Taalias Tank Tips part 3

Taalias Tank Tips part 3
Author: Taalia (Rosmerta)

Confidence - Communication - Positioning

1. Confidence.

The first time I tanked necro, it was nerve wracking. I'd never really tanked anything big. I was around level 200 something.

I was scared! I was scared I'd let everyone down. And you wouldn't be human if you didn't feel like that. Everyone is watching. If the tank messes up, have you ruined the evening of 30 people? But though we failed that day, it was a great fun. And I realised if i hadn't re-skilled and tried, no-one would have had a battle. Without someone stepping forward to dance with Efnisien, there'd be no fun for anyone.

Tanking is often pivotal. Add tanks even more so than main tanks - main tank disconnects - the team can often bolas. Add tank disconnects can end a raid.

Don't tank if this bothers you - the tank can't be timid.

You need to know you can fill the role. You can be confident in your gear. In your mount. And ultimately, and absolutely, in your team.

2. Communication

Usually, a tank starts a raid. Until the tank takes aggro no one else can really get going. And if bosses need pulling, or adds pulled away from bosses, things moved around to be in the right place, then the tank has to do that. The opening moves are the tank's.

So make sure everyone knows what you're doing! And what you need them to do. No good pulling fives without telling anyone, and finding the fives reset as everyone stands watching you, hands in their pockets or brushing their teeth.

Now I've been accused of over communicating. Going through each item on my checklist. But the following isn't too much:

"Starting my lix"
"Ready all?"
"Grab trolls"
"Still one more five"
"Go go go"
"Bolas please"

And it's much better than remaining silent. People need to know when to grab, when to attack.

Tick tock, tick tock.

The rage timer is going once you start - if you're tanking but the dps are still getting set up you've just wasted valuable seconds. Letting them know to start is key!

I've seen many raids fall flat or get off to a bad start because the tank has piled in without speaking.

And even on small fry like 210.6. Given the opposition, i now tend to attack on the run, as I enter the room without pausing, lixing on the way to the boss. But I try, if I can, to say "I'll attack when I arrive" so it doesn't catch our dps waiting there entirely by surprise.

3. Positioning and Awareness

Much of the skill in tanking is here. Where do you pull the boss to? Each tank has their favourite spots for each boss. They're always changing, and if a battle is contested or fluid it may be very different from your usual. But if you want to be a tank think about these things:

Where is the boss's attack going to fall? Where are the dps going to stand? Where does the boss need to be so his attack doesn't hit the dps or support teams, and lands only on me?

What about adds? If the boss calls them will they come from that position?

Will the druids be able to heal me from there? Will they be unnecessarily exposed?

What about the boss's tether? Will he reset if pulled too far?

You need to think these through. Try new combinations or refinements. I tried a slightly new proteus position last week at the recommendation of the druids - who found it much more comfortable.

Mobility is important. Travel speed can be critical for tanks.

I used to love the extra run speed of the huntsman, and in #taaliastips of last year I talked about using travel lix at most bosses. But now we have battle mounts...

The war bear is perfect for tanks. Its biggest weakness is it's expensive if you die a lot. But the one thing you shouldn't be doing as a tank is dying a lot. And it gives you >100% in the battle, which is a huge help. You can kite, you can pull, you can position. Use mount whistles if you lose your mount - a live mount is more useful than most lixes for a tank.

Then there's lock battles where tank positioning can make the difference. The "Spiro technique" of dragging Proteus onto our rangers seems dirty and I was a little shocked by it when I first saw it, but it's now the norm and it's worth practicing the counter move - pulling Proteus off Spiro and onto you. And then moving onto the most vulnerable part of their team without flattening your own.

Awareness! If you're in a "tank and spank" battle with druids healing you, watch them as well the boss. Not only do you need to see boss skill attacks coming in, if druids are menaced by adds you - the tank - should be calling for help. The druids are busy healing you and focusing on your health and wards, they may not see the adds till too late. And of course respawning fives and the like.

And awareness of time. As tank you'll be first to know when a boss rages. Try to make sure you have some way of tracking the rage timer, whether it be a lix timer or something else. Because when it rages you need to be ready.

Put all this together. Communicate the time if you're aware of it! While everyone is saying in group "oooh I wonder if it will drop that mighty orphic ring of energy well I want" you should be letting them know "5 minutes to rage".

Lastly, win or lose, always thank your lovely druids.

*****

I adopted the tank girl imagery back when I found that being a tank was my calling in the game.

But in real life thankfully I've only ever seen tanks in museums, and on a poorly advised 'tank ride' with my son at Bovington.

Take a moment to think of the real tank girls.

Women are now accepted into combat roles of most major armed forces including tanks. These amazing tank girls stand ready to fight for what they believe in. Today I've chosen examples of women tank crews currently at war.

In Syria women are fighting desperately on all sides of the struggle, including in tank formations. And in Uganda, battle group 18 has over 500 female soldiers including tank units, which are a key part of pushing back al-Shabab, a notorious terrorist group.

Give them a thought.

Taalias Tank and Damage Tips Menu

• Taalias Tank Tips Part 1
• Taalias Tank Tips part 2
• Taalias Tank Tips part 3
• Damage Guide Part 1 - How much attack does a girl need?
• Damage Guide Part 2 - Damage Control
• Damage Guide Part 3 - Damage Types