What is the proper way to Tank the two MSQ dungeons?

[Eorzean_username]

I am a relatively new player. I get the impression (from runs as DPS) that there is a certain correct way to pull / tank Meridianum and Praetorium — runs that go smoothly have a very methodical, coordinated pace like everyone knows exactly what to do.

I tried queuing Tank for MSQ today and was placed in Meridianum. The run went fine, no wipes (it's hard to lose MSQ Roulette) ... but it also didn't feel as smooth and clean as runs where I'm DPS.

I'm pretty sure I messed up a few expected rules for the instance due to unfamiliarity with Roulette groups' preferred style for speed-clearing it. (For example, not being sure what to do with the Colossus boss that summons adds; not being sure exactly when to stop pulling stuff and let the group AOE... etc)

Could someone provide a step-by-step of the correct way Roulette groups expect these dungeons to be pulled and handled? I want to learn to be a better Tank and not make content unnecessarily messy.

[Yasminou]

For Castrum Meridianum, there is a lot of mobs, but some of them can disappear. Unfortunately, lately I have seen groups choosing to grab them anyway. For instance, at the start, there are two lights that can be shutdown to make some mobs disappear.
At the start: grab mobs, (let people turn the lights off), run with the mobs to the boss line (without crossing it or a cutscene will pop) and kill them all.
First boss: focus boss, grab adds if OT. Boss should die quickly.
Then, climb up and stay close to the wall not to aggro the soldier on the magitck armor. Then run to the next pack and turn the light off.
You can pull the mobs until the colossus.
There is nothing special until second boss.
For the second boss, as the MT you can tank it where it is and you should not bother with the adds, that's OT's work. The norm used to be to tank it close to the exit door so that you can grab the magiteck armor and some adds as soon as they pop (to help the OT).

After that, it's always the same, grabs mobs, let them be killed by the cannons.
Third boss, nothing special.

Go back to cannons with mobs.
The last phase can be a pain because not everyone wants to kill the mobs before the last boss with the cannons. What it used to be was: grab the collosus back to the cannon.
Go back to the door with the army of mobs, climb the stairs on the right, pull the mobs up there to the cannons. Meanwhile, the other tank will turn the light off and go up to the second stairs and pull back the mobs to the cannons.
First tank will turn the lights off upstairs (second staircase). Then pew pew with the cannons to trigger the cutscene. 2 or 3 collusus will pop, either you bring them back to the cannons or you kill them where they are.
Last boss should not change much. Remember that whoever has hate should stand in the center of the room for the cannon part.

[AskaRay]

Honestly I wouldn't worry about it. I've tanked them maybe twice (and healed/DPSsed many many many other times), because I was nervous like you.
But in this case, just doing the dungeon beforehand makes the run smoother. I've helped tanks in Castrum who had no idea where to go or what to do; even when I had to tank it once I basically just winged it and copied what other people had done before.

The expectation is... in Castrum: huge pulls and have the cannons handle everything. Don't tank on the cannons or they'll break.
Praetorium: run past everything and only engage if you absolutely have to.

Just run them a few more times and you'll get better at it.

[Eorzean_username]

I'm sorry for delay replying, I have my profile settings set to give Daily email updates on replies, but it did not do so.

Thank you for your responses, they are helpful.

[ADVSS]

learn to sac pulll

[lvlagmarink]

Yasminou's description works mostly, but i'd like to add a few things..

Tank can pull both pack of mobs from the staircase by jumping down and climb the second staircase or provoke (20 yalm range works) one of the guards from the first staircase..
Tanks need to stun/stunlock if paladin the colossus to make them stay still on the cannon shooting ground, they always target random players on its enmity list with instant fire aoe which hurt the cannons..

Praetorium is mostly pretty straightforward,
Sac pull
Kill all
Sac pull
And pew pew all the baddies..

[Immut]

For castrum:

Pull the search light guards, let the healer hit the search lights, wait for cutscene, then pull everything to the door.

Second section, hug the right wall, hit the search light guards, grab the magitek vanguard because he has one of the bombs you need, then make a straight shot for the pump area. Jump and provoke to grab the right magitek, someone else should get the left. You may need your invuln here. Then run to the next boss door.

Third section, pull everything until the cannons and let people blow them up with the cannons. Keep the colossus targetted so you can stun it when it tries to destroy the cannons. After the search light's gone, run right and pick up everything unitl the next set of cannons and hold it there until they're dead. Then kill boss.

Final section, drag all the enemies to the cannons. Three members run ahead to the parade grounds. One (preferably not the tank) grabs the magitek colossus to bring back to the cannos, while the other two open the door. The tank JUMPS and uses their ranged attack to grab the enemies on top of the platforms, bringing them back to the cannons again, while whoever is with them hits the search lights and then spams AA guns to bring down the airship and open the boss room.

For Praetorium: Just run lol.

[Covenant]

there is specific way to speed run these and it'll take too much to explain here. basically don't pull. Let an experience tank handle all pulls. Even with the experience gains now, it just a waste of time to fight things your don't have to. Also, goo idea is to fight everything on bosses when u can.. since you will be aoeing anyway.

[Chyro]

The advice 'let an experienced tank handle all pulls' only works if there aren't two inexperienced tanks x)
Better to just learn how to do it, or not worry too much about 'doing it as fast as possible'.
While some may get impatient about stuff being done wrong, most don't care as long as the instance gets done.