Aggro

• A common question is: "How should I kill monsters safely?"
• Or "How do I avoid getting Additional monsters (Adds)?"

When you first start playing, monsters happily ignore you until you attack them.

At around level ten you start to meet monsters which will attack you as soon as they see you.

And not long after that you start to meet monsters which ignore you at first, but turn on you in a group if you annoy just one of them.

What does it mean when a player says 'Aggro'?

Aggro, short for "Aggravation" or "Aggression", is a measure of how annoyed a monster is, and who it is annoyed at.

Generally, if a player says this, then they want you to annoy, or to stop annoying, monsters.

How does it work?

• Some monsters get annoyed if a player gets too close.
• Some monsters get annoyed if you fight another similar monster nearby.
• All monsters get annoyed when they get hurt. Each attack generates Aggro, and also the more damage, the more hate.
• Almost all skills also cause some aggro.
• Some skills build up a lot more Aggro.
• Monsters lose aggro over time, and have a limited range.
• If a monster doesn't have aggro on anyone, it will rush back to its spawn point (healing itself up with the yellow bubble of invulnerability) and go back to wandering around.
• By the way, monsters in dungeons don't lose aggro so easily like those outside, so running away from them through whole instance may be not good idea.
• Put together, this means that if there is no one in party that uses special Aggro skills, then the attacked mob will choose the person who dealt most damage.
• But not always. Some bosses will strike out at anyone in the area, and some bosses will choose to reset their aggro at certain times.

What does that mean? It means that if you whack some random monster, then all of its friends will come over to whack you back. And if a Cleric throws a heal at you, all of those friends will then hate the cleric more than you, and so will rush over to kill the Cleric. Who will hate you forever.

Instead, get each monster on its own (or a few at a time), and wait for the aggro to be firmly established on the tanks before throwing big spells or healing.

What should I do to get only one monster at a time?

Easiest of all is to find one single monster standing lonely in a field. And whack it.

But since it is hard to find such loners in instances, you will have to squad up with different classes and finish your quests together. Such squad should contain: puller, who lure monsters one by one; tank who catch those pulled mobs; damage dealers, who make things go faster; and cleric who heal tank, and other squad members if there is a need.

Tank role

A tanks job is to be at the top of every important monsters hate list. Barbarians are especially good at this, having lots of skills that annoy monsters out of proportion to the damage they do (flesh realm). However some monsters (mainly those with magic attacks) are more easily tanked by a Wizard.

Tanks should have a high defense and lots and lots of hitpoints. One useful trick is for the tank to already be regenerating health before the monster hits them. Iron heart blessings are great for this.

As a tank, you should always keep eye one your team. It often happen, that someone pull unintentionally some monster, and you are supposed to help that person. Otherwise, monster will kill your whole team - one by one.

As a team-guard you should always run first, but also remember to wait for slower classes.

You will have to learn to cooperate with your puller. Give him some space to pull, and be ready. Don't let mob to hit him (usually, your puller will be veno, which is squishy class).

When pulling ranged mobs - wait for it to get past you, then hit Flesh Ream (Barbarian skill). This will make it kite AWAY from the group it just got pulled from.

You should remember that even if Flesh Ream is very powerful aggro-skill, it effect don't last forever and depends on damage that party members are doing. High level damage dealers or those pure-build ones may 'steal' monster from you. Although, they should be careful - you should be to and use aggro skill more often.

Another aggro skill that may help you in keeping monsters hate is Devour - it also has a strongest in-game physical defense debuff and lowers the target's attack power.

If you decide to tank few monsters at once, you can use the Roar skill at beginning (barbarian's area of effect aggro skill). But after that, remember too use FR on every mob from time to time (or other strong AoE skill).

Roar works by clearing out the monsters hate, and then giving you a bit of hate. So you get the monsters attention, but it is very easy for someone else to pull the monster off you again.

Roar - use it only at beginning or when you are loosing aggro

Puller role

To pull a monster, you need to get aggro on that monster, and that monster alone. Then you step back, and it will run towards you out of its group, so that the rest of your group can safely pile in without attracting every monster in the area.

There are a few ways to do this - you can try and get close enough to annoy it, but far enough from its friends that they can't see.

You can try and hit it from a huge range so that its friends can't see you.

You can use a skill which doesn't draw aggro from the adds (Zeal genie skill: Earthflame, for example)

But most reliably, you have a Venomancer attack with her pet. The monster, and all nearby monsters hate the pet, and will attack. Then she unsummons her pet. Not have it run back to you, but actually put it back in the bag. This causes the monster to hate the Venomancer - but all the other monsters just shrug and go back to work. The Venomancer then hides behind someone big, who proceeds to beat the monster up. Job done; resummon the pet and fetch the next one.

See: Venomancer Luring for more information on how to lure with a Venomancer's pet.

It is helpful to tell your team which monster you are pulling, or stick to some simple rule such as "The one on the right first" so that they can target it. This is especially helpful if the monster runs fast, or is small and hard to click on once it starts moving.

You should also use "Assist attack" (in the action panel, Alt-E, drag it to one of your shortcut bars). By targeting the lurer (click their name in the squad list) and then using this action you will copy their target. You do not auto-attack, despite the action's name.

Pulling Skills

There are a few skills that need to be treated specially.

• Pet skill: Status effects. Status effects, such as slow, or defense reduction, are not, by themselves, enough to draw aggro. You have to do some damage as well. The monster may attack because you got close, but it won't follow afterwards.
• Pet skill: Roar. Roar makes the monster hate nothing except the pet, and that only a little bit. It's great to quickly get a monster that really hates the cleric to attack the pet instead, but it can be really bad if someone hits the monster quickly afterwards, because it will switch. This is a good way to get your archer or wizard killed. Don't roar on the main monster!
• Genie skill: Earthflame. This skill will draw aggro from the monster you use it on, but not on his friends.
• Until recently, some other genie skills (notably extreme poison) allowed you to safely pull a single monster. This no longer works - you will pull all his friends too.

Damage Dealer role

You are supposed to help tank kill monsters faster. but you have to do it carefully.

Attack same mob tank is poking. Watch carefully because poking barbs like to switch mobs fast to hold aggro. And if you have problems with guessing which one tank is poking then 'scroll out' camera and watch closer to tank. You may also help yourself by using the assist-attack button.

Typically, against a boss, the tank wants a couple of seconds before the pets go in, maybe another second before the other melee classes go in - and the casters can start firing in their spells a little after that.

You do need to be careful of is to give the tank some time to gain enough aggro that the monster won't immediately give up on the tank and kill the next attacker (or someone healing the tank).

If are trying to avoid stealing aggro, you should use slow skills to give your tank a chance to really get mob attention. Also, if you have multiple targets and tanks on each one, you can switch targets with each attack.

Never whack one monster from detached group of mobs with single attack skill. All of its friends will come over to whack you back. And if a Cleric throws a heal at you, all of those friends will then hate the cleric more than you, and so will rush over to kill the Cleric. Who will hate you forever.

Don't attack pulled mob before barbarian aggro it - you just make barb's and cleric's work harder.

When Venomancer is pulling, you are supposed to stay few meters behind barb (he need some space to catch mob).

If you unintentionally aggroed something on you don't run in random direction away from your group. Get to tank who should take mob off you; also never run off cleric heal range - no sane cleric will leave party to heal you.

If you think you're going to do a huge amount more damage than the tank, hold off for a bit longer.

High dexterity Blademaster with fist-weapons should be careful too (hight damage per second rate).

Don't use AoE attacks if barbarian isn't using his and Flesh Realm every single mob (FR looks like orange fire explosion on mob and minor one on barb).

Normally, barbarian use Roar at beginning, but if he use it in middle of battle, then it probably mean something 'bad' is happening (new unwanted mobs joined, or old ones are loosing aggro) and you are supposed to stop DD (BTW Roar demonstrate as counterclockwise spinning golden 'star' with aura on every mob).

If you are trying to steal aggro to keep other people alive, use your fast skills (and save your slow AoEs for situations where you have no better alternative).

Generally, you are not allowed to play hero if you are too squishy (weak, low hp). But there is one case - when cleric is about to be attacked. It is really better for whole squad if you die than him. And your sacrifice will be appreciated.

DDs should always spread around tanked boss/mob if it is possible and safe (but stay in heal range). It is easier for tank and cleric to guess which one from you steal aggro.

Also don't stand too close to mob/boss if you don't need too.

If you do take aggro, then you need to stop attacking to allow the tank to get it back. You also need to not run away from the tank (because the monster will follow you) and you especially need to not lure an AoE monster into the cleric. If you have to - your role is to die to allow the situation to stabilize. Preferably, just wait for the tank to get aggro back. If anyone other than a barbarian was tanking then you really need to stop attacking. Very few other characters have the instant 'reset aggro' abilities of barbarians. (There's a genie skill, 'Alpha Male', though)

When 'zhening' (killing many monsters at same time while cleric use Blue Ball) you are supposed to 'catch' mobs with your AoE before they hit cleric (BB will aggro every mob in range). For example: Blademasters should stun physical mobs, and wizards and archers should position their AOE attacks carefully.

Another very effective way to catch incoming monsters is to use the Alpha Male genie skill. It is very strong aggro AoE which may by used by any class, although it does overwrite 'bramble'.

Cleric role

Your main role is to heal tank, and keep rest of party alive. But before you heal anyone, you should know about few things.

Learn to predict who will get hit - the aggroed mob will try to get in range to hit their victim and also turn to face them.

Pre-heal tank with 2-3 IHs, but don't do it when he is too close to mob - cancel heal with ESC.

Healing too close to 'unactivated' mobs will wake them up and aggro on you.

Healing person that just activated mob (didn't hit, just passed too close) will draw aggro on you immediately.

Healing person who hit mob just once (and stopped) may cause aggro heal after some time too. After few your spells, monster will lose interest in it's first victim, and go after you.

Also remember when person aggro group of mobs by hitting one, rest mobs from this group attack you if you start to use spells.

Healing luring veno will also draw aggro on you; wait till tank aggro mob (best if he use Flesh Realm).

Ask party members to spread around tanked mob/boss a bit (if it is possible/safe). You will have more time to react then. It is really hard to guess who you will have heal if two same class DDs stand in same place.

You will be next target of mobs if person who you heal die (unless somebody will be smart enough to steal them from you).

If you aggroed mobs on you never attack them; use HP pots, p-shell, heals and try to get to a tank if it is possible

Be aware that Regeneration Aura (Blue Ball) and Heaven Wrath (Red Ball) cause aggro too.

Seals also aggro, so remember, if you decide to paralyze a monster who is running after somebody, you will be next target in mob's hate list.

One skill that may be useful and which doesn't steal aggro is Wings of Protection (a level 79 skill).

Revive doesn't draw aggro, but remember to wait till mob/boss go far away enough so he won't aggro on the revived person.

Confidence

Higher level players do, sometimes, do things differently. Like "Run into the middle of a huge group of monsters" differently.

You don't always have to pull. If you are sure that you can kill the monsters before they can kill you, you may try to tank them all. But do be sure that everyone can survive this, and the tanks and secondary tanks need to be ready to save the squishier classes.

If you don't pull one at a time, one trick is the use of area effect skills. These hit many monsters at once, and so work best when lots of monsters are hitting you. So pulling would be counter-productive here.

Similarly, reflect buffs (such as bramble guard) don't do much good if there's nothing to reflect.

Equally, you don't have to be a barbarian to tank, they just usually find it easier. Blademasters and Venomancer pets make good second choices, and some bosses are better tanks by wizards or clerics.

Overconfidence

The end result of pulling too much aggro, is death.

Here are a few tips to avoid this:

1. Pull one monster at a time, and don't pull a monster until everyone is ready for it.
2. Don't join in until the tank has got in a few good whacks.
3. Attack the monster the tank is attacking. Adds usually have less interest in the tank and may come after you.
4. If a monster goes after the cleric, pounce on it quick. The cleric can bring you back to life, you can't bring the cleric back to life. (Obviously, this doesn't apply if you're the cleric)
5. Extending this, it can be helpful to have a team member whose main job is to watch out for wandering monsters and protect the cleric.
   1. And anyone else who is particularly vulnerable - the 'tabber' in an FB is usually lower level than the monsters, and often needs protection.
6. Instanced dungeons give out blessings items which increase your attack by 10%. Bear in mind that you'll be generating quite a lot more aggro than you are used to outside!
7. The simplest way to lose aggro is to stop fighting back and let someone else get some. Even better is if you can just slow down your attacks before the monster starts attacking you.
8. Archers and wizards, especially - your critical hits will often pull aggro even from a tank, if you aren't careful. Stand well back!
9. One of the most popular Venomancer tank pets, "Baby Hercules", draws most of its aggro from a reflect shield. You need to wait a moment longer before it's safe to join in the attack.

--Vitenks & Paramedic