What am I doing wrong?

[Talley]

<p>Alright, I just got kicked from a runnyeye group because I coudlnt' hold aggro and my mana was dropping like crazy. What am I doing wrong?</p><p>All of my achievement have gone into hate so far. I'm 34 and was useing sword/shield. I was the lowest lvl in my group, and I kept on losing aggro. I think some of the issues were dps not assisting me, but also it seemed like I was getting resists from higher lvl mobs. But once a dps had aggro, it was very had to steal it back w/out rescue up. Anyway, a few minutes of mobs bouncing aggro, the group kicked me. I'm not sure there was anything I could have done different. I was shield bashing, and slamming down the 2 main taunts. Most of my gear is around lvl 30ish.</p><p> I was in an RoK group earlier, and had absolutely no problems w/ aggro. I was one of the higher lvls in group, being around lvl 30.</p><p>Was this just a result of a lower lvl tank trying to compete for aggro w/ higher lvl dps classes, or is 34 just too low to tank that dungeon? I didn't think SKs had anytype of issues, like pre 70, but was this just a result of the SKs being inferior as a class when compared to guardians and zerkers?</p><p>I'm not an incompetent player by any means, but EQ2 is still fairly new to me. I'm sure that there might be some things that I am missing.</p><p>Anyway, any suggestions or insight would be great.</p><p>.</p>

[Nuhus]

I'd definitely recommend keeping taunts at adept III. Power management is certainly an issue. I think there is a balance between taunts and damage spells. I think it does get a little easier in the higher levels. PUG's I suppose can be a little rough sometimes. I think sometimes people forget they need to hold back a little for the tank gets aggro before they go all out in DPS. The group I normally play with goes all out regardless. They know that though, they also know I'll watch them die. But it is also a good challenge to try and get the hate back. What quality are your taunts at? You will get less taunt resists if you are at adept III vs adept I or Apprentice IV.Power I usually don't have a problem with unless I'm going all out DPS. (the AOE's really seem to suck up the mana).Int Sta and Str are your stats to focus on, from what I can tell. Int increases your spell damage and power pool. You get some small nukes and its good to use them in the rotation to help generate more hate.I think it takes some time to get down tanking with an SK. I don't really think it does much good to dwell on other classes. Every class has their up and down sides. I played a guard to 25 long ago, it just wasn't my thing, but I do like my SK. I'm certainly not the greatest tank (and it's really kind of thankless to be one). However, I'm going to enjoy it and I do notice my improvement in tanking.Don't know if any of that helps much, but good luck!

[Hugsnkissums]

<p>TBH if you're running out of power, it shows you're certainly not slacking on the job. Tanks have power issues, they're designed that way. If you've got someone taking aggro from you like that, chances are it's because they're not playing nice with the group. They are trying to top a parse, not do what's best for the group. Most DPS classes get so self absorbed with parses, they forget they can rip aggro if they go all out like that...especially from SKs. Don't take it too harshly. </p><p>Chances are you were the odd man out anyway and some of them knew each other from other groupings. If I had to guess, they were probably complaing to one another about your tanking ability in tells long before you saw a problem with it and just decided to push the boundries with you a bit. PuG's are like that...rather then tell you they're having problems with you, they just assume you know and blame you for the problems. I'd be willing to bet, they didn't fair too well after you left anyway. </p><p>As for being too low to tank RE...I don' think that's the case if you've got a good group. I do know most PuGs like to have their tanks in their low 40's simply because of the better armor and all the adds you can get. SKs aren't exactly the surgical tank type...all those AoEs are a part of who we are, of what we're designed to be.</p><p>Just take it on the chin and with a grain of salt. If you're goign to join another PuG in RE, try to do it at higher levels say sometime after 42 and your new armor. They'd be less likely to kick you out simply because of how well things would be going anyway...maybe they'll even *gasp* talk to you if they're having a problem with you. We're not mind readers after all.  </p>

[nailhead]

One thing I noticed from your statement, was that you were the lowest level in your group.   In this case you definately will have a problem holding aggro, the DPS/Heal aggro that the higher levels will be giving out will be higher than what your taunts would normally cater for.  If this was the other way around, then I would invisage that you would hold aggro with ease.   Also check your weapon, a few of them loose you aggro if you are behind/flanking the mobs, this is a pain because you then have to move in front of the mob to try increase your agression.  The weapon gains you hate whilst the mob is on you, but the moment someone, espescially scouts who tend to be behind the mob, manage to turn them around on to them, it becomes difficult to regain hate without using up Rescue.

[Razlath]

<p>If you are not the highest level in the party it makes it difficult no matter what tank class you play.  If a dps class is more than 3 or 4 levels above you I would ask them to mentor.  If they won't they are either going to be very bored, or you don't stand a chance.  I think I agree with the parse topper statement from earlier.  Especially if it was the same person each time.  If it was random aggro bounce, it was probably just resists combined with people not paying attention to your level.</p><p>The best thing you can do is specfically ask for any aggro enhancers the group might have.  Sometimes at those levels people have not grouped much yet and don't know about feeding you hate.  Also after a wipe sometimes peeps forget to put them back up.</p><p>Also, be sure to have them not engage until you spin the mob, and call peeps out who are doing so.  Be sure you are spinning the mob too.  Rogues tend to use Walk the Plank to spin a mob if you don't and then must go nuts on it to keep it spun thus pulling hate.  Mention their deaggro abilities as well, and ask them to use them.  Make a big deal about using rescue so that they know you are using it, and let the person you are rescuing take a couple of hits first (but don't let them die).</p><p>There is a thread farther down where I list my normal pull sequence for quick aggro, you might want to check it out for ideas (not claiming to be the end all be all, just food for thought).  You may not have some of those abils yet, but you should have the basics by now.</p><p>*edit* <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=420571" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Here </a>is the link for the thread I was talking about.</p>

[DwarvesR]

<p>For your AA's you really want to have the 1st 17 in the INT line (1 for the tree starter, then 4-4-8) to maximize your spell crit %.  Half your attacks are spells and that 70% crit rate will vastly increase your dps and your generated hate as a result.</p><p>Further, your taunts are treated as spells, so that 70% crit rate seems to apply to them too.  And as was suggested -- AD3 minimum for your taunts and shield bash.  Not a bad idea to do that for your Caress line too.</p><p>Macro the group taunt and single-target into a single key that you use while bringing the pull back ot the group.  The group taunt debuffs disease and your single-target then has a great chance to land the damage component.  Use the indivdual taunt keys during the fight itself, of course.  Personally I like to add a /taunt or /threaten emote to the taunts in a macro so that the group has a text and audible notification that you are indeed taunting.  I also have the /incoming audible signal macro'd into my "INCOMING MOB!!!" macro.  Nothing like a female high elf SK saying "Here comes trouble!" as she's about to pull, and then while leading the mob back to the group crying out "You are SO dead!" while tossing both taunts at it. . . .  Once I get it where I want it then I'll shield bash it and move myself to where I want to be so that the mob is turned while it's on its back.  Then it stands and turns to me, and the dps unloads. . . .in a perfect world, anyway.  DPS usually starts about the time I'm about to shield bash it, and that actually tends to work all right since the bash still adds hate and allows me time to position in spite of the dps being trigger-happy.</p><p>Beyond that -- find a good spell/CA order.  Try to time your casts and CA's in between auto-attacks in order to maximize your dps (and hate from it).  Make sure that the group taunt's debuff is always up too -- you never want that to fall off.</p><p>FWIW, my opinion for AA's for a tanking SK is 4-4-8 INT 1st, then the Hate line on the SK side, then 4-4-8-6-2 on the STR line.  After that. . . whatever you want, really.  STA 4-1 at minimum for Hammer Ground, plus Reaver is good.</p><p>And the biggest thing of all:  Tank in offensive stance and trust your healer(s) to keep you alive.  It's far easier to hold aggro in Off stance than it is in Def stance.</p>

[Korac]

One thing I do also is switch to 2 hander. I almost never ever use defensive either. The added defense just isn't worth the decrease in dps imo. I only switch to shield/defensive as a last resort ie healer having a hard time keeping me alive or a hard named.