World of Warcraft®

So, I've starting in on tanking HoT's, and it is mostly going fine. On Echo of Baine, we ran out of platforms, or just had the one I was tanking on smacked early. Even using cd's, I had trouble staying alive while he was smacking me during the lava swim. Which ones do you recommend? Any tactics you've found helpful for that?

When the Spawn of the Old Gods come out on the "ramp" to Benedictus, I get thrown around a lot even if I try to put my back to a wall or keep them silenced. I haven't seen an ability with a cast time I can interrupt to prevent it. Any suggestions for them?

Also, I usually use Seal of Truth, but I've been twisting to Seal of Insight for parts of some fights where I take more damage (as well as using the damage reduction cds), and toss out WoG on other people if I'm fine but the healer seems to be struggling. I've had 1 healer where I did about half the fights with Insight up at least part of the fight, and others where I barely use it at all. I'm probably being a little overcautious with it, how do you usually handle it if the healer seems to be having a little trouble?

If you're running out of platforms then that dps isn't to great. But i tank him on the furthest one in the back, have the range on a different one. I dip myself in the lava for that sweet buff it gives you, molten fist or what ever (being a dk i AmS the debuff) Make sure the totem gets thrown at him as well.

The spawn of the old gods are going to throw you back, just make it so when they throw you, they toss you up hill so you don't go AS far lol.

On my pally i haven't really had that problem i have used truth all the time. It doesn't hurt to do what you've been doing if the healer is having some trouble, but it shouldn't get to the point where the healer can't handle it.

Thanks, Destructable. :) I hadn't tried deliberately going in the lava, will do that next time. I meant if he breaks the platform I'm on, I had trouble swimming through the lava while he was smacking me. I got tossed in a direction where I couldn't move *back* to the adds easily (because the terrain was too steep) a couple times. I'll try to adjust to make sure I'm thrown uphill instead.

I probably use SoI sometimes when it isn't strictly necessary, but if everyone's health is dipping (which is common on Azshara, umm first boss in HoT, and a couple of the echos), I want to do what I can to help the healer out. If my health's going below 70% a lot on trash pulls, I'll sometimes use it as well, even if nobody else is taking damage.

Ah i see, yeah just step in real quick and it will boos your dps up a bit, melee dps should too :P That's because everybody in your group is on your platform and he'll jump there and break it. Have the ranged on one, the melee and yourself on the far back one. He will hit harder while hes in the lava because he gains molten fists as well, but if he throws a totem and swims back through lava, throw that at him when hes on the platform again to minimize how much damage he'll but out with that buff :P

The only thing i could do on my paladin when i tanked those and people were taking a lot of damage was to use my 4pc Raid wall and WoG when i could, hand of sac on the healer and HoP on casters. As a blood dk, i can pop VB and win :P

No we had the ranged/healers on the other platforms, only melee on mine (the one in the back) that time. DPS was low, and the healer seemed to be struggling quite a bit (had to use cd's on myself and others even when we weren't in the lava). Did it again today with 2 melee, and was easy as pie, but all but one of them were raid geared. ;)

I only have one tier piece so far, and it's for my holy set, since I just hit 85 about a week ago.

Ah yeah as long as the dps don't suck to bad it should be easy :P Yeah there are some healers who are either just really new, or there are some who have no clue on what they are doing. I just sit there quiet as long as they don't expect to be carried through the damn place. I have had some derpy healers.

Yeah the 4pc just makes it a tad bit easier on the healer, i myself hardly ever have this issue because i take my guild healer with me :P

04/14/2012 04:07 PMPosted by Mistana

On Echo of Baine, we ran out of platforms

The DPS was awful. Or dead. Make sure they throw totems(does a ton of damage to him and makes him take extra damage during the stun.

04/14/2012 04:07 PMPosted by Mistana

I get thrown around a lot even if I try to put my back to a wall

Point yourself up a hill so you don't get thrown quite so far. At the same time as you get thrown, you get a debuff that makes you take extra damage for a short time. Use the distance gained by the throw to kite the baddies for a few seconds until the debuff expires.

I've had 1 healer where I did about half the fights with Insight up at least part of the fight, and others where I barely use it at all. I'm probably being a little overcautious with it, how do you usually handle it if the healer seems to be having a little trouble?

I tank in full dps gear and a Gurthalak /shrug. I'd suggest using Seal of Truth if your dps are as godawful as they have been.

If you did run out of platforms, then DPS sucked beyond measure. Usually only one breaks, sometimes two.

If it was just your platform being hit, that's entirely possible. When he throws totem, find out where, and make sure the totem gets thrown back at him. This is something I assume, regardless of the group, but it might be worth asking beforehand. He will always throw totem at platform with someone on it. If it's your platform, it's tricky, because you don't want to turn your back to him while he's attacking you, but you want to be on the other platform as soon as possible, to minimize time in the lava.

The lava gives you a stacking Flametongue-sort of debuff, but the debuff also causes you to take 10%(?) more damage from lava with each stack. So that's another balancing act, because, if it's too high, swimming after a shatter will kill you. Easy answer is, stay out of lava.

Baine ALSO gets a Flametongue buff from the lava. That is when you need to use your cooldowns. When he's swimming in lava, you should already be on a new platform. Ideally. If he's hitting you while you're swimming, that's bad news.

Kill the Brute first. Don't even worry about the eye tentacle stalk. Just mark it and let the DPS burn it down. The Shadow Weaver casts a Shadowbolt Volley, but it's AE damage, and you're the only one taking any damage--mostly from the Brute and him throwing you. For once, AE incoming damage is NOT the priority. Mob control is, and you're right about the Brute throwing you--that's the danger. The best I can suggest is putting your back to a wall or standing uphill from the Brute; half of the time, I can't predict where he'll throw me.

Seal of Insight is...situational at best. Seal swapping won't help you hardly at all. It's basically another HoT, and not a great one. It DOES make Reckoning a survival talent, however. Weak though it will be. Switching to it won't do you any favors. You are being overcautious. Only time it's worth it is periods of heavy, unavoidable raid damage. (Fel Firestorm on Mannoroth, for example isn't a great time, because you should be avoiding it, and a 1500 DPS loss helps no one. Divine Guardian and Hand of Sacrifice are, however, great there, especially on your healer if your healer is sham or pala.)

WoG is an amazing CD with GbtL. Use it when you're topped off and expecting a big hit--before Benedictus' orb-throw is a perfect time. Using it on others isn't bad, but it's not your best choice. Use Hand of Protection or Sacrifice instead--longer cooldowns, but they make more difference. Sacrifice does quite well if people are clumped up when he throws orbs, but only if you guess correctly. I make habits to run away from other people during that and to use Divine Guardian for the three-orb-throw.

Well, that particular run he broke the two middle platforms then my platform. I swam for the one in the far back, but he caught up and smooshed me before I was able to get there. I strafed and threw the totem at him when he did it on mine, and people were generally pretty good at tossing it back if it was on another platform.

Just one other thing to add, when he has the molten fists buff he will put a stacking dot on you. However this dot is dispellable (believe it's magic so everyone should be able to dispel it). If a healer is new or looks a little shaky it never hurts to remind them they can dispel the debuff. Save your cooldowns for when he starts hitting you with molten fists.

Also, have a plan for what to do if he pulverizes your platform. Know which platform you're gonna go to next and stand near the edge closest to it to minimize swimming in lava non-fun time.

Knowing what you will do in a situation before it happens is a good habit to get into in tanking. Expect the worst, hope for the best, and plan for everything young grasshopper :)

04/14/2012 04:07 PMPosted by Mistana

When the Spawn of the Old Gods come out on the "ramp" to Benedictus, I get thrown around a lot even if I try to put my back to a wall or keep them silenced. I haven't seen an ability with a cast time I can interrupt to prevent it. Any suggestions for them?

Okay for this gauntlet ill explain how i do it. First set Sraight forward tank it with your back to the wall behind the borer. There are some camera angle issues here but nothing too serious.

Okay now heres where it gets annoying, Mount up and run down to the next one, dont run on your feet, reasoning is because the mobs may spawn before you get there and then you have a mess. Now right next to the second group of adds there is this little ledge thingy protruding from the ground. Its the thing bordering the path. Place your back to that and you wont move much at all. Third group handle like the first group its the most annoying one however. You can place your back to the wall here as well.

Just a quick update, I've done it 3 more times since, and haven't had any trouble including with the swim. I tried strafing in to pick up the lava buff, but he came with me. Rotating him around while I swing in then back out seems to work better. Thanks for the pointers!

Twiister, I tried tanking with my back to that wall/ledge on the 2nd group, but they knocked me *over* it into the road and I had to run around it to pick them up again. *sigh* Haven't had that one since. Nobody died or even had trouble, just annoying not being able to run back after getting tossed, since the slope was too steep.

When you're tanking him on the far platform and he breaks one of the two preceding it, move away from the far platform onto the one that's not broken so you don't have to do the long swim when he smashes the far platform.

Twiister, I tried tanking with my back to that wall/ledge on the 2nd group, but they knocked me *over* it into the road and I had to run around it to pick them up again. *sigh* Haven't had that one since. Nobody died or even had trouble, just annoying not being able to run back after getting tossed, since the slope was too steep.

Yeah, Brutes are bad.

Well, that particular run he broke the two middle platforms then my platform.

Why was someone standing on the platform opposite the first smash platform? Asking for trouble.

Because then ranged and healer can't reach the melee/boss on the other platform--meaning EVERYONE will need to swim if he gets a third smash, and someone WILL die, because that is a ton of healing.