HTL and maintaining multiple encounter aggro

[MadMikey]

<DIV>Okay I'm really curious about my guardian and his abilities at lvl 26 to be able to hold aggro with multiple encounters at once - Having tested HTL my findings have been that it only effects the primary encounter.  The multi-enemey attack (Bury if I remember correctly) again only effects the primary encounter.  I would really like to know if we get any abilities to make multi encounters easier to handle or whether i may be missing something obvious?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Also have a SK to Lvl 26 and they have 2 AOE's which effect all around them (great if there aren't going to pull adds) but nevertheless are handy for gaining aggro outside the primary encounter instead of having to switch targets</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks for the ideas</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Vyrance]

the AE ability we get after Bury is Topple, and that hits everything nearby, not just in the encounter.

[MadMikey]

<DIV>Thx for that, look forward to getting it <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV>

[Morriz]

Also use your group buffs to hold agro if you have multiple encounters wailing on you. Had some particularly bad luck a while back in RE when a group member ninja-AFK'd, came back and saw "Follow Me" in group chat and we were moving through Miners room <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />. Held agro on 5 encounters at once, didn't lose it at all and we had no Enchanter of course. That's my proudest EQ2 moment, however sad that may be <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />.

[Baindrag]

AoE melee skills have a max number of targets it will damge. So dont think it will hit all mobs in the area though it will hit alot of them. Best thing I can tell you is target one mob of the new add group through an ae taunt at them then go back to your primary taget. Your buffs too will help alot in this like said before due to the fact that will increase hate towards all the mobs attacking you not just the ones you have targeted.

[Rpgplay]

<P>Group taunt does not work as intended on alot group mobs with more than 2 mobs in the group. After the mobs have gathered all around you after you have pulled them and use a group taunt, then an AoE attack, after the first mob dies in the group, which is really quickly, the group taunt spell timer is far from being ready, and most mobs usually scramble away to another target, and trying to get the taunt back on each seperate mob with single taunt spells is a chalenge, waiting for the group taunt and group AoE spells to become availible again. Usually this happens the most on yellow+ group mobs with more than 2 with Adept1 quality taunt and AoE spells.</P>

[Xiza]

Taunting assault usually hits all targets in one encounter even if the other mobs in the enoucnter are out of mellee range.  Taunting assault I believe you get in low 40's, correct me if I'm wrong. Key point on multiple encounters more than 2-3, assign a MA. <div></div>

[Arsen]

This should be obvious, but the biggest thing your group can do to handle multiple encounters is to stay disciplined and continue to assist - whether the main tank is MA or you assign someone else.  Some people tend to panic when they get an add and switch focus on the add - thats bad and makes it nearly impossiblefor the tank to keep aggro on everything. In most cases, your short group buff will be enough to grab aggro on a second or third encounter, but that can break down if you are in a very long fight where your healers will start building up too much hate.  If you have HTL going, you can also change groups as you kill, so say you get 3 groups coming in.  You do your group buff to get aggro right away, then activate HTL.  Kill the first monster in the first group, then switch to the first monster in the second group, then switch to the first monster in the thrid group, etc.  As long as you group is assisting you (and you can separate out which monsters are in which groups), you should be ok. You can also assign another person to be MA, but this comes with its own set of problems.  While everyone is focused on one monster, you can be free to cycle through and taunt the other ones, but then you are more likely to loose aggro on the monster everyone else is attacking.  Its certainly doable, but IMO, it takes a higher level co-ordination between the group memebers to manage aggro and we only really try this when it is with a group of guildies who know how to work well with eachother. <div></div>

[Saradine]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Arsenal wrote:<BR>This should be obvious, but the biggest thing your group can do to handle multiple encounters is to stay disciplined and continue to assist - whether the main tank is MA or you assign someone else.  Some people tend to panic when they get an add and switch focus on the add - thats bad and makes it nearly impossiblefor the tank to keep aggro on everything.<BR><BR>In most cases, your short group buff will be enough to grab aggro on a second or third encounter, but that can break down if you are in a very long fight where your healers will start building up too much hate.  If you have HTL going, you can also change groups as you kill, so say you get 3 groups coming in.  You do your group buff to get aggro right away, then activate HTL.  Kill the first monster in the first group, then switch to the first monster in the second group, then switch to the first monster in the thrid group, etc.  As long as you group is assisting you (and you can separate out which monsters are in which groups), you should be ok.<BR><BR>You can also assign another person to be MA, but this comes with its own set of problems.  While everyone is focused on one monster, you can be free to cycle through and taunt the other ones, but then you are more likely to loose aggro on the monster everyone else is attacking.  Its certainly doable, but IMO, it takes a higher level co-ordination between the group memebers to manage aggro and we only really try this when it is with a group of guildies who know how to work well with eachother.<BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>Agreed =)</P> <P>In multi-encounter fights our core group switches to the monk for MA. I call it over team speak and since the monk sits in the same room as me we have free flowing communication. I also use my "bleeding blades" skill with HTL for agro managment. It is low cost and everytime the DOT pops on the MOB it has the same 33% chance to proc the taunt from HTL =)</P> <P>When I call for a MA then I attsist the monk until my AOE taunt is up switch to another group and fire it. I also fire my DOTs at the "off" encounters to get the hate from HTL when the DOT procs =) then I go back to assisting the monk. Another secret to holding agro in any fight is...</P> <P>My wife being a Templar. In hairy situations I ask her to drop all 4 reactive heals on me. So every time I get hit it procs 4 heals that I get the hate for =) That works no matter how many MOBs you have too. And oh does it make 'em mad!</P> <P>We normally only do one round of this to help me get agro under control. By the time they have worn off I should have had time to get the other encounters under control.</P> <DIV>You might think this is a waste of the clerics mana but...it saves alot from her having to heal other peeps in the group. We have the agro managment worked out so that we have done hours of XPing and she doesnt need to switch targets from me in combat but once or twice. And normally that is just to heal the monk when he gets back from a pull that rips him up LOL.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Oh another good agro builder is do a few of the cleric/fighter HOs and make sure you finish them so you can get the hate, and the buffs =)</DIV><p>Message Edited by Saradine on <span class=date_text>03-21-2005</span> <span class=time_text>10:55 PM</span>

[MadMikey]

<DIV>Some good ideas guys, thanks for the tips.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I've reached lvl 27 now, and trying to get Shouting cry upgraded to Adept 3.  I must say Guardians certainly get the tools for their job with about 4 taunts being available.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>By the way, i didnt realise that HTL has a chance to trigger on DOT attacks and i am also hoping that when I get the upgrade to Bury (affecting multiple encouters) there would be a chance for it to also add the taunt/build up of hate from HTL to its damage.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Well i guess it all sounds good in theory, but largely depends on the group you are in. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Talking of skills and aggroing multiple encounters, group buffs etc.  Have any of you noticed the main skills to watch out for from other classes which can easily cause loss of aggro?  Heals spring to mind but IMO thats normally due to being healed before gaining the aggro or if you need to be chain healed then possibly you are fighting something you shoulnt be.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Anyway, look forward to replies.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>MadGuard (lvl 27 Guardian)</DIV> <DIV>NightKnight (Lvl 26 SK)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Stra]

<span><blockquote><hr>MadMikey wrote:<div>Some good ideas guys, thanks for the tips.</div> <div> </div> <div>I've reached lvl 27 now, and trying to get Shouting cry upgraded to Adept 3.  I must say Guardians certainly get the tools for their job with about 4 taunts being available.</div> <div> </div> <div>By the way, i didnt realise that HTL has a chance to trigger on DOT attacks and i am also hoping that when I get the upgrade to Bury (affecting multiple encouters) there would be a chance for it to also add the taunt/build up of hate from HTL to its damage.</div> <div> </div> <div>Well i guess it all sounds good in theory, but largely depends on the group you are in. </div> <div> </div> <div>Talking of skills and aggroing multiple encounters, group buffs etc.  Have any of you noticed the main skills to watch out for from other classes which can easily cause loss of aggro?  Heals spring to mind but IMO thats normally due to being healed before gaining the aggro or if you need to be chain healed then possibly you are fighting something you shoulnt be.</div> <div> </div> <div>Anyway, look forward to replies.</div> <div> </div> <div>MadGuard (lvl 27 Guardian)</div> <div>NightKnight (Lvl 26 SK)</div> <div> </div><hr></blockquote>I get chain healed all the time. You take on something big enough and you will need it. =) As for heals causing aggro, they do but its small and can be easily overcome with group buffs. </span><div></div>

[Death4]

I notice I can meld two encounters into "one" by starting an HO, advancing it on the first one, finishing it on the second group.   They kind of meld together and all Encounter spells hit them all instead of encounter by encounter.