Not a qq thread.

 

I'm currently trying to better gear my 55 Vanguard tank after getting my commando in full 69 gear and got into a group to run Hammer Station. Got to the first boss and got my face ripped off. I'm in full 66 crafted mods, enhancements and armorings with and a couple of 69 pieces (boots and gloves). Tanking stats are 33k HP (with a stim), 49% damage reduction, 15.5%(ish) defensive chance, 40% shield and 35% absorb (60% with energy blast).

 

My question is: Are other Vanguard Tanks experiencing this same problem with survival with the mining droid? I'm alternating between riot gas and reactive shield with the mining laser and using energy blast during the phase as well. Is there a strategy for dealing with this ability that I'm missing? I ran it twice before on my Vanguard in "lesser" gear (campaign) and survived the encounter.

 

<qq> It would be nice if they could make the mining laser ability interruptable though, just to make it a bit easier. </qq>

Healer needs to purge you at 5 stacks. Other than this, it's a cakewalk.

Healer needs to purge you at 5 stacks. Other than this, it's a cakewalk.

 

This.....this is valuable information. Thanks for this .

you're welcome

Ya, this is totally a healer issue, not a tank issue. But it is good that you are aware of it so you can remind your healer when you come to this fight.

 

The laser starts stacking a DoT that increases with each stack till 10, but most tanks are dead before 10 stacks.

I usually cleanse at 2-3 stacks, heal, then cleanse again when it is off CD at about another 4 stacks. The last 2-3 stacks will fall off on their own at the end of the cast. Doing it this way makes healing the tank significantly easier than waiting for 5 stacks to build. Waiting for 5 stacks usually will drop tanks down to less than 50% health. The way I mentioned they usually drop no less than 75-80% health.

Edited May 4, 2013 by ChicagoBearsFan

Ya, this is totally a healer issue, not a tank issue. But it is good that you are aware of it so you can remind your healer when you come to this fight.

 

The laser starts stacking a DoT that increases with each stack till 10, but most tanks are dead before 10 stacks.

I usually cleanse at 2-3 stacks, heal, then cleanse again when it is off CD at about another 4 stacks. The last 2-3 stacks will fall off on their own at the end of the cast. Doing it this way makes healing the tank significantly easier than waiting for 5 stacks to build. Waiting for 5 stacks usually will drop tanks down to less than 50% health. The way I mentioned they usually drop no less than 75-80% health.

 

Easier for me as a sage to do 5 stack. Drop HoT channel healing trance when it's done it's time to cleanse, bubble, HoT deliverance (I miss my 2pc bonus ). If you're proactive healing your tank won't drop at all.

Edited May 4, 2013 by Battyone

You guys are awesome, I just wanted to say that. I wanted to gear up my tank finally after getting my commando geared. After my tank I was going to start on my scoundrel heals, so the cleanse on that ability will help 2 of my characters. I was afraid all I'd get is "L2P" and "re-roll" comments. Nice to know there are still some decent community members out there willing to help.

I would avoid Hammer Station if you're not an Imperial Agent, cause it only seems to drop agent gear

Ya, this is totally a healer issue, not a tank issue. But it is good that you are aware of it so you can remind your healer when you come to this fight.

 

The laser starts stacking a DoT that increases with each stack till 10, but most tanks are dead before 10 stacks.

I usually cleanse at 2-3 stacks, heal, then cleanse again when it is off CD at about another 4 stacks. The last 2-3 stacks will fall off on their own at the end of the cast. Doing it this way makes healing the tank significantly easier than waiting for 5 stacks to build. Waiting for 5 stacks usually will drop tanks down to less than 50% health. The way I mentioned they usually drop no less than 75-80% health.

 

best tips ever for this boss.

If a healer isnt cleansing and you are dying, he fails and not you.

I got the boss to 10% without cleansing the first time, and was thinking that's some pretty insane tanking/healing requirements when the laser was ticking for 15K toward the end.

Just a couple of clarifications:

- The stacks increase the damage you take from each tick of the channel, its not a stacking DoT.

- Guardian tanks can eat a full channel without dying if they pop Reflect with 5s to go. Presumably they could eat a second full channel with Warding Call active if needed.

- Shadows can self-cleanse at 5 stacks if the healer is being derpy and drop combat for the next one.

- Vanguards, you're high and dry: completely reliant on the healer for this fight.

Force Shroud makes you immune to the damage to begin with, preventing further stacks from being built. You can simply use Force Shroud the moment the laser is active, and it will only build to about 3 stacks after Force Shroud runs out. Alternatively you can use it in the last 5 seconds of the laser, but you don't always shield/dodge enough to reset the CD on Force Shroud so it's better to use it as early as possible so that you might get your Force Shroud back up toward the end of a laser, which is better than not getting it back at all. You will normally be able to Force Shroud every other laser assuming average luck on shield/dodges.

As said before cleanse at 3, then at 4 and then it falls off. Cleansing at 5 works too but more damage is done. Edited May 6, 2013 by Darth_Dreselus

As said before cleanse at 3, then at 4 and then it falls off. Cleansing at 5 works too but more damage is done.

 

If you're a bad healer then at 5 is too much damage.

As said before cleanse at 3, then at 4 and then it falls off. Cleansing at 5 works too but more damage is done.

 

I usually wait until at least 6 stacks to cleanse. During the build up, I bubble, hot, and healing trance. Otherwise, there is absolutely nothing to heal on that fight, and it is far too boring.

How many stacks is 15K damage? My healer almost healed me through that the first time I did this.

Good thread responses. Another thing that hasn't been said yet is there are other classes that can help cleanse. If your healer still doesn't get it check if somebody else can or will.

 

But as has been mentioned, it's pretty easy once cleanse is used after a couple/few stacks build (if cleanse is used early I can trance until cleanse is back up).

 

 

Edit: thinking of a healer who doesn't cleanse makes me shudder for the Athiss final boss with his nasty DoT. That fight has me on my toes just for that mechanic, which thankfully has hit me more than others the last couple runs.

Edited May 8, 2013 by ClarkNineCD
additional thoughts