AE Taunt

[Abividad]

OK Guess I'm going to be one of the sheep. Already have ND2, and will be putting next 6 points into ND3. After that I'd planed on going with Area Taunt since I split my time 50/35/15 LDoN/Planes exp/raiding. I tried a search using Area Taunt, but seemed to get all taunt references. Tried looking on Lucy and did not find it in their search. Even tried caster Realm and didn't see my questions answered there.

What is the range on Area Taunt? Is it line of sight? If I pop it to save a Cleric or Enchanter from a beating from an add, how long will it stick with me while I'm hitting the first mob exclusively? Given my described play style (Also only level 64, guild is in HoT now) Should I work on CA/CS/PD/PE/LR etc before getting the taunt? I always felt that AE Taunt and Defensive were a Warrior's defining abilities, So have planned on doing them ASAP.

Thanks in advance for any advice

[Gerald]

I think the range on it is a tiny bit farther than normal than regular taunt. The difference is that it's 100% successful every time. So basically any mobs around you in range will be on you unless somebody has low health agro. It's good for an emergency agro grab (like if your MT on a raid dies) or to taunt say 5 mobs around you after getting a heal on an adventure (so they don't all pummel the cleric).

It's probably our best AA.

[Brutul]

Originally posted by Gerald
It's probably our best AA.

Yup. Get as soon as you can.

[Draganetti]

As the name implies, it's "area" based in a radius around you. I don't think line of site has anything to do with it, and I think it can go through floors/ceilings (but never had it happen on me). The same way normal taunt can be out of range, AE taunt can also be out of range. This means for large targets like dragons you likely need to be inside the dragon near its center in order to be in range for AE taunt. Lets say you taunt 5 mobs off the cleric in your group. You will have aggro from all of them while you continue beating on your mob, until that cleric decides to cast another direct heal, in which case he'd get aggro from them all right back again. It's just like a normal taunt, you get +1 aggro over the other highest aggro person, 100% of the time if you're in range. If someone is low health frenzy of course no ammount of aggro will help you.

[Antaran]

I'm curious about Area taunt as well. I have however heard horror stories of some people using it and it resulting in aggro through walls/floor/ceiling resulting in trains/wipes.

My question is, in what kind of situation would you not use area taunt?
And if there is a particular place/zone that has been troublesome in this regard?

All other info on area taunt is well appreciated as well.

[Greyslayer]

I'd the a good place not to try and use it is Ssra Temple Was fighting Rhag 1 once and used it on accident and agro'd Warden Soandso but he never came so /shrug

[Fenring]

You wouldn't want to use it on a protect the gnome type quest or something because you'll aggro the npc. I used it on Xanamech once and aggroed the gnome then he went nuts attacking the clerics that where healing me and ended up getting nobody flagged. Other than that I haven't had any problem aggroing things I didn't want to, I'm sure it happens but it seems like those times would be fairly rare.

[Khabok]

There are probably places in tightly packed dungeons where using it might be bad. I used it in The Hole once when we already had like 5 adds in the middle of the city, and suddenly we had like 5 more come running from inside buildings

And as mentioned on escort type missions it will aggro friendly NPC's, or anyplace you may be fighting within range of non KOS mobs. Ive aggroed the general on the 8th shawl walk a few times with it.

As for the gnome on Xanamech one thing I learned last run, is that if he gets aggroed, just slow him and let him beat on someone. Dont memwipe him and when the dragon dies he I think respawns, and losses aggro. If you memwipe you wont get flagged. Found out cause I accidentally slowed him last fight with the Shambot, but he was a wimp slowed, shammy just tanked him whole fight with quiessence.

Originally posted by Draganetti
It's just like a normal taunt, you get +1 aggro over the other highest aggro person, 100% of the time if you're in range.

So finally the agro works that way guys?. I mean its been a lot of talking about this matter with that new test someone (dont remeber name) did. Much theories but nothing definitive. Thats stuff of "maxagro+1" is comonly accepted?. Sure this is the mother of all questions... but how does really taunt works? or at least whats the most accepted theory about the matter?

[Tierleaf]

Will work unless someone has low health aggro then it fails.

[QuirtEvans]

Another AoE taunt question, how fast does AoE taunt refresh? I tried to do a search, but I didn't find the answer.

AoE taunt is probably my next AA buy, I'm about an AA and a half away.

[Isk]

15 minutes, iirc. Hastened Instigation cuts this by 1 minute per level, I believe.

[Khabok]

Successful taunt put you at the top of the hate list, how far above the second person on the list is debateable. AE taunt will put you at top of list of every mob in range guaranteed for that exact instant. But as soon as someone else does something to any one of those mobs to increase their aggro, you will move from that top spot. And Low health aggro will put anyone at top.


Still AE taunt is a great tool. Of course its best if you have a good group that knows to stay close to the tank to avoid mobs running all over the place. On an pull with adds you can select a mob and let the CC team do their thing, but when the enchanter gets a resist and you see their health dropping, there is no need to change your target or stop attacking, just AEtaunt and it gives them the time they need for another mez attempt. Of course a second resist means your skill is already used and ya have to find other means of keeping them alive.

Same when you know the cleric is going to have to heal before adds are under control, soon as you are healed and see their HP dropping a fast AE taunt gets all the mobs back on you. Many times they might hit you only once or twice before a mez lands, but its our job to be hit and those one or 2 hits that you barely notice can be the death of clerics and casters.

I put of AE taunt for a while, worked on all he Hps AA's 1st. I recently added AE taunt and man I am kicking myself for waiting. AE taunt gives a nice little aggro boost when it's used, so I would recommed getting AE taunt when you can.

MuGz

[Smack]

Will work unless someone has low health aggro then it fails.

It doesn't necessarily *fail* if somone has low health aggro. If it's beating on somone with low health, you AE Taunt and they get healed, the mob will turn on you as soon as they get above 25% health.