Ranger ripping hate in a static group

[MikeXG]

Have a static group of 5: SK, Monk, Ranger, Cleric, Chanter. All level 56/57.

I play the ranger and by no means have top tier gear, a couple of months back I was finally able to get my Swiftwind - around that same time I swapped a few pieces of gear favoring survival over DPS (I fill in time to time as tank since the SK just had a new baby). Recently the SK has come back to play and I've noticed I am having a hard time NOT ripping hate. Monk is usually off pulling and can FD so its not an issue, but even when I cast Jolt and NOTHING else, I still seem to rip. At first I thought it was my main hand weapon proccing, which wasn't an issue prior to the epic, but maybe with the faster attacks I was proccing more / doing more damage and that tipped the scale? I've since stopped using that weapon for an older one with lesser stats, ratio, and no proc, but the issue persists. Either way, any tips or tricks for me as the ranger trying to not get hate or for the SK to keep it? He spams DC pretty often, uses shadow vortex and darkness line etc. Short of him going for a proc weapon a warrior would use and using clickies, I'm not sure what we are doing wrong. I've resorted to holding off on engaging for the first few %, which has helped - but I am usually tanking the mob before it dies.

I guess my question is: is this normal? What should I be doing differently? What should the SK be doing differently? Should SK use a better hate generating weapon (if so any suggestions?)


Thanks all for your replies and input.


Happy hunting.

[Harvest]

What weapons first of all? Jolt/cinder jolt should lose you most aggro if you aren't proccing earthcall/big hate spells.

Or. Just root the mobs and the closest will take the aggro. Stand at max melee range and the SK will be tank

[strongNpretty]

For sure, i'd go with the root strategy... Rangers often get agro when i'm tanking on my SK too.. More so when they are doing the pulling.. But yeah just root it haha...

[MikeXG]

I was using
https://wiki.project1999.com/Frostbringer
since I was also "tanking" and figured the hate proc wouldn't be an issue, but when the SK returned and it was an issue I swapped to https://wiki.project1999.com/Winters_Fury

I've been using Jolt and have been lazy and not picked up cinder jolt, I assume they are the same except for the resist they check against?

[Harvest]

Only other suggestions I have

1. Change your role in the group. Either embrace it. AC/HP up and flame lick away or do outdoor zones and (harmony) pull better than the monk can.

2. Let the SK snare and aggro cast before engaging, half way through jolt/cinder jolt

3. Pick up one of these which has a reduce hate proc https://wiki.project1999.com/Fellspine%27s_Tail

[Philistine]

Please forgive the qhestion, but you're not using call of sky are you? The proc is pretty nasty for agro - I tend to leave it off unless ghetto ranger tanking.

Also, grats on Swiftwind! I'm jealous :)

[Kaellaven]

Yeah Call of Sky/Fire is a huge aggro draw. Either don’t use it or jolt after every 1 or 2 procs. Root was mentioned and proximity to the mob is huge - I always park myself on the very fringe of melee range.

[MikeXG]

Not using call of sky or fire.


Thanks all for the replies

[Keebz]

Faster attacks won't make you proc more, but Frostbringer is an aggro weapon, so smart move swapping it out.

What's your gear look like in comparison to the SKs? For example, you're at 40% haste--what haste do they have? If you're just dealing way more white damage, you will eventually generate enough hate to overtake their spell aggro.

[Stonewallx39]

What everyone else said is definitely true, the other place you may need to look is how your SK friend is tanking and holding aggro. The aggro component of disease cloud isn’t what it used to be so the SK will definitely need to spam it more as the rest of the group’s DPS improves. You’ve got a enchanter so mana shouldn’t be a problem and monk is pulling so SK should be able to med between fights.

Have SK taunt, shadow vortex, and disease cloud when breaking mez or when mob gets to camp, then cast disease cloud every so often if the fight progresses. If that doesn’t take care of it then root would be another good option.

[quack]

Is your enchanter often AOE mezzing? Sometimes that'll blur the target you're fighting and all the aggro your tank put in will be wasted.

[MikeXG]

Faster attacks won't make you proc more, but Frostbringer is an aggro weapon, so smart move swapping it out.

What's your gear look like in comparison to the SKs? For example, you're at 40% haste--what haste do they have? If you're just dealing way more white damage, you will eventually generate enough hate to overtake their spell aggro.

I think he has SCHW for haste so 22%. I think he uses an Ebon Mace 19/24.

I don't think the chanter is hitting our mobs with aoe mez, and if he is it is few and far between.

[Keebz]

Assuming you're both keeping 64% ench haste up, that leaves you at 94% haste and him at 86% haste, add in the difference in weapons and it looks like you just generate way more threat (maybe 25% greater threat).

I'd upgrade the SK's weapon to something like a Narandi's Lance and if you can get them a haste upgrade of some kind.

A main SK may be able to give better advice on the timing and recipe of spells they should be casting.

[Snaggles]

Frostbringers and rangers do NOT mix. The guard capt mallet is similar priced and dps, 11/20 no proc. The Winter is a good alternative; smart for swapping it out. If you are jolting you are burning mana and cast time.

First pull spell is aggro locked so the sk might use like clinging or engulf if they have the BE gauntlets. Gives more time to pop a DC and maybe Shadow Vortex before it gets to camp. Also make sure people aren’t rooting or at least are announcing it. Proximity aggro is a great tool if people are aware it’s in force.

After that yea white dmg dps for the SK (mainly haste, I usually tank with a 19/24) could be better. It could make use of a gobby earring to chain spells quicker. Really tho they should be able to generate all the hate in the world almost without attacking. With haste caps if using SCHW’s you’re up on haste and a ton of attack but a few DC’s should shore that up. It’s an odd thing.

PS: dark is no where near the aggro of DC or SV. It really should be used to control pull or flee speed. An engulf/DC/SV combo before it gets to camp would fix it. You casting grasping roots at a further melee range would too. Gluck!

[monkeydoc]

First pull spell is aggro locked so the sk might use like clinging or engulf if they have the BE gauntlets.

Can you explain this?

[Negativ]

Can you explain this?

Threat generated by the first spell cast on a mob is capped. Hence why enchanters can pull with tash or slow and their pets get aggro immediately.

[Snaggles]

Yea I’m not sure if it’s first spell or just first if initial aggro. Still pulling with slow (initial aggro) is very little hate. What benefits ench and shamans can be a detriment for hybrid tanks.

If I’m scrapping for max aggro with my pally I’ll usually pull with a DW click. Stun bracer or cancel magic gloves then immediately stun and blind once in camp. SK’s can do the same. Just good to save that max hate spell for the subsequent casts.

[zonerstone]

Sounds like it's the SK that's having the issue, not you. You should almost never be able to pull off a SK unless you are trying. Tell him to cast more.

[Baler]

JOLT, if that doesn't work..
Turn off attack

It's better for the group if the dps manages their agro. Even if that means having to turn off your attack to let the tank maintain agro. Rangers do generate a lot of hate and don't have easy ways to dump it like evade, fd, etc. Keep in mind even rogues have to turn off attack sometimes.

If someone gets too much agro and the tank is having trouble. They may even have to die to save the encounter. Healers should be focused on the tank. Other people going low via agro causes confusion and target switching.

Tell him to cast more.
also this.

[feniin]

Jolt jolt jolt or just root everything

[Jimjam]

If the sk is casting plenty, I suspect you create a lot more white aggro than him. In that case he wants to use taunt to go to the top and follow it up with a dc and maybe second aggro spell to lock in his lead for a while. Make sure he is keeping haste up and has trained double attack.

I think the real issue might be someone is ccing the tanked mob with root and/or a spell with memblur component. Enchanters sometimes do this if they plan to cast a lot of debuffs on a mob, it stops the mob running at them.

I think your problems can be solved by using your own root.

[kjs86z]

Just get a Woodsman's staff until epic?