We can sometimes share our outlook on playing our class and maybe even toss out little hints to what's going on in our heads to help one another with our playstyle. Maybe in this thread we can open a doorway into our brain-holes....

We can lend out some advice for things to each other from grouping help stuff to pvp help stuff. Or...no one else will post anything and I'll look like a yutz. Well, here goes...and unfortunately, I'm wordy. 

[color=yellow:c2fdc7b71b]When I'm tanking,[/color:c2fdc7b71b] and a bunch of stuff is coming at me....I'm thinking to myself "I have to get as many of those suckers to hate me and stick to me as I possibly can...because every one of them that doesn't hate me...is going to hate the cloth guys". Then I consider how many of "such and such" I can safely absorb without becoming a problem to my healer. If you over do it, priest is going to be like "wtf warr??? FFS u tank 2 much ROFL..okies WTF WTF ZOMG?".  

So, what I do, is I make a game of it to see how many targets I can hold on me (taking into consideration the heal aggro that's going to send the ones that arn't stuck on me very well onto the priest). I gotta do enough stuff to keep 'em stuck to me regardless of the effects my group are having on them. Sunder armor x 2 on my initial target, and then I start tossing other sunders on other added targets (targets that are not Crowd Controlled by my group/raid mates). The key to this for me is revenge, being so cheap, when that's up, I can quickly toss that on a target for a limited amount of rage and immediatly move on to sunder something else (revenge is a pretty potent threat generator). The thing is, I feel like half the man I used to be if I notice something that isn't sheeped/sapped/sleeped or whatever...running free and slappin' my group around. It's like you say to yourself "Why didn't I take care of that guy?". And you kind of get teary eyed about it.



[color=yellow:c2fdc7b71b]Pulling stuff[/color:c2fdc7b71b]

As a puller for a group or raid, you're also in charge of designating where the battle is fought. Not ever player in the raid/group always understands how important controlling the location of a fight is. Some weirdo famous ancient world general feller wrote this book once, and in it he stated the key factor to war that determined the victor was being the one who controlled where the battle was fought. Every player in the raid/group needs to consider this. So, you all know that when you aggro a group of npcs, some come to you, and others stand there and begin casting spells.....

.....Some players run up to that spell caster and start bangin' on it where it stands. The game designers implemented this trait and positioned them just so in hopes to lure you into doing just that. The puller should always pre-emptively select a corner or obstruction he can hide behind and force those casting npcs to come to him according to line of sight rules. A ranged attacker must be able to see his target in order to effect him. 

The group can help the puller by utilizing their own class skills that interrupt casting or silence enemies. Warriors can also (if careful and aware of being able to do so without causing chain aggro)  run up to a caster and shield bash them to force them into a controllable state for a few seconds.  The most important thing is being in control of where the battle's being fought and not getting lured into a dangerous area by a caster. Not being wise to the dangers and consequences of fighting too near the proximity of unneccessary added aggro is a common cause for wipes in my experience!


[color=yellow:c2fdc7b71b]Knockback[/color:c2fdc7b71b] Sometimes in our raids and groups, we fight npcs that have the ability to send their target flyin' off. It's a push effect, or knockback, and there's something else it does that's important. It not only tosses the player, but it also tosses them off the "threat list". It greatly reduces and negates the aggro/threat that player was generating. Meaning that npc now turns and starts lashing out at the number two player on its threat list. Sometimes the second "thickest" armored group member can get a feel for how much hate they're generating,and purposely ensure that they're second place on that hate list knowing that it's either them or the priest/mage who's gonna get nailed after that tank goes flying. 

[color=yellow:c2fdc7b71b]Focusing Fire][/color:c2fdc7b71b] This is a huge one for me to stress. Focusing fire on one target is the way to go for the most efficient clearing. It's frustrating when you're fighitng and you've got everyone split apart trying to solo stuff taking pride in their power and what not. Sometimes it comes in handy and if you're not straining the healer mana much, you might be doing good. Heck, if you're just trying to off tank something, you can get some aggro on it and even turn to continue helping the rest focus fire on the main target. :) 

[color=yellow:c2fdc7b71b]Understanding the most efficient order of targets[/color:c2fdc7b71b]: There's actually different schools of thought on what determines a target's order. You take into account how dangerous it is or how much trouble it can cause with its traits if chosen as a primary target rather than a primary CC target.  I like to cut down casters first as primary targets. If the puller/tank can help the group/raid know a preferred target order, everyone can get on the same page and be prepared to have an idea on what they should be focusing their fire on.  For example, in a lower blackrock spire group, I prefer killing in this order for my target choice: 1. Warlocks 2. Spellbinders. 3. raiders 4. legionairres. I save those that take longest to die for last, those that are most frail go first. To me it's about lowering the total amount of npcs that a group has to spend energy on as fast as possible. I like sapping and sheeping heavy melee first when the opportunity is there.

I know, worst part about this kind of thread is you seem to come across like some poindexter know-it-all. Blah, just go ahead. What seems like common everyday stuff in your eyes might be something overlooked by someone else! :).