Advice from some experienced Monk players.

[soewhat]

<DIV>Greetings.  I am playing a monk on the Antonia Bayle server, currently at level 28.  Often in groups I am asked to be MT, which I am fine with though I am only a mediocre player of the game.  I try to warn people in advance to not have great expectations of my tanking ability.  I have a couple of questions, though, so I can hopefully improve by skills.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>1.  How do you use Feign Death in a group?  I find this skill extremely useful when solo, but am not quite sure how to use it when grouped.  If I am getting overwhelmed and FD, the mob just jumps to the next highest aggro to my understanding.  Is it appropriate to use FD on a healer or caster that has pulled aggro off of me?  Will I make someone angry if I do?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>2.  How do you use Intervene in a group?  To be honest, I never have used this.  Usually by the time I think of it the crap has hit the fan and I'm mashing buttons like mad anyways.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>3.  What is the general strategy for getting things back under control when the crap hits the fan?  I am not poorly equipped, and I have Master II and Adept III taunts, yet it seems that I can just barely manage to hold group aggro most of the time, and often times it starts to spin out of control.  When aggro starts straying, and people start moving too much I usually panic and start mashing buttons like mad.  What is a good strategy to try to keep things under control?  If I have an idea of what I am supposed to do in this situation, I might better be able to keep the group alive.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Any help is greatly appreciated.  I know I will never be the best main tank, and I know that monks have some problems with being main tanks, but I certainly want to be good enough to get the job done in most groups.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Kahldrian, 28 Monk on Antonia Bayle.</DIV>

[Morrolan V]

<DIV>Heyas,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So, first off - self FD has no role for the MT in general combat.  The group is ALWAYS going to be better off trying to keep you healed with all aggro on you.  Until you get Fall of the Phoenix (group FD) at 58, this will continue to be the case.  If you are off tank or DPS, FD is useful in giving MoBs back to the MT after you have either peeled them from other group members or pulled aggro yourself.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Intervene allows you to "take a hit" for another player.  It lets you absorb a percentage of the damage they would have taken.  The MT should not use this line, and it is not super-effective for monks, because our mitigation is low.  (The damage taken by the intervenor is mitigated, but cannot, by definition, be avoided.)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>As to group aggro, that is simply one of our weaknesses we must work to overcome.  I have cut and pasted a post I made a while ago on the topic:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>-------------------------  <DIV>I agree, though.  Guardians and Paladins are better at holding aggro on multiple MoB encounters.  They each have multiple AoE taunts, and/or hate transfer abilities.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>That said, I have no problem holding aggro on big encounters, if I work at it.  Here's what I do:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>(1) Appoint an MA (I think this is generally a good strategy)</DIV> <DIV>(2) Open with AoE taunt</DIV> <DIV>(3) Follow with AoE attack, if safe</DIV> <DIV>(4) Rotate through each MoB in the encounter, hitting with single taunt and/or one CA each</DIV> <DIV>(5) Return to first MoB and kill in order, hitting AoE taunt and AoE attack as they come up</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Using this strategy, I go through about 9 in 10 multiple MoB encounters without ever losing aggro.  When I do lose a MoB or two, it's almost always due to (1) Ice Comet, (2) Devastation or (3) major chained heals in particularly tough fights.  This is generally not a problem, though, as in the MT/MA alignment it is easy to hop on MoBs that go running off and peel them from the healers or mages.  (If it's needed at all - a single MoB that has just been hit with a 3,500 point Ice Comet is not likely to be much of a threat to that Wizard - no matter how much it hates him.  <IMG height=16 src="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/i/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif" width=16 border=0>)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>---------------------</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>You can tell from the spells named and damage amounts that this was from an earlier tier -- the advice still works though.  :smileywink:  If you don't want to use a main assist, just have the DPS in your group /assist [yourname] as each MoB dies. The point is you don't want them changing targets when you do.  In addition to this, you should always be using our hate proc line (storm stance, etc.) when it becomes available to you.</DIV></DIV>

[soewhat]

<P>Ok, thanks.  I have another question, to follow up. What exactly is the definition of main assist, and off tank?  What are the specific expectations of each in a group?  If I am the only "fighter" type in a group is it appropriate to ask a rogue, or maybe even a pet, to be the main assist?</P> <P>Thanks.</P> <P>Kahldrain, 28th Monk on Antonia Bayle</P><p>Message Edited by soewhat on <span class=date_text>10-08-2006</span> <span class=time_text>11:49 AM</span>

[Mala-Shea]

<P>Well...first off, make sure you instruct your group to give you a second to establish agro. If people jump on the buttons and start mashing any tank will lose agro.</P> <P>Dragon line hate proc MUST be up. It is like a extra taunt going off every second attack. This is make or break in a good group.  </P> <P>Figure out what stance you need...if it's just regular mobs, offensive stance will be fine with a healer, and you will make a bunch more agro, cause you will be whomping on the mob and not missing as much as you will in defensive stance. However, if your facing triple up blue/even/or yellow con I would say drop into defensive so your avoid/mit increases.</P> <P>Establishing agro on a single target mob is easy. Lead with a single target taunt, stun the mob and get behind it, as your gonna wanna turn the mob away from the group anyways to give the back to the scouts. After you drop a few attacks, your single target taunt should be back up. This time grab a heroic opp. to go with your taunt. I find these REALLY [Removed for Content] mobs off. Then continue dps...your hate proc will help you hold and burn heroic opps every chance you get. We are one of the best single target tanks for holding agro.</P> <P>Groups is where monks/bruisers suxxor. This is a lot of work to hold agro, especially if you have a swash or warlock in your group. I always lead by magic melee proc up, then ae taunt immediately followed by our ae attack. Then  you need to drop a few ca's on the first mob you have targeted and then switch mobs and hit the other up with your single target taunt and a couple smacks in the noggin for good measure. Hit your ae and group taunt whenever possible, with heroic opp. if you get the chance. We are by far the worst group tanks.</P> <P> </P> <P>But, we can do it.</P> <P> </P>

[Morrolan V]

<P>Main Assist is the person that everyone doing damage to a MoB should be assisting.  Their job is to target the mobs in appropriate order (generally healers, casters, scouts, tanks), and get a new target right away when the current target dies.  A scout is a fine MA, a pet is not ideal.</P> <P>Offtank is a fighter in a group who is not the main tank.  His or her job is to do DPS and watch for any stray MoBs that leave the MT and go after other group members.  If any MoBs get loose, the off tank should taunt them and bring them back to the MT.  Monks are good offtanks, because we can use FD to transfer the MoB back to the MT.  (Taunt the loose MoB, get aggro, run it back to the MT, when the MT has taunted it a couple of times, FD.)</P> <P>Offtank and MA are frequently the same character in normal groups.</P><p>Message Edited by Morrolan V on <span class=date_text>10-08-2006</span> <span class=time_text>01:55 PM</span>

[soewhat]

<P>Ok.  Very good.  This should help me out a bunch.  I appreciate your replies.</P> <P>Kahldrian</P> <P>28 Monk on Antonia Bayle.</P>