Suddenly my tank has no hit points - strategy question

[Jhelzei]

So I'm working my way thru Raedric's keep, and I'll be fighting a mob, and suddenly I'll notice that one of my tanks has near 0 hit points (or endurance?) when before s/he was nearly at max health. This usually seems to happen when fighting spellcasters, so I assume it's a spell. I've checked the combat log, but I can't seem to identify what's causing it. What is this and how do I guard against it? Or do I have no choice but to leave my nice chokepoint by the door and blitz all the spellcasters?

[MalVeauX]

So I'm working my way thru Raedric's keep, and I'll be fighting a mob, and suddenly I'll notice that one of my tanks has near 0 hit points (or endurance?) when before s/he was nearly at max health. This usually seems to happen when fighting spellcasters, so I assume it's a spell. I've checked the combat log, but I can't seem to identify what's causing it. What is this and how do I guard against it? Or do I have no choice but to leave my nice chokepoint by the door and blitz all the spellcasters?

 

Heya,

 

What level is your tank? Is it happening when fighting paladins? Or more when fighting spellcasters, priests and rogues basically?

 

Very best,

[Jhelzei]

Level 4 for both tanks in the party. I have noticed Paladins of Berath in the melees, but I had been blaming the priests. I haven't noticed rogues, unless "Sellswords" are rogues. Is it a paladin ability that's draining my tanks?

[MalVeauX]

Level 4 for both tanks in the party. I have noticed Paladins of Berath in the melees, but I had been blaming the priests. I haven't noticed rogues, unless "Sellswords" are rogues. Is it a paladin ability that's draining my tanks?

 

Heya,

 

Level 4/5 can be tough depending on difficulty in this area without a lot of tactics. I rolled it at level 4 no problem with a bunch of casters. But in another game, I tried at level 5 with a bunch of ranged characters and it was pretty hard to do. So the Paladins are not doing it, they're just tanks and annoying because they heal and just tank and get in the way, while doing minor damage with their two hand swords. The sellswords will kill your characters, they're rogues. The priests and wizards are pretty annoying too. I always open every fight spiking out any priest or wizard, followed by any sellsword/rogue-like character, and let the paladins and other "fighters" just stand there and beat on my tanks as they just are not a threat to most tank characters.

 

Very best,

[Nobear]

So I'm working my way thru Raedric's keep, and I'll be fighting a mob, and suddenly I'll notice that one of my tanks has near 0 hit points (or endurance?) when before s/he was nearly at max health. This usually seems to happen when fighting spellcasters, so I assume it's a spell. I've checked the combat log, but I can't seem to identify what's causing it. What is this and how do I guard against it? Or do I have no choice but to leave my nice chokepoint by the door and blitz all the spellcasters?

 

I'd say it's most likely Necrotic Lance from Spellwrights. The only times I've been instagibbed at low levels, that spell was the culprit. Ludrana in Magran's Fork is the first time I encountered Necrotic Lance, and also learned it for myself from her grimoire . Open the fight by CCing and focus firing those casters. Get them out of the fight ASAP and the rest of the fight will go much more smoothly.

 

Heya,

 

 

 

Level 4/5 can be tough depending on difficulty in this area without a lot of tactics. I rolled it at level 4 no problem with a bunch of casters. But in another game, I tried at level 5 with a bunch of ranged characters and it was pretty hard to do. So the Paladins are not doing it, they're just tanks and annoying because they heal and just tank and get in the way, while doing minor damage with their two hand swords. The sellswords will kill your characters, they're rogues. The priests and wizards are pretty annoying too. I always open every fight spiking out any priest or wizard, followed by any sellsword/rogue-like character, and let the paladins and other "fighters" just stand there and beat on my tanks as they just are not a threat to most tank characters.

 

Very best,

 

 

I'm with you on the general kill order. Not only do casters tend to do more damage to you or buffs/healing to allies, but I prefer cutting down the numbers as early into the fight as I can, which typically means killing by order of lowest DR to highest. When I have just paladins and fighters left, I definitely kill paladins first, as they cast Liberating Exhortation, which makes it hard to keep the enemies CCd or otherwise debuffed.

 

Edit: If you have a cipher, paladins are also probably the best enemy type to charm in those Raedric fights. Casters go down quickly, but paladins can be annoying and hard to kill. Charming one is an effective way to take him out of the fight at the same time that your other DPS focus-fires the worst-offending spell caster (usually either Spellwright or High Priest).

Edited July 1, 2015 by Nobear

[Jhelzei]

After thinking about this a bit, it does seem like the sellswords are the culprit. I assume like D&D 3.5 they're most dangerous when flanking. If I have the target of their affections face them, does that mitigate the threat? Speaking of positioning, does PoE have something like Pathfinder's 5-foot step? I have heard that it does not, and even the slightest movement will trigger an attack of opportunity.

 

For handling Paladins I had one of my tanks switch from sword and board to a slightly enchanted estoc. It seems to be doing a fair bit more damage to the Paladins, albeit rather slowly.

 

Aloth has Necrotic Lance, but I haven't found it to be a great equalizer on the battlefield. It does do respectable damage.At one point he had a spell that resembles Agannazer's Scorcher from D&D, but instead of frying everything in a straight line it seemed to have an oval area of effect. It did huge damage, but I was having problems keeping my own party out of the line of fire. Which is one reason I got Necrotic Lance - I hate AoE spells.

[Nobear]

Aloth has Necrotic Lance, but I haven't found it to be a great equalizer on the battlefield. It does do respectable damage.At one point he had a spell that resembles Agannazer's Scorcher from D&D, but instead of frying everything in a straight line it seemed to have an oval area of effect. It did huge damage, but I was having problems keeping my own party out of the line of fire. Which is one reason I got Necrotic Lance - I hate AoE spells.

 

 

I don't use Necrotic Lance myself, I'm just saying it has one-shotted some of my characters when used against me. I prefer CC spells above anything. But some AoE spells are easier to target than others while avoiding friendly fire. In the majority of fights, I find I can get off a circular AoE spell without hitting allies. If you have the option turned on to show area of effect, you can see a red area and a yellow area around it. Enemies in both areas will be hit, but only allies in the red area will be hit. Beam and cone spells with friendly fire are much harder to target effectively without friendly fire. That's why it's so popular to give Lore to your tanks: they can use those scrolls up front without burning their friends.

[Torm51]

It could be the fire touch spell that priests have. It does full fire damage and at that level unless you are a pale elf you probably won't have fire DR. It also lowers your deflection by 25. It 2 shotted one of tanks at level 4. I survived the encounter but I've been more mindful and have used it on my priests since!.

 

Also as stated above Necrotic Lance is painful at early levels as you don't have corrode DR and it leaves a painful dot.

Edited July 5, 2015 by Torm51