Aggro Management

[dirtylo]

<div></div>Since the LU13 changes I have noticed it has become much harder to hold aggro. Solo mobs are cake with Dragon Advance (Storm Stance won't scribe for me) and I am able to maintain my hate with them quite well. When it comes to groups though there seems to be some major issues for me.I took the Master 2 of Agitate Spirit hoping to solve this problem but still nothing. Seeing this is our only AE taunt even at 60 I see some issues if we are expected to tank raid mobs, or even grind groups without working our butts off to maintain hate. I have tried the technique of switching to every mob in the encounter and dropping Infuriating Calm and hoping Dragon Advance procs off but this is insane when it comes to groups of 4+ mobs. Anyone in group can not drop their AE's without risking having mobs turn on them.This problem also seems to be hit and miss for me and others I group with have tried to switch up their spell orders in hopes to maintain a fluid order of hate. It seems regardless though once it seems like something works, the mobs still will turn on them.Has anyone figured out an easier way to hold aggro aside from taunting each individual mob since buffs no longer seems to build hate like it once did? I have tried using a dirge to help me build my hate but it seems even then one AE from a Warlock can take over the hate table even after all my attempts to build hate with the encounter.I understand before holding aggro was far too easy. The main tank could make it impossible to rip aggro within 10 seconds into the fight. I feel though now the changes make aggro control mass chaos.Anyone having any better luck?<span><span></span></span><b><a target="_blank" href="http://eq2.ogaming.com/db/abilities/AgitateSpirit.php"><b></b></a></b><div></div>

[Lareal]

I rarely have problems holding aggro on most groups, unless someone isn't assisting, or an over-zealous warlock goes Nuke/DoT happy. But with that in mind, you will have to individually beat on some mobs to get aggro back at times, but with a taunt/lunging mongoose combo it normally doesn't take long. Here is what I do, seems to work pretty well: 1) Pull yourself if at all possible 2) Open with range item 3) Hit G-Taunt 4) Shocking hands/AE attack combo 5) Fighter HO on main tgt(HO's help aggro a LOT) - Explain to group you will do this so they don't screw it up 6) G-taunt/AE attack when they repop 7) Try to keep up the fighter HOs <div></div>

[dirtylo]

Have been attempting all this with varied results. The warlock in my group is dropping one DoT  normally around the time the first mob is about to die. Like I said it is hit and miss I will feel like I have a system down to keep the mobs locked on me and out of the blue it changes with nothing changing within the group. I play mainly with a static and despite all our efforts we are scared to see a monk hold aggro come end game raid mobs ;p   <div></div>

[ArivenGemini]

<span><blockquote><hr>dirtylove wrote:Have been attempting all this with varied results. The warlock in my group is dropping one DoT  normally around the time the first mob is about to die. Like I said it is hit and miss I will feel like I have a system down to keep the mobs locked on me and out of the blue it changes with nothing changing within the group. I play mainly with a static and despite all our efforts we are scared to see a monk hold aggro come end game raid mobs ;p <div></div><hr></blockquote> My one main tip is to make sure that the group all stays on your primary target then you, with dragon stance on, do some damage to each of the mobs and direct taunt them, rehitting your aoe taunt as it refreshes, that should help some with the AOE stuff, and make sure the AOE damage doesn't come in til you have done this (you can use callouts to the group for when to aoe, and they will learn over time when it is safe)... As your group learns the limits of what you can build agro wise it will help them to learn when they can unload the single and aoe dps on the encounter.  It isn't a competition to kill things the fastest or to get the highest dps.. its a coordinated effort to efficiently take stuff down.  Efficiency is taking stuff down and balancing power and health consumption of everyone (especially the taunter and the healer) with the XP gain..  that is the mindset everyone needs to get into instead of "nuke it, get xp, move on" </span><div></div>

[JudyJudy]

<BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Ariven wrote:<BR><SPAN><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE>Efficiency is taking stuff down and balancing power and health consumption of everyone (especially the taunter and the healer) with the XP gain..  that is the mindset everyone needs to get into instead of <U>"nuke it, get xp, move on"</U><BR><BR></SPAN><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><EM>I could not have said it better myself.  Efficiency is key for many reasons - MT holding agro, group safety, reduction of downtime and possibly my favorite:  Fun!  Let's face it, when your group members are not coordinated or, at the least, on the same wave-length, you're looking at toons sprinting in different dirrections, a ton of frustration and guaranteed XP debt.</EM></P> <P><EM>Calling out for timed AE's can help you hold agro, however I've found that with most DPS classes that I've grouped with (guildies mostly) tend to know when and when not to.  Guess I'm lucky - but I can see the importance of calling them out in any pickup group and/or raid.</EM></P> <P><EM>Oh.  Shocking Hands/AE combo is an awesome way to build hate with group mobs.  Use it all the time.</EM></P> <P><EM>What I find difficult is when we get "adds" upon a group that we're already fighting due to the fact that our AE taunt does not "cross-over".  I'll find myself switching targets immediately and focusing on the new group, cycling through my single taunt, AE taunt/shocking hands or lunging mongoose/shocking hands (which ever is up first).  If I notice any stragglers peeling away onto any of the casters, I'll focus my attention on that mob - if it gets TOO dire and a healer/mage is getting into the orange/red:  "Say hello to my little friend:  rescue and or intercept line".  However, this rarely happens.</EM></P> <P><EM>Also, you may try the offensive stance when tanking which will allow you to hit more.  Hitting more = more agro.  You can usually negate the avoidance reduction from using your stone stance line.  You'll be rooted, naturally - but when tanking you shouldn't be jumping around anyway.</EM></P> <P><EM>I'm definitely no master of tanking.  In fact, I'm still trying to perfect it.  So please take this with a grain of salt.</EM><BR></P> <DIV><EM></EM> </DIV>

[shirka]

I do my best to keep agro with the skills I'm given. But if a big nuker starts nuking and pulls agro from me, my credo is: you pull em, you tank em. It's next to impossible to get agro from them back anyway. So they have a choice: go easy and keep remembering it's a monk tanking or...die. such a choice is nicely balanced I think <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> working as intended, lol! <div></div>

[PsyKr]

<DIV>This is how I have been doing it and it has worked well. Similar to before:</DIV> <DIV>1. Pull with AE Taunt</DIV> <DIV>2. Tsunami whilst running back facing mobs</DIV> <DIV>3. Shocking Hands // Storming Hydro (AE Attack)</DIV> <DIV>4. Fighter HO (I have one button that is a macro and is as follows (/usea Fighting Chance ::: next line :::: /usea Waking Dragon)Then I target a differnet mob and use a single taunt to finish the HO off.</DIV>

[Gaige]

I just use storm stance adept 1, ranged, single taunt, ae taunt, combat arts, single, ae, repeat ad naseum.

[PsyKr]

<DIV>Gaige where are you man! Been tryin to get a hold of you in game but Daven says your away.. you slackin again?!</DIV>

[Gaige]

<P>Work.  October equates to 12 or 14 hour days for me.  I post on the forums before, after while I'm eating and like right now: before bed.</P> <P>I hardly ever get to play atm <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></P> <P>It sucks.</P>

[ShashLigai]

<DIV>based on the info in your post, you have averaged just over 19 posts per day since Nov 2004. When do you work? hell, where do you work, I want that job..</DIV><p>Message Edited by ShashLigai on <span class=date_text>10-06-2005</span> <span class=time_text>11:26 AM</span>

[ShashLigai]

nice post JudyJudy, good info and none of that "im level 50+ and know it all" attitude..

[Xita]

<P>I found this interesting. If anything i have been having an easier time holding aggro with my monk/bruiser since CU. I plyed my guard for the first time since CU last night and it was darn near impossible to hold aggro on her. </P> <P>I dont have tsunami yet, but my routine is generally pull with hex/ranged, shocking ,when they are running to me, group taunt, stifle, ho, other ca's then as group taunt and ho refreshes hit those. I guess if a person was a [Removed for Content] and overnuked they deserve the damage, but i really havent seen this as a problem post CU.</P> <P> </P>

[dirtylo]

It's not really a problem, just overly difficult to hold groups. A dirge greatly helps the situation, but in the end I just feel like it is too much of a fight to retain the aggro but I suppose it is "working as intended" <div></div>