Holding Agro in Bear Form tanking
#1
I am having a problem holding agro on multiple mobs when tanking in groups. One mob isn't a problem but pulling multiple groups seems to cause a lot of issues with extras splitting off and attacking the casters.

Anyone have suggestions on what I can do? I don't have much tank experience.
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Etsuko - Monk
Razzlixx Blingwell - Warlock
Cloudjumper Wildmane - Druid (Inactive)
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#2
If by casters you mean non-healers, something funky is happening. If everyone is on one target (and they should be!), the casters shouldn't be pulling aggro on the extra mobs because they shouldn't be attacking them.

You're got thorns on you and you're spamming swipe like it's going out of style, right?
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#3
Oh yes Thorns and Swipe. I also try and hit each target with a Faerie Fire to generally annoy them more. Primarily I find it is the healers the mobs jumpe on, some times caster but it is usually after some kind of massive crit spell lands so those are to be expected.
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Etsuko - Monk
Razzlixx Blingwell - Warlock
Cloudjumper Wildmane - Druid (Inactive)
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#4
Dire bears have a lot of good things going for them when it comes to threat and tanking. We already gain high threat by being in bear form, and even white damage (especially crits) will make that mob want to kill you. And then we have maul and mangle and swipe and lacerate. All of these have threat attached to them. Maul would be my least used ability when it comes to tanking multiple mobs. Why? I don't like waiting for a maul to land to gain that extra aggro.

With the increased rage generation in bear form from the last patch, i'm going to make some suggestions.

1) Mangle! If you have mangle, that should be the first thing you hit your main target with. When the pull comes, mangle, then a fast swipe to pick up two more (as well as hitting your main target again) I will often save mangle to use on other mobs i'm trying to hold aggro on, since it is instant. You can maul your main target, then tab to the next and mangle then switch back.

[This is assuming you have rage when the pull begins. Having furor and using enrage really really helps at the start of a big pull if you're starting off with nothing]

2) Swipe! If you're relying on swipe to hold aggro on multiples (which you can do if everyone is focus-firing on one target, since the last patch added extra threat back onto swipe damage) don't forget to cycle through the available targets to so that your swipes hit as many as possible, and continue hitting them (unless of course you have sheep or shackles or seduced mobs, then just use lacerate)

3) Lacerate! Even if a mob is immune to bleed damage, lacerate now does a small amount of instant damage with high threat. And it's instant, so if you have the rage, spam that sucker on multople targets. Usually one lacerate combined with swiping will keep that mob pissed at you.

4) Demoralizing roar. I can't guarantee how effective this is, but it's a habit i've gotten into. If i have the rage at the start of the pull, i pop one of those off the moment the group of mobs is near. It seems to help, at least to me.

5) Bash. One minute timer, yes, but it's another fast way to gain aggro on something. If you're pulling, and pulling using faerie fire, then use it to pull your main target, the switch to another one and bash it the moment it's close enough before switching back to mangle your main, then swipe the rest. The moment that stun wears off the mob will come for you (But i usually only do this if there's no casters in the group who are going to be loose, or if my main target is a healer).


Simple to talk about, but a little harder to execute, until you have a lot of practice at it. Sometimes it's more a matter of timing and knowing when you can leave your main target to build threat on another or more before switching back before someone else builds enough aggro.


This is what i do, but it may not work for everyone. I'm a tab targeter, and cycle targets quickly when i have the rage to spare.

Anyways, i hope that helps a little.
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