Aggro Mechanics

I've started playing GW again after a break of around one year, and it seems aggro is different now...somehow. I've searched as much as I could, and read the wiki page on aggro. But I can't replicate the theories consistently.

Monsters are supposed to go after players with less armor, less HP, wielding caster weapons. I've started playing GWEN using a MM hero(jagged bomber), a SS hero, a WoH monk hero, 4 henchies and myself being Mind Blast + RI ele with other support skills. When mobs are bunched up together, they die really really fast. However, when they go around chasing henchies, it's a dragged out kill.

So I'm interested to know if the traditional 'tanking' still works? Can a warrior or earth ele(or any other tank), hold the mobs together for the AoE to work?

no ai is updated to run out of aoe....nm they run out of it slower then hm...hm after taking xx% of dmg they run try to heal come back

That was weakened in a 2005 update IIRC. You'll have to take snares or kill slower for it to work properly.

With the way Guild Wars is set up though, you don't need a dedicated tank. Smart use of skills and positioning/movement is better than wasting a character slot on someone who does absolutely nothing for your team.

Yeah I understand the AoE scatter and had dealt with it. I was more curious about monsters aggroing random party members instead of stickying to a tank.

Thankfully GW doesnt use the "normal" aggro system.

So they wont all stick on a tank. Far to easy when you know who they are going to attack.

Tanking always requires that the non-tanks stay outside of the mobs agro bubble (or just on the edge) to keep from breaking agro. However, the Heroes & henchies don't know that, so they will get too close - especially the monks when they try to heal the tank. If you really insist on "tanking" and want to micro-manage, you can try to flag your henchies back just far enough to keep them out of agro range - especially the monks - but then, they need to be close enough too.

I've noticed that this also works in reverse - Koss and Jora will run out of the melee a short distance to self-heal/be healed, then run back in. Danika, too, can lead those Mantis 'sins on a merry chase to escape their clutches - who knew she could run so fast in that dress.