Low level tanking

[Astrelle_hyperion]

Thanks, I main PLD/DRK so I don't get to see what other tanks do too often, was very surprised when I started running end-game dungeons on my DRG instead. I tend to only use kill order marking in low-level roulettes if I see multiple jobless people. Otherwise as you say I assume the dps will engage the more dangerous mob first (or AoE if I've done that style pull), but I also try to "tag" that mob first with the range pull as a helpful hint to them before spread the hate around.

The exact trend I've been seeing was
unmend turtle, unleash hitting the two crawlers, hate combo on one crawler, delirium combo same crawler, hate combo other crawler, DASE first crawler. -- Three different DRKs Seems like some site must be teaching that as a rotation/strategy, but I can't understand why,. All while other dps and I are playing pass the turtle before we notice what the tank is doing and switch to the drawler that the tank apparently wants dead.

[Mirch]

welcome to the family lil tank

[Zadocfish]

I'm a wee little Gladiator hoping to blossom into a fine Paladin. This thread makes me a little nervous to start doing dungeons... So, basically, run to convenient target, flash more than once, use Fast Blade/Savage Blade, switching targets for groups, and hope that the healer deigns to heal me. Still... couldn't I skip Fast Blade and go straight for Savage, since doing damage is not going to be my job? Just get as much enmity as possible on as many dudes as possible? Maybe that's a stupid question, but I'm not that familiar with the game yet.

Also, I really don't like Halone's Rage for... reasons. Is it possible to tank without it, relying on my other enmity skills instead?

[Enkidoh]

Welcome to the path of the sword and shield Zadoc! You pretty much have the basics down, except if I can add a bit of advice - to pull the enemy to you, use Shield Lob on your first target, in dungeons if other mobs are close enough they will link on that first one and follow it to you, then use Flash. I found especially early on, three, maybe four casting of Flash was enough to keep the enemy's attention on me and not the poor healer keeping me alive, inserting the Fast Blade+Savage Blade weapon skill combo between each cast.

And concerning Fast Blade and Savage Blade (and Rage of Halone for that matter too) - you asked why it's important to use Savage Blade after Fast Blade? This is because Savage Blade 'combos' off Fast Blade (a weapon skill combo gains a dotted line around it's icon when it's comboed), doing so will grant extra bonuses to the attack as well as boosting it's damage. Specifically, Savage Blade being comboed off Fast Blade will grant a bonus to the hate it generates, and, once you gain Rage of Halone, combo that as a third attack from Fast Blade+Savage Blade - when it's comboed successfully it grants an even higher hate bonus, but also lowers the enemy's own attack power - using this weapon skill combo repeatedly as your main source of keeping hate will pretty much keep the enemy permanently weakened physically.

Either way, you seem to have a firm grasp of the basics for taking up a sword and shield as a defender of the people, so don't be afraid! Your journey towards knighthood begins here! So step into Sastasha without fear and lead your party to destiny!

[Violette]

Also, I really don't like Halone's Rage for... reasons. Is it possible to tank without it, relying on my other enmity skills instead?

You don't even have Rage of Halone yet.

How can you not like it?

Also because enmity is primarily based off of dealing damage, dealing damage is something you'll have to get used to. Or try WoW.

The enmity from Fast Blade is greater than enmity from Savage Blade alone, but if you combo (use one then the other) fast blade into savage blade, you'll be getting the most enmity for tp/action.

You should also initiate fights by using Shield Lob from a range (never start a fight with provoke when you get it).

[Sida]

... and hope that the healer deigns to heal me.

If the healer doesn't heal you, you can in most cases rightfully yell at them about it. It's sorta their job, as much as keeping things munching you is yours.

[MahoSenshi]

I've started to wonder if that's their version of provoke wars, that is, to see which one kills theirs faster.

Sometimes its just different thinking.
DPS1: Gotta kill bees first to avoid Final Sting
DPS2: Wow, new monsters! Let's kill bigger one first, it must be more dangerous.

Sometimes... well, i really don't know what some people thinking (if at all).

[AniCelestine]

If you still need some advice OP.

What I did when leveling gladiator/marauder at low level was simply: Spam your aoe enmity generating skill until tp/mp was at half and then just regen your corresponding resource while tabbing through monsters to make sure none of them is gonna lose interest in me. (As gladiator doing this part you can fast blade -> riot blade every other monster to get the mp back. As for marauder, we'll either crossclass flash or just auto attack stuff so you have tp to do it again on the next mobs)

This way I didn't have to really worry about marking monsters and this way I have basically never lost aggro over monsters at any level. Only problems are as gladiator on 1v1 aggro vs thm/blm. Advice for that is, level up archer to 4 and crossclass Raging Strikes for extra dmg on bosses/monsters that are just 1v1 (cause spamming flash on this one monster is quite meh.)

[MistakeNot]

I'm a wee little Gladiator hoping to blossom into a fine Paladin. This thread makes me a little nervous to start doing dungeons... So, basically, run to convenient target, flash more than once, use Fast Blade/Savage Blade, switching targets for groups, and hope that the healer deigns to heal me. Still... couldn't I skip Fast Blade and go straight for Savage, since doing damage is not going to be my job? Just get as much enmity as possible on as many dudes as possible? Maybe that's a stupid question, but I'm not that familiar with the game yet.

Also, I really don't like Halone's Rage for... reasons. Is it possible to tank without it, relying on my other enmity skills instead?

Not a stupid question at all - that was my thinking originally as well and it sounds logical, but it is wrong.

Those skills with added enmity works by applying a multiplier to the damage done. For Savage Blade that multiplier seems to be x3. (Some sources say x2, but for this analysis it does not matter - the conclusion will be the same anyway.)

Savage Blade alone has an attack potency of 100. With the enmity multiplier this means it will generate the same enmity as a normal attack (without extra enmity) that has a potency of (100 x 3) = 300.


Now lets do the math for Fast Blade + Savage Blade combo compared to using Savage Blade twice:
FB has a potency of 150. SB comboed with FB has a potency of 200. Together this will generate a total enmity of 150 + 200 x 3 = 750.
SB alone has an attack potency of 100. Using it twice will generate a total enmity of 100 x 3 + 100 x 3 = 600.

So FB+SB will not only do more damage than SB twice, but also generate more enmity.



Rage of Halone is a very nice skill for GLA/PLD that you generally will want to use when tanking.

Not only is it a heavy hitter when used as part of FB+SB+RoH combo, but it also generates plenty of enmity AND it reduces the damage dealt by your target - making it easier for you to stay alive.
What's not to like?

[Sida]

Sometimes its just different thinking.
DPS1: Gotta kill bees first to avoid Final Sting
DPS2: Wow, new monsters! Let's kill bigger one first, it must be more dangerous.

Sometimes... well, i really don't know what some people thinking (if at all).

Actually I just found one answer to that question when being ranged dps the other day. The pull had large monster and apparently another not so large right behind it. However being a bit on the range, and not having enmity from the smaller mob so it didn't show in my enmity list, I only saw the front one because it completely blocked the other one, even their health bar, that would have shown to me there was other mob the group was whacking. So I shot the front one sin e that was the o ly one I could target, the size of it also making it impossible to click the mob behind it, even if I'd known there is one.