Tank Role - Tips and Clarifications

[Alzafan]

Hey all, I just started playing P1999 two weeks ago or so. I played for a couple of years when EQ first came out, but I never played a tank and I haven't really played any other MMO since. I'm currently playing a level 19 paladin and it's gotten to the point where I thought I should ask for some advice and such on what I should be doing exactly.

I suppose my main question is this. I get that I'm supposed to keep aggro on me, but if there are six mobs, should I be trying to keep all six mobs on me at once? Because that's getting to be a bit difficult to manage with heals being thrown around. I've never been in a group with another tank, it's usually me, a healer of some sort, and a dps.

So, could anyone give me advice on this and other related issues? Things that you wish other tanks knew? Things that you do that work well?

Thanks for all of the help!

Oh, and yes, I know that Flash of Light is awesome for getting aggro. Whenever I ask about tips in-game, all anyone says is "flash of light". I just want to get that out of the way. =)

[Nixtar]

FoL...

Seriously though, cycling through mobs and casting FoL is your best bet. If the mobs keep running all over the place, ask whoever gets aggro to remain close to you and any DPS class to make an assist macro. This also helps to prevent mobs derping out due to suddenly breaking off due to overaggro when you're casting FoL.

Taunt is kinda unreliable but use it anyways, might work.

Then at 22 you get root which allows you to CC better and control aggro by proximity(as mobs who are rooted hit the closest player character).

[Legday]

If there are multiple mobs in camp you need to be picking the target 1 at a time until they are all dead, and your group mates will need to be assisting you to ensure only 1 thing is being attacked. Someone else in the group should be on crowd control where they are either 1) mezzing the mobs (enchanter, bard) or 2) rooting them (various classes have root) far enough apart from one another that you can kill 1 mob at a time and not be getting wacked by anything else. Enchanter mez is the most universally preferred and cleanest method of crowd control, but there are other ways to go about CC.

If you have no method of CC your best bet is to have the puller pull 1 mob at a time. If you're getting more than 1 at a time then it's more manageable to have another sturdy class off tank the other mob, or FoL stuff to you and then root it in place and pull your target mob away.

99% of the time you will be in a group that either provides mez CC or roots.

[Lartanin63]

It is your groups job to work with you to help crowd control the added mobs. Use your lull spell to minimize the number of mobs that will social agro when pulling a mob in a group. If you do not have classes with mez or roots you will have to round the mobs up with flash. Getting a bow to shoot a mob will save you some the hassle of chasing on the pull, if another classes is pulling for you. I don't know if you have it setup yet but you should go into your keys tab and look for cycle closest npc(I believe that what it is called) set it to your tab button so you can flip through multiple mobs faster without having to click. Your group should use an assist key to allow you to get agro on one main mob at a time. Let me know if you need any clarification on what I typed here. Good luck!

[Jimjam]

It is hard to say as different groups will have different strategies depending on the level and class make up. As such, it is good to discuss with the group leader/members on how they want these situations to be handled.

In most groups there will be the 'main assist', he'll call the mob that the dps should be focusing on and it is the main tank's job to take the hits from this.

In groups that are taking several mobs at the same time there will be a 'crowd control' strategy; maybe one member will be rooting extra mobs in a safe place, keeping them mesmerised or simply running round in circles with the mobs chasing them! Bards are particularly good at crowd control in the 20s as they can do an area of effect mesmerisation.

Some times it will be the tank's job to be hit by several mobs at the same time but this strategy is far from ideal, so generally focus on the mob the MA has picked up. Often, as the main tank you will also be the MA.

[Samoht]

There's a 4th role: support. If you have six mobs, you sound like you need an enchanter or bars to help lock them down.