a snag in that strategy, because you can’t have the MT tank all 3 Golems at the same time. If they get too close to each other, they’ll merge and form a Super Golem, which will then flatten the group. (^_^; )

The following text guide has a lot of useful information about T9, including the kill order of the golems.

Turn 9 Text Guide

There are no mechanics that require a tank swap, but our group went for the Paladin MT and Warrior OT formation, where the MT gets the green Golem, the OT gets the Red Golem and a Healer gets the Blue Golem. The DPS kill the Green Golem first, so that the MT would get the Golem from the healer as soon as possible.

[Set-Abominae]

The true reason is thats the way most of us learned it before echo and people are set in their ways, now echo will no doubt push dps with 2 tanks if DDs aren't complete morons but honestly the fight doesnt change in the slightest with one tank or 2 just a brd/healer will replace a tank in golem phase the rest of that fight your ot will be little more than 1/3 of a dps

[dejiko_san]

When I did T9 (as a WHM) I was told it's better to push the phases so you don't get too many meteors on the field and that's why people prefered to replace a tank with a DPS.

Having done the fight with both 1 and 2 tanks, it takes a bit of practice to switch over.

For example, I was used to only dealing with one person to stoneskin for ravensbeak so that person has two dedicated healers. (but when you have two, you have to split duties)

On the flip side, with two tanks, if one dies, the other can pick up the pieces and continue.

[NyarukoW]

Two tank T9 actually adds more complicated tank mechanics with the tank swaps and all. Or otherwise a tank has to go str gear and become a DPS, which leads you back to the solo tank scenario. And for the PF finding tanks are often the limiting reagent so if you can get by with fewer tanks then it will be less time waiting on the PF.

[Inuk9]

with 5 DPS you can get Nael at 46% without she summons the second dragon add. That helps ALOT. And you can push out of phase 1 without too many meteors. Since there is no tank-swap mechanic it's way better to play 5 dps 1 tank.

And the tank doesn't even have to have mechanics awereness because most of the mechanics are for DPS or healers in this fight. That's why the tank is the best target to mark divebombs at bahamut favor phase.

just a brd/healer will replace a tank in golem phase the rest of that fight your ot will be little more than 1/3 of a dps

I tanked the blue golem as a mnk, and if you get it right, you can silence him with no problems. And if something in your rotation goes wrong, you can save PB for silence.

[Ophie-Mio]

I'm finding that depending on the group, a two tank method may be better for the post-Heavensfall phases. My group (wanting to get a clear for someone to be in our raid) kept pushing the phases badly at that part.

We kept wiping again and again because a heavenfalls would come just as Bahamut's Claw occurred and our tank would get smeared into the ground. Phases are weirder now because of the ilevel increase AND the echo buff. :/

If DPS push it too much later on, switch it and have another tank come in just to hold back the fight a little.

However, in your case, seems like your dps are just running around like chickens. Lol

[Sove92]

Two tank T9 actually adds more complicated tank mechanics with the tank swaps and all. Or otherwise a tank has to go str gear and become a DPS, which leads you back to the solo tank scenario. And for the PF finding tanks are often the limiting reagent so if you can get by with fewer tanks then it will be less time waiting on the PF.

I was able to tank Nael just fine in STR gear before it got on DF, ate a 2-stack Bahamut's Claw without problems.

with 5 DPS you can get Nael at 46% without she summons the second dragon add. That helps ALOT. And you can push out of phase 1 without too many meteors. Since there is no tank-swap mechanic it's way better to play 5 dps 1 tank.

We did that with 4 DDs before it got on DF, it's really not a problem unless the DPS just plain sucks.

Playing with 2 tanks is far safer for a learning party, at least you have a chance to recover in case the tank dies. If the DPS loss without a 5th DD is so great you can't push below 4 meteors with the current echo, yes, your DPS sucks, bad.