Tanking frustration when others pull

[Khalithar]

I think my sig says it all really.

I don't disagree with you. I've always lived by the motto of "you pull it, you tank it" and I'm the sort of tank that pulls large groups and chain pulls really quick anyway, if I stop for a few seconds it's for a cooldown or to take a drink, but there will still be dps pulling for me when I'm not ready. I understand that DPS are trying to maintain their buffs, but I'd still prefer they wait. For example, I was in Hullbreaker with an overeager BLM that was pulling for me initially while I was establishing some aggro on the first group. I politely asked him to stop and he did, then we got to the final boss he pulled before I could get there and started dpsing and died very quickly. Even if I was going to pull off of him (I wouldn't have) he was dead before I got to the arena.

From there he was raised, died again from not moving away from powder kegs that had been knocked away from the boss because he was so focused on dpsing and spent the majority of the fight with the weakness debuff. Whereas if would have just waited (even if that meant losing Enochian) he wouldn't have been useless for most of the fight. He would have survived the powder kegs without the initial weakness debuff. If he just waited for me rather than being so focused on his personal DPS he could have done a lot more overall. I've seen a sig claiming that "if a dps pulls for you should do your job as a tank anyway" to which I say "if the dps wants to do my job as a tank, I will do his job as a dps," seems perfectly fair to me.

[WeekendSoja]

Is that an extract from the "How to be a Bad Tank" book? It seems to be very popular.

Perfect response lol! If Agro is made I tank it...letting people die because of it seems pretty petty. Like a heavy case of (...'s).

Man, laughed a little too loud at work to that response.

[Malicewolf]

In the lower level dungeons, many DPS pull because they CAN tank the mobs so long as the healer is willing to heal them. I've actually gone into the lower dungeons with premades of 3 DPS and 1 healer and we had zero issue's getting through it. The only issue is, aggro would often jump between multiple people if you tried to do a bigger pull, but a good healer can deal with that without too much trouble. By no means am I saying that I think this makes a DPS pulling for the tank acceptable, but the fact is that a DPS CAN tank the lower level dungeons. Heck, in sastasha, i've gone in with premade groups and we all literally separated in different directions and were fine so long as you don't take on too many at once (and perhaps kite a bit where necessary). So when the player KNOWS that they won't die if they pull, they often will. Bad etiquette is all.

However, most will back you up when these things happen and you can just vote kick (unless you ended up joining a premade). For me, if they do something like that, sometimes I just let them do their thing and simply try to turn it into a fun thing. I have a troll set for my PLD with healer accessories and cure as a cross class, so if they want to switch roles, I'll just change to my heal set, start spamming cure on the DPS tanking and tell the healer to DPS because I got this :P

Or just face pull such a big pack that the DPS get's scared to take ANY aggro :P

If the DPS aren't going to follow the roles, then neither will I and I'll get a good laugh too. They will usually back off or the whole group gets a good laugh and you continue doing the ridiculous role swap.

[BaBaBaNaNa]

Hi MirielleLavandre,
the answers is simple. just adapt base the situation. from my experience for a being a Tank is that they are Leader not a Boss of a Team. A great leader always knew what their team want. some are aggressive and some are more toward passive/slow phase.
if someone decide to run, all you need is to chase and match their phase, sometimes you may not know your true capability, so my advise is please consider those DPS as someone who is trying to push you toward your true potential.
sometimes you just want to play safe but most of the time you do not know that you can actually do more than what you are capable. A good DPS will know their strength and what you really capable, but if their Team start to hold them back they will eventually match your phase, a bad DPS will never do that, they will be like "what do i care,why so serious it's just a game." and continue do what they do. well if that do happen just kick him/her. your party will understand and vote the same.
if you can't even do what i mention above, tanking is not for you. support is more for you or you may try your luck as a DPS.
and lastly, a tank that always remain the same phase and never adapt base on the situation is always a bad tank in my book.

[MoarLegion]

Drop grit and let them tank, if they don't figure out that things go faster when you pull, well, you can't help some people.

[Canadane]

Drop grit and let them tank, if they don't figure out that things go faster when you pull, well, you can't help some people.

In higher tier play, not only will things be going faster naturally, but also faster because a DPS is able to keep their timer going by using a gap closer and continuing their rotation.
Tanking isn't always about being the first to pull but it is about keeping enmity. If some Monk wanted to help the party by keeping GL3 up, you shouldn't punish him, no instead praise him!

If he's pulling without such high level integrity then perhaps berate him. But you can't just throw a fit every time someone gets ahead if you, the tank.

[Joe_Schmoe]

Tanking frustration when others pull

Yep! Probably the biggest reason I quit playing WoW. Everyone outgearing content, turning tanks into mere aircraft carriers, I have had enough of it. And it's always overgeared players doing it. I seldom see poorly-geared ones pulling for me. If you think it's frustrating when synced players are pulling for you, you could only imagine what it's like when players who outgear content by 100 ilvls do it.

How do you main tanks deal with things like this?

In this game, for the rare time this occurs (thank god for level sync!) it depends on the situation. Because it doesn't happen here very often I always cross-class my Provoke ability at the very last slot, otherwise it's just dead weight anywhere else. If people are attacking just before or just after I start pulling a simple "I don't have Provoke yet. You pull it, you're tanking it." works. Or if I'm on my paladin and it's a pre-level 40 dungeon it's "Watch your aggro. I don't get my tanking stance until level 40." Usually they ease up. Outside of that, . . . I can only recall two situations where players were pulling way ahead of me, and both of those were down to about half health by the time I got there, trying to get aggro back and the healer trying to keep them from dying. They fell in line at some point after.

And if all else fails (hasn't happened in this game, knock on wood) I'd just do my tried and true method of solving that issue that I mastered while in WoW: Just /leave them, high and dry. Not gonna pretend to think that they can't do this without me. I'd rather be a 30 minute deserter than a _15_ minute figurehead.

[MahoSenshi]

I often end up pulling ahead of the tank in aforementioned Sastasha etc., as a healer or DPS. For three reasons:

1. Tank is bloody SLOW. They literally WALK, stop for useless marking, try on new items, chat or go wrong way.
2. I know that pulling as an synched DPS/heal here is safe (fairy can do all the healing in 20-something dungeons).
3. Tank is new/undergeared and after the first nukes/arrows/blows i will be tanking anyway.

Solution?
1. Pull faster. Don't mark. Don't stop for whatever reason except healer AFK.
2. Deal with it. DPS/healers rarely pull in 50-60 dungeons, low dungeons doesn't matter.

[Martin_Arcainess]

I prefer to be more patient with newbie tanks rather then rushing them I mean it takes what? 3 seconds to mark? If they lose Aggro I'd help them by telling them to use what skills to gain aggro back.

It just falls down to play-style and we all have our own solutions not the definitive solution.

I just think of it this way, Tanks learn to walk first before they can run even though they might be jumping into dungeon full of professional marathon runners.


on a side note, yeah I encounter tank who just walk or even stop, that is the cut off point for me and when I tell them to hurry up a little.

[PrincessNuri]

If you are a good tank then you can hold aggro. If a DPS takes it from you and you feel your pride got smashed and rather walk off muscle beach in tears kicking sand than flex back, go play another class.

Even in low level dungeons if you aren't busting ass tanking then you aren't tanking. Think DPS pulling hate from you if safe past lvl 50? You're in for a world of pain from equally geared DPS in end game content.

Dont make wimpy therapy threads, wipe those tears and be a REAL TANK.