Hey everyone. I'm a Shadow tank in full columi with some black hole pieces (2000 endurance, 41% shield, 54% absorb), so I'm definitely well geared enough for doing HM flashpoints.

Thing is, today I had a lot of trouble tanking the Esseles. We wiped 3 times on Ironfist (the Mandalorian boss) and twice on Vokk (the final boss), and I'm really confused as to what happened. My group was pinning the blame on me for dying and I was losing a lot of health quickly, and I really don't know why.

Can anyone offer some insight as to what may have happened? Is it my fault that we struggled on such an easy flashpoint?

(I'm not new to tanking. I've tanked many HMs and done KP and EV so I know what I'm doing)

On Ironfist you need to interrupt headshot. Its a HUGE amount of damage. Vokk you need to stay out of the circles. Get in the habit of keeping everything facing away from the group as well.

Honestly, I'm a little surprised you have that much gear and you don't know those 2 basics. Interrupt whatever you can, keep the boss facing away from the group and don't stand in the circles. Learn it. Love it. Live it.

Forgot to mention that I did interrupt headshot. Funnily enough, the first 3 wipes on Ironfirst the DPS was initiating the fight and my group wouldn't kite him up to the bridge.

As for Vokk, I constantly move him around. The only thing I can think is that, due to the 2 DPS being melee I was very close to the purple circles.

I'm still thinking that it was a healing problem but I can swear that I was taking more damage than I normally would.

The Sage healer had a mixture of Force-Master and Force-Mystic columi gear. I'm pretty sure they were heals specced, but maybe they were just a bit slow to react...?

Anyway, on reflection I've decided I had a very poor group. The Vanguard DPS wasn't even in melee range and would burn through all his ammo straight away and the Guardian DPS was an idiot.

Hey everyone. I'm a Shadow tank in full columi with some black hole pieces (2000 endurance, 41% shield, 54% absorb), so I'm definitely well geared enough for doing HM flashpoints.

 

Thing is, today I had a lot of trouble tanking the Esseles. We wiped 3 times on Ironfist (the Mandalorian boss) and twice on Vokk (the final boss), and I'm really confused as to what happened. My group was pinning the blame on me for dying and I was losing a lot of health quickly, and I really don't know why.

 

Can anyone offer some insight as to what may have happened? Is it my fault that we struggled on such an easy flashpoint?

 

(I'm not new to tanking. I've tanked many HMs and done KP and EV so I know what I'm doing)

his missile barrage thingie can be countered by http://www.torhead.com/ability/dEsVsc4/resilience and head shot can be heal thru if interrupt is down or wont work.

Hey everyone. I'm a Shadow tank in full columi with some black hole pieces (2000 endurance, 41% shield, 54% absorb), so I'm definitely well geared enough for doing HM flashpoints.

 

Thing is, today I had a lot of trouble tanking the Esseles. We wiped 3 times on Ironfist (the Mandalorian boss) and twice on Vokk (the final boss), and I'm really confused as to what happened. My group was pinning the blame on me for dying and I was losing a lot of health quickly, and I really don't know why.

 

Can anyone offer some insight as to what may have happened? Is it my fault that we struggled on such an easy flashpoint?

 

(I'm not new to tanking. I've tanked many HMs and done KP and EV so I know what I'm doing)

My Shadow Tank had no trouble with Tanking the Esseles Flashpoint, in fact I was the only Tank in my group when I did it. I dont think it had anything to do with you at all, it could have been that you didnt have a good team backing you up. As the Tank the healers primary focus should be on keeping your health up and not everyone else's. To me it sounds like you group just didnt work very well as a team. (by the way all of my characters except 1 are tanks so I am very familiar with how tanking in this game works) Also make shure your stats in Endurance and Willpower are maxed out without these the Shadow dies fairly quickly (same if you go Assassin for Sith Inquisitor the Tank spec for the classes plays very similar to each other). Granted its been a longtime since i played Esseles but as I stated earlier my Shadow Tank had virtually no trouble with the boss beat him on the first try in fact and the interrupts worked fine. Also any skill that knocks an opponent back can also cause an interrupt so if your interrupt skill is cooling down use Force Wave if available (if it isnt have the healer focus on healing only you until one or both skills can be used again).

Also any skill that knocks an opponent back can also cause an interrupt so if your interrupt skill is cooling down use Force Wave if available (if it isnt have the healer focus on healing only you until one or both skills can be used again).

That only works if the target is vulnerable to knockback. KBs and Pulls (generally referred to as "movement-impairing" or "physics" effects in the game) don't have a natural interrupt capability; the interrupt is incidentally attached to the fact that you're moving the target. Since movement of any kind ends a cast (whether it's accidental, on purpose, or forced upon you), when you get moved, the cast ends. It is no more of an interrupt than the target moving to a new location would be.

In the same week I tanked Lost Island HM and KP so I think I'll put it down to my group and close the book there.

Thanks for your comments, everyone!