Threat Generation

[bsweitzer]

Su'cuy Ner Vod,

 

I am a new PT tank and i want to be useful to the groups that I join. One of the questions I have is what are the most effective threat generators. I am only lvl 25 at the moment. I was so excited to get flame sweep but after reading many many threads flame sweep is not a good way to keep threat up. I am finding some problems holding aggro especially on FP boss' not sure but I believe it is most likely me being under geared.

 

Right now I am working a rotation of grapple, rocket punch, flame burst, rail shot, rapid shot (to help heat reduce while still maintaining some sort of damage). Neural Dart as needed to keep the elite or boss focused on me. Then its mainly repeat until over. With shield and vent heat when needed of course. Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

Thanks again. I love this class.

[Gelgaroth]

One good way to keep threat up, is to first, get the dot proc in the tank tree for your ion gas cylinder. It applies a dot, that also generates a high amount of threat. And use high damaging attacks as well (like opening with death from above, and then going in with flamethrower and unload and such). And make sure you have your ion gas cylinder always on.

[bsweitzer]

Yea Once I got IGC it never comes off.

[quirez]

One good way to keep threat up, is to first, get the dot proc in the tank tree for your ion gas cylinder. It applies a dot, that also generates a high amount of threat. And use high damaging attacks as well (like opening with death from above, and then going in with flamethrower and unload and such). And make sure you have your ion gas cylinder always on.

 

there is not a single reason in any aspect of the game for shieldtech to even buy unload, not to mention using it. normal attack is far better - its dmg is almost the same, doesnt bind you in place, lets u reduce heat and has a high chance to apply dot.

hell even the animation of unload sucks.

Edited June 25, 2013 by quirez

[Marb]

You can picture your opener as a "rotation" but from then on its going to be a priority based system as abilities come off cooldown and procs fire off. One thing to keep in mind is that grapple doesn't generate enough threat to make it worth using for that sole purpose, so keep that ability for setting up aoe opportunities for death from above and flame sweep.

 

Jet Charge > Rocket Punch. This is your melee closing combo, always. After that its a priority system:

 

1. Heat Blast

2. Rocket Punch

3. Railshot

4. Flame burst (refresh combust debuff)

5. Flamethrower (flame engine proc)

6. Flamethrower (no flame engine proc)

 

Fill in ability downtime and manage your heat with rapid shots. Try to avoid the temptation of using flame burst beyond refreshing the debuff, unless you're gunning for more threat on your opener. Rapid shots will keep your heat down, and make heat blast come off cooldown sooner.

 

I don't mention death from above or flame sweep as you will have to judge when to use them depending on the situation. If you're aoe tanking, you will want to consume your flame surge stacks asap to grab the initial attention of any stray mobs off the healer. You can also use your flame surge stacks to manage your heat, as they offer heat free flame sweeps.

 

Use of death from above will be opportunistic, so if you can get a good number of enemies inside its radius, use it.

Death from above is also excellent on a single target, so if you can manage to get a boss inside its targeting circle, use it (a hot key and fast mouse cursor positioning will be needed to fire it off quickly without wasting a global cooldown). And explosive fuel with death from above is you're most potent aoe opener.

Edited June 25, 2013 by Marb

[bsweitzer]

Thank you. That is awesome information. I do not use unload. I like rapid shots helps me stay mobile.

[ellenbec]

Neural Dart isn't just to "keep the boss/elite" on you. It is actually your highest threat generating ability that you can use. It adds 10% of your total threat (if within the mob's hit box, 30% if you are outside of it), and unlike in other games, that thread does not decay at all. It remains and can be built upon.

 

Particularly leveling up, Neural Dart and Sonic Dart will be a big help to you as you progress as a tank.

[bsweitzer]

Neural Dart isn't just to "keep the boss/elite" on you. It is actually your highest threat generating ability that you can use. It adds 10% of your total threat (if within the mob's hit box, 30% if you are outside of it), and unlike in other games, that thread does not decay at all. It remains and can be built upon.

 

Particularly leveling up, Neural Dart and Sonic Dart will be a big help to you as you progress as a tank.

 

I use Neural dart as a way to keep a boss/or anyone really from hitting the healer. When running Mando Raiders the beast master likes to carbon freeze me and he instantly goes after the healer. A quick neural dart and he is right back on me. I was practicing on Nar Shadda with just Mako and I could not steal threat off of her without neural dart. I was doing everything I could. It seems that I could not produce enough threat.

 

I will continue to work on it. I like this class and I am a huge Mando fan. Thanks to everyone with their comments and suggestions.

[Marb]

The scenario you mention is an actual threat drop mechanic. Many fights have these that require a taunt be used to regain agro, these specific instances are not you failing to generate enough agro.

 

But what ellenbec is saying is that taunt by itself does increase your threat so long as you have done damage to the target. Its actually the biggest threat move you have in your arsenal, so inserting it into your opener after a couple of GCD's is the best way to use it for generating threat. Taunts will also force the mob to attack you for a limited time, but this is separate from the threat generation effect it has.

[bsweitzer]

The scenario you mention is an actual threat drop mechanic. Many fights have these that require a taunt be used to regain agro, these specific instances are not you failing to generate enough agro.

 

But what ellenbec is saying is that taunt by itself does increase your threat so long as you have done damage to the target. Its actually the biggest threat move you have in your arsenal, so inserting it into your opener after a couple of GCD's is the best way to use it for generating threat. Taunts will also force the mob to attack you for a limited time, but this is separate from the threat generation effect it has.

 

 

 

Ok that makes alot of sense to me now. I was really thinking that I was going to have to give up tanking. Thank you so much for the info.