Agro control, Conjurers in groups/ pets, dueling,- Hint tip, tactic thread

[Purg]

<DIV>Hello all,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I am loving my conjurer alt , who is now my main, I even sold my mains horse to get my conj one. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>For your info am level 26, 90% adept 3 spells, treasured kit based on int, with 2 legendary hex int dolls.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I can solo fine, and take down some decent heroic content, i solo using both the fire and tank pet depending on my mood and mob, root here there, aoe there, think i can't do much better soloing.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In grouping i kept gaining agro. and resorted to my tank pet and only 3 spells, my single target ones and my swarm pet, dropped by buffs and gave out 4 fire seeds.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG>I am gonna ask the obvious what do you do, what are the best tactics to use in groups, which pet etc. any basic advice.</STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG>Also for dueling any tips or tactics.</STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV>had to duels to a warlock 1 level above me, dropped him about 6seconds, which be barely receving a hit, sent offensively set fire pet, stun, swarm pet, stiffle dot, then blast away? he was dead by the time i had done word of force.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>if this has been done already am sorry, if not lets fill this thread with usefull info. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>my biggest tip is ROOT, handy in groups and solo, saved the healers life when she gained agro by rooting her adds till the secondary tank could get them off her.. </DIV><p>Message Edited by Purgle on <span class=date_text>12-06-2005</span> <span class=time_text>03:48 AM</span>

[Purg]

<P>lol got rambling and forgot the main question, </P> <P>do we get anything that reduces our hate gain.</P> <P>my ratonga pitifull please is amazing and has saved my life many many times, at lv 26 reduced hate by 780! 4 times better than my lv 38 fury gets spell wize.</P> <P>anythink else we can do when we get agro bar die? <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> well root hope it holds and die. </P> <P>any tips muchly appreciated, </P> <P>edit: have read the brilliant FAQ, and it helps with the pet useaging in different situations, but any other tips would be great. </P><p>Message Edited by Purgle on <span class=date_text>12-06-2005</span> <span class=time_text>03:48 AM</span>

[Inuki1]

<P>To answer your question about aggro and groups-</P> <P>The earth pet is a poor choice for use in groups, since it's main purpose IS to get aggro.  The fire pet (at your level) is the pet of choice.  Just gotta watch the aggro for it, or it'll get turned into roadkill in .2 secs flat.  At 32 you'll get the air, which is an excellent choice for groups also...arguable even moreso than fire, since it does massive (scout-type) damage to a single mob, along with a nice balance of hp's. (It's also the pet of choice for many soloers, unless you're hunting big game, like heroics.)  Generally, if you're finding your pets getting agro in groups, just delay sending them in until the tank gets solid agro.  It hurts the dps I know, but better than getting yourself or your pet killed.  </P> <P>As for agro reducers...unfortunately there isn't much we as conjurors can do.  Necro's have that advantage over us, in that they can Feign Death.  The Ratonga do get an agro reducer as you mentioned, as do Frogloks (my race) that has saved my life many a time.  Also, eventually you'll get Stoneskin, a spell that absorbs 3 hits no matter how much damage is done, and simultaneously reduces your agro to that mob by like 500-900 or so per hit.  </P> <DIV>Enjoy your conjuror, we truly are a fun class.  Mine started as an alt for my 51 Dirge...now the Conjuror is 53 and my poor Dirge is still 51, and most likely still will be when I ding 60.  I've been soloing 48-49 heroics to ding me 53.  Just last night I even managed to solo the named Icegill for the Eye for Power heritage quest on my second try.  (49^^^ group of 5, including named)  Took some rooting named/sacrificing pet to regain life/mana, then sending in kamikaze air pets with Blazing Presence, but sure felt good when he dropped.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Froakenstein, Guk</DIV>

[Sol-the-Wi]

Yep, Stoneskin is the extent of what I've gotten so far, but it sure is a nice spell (especially when dueling a wizard -- love seeing "absorbed 2319 damage").Also, at level 55 (long way for the OP, but not everybody <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> ) be sure to get Frigid Winds. I've easily been able to solo white named heroics in open areas with it. Cast Frigid Winds (reduces speed to a crawl for 45 seconds) and just DOT it to death, backing up when necessary. Great spell, and the master drops quite a bit in Scornfeathers <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /><div></div>

[Purg]

<P>thank you, its wierd that we don't get hate reducers, my fury does as does my assasin, but i suppose we have a pet. </P> <P>The group i was in struggled as the tank only had app 1 taunts, i had adept 3 damage and pets, and we had no healer, just lots of dps, hence me resorting to a tank pet - in offensive or no mode, and only use  very few spells.</P> <P>A group i was in previously i could smite a lot more, the quality of the tank does control the amount of dps you can put down. </P> <P>pitiful plea is so handy <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P> <P>Thanks again i will experiment more when i group, but i am mostly a solo player dont group much and when i do, i would have gained a load of new spells since i last grouped, so have to relearn grouping to a certain degree each time. </P> <P><STRONG>any tips for duel, bar send in pets and stun?</STRONG> </P> <P>my fury has been shelved bar helping out guildies on HQs.</P> <P>Had so much fun with this char, healing and saving a group is good fun, but its boring to solo even with good aoes, my fury at lv 24 did 800points damage in 1 hit, could 1 shot high greens, (long recast) at 32 1000 ish point aoe. So per hit the fury does more damage but huge recast and casting time. I love chasing the same level heroic 3 down mobs around in TS, the huge packs of gnolls and deer.</P> <P>thanks again i think i have most the answers now. but more tips are welcome</P> <P> </P> <p>Message Edited by Purgle on <span class=date_text>12-06-2005</span> <span class=time_text>04:53 AM</span>

[El Chupacabr]

<P>A common misconception is that feign death is an agro reducer, it's not.  Think of it more as an in-combat invis spell... you still have all your accumulated hate.  All feign does is stops you from attacking or getting hit while a tank gets more hate than you.  All existing hate gained by the necro is still there when he gets back up (unless the encounter has reset).</P> <P>And yes, the deagro abilities of the gnomes, ratonga and froglocks are the best racial traits in the game.</P>

[Blitzrain]

<DIV>At higher levels, I am not finding aggro to be a problem.  I am always fighting alongside competent tanks though (bruisers are pretty amazing....I can unload with blazing presence to start and won't grab aggro).   I think the trick is to make sure the tank is your level or higher....I had problems when leveling to 60, I was ahead in level of most and would often take aggro.  Now that everyone I know  is 60, doesn't seem to be a problem....only time I ever grab aggro is if elemental vestment goes off on 10 mobs and occasionally on a raid.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I almost always use Air Pet + aggravate.  Earth pet comes out against certain raid mobs (where an AE can sometimes one-shot the air).  Not finding too much use for the Fire pet, personally.  </DIV>

[GSOO]

<P>Groups you need to determine your role. I have been both the main assist, as well as the main tank pulling the mobs to a dps heavy group. </P> <P>If you are Main tank, Main Assist: Earth pet with defensive stance. Try and have the people wait till all mobs are damaged by the put. Best thing is to use the tab bar and attack each one. After they all been slapped by the tank...I concentrate on the healers and then have all assist. I would create a button to state "Please assist my pet." Most times the pet doesn't loose aggro, and I can chain stifle and stun through the battle.</P> <P>If you have a good tank and needed for dps....btw my favorite group <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> : Fire pet, or Air pet with offensive stance. Both are dps pets built on throw lots of dps. The fire is more a group aoe killer, and the air more a single target killer. Air pet uses those scout stuns which can really mess up a mob.</P> <P>The Aquas hunter line (Lil Land Sharks) still is messed up. I would not use that unless you pulling to an isolated area.</P> <P>Most highend conjs use air pet on offensive when dueling....basically out stun the opponet and make him cry for momma.</P>

[Loral]

I use Air pet in duelling because they can unload the 5 procs of Blazing Presence faster than any other pet. Combined with a shot of Quake, then Shattered Earth, means I have very little time left if I want to cast my fishes.

[Escher13]

Add me to the list of people who have let their mains stagnate and played the conjurer instead.  I think I've leveled my Swasher 5 levels in the time I've brought my conjurer 20 levels to meet him.  The soloability of the conjurer is unmatched, and he makes as good or better a DPS addition to a group as the swasher. And as a Ratonga, I have made good use of Pitiful Plea -- saved my hide just last night when I pulled one group and added an entire other group of yellows ... as I was down to my last bar of health with one mob left, PP took effect as my tank pet arrived to save me. *WHEW*  <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> <div></div>

[Jeradim]

<P>Halflings also get an aggro reducing ability pretty much identical to the one gnomes get.  That's neither here nor there though.  The fact that your tank had app1 taunts is why you were pulling aggro.  There's no way he'd be able to hold aggro even if you just sent your pet in.  Even with uber tanks though you could probably pull aggro quite easily if you wanted to.  To be effective a tank should really have all taunts and stances at adept III.  Handcrafted gear doesn't cut it either.  You can't control that though, but here's what you can control:</P> <P>You have to be careful in the use of a few spells:</P> <P>Blazing Presence - does a metric buttload of dmg very fast, I would only use in groups toward the end of the fight.</P> <P>Shattered* - With the changes to this spell line it does it's dmg <EM>very</EM> quickly.  Be careful in it's use, particularly if you have a few dots stacked already or just dropped a quake/tremor recently.</P> <P>Quake/Tremor - since this is a PBAoE (out of encounter -blue- AoE) you have to be careful anyway, but again this spell does high dmg so don't drop it right after a shattered*</P> <P>Swarm pets - the aggro from swarm pets -aqueous* and roaring flames/pyrotechnic- transfers to the conjuror upon their death.  Like BP, if you find these are wearing off before the fight is over you may want to wait a bit longer before casting them.</P> <P>Root - DO NOT use this in a group unless you absolutely have to (i.e. saving a healer's butt).  Root generates a huge amount of aggro.  Even soloing I never use it unless it's to separate a named or otherwise difficult mob out of an encounter.</P><p>Message Edited by Jeradim on <span class=date_text>12-06-2005</span> <span class=time_text>06:05 PM</span>

[StaticLex]

<DIV> <HR> do we get anything that reduces our hate gain. <HR> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Yeah, it's called Elemental Vestement + Blazing Presence.  If that doesn't get a mob off your [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn], I doubt anything will.  :smileysurprised:</DIV><p>Message Edited by StaticLex on <span class=date_text>12-07-2005</span> <span class=time_text>12:42 AM</span>

[Purg]

<DIV>thanks all.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>the root / agro thing is interesting wasn't aware of how much agro it made, </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I use when saving the healers but, root and step back <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>and for when fighting heroics mobs, divide and conquer.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>was in a conj/ nec/ paly group last night,  WORKed a charm, fighiting decent heroics, root 1 each, fight a bit, root 2 more and keep falling back, and rerooting, till we were fighting mobs 1 at a time, the play who was higher level that us, could gain amazaing agro and had no trouble pulling from us, if not we both siesm'ed and the mobs were so stunned we had time to get them down to a safe level.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>as a fury i never really got how much work tanks did, plus i had a hate reducer and i could take more than 1 hit (legendary leather plus buffs, i out mitted most tanks any way, and i often went main tank in odd groups) but as a conj, who dies at a glare by an averge mob, i am learning to really respect the tanks <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>shattered ground looks very good, adept 3 is in the post.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>thanks all, this is a handy thread for a lot of new conj's i bet, as this stuff isnt fully mentioned in the FAQ.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>thank you mr necrp, for explaining about fiegn death, never had chance to use it.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>random point is seems the little people get the best racial traits, the agro reducers which is [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn] potent, plus some get own stealth, which leaves my invis free to invis the tank  or healer in the group. <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> </DIV><p>Message Edited by Purgle on <span class=date_text>12-07-2005</span> <span class=time_text>01:14 AM</span>

[Violat0r]

<P>Just one thing on the subject of duelling</P> <P>The PBAOE at whatever level is an ideal starting spell, during the countdown to start, wait for it to say 1 second then start casting, it will hit them the nanosecond the duel starts (if timed well), thus doing heavy damage and stunning them (you will also be spamming petattack at this time). The 2 seconds they are on their @ss on the floor, allows you enough time to cast your stun, then DOT, stifle, then pick up pretty much any tactic from here.</P> <P>I would be amazed if you needed more than this to drop even the most hardy non-healer opponent. </P> <P>I have never lost to anyone other than a well  played coercer/illu in the caster society since adopting this tactic. I can beat 60 wizzys and warlocks with no pet much of the time too.</P> <P> </P>

[Dart]

Tartons Wheel, look it up on ogaming. Quested agro reducer, semi long refresh, but none the less a good tool to add to the bag of tricks.

[leas50]

I also use the PBaoe line to start duels, although I've relied less and less on it of late. Well played scouts will cheap shot you, even if you have started casting the spell with 1 second left. Cheap shot is an instant cast, so if they spam it at the beginning of a duel, it doesn't matter if you've got the timing perfect on Seismic Tremor (or similar), they'll still hit you with a 5 (or so) second stun. Rangers are the nastiest of the scout classes that I've faced, just cheap shot at the start, back up, then bring me down in a hail of arrows. I've adopted a new strategy for starting out duels. Get BP up (if you're 50 or over) and then invis yourself during the countdown. Their target (if they don't have see invis) suddenly has gone poof, and you have a bit of a surprise for them when the duel starts. I've used this to great effect on rangers that have been pummelling me endlessly. Also works great on tanks that like to try and shield bash (or other quick cast stuns) at the beginning of the fight. I would say that scouts are by far the toughest classes that I've dueled though. <div></div>

[XtremSummo]

<DIV>Tarton's Wheel is indeed a very handy tool when soloing. Unfortunately,the hate reduction is also combined with being teleported (from memory) 3 to 130 metres away in any dircetion. This is OK when you're soloing and need an emergency escape... but when you're grouped from their perspective you suddenly disappear, the mob runs off suddenly, they're chasing and find they can't cast etc etc... Not an ideal tool to use in groups I'd say.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>GSO mentioned using the pet as tank. To be honest, for the situation originally mentioned where the tank has only app1 taunts, that's probably the solution I'd have gone for. If conj pet is tanking for a group or small group, then the following tips are handy to know:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>1) Healers can heal your pet too. Get them to do so.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>2) Single target buffs for tanks can usually be put on your pet as well. Get your pet buffed</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>3) Other classes have stifles and stunning effects. Make sure that there's a little coordination so they're not being used at the same time. Take the time to find out who has an attack/effect that is a stifle/stun. Have an order of using them and get each class to use their stuns in turn and say "out" in group chat when they've got no more stuns/stifles available. In a small group you can often have very little time when the mob can actually hurt your pet. (Note: this is good for normal teams with a real tank too).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>4) Cycle pet through the mobs at the beginning of the fight to help them get aggro. Use Blazing Presence if you have it while cycling to give maximum weight to each hit.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>5) If pet survival is at issue, reduce your own damage if necessary in order to make sure you get your heals out the moment they're available. Heal consistently through the fight - don't wait for the pet to reach 50%.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>6) After fights, if pet is low on health use Offering/Sacrifice if available to heal up group Health and Power and recast pet. It's often quicker than waiting on regen.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Just some hints and tips. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>X</DIV>

[GSOO]

Actually last night my mage got in a group in RE that lost a healer and a gaurdian...I switched to tank pet, and made the pally heal...he hated it <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />....but we killed three named. Then I went ot the roost with my templar main. Cannot wait till i can do roost with the lil guy as well<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[XFranc]

If you are having problems with aggro, a quick tip using the harden / <span class="postbody">Frozen by Time line, is cast it on the mob, then back out of range and let the pet attack him - you will usually find that you lose the aggro well. </span><div></div>