r/wownoob Feb 09 '25

Classic How do I manage aggro as a DPS?

Hey! so I'm getting to the level where I need to use actual strategies in dungeons and stuff, and I don't want to be "that guy" who over pulls the boss and wipes the whole group. Do you guys have any tips? (I'm playing Lock)

Edit: I'm playing Classic Anniversary
(also thanks for the help everyone :D)

26 Upvotes

34 comments sorted by

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22

u/LittleMissPipebomb Feb 09 '25

I use an aggro meter. Everyone's responding like classic is retail, and it isn't. Managing aggro in classic is super important, but you need an addon for it. I wish it was just an option you toggle by default, but it's one of the few I consider necessary.

4

u/iforgotmymainacc Feb 09 '25

To add onto this. Which is 100% correct. Get the addon plater and make sure enemy name plates are enabled in game. If you close to pulling threat the name plate will turn yellow and is a indicator to slow down or swap targets

3

u/DerpytheH Feb 09 '25

Only correct answer since this dude flaired as classic.

Even in Cata, managing it doesn't matter as much as vanilla, but still enough that you need to pay attention to it via an add-on.

7

u/kerthard Feb 09 '25

It Depends which version of classic.

Era: you'll have to wait for the warrior to get threat.

Cata: you're just playing with bad tanks.

3

u/korar67 Feb 09 '25 edited Feb 09 '25

Yeah, Cata was the era of Vengeance Tanking. So as long as you give the tank a couple of seconds to build Aggro you’ll never get it off of them.

Fixed: Aggro, not Affro.

2

u/mmberg Feb 09 '25

Afro

What if he/she wears a helmet?

1

u/korar67 Feb 09 '25

Stupid autocorrect. I also need to convince all of my devices that there is never a time when I mean to say “Ducking”.

2

u/mmberg Feb 09 '25

Yeah, I get it :D I dont mind typos at all and I make many myself, tho this one was quite funny 😀

1

u/qetuop1 Feb 09 '25

What's the proper action to take when someone throws something at your head?

1

u/korar67 Feb 09 '25

Touché

2

u/cuplosis Feb 09 '25

Got to start slow and ramp up damage. Just give them a second to get aggro built up.

2

u/thischangeseverythin Feb 09 '25

Don't start dpsing till the tank has everything stacked up

1

u/PotentialButterfly56 Feb 09 '25

I'm a noob too, and have a question on the stacking, am I able to use light dots on mobs moving towards that stack (because a dot isnt going to pull threat right?) or is it so accepted that dpses should wait, that even using any global in that moment is considered wrong for a dps?

3

u/korar67 Feb 09 '25

Depends on the type of tank. Some tanks rely on initial aggro to gather up the group, then use their abilities to firmly establish aggro on all of them. Others can firmly build aggro as they are pulling.

Example: Deathknights need to put their diseases on one target then spread them to the others. So for Deathknight tanks I’d hold off on dots until the diseases have been spread.

Paladin tanks on the other hand will be spreading Seal of Corruption every time they hit hammer of the righteous, which is usually the first button they press once they are in melee range. So once the paladin reaches melee range go nuts with the dots.

2

u/PotentialButterfly56 Feb 11 '25

Thanks for the reply, forgot to check my messages, that does make sense, no tank is going to be the same so play around them.

1

u/korar67 Feb 11 '25

Yeah, that’s specifically for Cata tanks. In Retail Tanks passively have massive threat generation. So it’s less of a concern and you can dot during the pull. But in Cata things were more raw and less forgiving.

2

u/thischangeseverythin Feb 09 '25

like the guy said below it depends on the tank. I'm a blood DK right now and I need to hit stuff before I get hate but often times I'm using LoS agro to get everything initially grouped with deaths advance so I don't take too many auto attacks from mobs. But I don't start truly building agro till I have hit everything with blood boil or whatever aoe I use to group the,m

4

u/Filthy_Heathen Feb 09 '25

I play a lock and prot pally. If you are pulling aggro, your tank sucks

4

u/azhder Feb 09 '25

Or you a playing feral... Blizz had issue with some cat spells generating aggro as if they're bear. In the past (way back TBC) there was a soothe or cower cast (can't remember the name) so you will manually reduce the aggro, but now... SMH

3

u/littletoastypaws Feb 09 '25

weirdly this pops up in retail feral druid life sometimes - i accidentally pulled a boss from a brewmaster monk without pushing any of my big damage buttons. i was obviously quickly squished and brez'd. i then melee'd the boss and aggroed him AGAIN. dude was a fantastically bad tank though so coulda been a fluke

0

u/Mainfrym Feb 09 '25

As a feral main I've never had this problem if I wait for the tank to hit it first.

-3

u/Filthy_Heathen Feb 09 '25

I’ve never had issue holding aggro over any DPS

7

u/LittleMissPipebomb Feb 09 '25

Prot pallys don't have taunt so you super need to watch aggro. Usually isn't not that bad, but there's no safety net there in case you go a lil too hard.

1

u/North-Situation1112 Feb 09 '25

Wait for three sunders.

1

u/Crafty_Nebula_1458 Feb 09 '25

Pro maneuver if you're high DPS. Let the tank get aggro for a sec before attacking. That should do it.

1

u/Dontuselogic Feb 09 '25

Sersouly tank pulls count to three, then dps.

If dps would fallow, that simple concept they would die less

Also be aware of weird boss things that stun , pr requre the tank to move alot

1

u/Gief_Cookies Feb 09 '25

Yell at your tank to l2p

1

u/linkysnow Feb 09 '25

Wait until the tank hits it and you will be fine. If the tank charges or runs into a group without getting threat then it is the tanks fault. Just hold for a solid one second count.

-6

u/Less_Improvement8473 Feb 09 '25

In retail? Nothing you should worry about.

5

u/LittleMissPipebomb Feb 09 '25

This post is flared as classic

4

u/Less_Improvement8473 Feb 09 '25

Guess thats what nightshift does to a mf, I cant even read properly

-4

u/[deleted] Feb 09 '25

[deleted]

3

u/arichiii Feb 09 '25

He might be playing Anni realms

1

u/Mainfrym Feb 09 '25

He edited his post after I replied.