Jedi Guardian Aggro

[Zerduz]

I'm only level 17 right now and I've tanked for a few 4 people quests and the Hammer Station Flashpoint. Aggro seems pretty bad, especially in AoE. I can barely keep aggro on 2 mobs. I'm using Force Sweep whenever it's off CD.

 

Single target is pretty good, although I do have to taunt sometimes for that too.

 

Does aggro always stay this bad? Will it get better as I put more points into the damage trees? Are there more AoE abilities with short CD's that I will get later on? Because tanking like this is not really tanking, it's pretty much mobs divided between every group member.

 

I read somewhere that even at 50, Jedi Guardian aggro is no better than it is now. I really hope that's not true, or they fix it fast.

[CecilTellyn]

It's not great, but you DO get an AOE taunt that is pretty useful. That combined with judicious use of single target taunt and AOE attacks keeping aggro can be mitigated.

 

It's definitely not EASY though, that's for sure.

[LeeTone]

Yep, it's hard for JGs to keep aggro in AOE situations even with force sweep and challenging call.

 

I play with my friend (JG) and I'm a healer sage. I'm always b*tching about how he can't hold aggro half the time when we face a group.

[Silentcricket]

Also try using Master Strike and Blades storm off the bat. Helps to get and keep aggro if your bursting your main DPS early.(works for pvp also)

[Ny-Don]

It gets better as you get higher level. With the right talents force sweep becomes much more efficient and effective. That, combined with frequent use of cyclone sweep (when you get it) are your primary tools for holding group aggro. In a perfect world you'd never need to use your taunts. The reality is that holding aggro against a mixed group of ranged and melee opponents is a lot of work, especially before you have all your tools.

 

To be honest I didn't really start to feel comfortable as a tank until the mid thirties.

[Zerduz]

Thanks for the help. I guess practice makes perfect! Well, as close to perfect as it can get for JG's.

[DrShikima]

It's not great, but you DO get an AOE taunt that is pretty useful. That combined with judicious use of single target taunt and AOE attacks keeping aggro can be mitigated.

 

It's definitely not EASY though, that's for sure.

 

The AOE Taunt is garbage. You get 6 seconds to wrack up the DPS to initiate aggro from DPS and healing... and you have to do it at an approximate rate of 1.3x damage.

Plus the AOE damage is junk too barely putting any notice on them.

 

No, the Guardian spec is broken and needs serious repair.

 

I could go on about the poor soaking up of damage, but that would be going off topic.

[VoidJustice]

Are you losing aggro on your main target or on adds?

 

I always leveled DPS spec, that I think helped quite a bit on main target aggro.

Heals are very powerfull in SWTOR, and at low level it's far easier to simply keep

aggro with competitive damage. Going all super tank at low levels, may not be so effective. I suggest the Vigilance tree.

 

If your having issues with multiple targets, you need to spread the love. Weaks, strongs and elites die pretty fast. I've found it's best to hit the champion or boss with your hardest hitting skill, then start killing adds and save your taunt if you lose agg on the boss. If you do lose agg on the boss gett it back with a rotation and then go back to killing adds.

 

At some point you get two skills that basically auto kill a weak or normal. I remember their bindings but forget their name. One you do after sweep when the weak/normal is stunned the other you throw up a force snare and then back hand them. These two PVE skills are really important in larger groups of trash.

 

In the end if a party memeber keeps pulling off you... the best solution is ask them to quit it nicely, try it nicely again, if they refuse start letting them die. lol

 

 

Also... guardian isn't broken, many of us sailed through this stuff with no issues.

Edited February 29, 2012 by VoidJustice

[Kingbison]

Im also a pretty new player, with a LvL 26 JG. I also feel like its hard to hold aggro but i must agree with the other posts. It has to be that we don't have all our tools until the mid thirties. One thing That I do to try and do good aggro control is communicate as much as possible with my group on what is being pulled. I always focus on the biggest thing unless the battle plan calls for me to target the next biggest MOB. Another thing I do is use my single taunt with tab. ILl have something in front of me, Ill just hit tab, cast my taunt, then tab until Im back at my mob. it doesn't always work but is a good alternative until you get you AOE taunt.

[Crionos]

As a Main Tank for 50 Operations in my guild I've ran hard mode FP's and Normal Ops. Large group pulls are almost impossible to hold aggro at this point. The best you can hope for is that your DPS can burst down the group quickly using massive AoE's after doing your AoE Taunt.

 

I do a lot of target switching, using big hitting abilities and even, yes I said it, HiltStrike. I do whatever I can. I throw my saber on one target, leap another, stasis another, AoE taunt, etc... you get the point you can't focus one mob and gather them up.

 

I have very rarely held the whole group aggro, but providing that my group mate that pulled aggro isn't a gunslinger behind cover I will guardian leap and then re-taunt they usually become mine again.

 

Guardian tanking in this game is a chore for sure, but it is rewarding and I absolutely love being the meat shield. This is my first MMO where I've played a Tank and it is an absolute blast. Playing DPS seems so boring now afterwards!