Attack targeting through the tank?

Im wondering how many people do this. I tend to target my own guys, unless I start grabbing too much aggro. I then target through the alpha sponge until its safe to tab away on my own.

The questions not stemming from a confrontation/ drama, just wondering if it is common practice.

Reasonably common (I switch between doing it and not, especially if I run a control character and need something specific locked down. I don't want my target changing.)

I would say it depends.

The danger is, if your tank doesnt know its going on, and decides to taunt a far ff group and targets it, you could just throw a fireball in there before he hits taunt.

That being said it does work as a good calling target when your taking on multiple big enemies at once, but again, your team may wish to take out the others, while the tank targets the one least desirable to break free of his agro.

Certainly my controllers will rarely target through the tank, i fail to see the point in holding something about to get smashed when I can concentrate on the enemies around the outside of the group, or when using AoE stuff, i just go mental and let it rip anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by VoodooGirl [*]Watching out for the Spinning Disco Portal of D00M!*

I don't target through the tank unless it's something like an ITF and I am having a hard time tabbing onto Rommy or it's a Master Run of something (EG Lady Grey and the Mitos).

When I am tanking, I do not stay focused on one target. I will use an AoE, I will taunt (often ranged mobs) but I will also swap melee targets around to punchvoke as many mobs as possible. So targetting through me in that situation may not be the best plan because you may just end up with more aggro.*

I'm a scrapper so i just run ahead of the team and kill everything before they come to make sure they have no problem targeting the hostage or glowie.

It's really a sometimes thing. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. And when I'm the tank, it's sometimes OK for others to do and sometimes not.

A lot really depends on your Tank's aggro style. With a lot of my tanks, you don't want to do that.

I'm a very "active" Tank and I'm constantly switching targets, rarely staying on the same target for more than one attack at a time.

Aggro Aura running - target mob - attack for gauntlet - change target - attack for gauntlet - change target - Taunt - change target - PBAoE attack - change target - etc

Back in 2005 I had a good friend targeting through my Scrapper for a level and a half. On an Energy Blaster. When I finally figured out what was going on... I don't remember what I said, but I hope it was relatively diplomatic.

As Soulwind has said, a good tank tends to hit eight guys one time each. If you're targeting through, you might tap each one of them JUST after he does and maybe bust off some aggro, maybe not. You're unlikely to get any of them to zero HP, which is YOUR goal but not HIS.

I'll often use assist targeting, and not just through the tank

As an example on my kin/dark defender, when cycling through the speed boosts, I'll be throwing off aattack, siphon power, fulcrum or transfusion through whomever I happen to have targeted at that moment.

I only target through the tank if I'm on a ranged toon and I can't hit a specific target in the mob, like Romulus or a cyst. Otherwise, I'm worried about grabbing agro.

When playing my ice blaster, I'll target through the tank when it's AV or EB time. Other than that, I find that the targets switch before the previous target is defeated.

With my fire blaster, I don't even worry about the target, unless it's a mob on the perimeter that might get tagged by one of my AoE's.

With my scrapper, I don't even notice the tank, because I'm usually on the perimeter, tackling those few that disregard the tanks taunt, monitoring the HP of lower HP characters to see if they need assistance.

With my tank, after, and if the team gives me a few seconds to collect the aggro, I usually taunt through the blaster or whoever seems to be losing HP, if they're within range.

On certain situations, such as the final missions of the STF and RSF when tanking multiple high level AVs simultaneously, I specifically instruct people to NOT target through me (being the Tanker/Brute), as I constantly switch targets to taunt and grab aggro, and I usually need one of the targets downed ASAP (Scirocco and Positron respectively). What I do in these situations is call the target and have the rest of the team focus all the firepower on said target

Personally, I almost never target through any other player. Don't want them to just randomly target something across the room.

The only time I'll do it is during a hamidon type situation where concentrating fire is important.

When playing squishy, I tend to target through unless the tank is flipping through enemies or can't decide.

Then it's back to good old Target_Enemy_Near

Clicking on the linked image above will take you off the City of Heroes site. However, the guides will be linked back here.

I basically never target through someone else. I like to pick my own targets, thanks, and that is especially important because most of my characters have cone attacks that require correct positioning and targeting to get the best effect.

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Originally Posted by Dispari I don't know why Dink thinks she's not as sexy as Jay was. In 5 posts she's already upstaged his entire career.

I do on occasion, depending on the tank's style. My current FF/DP 'fender is doing it at the very beginning, as the tank is often targeting someone quite nearby his agro-pile - perfect time to let loose with the AoEs. After that, I'll start targeting the higher-con foes to keep them slowed with cryo ammo for instance. Or I might just decide to keep that ranged foe who's standing off to the side slowed.

So it's kind of a situational, "depends on what's happening" sort of thing for me.

Another "it depends" here.

I mostly play a fire blaster as far as range goes, so I try to keep the AoE aggro off me as much as possible. But if my amazingness starts pulling them off the tank, I change tactics.

When I'm playing my ill/storm during Rikti raids/invations, I'll target my spec wounds, blind, and whatever that psi epic ranged power is, through Phantasm. Heck, any time it gets crazy I'll target through him. I really shouldn't have respecced out of the heal as it came in handy in those situations.

I should try targeting through one of my imps. ha.

I don't generally target through another player. It seems potentially detrimental to me with very little benefit to be had.

I only target through the tank when playing a squishy in an AV or GM fight, when I can be assure that my attack is going to hit the thing I want it to.

I am also in the "situational" column.

I am more likely to do it while running a Blaster, unless it is an Energy Blaster. We want aggro on the Tank, not me.

Not so much with my Controllers, since lining up cones or laying down Ice Slicks and Earthquakes need some precision in placement or aren't targeted anyway. I will tend to use the Tank for Stalagmites or Flash Fire when they are running into a huge mob, since I don't want any interest from baddies that get Missed.

My opinion as a Blaster was always that if I started shooting at something short of an AV, I am responsible for that target. Getting help from a Tank or a Controller is nice, but you cannot depend on it, so don't.

That means that I can't target through the Tank, or the Tank may allow me to aggro the Boss, then he switches to another target to Taunt it... and I waste my knockback attack on the other target while the Boss comes up and leaves a "do not target through others" post-it note on my body.

If you're going to finish what you started, you need to have control of your targeting. That means you target on your own, not through the Tank.

Only time I can see this being changed is with a team with several Sonic Blast characters, where everyone targets through the Tank so that everyone is hitting the same debuffed target. And there it may not matter much as the target will die very fast.