Managing aggro questions from an up and coming wizard. [Archive]

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Knomi

05-13-2007, 12:04 AM

As an up and coming wizard, I have a few questions about aggro management. I've read through some of these guides that have been stickied. I've gotten some good information.I still have some questions though. Three in particular, but first a little back ground information:I'm currently level 45, and recently grouped with a 59 guardian. We were all mentored to 41 for the sake of an HQ. I had never played with the guy, and may never again, this was one of those pick up kinds of things. Really I have no idea what he was doing (or not doing), although I saw spell particles that looked awfully like encounter taunts going off before I started into things. I made every attempt to use Chillshield before he made his pull. Then after I saw those group particles (that I supposed were taunts), I let in with the mild encounter AoE (pardon my ignorance, as I don't memorize the names well), then followed by the harsher ice based AoE. More often than not, those three spells would draw more attention than what I expected to get. Mobs died quickly enough that my pulling aggro "didn't matter" in the grand scheme of things, but all the same, I want to be a wizard known for staying upright in all situations. (*note: my spells are App IV... nothing special)So my questions are:The INT AA line... why does everyone avoid that like the plague? I'm sure someone has looked into it before, and I'm not sincerely thinking about going down that way, but wouldn't a possible AGI / INT spec be reasonable? Keep in mind, I'm ok with not being on top of the parse, especially if it comes at the cost of my chewing dirt. I want to contribute consistent DPS and I don't want to be caught with my robe up over my head while some mob is beating my belly. I noticed people in other threads giving a wait time before starting their casting chains. Could it be possible to go INT and reduce the need for such waits? Secondly, Quellious... the cloak procs a -threat if I'm not mistaken. Is there any advisable worth to something like that?And lastly, does Chillshield (the 3 trigger, Ice reactive type thing) count as threat toward me or toward the person I put it on?In summary, when does going all out DPS actually become a hinderance if you can't keep the mobs off you? In the group I mentioned I ended up sitting back on my heels not doing much of anything when we got to an epicx2 just for sheer concern that the mobtard would come after me. I figure a lot of this will come with more experience, but from what I understand at 45 I don't even have the "heavy hitters." If I'm having this much trouble now (not accounting for the ability of this particular tank), whats my repair bill going to be like in the 55+ range?

HippyKnight

05-13-2007, 03:10 AM

In no given order:ChillShield (and upgrades) used to give hate to the tank but now it is a 0 hate spell, neither you or the tank get any hate from it. That being said there is some tiny amount of hate generated when you actually buff the tank with it (or at least it will put you on the hate list) but this is only noticeable when you cast it directly after the tank has body pulled something and hasnt done anything to put themsleves on the hate list. Secondly with any pick up group/ unfamiliar tank you more or less _have_ to pull aggro a few times to get the feel of the group/tank and how much you can get away with. While a tank may chastise you for pulling aggro, your job is to make the zone/instance whatever go as quickly as possible. If you are not walking the invisible line of pulling aggro you're not doing your job. Remember pulling aggro is not the problem, dying is the problem. Once you get ice comet, and if you're in a group with at least one other dps'er then most single ^^^s become simply: chillshield,icicles,ice comet (pull aggro), stun, possibly BoI - dead mob (or whatever the spells are at your lvl i forget). You pull aggro, but dont die.. no probs. This of can be different in places where things have more hp like unrest and raiding of course but you can worry about that later.As for the int line, well I'd guess if you wanted to go with it wis/int would probably be best, but most people dont pick it simply because if you want to 'bring the hurt' so to speak, you would have to repec to do it. If you could switch between agi/wis and int/wis as easily as a tank switches stances then yeah, im sure many people might use int now and then but you have basically gimped yourself until you respec. Thats why it is 'avoided like the plague'. As for wait times.. well I dont wait =) You can usually adjust what you are doing to stay alive, you cannot as readily switch your aa spec.And the repair bill?.. /shrug.. wizzes are amoung the best classes for making plats so I doubt you'd really notice at later lvls, but yeah, expect to die more than most. Also the problem you are having with aoe aggro might get slightly better as you lvl. Tanks get more experienced and generally have upgraded taunts etc. Often with an appIV encounter taunt it might not actually land on all the mobs that you have just landed your aoe on, leaving a straggler to go after you.. If you are dying.. use concussive..As for deaggro procs.. I think the only thing available to you at your lvl (or near to) is the set bonus from the spidersilk set in klak (equippable at 44 i think). Yes it could be useful, but its a proc so not exactly reliable.

Knomi

05-13-2007, 09:19 AM

I suppose that was the answer I was pretty much expecting to hear. Being a tank on occassion I'm trying my best not to yank them around -- tanking is not fun when you got someone who thinks they are the alpha male and nuking everywhere. From a functionality stand point it works: nuke, get aggro, stun, fart in their general direction, then they die. It's just not the reputation I want (if that makes any sense). I really can not justify the INT line either, simply for the amount of solo that I do. Giving up that many AA for something that only comes in handy for 50% of my gameplay just isn't wise. Off I go to find other ways about it.

Gaddwin

05-13-2007, 10:48 AM

I am a guardian and I box a wizard as my second all the time. I also steal agro from myself on a fairly regular basis. I will happen, as the previous poster said the invisible line for grabbing agro is hard enough to walk along without it moving all the time. Throw in a 25k ice nova (yeah you have that to look forward to) and its agro time.Unless you have some other high agro class in your group that does not have some form of agro transfer or self de-threat make sure your guardian has moderate on you. Other than that, just keep your concussive and cease cycled into the casting if you are struggling. Worst case you grab agro, run to the tank and let him grab agro back. Its much easier to get agro back if the wizard runs at you and stops rather than running in circles just outside your melee range.Kanamorflizurd