Assisting the tank

[Alshadar]

Assisting the tank seems to be the expected thing to do in groups. Why is this? Back when I played during the classic era there was the tank and there was the main assist(MA). The MA picked the targets and everyone assisted them. That way the tank was free to switch targets as needed to manage aggro. Does anyone do this anymore?

[unleashedd]

thats advanced tactics. everyone knows beginner players must assist chanter

[Danth]

Carryover from Warcraft mostly where the tank commonly triples as the puller and the group leader. I feel in normal groups a person shouldn't have to /assist at all and instead use his own mark 1 eyeball to see what needs to be done, but a lot of players are far too lazy to put forth actual effort and really just want to be carried. That's also carryover from Warcraft where most groups demanded a competent tank, competent healer, then two or three random stooges who could follow simple directives.

Danth

[DMN]

Carryover from Warcraft mostly where the tank commonly triples as the puller and the group leader. I feel in normal groups a person shouldn't have to /assist at all and instead use his own mark 1 eyeball to see what needs to be done, but a lot of players are far too lazy to put forth actual effort and really just want to be carried. That's also carryover from Warcraft where most groups demanded a competent tank, competent healer, then two or three random stooges who could follow simple directives.

Danth

It' not a carryover at all, not from WoW anyway, though perhaps to WoW. And you seriously think using assist is lazy? I have the complete opposite opinion. it's not only not lazy but ideal, as everyone knows as soon as possible what mobs to target without having to use keyboard communication.

But the vast majority of the time the tank will also be main assist, so you just go with the flow unless the party wants to do things differently. This actually can be quite important if your party has a bard/enchanter so they know what not to CC especially when you start adding DoTs into the mix.

[sycopata666]

To succes you just have to assist the guy of the team who is not assisting and breaking all the mezzs... Kidding

Not so much issues, just some random guy doting all mobs and some no controled pet.

Some people no use this:

Command: /pet back off
UI Button: Back

Effect: empties the pet's Hate List, causing it to stop attacking.

Detail: while this will clear the pets hate list, if a mob atacks the pet again after this command is given it will begin attacking the mob again. This is a particular problem in areas with mobs casting large AE's. Temple of Veeshan is the most common example.

[Guesty07]

In my limited time playing my warrior, I have found it good if somebody else is main assist, especially if there is little to no crowd control and potential for multiple mobs. That way I can switch to get mobs that run off onto the healer/sitting down agro etc without disrupting the groups assist key

[Danth]

And you seriously think using assist is lazy? .

In a group--Yeah, I do, or at least it can be. As a tank type it annoys me when I switch targets to build aggro on mezzed/rooted things (can build aggro on mezzed targets using zero-damage spells) and some mindless melee spams away with assist, switching his own target and sometimes creating nuisance. That kind of laziness (or ineptitude) can reduce my own flexibility and it's easily avoided when a player merely uses his eyes and pays some small amount of attention. I change targets a lot while doing the tank job, especially on a pull, unless everything is always coming in single in which case the entire point becomes moot.

Danth

[magnetaress]

I assist main DPS like rogue, or the enchanter who is mezzing the mobs I want to break mez on.

To succes you just have to assist the guy of the team who is not assisting and breaking all the mezzs... Kidding

Not so much issues, just some random guy doting all mobs and some no controled pet.

Some people no use this:

Command: /pet back off
UI Button: Back

Effect: empties the pet's Hate List, causing it to stop attacking.

Detail: while this will clear the pets hate list, if a mob atacks the pet again after this command is given it will begin attacking the mob again. This is a particular problem in areas with mobs casting large AE's. Temple of Veeshan is the most common example.

make your pet guard an area away from the AoE zone, when its backed off it will go back to its guard spot, gg

[Wallicker]

Really though, if you have CC in group just let them do their job as the tank and don’t switch targets, save your taunt so it’s up when you go to the next mezzed mob and hit it with taunt right before breaking(however I can see swapping mid fight to pump a taunt on mezzed mob if you got some gung-ho pet classes or overzealous melee in group lol). But if tank says assist me with whatever just stay on that mob a little common sense goes a long ways... typically killing the higher lvl mobs first so CC has easier times, if root is only CC kill casters first, etc. But assist is definitely a very awesome tool when used properly. If group is having issues then having a MA can help - sometimes though people just suck or are distracted/tired/drunk.

[Kanuvan]

because there's so many enchanters and sometimes bards running around that its rarely needed to have the tank swap aggro, easier to just focus on the highest priority target and let the CC deal with the rest to avoid CC breaks

back in classic there wasn't as many enchanters or good bards because people weren't all sweaty gamers and didnt have all the information available to them so having melee actually tank mobs was all that people knew

[Videri]

if tank says assist me with whatever just stay on that mob

[Zephire]

Assisting the tank seems to be the expected thing to do in groups. Why is this? Back when I played during the classic era there was the tank and there was the main assist(MA). The MA picked the targets and everyone assisted them. That way the tank was free to switch targets as needed to manage aggro. Does anyone do this anymore?

To me, that set up only makes sense in a raid situation.

There's no reason to have a tank and m/a unless the tank is pulling in which case he/she ins't there to assist as.. they're pulling

If a group wants to run it that way, sure ok. But there's a few ways to skin a cat, as they say.

tl:dr different folks have different play styles.

[Cen]

If you have a Ranger in your party he should ALWAYS be main assist. Rangers naturally know which enemy is to be favored. Call it the favored enemy sense. Now I know what you are thinking: what if the Ranger dies? Well, the truth is, if your Ranger dies, everyone should lay down their weapons and accept death, for all hope is lost.

[magnetaress]

I agree, don't assist the MT unless the MT calls the shots. Usually trhey will with a hotkey, at that time, assist them. otherwise assist whoever you feel like is the MA. If there is no MA, be the MA you would want to be and don't break CC.

[Rick Sanchez]

You assist the tank for efficiency of the group all around, when he calls it of course. Cleric won’t have to use as much mana, chanter won’t keep getting hit from the mez’d mobs, you can burn mobs down properly. It’s a tool to enable the group to run smoothly instead everyone acting like autistic children and not acting like part of a group. Sometimes their is a MA as the tank needs to switch to multiple targets but this is the overall jist of things.

[El-Hefe]

Assisting the tank seems to be the expected thing to do in groups. Why is this? Back when I played during the classic era there was the tank and there was the main assist(MA). The MA picked the targets and everyone assisted them. That way the tank was free to switch targets as needed to manage aggro. Does anyone do this anymore?

I mean, if CC is doing their job then tank shouldn’t need to switch targets. But if there is a reason to switch targets then it makes sense for a tank to also be MA so that everyone can quickly swap targets and CC can lock down the old target.

Having the MA and tank be different characters opens up too many possibilities for miscommunication I think.

[El-Hefe]

Carryover from Warcraft mostly where the tank commonly triples as the puller and the group leader. I feel in normal groups a person shouldn't have to /assist at all and instead use his own mark 1 eyeball to see what needs to be done, but a lot of players are far too lazy to put forth actual effort and really just want to be carried. That's also carryover from Warcraft where most groups demanded a competent tank, competent healer, then two or three random stooges who could follow simple directives.

Danth

Uhhh... Nah man, that’s how you give your enchanter an embolism. 0/10 idea.

[magnetaress]

best groups I am in are totally silent, no one spamming hotkeys, we all just know what to do, even when train happens, everyone stops to cc, get merbs under control, charm stuff, peel with appriate non-dot spells etc

[Zephire]

I mean, if CC is doing their job then tank shouldn’t need to switch targets. But if there is a reason to switch targets then it makes sense for a tank to also be MA so that everyone can quickly swap targets and CC can lock down the old target.

Having the MA and tank be different characters opens up too many possibilities for miscommunication I think.

that in itself can be a problem. The group should stay on the original target unless the ma/tank calls for them to attack a new mob.

[kaev]

If you have a Ranger in your party he should ALWAYS be main assist. Rangers naturally know which enemy is to be favored. Call it the favored enemy sense. Now I know what you are thinking: what if the Ranger dies? Well, the truth is, if your Ranger dies, everyone should lay down their weapons and accept death, for all hope is lost.

After > 8 years I have at least seen a post on these forums worthy of of an upvote. Thank you sir for your fine contribution.

[kaev]

In a group--Yeah, I do, or at least it can be. As a tank type it annoys me when I switch targets to build aggro on mezzed/rooted things (can build aggro on mezzed targets using zero-damage spells) and some mindless melee spams away with assist, switching his own target and sometimes creating nuisance. That kind of laziness (or ineptitude) can reduce my own flexibility and it's easily avoided when a player merely uses his eyes and pays some small amount of attention. I change targets a lot while doing the tank job, especially on a pull, unless everything is always coming in single in which case the entire point becomes moot.

Danth

Hey old friend, good to see you're still around and kickin it! You're wasting your time trying to educate the "by recipe only" players. They don't dare even try to understand what you're saying lest it break their concentration on doing the same simple thing over and over and over again.

but then you knew that already

[Jimjam]

Hey old friend, good to see you're still around and kickin it! You're wasting your time trying to educate the "by recipe only" players. They don't dare even try to understand what you're saying lest it break their concentration on doing the same simple thing over and over and over again.

but then you knew that already

Skinner’s pigeons. Gotta spam the feel good button. I remember smashing A as a kid to make street fighter load faster. We all do it.

[Christina.]

If you have a Ranger in your party he should ALWAYS be main assist. Rangers naturally know which enemy is to be favored. Call it the favored enemy sense. Now I know what you are thinking: what if the Ranger dies? Well, the truth is, if your Ranger dies, everyone should lay down their weapons and accept death, for all hope is lost.

Best post in the entire thread, I laughed hard lol