'TLDR'
Attacking a mob furthest away from nearby adjacent
enemy packs changes the way agro works.
EXAMPLE:
You can pick and choose what to pull and how it agros.
What I am explaining is how “enemy agro” and “enemy agro assist” actually works. It has been in the game since day 1. It can also allow you to specifically pull any single enemy unit “alone” from a mob cluster.
It seems like everyone making Mythic+ Guides aside from a select few, do not realize packs of mobs near patrols and emissary packs can be pulled easily without causing agro to adjacent nearby enemy packs. So that hard pull with many enemies now becomes 1 single unit “respectively”.
Mobs currently in the game are flagged into 3 types of groups in dungeons.
- P - Patrol
- E - Emessary
- O - Ordinary Mob Cluster (Most packs are this type.)
- X - Targeted Pulled Mob
- NOTE: There are linked Mob Cluster chains as a mob type as well. Pulling any single unit of this “linked chain” will pull everything its linked to. This guide does not pertain to that type of pack.
Why does this matter? if a mob is near patrols or if mobs are
from seperate clusters, you can individually pull them without chaining entire mob packs. This works amazing on Bolister and Bursting weeks. As most mobs have a facepull of about 10 yards and a leashed agro radius of about 5 yards (The help of a few rogues or night elves would be required for the exact measurements)
If a pull looks like this
`Mob pack Cluster + 1`
O O E O X <-- Targeting the farthest mob = Bypass Emessary
O O O <-- this row will will always pull EVERYTHING
'Patrol + Emessary + 1'
O O O O
O O O
E <-- only this unit is agroed
P <-- pulling the patrol here only agros +1 target
This works in both “Retail” & “Classic” Wow to make several pulls easier without CC as long is there is a patrol path. So when dealing with patroling units units you can cheese pulls “Like if you had permanent CC”.
'Classic & Retail Example'
Mob Pack --->> O O
Targeting X --> X P <-- Patrol Mob Pack
You will only pull 1 of the O mobs
How does this actually work?
Assist agro is granted to X
Assit agro pulls P
Secondary AoE assist agro bypasses chained agro
and you only pull 1 O
Again how is this useful?
When dealing with non-standard unit packs = Emessary Units and Oversized mob packs. As well as when dealing with patrolling units with 2+ mobs and there are many other mobs nearby.
You can pick and choose How they agro.
'Large Example'
O O O O O O <-- this row of Hard hitting mobs
'O'O O O O <-- only 'O' pulls
'X'P P
'X'P
^--Targeting either 'X' will pull the entire patrol
+1 'O' single mob.
'WARNING!!! This takes practice!
Missile travel time needs to be taken into account!
Attacking too soon or too late on patrol packs
may still agro additional units
if your primary pull target is too close to other packs.'
I hope this helped. It is a great way to make Bolistering, Bursting, Beguiling and other Mythic+ mechanics easy. As well as improving your classic wow experience making incredibly un’CC’able hard pulls now easy manageable pulls
'Additional Note'
Some mob clusters are uniquely tagged
Such as the final pull within Gnomeragan.
Just before King Mechatorque.
'1'2 3 4 5 6'7' <-- Targeting '1' or '7' will not pull
2-3 additional units on the far side.
However pulling or attacking '4' will agro 'EVERYTHING'.
# This can be used in other areas as well.
# This is also the easiest example to replicate.
Food for thought:
like the above example sometimes mobs are coded into single units within a cluster. So, only targeting the mob farthest away from the rest of the cluster will only pull a few of that mob cluster.
Additional Bonus:
Using knock back effects and abilities like ring of peace will also allow you to “pinpoint” what you pull.
- Monk - Ring of Peace: allows you to position mob packs further apart prior to pulling. Allowing easier selection of what is pulled and how it is pulled.
- Knock backs can also do “fun” things with when using this method of pulling.
M+ Example: FREEHOLD
After the second boss there is a patrolling Ettin on your way to the last two bosses. Occasionally there is an emissary slightly “infront” of the pack before the bridge to Harlan Sweete.You can single pull the emissary only by attacking the ettin Close enough to the emissary but far enough from the rest of the pack. Only the ettin & emissary will agro allowing for an easier pull.
M+ Example: ATAL’DAZAR
This also makes progressing on the key MUCH EASIER. As it allows you to easily kill difficult pulls. Such as the pack infront of Vol’kaal in Atal’Dazar that ocassionally has a void emessary with it.
There are many more areas where you can use this method to single out hard pulls. These are only two specific examples. The Underrot and The Shrine of Storm have several pulls and spots where you can single out mobs. Try it out.
FunFact: Did you know all stealthed “Shrouded Fang” units in The Temple of Sethraliss dungeon are accompanied by a small visible npc companion critter that gives away their location.
Worse, some insist “it makes no difference” when it really does help to be able to kill off a pack without having to also deal with the emissary at the same time. (See especially the Freehold example above.)
But the Waycrest one was new to me. A tank did it a few nights ago when we literally needed ONE more percent for enemies and I was amazed. I wish I could tell you how he did it, but I’ll bet it can be looked up.