I've been playing since launch, veteran PvP player almost always DPS, usually ranged. Only dabbled in flashpoints a few times.

Now I have a level 35 Power tech and want to try tanking but it's hard to learn in class missions, and PvP is a bit different beast. How can I learn to tank in Flashpoints and eventually Ops without letting the team down?

I'm not looking for builds, stat priorities, or specific rotations, I've found those online and this forum has lots of theory crafting. I need the basic knowledge of how to actually play when coming into a room full of mobs. My current plans are guard the healer, jump in with guns blazing, and hope the mob attacks me more than the others.

Is there a good guide, somewhere that lays out who to hit first, who to CC, how to maximize threat, how to keep focus on me, etc.? Or any advice you'd be able to give to somebody who is just barely getting into this?

I'd really like to get used to this method of playing now before I hit 55.

Bare bones basics:

+ Ask your Damage to kill the weakest mobs before the bigger ones. They can drop a weak/standard very quickly. Weak/Standards do 3/4 of the damage that a strong does, but have less than half the health. That reduces the incoming damage very quickly, plus keeps them off the healer. When you have a pack with an elite, two strongs, and 2-4 weak/standard, that's too much for you to aggro before the healer starts getting hit (from healing aggro).

+ Bind some of the target icons to something easy so you can mark targets for CC or more specific kill orders. I have the crosshair on my middle mouse button, and then shift/ctrl/alt middle click is Saber, Shield, and Flame. For a boss fight where we need to cycle through the targets in a specific order, I just mark them quickly and say, "Green, Blue, Red please." I use the crosshair mostly when there are two targets and I want to clue the Damage in on where to start. (Two turrets that can't be CC'd--I'm going to spend the first few GCDs hitting both of them, so a quick crosshair lets them know where I want them focusing.)

+ Guard can go on your healer, or the Damage that's pushing your aggro the most (usually a melee). I typically just guard the healer though, unless I'm having trouble holding a mob.

+ Don't sweat the weak/standards too much--keep an eye on them to protect the healer, but if your Damage are doing their job, they'll typically be dead before you know it.

+ Learn the boss fights in every Flashpoint. Fair or not, the tank is basically expected to know how every fight works, and your knowledge of those mechanics is how you really "lead" a group. The last boss in Hammer Station, for example. You will tank him with your back to the console, so that when he fires his pistol barrage, you can just step through him real quick, keeping it from hitting the group. It doesn't matter if they know that's why you did it, just that you do it.

As far as engaging a trash pack, you'll get a feel pretty quickly for what works. Some example openers for me:

- Large pack of weak/standard, maybe a strong or two:

Death From Above, Jet Charge, Flame Sweep x2, Flamethrower. Mind you I'm running around during the Flame Sweeps--I'm not trying to kill them, just put some damage on them and keep them clustered for AE.

- Spread out pack with 2-3 strongs, and some weak/standards (or door adds):

Leap to the ranged strong, and try to catch another in the Flame Sweep. Grapple the far strong into the pack. Consider popping a cooldown if there's enough damage coming in. In this case I don't do much with the weak/standards outside of Flame Sweep catching them incidentally.

- Elite + 2 Strong + 2-4 weak/standard.

If the Damage are really rocking in the group, I'll leap to the elite, catch the strongs with Flame Sweep/Flamethrower, and then focus on keeping them all on me while the Damage work through the pile. For weaker Damage output, I'll mark the elite for CC and break it once the other stuff is dead.

- Multiple Elites with or without Strongs:

Call for CC's on the elites and use the crosshair to keep the Damage aware of which elite we're killing next. If your CC is going to be a sap (assassin/operative vs human) don't forget to let them get their CC off before starting combat. Remember that they can't renew their CC so plan to kill those mobs before ones that can be re-CC'd.

Last tip? Awareness. A good tank is aware of what's going on all around them. Know where the patrolling mob is in relation to you. Anticipate high burst damage and use a defensive cooldown. If I'm in Mando Raiders and we get to the part with 4 dogs and 2 humans, all Strongs--there's going to be a beatdown on me when the fight starts. Make sure to leap in (instead of DFA) because they hit real hard when they leap on you--try to keep them from doing it. Pop your oil slick and relic, and the healer will have a much easier time keeping you healthy.

Anyway, don't sweat tanking, the most daunting part is really just knowing all the fights and mechanics.

Oh! Real last tip this time:

+ Be nice. If the damage aren't attacking in the right order, I type, "Could you two work through the mobs from weakest to strongest please? Makes it easier for me to tank."

I've never had someone say no. Do they understand that I'm really saying it's silly for me to blow aggro moves on a mob they are going to kill in 2 GCDs, and prevent the healer from either holding his heals till I've hit everything or pulling early aggro because I couldn't get to a mob in time? Maybe, maybe not. As long as they do it--everything works out fine.

I would have to agree with most of above. As a Powertech your a little more free to kinda dive in and brute force tank things unlike us spiky Sins. And from everything I've read and seen, PTs are pretty forgiving as a class so there's not really a reason to hold yourself back from getting out there and just getting dirty.

And a little disclaimer at the beginning of the run "Hey...still getting used to tanking, please bear with me" actually goes a long way as compared to the guy that *acts* like he knows what he's doing and then fails to deliver. My Sin-tank has been my main since this damn game started, and I will still wipe an Op on occasion, followed with a simple..."Ok, Sorry folks, just needed to see how hard I could push!" And most people will chuckle and crack a few jokes. Because honestly, you won't know how hard you can push your tank and still not wipe/fail, until you DO wipe/fail.

Also, you said you've been playing for a while. So you should have a regular group of friends or guild that you can go with. Or hell...just ask someone. I have never had a problem when someone has asked, in going on a run on my tank as a derp-dps or on my healer, so that I could coach.

"OMG...why is this tank with 36K health in our Foundry story mode, and why is he just following us around not killing anything?" Lulz!

Something I always tell people (jokingly but not really)...the secret to tanking is to play like a crappy DPS. Play it like that DPS in the GF that always makes you say "*** is this guy doing?"

Seriously though....

Last tip? Awareness. A good tank is aware of what's going on all around them. Know where the patrolling mob is in relation to you. Anticipate high burst damage and use a defensive cooldown. If I'm in Mando Raiders and we get to the part with 4 dogs and 2 humans, all Strongs--there's going to be a beatdown on me when the fight starts. Make sure to leap in (instead of DFA) because they hit real hard when they leap on you--try to keep them from doing it. Pop your oil slick and relic, and the healer will have a much easier time keeping you healthy.

 

Anyway, don't sweat tanking, the most daunting part is really just knowing all the fights and mechanics.

 

Eugee really nailed the key point. Situational awareness, Knowing the fights and mechanics, knowing how to control the pack. In the example he uses about the crappy dog pull (as soon as he said Mando, I knew exactly which one he was talking about )....I just use an LoS pull so they can't all jump at once and hammer me. Knowing your battle space and knowing how to control whats in it is what makes a good tank. If you can get that, then you can deal with / fix / ignore 90% of other peoples failures. You said you were a PvP'er, so situational awareness *should* come naturally to ya.

Omophorous' forum sig is just simple truth. "Healing is Art, DPS is Science, and Tanking is Strategy"

That has always (to me) been the best way to describe tanking.

Now I have a level 35 Power tech and want to try tanking but it's hard to learn in class missions.

And one thing I forgot.... Pull Mako out....go find a Champion that's a level or two or three above you and see how far you can get.

Mako isn't exactly the cream'o'the crop as a healer, so after about the 8th or 9th time you die, you will very quickly start to pick up the habits that keep you alive. Things like rotating CD's and interrupts, or movement and stuns, etc.

Next thing you know you will be looking at that Champion that's 8 levels up on you and thinking.....I could soooooo take him!

Something I always tell people (jokingly but not really)...the secret to tanking is to play like a crappy DPS. Play it like that DPS in the GF that always makes you say "*** is this guy doing?"

 

Seriously though.

Okay, I have to steal this for my signature.

Okay, I have to steal this for my signature.

OMG, It's true though....I have a Marauder and I suck at it. It's because I play him like my tank.

Then I"ll go on the tank and watch as the derp-dps do exactly what I just got done doing on my Mara.

And if you think that is bad, you should see me on my healer

Thanks for all the good info, it helps alot.

It does seem a bit daunting coordinating the attack, but my favorite part of the game is the strategy and situational awareness.

And I like the idea of practicing on difficult enemies with a healer and seeing how long I can survive. Maybe even travel to a upper level planet and practice on regular mobs to get a good feel for the order of attack and keeping the mobs clustered.

Something I always tell people (jokingly but not really)...the secret to tanking is to play like a crappy DPS. Play it like that DPS in the GF that always makes you say "*** is this guy doing?"

So true... now we just need to get them to reroll as tanks instead, and everyone will be happy...

So true... now we just need to get them to reroll as tanks instead, and everyone will be happy...

BUT TANKS DON'T HAVE TWO GUNS OR TWO LIGHTSABERS!

I also tank like an idiot dps with ADD. Pisses off some people who CC stuff that doesn't need to be CCed, but I don't lose aggro and have only seen a wipe once because although I warned the healer to squeal if they aren't ready, they didn't squeal.

Tanking in this game is actually pretty damn easy. Playing a tank gave me a whole new perspective on how bad some of the tanks I encountered are when I was playing a sorc healer.

BUT TANKS DON'T HAVE TWO GUNS OR TWO LIGHTSABERS!

Some of the worst culprits at this have been DPS Guardians/Juggernauts, along with (naturally) Sentinels/Marauders. It's as if that Force Leap button just demands they jump on the head of the nearest CC'd strong or elite and then do a force smash/sweep.