So as the title states what are the recommended group compositions for 8 man operations and 16 man operations?

2 tanking classes, 2 healing classes and 4 damage classes.

If you are asking what specific classes and specs to bring, the honest answer is: it does not matter. All three healing and tanking classes can do equelly well when played by a good player, some have easier times on some bosses while having a more difficult time on others.

 

With the current two operations we have found that we need:

One pure tank

One off tank who can also switch to damage without respeccing (just changing gear and stance)

One AoE healer (for when everyone is clustered)

One direct healer

One damage dealer who can also help with healing on heavy damage phases

Three additional damage dealers who will not stand in area effects (missiles, poisons, and such)

 

For current 16 man operations you will not really need any more tanks, just one or two more healers and the rest damage dealers.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Zacarius-

My ideal setup which has only happened on odd nights is:

 

MT - Juggernaut (Guardian)

Healer - Mercenary (Commando)

DPS - Marauder (Sentinal)

DPS - Mercenary (Commando)

 

OT - DPS Specced Assassin (Shadow)

Healer - Sorcerer (Sage)

DPS - Sorcerer (Sage)

DPS - Sniper (Gunslinger)

The one nice reason to have a variety from all the classes, as the previous poster outlined, is that you get all the buffs possible. However, with 1.2, if you have leveled two characters to max level, etc., it appears that they will be able to cast two buffs at once. Can anyone that has more information on that expound on it further? If dual-buffs will indeed be a possibility, that will be pretty sweet.

Otherwise, right now, you could run an all BH/Commando group if you really wanted to, heh. Have PT's for the tanks, and Mercs for the heals and dps. Same with Inquisitors/Sages. Assassin tanks and dps and Sorcerer heals and dps.

With the current two operations we have found that we need:

One pure tank

One off tank who can also switch to damage without respeccing (just changing gear and stance)

One AoE healer (for when everyone is clustered)

One direct healer

One damage dealer who can also help with healing on heavy damage phases

Three additional damage dealers who will not stand in area effects (missiles, poisons, and such)

 

I am fully aware that you wrote "found what WE need" but i want to clarify:

 

First, you don't need an off tank.

The only fight where it makes sense in T1 is Jarg & Sorno and even there only in Nightmare. And even there if you have good healers you can just let an DD tank.

 

One AoE Heal and one Direct Heal.

Also in this TIER I don't see a problem in having two aoe heals or two direct healers.

In fact we only run with two sages and normaly we dont have a problem healing spike damage on the tank.

 

One DD who can heal.

Yes I can agree on that one. Helpfull with SOA when one healer is in the trap and the other one is flying/taking his ball.

 

 

Our Setup:

1 Tank

Doesn't matter which one

 

2 Healers

We go with two sages but one sage one Commando also works.

Dont know about scoundrells.

Haven't seen any scoundrell healer on my server since release^^

But i would say, doesnt matter which class when they know what they do.

 

1-2 Melee DDs

3-4 Range DDs

Not to much melee-DDs for obvious reasons, which are the same as in every mmo I have played till today.

Yeah, you really don't need an OT. We only ever use an OT in 16M and even then it's only on Jarg and Sorno Nightmare and Forman Crusher Nightmare.

 

We typically use an Assassin tank, Operative healer, Merc healer, and the rest DPS and have no issues clearing 8M Nightmare.

Thank you for the feedback! I was just wondering because I'm about to do my first operation with my guild tonight and wanted to know what the groups would be like.

Our guild does this

Tank - Vanguard

Heals - Scoundrel & Sage

DPS - Guardian (goes more defensive for Jarg & Sorno), Commando, Sage, Sentinel, Gunslinger

 

The composition works flawlessly for us.

As others have said, 1 tank, 2 healers and 5 DPS is the to go in the current tier. I would add, however, that if one of the DPS has a taunt that is useful for mind-trapped tanks in Soa HM/NiM.

 

But if we're looking ahead to 1.2?

 

Two tanks, preferably Shadows / Assassins. Outside of being a very strong tank spec, Slow Time stacks, and this will be infinitely useful.

 

Two healers, preferably Sages / Sorcerers. They just come out on top in the data that we have right now from PTS.

 

The remaining four should be DPS. I would go with Sentinel / Maurauder (very strong + inspiration) followed up with a combination of Gunnery Commando, Gunslinger Smuggler, and some other ranged attacker, preferably one of the previous. Why? Outside of Sentinel, ranged > melee and Gunneries and Gunslingers have sunders, which stack.

EV: 1 tank, 2 healers, 5 DPS (One of which should be a DPS-spec tank class for the Pylons)

 

KP: 2 tanks, 2 healers, 4 DPS (No more than 2 melee)

 

for 16-man, we bring 2 tanks, 3 healers, and 11 DPS to both raids.

 

Melee DPS has a distinct disadvantage in that they can only fight in 1 range, and that range often makes them more susceptible to AoE damage. Ranged DPS can spread out to avoid that without a loss in DPS.

 

They get some better damage reduction skills to make them more viable, but damage reduction will never be as good as simply not taking damage.

Edited April 7, 2012 by DarthDemens

Melee DPS has a distinct disadvantage in that they can only fight in 1 range, and that range often makes them more susceptible to AoE damage. Ranged DPS can spread out to avoid that without a loss in DPS.

 

I just switched from tank to DPS specced Shadow, and as a Balance Shadow I am equally comfortable in melee and at range. Melee is preferable for some of the procs, but I can also step in and tank a bit should our main get mind trapped, etc.