Targeting

Okay, so I just made a new ritualist and I love it... except

It's so hard for me to target mobs. As a rit, I need to stay in the back, and I want to order my party to attack BEFORE I attack so I don't get aggroed myself... What typically happens is this:

I press ctrl+shift+space (because that's what I heard to press to target) but then I start attacking too, including my party. Because I want to cancel the attack, I press S (walk backwards), which... stops my party from attacking too. And if I just let myself attack without walking backwards, I always get attacked by everyone first because my wand is the first one to make contact. So basically the only way for my party (and not me) to aggro first is if I inch slowly close to the enemies, until party's aggro circle meets theirs, which I find is totally more complicated than it should be.

My question is: Can I order my party to attack long before I get into battle? Hopefully you can understand my problem... it's a hard one to explain, and sort of minor, but veeeery irritating..

If you do cntrl + shift + left click (might have to double click i dont remember) you will target without attacking yourself. If you are close enough to the mob when you do this the hero/hench will also target that person and melee will rush in. I have the same problem when I am using my monk and have all caster hero/hench. However if you have a melee hero/hench then the hero/hench will rush in when you target a foe. By target i mean it says "_____ is targeting _____" instead of "______ is attacking ______". Again i have only found this to work properly if there is a melee in the group. If there isnt a melee in the group and you really dont want to take aggro you can just flag the hero/hench in first.

Control + Space (default attack button) will make you attack and call that you are attacking. "I'm attacking Afflicted Assassin!".

Control + Shift + Space will call only, you won't attack. "I'm targeting Afflicted Assassin.".

If you are close enough to aggro range (Long/flat bow range) when you call, the hero/hench will start to attack that target.

If you are using Control+Shift+Space and still attacking, check your current settings as they would have been changed from the defaults.

Just run in..

Unless you're in High End PvP, it generally doesn't matter who goes in first. Unless there is something wrong with you, you should have at least one warrior, and and least one source of minions, which will rush ahead and absorb the damage.

Sometimes i'll ping my party ahead via the compass flags, or flag the warrior carefully to pull mobs (much like a human warrior should br doing).

also you're highly advised to bring some defense such as a shield set and get at least 600hp even as a caster, this will take a lot of pressure off your monk and generally make you harder to kill.

First of all there is the way stated above with the ctrl + shift + space.
Then you can also try (assuming you have a minion master or perhabs 2) to walk very close to the group and wait till minions get close to your group again. Then walk a bit to the mob and walk back. Mostly the minions walk the same path your hero does only a bit later. Oftenly the minions then start attacking the mob, and then your team goes in, while everyone is attack the minions.
Otherwise you can just have your heroes in front of you, use a longbow and pull the group. You're stating in your story your wand is the first one to attack them. If you use a longbow, you can shoot one arrow (while you're outside their agrobubble) and walk back. This will make the group walking towards you, into your heroes. I find this the most easy way (well most most easy way is just to rush in, most of the time nothing awefull happens) just have your longbow on a weaponslot so you can switch quickly.

Whether or not you need to stay in the back, and how far back, depends a bit upon what sort of Rit you are playing. When I was H&H'ing my Rit, I had her set up as a Channeling/Cummuning spirit/damage sort of build, so I could simply attack with the staff. (Same sort of thing when I h&h'ed my monk, I used a smiting build rather than healing, so I could direct things easier.)

Ctrl+shift+space should target without attacking - the most likely thing I can think of is that you are using the right-ctrl key instead of the left-ctrl key (it makes a difference).

As a heal/prot monk, I usually flag my heroes in front of me before calling, and make sure all non-healer heroes are set to defensive. Alternatively, if you run forward and run back immediately, your heroes should usually react by running forward - into the enemy's aggro range - and attack them before you can take a hit. Usually.

This. If you've got any non-English symbol in your chat bar, that might also be it.

it doesnt matter, you can keep doing it the way you have. Call like you have, then walk backwards to stop your auto attack, now just edge up to the mobs but make sure they are right outside your agro bubble. Your melee H/H should run right in, then you can do whatever you want. Its how I do it. You just didnt know if you called it first and got close enough and wait one moment that your guys will engage. I didnt know untill I started playing a caster to.

gl

*edit* and ya, you can also flag your guys you want to take starting dmg DIRECTLLY into the middle of the group, then run behind them and call your target. As soon as that guy you flagged is in range or is getting attacked, pick up your flags. Tada, they all go after your called target ( including the tank you flaged in first ) amd your poor little rit isint getting owned.

Hope this helps.

Flag them near the mob, then follow behind yourself. When your party is engaging, you make your attack.

Click the flag on the radar and where you want them to go.