Art of keeping agro off your healer!

[Raahl]

<DIV>Hey,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I find that in a particularly nasty fight, the healer tends to get at least one agro from healing the tank of the group.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>What is the best way, for a Guardian, to keep/get back agro off your healer in a fight?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Is there a particular combo of abilities that work best?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG>Note: Please no flames. </STRONG></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Kagtu]

<DIV>I find that it is harder to keep aggro off of a mage that is hitting for 500+ during a fight.  However some healers tend to spam heal (when not always needed) and that creates aggro for sure.  None the less here is my combo that seems to work.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Pull (with either a bow or a taunt)</DIV> <DIV>while running back to group I cast rallying cry.  (creates more aggro)</DIV> <DIV>Then I push attack</DIV> <DIV>Taunt again</DIV> <DIV>Taunting blow</DIV> <DIV>Various other attacks (knee break, mangle, slam and bury)</DIV> <DIV>I through a few more taunts in there.  </DIV> <DIV>I have never had a problem with keeping aggro when using this combo.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>For the mulitple mob fights (this is a bit harder)</DIV> <DIV>I do everything the same except I use our group taunt (shout) whenever I can.</DIV> <DIV>However, when the mobs aren't grouped, you have your work cut out for you.  </DIV> <DIV>IF you have a good group, you can switch mobs and taunt them off of the healer (or mage) but it will be tough to do.  Sometimes it is just luck.  In all cases let your group know that you need to get aggro and therefore beg them not to attack something other then what you are attacking.  When a mob disengages you and goes to the healer, ask the healer to be patient while you do your damnest to get it off of him.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>One other thing.  You have something called hold the line.  When I use this, even the 500+ hits from a mage can't tear them off of me.  AWESOME skill.  Use it when you have multiple (2+) mobs.  IT is designed for that.  GREAT skill.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Hope this helps</DIV>

[Drolio]

Even if someone else is pulling, and you know they are already on their way back, you can start gaining aggro by buffing alone. When my friend bruiser would pull, I would Battle Tactics, Call of Command, Guradian's Call, and get aggro without even using Anger or Shouting Cry yet. I use Hold the Line a lot, even if it is a Single ^^ mob. If you're pulling, another thing you can do is use Anger a few times on your way back, since it refreshes so fast.At level 25.6 (I think) I got Taunting Challenge, and it works great. It's like a single target version of Hold the Line, plus you don't get your feet stuck on the ground <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Lord_Oni]

<DIV>proximity is another factor.  You can try to gain taunt all you want while the mob is turned with it's back to you but it just doesn't work.  You need to get in front of the mob if the aggro is yanked.</DIV>

[Raahl]

<DIV>Great tips.  Keep them coming.</DIV>

[BabyAm]

I am one of only two guardians in our guild currently out of 38 members. My group usually consistes of a Necro, Inquisitor, Rogue, Enhcnater, Myself and a Random sixth.We hunt Nek and FG quite frequently and I find that its fairly easy to hold agro in our groups. Usually pull with anger or throwing axe, shout when i hit the group to make sure i have everything on me, and then hit call to arms. This locks me in one place but it also keeps all the mobs on me. Its the enchanters job to mez anything besides the MA target. The call to arms builds up massive agro on the mezed mobs so that when mez breaks they usually go for me 9/10. Im not forced to use any other tuants unless someone over nukes.Obviously in this method no one can use AE which is typically how most groups with an enchanter will try to run it. In the event I do loose agro drop call to arms get in front of the mob and toss down anger and taunting blow and agro is back where it goes. Drop back into Call to Arms.ZollanLvl 21 Defender

[Xter]

<DIV>It's really easy to keep agro over ANYONE, here's how:   </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>1. Make sure all your gear is White+  Gear is the most important thing for a tank</DIV> <DIV>2. Make sure all your Taunt and Deff skills are at the highest lvl you can get them Adept 1+ </DIV> <DIV>3. Taunt, Taunt, Taunt.. repeat. </DIV> <DIV>4. See 3</DIV> <DIV>5. See 4</DIV> <DIV>6. See 5 </DIV> <DIV>7. You should be taunting and stunning all the time.  Forget danage output, you suck at it.  Use DoT (wound, Ruin) to help increase agro</DIV> <DIV>8. Group buff: Rally Cry is a good one for this.  Its quick, helpfull, and you can get it in at least once, if not 2x a fight, even after having it on during your pull. </DIV> <DIV>9. Give your healers a chance at the start.  Arrow, Anger, AoE Taunt, STUN, Kick interupt!, then more tuanting.  Your going to get hit hard at first. The mob is at full, with no debuffs.  Your taunt is low becuse you just started and now your healers are dumping into you cuse you just got wacked to 1/2.  So, its very important to get as much agro, and to stop as much damage (stun) in the first 5 seconds.  Then you can get into your normal grove of tuants and buffs and stuff. Just be sure your using as many buffs as you need BEFORE the pull to keep your HP reduction low from the start. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>10.  Taunt! </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>You can out tank, and out taunt anyone using the right skills at the right time.  And most of the time, you wont even need HLT to do it =) </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Good luck! </DIV>

[Rie]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Lord_Onion wrote:<BR> <DIV>proximity is another factor.  You can try to gain taunt all you want while the mob is turned with it's back to you but it just doesn't work.  You need to get in front of the mob if the aggro is yanked.</DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR> Sorry Lord_Onion, but that is just false. The few times that I do loose aggro, the mob is facing away from me (since people are out of the barrage area), and I NEVER have to move infront of the mob to pull aggro back. Just a couple simple taunts will generally pull the mob off the healer unless he continues to chain cast.<p>Message Edited by Rielz on <span class=date_text>12-07-2004</span> <span class=time_text>12:04 PM</span>

[benba]

<DIV>I tell them not to use AOE, hit the mob that no one else is hitting, use their most powerful attack before I get aggro, or use group heal or start healing me or themself when the health bar is still green. Never had any aggro problem when they listen. </DIV>

[Raahl]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Xterra wrote:<BR> <DIV>1. Make sure all your gear is White+  Gear is the most important thing for a tank</DIV> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P>I always try to maximize my AC.  Some times this involves using equipment below white.  Is that wrong, should I go for items that give better stat increases vs. the best AC?</P> <P><BR> </P>

[Siggy]

<DIV>Simple. Ask your healers NOT to heal you until you're at around 1/2 hp. As a guardian, you're not going to lose your 2nd half of hp in a blink of an eye. This allows the guardian to throw in some taunts before your healer heals and for you to build some agro. I've grouped with so many healers that are so concerned with topping off the guardian's hp that the mobs are on the healer as soon as the fight begins...making it nearly impossible to taunt it off him without rescue. </DIV>

[benba]

<DIV>yea, the way to keep aggro is to tell your group how to play.  better that they get offended than you being dead.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> there are just too many DD and healers that heal too fast or do too much damage too fast. Nothing worse than grouping with some guy that opens up with their most powerful attack or use AOE against grouped mob and then ask why you aren't taunting or why the healer isn't healing him.</DIV>

[Fable_E]

<DIV>I have gotten to the point where I assume I will lose agro eventually.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I then slam.</DIV> <DIV>I then Sentinel.</DIV> <DIV>I then Allay the Healer/Rogue</DIV> <DIV>I then rotate:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <UL> <LI>Slam</LI> <LI>True Strike</LI> <LI>Bull Rush</LI></UL> <P>It works most of the time.. once I lose agro even Rescue does nothing to get it back to me..</P>

[Yo]

<P>Let me throw in 2copper from an Inquisitors perspective:</P> <P>The Cleric/Inquisitor plays a big role in the tanks agro generation..... how is that?</P> <P>If the Inqui casts a "heal buff" like Bestowal of Vitae on the tank BEFORE the pull it does not give agro on the healers account... but far more important... every time the tank is hit on the way back he gets healed by BoV... and this generates agro on the TANKS account. This, together with the tanks taunts generates basically enough agro to keep the mobs on the tank. Only an extreeeemly nukehappy Wizz would be able to break the agro.</P> <P>So one advice for the tanks... wait with the pull until the Cleric/Inqui has this BoV on you... if you pull before the BoV hits you, the mobs will be on the healer immediately..... and then you better hope that the healer has good armor.... because if the healer has BoV or SS on himself..... no taunt will be able to generate enough agro to get the mobs off the healer.</P>

[Xter]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Raahl wrote:<BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Xterra wrote:<BR> <DIV>1. Make sure all your gear is White+  Gear is the most important thing for a tank</DIV> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P>I always try to maximize my AC.  Some times this involves using equipment below white.  Is that wrong, should I go for items that give better stat increases vs. the best AC?</P> <P><BR> </P> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR> Not all idems are the same of course, so in some cases you'll find a lower lvl peice thats acutaly better then a higher lvl peice. However, you should always try and find better gear.  Alot of player made stuff is really good and worth paying for (mostly the left slots).  Also, STA and AGI increases on gear is almost as important as AC.  HP's and AC/deffence is what we are after.  Forget about STR. If we get increases on it, thats nice, but it should not be the focuse of gear selection.

[stephe]

Assuming I taunt (or shout) before casting Hold The Line, it's next to impossible for a healer to strip aggro from me, although the particular bard I group with has a habit of grabbing aggro every once in a while on the mob that he's beating on.I almost always die before the healer does.

[RafaelSmith]

I cant be sure but i recall a someone from SOE posting that AC and what it did for you wasnt entirely indicative of what AC # shows up in you player stat window. Something like a 20AC piece of gear that cons grey to you wont be as good as a 20ac piece of gear that cons white? Or 20AC medium armor is not the same as 20AC heavy armor?I think in EQ2 its alot more complicated than picking the armor piece with the highest AC #.My rule of thumb is to keep my armor/weapons blue+

[Raahl]

<DIV>Well I updated my armor to 90% yellow.  Will see how that works.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Keep all the suggestions coming on Keeping agro on you instead of the healer types.</DIV>