The Three Basic Rules (of teamwork)

[Windfoot]

Forget everything you know about the hunt. You are part of a pack now, and must find your place.

I have been repeating these three rules as a mantra for some time. Those that I travel with regularly know them by heart. In the hopes that I might not have to ever tell them again, I set them out here:

1. Protect the Healer
2. Attack the Same Target
3. Attack the Spell-Casters First.

These are the cardinal rules of teamwork, and they are listed in order of importance. If you know nothing else but these, know these rules well. Find your place in them.

I want my team to succeed; to finish the quest without any loss of life. If every member of the team keeps within the Three Basic Rules, the quest will usually go well and quickly.

1. Protect the Healer

The whole team rests upon the healer. If the healer falls, odds are the team will fall. Every member of the team must watch the health of the healer. The moment it starts to dip, every member should stop what they are doing and assist the healer. Pull whatever beast is attacking the healer off of the healer.

Healers, stay back. Everyone needs to be able to see that the mobs are turning on you.

2. Attack the Same Target

I have gone hoarse telling people this rule. I do not understand it; in my mind it is self-evident. Attacking the same target means the mobs die faster, do less damage, and cannot run. When one target dies, the next needs be chosen. Hunters could be invaluable in this, as they can mark targets to make it clear for everyone where the target is, but I have yet to see any hunter mark more than just the first target. But even more important than following the hunter’s mark is to *attack the target the second tank is attacking*. (The primary tank will be switching targets continuously to keep all the aggro locked) The party should know the order: casters first! Beyond that, the hunter should mark the target that the second tank is attacking. Everyone should only attack the target that the second tank is attacking. Unless the healer is being attacked, do not attack any other target but the one that the second tank is attacking. I cannot say this enough times.

Here is the goal: to have all the aggro to go to the primary tank, and stick. meanwhile, everyone takes down each of the targets in turn. They go down fast, no runners survive. Remember, the tank can take the damage 3 or even 5 enemies dish out (so long as the healer is doing their job). If you pull a mob off of the tank you are hurting your team.

Once the goal is accepted, a number of conclusions follow. here are a few: give the tank a second to grab the aggro. If you have a pet, turn growl off. Don’t open with huge burst damage. Keep the heals small and continuous. Don’t use AoE.

[note: edited to clarify that the primary tank holds aggro by hitting everything, and the secondary tank aims the kills.]

3. Attack the Spell-Casters First.

Healers have blue mana bars. They either do heavy damage (usually bypassing armor), heal, or summon more trouble. Find them, then hit them first and hard. If a spell-caster adds, the tank should switch targets and drag the mob over the caster, attacking the caster. The rest of the team should (of course) switch targets to assist the tank.


When Everything Goes Wrong…<br>
Usually this is because one of the above rules was not followed. Sometimes it is unavoidable. There are a few usual warning signs. They are, in order: (1) the mobs don’t sticking to the tank, (2) the runner gets away, (3) the patrol arrives. When everything starts to go wrong, the team needs to work to regain control and/or retreat. Assist the tank. Reduce your aggro-drawing abilities. All tanks, forget about damage and just pull and hold aggro. Retreat and regroup if you can. Healers, make sure you are in the back. Not only will this help keep you out of the way, if everyone starts to die you need to be able to escape and resurrect them.

[anchar]

These comments apply to PVE.
If there is a mage in the group you can polymorph the casters as well. Often casters can be difficult to get at as they like to surround themselves with the protection of other Mob's.

You can sheep the caster and attack the protection, then return to the caster. That way your tanks can focus on the melee Mobs and you can come back to the casters at the end as they die rather quickly under a melee attack

Casters can be difficult to pull as they like to stay at maximum spell cast distance. you can have a mage counterspell them which will silence them for 4 seconds and generate a lot of aggro. The caster will then run towards to the group to get within melee range.

[Windfoot]

Thank you, Anchar. "Sheeping" the casters, and rogues "sapping" the casters, are the best solution. Sadly, we seem to have few rogues and even fewer mages. Sigh...

[Clez]

With rule 2: attack the same target.

Specifacally the bit about let the tank holding all the aggro. I have come upon many cases where this is just not possible.

For example in Black Rock Depths, where there is a spot where you fight a series of fire elementals in groups of 3. These elementals deal ALOT of damage, and one tank is not quite up to the job as they die too quick for most healers to do their job properly. This is where it comes in handy to have an off-tank, someone who can gain the aggro of just one of the creatures. Yes the healer has to slightly spread the healing, but the tank health does not drop anywhere near as fast.

Anyway, just some thoughts.

Cheers

Clez