Guide to Tanking Terminology,
Practices, & Techniques

from the Catalysts Guild Library

We have been fighting pretty well the past few weeks but there is still much room for improvement. This is the first of many posts to follow.

One thing we can get better at is communication and a big part of this is using the same and correct terminology for our techniques and strategies. Most of this terminology is called or assigned by the raid leader and everyone needs to understand what they mean…during a raid is not the time to explain basic things like this. Anyway here it is:

MT=Main Tank

This is the beefy warrior or knight tanking big bad mob_001. This is the guy or gal all clerics have targeted for CH Rotations and all patch healers should be able to target quickly for patches. The MT is not always the same person as the MA(Main Assist), but they can be depending on the raid.

* Gets and holds agro on main target for the duration of the fight
* Is IN CHARGE of mob positioning…
o Will get the initial positioning of the mob
o Will direct push directions (more info on this soon…)
o Will call switches…(ie make the mob do a 180)
o Will call BACK OFF to reposition mob with a button:
+ /rsay Positioning >>> %T TURN ATTACK OFF NOW
o Make sure there is enough room for a heavy push on gating mobs
* Is closer to the mob than any other melee…(this requires cooperation from the other melee to maintaining MAX MELEE distance of course!)
* Calls engage
* Calls Heavy push for main mobs that gate if needed

ST=Secondary Tank

Backup for the MT. This person needs to get the main mob on him ASAP in the event the MT dies. We may designate several STs and they will be called ST1, ST2, ST3, etc…

* Attempts to stay high enough on agro list to get agro fast if MT dies…
* Fights behind the MT (Unless mobs riposte DMG to high!)
* Is ready to step in and AE taunt / Disc as SOON as the MT dies
* Has a button like this:
o /rsay TURN ATTACK OFF NOW…Getting agro on >>> %T
o /rsay Tanking >>> %T HEAL <<< YourName >>> NOW!
* Will call engage when they got agro
* Assumes all MT duties if the MT dies

MA=Main Assist

Simply put, this is the person everyone should be assisting. The only people not assisting this person are the TM’s(Tank Mezzers) and the MT. Everyone’s objective is to kill the MA’s target ASAP.

* The target selector for the raid…everyone will assist you
* Pick targets fast
* Is NOT the MT
* Has a button like this:
o /rsay Attacking >>> %T – ASSIST <<< YourName >>> NOW!
* May be a TM for the first mob to die.
* Watches for GATE messages and has a button:
o /rsay PUSH >>> %T NOW! MOB IS GATING!

TM=Tank Mezzer

Tank Mezzer or sometimes called split tank, will keep unmezzable or unrootable mobs busy and off the casters and healers. We are going to call them TMSs for simplicity.

Now that we have the terminology defined we can talk about how things should happen. First the raid leaders should declare who is going to hold each of the above ‘jobs’ for that raid. Please pay attention and try to remember who each of these people are. If you are one of these people and leave be sure to remind the raid leader he has to fill you position.

* May or may not have a pre-assigned target…depending on fight
* If you are a TM for a target that is not pre-assigned (NToV…)you need to be fast on getting agro and tanking any mob that shows up and needs to be TM’d.
* Make a button like this:
o /rsay Tanking >>> %T HEAL <<< YourName >>> NOW!
o /rsay Debuff >>> %T NOW!
* Tank your target until the guild kills it…the MA will call assist on your target and everyone else will kill it. You continue to tank it till it is dead.
* Position your mob accordingly depending on the encounter or mob
* Assumes the same duties as the MT on your mob…IE positioning and push direction

How everyone else should react:

OK you are have not been assigned any of the above duties…so now you have to know what to do on each situation. I will go through each message that should pop up in raid chat if that person is doing their job:

/rsay Positioning >>> %T TURN ATTACK OFF NOW

What this means: The mob got out of position for whatever reason and the MT needs to move it…

* Melee
o Turn off attack IMMEDIATELY…duh!
o Make sure you don’t have agro
o Back off the mob slowly making sure he is not following you
o Wait for the MT to call engage again
o When engage is called position your self so you don’t push the mob out of place again!
* Casters (Nuke types)
o Don’t cast anything on the mob until engage is called again
o Don’t sit until you are certain mob is positioned and sufficient agro is established so you don’t get sit agro
* Patch Healers
o Assist the target and throw patch heals in case the MT loses agro while positioning
* Rotation Healers
o Keep the rotation going! The MT must stay alive…duh!
o You shouldn’t have to do anything, the MT will position the mob
o You might have to move a little to keep the MT from being OOR…(MT should control mob position to make sure he never gets OOR!)
* Debuffers
o Shouldn’t have to do anything different…just make sure you don’t get agro and move the mob where we don’t want it

/rsay TURN ATTACK OFF NOW…Getting agro on >>> %T
/rsay Tanking >>> %T HEAL <<< YourName >>> NOW!

What this means: The MT died and we need to do a tank switch…

* Melee
o Turn off attack IMMEDIATELY…duh!
o Make sure you don’t have agro
o Back off the mob slowly making sure he is not following you
o Wait for the MT (previously the ST…) to call engage again
* Casters (Nuke types)
o Don’t cast anything on the mob until engage is called again
o Don’t sit until you are certain mob is positioned and sufficient agro is established so you don’t get sit agro
* Patch Healers
o Get the ST (Now the MT!)targeted immediately (Set your <TAB>target ahead of time!)
o Start throwing patch heals until you know the rotation is going on the ST (Now the MT!)
* Rotation Healers
o Get the ST (Now the MT!)targeted immediately (Set your <TAB>target ahead of time!)
o Get the CH Rotation going right away on the ST (Now the MT!)!
* Debuffers
o Shouldn’t have to do anything different except throw heals or runes on the new MT.

/rsay Attacking >>> %T – ASSIST <<< YourName >>> NOW!

What this means: The raid is ready to kill the next target…

* Everyone that is not a MT, ST, or TM or an assigned healer, assists the MA and kills that target quickly as possible…simple.

/rsay PUSH >>> %T NOW! MOB IS GATING!

* Melee
o Get in front of the mob with the MT and PUSH by attacking, kicking, bashing, slaming, and stunning
* Casters (Nuke types)
o Try to position yourself in front of the mob and cast DD spells with stun components…even if the mob is immune to stun this will generate a little push
o If you are a wizard or mage just use your hardest hitting nuke to kill the mob…dead mobs can not gate!
* Patch Healers & Debuffers
o If you don’t have to heal anyone nuke!
* Rotation Healers
o Keep that rotation going!

/rsay Tank Mezzing>>> %T HEAL <<< YourName >>> NOW!
/rsay Debuff >>> %T NOW!

* Melee
o No change, you kill the MA’s target
* Casters (Nuke types)
o No change, you kill the MA’s target
* Patch Healers
o Target this person and use quick heals to keep them alive! Can slow heals down once the target is debuffed
* Rotation Healers
o No change, keep the rotation going
* Debuffers
o Assist the TM and get their target debuffed/slowed ASAP!
o Make buttons for Malos, Tash, Malosinia, OOS, Slow, and Cripple going to the debuff channel.
o Make a button for the raid channel saying that target is slowed.