Hi, noob question here,
I’m struggling with tanking because I cant hold aggro. No matter how hard I try, classes like DH and Warrior just instantly pull the mobs off me. I’ve even tried using Convoke and Incarnation when they use Meta/Blade storm and it STILL doesn’t hold agro.
Is there something I’m missing besides Thrash and Swipe? Do I need to take Brambles?
Happens to me as well, especially when I have a warrior in my group. For some reason, Bears just don’t have as high threat as other tanks even though we do great dps for a tank.
You can switch things around to go more dps oriented. Taking Brambles is a start. You can also switch to Night Fae Korayn soulbind for more snap threat from First Strike and Wild Hunt Tactics.
Brambles is about a 4-5% damage increase
First strike is 25% more crit for 5 seconds into the fight
Wild Hunt Tactics is 10% increased damage at the start as well.
Also, regarding swipe. Moonfire is more damage if it lasts the full duration compared to a max 5 target swipe, and I recommend you to use that instead of swipe if you have aggro on everything. Only use swipe if thrash is on cooldown and moonfire is on every target, or if thrash is on cooldown and you need aggro on multiple mobs
Awesome ty!
what keys and the ilvl the group run does have an effect.
with Balance aff it increase the attack of your range by 3 yard. It could be when you are trash/swipe you miss a mob or two? Mass Entanglement helps to CC mobs in certain weeks when affix is not good to face tank them. So you can charge in aggro Mass Entanglement till your stacks fall off. If you are the risky type you can take heart of the wile then puts you in boomy form and use conwoke. Keep it mind that’s a risky move as you could be kill and also in bommy you don’t generate as much aggro as bear.
I started tanking on my bear but I tank mostly low level m and I am pretty sure i outgear it so I don’t have any issue with aggro…
Definitely try to get MF up on everything and keep it rolling. It really helps. It is usually my #1 or #2 damage ability overall so long as I’m diligent about applying it.
I usually actually start with a swipe so that the mobs will tend to gather around me an in range of thrash. If I think I’m going to miss a caster, I’ll MF them on the pull. Then I’ll try to start getting MF’s up between thrash CDs. then I just keep Thrash on CD, Mangle on CD, MF’s up, and swipe as a filler.
Another thing I do is I try to charge a mob in the back. You can thrash while in charge, so I try to time it where when I’m going through the pack I get a thrash on all of them, and since its a charge, I’m usually getting 1-2 GCDs of AOE damage up before the group DPSs.
If someone pulls off me, I let them talk (unless the healer) or I’ll taunt it back. I mostly pug so I don’t try to compete with DPS hell bent on DPSing to the point they pull agro off. I also still usually mark priority targets. Granted, 50% of the time its ignored (or even better, dies last) but it tends to help indicate what I’m focusing my threat on at least for the first mob. I have Skull and Cross key bound so its easy to toss out.
Brambles with NOW + Survival Instincts gives pretty good AOE dps as well on the opening and can help.
Also use a legendary that increases damage/threat if you do not need the survivablity instead of the natural orders will.
All of the above. Plus consider switching to Necrolord. Between the versatility based covenant armor, and serrated spaulders, I have noticed a big dps increase, which increases threat. I also have 3 different legendaries, and switch between them, depending on the situation. That helps as well.
I’m having a blast as a necro bear.