Newbie Tank - a couple of questions

[Schanez]

Hi there,

I decided to try my luck at tanking and after reading a little about diferent tanks, I went the Vanguard road. So right now I am learning the ropes of the class, like managing the Resource Poll, keeping track of High Impact Bolt castability, trying to remember all the ranges of diferent skills. As I am really low lvl, real tanking was not an issue so far. But once I hit 16 I was asked to tank in Hammer Station. And there my flaws became crystal clear.

 

I was strugling to keep aggro on some pulls. We had a Sentinel and Shadow as DPS and a Scoundrel as Healer. The DPS guys kept stealing the gold mobs from me, resulting in split healing and tension on our Smuggler. So I decided to read in deeper into all the passives, so many of them, available to me right now. I decided to tweak my rotations, adjust a couple of things. It made me realise I have a couple of things I don't fully grasp. So here they come:

 

1. I usually start with Storm, then do Stockstrike to proc Ion Cell, then Explosive Surge once the mobs gather and High Impact Bolt. Then I take a look around to see if I have all the important guys on me and try to hold them there. I will use the defence boosting skill if needed, to ease the preasure on healer.

 

It all sounds nice and clear, but the ammount of threat I generate is too low to keep the golds on me. I end up strugling to keep their aggro, leaving the weaker enemies to soon swarm either the DPS or Healer. I still lack AoE Taunt. I asked the players I queue with to take the weaker as a priority, but they don't always listen.

 

2. What's the stat priority for such low lvls? Just stacking on Comm Mods, Enhancements and Armorings is enought?

 

I have a biochemist so I have access to Prototype Field Tech Fortitude Stim, but that's the only Defence boosting I was capable to find so far. No Color Crystals or other item modifications I am capable of getting offers any defence stats so far. Stacking Endurance is the only way to go?

 

3. What about Cybertech Grenades?

 

They could help with controlling groups of enemies, but the 3 min cooldown makes them very situational. Also the choice is dificult. Root, Stun or a DoT. The last one would help creating aggro, but making it a long cooldown, a stun might be preferable.

[verfallen]

At low level, there aren't much big rotations to keep aggro.

 

1st thing tough is to judge wich are melee mobs and which are ranged. Melee will place themselves and come running to you. This will impact who you storm too, since choosing a ranged makes one less distant enemy to worry about. Thats a detail that makes your life better.

 

As for the rest, use mortar volley before jumping in to build some aoe threat then jump to a silver/gold ranged. Shockstrike/impact bolt it to keep him on you. If you have to many ranged mobs, throw your sticky grenade to one, or basic attack. Your goal is makin sure he doesnt run to healer before dps deal with it.

 

Now its a teamwork, and you cannot be expected to cover for dps who thinks "me want gold enemy now". Literally, let stupid fix itself with a beating. If a dps constantly ignore thrash and go for gold, let them grab aggro from it, and kill the trash in their stead to make sure they dont swarm your healer.

 

Throw in aoes every now and then, and focus single target to what is supposed to be targeted.

 

For gear, get the most end you can not much mitigation availaible till the 20s, cartel market crystal are nice at your level, and some colors are relatively cheap if its not your first toon or if you sold some CM on GTN.

 

If you want to get a redoubt or veracity earing at 15, its some defense there too.

 

TL:DR version

 

-concentrate on gold/silver, plan a bit your positionning so most of them are in melee range

-aoe to build initial threat a bit

-ignore weaks that are going to take too much energy to deal with, dps should dispatch them fast anyway.

-if dps decide to be stupid, tell them once what you expect of them, then let mobs beat sense into them if they are threatening healer's safety with their antics.

 

For bosses, use your taunt on cooldown to keep aggro, your opening is good.

[Schanez]

Yeah, in one Heroic I left the Golds to swap aggro when the DPS refused to cooperate. It was fun to watch them die again and again. Still it was sad to listen their acusations. But I think I will not pay attention anymore.

 

As for the rotation. Single target and some AoE? So I guess swapping one Ion Pulse for Explosive Surge should do it. Not that I follow rotations right now, not much to keep track of. I assume once I hit 20 and 26 I will want to add Pulse Cannon and Energy Blast when they proc.

 

As for gear, I am looking for some higher lvl Enhancements and Color Crystals to know what to look for. But from what I read, it's better to stack Defence, Absorption and Resistance rather then pure End, to up the mitigation instead of damage taken. Will have to look at in some closer.

[verfallen]

Tbh as you gain experience you'll start to have a certain awareness of if a mob has enough threat or not. Your aoes make sure you are above the healing threat. Key really is positionning eveything to make your job as easy as can be.