Just a quickie on aggro and snare/harmshield pulling for beginner's or whomever it might be useful.

Aggro-CD

I know most might know this, but I would run into a SK every now and then that didn't know how much aggro CD (Clinging Darkness) generated.

Was grouped in PoV a while back, was letting another SK tank, yet he'd lose aggro immediately as the enchie slowed. Enchie would send me tells how hard it was for the other SK to keep aggro. I sent a tell to the other SK and asked what he was using for aggro, can't remember which he said, but recommended CD to him and he never lost aggro.

Fast cast time, lvl 15 spell, cost is 20 mana.

IMO, this is the only aggro spell you'll need to have memmed (not including Voice line of spells, some keep it memmed, some don't), unless you have a mezzer, then you can also mem the terror line of spells for added safety (of the enchie =P)

If a SK loses aggro
1.) they aren't paying attention
2.) you're way too uber
3.) the caster who got it is already oom
4.) they were in the middle of a tell
5.) *cough* they are fighting with the touchpad on the laptop *cough* :o

Snare/Harmshield

Not all SK's pull/split alike. Snare is your buddy in pulling/splitting (when not resisted or mob is immune to run speed). Of course you use your higher lvl snare to pull try and split mobs. Cascading Darkness is a waste, stay with Dooming Darkness until you get Festering Darkness.

Trio spawn in PoV at the IC camp is a pain to split, if you try without any sort of snare/FD or pacify/harmony thing. Assuming the whole camp is clear, just simply get in snaring distance and cast snare on either the left or right mob. Haul ass to the entrance of the IC camp, if snare landed, wait till the others approach you, then FD, and watch them walk off. Then have someone tag the snared mob, wait till the other 2 are reset, stand up, see if they come at you, if not go tank or assist on the tagged mob.

If snare is resisted, you can try another snare attempt at the entrance to IC camp, then FD, wait, tag, and so on.
--

I keep Harmshield memmed for splitting, namely named mobs, and for the attempt to make the biggest trains in Nurga/Droga/MM/etc to knockout my friends =P

You can use this to pull mobs like Va'Dyn (sp?) (I don't even know ><, the rock dude in Akheva!) If you've cleared enough and have assistance from a few monks, cast an aggro spell on Va'Dyn (calling him that till someone corrects me if wrong =P), he'll be coming to your ass with around 2 adds (if you cleared all but 2) have the 2 monks try and aggro the 2 adds so you will have Va'Dyn on you only and cast Harmshield. Another monk can tag him (then you FD) and take him to the party, cause the monks with the 2 adds are most likely FD by now and you still have aggro on those 2.

That was just a crappy scenario, basically you can use it to buy time on named mobs (or hard splits) having it beat on you and avoid having adds while monks kite, ping/pong them around.

I'm just rambling now =P Hope someone finds this useful! =P

Fear is also rockin aggro in general and when you don't wanna be dotting things for mez etc. I keep CD and fear memmed always.

/nod

Fear is awesome aggro, had always wanted to try it, did one day in Valor.

Was always reluctant to keep it memmed, kinda scarred from lower lvls DL people blaming me for fearing the mobs while it was the monk using instill doubt =P

Think the mob lvl needs to be 55+ to use fear as aggro (cause they are immune to fear, so they won't run) if anyone wants to try.

Fear is awesome aggro, had always wanted to try it, did one day in Valor.

Does it seem that fear is better aggro than Terror of Thule? I generally use Terror of Thule to pull the mob so that I have a good aggro while they are inc, and that generally gives the slower the ability to debuff or slow the mob before it's engaged by the MT.

If so, and the mana cost is about the same, I may have a new trick :)

Terror's are VERY little aggro from outside melee range. Read forums.shadowknight.org for more infoz =). But in general, fear and CD are TONS more aggro, less mana, and better in general than terrors.

Terror's are VERY little aggro from outside melee range. Read forums.shadowknight.org for more infoz =). But in general, fear and CD are TONS more aggro, less mana, and better in general than terrors.

Fear is good aggro, but cast time is kinda long. I wont use it on fast hitting mobs.

Maeel

My cast time for Fear is 1.9 (without spell haste at 65)
and cast time for Thule is 1.5
Well worth the extra .4 imo, especially with the issues already mentioned with the Terror line.

Another great method of pulling hard to split mobs is with your pet.

That works until you tank mobs where you barely get a spell off due to a fast hitting interupting mob :) Hate being a dark elf sometimes.

Maeel

hmm...Am I the only one who doesnt use CD or Fear for agro? Festering on inc or while pulling then melee + AoH/Zbite and like 2 taunts and it's my bitch.

So much H8 for Maeel!

/cry

So much h8! I normally use cd and terror and have no issues with aggro.

Maeel

Why would you ever use Cascading Darkness?

Festering Darkness is almost half the mana, less than half the cast time, less resistable and almost the same amount of damage.

Dooming Darkness is almost 1/3 the mana, near half the cast time.

What mobs are you fighting that hit so fast and interrupt so often that Terror over Fear makes a difference?

Pretty sure by CD we are all kaling about Clinging Darkness. And Maeel does most of his tanking in PoTime, and LDoN Raids and Hards.

I know that during some LDoN's I tend to get interrupted at times trying to get that extra lifetap off if our slower is having problems getting it slowed.

The only thing that matters when you cast only for aggro is getting the spell off and amount of aggro. Resists don't matter since the aggro is the same. I use CD and fear. If you use those two you can buy 1 level of spell casting expertise for 2 AA and never fizzle your aggro spell. The only drawback I see with fear is the long recast.

I guess the hardest and fastest hitting mob a time SK normally would tank is Cazic-Thule. Quad 2k or thereabouts. You also typically need to get aggro spells off while offtanking a mob before a slow lands. Today in tier 3 I offtanked a mob and went from 10k hp to 0 in 3 melee rounds (from a non-named). That's the kind of mob an SK tanks where every tenth of a second counts :) .

Wibbes back to playign the SK Svar!

(Kinda behind, was sorta here, sorta not =p)

Pet splitting is sweet, never did it with my SK, but would always do it with necro.

Fear splitting mobs (before they are immune) is another method that can be used.

And yeah, I was talking about clinging darkness =p

Maeel

you have to forgive Maeel. He is a little slow sometimes

/em helps Maeel put his helmet back on, and makes sure he doesnt miss his buss

8P

Which way to the bus stop?

Maeel

Black Bastardsword /spits, crap :p, cant believe I had one, especially since every twink has one now.

Stats on it were the only reason why I got one (and cause it looked cooler than a Windblade), but for the single reason of having it for the proc is rather useless. SKs don't have trouble keeping aggro.

I would rather have a Blackened Greatsword (some sword from the Gobbie event in PoN). I never ever saw one for sell, but would be around the same price as a Black Bastardsword.

(Only if you don't access to BoT for the weapons there or other places)

Maeel, time for your weekly H8. H8 H8 H8 H8 H8 H8 H8 H8 H8 H8 J0000!

/huggles

I finally got my horse the other day. I win at bein an SK!

Grats Muert! You have finally beat EQ!