Keeping aggro with WP/Stone

Hi,

I've got a 34 WP/Stone tank that I love, but she doesn't seem to hold aggro as well as I'd like.

Currently, I have Rise to the Challenge slotted with 2 end, 3 heal, 1 taunt (level 25 IOs) and I spam Fault slotted with 1 acc, 1 recharge, 1 taunt. (I have Hasten and Taunt, too, and use them.)

Maybe it's that I'm used to my 50 Ice/Ice tank who has amazing aggro control, but with my WP/Stone one, I find sometimes even one group of enemies on an 8 person team results in squishies stealing aggro.

Did they change the aggro cap again? Does the disorient from Fault reset a mob's tauntedness? Do people slot Rise with even more Taunt?

Thanks in advance!

RttC has the lowest taunt duration of an of the taunt auras (something like 2 seconds) so it doesn't really pull threat as much as other taunt auras do. Tremor will work wonders, but you'll really need 'Taunt' the power to actually hold decent aggro on everything.

Especially when comparing it to ice/ice, which as decent AoE (ice patch, that foot stomp clone) and 2 taunt auras (icicles and chilling embrace) both of which have VERY high taunt durations, your WP/stone won't be able to keep up at all.

RttC is on the other(weak) end of the taunt spectrum compared to Chilling Embrace.

Keep spamming your AoEs and switch targets often with your ST attacks is the best thing you can do without devoting slots to RttC just for taunt.

At the very least keep the attention of Lts, Bosses, and up. Minions can probably be ignored as they should be dead pretty quickly on teams (exceptions are minions like Malta Sappers).

There are two main things that are a must for holding aggro on a WP Tank:

1) Taunt - If you don't have this power, your threat generation is severely crippled. I would suggest not just taking Taunt, but having it well slotted. (5-6 slots, both Mocking Beratement and Perfect Zinger a great choices.)

2) Playstyle - This is the biggest change, especially after coming from an Ice Tank. Instead of being very laid back about threat, you need to be very proactive in your efforts to generate it. This means using Taunt frequently and switching up which targets you're using it on. Spamming Taunt on the same target(s) over and over is counter productive when you're trying to hold aggro on a large spawn. It also helps if you can learn when it's safe to move to the next spawn while your group mops up the current one, this will give you time to spread Taunt on enemies.


This may sound a bit daunting, but I found it to be a very positive experience. Learning how to hold aggro on a WP Tanker will make you that much better at holding aggro on all your Tankers.

I can give you more information if you'd like, but I decided against hitting you with a wall of text right off the bat. :P

Taunt, Fault, Tremor, and ST gauntlet for aggro.

I pretty much just ignore the Taunt component of RTTC, because the only way a character is not going to pull aggro off of RTTC is if they're not on the map yet.

Thankfully, next level you'll be able to pull off the most awesometastic aggro/mitigation combo available with Fault->Tremor, which not only taunts the mobs you hit, but keeps them on their butts for most of the fight. Generally in that order, and with a short pause in between. Keeps the stunned mobs from wandering too much after Fault, and the short pause allows them to start getting up so you can knock them flat again.

In an unrelated (to the topic) musing, I started labs in phlebotomy today. Fun times.

Thanks for the great responses, everyone! I'm looking forward to Tremor and will be more proactive on my taunting, too.

(Starflier and Infini -- I hope the labs are going well! 'Love your phlebotomist!')

Slot Fault! 3 rech 3 acc, or equivalent and Spam it.

It's the best power in the set.

Always take taunt on a tank. Not only it keeps aggro, it generates it from a distance and it is AoE - while you sit in the middle of the mob looking awesome, pull even more enemies into your auras and AOE attacks with the taunt. The critical component is that it applies 75% debuff to their visibility range so they start running towards you even if they prefer range.

A tank is a kind of a controller and the taunt is your ranged AoE hold.

I have a lvl 50 WP/Stone and I actually have no problems tanking with her during the early levels. RttC should be slotted with taunt and one end redux if you need it...which you really shouldn't considering you get quick recovery and stam is free these days. Taunt + Rttc = profit. Add fault and its just fun watching enemies flop around.

I might get to run my WP tanker tonight with RTTC turned off, then repeat the same mission with it turned on. After seeing the difference I might then try to get myself to agree with the lack of taunt duration conceptually.

I won't pull that endeavour on a PuG. Hopefully my mates will be on who might indulge me into it. If not tonight then soon.

I say this, because if anyone else can do it then pls do as I wouldn't mind other results versus different enemies at different lvls.

I find many people overstate /WP's lack of threat. Yes, it is weaker, but if you are active with your secondary and cycle through targets, taunt is far from necessary. Don't get me wrong, Taunt is a great tool and worth taking, but too many people use it as a crutch.

RTTC isn't "pretty worthless" for threat generation, especially when leveling up. That's my verdict after tonight.

Aggro holding isn't helped by someone opening early with a aoe knockback whilst someone else opens early with aoe immob room.

Then there is the different AI, some don't/won't recognise taunt and some resist it too well.

A partial mix of which is likely to be found in the early levels doing a Synapse TF for an 8 man team.

The blaster with the AoE knockback is likely to die once throughout the TF and the controller with the immob abuse is also likely to die once throughout the TF.

Thats with a low level WP at the helm, with only so many attacks, only so well slotted, swap out that WP for just about anyother type of tanker and no defeats is likely.

All the low taunt duration in RTTC does is catch other players out. Debt is gone within the next minute. It's hardly worth keeping that taunt duration low imo. Despite an average plausible Willpower tank led Synapse time of 90-100mins it still makes Willpower less efficient.

If formerly clustered mobs were caused to spread by other players then unlike with other tanks the mobs won't remember the WP and be more spread, until recovered, that recovery adds time, the spread means aoes aren't so efficiently used. We could all play better but that'll never happen.