Monday, August 18, 2008

Being a better tank (part 2)

Now, what you're asking is... how do you go from being inexperienced to experienced?
Well, here's how Pos did it:
Number 1. I instanced. Like crazy. The more you do something (usually) the better you get at it. Some things, not so much... like... Dhark kicking casters. He's as bad at it now as before he learned the 'kick' skill.

Back on topic. Instance. Learn your own nuances. Get into a routine for how you pull and how you hold aggro. As you get better geared (and your guildies and friends get better geared) you will need less healing, so you need to focus less on the non-primary targets. Tanking 3 mobs with Pos, its shield slam the primary, revenge the primary, devastate target 2, and devastate target 3. Rinse, repeat. After 3-4 devastates on each one they should be glued to me and not charge a healer.

A quick example of a personal nuance: I will always shoot the last mob that will be killed (and initially tanked) on a pull. So if I'm tanking three, I shoot the 3rd one to die, target the second, devastate, then target the primary kill and shield slam. As long as my healer doesn't heal me early, it gives me enough aggro to get an initial devastate back onto that 3rd mob (followed by a thunderclap). Usually, this is followed by a taunt on the first mob as Kikidas is cackling gleefully about pulling aggro.

The best way to practice tanking multiples as a warrior? Run a lower level instance. So, you're 66, go run Ramparts. You're newly 70? Mana Tombs is calling you.
Try running with no CC (that means crowd control, not Sabathia), see what you learn, and what you have to work on. Being overgeared and/or over leveled will mean you need less heals and your group won't wipe.. but it also means a lot less rage, so learn to mark quick and chain pull (full circle, look at that)

Questions? Comments?

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