New pet aggro mechanics....

[Zorthaz]

If you haven't played with the new pet aggro mechanics, I suggest you dig into it.  I usually run a cleric merc when I solo/molo and a tank merc when I box my Bard.  This all about to change...  Pets can hold aggro over regular toons and mercs now.  I have been testing with pet setup to tank and running a wiz merc.  I can easily heal the pet while meleeing and the pet holds aggro and takes all the damage.  I guess I can put my Paladin box back on the shelf.

Recent changes that make this awesome
1) Pets can hold aggro
2) Pet heals no longer change targets

It is a great day to be a beastlord.

-Z-

[Illiyana]

That is awesome news!  I will have to give it a try.

[Khauruk]

Neat, thanks for the news!

[Zorthaz]

I tested the new aggro mechanics out in The City of Bronze (VOA).  I replaced my fifth nuke with the 96 pet heal and it worked out perfectly.  With the pet buffed with the defensive buff (more HP and aggro and less DPS), the pet could keep aggro off a wizard merc on burn most of the time.  I did manage to kill the wizard merc a few times.  Even on balanced, mobs were literally melting in the time it would take me to get off 4 nukes and a pet heal.  (light blue mobs at 105 with VOA hitpoints)

I did notice the temp pets could steal aggro at times.  I have to assume the little devils were taunting the mobs.  When I came across two mobs bunched together I would target one and send in the temp pet.  I would peel off the second mob and put my warder on it.  I would then wade in and melee the second mob.  I had no problem killing off the second mob and then attacking the first mob with the temp pet still up.

One thing I found was you could open up with the temp pet, then slow the mob giving the temp pet a little bit of time to build aggro.  Send in the warder and wade in to melee.  The temp pet will hold aggro and reduce the amount of healing you need to do on your warder.

-Z-

[tanlie]

It is indeed a great time to be a Beastlord.

I've found that buffing with protection and using Tirik's Melioration (pet heal over time) just before you engage and you can keep all 5 nukes and just add your pet heal to your nuke keybind and there is very little you cant straight up solo in your level range. If a named pops just use Fortify and Blessing and burn it down np.