How to Help Tanks in Dungeons 101.

[Sheer]

Hey guys! I posted something over on the Lodestone because I wasn't able to make a thread here sooner, but essentially it contained a few basic tricks as to how to help tanks out. It was recommended that I post it here, and so without further ado, I hereby present to you basic tank-helping skills 101!

*Note: Please read the edit on the bottom. The summary of it is that this is only an effective and/or proper guide if you're under level 30. If you're above level 30, I strongly recommend looking into more in-depth guides regarding dungeon strategies and general rules.

Hey everyone! I'd like to take a minute to quickly run through a basic guide of what you should be doing to help out a tank in dungeons so you aren't the guy who's making the dungeon harder than it has to be - if you're new to ARR or MMOs in general, I highly recommend you read this! Keeping in line with what I just said, this is largely focused at lower-level dungeons.

Let's start with something that's essential: Do your best to attack the target the tank is currently attacking. Tanks have Flash to make sure that any slip-ups or occasional AoE attacks you throw out don't get you killed, but our MP is limited! If we start to use Flash too much, we have to stop using Savage Blade and switch to Riot Blade to regenerate our MP, which means we're generating less enmity (threat) than if we were to use Savage Blade. If there's a large group of MoBs, throwing DoTs on all six or seven of them and spamming AoEs is bound to cause trouble! If you're having trouble targeting the monster the tank is attacking, it's completely acceptable to ask him to mark the targets in order of which you should be killing them.

Secondly - and this is for Arcanists/Summoners - but please don't use your Topaz Carbuncle. When I'm tanking three-four (and more) MoBs, I'm not looking at each individual MoB to make sure they're all looking at me. I check my enemy list. If it shows one (or more) of the MoBs isn't attacking me, then I have to check to make sure it isn't attacking any of you guys, make sure the Carbuncle doesn't die and/or the enmity goes to another player in the dungeon, etc - long story short: As a tank, I want all the MoBs on me. I'll be using moves to increase my defense and enmity, and the healer can worry about the rest. If you're doing damage, focus on doing damage.

Lastly, and this relates back to my first point, but please follow the order in which the targets are marked. If I target the MoBs, it's to make the dungeon easier for everyone. You're not a hero because you killed a dungeon MoB by yourself. All you do is make it that much harder for me or any other tank to keep its aggro. And if I have to switch to a MoB marked #3 while the MoB marked #1 is getting hammered by everyone else, you bet I'm going to lose its aggro. Please, please, PLEASE follow the order in which targets are marked.

Other than that, have fun! Ask questions if you have to. But if you follow those three basic steps, you're already yalms ahead of what's considered a bad party member.

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodest...53/blog/48278/

I've also started putting up videos of myself tanking - they're essentially videos of my first or second run in dungeons on ARR. I want to put up more, but with college and login restrictions, that's been a little difficult, so there's only two videos for now. But if you're just curious and/or want to check them out, any criticism you have would be appreciated. They're by no means professional, and not a commentary - you can find the videos here.

Happy dungeon crawling!

Edit: It seems some people are misinterpreting my post as a sort of basic guide for any dungeon. Let me be abundantly clear that it's not. There are many, many, many tactics, tricks, tips, and other general rules that can apply to running dungeons. At the end of the day, most if not all of them will make a dungeon run more efficient by some degree. This is not a guide to learning those tips and tricks at a lower level. This is not a guide for dungeons at level 50 - in fact, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone over 25 (30 at most) simply because there is a lot more to dungeons that needs to be examined at that point in the game. This is a guide for people who are level 15 or 18 and looking to do a dungeon like Satasha Seagrot or Copperbell Mines; this is a guide to encourage people who don't want to do a dungeon because they're afraid they'll goof up the run.

[CrisGer]

thank you very much

Marking is very usefull: but i had to do some research to find out more about it...

here is how:

The tank doesn't always mark the target, but if you're ever a tank and/or want to mark a MoB for some reason, simply target them and right-click the target bar (the bar that displays their HP, etc) - you'll see an option "Mark". Click that, and you'll see a bunch of numbers.

. thanks again for helping us. I understood most of the rest of what you posted. thanks again.

[Sheer]

thanks again for helping us. I understood most of the rest of what you posted. thanks again.

It's not a problem!

I was in a dungeon and the Healer kept trying to call the shots by marking every monster, but I he lost focus on healing me and with the little HP pool GLDs I died.

Hm, odd. I personally don't think the healer should be marking the targets - the tank should be doing that, if anyone (DDs [DPS] would also work), but the healer should be worrying about the party, not the MoBs. The MoBs are the job of the tank/DDs.

[Jaquelidor]

Hm, odd. I personally don't think the healer should be marking the targets - the tank should be doing that, if anyone (DDs [DPS] would also work), but the healer should be worrying about the party, not the MoBs. The MoBs are the job of the tank/DDs.

Speaking from experience a successful Healer isn't just watching the HP bars. They need to be just as aware as the Tank to what's coming, perhaps more so. Frankly it's usually best to let the player with the most experience with a dungeon, regardless of their role, to do the marking.

[Sheer]

Speaking from experience a successful Healer isn't just watching the HP bars.

Correct, but in lower-level dungeons, they really don't need to worry about much other than the HP of their party members and making sure they aren't standing in the way of avoidable damage.

They need to be just as aware as the Tank to what's coming, perhaps more so. Frankly it's usually best to let the player with the most experience with a dungeon, regardless of their role, to do the marking.

Yes, but again, this is focused on low-level dungeons.

Let me be abundantly clear, because some people seem to be missing the point (I'm going to add this to my OP too): There are many, many, many tactics, tricks, tips, and other general rules that can apply to running dungeons. At the end of the day, most if not all of them will make a dungeon run more efficient by some degree. This is not a guide to learning those tips and tricks at a lower level. This is not a guide for dungeons at level 50 - in fact, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone over 25 (30 at most) simply because there is a lot more to dungeons that needs to be examined at that point in the game. This is a guide for people who are level 15 or 18 and looking to do a dungeon like Satasha Seagrot or Copperbell Mines; this is a guide to encourage people who don't want to do a dungeon because they're afraid they'll goof up the run.

Edit: I'm not an all-knowing tank, as much as I wish I was. I am not some e-celebrity jumping from MMO to MMO to master my tanking skills. What I am is just another player trying to pass off some general points that will get lower-level players through a dungeon without a problem. I'm aware many of you here are veteran MMO players and have refined dungeon strategies that would blow me right out of the water for all three roles (DD, Healer, Tank). I am more than happy to learn from you and discuss potential strategies - especially if I'm ever in a group with you, but for all intents and purposes, this topic is focused at getting extremely basic to-do's down for successful dungeon runs at lower levels.

At the end of the day, I'm just another guy on an MMO trying to help out people who are new to dungeons. I don't mean to disregard anyone's wisdom, but this topic isn't exactly the time or place - with that in mind, I'm always keeping an eye on the "Tank Roles" forum, so if anyone comes up with a brilliant strategy for higher-level dungeons (or even a sort of introduction to high-level dungeon runs), you can be sure that I'll be reading it.

[TheBoss]

Hey I know marking is important, but sometimes I find players need to stop focus marking over their actual role. I was in a dungeon and the Healer kept trying to call the shots by marking every monster, but I he lost focus on healing me and with the little HP pool GLDs I died.

[Khalus]

If you're having trouble targeting the monster the tank is attacking, it's completely acceptable to ask him to mark the targets in order of which you should be killing them.

Or as I tell every PT that I join, assist me by following the "alphabet" thats listed after every monsters' name. Usually you'll go through 3 sets of the alphabet before finishing the dungeon but as long as one knows the alphabet {honestly its rather sad how many don't seem too though...le sigh} then it shouldn't be an issue. The only exception to this rule is if there is a mage or 'other' mob that does more damage, and should be put down first, but again thats rare and not really needed, because if every mob is on the tank, then the healer only has to focus on keeping me alive and should have plenty of MP as long as said tank is using all their +def abilities...

When I'm tanking three-four (and more) MoBs, I'm not looking at each individual MoB to make sure they're all looking at me. I check my enemy list.

You need to up your tanking skill then, cause you should be looking at thrice ~ the mobs, the mob list and the aggro meters on the party list. If everyone follows the tank by assisting us and going by letter, then there should very rarely be the need to pull mobs off other PT members. {At least I have no issue holding 4+ mobs without them ever leaving my side, if everyone else is doing what is needed}

I do concur that Topaz Carbuncle is never needed when I'm tanking, it just messes with the hate meter! Use Emerald for more DPS instead!

[Sheer]

You need to up your tanking skill then, cause you should be looking at thrice ~ the mobs, the mob list and the aggro meters on the party list. If everyone follows the tank by assisting us and going by letter, then there should very rarely be the need to pull mobs off other PT members.

I was using an arbitrary number - the underlying point was that it's easier to quickly check the MoBs in the UI elements (enemy list, aggro meters) than it is to actually see them all around me.

Again, this was more aimed at lower level dungeons. For example, using your alphabet rule may prove much more efficient in certain scenarios than going through and marking the targets, but for people who are new to dungeons, it's much easier to see a giant "1" over the MoBs head.

Thanks again Sheer San.

No problem!

[CrisGer]

Thanks again Sheer San. Ok Khalus San, can you please explain the alphabet reference? Are you saying each enemy spawned is given a alpha numerical rating, from A-Z and can be targeted in turn based on that? When did my first Dungeon as a tank, the Live Help page started spamming in the middle of the screen and I had to talk to the team instead of reading it..i had to turn it off before reading all of its pages so it was NOT saved into the log of such help menus and I have not been able to find it anywhere online. So i missed some of the instructions. I did my best and we made it thru, but any tips such as your nice ones it would help a lot to detail what you are saying. thanks again.

[Khalus]

Ok Khalus San, can you please explain the alphabet reference? Are you saying each enemy spawned is given a alpha numerical rating, from A-Z

After the name of every mob is a letter, starting with A and following through the entire alphabet til it repeats. In most dungeons you'll go through the alphabet 3 times. Just tell everyone to assist the tank by following the alphabet. Mob group one will be A, B & C, the next group of mobs are D, E, F, etc etc etc! Don't need additional marks when they already are, however, as I said earlier there are exceptions to the order killed based on type of mob.

Advanced marking could certainly be helpful in harder instances later in the game or to keep track of a tank during fates, or whatnot, but just standard trash in dungeons thus far its never needed!