Rangers can off-tank ?

[yzyh]

<DIV>Are they are too weak to off tank adds ?</DIV>

[Fennir]

Depends on the add and who else is in you're group. If you're the only viable candidate, it's better you than the healer, right? Honestly, I do it all the time if there is no other fighter in the group.  We're definitely not made of paper, especially when we use our ohcrap buffs. <div></div>

[Vicenzo]

Nothing to stop us tanking, but at 27 I'm beginning to fully appreciate my ranged skill over my melee.  Can pump out some serious damage that way and its sorely missing if I go toe-to-toe.

[Blackin_DeMast]

In extreme emergency, a Ranger can certainly offtank. It's not recommended cause we're not made for that. We can, in fact, take a few licks though. A Tank, we are not. A small buffer while the tank gets rezzed? Yea, we can do that...

[Rian18]

<P>With your HIgh agility and your parry buffs like survival instincs and adroit you can offtank for a little while, tho when you get hit its going to hurt alot.</P> <P>But sometimes in a dungeon thats the only thing you can do is just step in and be a buffer.  The biggest problem with tanking is that the group loses substanial dps (the reason your there) so not only is the "tank" less effective but the group overall dps drops significantly.</P> <P>In outdoor areas the answer is simple for me.  The tank drops I unleash every CA I have grab aggro and begin to kite while they rez the tank and whoever else died.  It may not be offtanking in the traditional sense of the word but its the same concept.</P>

[Falamezar]

<P>yeah, we can tank.  Just make sure that everyone knows that we don't have a taunt.  You have to have a good healer though.  the other day i was tanking the ^^ yellow rats in RV with a 38 summoner and a 33 templar, I'm a 36.  It can be done but you have to be carefull.  I wouldn't try it with a pick-up group, though.  </P> <P>If the tank goes down, then yeah you are now the tank.  At least temporarily.  </P> <P>Do I like tanking? Not really, That is why I played a Ranger, and not a tank. I much prefer to stay behind the mob and unleash then to be limmited to half my DPS tanking.  </P> <P>P.S. As a note i have the PGT and that ward really helps the healer out when you are being hit.  That may be the reason I have had such good luck tanking.</P>

[Kyriel]

Remenber if u use trick arrow on or one of its equivalents to use a fast attack right afterwards or ur casters might go out quick. Every ranger has come to a point of some sort of tanking quite a few times. Not because we want to ut its a instinct if tank dies then is up to u to get aggro cant depends on ur healer since his job is to heal. Better you then him.

[Ragepowers]

<DIV>I have to tank all the time. The issue is not if we are built to tank but if we can hold the agro and if we have a good healer to blow some power on us. Obviously it would be better to have a fighter class. But, somedays or some instances a tank may not be around so we have to step up to the plate or sit around whitling arrows. Of course  when their are 4+ mobs its a bit harder to keep the agro but very possible depending on mobs and scenarios.</DIV>

[Vimy]

<div></div>I haven't had to off tank in quite a while...  If we're fighting mobs tough enough to kill the tank,  it's generally evac time.  Maybe I'll try and wait for the combat rez, but that's about it.  <span>:smileywink:</span>  I'd much rather the healer concentrate on getting the tank up, and us bugging out, than having them try to get some long casting wards/HoTs/reactives on me.  Of course, if the mob only has a sliver of health, you're way deep in a dungeon, or facing a lockout... maybe it's worth risking the wipe.  <span>:smileytongue:</span> The only time I might try to off tank is when I'm higher level than the tank and the mobs don't hurt that much or there's room to kite...  other than that... I prefer to bail out before people start dying. <edit: spelling> <div></div><p>Message Edited by Vimy on <span class=date_text>05-13-2005</span> <span class=time_text>01:20 PM</span>

[Vimy]

<span><blockquote><hr>Ragepowers13 wrote:<div>I have to tank all the time. The issue is not if we are built to tank but if we can hold the agro and if we have a good healer to blow some power on us. Obviously it would be better to have a fighter class. But, somedays or some instances a tank may not be around so we have to step up to the plate or sit around whitling arrows. Of course  when their are 4+ mobs its a bit harder to keep the agro but very possible depending on mobs and scenarios.</div><hr></blockquote> Different story if you ARE the tank, instead if off-tank.  If you're ready to get black and blue, then I agree, we can step up.  <span>:smileyhappy:</span></span><div></div>

[Jay]

<P><FONT size=2>I'd say yes, we can off-tank in a pinch. I often step in and field adds if necessary, but it's a purely temporary measure. It's genearlly bad for our groups to have a ranger in that position, but if it's the split-second choice b/w taking a group DPS hit or having your mage or healer get killed, you take the DPS hit and step up to frontal combat for a few rounds. I often attack hard enough to get the aggro, watch my healthbar closely, and then resume assisting the MT while I get beat on from the side. I can still push more damage using my flank and back attacks, but I've got the add going after me instead of the healer. When we drop the first mob, I use Evade and Shadow to reduce hate while the tank taunts, pulling the add off me. Then it's business as usual.</FONT></P> <P><FONT size=2>We don't really want to tank, tho. Trick Arrow is about as close to a taunt as we get. (And rightfully so.) Perhaps the biggest part of a tank's job is taking and holding aggro, and we can only do that by causing damage... which means that it can get easily overridden by someone <STRONG>else</STRONG> causing damage. If your enemies aren't that tough, a little aggro ping-poing can be entertaining and fun. If you're up against brawnier foes and casters, it can be deadly. Good luck.</FONT></P>

[Sembri]

<DIV>Rangers can off tank as well as any other chain class /shrug.  Take that as you will.  Personally I prefer the plate class healer to tank if we are near the end of a fight and the tank goes down, that works far better than me tanking.  He takes the damage better and I do FAR more damage from the rear than a frontal position.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This isn't EQ, we made AWESOME pinch tanks there for one reason and one reason only - we were the masters of agro.  We could gain it and ditch it better than anyone.  Now the only real way I can gain agro is hoping my good archery shots are up, and letting fly with those.</DIV>

[Rian18]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Sembrin1 wrote:<BR> <DIV>Rangers can off tank as well as any other chain class /shrug.  Take that as you will.  Personally I prefer the plate class healer to tank if we are near the end of a fight and the tank goes down, that works far better than me tanking.  He takes the damage better and I do FAR more damage from the rear than a frontal position.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This isn't EQ, we made AWESOME pinch tanks there for one reason and one reason only - we were the masters of agro.  We could gain it and ditch it better than anyone.  Now the only real way I can gain agro is hoping my good archery shots are up, and letting fly with those.</DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P>Flame lick and snare to gain aggro, Jolts to lose it.  Oh and don't forget Weaponshield for you when you just had to tank.</P> <P><BR>I'd trade just about anything to have weaponshield in EQ 2.</P> <P>18 seconds where you can parry anything thrown in front of you would make a nice level 50 ability.</P> <P>Hell I'd even accept a 1 hour refresh time on it.</P> <P>Weaponshield saved me and my group so many times in EQ 1 its unbelievable.</P> <P>Oh, and not to mention the necessity to have Rangers on Raids to Weaponshield the mob for aggro and debuff reasons.</P>

[sjaste]

<P>OK we can keep argo believe it or not. This example wasn't quite off-tanking but it was keeping argo which is what I wanted to talk about.</P> <P>About a week ago hunting giant lookouts in everfrost for guild writs and the tank was a bit behind but the healer fury (argo magnet) and as always we had to pull the giants ASAP so someone didn't just train though. So I pull 3 giants 3 seperate encounters all solo mobs. Now I was dropping fast and the Fury had to heal me so to keep argo I constantly casted pathfinding (6 sec refresh) The mobs hate group buffs it gains lots of argo I found this out playing my alt who is now a 29 guardian.</P> <P>I was 45 at the time so didn't have dance of leaves so got hit more.</P> <DIV>Try it next time your forced to tank just make sure to keep putting out as much damage as ya can. For 9 power I'd say it's not a bad taunt:smileywink:</DIV>

[Gareorn]

<P>Also use your ranger HO's.  Ringing blow is good for damage, but Swindler's Luck and Barvo's Dance are good group buffs that really hold aggro.  And if you use the low level skills to trip the HO, it uses hardly any power.  I Duo with my wife's Templar and she is free to heal me and throw nukes at the mobs all day long without taking aggro.</P> <P>Pathfinder does work well as stated above, I just prefer the HO's because they have the added effect of increasing dps.</P>