pet tanking

Kurishta · February 13, 2015, 10:17:55 PM

I just hit 95, finally registered here after lurking years, but I've seen a couple threads about an efficient solo method is to let the warder tank, beast play cleric and wizard merc. At what point is this more efficient than you tanking with a cleric merc? I mostly run with a chanter box and hadn't considered swapping out healer for a second wizard, would be very interesting if that's better. I haven't parsed the wizard mercs though to run #s and compare. Anyone have experience or thoughts here to share?

Greyowl · February 14, 2015, 12:28:19 PM

I usually tank myself, side to side with my warder.
When inc dps is too heavy, i switch to warder tank, my heal, wizzy merc nukes.

So, warder tanking is for too hard hitters, or when i am lazy.

Illiyana · February 17, 2015, 05:47:56 PM

I have been playing around in TDS for a bit, but soon after getting there realized I cannot tank anything in T3. my typical group make up is also dictating how I play. I group with 2 necros and use 3 healer mercs. We tried a tank merc for a bit, but they just die too quickly. Granted, we do not have a full AA tank merc, so that could be the problem. Both necros have a macro set to cycle through their 5 swarm pet spells, so it gets pretty ridiculous with the number of pets fighting the mobs.

So, for me I just stand just out of melee range, my pet tanks the mob for us ( I have better pet AA's than they do)and I fire off my Disciplines since they have a bit longer range than melee, then fire off my nuke macro once it refreshes. I am not playing to my classes full potential, but the necros DPS is so sick, I pay for my keep by having to be the alpha looter, and designated dead toon when things go south :)

When I solo, I tank for my pet. I have tried being pet healer, but it is too boring for me, I like to get in there and fight. Though the last time I tried it was before the AA grant and I was not configured for pet healing, I had focussed my AAs on DPS for both of us and protection for myself. Now that I got the grant I could probably play pet healer, but that is not my style and TDS mobs hit too hard.

Zorthaz · February 18, 2015, 08:05:55 PM

I use pet tanking for mobs too tough for me to tank. The problem is you lose half or more of the DPS when you have to go to heal mode. Mobs take twice as long for your pet to kill, so the solution has been to use a wizard merc to offset the loss of your personal DPS.

If you are new to the method, I suggest you try it out on some easier mobs until you get comfortable. You can progressively move to harder mobs and find your limitations. One tip I will give you is to keep a werewolf pet on the mob also. If your warder dies, the temp pet will buy you enough time to get out the backup pet you have suspended. You did remember to suspend a super buffed pet... right?
-Z-

Kurishta · February 19, 2015, 02:13:25 AM

Is this after the changes to pet tanking that they're better than us?

Zorthaz · February 20, 2015, 09:51:44 PM

The changes to pet tanking didn't really change things that much. The changes slightly reduced the tanking capabilities of our pets. If you have a pet focus appropriate for your level and the pet AA, your pet should be a better tank. Things get even better with mage summoned gear for the pet.

Another way to think about pet tanking is your pet can heal you (randomly) for 5K. You can heal you pet for 50K, plus runes plus delayed heal plus HoT and AA heals.

Kurishta · February 21, 2015, 03:04:47 AM

Touche

Zorthaz · February 23, 2015, 12:21:30 AM

I just want to add that my comments are based on group gear and pet focus. I am not sure if raid gear and pet focus changes the tanking order.
-Z-

Khauruk · February 23, 2015, 11:46:11 PM

Seriously, for anybody looking to pet tank,

BUY MAGE PET GEAR. Pets don't have AC softcaps, so you get huge mitigation value from the AC gains on the pets.

If you buy a bunch of the bags of them, you can keep parcel them to yourself so you don't need to go to the bazaar regularly.

Illiyana · February 24, 2015, 11:19:05 PM

I could be wrong, but I thought our Enhanced Minions come with armor already. Load up on Brightedges though.

http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=117281

EDIT: Google seems to give conflicting information about this, some say only Mage pets get armor, others say all EM pets do. Does anyone have any more info?

Kurishta · February 25, 2015, 12:35:05 AM

Quote from: Khauruk on February 23, 2015, 11:46:11 PM
If you buy a bunch of the bags of them, you can keep parcel them to yourself so you don't need to go to the bazaar regularly.

Genius that is...

And since the changes where pets won't accept anything they can't equip I can say at least the 93 pet with a twitching snood comes equipped with nothing. 91 mage pet with MC focus comes with everything but weapons. From personal experience

Greyowl · February 25, 2015, 04:03:45 PM

ONLY Magician pets will come pre-summoned with their most current set of summoned jewelry & plate armor as well as haste mask BUT all true pet classes´ pets come with a maxed out cloak (100 avoidance, 35 shielding, 35 spell shield, 35 strikethrough, 35 stun resist plus +hp regen, +mana regen and worn DS (damage shielding) from higher EM (VII iirc) on.

You should be aware that all pet focus cloaks come with NO AC. This means if you hand your EM XXIII pet a 1ac item usable in the back slot, it will immediately equip it and stop using the focus cloak with all the maxed mod2s, dramatically crippling the pet.

Illiyana · February 25, 2015, 06:55:01 PM

Okay, good to know.

By the way, I tried to parcel a "Folded Pack of Frightforged Armaments" and it said you cannot parcel temporary items.

Khauruk · February 26, 2015, 03:50:02 AM

What was said about the cloaks is correct.

I don't recall exactly how I did it, I think it was by doing a direct delivery from a toon in trader mode. They may have ended the ability to do this in any form however.

Greyowl · February 26, 2015, 10:59:19 AM

Quote from: Illiyana on February 25, 2015, 06:55:01 PM
Okay, good to know.

By the way, I tried to parcel a "Folded Pack of Frightforged Armaments" and it said you cannot parcel temporary items.

Almost all summoned items are 'placable' meaning you can place them in neighborhood plot or house. So you can stock up on pet gear and store it in this fashion and that way be able to reequipp whenever needed.