Group Instance Combat 101, by Albino

[Windfoot]

This is a guide to effectivly grouping written by Albino, a World of Warcraft player and posted on their general forums. It's a rarity to find anything of worth at the WoW forums, but this is a gem, indeed.

Group Instance Combat 101

Chapter 1: The Overview
As the veteran of many a good Instance Group, and even more “bad” Instance Groups, it’s occurred to me that the difference between success and failure in an Instance has less to do with the Classes/Levels involved than it does with the simple fact that many people do not know how to function in a Group environment. Most novice players tend to believe that an Instance Group is the same as grinding with mobs with four of their friends. Nothing could be further from the truth, and this belief is responsible for an incredible amount of needless death, failure, and lost time.

Anyone that’s ever been with a veteran Instance Group knows that the difference between a knowledgeable group and a novice group is like night and day. A veteran group runs smoothly, quickly, and accomplishes their goals with a minimum of downtime and death. Conversely, a novice group quickly turns into frustration and chaos. Yet a “bad” group can quickly become a good one with only a small amount of effort, if everyone involved is willing to cooperate.

Expert Instance Groups all exhibit the same characteristics, regardless of the actual composition of the group. Those characteristics are:
- Teamwork
- Patience
- The ability to focus on one task at a time.
- A knowledge of each member’s role in the group.

The Pull
This is Stage One of the battle. There should be one designated Puller. Attempt to Pull one mob at a time without Aggroing the entire group, and Pull mobs from weakest to strongest. The most common mistakes novice players make when Pulling are:
- Failing to designate an official Puller.
- Multiple players Pulling more than one mob.
- Pulling from the middle of a group.

The Battle
Battles in an Instance should be precise and controlled. Novice players often behave the same way in an Instance that they would when soloing: they separate and attempt to fight individual skirmishes. This defeats the entire point of Grouping, and virtually guarantees a Wipe. Instances are designed to be almost impossible for a single player, so your Group must try to act as a single entity. The most common mistakes novice players make during battle are:
- Scattering, thus drawing Adds.
- Failing to assist the Tank.
- Failing to keep Aggro off the Healer.
- Pulling entire groups of mobs.
- Failing to act as a team.

Post Battle
This wouldn’t seem to be much of an issue, but nothing distinguishes the novice from the professional more quickly than how you behave after a fight. First of all, you simply must have a team leader, and that team leader must keep the group together post-battle. Too often the Tank, having been kept at full health the entire battle by the Healer, will simply run on to the next group of monsters, totally disregarding the fact that the Healer now needs to regain Mana, or activate Quest items, etc. Many Instances are very complex, and it’s easy to lose a group member if you run off without making sure everyone is ready. And once a group splits up in an Instance, a Wipe is the next inevitable step. The most common mistakes novice players make post-battle are:
- Abandoning Casters who are regenerating Mana.
- Wandering from the group, becoming lost or Aggroing mobs.
- Failing to wait for members who need to accomplish Quest tasks.

Now let’s examine some important aspects of Group Dynamics.

[Windfoot]

Chapter 2: Know your role.
The problem with most MMORPG players is that they want to be unique. While this is fine if you solo or duo, it’s a liability in high-level Groups and/or Instances. In Groups, it’s best to remember the words of Tyler Durden: “You are not a beautiful and unique human snowflake.” A lot of players get all huffy and say “I’m going to play my character my own way.” That’s fine, but it has no bearing on the purpose of this guide. This guide exists to improve your group experience, not to stroke your ego. If you refuse to play your designated role within a group, you are a detriment those around you.

Ask most good Group players what they hate worst in other group members, and 99% of the time they’ll say “Tanks who think they’re Rogues and Priests that think they’re Mages”. Within the group dynamic, each member has a certain expectation of what the other group members will be doing. When that member goes against these expectations, chaos ensues, and a Wipe is virtually guaranteed. With that in mind, let’s examine the role each member plays within a group.

The Leader
Normally, this will be whoever started the group. However, sometimes the Leader will be a group member who has knowledge of the task at hand. In any event, it’s important that you have one, and that everyone knows who it is. The Leader charts the path through the Instance, decides when Pulls should be made, and makes sure that everyone else in the group knows what role they’re expected to play.

What you need to know as the Leader:
People are counting on you to hold the Group together. If the group starts to devolve into chaos, it’s your job to restore order.

What you need to know to assist the Leader:
Don’t wander off on your own. Don’t pull Aggro on the group. Don’t argue. If you don’t feel that you fit in the group, leave.

The Puller
This can be virtually any member of your group, although I myself prefer to have a Hunter pull if one is available. The most important factor is that a Puller be designated before you even enter the Instance. From that point, the Puller and only the Puller is in charge of starting each battle. Nothing causes more Wipes than a group where multiple members attempt to pull independently of each other. (See section “The Pull” for more information on this topic.)

What you need to know as the Puller:
Don’t pull from the middle of a group. Try to pull as few mobs as possible. If you are not the Tank, remain near the Tank so that Aggro can be assumed by the tank once the mob is in Melee range.

What you need to know to assist the Puller:
Under no circumstances should anyone other than the Puller cause Aggro during the Pull. If you’re a Mage, do NOT Poly into the group unless the Pull gains Adds, and then only Poly the Adds.

The Sheeper
If you have a Mage along, their role in the open stages of a battle will be to Polymorph any Adds. One often hears Mages complain that “Polymorph is all they bring to a battle”. That’s absolutely untrue, but Polymorph is strongest skill that Mages bring to a battle. Why complain about your strongest skill? That’s like a Warrior complaining that all they bring to a battle is Tanking skills. It’s very important that Polymorph be used correctly, and that the other members of the group refrain from attacking Polymorphed mobs. Most newby groups get all excited and try and attack everything at once. This is a recipe for failure. I cannot stress this enough: even if you’ve killed every other mob except for one single Polymorphed creature, allow it to remain polymorphed until it breaks Poly naturally. No matter how anxious you are to kill, you have the group to consider, and odds are that there’s at least one member of the group that could use the extra time to heal or regain Mana.

What you need to know as the Sheeper:
Only Polymorph Adds during the Pull. After the pull, only Polymorph mobs that are attacking your Casters, especially any that are attacking your Priest. Do NOT Polymorph mobs that your Melee members are attacking, as you’ll just be wasting the spell.

What you need to know to assist the Sheeper:
Do not attack Sheeped mobs. Period. Have this tattooed on your hands if you need to. A Polymorphed mob can stay that way for a long, long time during a battle, and it’s one less mob you have to worry about fighting. The only exception to this rule would be if you are in fact the Tank, and there are no other targets available. Even then, you might want to consider that if you attack a Sheep, then the rest of your group has to stop healing and regening Mana to support you.

The Healer
In the perfect world, this would always be a Priest. However, few people play them, and the few who do are primarily Shadow Priests. Thus, your Healer might be a Druid, Shaman, or Paladin. In any event, the role of the primary Healer remains the same. For the sake of this guide, I will assume that the Healer is a Priest.

The first thing to remember as Healer is that you are NOT there to nuke. There’s nothing more annoying to other group members than a Shadow Priest who spams Mind Flay during battle. Again, I’m not going to argue with you about how you play your character. I’m not talking about your “inherent right to be a Shadow Priest”. I’m talking about the role of a Healer within an effective group. Frankly, if the group needed a Nuker, they should have brought a Mage, who would also be able to Sheep.

Pre-battle, a Priest should make sure that everyone in the group has Fortitude. Next they should consider who they’ll be Shielding. Note that the first mistake a newbie Priest makes is that they shield the Warrior. First of all, this instantly gimps your Warrior, as he can no longer effectively generate Rage. Second of all, most newby Priests do this during battle, which instantly pulls large amounts of Aggro off the tank and on to the Healer. If you’re using a Paladin as a Tank, then fine, shield them. But do it before the battle, when it won’t gain Aggro.

This must be said: if you find yourself using Shield a lot during a battle, it’s a sign that one of the following things are wrong:
- You’re not paying enough attention to your Heals.
- Your Tank isn’t holding Aggro.
- Someone in your group is pulling Adds when they shouldn’t.

The people who will typically need Shielding are Mages and other low-armor Nukers who have temporarily gained Aggro. Watch the lifebars of your Mages in particular, as one large Nuke can gain them a lot of unwanted attention from mobs.

On the Healing front, use Renew early and often. If you find yourself Flash Healing, it’s another good sign that you’ve let things get out of hand. In a well-run group, you’ll almost never need to use Flash Heal.

What you need to know as a Healer:
You are there to Heal. Period. If you’re not there to Heal, you shouldn’t be there at all.

What you need to know to assist the Healer:
The Healer is the heart of the group. You must keep Aggro off of them. Also remember that the Healer likes to occasionally gain experience, loot bodies for Cloth, and activate Quest items, just like you. Since the Healer is in back of the group, he/she has to do all these things after the battle is over, so do NOT simply run off looking for the next group of monsters. Also be aware that while the Healer is filling your Health bar, they’re draining their Mana bar. Be considerate and allow them to recharge.

The Tank
Regardless of which class is Tanking, it must be remembered that the primary job of the Tank is to hold Aggro. Much as Priests must avoid the temptation to Nuke, the Tank must avoid the temptation to try and duel one mob at a time. The Tank absolutely must realize that they are there to keep the mobs off the Cloth classes. If you see an Add go after your Priest, it’s your job to pull it off. Far too often Tanks will just stand there, slugging it out with one mob, while the rest of the party dies. If your group is working properly, a Tank ought to be able to hold Aggro on multiple mobs at a time. Remember, as a Tank, it’s not your job to kill the mobs. It’s your job to keep the mobs from killing your other group members. As long as you have Rogues and Mages to dish out damage and a Healer to keep you alive, the one and only thing that you need to worry about is making sure that every mob in the fight is hitting you, not someone else.

What you need to know as a Tank:
Your job is to hold Aggro. Period. Especially keep mobs off your Healer, as the Healer is the guy keeping you alive.

What you need to know to assist the Tank:
Do not pull Adds. The Tank has a hard enough time without you pulling extra mobs on to him. Assist the Tank, and kill what he’s fighting. If you’re a Healer, know the Tank’s health bar better than your own.

Damage Dealers
After the fight has started and the Tank holding Aggro, everyone who’s NOT the Tank, Healer or Sheeper should assist the Tank. The biggest novice mistake anyone makes is to abandon the Tank and start dueling with non-aggroed mobs. Grouping is not about seeing how many mobs you can fight at once. It’s about being fast, efficient, and safe. Target the highest level/Elite mob that’s attacking your Tank, and help him kill it as quickly as possible.

[Windfoot]

Chapter 3: When It All Goes Wrong
Most of this Guide is obviously geared towards Pickup groups or Guilds that haven’t yet established Raiding parties. If you’re in a group that already works, you probably don’t need this Guide. But what if you’re in a group that doesn’t work, and there doesn’t seem to be a way to fix it?

There are basic “incorrigible” personality types that will destroy any group.
- The Accidental Aggro-Master.
This is the guy that’s always running off from the main group, pulling Adds on the group from every direction.
- The Family Outfitter.
This guy whines for every single piece of equipment, because “he has a brother who needs it.”
- The Lone Wolf
You never even know who this guy is, because his locator dot is always half a zone away.
- Speed Racer
The inevitable member who runs at top speed towards every chest, Quest device, or shiny object in the Instance, usually resulting in Adds, a scattered group, and a Wipe.
- The Jackass
The guy that complains about everything. He’s usually a Warrior complaining that the Mage is “rolling on all the Cloth items.”

When you find yourself Grouped with people like this your best course of action is to simply find another group. If that’s not an option, then do your best to ignore them, and/or ask the Group Leader to handle it. If you are the group leader, simply Boot them and find a new member. If they are the Group Leader, either deal with it or leave, but keep in mind that you’re probably destined for failure.

[Windfoot]

Chapter 4: Summing It All Up
In summation, it’s not difficult to have a good Grouping experience. However, it’s even easier to have a disastrous one. Remember that teamwork is the key, with each person filling their role to contribute to the success of the whole. The entire group must focus on each task as a team, or the entire group fails.

[Calydon]

The sheeper, usually called the "Crowd Controller", and a mage isn't always the best option.

Normal targets can be sapped by a thief, or sheeped by a mage.

Undead are shackled by priests (big difference as a sheeper is of very little use in sitiuations like that and there are so many undead instances out there.)

Demon and Elemental targets are banished by a warlock.


Caly's tip for damage dealers. Make a macro for assisting the main tank so you do not target the wrong monster in battle.

/assist nameoftank

[valesta]

I have read all that I can find here on the subject of grouping and class roles. I am sad to say that I recognize myself in many of the group faux pas mentioned that lead to failure. I vow to do better. I like Caly's idea of a macro. It has served me well in some of my battles in other non-mage incarnations. I have sadly forgotten how to create one and must study up.

I would add the following suggestion for a successful group, with the understanding that I am not wagging my finger at any individuals in particular. I have been guilty of this infraction as well and that is: whispering or guild chatting while in an instance. Even for brilliant multi-taskers, it draws focus from the job at hand and often party chat that discusses strategy is overlooked for the lovely pink whisper that comes from a friend sitting safely in the Tavern at Ironforge. Even whispering within the party is detrimental. It is easy to whisper to a party member about some frustration or grumble about strategy and this pulls the focus away from teamwork as well. It becomes a grudge chat about the weak link, or a flirtation, or whatever it is about rather than the focus remaining on the functioning of the team. I think this outside-the-group chat is responsible for a great many deaths and should be discouraged. Is there a macro that will post a "Can't chat, in an instance" message when an outside party tries to whisper? hmmm
Well, for now I've said my piece. I need to reread these posts and remedy my part in the failings of groups I have been in. I have only been in two instance groups but these guildelines hold true for regular groups as well in my view.
I am grateful for the information.

[Caspin Mordain]

valesta said:

I have read all that I can find here on the subject of grouping and class roles. I am sad to say that I recognize myself in many of the group faux pas mentioned that lead to failure. I vow to do better. I like Caly's idea of a macro. It has served me well in some of my battles in other non-mage incarnations. I have sadly forgotten how to create one and must study up.

I would add the following suggestion for a successful group, with the understanding that I am not wagging my finger at any individuals in particular. I have been guilty of this infraction as well and that is: whispering or guild chatting while in an instance. Even for brilliant multi-taskers, it draws focus from the job at hand and often party chat that discusses strategy is overlooked for the lovely pink whisper that comes from a friend sitting safely in the Tavern at Ironforge. Even whispering within the party is detrimental. It is easy to whisper to a party member about some frustration or grumble about strategy and this pulls the focus away from teamwork as well. It becomes a grudge chat about the weak link, or a flirtation, or whatever it is about rather than the focus remaining on the functioning of the team. I think this outside-the-group chat is responsible for a great many deaths and should be discouraged. Is there a macro that will post a "Can't chat, in an instance" message when an outside party tries to whisper? hmmm
Well, for now I've said my piece. I need to reread these posts and remedy my part in the failings of groups I have been in. I have only been in two instance groups but these guildelines hold true for regular groups as well in my view.
I am grateful for the information.

I will admit to being guilty of being incredibly chatty while doing 'some' instances. Places like the Deadmines and the Stockades are places I've been an innumerable amount of times, and generally are easy enough for me to simply work on 'autopilot', as some might say. Some groups - when they feel comfortable working together - carry on a conversation while executing all the good signs of an expert instance group. However, some people simply cannot both talk and work at the same time.

My suggestions, not necessarily to be used together or in order:

1 ) Turn off your chat functions. On the default chat window, there are two tabs - General and Combat. Switch to Combat, or even better, create a new tab that filters for PARTY CHAT only. This way you will not be distracted. Some people have the gift of being able to do multiple tasks at the same time - some do not.

2 ) Take stock. If a group is performing badly, stop a moment. If it is one individual creating problems, whisper them politely and simply tell them ( in a nice way ) what the problem is, and a suggestion on how to remedy the situation.

An example: We had two pullers basically trying to run our Stockades instance yesterday. Solution: We designated one puller, and the rest of the instance was MUCH smoother. No big deal, right?

3 ) Take names. Sometimes you're just stuck in a bad group. People refuse to pay attention, they don't want to work together, they're greedy, etc. Over on the other server I play on, I had a list of names of people I would 'never' group with. As long as these people are all non guildies, thats all well and good - if guildies start making the list, then you should definitely consult leadership in the guild to perhaps instill some training sessions in the problem party members.

Anyway, thats all my suggestions.

[Windfoot]

"To chat or not to chat"

Chatting is a problem if it ruins the fun. There are two ways that this can happen: a member is distracted and not contributing; and wipes. If you know your roles you should not wipe. Then no one gets grumpy. As for being distracted, it depends on how good at multi-tasking the player is.

As guildmaster I continuously try to foster more chat, both IC and OOC. This is an overarching long-term objective. I want the guild to be a stong, fun place to hang out.

Instancing, especially when unfamiliar or challenging, requires focus, and limits your ability to chat. This is a given. When I head into a dungeon I usually tell the guild that I will be unable to chat, and reply to tells etc. with smething like "Sorry, in BRD, can't chat now. Later?".

However, there should be no rule about not chatting. Having fun trumps efficiency IMO. It may be a question of style of play. Some like to burn ahead efficiently, others like to be more relaxed. Find a group that fits your play-style.

Usually, if no one's worried about wiping, there is no issue.

[Vangelis]

/rant

Since this thread is active, I can't refrain from mentioning a linguistic pet peeve with respect to the original article: the word "mob" should mean a GROUP of enemies; if a single creature is meant, one should speak of an "enemy" or a "target".

/end rant

[valesta]

I agree with the idea that fun trumps it all. It is a game. And I think that Caspin, your suggestions of a list of no-groups is a good one (though the Stockades run surely didn't warrant the creation of such a list in my book!). And I fully agree with the polite whisper as opposed to the grumpy outburst in guild chat (my repeated humble apologies).
I have the same feeling with group chat in-party that I do about call waiting...It feels like I, or the group, am/are of secondary importance. This is acute when it results in my death. I'll adjust and don't wish to create any hard and fast rules for anyone(!!). I simply added my 2 coppers to the discussion. I don't see any of the aforementioned posts as "rules" but as "suggested guidelines." And I would say that like people who talk on cell phones while driving, they may not be as good at multitasking as they think. Research has borne this out repeatedly. Still, that is everyone's own decision. And I am chatty too, so I'm not really trying to point fingers here.
Vangelis, the word "mob" has been a discomfort for me as well (as in an angry mob being a large group of people, not one) And while we're on picky linguistics...what IS the correct spelling for aggro (agro)?? If short for aggrestion, then 2 g's? Or is it a word made up of first letters (is that an acronym? I forget that too!)
In companionable spirit, Val

[valesta]

Sigh...One should not post late at night. *laughs*. I meant that GUILD chat and whispering in-party are like call-waiting. Party chat in party is necessary!
Oh, and Vangelis, a friend told me that mob stands for mobilized unit, which makes it singular. Whether or not that is accurate...To me the word mob still calls images of multiple targets.

[valesta]

((Apologies....The second-to-the-last post was ooc and I neglected to indicate that.))

[Windfoot]

For what it's worth, I think most of the posts here are OOC.

Valesta, above and to the left of your comments you should see the words "quote...modify...delete". You can edit your posts by clinking on the word "modify." This fesature and I are old familiar friends.

[valesta]

Ah!!! Yes, I see it on the top right, plain as day...Funny how one can overlook the word "modify" when obsessing on the word "edit". sigh....