Hello,

 

Is there a certain mechanic or debuff that you get in hard mode flashpoints that make companion tanks take extra damage?

 

I'm a healer and I use Qyzen Fess (in tank stance) whenever I solo and do dailies in such.

 

I can now solo the [Heroic 4+] daily Quest on Correlia with me and this companion by using CC effectively and playing smart...The problem is this: Since I am able to solo the heroic 4 quest, I got curious about how he would tank in a hard mode flashpoint.

 

He literally gets ripped to shreads within 5 or 6 seconds, even if 2 or 3 mobs in the group are Crowd Controlled (therefore having 2 mobs hitting him). This is significantly faster than in the [Heroic 4+] Quest on Correlia. On Corellia, I have time to switch off of Qyzen, do some damage, and do other things. In the hardmodes that I tested him in (both Esseles and Kaon), even if I am spamming every heal I've got, I can't even keep him alive.

 

If there is a mechanic in place to weaken companion tanks, I am extremely disappointed... I've used DPS companions in flashpoints just fine, but I can't believe how crippled my Qyzen is in these instances.

Edited May 18, 2012 by Shlamorel

try easier hardmodes, those are 2 of the toughest

If you're soloing the BH 4+ with Qyzen, I'd say that the problem certainly isn't your ability to play, or the way you've got Qyzen geared.

 

But i dont' think there is a mechanic in place. I've brought out Qyzen to finish off Kaon & T5 in HM because a player tank had to log. I didn't notice that it was particularly harder to heal Qyzen than it was to heal a player. So this is kind of a puzzle.

 

But what could be the problem is that Qyzen's DPS output is horrible compaired to a player tank, and that adds up to a longer fight, with more healing needed overall. And there is the loss of player tank's abilities that mitigate damage to themselves or others.

 

Also, Qyzen's sheild doesn't seem to work the way player's sheilds do. For me it seems to automatically engage once, at the precise moment he cries for healing at about %30 health. It doesn't seem to be influenced by chance in any way shape or form. And it never seems to engage while he is healthy.

Supposedly during beta healer classes were very OP when using their tank pet (which then had the same mechanics of a player/toon).. Resulting in the pets being nerfed right before release..

 

Again, I have no sources to link however I experience the same issue with my tank pet that is mostly Rakata.

Companions do not move out of fire, and H4 mobs/bosses are more in line with regular mode FPs than HMs.

Supposedly during beta healer classes were very OP when using their tank pet (which then had the same mechanics of a player/toon).. Resulting in the pets being nerfed right before release..

 

Again, I have no sources to link however I experience the same issue with my tank pet that is mostly Rakata.

 

Pets were not nerfed prior to release. Before Beta was opened up to just about everyone and their brother there were equipment nerfs made as well as an increase in NPC difficulty across the board

HM FP mobs do more damage than the enemies in the heroic 4 in BH. And it's not close. I can off-tank that heroic 4 as a squishy DPS, with no real risk of death unless two Golds aggro me at the same time (even then, I'm not up ****s creek). If three ranged normals in Directive 7 all aggro on me at the same time, I'm in serious trouble health-wise. If two Golds were on me at the same time, no healer's getting me through that..

I have tried hard modes with companion tanks, it is doable but the lack or armor buff on companions make them far inferior to player tanks as it should be, however you can compensate for this by giving them heavy absorption and shield ratings. Absorption prevents them from spiking too much. If you use player heals and a companion healer, the hard modes are pretty much possible.

 

Kaon HM Companion tank

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ1YPN3QHt4

 

Bioware please give us better tank stances for companions. Thanks!

Edited May 28, 2012 by Cytherion

Pets were not nerfed prior to release. Before Beta was opened up to just about everyone and their brother there were equipment nerfs made as well as an increase in NPC difficulty across the board

 

Yes, they were. Tanking companions were (among many other things) given a nerf in the latter stages of the beta.

 

Not the beta weekends, but the actual beta. Prior to the nerf, they were quite a bit better at tanking. So much so that, especially during leveling, they rivaled (and beat) most player tanks. Which lead to their 'nerf.' There was an outcry on the forums about how player tanks were not needed because of the tank companions and that, because of this, there would be a shortage of tanks in the game.

Yes, they were. Tanking companions were (among many other things) given a nerf in the latter stages of the beta.

 

Not the beta weekends, but the actual beta. Prior to the nerf, they were quite a bit better at tanking. So much so that, especially during leveling, they rivaled (and beat) most player tanks. Which lead to their 'nerf.' There was an outcry on the forums about how player tanks were not needed because of the tank companions and that, because of this, there would be a shortage of tanks in the game.

 

While I agree with the companion tank nerf, I think the nerf could have been a bit much.

Player tanks will always be better than companion tanks due to the fact that they can make judgement calls and companions cannot. Companion tanks are only useful in tank and spank fights and not ones that involve heavy mechanics such as breaking out stuns or repeated interrupts.

 

Nevertheless I think companion tanks stance should give them atleast 10% more armor gain if not more so its worth using them. You are probably better off healing a heavy or medium armor player dps over a companion tank and use a companion dps instead for better results.

 

For now using companion tank in an easy hard mode is more of a bragging right but they arent really worth using in a hard mode.

Edited May 28, 2012 by Cytherion

Companion Tanks in Hard mode is ,,, well hard. They can't be buffed with adrenals, stims, or relics to reduce damge taken, They have no access to relics for stats or clickables.

They also don't know when to move, so you need to passive them to get them out of FIRE.

Presence does not help their tank ability, it doesn't effect, endurance, shield defense or any tankable stats. It only adds to primary stat so they can do more damage.

It's easier to replace a player DPS with the DPS companions then it is to replace a Player tank with a companion tank. You only need to passive them to get them out of fire.

I have tried hard modes with companion tanks, it is doable but the lack or armor buff on companions make them far inferior to player tanks as it should be, however you can compensate for this by giving them heavy absorption and shield ratings. Absorption prevents them from spiking too much. If you use player heals and a companion healer, the hard modes are pretty much possible.

 

Kaon HM Companion tank

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ1YPN3QHt4

 

Bioware please give us better tank stances for companions. Thanks!

 

Thanks for this information - it was very helpful

Its more a AI issue.

 

My companion can tank everything, but does never move out of fire, activate the cooldowns when big hits come etc. Ok we can now argue that a lot of real tanks also dont do these things right but Ill leave that

 

Still are the dungeons a bit harder than the 4men hc quest´s.

Its more a AI issue.

 

My companion can tank everything, but does never move out of fire, activate the cooldowns when big hits come etc. Ok we can now argue that a lot of real tanks also dont do these things right but Ill leave that

 

Still are the dungeons a bit harder than the 4men hc quest´s.

 

Yes, hardmode flashpoint mobs hit harder than heroic 4 quests. Most heroic 4 quests do not even require a healer with 4-players.