Why does every single mob need to have a Stun or knockback? WHY?! What possible logic can there be to give nearly every single mob in this game a means of stopping you from getting aggro?

 

Bosses I can totally understand. But trash?! ALL THE TRASH?! Anything with a silver star or stronger has some means of messing with me before i even jump in. I get knocked back AS I'M JUMPING IN.

 

I did Kaon for the 1st time the other day. I'm fairly well geared and haven't had any trouble tanking so far. I hate it - but i can do it. However the packs of mobs in Kaon were insufferable. So I marked the Mercs and we made them top priority, but once i ran in i'd either be grappled or the Shriekers would knock me back for miles. They do it as soon as you engage as well so I need to wait before AoE taunting or Smashing because if I don't - I use it where I land - not on the mobs. So the first 10 seconds of EVERY SINGLE FIGHT is basically me running around picking up mobs that are all running around like kids in a play park, and even if we group up to let me do it easier - a shrieker scatters us. NOT ONLY THAT!! But the elites in the groups have an aggro reset so it doesn't even matter if I have threat because they just randomly wander around.

 

So we are grappled, knocked back, or have no aggro hold on them in anyway. And thats EVERY SINGLE PACK.

 

So then I get to the Behemoth and begin kiting him. Does he follow? No. He knocks me back making it stupidly hard to keep any aggro on him and even when I hit him with everything i have and he jumps to someone else and begins hitting them.

 

So should I save my taunt for when he knocks me back or when he jumps to someone else? My jump in certainly doesn't do any where near enough damage to keep aggro off a Full Columi geared ranged DPS.

 

I agree that things should be challanging but this is one of the most frustrating games I've ever played when it comes to tanking. It's just horrible. Having every damn mob knocking you back or stunning you is not fun. I pay monthly to have fun. This isn't anywhere NEAR fun. So should I just re-roll completely?! It's not that good a game that I want to level a BH tank just to get round your poor design.

 

Honestly..... why?

Edited February 12, 2012 by Sturyko

Erm... while in general it does annoy me how everything throws me all over the place, you're exaggerating.

 

Mercs/shriekers - use cc on shriekers, cc mercs or leave 1 at a time and interrupt him whenever its off timer etc. Can't just rush in, the thrash in there actually requires some tactics, which is a good thing imo.

 

Behemoth - if you're too close to him he kicks you and switches targets, if you're too far from him he jumps to you. Find an 'ideal' distance for kiting, taunt him after he switches aggro if he throws you away (errors happen), rinse repeat.

 

BH tanks do seem to have advantage but its hardly the end of the world from what i saw.

I actually agree. I dont mind being the underdog jugg tank. Its hectic but I can get the job done. Whats terrible is that upon leaping in you are knockback, stunned, thrown to the ground etc. Its not just kaon but that is an extreme example. There are many zones where many of the mobs all do the same knockback, stun, thrown to ground... and it is many times in a row. Stun ... cc break... knockback... stun...healer cc breaks... stun. Happens all the time and makes initial aggro a complete pain in the ***.

I haven't done Kaon since it came in I'm told the merc's stun isn't permanent until interupted anymore, shriekers are either killed first or cc'd, keep your back to something or at the very least facing the way you came. People seem to forget this isn't WoW where you just just run in to a pack of mobs and faceroll everything. As far as the behemoth goes I just drag him up to the fountain and put my back to it (BH Shield Tech) I taunt him back to me when he switches targets took a long *** time to kill him but at least I wasn't be tossed all over the place.

 

Again I haven't run it since it was brought in so not sure if its been changed much but that was all I did when I first ran it.

 

Oh and that age old tactic of let the tank hit it a couple of times first before the dps goes balls to the wall is still a goodie.

Edited February 12, 2012 by Denizon

I haven't done Kaon since it came in I'm told the merc's stun isn't permanent until interupted anymore, shriekers are either killed first or cc'd, keep your back to something or at the very least facing the way you came. People seem to forget this isn't WoW where you just just run in to a pack of mobs and faceroll everything. As far as the behemoth goes I just drag him up to the fountain and put my back to it (BH Shield Tech) I taunt him back to me when he switches targets took a long *** time to kill him but at least I wasn't be tossed all over the place.

 

Again I haven't run it since it was brought in so not sure if its been changed much but that was all I did when I first ran it.

 

Oh and that age old tactic of let the tank hit it a couple of times first before the dps goes balls to the wall is still a goodie.

 

Merc stun isnt permanent but it last waaaay too long if not interrupted, i dont know if its like a minute or 2 or such.

Its not that tanking isnt horrible right now its just broken atm. U can reference wow tanking to in cata they made tanking such a joke u can faceroll a aoe move and ud have aggro, talking about having no fun buddy theirs nothing fun about that. Atleast the tanking in this game takes some mad coordination or good cc's which ur suppose to do. U just gotta stop whining and let them fix it, the more u whine the more itll end up were we just run in spank the things then go for a coffee break like wow.......

Why does every single mob need to have a Stun or knockback? WHY?! What possible logic can there be to give nearly every single mob in this game a means of stopping you from getting aggro?

 

Bosses I can totally understand. But trash?! ALL THE TRASH?! Anything with a silver star or stronger has some means of messing with me before i even jump in. I get knocked back AS I'M JUMPING IN.

 

I did Kaon for the 1st time the other day. I'm fairly well geared and haven't had any trouble tanking so far. I hate it - but i can do it. However the packs of mobs in Kaon were insufferable. So I marked the Mercs and we made them top priority, but once i ran in i'd either be grappled or the Shriekers would knock me back for miles. They do it as soon as you engage as well so I need to wait before AoE taunting or Smashing because if I don't - I use it where I land - not on the mobs. So the first 10 seconds of EVERY SINGLE FIGHT is basically me running around picking up mobs that are all running around like kids in a play park, and even if we group up to let me do it easier - a shrieker scatters us. NOT ONLY THAT!! But the elites in the groups have an aggro reset so it doesn't even matter if I have threat because they just randomly wander around.

 

So we are grappled, knocked back, or have no aggro hold on them in anyway. And thats EVERY SINGLE PACK.

 

So then I get to the Behemoth and begin kiting him. Does he follow? No. He knocks me back making it stupidly hard to keep any aggro on him and even when I hit him with everything i have and he jumps to someone else and begins hitting them.

 

So should I save my taunt for when he knocks me back or when he jumps to someone else? My jump in certainly doesn't do any where near enough damage to keep aggro off a Full Columi geared ranged DPS.

 

I agree that things should be challanging but this is one of the most frustrating games I've ever played when it comes to tanking. It's just horrible. Having every damn mob knocking you back or stunning you is not fun. I pay monthly to have fun. This isn't anywhere NEAR fun. So should I just re-roll completely?! It's not that good a game that I want to level a BH tank just to get round your poor design.

 

Honestly..... why?

TL;DR but

I don't get what you're talking about at all...I play a Jugg MT, with a Sin OT and we do gloriously fine. I get stunned maybe every other trash mob, but it's no big deal really it's just trash. If you die to trash either you suck or your healer sucks.

 

As for Kaon, CC and Stun before jumping in.

Edited February 12, 2012 by DarthChagras

This issue of crippled melee tanks is further exacerbated when you run the same flashpoint with a vanguard tank. Seriously, vanguards make certain boss fights absolutely trivial. The second boss of Maelstrom Prison is a good example here. He has a move where he applies a DoT on anyone in melee, this dot hits pretty hard so it has to be cleansed. Now, with a team of a melee tank and a melee dps this actually means that I have to both heal the tank from high damage and also cleanse and heal anyone else that might get the hard-hitting DoT. But a vanguard can just stand 5 metres away from the boss and pew pew without fear of getting the DoT.

 

Another example? Krel Thak in Battle of Ilum, a major pain for melee tanks because if you're not careful, you will pwn yourself against his shield and probe combo. Vanguards? Again, stand at range and pew pew.

 

I play a healer, with competent guildies. But while our vanguard tank makes all fights a major faceroll, when I run with our guardian tank I sometimes want to tear my hair out.

This entire game is melee unfriendly, regardless of whether you're tank or DPS. It's a bad game design, straight up. The Devs clearly have a woody for ranged classes. Every boss has either PBAOE knock back, stun, dmg, or both. The first mini-boss in Esseles is the same way. He has a point blank range knockdown that only works on melee tanks. When the adds spawn you're too busy lying on the floor to do anything about them. A Vanguard can simply stand out of range since the boss himself is a ranged and blast away. The Devs were incredibly short sighted and stupid by making virtually every encounter the exact same. Melee unfriendly, ranged easy, enrage at 2 min/25% health, tank and spank. There isn't a fight in this game that's original. Edited February 12, 2012 by KiranK

Yeah I totally agree with what everyone is saying. I don't want to face roll, and the Kaon was just an example. My issue is that it's in every FP and in all honesty, most times it doesn't need to be. Being knocked back by trash isn't really a great way of creating challange. Its just annoying. On bosses it's fair enough. But Black Talon trash?

 

I'm defo thinking that Ranged tank is the way to go. Its a shame because I like how Melee works. Being pinballed around is just really frustrating

The knockbacks that also snare are the worst.

The knockbacks that also snare are the worst.

 

This game has way too many knockbacks and not nearly enough ways to counter them. There really needs to be more knockback immunities or resistances for melees. We should either be able to ignore some entirely or at least be able to reduce the distance we get knocked back.

Do these issues prevent you from completing a pull 100% of time? 90%? hell, 40% even? If not this doesn't seem like a problem and seems more like an annoyance. I'd lke to call it as a L2P issue, but I don't play as a mele tank so I won't. Edited February 12, 2012 by FleshMauler

I'm defo thinking that Ranged tank is the way to go. Its a shame because I like how Melee works. Being pinballed around is just really frustrating

 

You're crazy if you think powertechs are a "ranged tank". We have to deal with all the crap the OP was complaining about, since our most important moves are melee attacks, and even our "ranged" attacks are only 10 meters which is like one step outside melee range

This game has way too many knockbacks and not nearly enough ways to counter them. There really needs to be more knockback immunities or resistances for melees. We should either be able to ignore some entirely or at least be able to reduce the distance we get knocked back.

 

Odly there is a talent for this. Its the third tier up in the jugg dps tree. Not that I would give up all those immortal points for it. Sad that the dps gets a 4 sec immunity on charge but not a tank.

Odly there is a talent for this. Its the third tier up in the jugg dps tree. Not that I would give up all those immortal points for it. Sad that the dps gets a 4 sec immunity on charge but not a tank.

 

Unstoppable really should be in the Immortal tree, I agree. I also, am a Vengenace DPS. I'd give it up for my tank brothers to get some love. Maybe they can trade it in for 15% damage on my bleeds

Unstoppable really should be in the Immortal tree, I agree. I also, am a Vengenace DPS. I'd give it up for my tank brothers to get some love. Maybe they can trade it in for 15% damage on my bleeds

 

That would only make sense lol... I would even be happy if they put it in the second tier of the dps tree, instead of the 3rd

You know.... this 1 thing would make my feel so much happier lol. Crazy how we think it and they don't :S

Do these issues prevent you from completing a pull 100% of time? 90%? hell, 40% even? If not this doesn't seem like a problem and seems more like an annoyance. I'd lke to call it as a L2P issue, but I don't play as a mele tank so I won't.

 

No they do not. I am a melee tank and have never ever died to trash in Kaon.

No they do not. I am a melee tank and have never ever died to trash in Kaon.

 

this.

 

pull. break LOS. CC the annoying mobs on the way. burn down the rest.

If you're a SW you should try out this build ...

 

25/16/0

 

Playing since weeks with it and it's working perfectly, I don't even miss the Crushing Blow instead I am enjoying the Unstoppable talent and my healers like it too because of the shield I get upfront for several seconds. That's almost allways the time where you get the most dmg, so it also prevents getting aggro to fast for healers from scattered adds.

 

Regarding the free smash and the updated scream, you can leave it out if you lack some equip and go for the extra 4% dmg reduction of Dark Blood.

 

The problem with Kaon ... well, there you have no other choice but to cc the most annoying stuff, if not it might be not an easy job to keep them sticky.

Oh good god the knock-backs.

 

Karagga's palace, the guards before Bonethrasher.

 

(I realize that trash doesn't really need to be tanked until Foreman's room.)

No they do not. I am a melee tank and have never ever died to trash in Kaon.

 

I think some people are missing the point of this post. I never said it stops me from being able to play. In fact I completed Kaon np. The point was that it's annoying as hell and unecessarily so.

 

I'm trying out the one mentioned where I drop crushing blow. Looks like it would work well ^^

Learn to CC fixes most issues. Jumping in and hoping the heals/dps can keep up isn't the way to do it Edited February 14, 2012 by BMBender

To the OP

 

I agree with you 100%. The knock-backs in this game are ridiculous, like you say its not game-breaking, just annoying as hell. I honestly don't understand the need for every group of enemies to all have multiple knock-backs.

 

I actually had to spec out of 31 pt shield spec on my jedi guardian so I could acquire the unremitting talent which gives 4 seconds of knock-back immunity after I force-leap.

 

I expect to constantly be knocked back now, its a pain in the *** and annoying as hell.