Requirements
Conjurer Level 30, Arcanist Level 15
Conjurer Level 30, Arcanist Level 15
Macros and UI Help
Do not rapidly press macro buttons, this will start them over and over and will screw up many of their workings. Macros also do not work with forgiveness zones, meaning pushing it .25 seconds from when Global Cool Down is over, will not push the action through. Global Cool Down must finish completely before a macro (that uses an on GCD ability) can be processed, making them slightly slower (cool downs and off gcds function fine). A well-controlled use of hotkeys is needed for macros, otherwise they are diminished. Furthermore macros can at shortest work in terms of half seconds, anything shorter will cause abilities to not go off.
To be more aware of when your Cool Downs are Available for use again consider one of the two following methods
Visual (PC): enter your HUD layout through the system menu. Place a hot bar nearer to the center of your screen but far enough away you have enough visual space to see your character. Make this hot bar larger using CTRL+HOME. In this bar place a secondary icon of the abilities you wish to know the availability of, whether they be Cool Downs, Off GCDs, or Procs. The following is an example.
Audio: Use a macro on the ability to inform you when its cool down has passed.
/macroicon “Ability”
/ac “Ability”
/wait # (put the recast time in seconds or a few second short to warn you early for reaction time)
/e Ability is ready <se.#> (pick a number for the sound effect you desire)
You’ll need to replace quotes “ “ in game OR use tab/auto-translate feature to input ability names. Start typing the ability name at the appropriate spot in the macro and press tab, then select the ability from the drop down list.
Tank lost aggro (you may omit the fluid aura at the bottom)
/p Tank lost aggro on <t> <se.10>
/mk cross
/ac "fluid aura"
Sleeping key (combined with blm so you can use it on both)
/p sleeping <t>
/mk bind1
/ac repose
/ac sleep
Raise
/macroicon raise
/action Swiftcast
/wait 1
/p raising <t>
/ac raise <t>
Stone omni key
/macroicon stone
/ac "Stone III"
/ac "stone II"
/ac stone
Emergency buff
/micon "Presence of Mind"
/ac "Presence of Mind"
/wait .5
/ac "Divine Seal"
Virus Cross Class
/macroicon virus
/ac virus <t> <wait.1>
/p Virus used on <t> <se.1>
Eye for Eye cross class (combined with scholar, summoner and blm so you can use it on all 4)
/macroicon "eye for an eye"
/ac "Eye for an Eye"
/ac "eye for an eye" <tt> <wait..5>
/ac "apocatastasis" <tt>
/ac "Deployment Tactics"
/ac "Deployment Tactics" <tt>
Do not rapidly press macro buttons, this will start them over and over and will screw up many of their workings. Macros also do not work with forgiveness zones, meaning pushing it .25 seconds from when Global Cool Down is over, will not push the action through. Global Cool Down must finish completely before a macro (that uses an on GCD ability) can be processed, making them slightly slower (cool downs and off gcds function fine). A well-controlled use of hotkeys is needed for macros, otherwise they are diminished. Furthermore macros can at shortest work in terms of half seconds, anything shorter will cause abilities to not go off.
To be more aware of when your Cool Downs are Available for use again consider one of the two following methods
Visual (PC): enter your HUD layout through the system menu. Place a hot bar nearer to the center of your screen but far enough away you have enough visual space to see your character. Make this hot bar larger using CTRL+HOME. In this bar place a secondary icon of the abilities you wish to know the availability of, whether they be Cool Downs, Off GCDs, or Procs. The following is an example.
Audio: Use a macro on the ability to inform you when its cool down has passed.
/macroicon “Ability”
/ac “Ability”
/wait # (put the recast time in seconds or a few second short to warn you early for reaction time)
/e Ability is ready <se.#> (pick a number for the sound effect you desire)
You’ll need to replace quotes “ “ in game OR use tab/auto-translate feature to input ability names. Start typing the ability name at the appropriate spot in the macro and press tab, then select the ability from the drop down list.
Tank lost aggro (you may omit the fluid aura at the bottom)
/p Tank lost aggro on <t> <se.10>
/mk cross
/ac "fluid aura"
Sleeping key (combined with blm so you can use it on both)
/p sleeping <t>
/mk bind1
/ac repose
/ac sleep
Raise
/macroicon raise
/action Swiftcast
/wait 1
/p raising <t>
/ac raise <t>
Stone omni key
/macroicon stone
/ac "Stone III"
/ac "stone II"
/ac stone
Emergency buff
/micon "Presence of Mind"
/ac "Presence of Mind"
/wait .5
/ac "Divine Seal"
Virus Cross Class
/macroicon virus
/ac virus <t> <wait.1>
/p Virus used on <t> <se.1>
Eye for Eye cross class (combined with scholar, summoner and blm so you can use it on all 4)
/macroicon "eye for an eye"
/ac "Eye for an Eye"
/ac "eye for an eye" <tt> <wait..5>
/ac "apocatastasis" <tt>
/ac "Deployment Tactics"
/ac "Deployment Tactics" <tt>
Cross Class
Recommended:
Swiftcast- this is almost required if you ever want to raise someone practically in a fight, it also serves the additional benefits of emergency healing and quick casting buffs like protect. stoneskin, and stoneskin 2
Eye for Eye- excellent source of mitigation, always use on the tank in a boss fight, but the cool down is rather long as cross class so don't waste it.
Good:
Virus- Useful for reducing physical damage from a target in both solo and party play. The short cool down allows you to use it pretty often so feel free in trash fights
Surecast- is a nice buff to have if you are forced to hard cast a raise but server no purpose usually. Its simple prevent damage from canceling your cast but anything else still does.
Bad:
Ruin-This can be a very cheap form of very poor dps. So you can spam the living hell out of this ability and never make a dent in your mp, but equally its not gonna kill anything anytime soon.
Blizzard 2- other than as a pinning move, this spell is pathetic damage and a waste of mp and movement.
Physick- as sexy as this move looks compared to cure (just my opinion) dont use it as it will not proc your Freecure trait which is a major source of sustaining your healing.
Recommended:
Swiftcast- this is almost required if you ever want to raise someone practically in a fight, it also serves the additional benefits of emergency healing and quick casting buffs like protect. stoneskin, and stoneskin 2
Eye for Eye- excellent source of mitigation, always use on the tank in a boss fight, but the cool down is rather long as cross class so don't waste it.
Good:
Virus- Useful for reducing physical damage from a target in both solo and party play. The short cool down allows you to use it pretty often so feel free in trash fights
Surecast- is a nice buff to have if you are forced to hard cast a raise but server no purpose usually. Its simple prevent damage from canceling your cast but anything else still does.
Bad:
Ruin-This can be a very cheap form of very poor dps. So you can spam the living hell out of this ability and never make a dent in your mp, but equally its not gonna kill anything anytime soon.
Blizzard 2- other than as a pinning move, this spell is pathetic damage and a waste of mp and movement.
Physick- as sexy as this move looks compared to cure (just my opinion) dont use it as it will not proc your Freecure trait which is a major source of sustaining your healing.
Abilities, Combos, and Execution
Here we will review in sections the various abilities you will have, how you should use them, and how they will change your playstyle. A list of the specific details of the abilities can be viewed Here and Here. Note what I consider to be a cool down constitutes a buffing action and longer recast time of 60 or more seconds. Attacks and single use buffs with shorter recast time, I consider to be Off GCD abilities and are included in the main sections. You may disagree with these definitions, but that is how the format of the following is written. Key abilities are described in their own sections for clarity of function and purpose.
Here we will review in sections the various abilities you will have, how you should use them, and how they will change your playstyle. A list of the specific details of the abilities can be viewed Here and Here. Note what I consider to be a cool down constitutes a buffing action and longer recast time of 60 or more seconds. Attacks and single use buffs with shorter recast time, I consider to be Off GCD abilities and are included in the main sections. You may disagree with these definitions, but that is how the format of the following is written. Key abilities are described in their own sections for clarity of function and purpose.
Introduction
Warrior is the Damage oriented tank of the game. Their mitigation strategy is less effective than the other tanks. They use a healing buff in their tanking stance, as opposed to a damage reduction. I'll go more into the math of why this is worse later. The Warrior instead offers high damage to the group. This rewards a skilled group, and punishes a poor group, mostly centered around the healer. The warrior has no problems establishing enmity, however its reliance on only tp is dangerous in prolonged or strenuous engagements. I recommend you play this tank only if you have a fair bit of skill in resource management and rotation execution as this tank in a poorly skilled players hands offers nothing to the party but detriment.
Requirements
Marauder Level 30, Gladiator Level 15
The Basics of Tanking
Here are some things to know before you start tanking
Enmity
This game calls the enemy attention mechanic “enmity”. You may know this as hate, aggro, threat, rage, etc. Enmity generation is your first and foremost duty, then damage reduction, and then damage dealing. Now enmity generation is tied to damage dealt, but they are not the same thing. There are moves which provide enmity bonuses which means they produce double the enmity for the damage. So damage is important, but these abilities are more so.
This is how enmity works so you understand. I shall use a single unit of damage/healing to show perspective
1 damage = 1 enmity point
1 damage from an enmity bonus attack = 2 enmity points
1 healing = 0.5 enmity points to all enemies that are currently engaged by that target
You must stay at least 1 point of enmity above all players on all targets (hopefully more than that) for the targets to remain attacking you. Current enmity totals are shown (although not numerically) in two areas.
The first is detailed for a single target. With a target selected, you can view who has how much enmity in the party window. This will also let you know who is closest and by how much. This will inform your enmity generation and dps decisions.
The second is the enemy list. If you have an orange square for all of them, you are golden. If you have anything else (especially that green circle), you need to attack that target IMMEDIATELY and bring the enemy back to you.
Warrior is the Damage oriented tank of the game. Their mitigation strategy is less effective than the other tanks. They use a healing buff in their tanking stance, as opposed to a damage reduction. I'll go more into the math of why this is worse later. The Warrior instead offers high damage to the group. This rewards a skilled group, and punishes a poor group, mostly centered around the healer. The warrior has no problems establishing enmity, however its reliance on only tp is dangerous in prolonged or strenuous engagements. I recommend you play this tank only if you have a fair bit of skill in resource management and rotation execution as this tank in a poorly skilled players hands offers nothing to the party but detriment.
Requirements
Marauder Level 30, Gladiator Level 15
The Basics of Tanking
Here are some things to know before you start tanking
Enmity
This game calls the enemy attention mechanic “enmity”. You may know this as hate, aggro, threat, rage, etc. Enmity generation is your first and foremost duty, then damage reduction, and then damage dealing. Now enmity generation is tied to damage dealt, but they are not the same thing. There are moves which provide enmity bonuses which means they produce double the enmity for the damage. So damage is important, but these abilities are more so.
This is how enmity works so you understand. I shall use a single unit of damage/healing to show perspective
1 damage = 1 enmity point
1 damage from an enmity bonus attack = 2 enmity points
1 healing = 0.5 enmity points to all enemies that are currently engaged by that target
You must stay at least 1 point of enmity above all players on all targets (hopefully more than that) for the targets to remain attacking you. Current enmity totals are shown (although not numerically) in two areas.
The first is detailed for a single target. With a target selected, you can view who has how much enmity in the party window. This will also let you know who is closest and by how much. This will inform your enmity generation and dps decisions.
The second is the enemy list. If you have an orange square for all of them, you are golden. If you have anything else (especially that green circle), you need to attack that target IMMEDIATELY and bring the enemy back to you.