New Monk, advice welcome

[Hoppytehubah]

Hi there all <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> I have recently rolled a monk alt. While I am loving it (first time ever playing a melee char), I have a feeling that I'm not playing him to the best of his ability. Not wanting to give other monks a bad name, I thought I would come here for some friendly advice on playing your monk well. Any major items of note? How about all those combat arts? Right now I am just clicking them everytime they pop up, should I have a system to them? I do know that my bear head one I click first because it brings their defense down and the cat head one too, but besides that, I'm hitting them at random. I also am using weapons rather than fists (doing two weapons). Also, the other day, an illusionist partnered with me to kill a named, and he kept mezzing the mob. Now, I was tanking it so of course I kept breaking his mezz, and I know that at one point I think he was mezzing it because my health was getting low, but since I had already used my heal once, it wasn't like I was going to be able to pause while it was mezzed and regen any health.. but plus, at one point he said "Its mezzed". But besides that, how would I know the mob was mezzed? Normally I play a caster, so I am always assisting the main tank, I dont have to worry about breaking mezz that way. What is the story with mezz when you are tanking? Oh plus, should I be using potions or things? I never used them in the past, but hey, always learning something new. Anyway, my monk is lvl 18 now, soloed it all, but I'd like to attempt grouping - just don't want to screw up in group which is why I been soloing. Thanks for any and all advice!<div></div>

[silvername]

<P>for the abilitys. i just put them in the order i think best, i may be wrong in doing this, but works for me. as for the mezz. as fare as i have seen, and my experianses as a tank. the tank should never have to wory about mezz, you are the tank. If someone is mezzing they never say anything to me about breaking mezz, well because im tanking and am first to be hit, while is someone else dose it besides tank, then yall at em. now is someone yells rooting, i wont touch it. unless we ready. as for potions, well i use sometimes but other wise i dont worry, i may need to worry more at high lvs, but for now, dosent realy affect me.</P> <P> </P> <P>ow, 43 monk here.</P>

[trin ka]

<DIV>I went down the weaponless AA line. I first hit the crushing debuff that comes along with the no weapon AA line. Then I hit Punishing Cobra(lowers D) then I hit our DOT...then I use one of our knockdowns...while the dude is getting knocked on his butt I just autoattack..when he gets back up I hit our other knockdown...autoattack..when he gets back up I usally stun him with Artic talon?(which ever one "freezes" him)..if the nme is a caster at lvl 50 youll get a stifle which works great against casters so you can mix that one in. After all my knockdowns/stifles/dazes are used..I just spam the rest of my attacks. If I'm tanking for my group I usally save a few attacks to hammer an add with or bust out our AOE dmg spell.</DIV>

[Icehawke]

<P>Well, I usually solo or duo, so YMMV...</P> <P>I start with a HO, especially if it's a multi-mob group, to establish some agro on all the mobs. For this HO, I use the group taunt. After that, usually the stun/stifle/knockdowns, spaced out so that the mob has recovered before the next one hits. (kinda silly in my opinion to stun him while he's sitting on his [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn]).</P> <P>If the mob is still alive, he'll get the flurry, and the rest, recycling the stun/stifle/kd as needed. If it is any down arrow or none, and my partner gets agro, I'll hit the mob on her with a devastation fist, rather than dicking around with taunts and such.</P>

[githyanki]

<DIV>Well from my experience if you have played other classes a monk is an easy switch.  Its stupid easy because the class is so good.  It depends on if your a button smasher or a let auto attack and sometimes hit your ca's kinda player.  It really will vary on your group setup solo setup and what your fighting.  For me i always like to know if i'm fighting a caster mob or a more melee mob.  Use your stuns and stifles wisely.   Just become aware of how long they last and watch the debuff box under the critters name.  Stuns of course stop melee critters from beating on ya for a few seconds and stifles keep casters with their hands in their pockets for a few seconds.  For the big bang ca's i like to make sure the mob is either stunned ...which will give me a higher chance of hitting with it or i'm behind the mob when i hit it...not always possible unless you like to joust alot...think rogue also when its stunned.   Personally i never joust a critter i just stand and beat on it till it dies or fd it off if i'm getting it handed to me.  About the best part of being a monk in my opinion is the ability to fd split groups of critters while soloing.  Its nothing like eq1 in that its a pulling tool but more of a solo tool for named.  Kill a weakly buddy of that name fd regen..kill the next buddy fd regen...etc till you win.   Good way to break up heroics also.   One more idea to mull over for ya.  As stated earlier in lots of other threads monks can tank.  But unless you are very well geared..mastercrafted at least...or have some very good people in your group it can be frustrating.   Also groups of mobs..2 or more will give you fits.  Our group taunt is around what 30 seconds?  Going from memory here but that is an eternity when you oops pull 3 groups of mobs and they smack on your healer.  It can be done but its a sign of a very good monk to pull it off and nobody die.  I really enjoy the monks way to deal with things when they go south also.  No other melee class has the ability to save the party, become immune to spell damage, fd off things you cant handle because of low power or health, off tank well, hold single target agro better, be good solid melee dps and can take a hit, oops heal for 35 percent of anybodies health and generally look cooler then a monk.  Also few classes can look cool fd flop their way down to a boss mob fd there and go afk for a beer run.  </DIV>