Need some advice - Newbie SK here

[Tinkr]

<p>I started playing EQ1 in '99 and EQ2 at launch. I have always played healer classes for the most part. Never have I played the role of tank. Now I have leveled up a SK, mostly through soloing and occassional help from friends to get her ER done. I honestly have not played her as a MT, ever. However I would like to learn, but really am shy of grouping with her because of my lack of experience and knowledge as a tank. Some people are not so understanding and can be quite rude to lesser geared/skilled players.</p><p>I surf for information, but it is so conflicting. One person swears by this aa spec, and another by a different. It gets very confusing. I've never been one to dig too deep into the game mechanics with parsers and number crunching. I guess you could say I'm not really a hard core player, even though I do spend way too many hours playing, hehe. I don't raid very much at all, and will likely not raid with the SK. So for any advice please keep in mind I'll likely just be using my SK for group/instance play.</p><p>My first question is gear. I get a lot of greed drops from my other two characters I play, but not sure what is good for Sk tank. I know I should concentrate on STR, but after that....so many different effects.</p><p>What should I be focusing on for melee/defense stats?</p>

[DMIstar]

<p>Primary for gear at this point</p><p>STR/STA < focus only on these two for now Mitigation %Block % Critical Mitigation %</p><p>For upping DPS Focus on</p><p>Crit to %100Multi attack %100+Crit Bonus %Potency %</p><p>AA's: Crusader tree is pick and choose mostly, Tank Lines are primarily STA and WIS, STR line will help with hate along with DPS.. SK Tree look to get the end lines as well as the debuff items as well on your selection such as devour mist, Blasphemy. Shadows tree has alot of defense into it but primarily want the end lines of each area. for the saves.  </p>

[Umub]

<p>I would suggest finding some guildies/friends who will let you tank for them or their alts. That way you have a much more patient crowd. I would also suggest mastering the Library and Conservatory first since they are by far the easiest zones. Or even The Hole (open dungeon not one of the instances).</p><p>If you have a decent healer in these easier zones, you really don't need to worry about migitgation, or block% gear and you don't need the critical mitigation gear at all. The biggest issue you will have in these zones is Hate. So finding gear that helps you generate the most hate is the priority and damage translates to Hate so DPS is critical.</p><ul><li>+DPS (huge help for auto attack)</li><li>MutliAttack to 100% (until xpac)</li><li>Crit Chance to 100%</li><li>Any gear that procs Hate Gain (mostly fabled gear but there is a great legendary belt that can be bought on the broker)</li><li>Crit Bonus/Potency</li><li>Hate Gain Adornments - You can get up to +15% hate gain with adornments</li><li>+Defense Adornemtns on DPS oriented Rings (best of both worlds)</li><li>Full set of Expert spells</li><li>Memorize which spells generate additional hate and hot bar them together</li></ul><p>This is assuming a baseline of legendary armor. If you are still us MC armor then you might need better mitigation.</p>

[Tinkr]

<p>This is most helpful. Thank you.</p>

[DMIstar]

<p><cite>Umub wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I would suggest finding some guildies/friends who will let you tank for them or their alts. That way you have a much more patient crowd. I would also suggest mastering the Library and Conservatory first since they are by far the easiest zones. Or even The Hole (open dungeon not one of the instances).</p><p>If you have a decent healer in these easier zones, you really don't need to worry about migitgation, or block% gear and you don't need the critical mitigation gear at all. The biggest issue you will have in these zones is Hate. So finding gear that helps you generate the most hate is the priority and damage translates to Hate so DPS is critical.</p><ul><li>+DPS (huge help for auto attack)</li><li>MutliAttack to 100% (until xpac)</li><li>Crit Chance to 100%</li><li>Any gear that procs Hate Gain (mostly fabled gear but there is a great legendary belt that can be bought on the broker)</li><li>Crit Bonus/Potency</li><li>Hate Gain Adornments - You can get up to +15% hate gain with adornments</li><li>+Defense Adornemtns on DPS oriented Rings (best of both worlds)</li><li>Full set of Expert spells</li><li>Memorize which spells generate additional hate and hot bar them together</li></ul><p>This is assuming a baseline of legendary armor. If you are still us MC armor then you might need better mitigation.</p></blockquote><p>Its a well done out post, Just to note with Critical Mitigation, Mitigation and Block this will change ~</p>

[Wanic]

<p><cite>Umub wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I would suggest finding some guildies/friends who will let you tank for them or their alts. That way you have a much more patient crowd. I would also suggest mastering the Library and Conservatory first since they are by far the easiest zones. Or even The Hole (open dungeon not one of the instances).</p><p>If you have a decent healer in these easier zones, you really don't need to worry about migitgation, or block% gear and you don't need the critical mitigation gear at all. The biggest issue you will have in these zones is Hate. So finding gear that helps you generate the most hate is the priority and damage translates to Hate so DPS is critical.</p><ul><li>+DPS (huge help for auto attack)</li><li>MutliAttack to 100% (until xpac)</li><li>Crit Chance to 100%</li><li>Any gear that procs Hate Gain (mostly fabled gear but there is a great legendary belt that can be bought on the broker)</li><li>Crit Bonus/Potency</li><li>Hate Gain Adornments - You can get up to +15% hate gain with adornments</li><li>+Defense Adornemtns on DPS oriented Rings (best of both worlds)</li><li>Full set of Expert spells</li><li>Memorize which spells generate additional hate and hot bar them together</li></ul><p>This is assuming a baseline of legendary armor. If you are still us MC armor then you might need better mitigation.</p></blockquote><p>This post definetly,</p><p>Run the easier zones it allows for you to learn your class, and also your limit of how much you can pull at once etc. Practice makes perferct, so keep running the easier zones to boost your confidence up, then try a slightly harder zone etc.</p><p>also use the researcher to boost expert spells into the master, </p><p>the AA spec on flames, is a good guide line, although everyone is different, just try a few of the specs and see which one you are comfortable with.</p><p>Also using the Aa spells you have effectively, such as furor and Divine aura, </p>

[Umub]

<p>I'm glad that was useful. I'll take a stab at some advice on pulling mobs. To preface this, I am not a great tank. My SK spends a lot more time doing solo stuff and 2 boxing these days.</p><p>Your job as a tank is:</p><ol><li>Pull the mob(s)</li><li>Turn the mob(s)</li><li>Keep agro on the mob(s)</li></ol><p>The pull is the trickiest part. There are 3 basic kinds of pulls.</p><ol><li>Stick an arrow in it - if the mobs are spread out or easy enough that you don't care if you get some extras you can just target a mob - run towards it while firing an arrow. The Mob and possibly friends will charge toward you. This can be OK but once the zones get harder it's a bad habit that will often result in a wipe when you get 2x or 3x the mobs you expected.</li><li>Charge the mob to turn it where it stands (or to a corner if it has kickback, etc.) - this is very common for named mobs. Be sure and give everyone a count like incoming in 5 or 10. Personally, I like to cast despoiling mist while charging the mob and then fire off a knockdown when I reach them.</li><li>Body pull - this is the trickiest one but very necessary. There are many, many places where attacking a mob directly (especially linked mobs) will aggro surrounding mobs. So you have to get their attention without attacking them. This is done by moving close enough to them so they will see you and attack you. Then backing away until you are a safe distance from the surrounding mobs and can attack. This takes some patience, just because you backed away quickly doesn't mean the mob has moved towards you yet. They may have stopped to cast a spell, etc. You must wait to attack the mob it (and any linked mobs) until after it has moved away from the nearby mobs before casting any aggressive spells. You need to work with your healers on body pulls. If they precast any heals then they are very likely to grab aggro during a body pull and there is very little you can do about it. So warn them not to precast.</li></ol><p>The next step is turning the mob. Probably obvious but you want to turn the mob so that DPS classes that have positional attack don't have to move past you to use them and in case the mob has any frontal AOE attacks. Your DPS classes should NOT be attacking the mob until you have turned it. However, not everyone waits and those that do may unload as soon as the mob is turned. So it is extremly useful to know which of you taunts and attacks can be cast on the move. That way you can be building aggro while you are pulling and turning the mob. Turning the mob properly takes a little practice but the may point is you need to pull the mobs to where you want them and then run past them to put the mobs between you and your group.</p><p>Some of the spells that can be cast on the run include: blasphemy (taunt), despoiling mist (taunt), shadow knights furor, divine aura, deathmarch, aoe knockdown (whatever it's called), kick, shield block and doom judgement. I try to cast a taunt during the pull and a knockdown (or doom judgement) right as I turn them and move into my final position.</p><p>One last thought, it is a good habit to cast unholy blessing before every pull. It give you some heals and damages the mob during the pull which can help build aggro.</p>

[Wanic]

<p>i would also say if you haven't already</p><p>to get your weapon enervated, and you get the myth buff from it, which again will help, and also the weapon is nice too.</p>

[El Dominion]

<p>The starter quest gear in velious will be bettert than anything in your shared bank, go there for better gear, you will have a full set of t1 ish raid gear equavilent in no time.</p>