I'm trying to figure out the best way to use focus target, and target of target.

Seems like the best way to go is to make my team's healer (or other teammate) my focus target. That way I can always use my modifier to swap guard to that person.

Then, I try to pick the other team's best dps and make that person my target. That way, I can simply attack that player and still see who he's targeting, and if he switches, I target that teammate and swap guard to him.

Problems: I have to reacquire my original target, which doesn't seem like much but given the chaotic nature of warzones - I have a lot of trouble keeping up with what's happening sometimes - it could at least cost me some time.

Is that really the best way to do it, though? Unless there's a "focus target's target modifier" that i'm missing someplace, or a way to keybind switching your target and target-of-target, it's the best I can think of.

you probably don't need to focus target your healer since the ops frame is either only 4 or 8 players.

that would leave you free to focus a pesky opponent (although I think focus target goes away after death).

have you looked over all the targeting keybind options?

you can also bind "target next friend" and "target nearest friend" to scroll through your friendly targets on the ops frame. or if you're REALLY on top of things, f2-f5 are bound to specific members of your group (f1 is self). all of these are great for not having to click your ops frame. (if you mouse turn, then clicking anything is horrible, and I often lose track of the mouse cursor when I have to click)

so if you're interesting in relearning things a bit (it will slow you down the first week or two), learning to navigate your teammates with keybinds will ultimately speed-up your swaps and leaps

edit: I believe there is a pick up for target of target.

Honestly while I keybind every single ability I always clicked the ops frame.

I find stretching your fingers too far (Even if I have relatively large hands) wasted that half second which could be better spent figuring out where the melee dps is going next based on their positioning and range toward targets.

If dps are splitting between two targets the best option is to guard the highest priority one (usually healer) and AoE taunt, then if you know their best dps is attacking the target you aren't guarding. Interceding or otherwise mitigating the damage that target is taking.

Dont forget one of the most important functions of a tank is tying up enemy dps via stuns, roots or slows.

Mitigating damage is more than just your protection stat.

Ranged dps like marksman sniper can be predicted if you check their castbar for ambush. Most non skilled dps are very predictable and look for stat padding rather than legit scary dps.

Dps windows are every 9-15 seconds generally. Or more simply every 6 to 9 GCDs of yours.

At the end of the day I have always found dpsing easier than tanking so if you don't do super great all the time. Don't worry about it.

What, you can't keybind situational awareness?

Ha. We should put that in the suggestion box.

I've tried various ways of targeting friends and enemies - tabbing through them with a keybind often seems to miss the one I really want. Keybinding each ally is a good idea which I'm also going to try, although obviously in a 8v8 warzone that's probably too many.

Yeah, I know tanks are also supposed to crowd control, but i often feel like I'm doing that randomly. No help for it though, I think, until that situational awareness keybind is put into the game.

You can set acquire target of focus target in keybinds. It’s best utilized in 4v4 where you guard off of strongest enemy dd for example Mara or sniper which can help to be spot on with swaps. Not much use in regs.

There I find it better to click frames or use nearest friendly modifier as mentioned .

Alternatively set focus to own healer to prioritize guard on them for ease of identifying where healer is. Theoretically healer can die very fast in regs since can be focused by more ppl so it’s important to guard them as priority.

For ranked:

Never focus target your healer. It's a waist of your focus target. Focus target the strongest enemy dps. Then use focus target modifier to taunt him. If you can, catch his burst with your single target taunt. If you can't, single target taunt him off CD.

To guard your teammates use "acquire focus target's target" and "acquire target's target" to guard any swaps. If you can't do that then click on their frames. If you can't do that then tab target, but know that tab target doesn't work a lot. and you may have to tab target multiple times to target the player you want. But ya, properly guard swapping requires awareness for the most part.

or if you're REALLY on top of things, f2-f5 are bound to specific members of your group (f1 is self).

I usually don't keybind specific group members. How does it work? What exactly are you keybinding? I tried back in 2.0 to keybind "Target Group Member 1-4", but it didn't work. Targets 1/2/3/4 don't always correspond with the targets in the frame. Can you switch players in your frame?

I usually don't keybind specific group members. How does it work? What exactly are you keybinding? I tried back in 2.0 to keybind "Target Group Member 1-4", but it didn't work. Targets 1/2/3/4 don't always correspond with the targets in the frame. Can you switch players in your frame?

those are actually the default binds (at least I think they are. I didn't set them.) what's funny about it is that you can only have 4 members in a group, but f1 is reserved for self target.

anyway, for tanks (and dps), modifier keys definitely better. healer, I think, needs to actually dance around the frames more.

edit: no. the grp position assignments are static. I've never used it in an op, but it does work in grp. would assume it works in arenas too. kinda pointless in an 8m as you'd have to extend across the kb and it only goes up to 4 binds anyway.

those are actually the default binds (at least I think they are. I didn't set them.) what's funny about it is that you can only have 4 members in a group, but f1 is reserved for self target.

 

anyway, for tanks (and dps), modifier keys definitely better. healer, I think, needs to actually dance around the frames more.

 

edit: no. the grp position assignments are static. I've never used it in an op, but it does work in grp. would assume it works in arenas too. kinda pointless in an 8m as you'd have to extend across the kb and it only goes up to 4 binds anyway.

No I changed the keybinds. But when I use my keybind for the Player 2 keybind sometimes it targets the 4th person in the frame. Is there a way to fix it?

not sure. it's not random each time, but yeah...not sure why it's not top down.

Are you saying you want RNG for that too?

Are you saying you want RNG for that too?

wut? I'm not sure why there's no discernible logic to which grp member is assigned f2, f3, f4, f5, but it's always the same person once the grp is formed. like, if I hit f5, the pickup is always the same grp member. the randomness is ordering the grp and its relationship to the bind.

edit: it's all fairly useless to me anyway. I hold the mouse in my left hand and play with the right on a logitech g13. I could make modifiers for the F-keys, but as has already been mentioned, it's only good for one grp (so arenas), and if you can't see exactly what's going on in 4's, I don't think the binds are going to help (tabbing would be just as quick, imo)