Tanking axes in VAA

Stinkyremy

So when Tanking the axes, solo tanking in VAA, I can keep the axes taunted, maim/breach/fracture and do damage on the boss, increasing the overall DPS on the boss, with no damage done to the team, as long as the axes are taunted they wont harm the team at all.
Did it yesterday in a pug group, they were saying OP tanking, never seen any tank do that before. I did it today in a pug group, they were screaming at me to get away, which I then got hit by a mine and lost 1 of the axes because of backing off into an aoe, which I wouldn't have if I had stayed where I was doing my thing. We got speed run on that run too.
They said I lost the axes because I am "supposed" to take the axes away on a little platform doing nothing but hindering a healer to keep me in resources (which I don't need).
The mines and aoe does not spawn in the middle of the boss, I can sit their all cosy with all the axes laying debuffs and dps on the boss.

Other than the ranged dps having a harder time to single target attack the boss if they dont lock on target the boss, there is no downside to tanking the axes in the middle with the boss, only a plus in debuffs and damage on the boss.


Thoughts on this guys.

SirCritical

Don't care today's group.

Stinkyremy

SirCritical wrote: »

Don't care today's group.

What does that mean?

code65536

Sure, you can tank them near the mage. Puff up the DPS's parses a bit. I've been in runs where we do this.

This isn't a good idea in HM, though. And non-HM is... who cares?

If the tank is comfortable with holding the axes near the mage, then sure, whatever, go for it. But tank rock is safer, less likely to have something go wrong, so there's nothing wrong with tanks that prefer to play it safe.

And if the tank has a good axe-tanking build, the tank can hold the axes with zero healer support and no need for defensive ults (so they can be in the warhorn rotation--just walk off the rock, blow, and walk back). Even in HM, I tell the healers, "ignore me, pretend I'm not there, just focus on the group".

SirCritical

Stinkyremy wrote: »

SirCritical wrote: »

Don't care today's group.

What does that mean?

I meant you were right when you werr tanking them in the middle.

Stinkyremy

SirCritical wrote: »

Stinkyremy wrote: »

SirCritical wrote: »

Don't care today's group.

What does that mean?

I meant you were right when you werr tanking them in the middle.

Thanks. I came up with this strat myself, when at first I saw I only need to taunt 1 axe and it taunts them all, then I realized the axes do no damage at all to anyone while taunted, then I thought why not breach/fracture/maim and damage the boss to make it easier and quicker..

I feel like because no one has ever seen a tank do that, they thing it is wrong and tank is supposed to turtle up out of teh way doing nothing but permablocking and blowing a warhorn.
Tanking in the middle I get warhorn faster too, so even more dps for the group.

code65536 wrote: »

Sure, you can tank them near the mage. Puff up the DPS's parses a bit. I've been in runs where we do this.

This isn't a good idea in HM, though. And non-HM is... who cares?

If the tank is comfortable with holding the axes near the mage, then sure, whatever, go for it. But tank rock is safer, less likely to have something go wrong, so there's nothing wrong with tanks that prefer to play it safe.

And if the tank has a good axe-tanking build, the tank can hold the axes with zero healer support and no need for defensive ults (so they can be in the warhorn rotation--just walk off the rock, blow, and walk back). Even in HM, I tell the healers, "ignore me, pretend I'm not there, just focus on the group".

Yeah no need for healer support, warhorn for team I Don't need anything to tank those axes, it's actually pretty boring just permablocking. First time I did the middle strat I was dodging aoe, until I realized the aoes don't spawn on the boss at all, so being in the middle is the safe place to be.

I'm glad that you guys agree that it is a viable strat because they way the team made me feel today was like I am a complete noob tank and it was my first time in VAA. tbh I should have just ignored their crying and did my strat. I know that I added a lot of dps to that boss overall, and was a contributing factor to getting the speed run.

Edi: I don't think I could do this on HM, but I woould love to try, If i could find a team that would let me try it I reckon I could tank atros and axes solo. Even if I couldn't do it with my build now I could build a build around it, solo tanking VAA hm

SirCritical

In HM no need to tank the atros, it's enough if someone has ranged taunt slotted and brings the atros to the middle. You should follow this tactic in HM too.

Stinkyremy

SirCritical wrote: »

In HM no need to tank the atros, it's enough if someone has ranged taunt slotted and brings the atros to the middle. You should follow this tactic in HM too.

If they are breached/fractured/maimed they die quicker. But yeah inner fire on a stam dps in the middle works, though they can kill the dps.

I'm pretty confident I could do it, especially If I had a stam dps use inner fire to bring them to the middle as inner fire costs a lot of resources.
Just need to find a group willing to let me have a try at it.

DoctorESO

Stinkyremy wrote: »

So when Tanking the axes, solo tanking in VAA, I can keep the axes taunted, maim/breach/fracture and do damage on the boss, increasing the overall DPS on the boss, with no damage done to the team, as long as the axes are taunted they wont harm the team at all.
Did it yesterday in a pug group, they were saying OP tanking, never seen any tank do that before. I did it today in a pug group, they were screaming at me to get away, which I then got hit by a mine and lost 1 of the axes because of backing off into an aoe, which I wouldn't have if I had stayed where I was doing my thing. We got speed run on that run too.
They said I lost the axes because I am "supposed" to take the axes away on a little platform doing nothing but hindering a healer to keep me in resources (which I don't need).
The mines and aoe does not spawn in the middle of the boss, I can sit their all cosy with all the axes laying debuffs and dps on the boss.

Other than the ranged dps having a harder time to single target attack the boss if they dont lock on target the boss, there is no downside to tanking the axes in the middle with the boss, only a plus in debuffs and damage on the boss.


Thoughts on this guys.

It's pretty standard to tank axes on that rock. It's called the "tank rock." Sometimes, tanks can self-sustain with maybe just a heal once in a while.

TankHealz2015

Check out this video. After seeing it, I had to subscribe to his channel. Lots of amazing trial runs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oNiuepOruw



How to solo tank vAA HM (Check Description)
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Just a quick upload of a training run in vAA HM. Solo tanking boss, atros + axes while keeping decent uptimes of debuffs on the main boss.

Notable buffs: Engulfing 74%, crusher 50%, alkosh 50%

Gear used for this was:

Ebon 5x body - so group doesn't get 1s by chain lightning.

Alkosh 5x jewelry + weapons - better than torugs here as it's easier to apply while juggling so many adds.

Lord warden 2x - group support and some extra res for myself.

Important to note is that you have to time your warhorn usage + potions so you do not run out of stam. No stamina - dead tank.

If you taunted each axe once when it spawned they'll keep aggro on you if you just keep ONE of them taunted. You can actually let the taunt expire on the rest and they'll stay aggroed on you - this helps with resource management as you don't have to spam puncture. The only problem with this is that if one of the mini mages drops on you and knocks you back the axes will aggro randomly.

Also props to chaos for solo healing this o.o

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Stinkyremy

TankHealz2015 wrote: »

"If you taunted each axe once when it spawned they'll keep aggro on you if you just keep ONE of them taunted. You can actually let the taunt expire on the rest and they'll stay aggroed on you
The only problem with this is that if one of the mini mages drops on you and knocks you back the axes will aggro randomly"

This I figured out myself, first time I was taunting every axe and keeping them taunted, wasting resources, second time I noticed the axes do not hurt the team, after learning VAA and being confident I started tanking axes in the middle. Then next time I tried it , as in original post, they pug group were crying and told me to get away, got hit by a knockdown mine, lost agro on axes.

I am confident I can do this, but have no group to try it with. I'm in a guild that are leaderboard hunters, which I don't care about, and have asked if they will allow me to test it out. No reply yet, but they only ever want meta builds, like the gear you suggested, which I can do, I have all of the gear apart from an alkosh neck (blue rings) because same issue of not being able to do vmol as I have no group.

TankHealz2015

Disclaimer = this is NOT me in the video. The guy tanking and his team are amazing. I'm not there yet.

I've subscribed to his channel and he has many more amazing dungeon and trials feats.


But, I am very glad that another person has been able to tank vAA axes in the center with the boss.

Certainly cool to prove there is more than one way to complete challenging content.

Stinkyremy

TankHealz2015 wrote: »

Disclaimer = this is NOT me in the video. The guy tanking and his team are amazing. I'm not there yet.

I've subscribed to his channel and he has many more amazing dungeon and trials feats.


But, I am very glad that another person has been able to tank vAA axes in the center with the boss.

Certainly cool to prove there is more than one way to complete challenging content.

Yeah, it's a viable strat, but I am at a loss without having a team to try it with. I don't even know how to find a decent guild that are not meta and leaderboard hunters, that want to play for fun. Guild recruitment on the forum doesn't work, spamming zone chat doesn't work, and every guild I am in are either meta trial guilds, or noob progression guilds/trading guilds.

Gone are the days where we can play video games for fun.
The worse thing about it is that I am on PS4, so say the new dungeons, which come out in a few days on PS4. People watch youtube vids of them before even playing them and figuring out mechanics themselves. Ttsking away all the fun out of doing it first time and learning.
Same goes for testing builds, team comp in trials ect.
It's like a lack of ingenuity, originality and willingness to experiment.

code65536

Stinkyremy wrote: »

I don't even know how to find a decent guild that are not meta and leaderboard hunters

I hate to burst your bubble, but the people in that video are exactly the kind of "meta and leaderboard hunters" that you dismiss. High-risk strategies like this require a good team with very high DPS (good luck doing this if your group gets 5 axes) and discipline to not make mistakes that can complicate what you're doing.

Get out of your head this ridiculous notion that somehow people who use the "meta" are inflexible. They're the people most willing to try new things that will potentially give them an edge (which is what causes the so-called "meta" to change so frequently), and they're the people with the resources at their disposal to do so.

Stinkyremy

"code6553 wrote:

I did not post that video, nor did I know about this strat without coming to the conclusion myself.
I play video games myself, I don't watch videos or read about how to play video games without playing them myself. I understand completely how and why people create a meta, which others then follow, and while I may or may not lack the originality to create a new meta, that does not mean that this fictional player made meta is all that there is and you are a scrub/noob if you don't follow meta.

After my experience in VAA, I am confident that I can solo tank Vaa hm. Not following that videos build at all, but following my own build.
Maybe if I followed that build and strat, I might do better, but maybe if I created a new build of my own I may out perform the tank in the video.
I will never know until I have a competent team to try it out with, As it is now, I can rarely even get into a trial unless I am following someone else build (meta), not even pugs will accept non meta builds, let alone organized teams!

Jonno

i thought tanking axes in middle was meta even the zone pugs ive ran with have done it this way for quite a while now on HM too

DoctorESO

Jonno wrote: »

i thought tanking axes in middle was meta even the zone pugs ive ran with have done it this way for quite a while now on HM too

You zone PUG vAA HM? Or maybe I missed the sarcasm emote?

Stinkyremy

DoctorESO wrote: »

Jonno wrote: »

i thought tanking axes in middle was meta even the zone pugs ive ran with have done it this way for quite a while now on HM too

You zone PUG vAA HM? Or maybe I missed the sarcasm emote?

I have.....didn't go well at all

Jonno

yes i have zone pugged all craglorn trial on hm multiple times