Ranking top 20 War Agro Weapons (any zone)

[baue1446]

Just looking for a quick list (doesnt have to be too in depth) of aggro 1h weapons. Trying to include VP/TOV specifically but you dont have to be limited to those 2 zones.

Im sure this list is out here somewhere on these forums. But just wanted to keep it updated with all the new changes to poison/disease agro nerf. Obviously theres going to be a lot of things climbing up and down from peoples own opinion. Which is fine but I am sure the list isnt going to vary THAT much. Please try and use current tests and not "well back in my day <insert weapon here> was crazy agro" type of lists.

[Troxx]

Did you try searching?

End-game warriors pretty much use some combination of:

-trident of the deep sea
-red epic
-willsapper
-Nev's horn (BiS offhand threat so they say)

And that's about it.

Everything else scales down from there these days. Some of the VP swords with stuns should still be good. Frostbringer is still actually pretty good (and cheap). Frostreaver and 2hs Epic still do pretty well.

[Jimjam]

As well as the nerf to counters, rune has been considerably neutered for aggro generation.

[Snaggles]

Ive seen some m use kflame or Jaelen’s in the Mh. Little to no proc aggro but swing aggro is solid.

Hope they fix the Feverblade some day as it was a great midrange option.

[Troxx]

Ive seen some m use kflame or Jaelen’s in the Mh. Little to no proc aggro but swing aggro is solid.

I haven't ever seen a tank do it when threat was actually important (other than silence mobs like Lady M).

If they ever get around to fixing poison/disease counter aggro - there'd be a lot more options.

[Snaggles]

I haven't ever seen a tank do it when threat was actually important (other than silence mobs like Lady M).


I’m not weighing in if it’s optimal. I’ve seen it done though a number of times so that’s an anecdotal fact.

[AEH84]

I assume you aren't including Scepter of Destruction?

Trident and Kreizenn flame, I believe, have almost identical aggro. The aggro just comes from different places. Trident from the proc and Kflame from the insane white damage.

For PURE aggro, I'd look at:
Red blade (obviously)
WESS (Proc aggro)
Kflame (White Damage)
Trident(Proc aggro)
Howling Cutlass (Proc aggro)
Nev Horn (White damage)
Essence Mace (White damage)
Doze tooth (White damage)
Jaelen's (White damage)

I wouldnt put much stock into whether you've seenother tanks use a specific combo since most just see what others use and target those items without understanding why.

[PatChapp]

Red blade and trident are popular because of the +hp on top of the agro. It's why willsapper, red blade and trident are the goto
Any one of those + a swiftblade of zek/blade of garbage seems to hold agro fine on mobs you can open with a totem click.

[Naethyn]

BFG (white damage)

[AEH84]

Red blade and trident are popular because of the +hp on top of the agro. It's why willsapper, red blade and trident are the goto
Any one of those + a swiftblade of zek/blade of garbage seems to hold agro fine on mobs you can open with a totem click.

Kflame has the exact same stats as the trident and better white damage. Total aggro per minute is basically identical on Kflame and Trident. People just use trident because that's what others use.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

Kflame has the exact same stats as the trident and better white damage. Total aggro per minute is basically identical on Kflame and Trident. People just use trident because that's what others use.

Trident's nice for the slow proc on top of it's agro generation. Can never go wrong with a weapon that can apply a mini slow if Shamans are having trouble landing the initial slow. I don't think many raids are banking on the MT's DPS to get them across the finish line.

Trident slow uses CR instead of MR, so it can slow a few targets that are MR immune if I recall correctly.

[Eisai]

Trident's nice for the slow proc on top of it's agro generation. Can never go wrong with a weapon that can apply a mini slow if Shamans are having trouble landing the initial slow. I don't think many raids are banking on the MT's DPS to get them across the finish line.

Trident slow uses CR instead of MR, so it can slow a few targets that are MR immune if I recall correctly.


Nice!

[AEH84]

Trident's nice for the slow proc on top of it's agro generation. Can never go wrong with a weapon that can apply a mini slow if Shamans are having trouble landing the initial slow. I don't think many raids are banking on the MT's DPS to get them across the finish line.

Trident slow uses CR instead of MR, so it can slow a few targets that are MR immune if I recall correctly.

I totally get that. My response would be that the slow itself is inconsequential. It's useful for like 3 mobs and a 10% slow doesnt change the cadence of a CH chain at all. At least not in my guild. It's reliant on it's proc for aggro (and there's definitely something to be said for opening a fight with a couple big 400 hate procs).

Kflame proc is minimal hate, but the white damage is equally as dominant over the trident's as the trident's proc is over the Kflame's. The only difference is the white damage aggro is gonna be smoother and more consistent. You'll also get riposted slightly more with the Kflame. Im not saying one is better than the other btw. I'm saying Kflame is very underrated and should absolutely be considered in the same tier as trident. Another point is that Kflame is superior for silence fights as well so literally doesnt need to be bagged. There is a list of probably 7-8 weapons that would be better in your main hand than a trident in a silence fight and for Kflame, there is one weapon. Scepter of Destruction only.

[Naethyn]

I don't find kflame to be good.

[AEH84]

I don't find kflame to be good.

Can't argue with that!

[PatChapp]

Kflame has the exact same stats as the trident and better white damage. Total aggro per minute is basically identical on Kflame and Trident. People just use trident because that's what others use.
Might be fine on an ogre,but my dwarf gets stunned a lot on mobs like aow. I've been stunned up to 1/3 of the fight so need the proc agro. I usually mainhand my red blade unless it's a mob that can be trident slowed,like ltk.

[Jimjam]

Proc weapons can get lucky on aggro, which really lets DPS open up the taps if they are paying attention.

[AEH84]

Might be fine on an ogre,but my dwarf gets stunned a lot on mobs like aow. I've been stunned up to 1/3 of the fight so need the proc agro. I usually mainhand my red blade unless it's a mob that can be trident slowed,like ltk.

I can't really argue with this point. The stun would definitely give favor to the proc weapon. For actual raid mobs where you need the HP and stats, I think red blade should almost always be in the main hand (unless you have a scepter or it's a silence fight).

[Troxx]

I don't find kflame to be good.

Yep.

[AEH84]

Yep.

I’m receptive to this, I’d just like to hear why. I gave some decent reasons why I thought it was on par with trident and haven’t heard anything besides the point about being stunned that would give me reason to reconsider. I really have no vested interest in Kflame, I just want to optimize my aggro setup.

[Naethyn]

White damage doesn't hold aggro against top end dps with many players. You absolutely have to land procs and let people know when you land them. Weapons sub 20 delay also increase the amount of reposts you experience by a large margin. Think about how many 100 hp items do you need to survive one extra repost. Sure, in small man content with suboptimal dps you may find that white damage is enough. Grouping for example you can use a 2H if you have a better haste item. Many times during fights I'm turning off attack if I see a gap in the chain because I don't want to eat an extra repost and it makes a huge difference. Damage here is very predictable, reposts increase that unpredictability by a large margin. If you can hold damage with white aggro its almost always because dps is not going all out, or you are with people who are not top tier.

[Eisai]

Thanks for all these great posts. Learning a lot about the factors to consider for each type of encounter.

[AEH84]

White damage doesn't hold aggro against top end dps with many players. You absolutely have to land procs and let people know when you land them. Weapons sub 20 delay also increase the amount of reposts you experience by a large margin. Think about how many 100 hp items do you need to survive one extra repost. Sure, in small man content with suboptimal dps you may find that white damage is enough. Grouping for example you can use a 2H if you have a better haste item. Many times during fights I'm turning off attack if I see a gap in the chain because I don't want to eat an extra repost and it makes a huge difference. Damage here is very predictable, reposts increase that unpredictability by a large margin. If you can hold damage with white aggro its almost always because dps is not going all out, or you are with people who are not top tier.

I don’t disagree with anything you’re saying. I guess I just look at each weapon having 3 aspects: white hate, proc hate, and stats. If you have a couple weapons that hit two out of three you’re probably in good shape. If proc was the only thing that mattered, this would be a simple answer. Every tank would have a WESS main hand and a red blade in their off hand. I just think it’s a little more intricate than that. If we are going to make a list of the top 20 aggro weapons I find it hard to believe Kflame isn’t on it.

[Naethyn]

The comparison was kflame to trident.

[Troxx]

I’m receptive to this, I’d just like to hear why. I gave some decent reasons why I thought it was on par with trident and haven’t heard anything besides the point about being stunned that would give me reason to reconsider. I really have no vested interest in Kflame, I just want to optimize my aggro setup.

It is not on par with trident, red epic, or willsapper. To what degree it is behind, math facts exist on these forums in other threads that give a break down. Feel free to search.

White threat alone isn’t going to keep a warrior on top. Rangers can use the same white threat weapons and have access to others that are even better (baton of flame). Monks? Much better ratios are possible.

Procs are what allow us to get and stay ahead. Some of the nicest non-threat weapons will work well enough in the offhand for mundane stuff.

Trident or willsapper are in a completely different league compared to Kflame with regards to threat. White threat is important but I think you are overestimating the degree to which a high end 1hander generate more swing threat compared to 13/20 or 14/22.

[Troxx]

. If proc was the only thing that mattered, this would be a simple answer. Every tank would have a WESS main hand and a red blade in their off hand.

WESS was nerfed HARD. It now does 400 threat per proc and has a crappy ratio to boot. Prior to the broad changes to threat … at 2000 (or more stacking all the sub components of the proc) … it was game breakingly overpowered.

For now it has a middling potency aggro proc and a sub 0.5 ratio (11/23?).

It ranks fairly lowish on the threat list now.

Edit: if you are looking to optimize a high white threat approach but still have good proc potential I would recommend looking into Frostreaver. 42/43 2hander with a 125dd + stun proc. I used it for a long time and still do when the mood strikes. Compared to WS + Red I find it VERY competitive.

-WS/red will perform stronger when you have average to above average luck with procs.
-FR performs better when procs are less lucky.

As both setups perform perfectly well with average or above proc luck, you could make the case FR is actually ideal as it works better in the unlucky moments? It does do quite a bit more dps to boot and a whole hell of a lot fewer ripostes.

[Naethyn]

/gu ASSIST >> %T <<

[AEH84]

WESS was nerfed HARD. It now does 400 threat per proc and has a crappy ratio to boot. Prior to the broad changes to threat … at 2000 (or more stacking all the sub components of the proc) … it was game breakingly overpowered.

For now it has a middling potency aggro proc and a sub 0.5 ratio (11/23?).

It ranks fairly lowish on the threat list now.

Edit: if you are looking to optimize a high white threat approach but still have good proc potential I would recommend looking into Frostreaver. 42/43 2hander with a 125dd + stun proc. I used it for a long time and still do when the mood strikes. Compared to WS + Red I find it VERY competitive.

-WS/red will perform stronger when you have average to above average luck with procs.
-FR performs better when procs are less lucky.

As both setups perform perfectly well with average or above proc luck, you could make the case FR is actually ideal as it works better in the unlucky moments? It does do quite a bit more dps to boot and a whole hell of a lot fewer ripostes.


I don’t believe you’re correct about the WESS. As far as I can tell, it’s an 800 Aggro proc. As far as I can tell it’s 400 for the -ATK and 400 for the blind making it a pretty potent proc.

[Naethyn]

I have had trident dot tick turn a mob I wasn’t attacking.

[Troxx]

I don’t believe you’re correct about the WESS. As far as I can tell, it’s an 800 Aggro proc. As far as I can tell it’s 400 for the -ATK and 400 for the blind making it a pretty potent proc.

I am pretty sure I am not wrong but am willing to admit I possibly could be. I used/abused it like mad before the nerf. I played around with it a lot after the nerf and still carry one around in my bag to play with.

I get that they are supposedly separate SPAs and this should be factored separately but ever real world time I’ve busted it out … the gas simply is not in the tank to support it. Red epic at 600 threat per proc has a really potent punch. I just have not seen anything to support that nerfed whip to put out a whopping 200 more than red blade.

Proc for proc it feels about as strong as willsapper currently … only with a far inferior ratio so functionally much worse. If anyone has actual hardcore data-based testing to show otherwise I am all ears. Before the aggro change, infestation at 900 threat a proc ran circles around red epic and willsapper. If WESS is actually 800 per (only 100 behind where infestation was) … that would be pretty noticeable.

[Snaggles]

Much of this comes down to a wine tasters preference, not a bottleneck of progression. Nobody would argue a kflame is better than willsapper but it is “viable”? Of course. Also if you have one with a warrior you probably have an epic and a bag of other weapons so it’s a moot point.

More is viable on p99 in 2024 than was imaginable on live during Velious…this is an overtuned fever dream of nostalgia. I would tend to avoid trading the currency of absolutes. It’s just a matter of time until people find yet another way to crack this pixelated nut if no other reason than boredom. If a few rogues die for science, all the better.

[Naethyn]

If a few rogues die for science, all the better.

[Eisai]

I'm still trying to figure out how we did Vulak on live. Pre-luclin. My guild only had 70 players on for raids and only 3 of those were rogues but we managed it twice before the moon opened. Server was slow to progress at the time but we were #1. #2 was a horde that could field 250 but they never even managed to kill aary.

[AEH84]

I'm still trying to figure out how we did Vulak on live. Pre-luclin. My guild only had 70 players on for raids and only 3 of those were rogues but we managed it twice before the moon opened. Server was slow to progress at the time but we were #1. #2 was a horde that could field 250 but they never even managed to kill aary.

If you're talking about aggro specifically, Vulak is a whole different ball of wax based off the way he's currently killed. I just use red blade and an aary shield but i doubt that's optimal.

[Jimjam]

Shortsword*

You can’t improve on perfection.

[Troxx]

I'm still trying to figure out how we did Vulak on live. Pre-luclin. My guild only had 70 players on for raids and only 3 of those were rogues but we managed it twice before the moon opened. Server was slow to progress at the time but we were #1. #2 was a horde that could field 250 but they never even managed to kill aary.

From what I’ve gathered over the years, p99 is hugely overtuned relative to live. Mobs hit consistently harder, resists (both outgoing and incoming are borked).

If you could take a group of average p99 raiders knowing what they know and geared as they are into a Time Machine and put them on live servers before Luclin - content would be a cake walk.

[Ripqozko]

From what I’ve gathered over the years, p99 is hugely overtuned relative to live. Mobs hit consistently harder, resists (both outgoing and incoming are borked).

If you could take a group of average p99 raiders knowing what they know and geared as they are into a Time Machine and put them on live servers before Luclin - content would be a cake walk.

it is cake walk, we 1 shot every velious mob day one in rampage.

[Snaggles]

If you're talking about aggro specifically, Vulak is a whole different ball of wax based off the way he's currently killed. I just use red blade and an aary shield but i doubt that's optimal.

^ this. Most of the hardest fights are rooted, with clickies, and a fairly long aggro establishment period before DPS is called.

On live I didn’t parse but had a Vyemm dagger rogue. Based on experience with aggro and concern I’d be yelled at by raid leaders, I just waited until 95% to jump in. This worked very well. Geared out monks and rogues here probably do the same. I do my ranger when BFG’ing. Knights and most rangers shouldn’t be concerned after 99-98%. Counting procs and lawnchair quarterbacking the warrior’s choice of weapons won’t change much…they won’t want your constructive feedback lol.

Unless clickies or spells are involved melee aggro and melee dps more or less are on a curve. The curve of a red blade primary and proc offhand though is a much less smooth and RNG dependant than the curve than say a Willsapper/Nevs horn. Unfortunately once the threshold of dps aggro overcomes tank aggro that dps often takes a dirt nap. Unless they can quickly back out of range from a rooted raid mob or have an idol/FD ready to click.

[Danth]

From what I’ve gathered over the years, p99 is hugely overtuned relative to live. Mobs hit consistently harder, resists (both outgoing and incoming are borked).

If you could take a group of average p99 raiders knowing what they know and geared as they are into a Time Machine and put them on live servers before Luclin - content would be a cake walk.

Vulak is a particularly good example because in original EQ Vulak was such a wuss the encounter had to be taken out of the game completely once word got out, and he wasn't put back in until such a time as the encounter could be modified to add a semblance of difficulty. The main barrier to high-end progression in the original game was that mode of gameplay wasn't the type of draw it is on P99, most players never raided at all or very seldom, with that minority being spread out between a bunch of servers, and exceedingly few guilds could produce the kind of stable roster needed to progress at that level.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

Vulak is a particularly good example because in original EQ Vulak was such a wuss the encounter had to be taken out of the game completely once word got out, and he wasn't put back in until such a time as the encounter could be modified to add a semblance of difficulty. The main barrier to high-end progression in the original game was that mode of gameplay wasn't the type of draw it is on P99, most players never raided at all or very seldom, with that minority being spread out between a bunch of servers, and exceedingly few guilds could produce the kind of stable roster needed to progress at that level.

Also remember that new expansions were expected during live, so less people probably felt the need to get all the best gear in the current expansion. They could just raid the next expansion, which would probably have better gear than the previous one anyway.

Even the non-raid gear got progreseively better over time, becoming on par or better than older raid gear. I remember getting this on my Warrior during the 5 year anneversary: https://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=27215 . People simply lined up via a list and killed the mob on my server, so it wasn't tough to get. You just needed to wait like 6-10 hours in line. It was quite a good weapon at the time considering how easy it was to get, and it's better than most P99 raid weapons.

On P99 we know no new expansions are coming, so the best you can do is get the top tier raid items in this timeline.

[WarpathEQ]

It begs the question is DEX being undervalued for end game tanks?

My rogue can pull agro off any warrior I've seen (willsapper/red blade, ect). Using just the zlexak dagger (procs) and epic offhand. Haven't tested it against a tank that has a Sceptre of Destruction, but pretty sure I got them beat too going all in.

The one thing everyone is in agreement on is that proc agro is the most effective way to build the most amount of threat. Maybe the answer lies in optimizing +DEX as much as optimising between the handful of generally agreed upon best agro weapons.

I know, I know...HP and AC are key but just maybe there's some min/maxing that can be done with DEX to build an agro warrior that can rival knights.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

It begs the question is DEX being undervalued for end game tanks?

My rogue can pull agro off any warrior I've seen (willsapper/red blade, ect). Using just the zlexak dagger (procs) and epic offhand. Haven't tested it against a tank that has a Sceptre of Destruction, but pretty sure I got them beat too going all in.

The one thing everyone is in agreement on is that proc agro is the most effective way to build the most amount of threat. Maybe the answer lies in optimizing +DEX as much as optimising between the handful of generally agreed upon best agro weapons.

I know, I know...HP and AC are key but just maybe there's some min/maxing that can be done with DEX to build an agro warrior that can rival knights.

DEX is not undervalued, it's simply easy to cap in raids. With FoS + DEX Buff or FoS + Avatar you are getting 120-160 DEX from buffs.

All races have at least 70 DEX via starting stats for the Warrior class. All Warriors will have at least 190-230 DEX just with buffs, before you count DEX on equipment. If you picked a race with higher DEX like halfling, you would be at 250 DEX with FoS + Avatar, before counting equipment.

[Troxx]

It begs the question is DEX being undervalued for end game tanks?

My rogue can pull agro off any warrior I've seen (willsapper/red blade, ect). Using just the zlexak dagger (procs) and epic offhand..

Yeah you are main-handing an aggro proc (dot+snare) on a rogue who also has to think about backstab aggro.

Perhaps choose a different weapon?

[WarpathEQ]

Yeah you are main-handing an aggro proc (dot+snare) on a rogue who also has to think about backstab aggro.

Perhaps choose a different weapon?

Yeah 100% the current setup on the rogue is not optimal as I have to mitigate DPS to not overtake the tank. I wasn't bringing it up to say I was roguing the best. I was bringing it up as a comparison of a potential opportunity for tanks.

I wouldn't expect main tanks to be max'd on dex as I don't really see them running avatar and assumed their buff spots were too precious to stack FoS and Dex together but maybe this is something the tank community already figured out and decided max dex was valued in maximizing threat, the same conclusion I was arriving to in reading the thread and posing the initial question.

[Eisai]

Rogues can now use all those poison procs i used to make fun of them for having. Grats!

[Guesty07]

Every 60 warrior MT has 255 Dex during a raid lol

[Snaggles]

Every 60 warrior MT has 255 Dex during a raid lol

^ This.

Also flipping the mob off the MT is less of a brag than you think it is. If BiS rogues and monks can survive a parse so can you. If not…have fun being bad.

[Troxx]

Yeah I can almost cap dex with just FoS and my gear isn’t great. With VoG and focus I’m 255. While I admit I focused on dex (race, starting stats, and gear) more than a lot of warriors - I also have only a small number of slots filled with raid gear - and many of those that are aren’t highest end at this point.

The problem isn’t warriors not focusing on dex, it’s an issue of a rogue using a primary hand weapon that generates snare threat per proc and 7.5 hate per second that the dot is landed and ticking.

Rogues without threat proc weapons generate enough hate to begin with … much less those that use weapons with proc hate within the same ballpark as a willsapper

[wagorf]

i find howling cutlass much better aggro than trident or kflame, it's one of the best aggro 1h (n i have almost every 1h in game except sod)

and kflame i agree feels less aggro than trident, and trident doesn't snap aggro like it used to, to me it's more of a stats stick with "some" aggro and it is tough to hold aggro against monk/rog

[Goregasmic]

What about weekend warriors on a budget who cant swap in a primal to max dex? Can you really rely on procs outside of raids if you don't have crazy dex?

Something like a jade mace MH until you can get an infestation or crescend blade of luclin and frostbringer offhand?

Some people talked about frostbringer MH but I've seen that idea ripped on in other similar threads saying frostbringer's delay is just way too slow for a main hand. 18 delay weapons have better average damage and will generate more swing aggro.

I know for DPS 2hb beats almost any 1hb combo so if you can't rely on procs should you just go peacebringer/IFS/shovel to lean hard on white damage?

[Troxx]

What about weekend warriors on a budget who cant swap in a primal to max dex? Can you really rely on procs outside of raids if you don't have crazy dex?

I went dwarf and put starting points into dex for this reason. Gear was focused on dex wherever reasonable. As such I didn’t have a hard time relying on buffs. Stamina was on the lower end but I wasn’t gearing to raid. As I have raided, unbuffed dex has drifted down but stamina has slingshotted up. Unbuffed dex is less important now as buffs are more or less always available.

But yes … warriors will rely on procs either way. For the non-raiders there are some very good, relatively cheap options such as frostbringer, WESS and the Sarnak stun hammer.

[PatChapp]

What about weekend warriors on a budget who cant swap in a primal to max dex? Can you really rely on procs outside of raids if you don't have crazy dex?

Something like a jade mace MH until you can get an infestation or crescend blade of luclin and frostbringer offhand?

Some people talked about frostbringer MH but I've seen that idea ripped on in other similar threads saying frostbringer's delay is just way too slow for a main hand. 18 delay weapons have better average damage and will generate more swing aggro.

I know for DPS 2hb beats almost any 1hb combo so if you can't rely on procs should you just go peacebringer/IFS/shovel to lean hard on white damage?
Infestation is not an agro weapon anymore, and peacebringer/ifs is monk only unfortunately. Shovel works great for goup agro. If you don't get any procs at least it does reasonable dps.
Mainhand frostbringer works OK, proc weapons for group content are always hit or miss. Someone Rooting the mob is the best group agro

[Troxx]

Biggest challenge for the grouping warrior is the high likelihood that in any group these days you can plenty well plan on having to fight for aggro with raid twinks.

Frostbringer is exceptionally good in either hand if you only had to group with content-appropriate (gear wise) melee. It’s not gonna go so far with raid twink melees rocking KFlames, claws of lightning’s, batons etc.

[Goregasmic]

peacebringer/ifs is monk only

My bad, staff of battle is what i was looking for. But now that I see the stats an exquisite velium battle axe/claidhmore would be a bit better without being crazy expensive.

Biggest challenge for the grouping warrior is the high likelihood that in any group these days you can plenty well plan on having to fight for aggro with raid twinks.

Yeah I saw a rogue in KC with epic and horn of hsagra. Good luck. But even an IFS monk or a woodsman staff ranger would probably be rough.

[Jimjam]

I got a Staff of Battle recently and it really isn’t adequate for aggro in the 40s against the toons you’ll be grouping with. Fortunately twinks tend to be able to take hits well. Weaving offhand fist makes a surprising amount of difference (apparently it gets damage bonus in aggro even if not damage). I’ve ended up using wurmy and a js trident which seems to work better. On another toon Frostbringer and skean seem to work well in low 50s. That toon is just over 200dex unbuffed for reference.

I’m going to try out spade / truncheon of doom to see how they work (but the 40s war isn’t high enough to proc yet).

[PatChapp]

Trunch isn't great agro if your competing velious geared melee,but if your lacking a slow class its great either way.
Agro can bounce in groups it's not a big deal if the rogue takes a smack or 3

[Troxx]

I've been pleasantly surprised in the past just how well trunch worked in groups where we needed a slow and didn't have a sham/ench.

Not great, but not terrible. Carried one in my bags forever. Finally sold it a month or 2 after I got a willsapper.

[Jimjam]

I've been pleasantly surprised in the past just how well trunch worked in groups where we needed a slow and didn't have a sham/ench.

Not great, but not terrible. Carried one in my bags forever. Finally sold it a month or 2 after I got a willsapper.

Yeah, it was a ranger with a swarmcaller that prompted me to get one, but honestly if a swarmcaller ranger is taking aggro that is probably fine cos they are tanky enough for slowed xp content anyway!

[Keebz]

With poison hate nerfed and no raid equipment, I guess spade is the best? Maybe swiftblade x frostbringer is competitive? Keeping aggro as a warrior can be rough in pugs. Getting a couple rounds in for DPS jumps on the mob is my best advice. Takes all of 2 seconds to get a lead in hate.

Also, if you're not planning on raiding, I'd suggest basically any other class.

[Snaggles]

I would prob rather assume any other caster would help with that. You get a little hate from root but it presumes people understand proximity aggro (newsflash: They don’t). I’ve rooted stuff before and watched rangers and rogues so close it’s comical.

Sarnak warhammer is pretty good as is Frostbringer. Ykesha still generates a ton of hate and lands on blues.

[Keebz]

If we're talking about pugs, in my experience Sarnak warhammer and Ykesha weapons don't have enough white threat to compete with EC geared DPS classes. If you don't proc, then you just lose aggro immediately. If procing root is too janky, then maybe just run Reaver.

[Naethyn]

Haste is what matters in groups.

[Jimjam]

Quick update:‘herbalists spade seems to generate sufficient white damage to generally outaggro swarmcaller rangers, even before 49 (ie without root proc).

Got about 7 yellow to go for 49, excited to see how that goes. With 255 str and avatar i’m seeing crits (not just crips!) of over 300 with the spade, which is pretty fun.

[PatChapp]

Yeah I loved my Spade,really good balance of dps/hate. Prpc can be funny if your pulling to,accidentally root a mob and have to wait a couple mins for it to follow.

[Duik]

That is hilarious.
I was so item poor it would never was/be a problem for me.

As an aside, if a wandering mob happened past the rooted mob even if you were out of (its assist) agro range would it agro to you? That would provide some surprises im sure.

[PatChapp]

It would, but it would only have secondary agro so wouldn't social anything on the way to you. Secondary agro creates some interesting pulls

[Jimjam]

That is hilarious.
I was so item poor it would never was/be a problem for me.

As an aside, if a wandering mob happened past the rooted mob even if you were out of (its assist) agro range would it agro to you? That would provide some surprises im sure.

Popular pulling strategy for rangers in KC is to long root a mob on a pathing node so mobs will pull themselves.

Edit: I'm kinda on a shopping spree atm. Maybe interested in buying more spades. I've already bought 2.

[Goregasmic]

Quick update:‘herbalists spade seems to generate sufficient white damage to generally outaggro swarmcaller rangers, even before 49 (ie without root proc).

Someone noted on the spade wiki page:

After testing numerous weapons on a megatwink in groups, I have concluded that Herbalist's Spade is the best group aggro weapon for Warriors from 49-60. Good ratio gives you a good burst of aggro on first swing, and the Proc is perma-aggro until Root breaks.

If the best solution is "just have someone else root it", might as well bring your own root. Having a great ratio is just icing on the cake , it's above 0,9 IIRC.

[svevin]

Someone noted on the spade wiki page:



If the best solution is "just have someone else root it", might as well bring your own root. Having a great ratio is just icing on the cake , it's above 0,9 IIRC.

I bought one a few days ago for my Warrior. As long as everyone else stays back, it's incredible. Hit a crippling blow for 582 as a bonus.

[Eisai]

Love spade! Adds to my wood elf warrior's ranger guise and with all that dex she has i can CC faster than most of the pugs i find!

Wwhen playing war or rog i find little to do so i concentrate on positioning when skills are on cooldown. The rog pushes to optimal spot put the war pulls there and with a spade she can lock it in place. If you're worried about halfling or gnome rogues getting too close to a mob, just get closer! Or stand farther long enough for then to get the message. :)

It's a six man weapon though.. The OP asked for ranks and we haven't produced them yet. There are more than one considerations for the question. Silence raid, nonsilence raid and six man? A sortable spreadsheet is probably called for in order to satisfy the request.