The Warrior's Role

Most people agree that it is the job of the warrior to "tank", to engage the frontline mobs so they are attacking your superior AC instead of the squishies.

Most groups also expect that if anyone calls targets, the warrior should. But usually the prime first targets are in the back, and if you run back to start pounding on them, your aggro is broken.

So how do you accomplish both goals at the same time? Which is more important?

I'm tempted to start pushing for rangers or assassins to call targets when I'm playing my warrior in PUG's, but I don't know how many groups would go along with that.

When I play with people I know there is hardly any calling, each in the party knows his role....

The warrior - run ahead and get aggro, if this fails: body-block the melee, or at least one.
The elementalist - Take care of the grouped enemies, or those who die easy but have a high damage potential.
The SS necro - put SS on melee or rangers, grouped first, also cause weakness on them (with enfeebling blood, imo more important then the echo-ss trick)
The Ranger - interrupt casters and/or damage them, DO NOT bow lure if you have a warrior in a party, only attack when the warrior has aggro.
The Mesmer - generally be helpful to the party by knowing what skills to interrupt/divert. In certain areas even the primary damage dealer, although few will admit it (shatter hex.... it's sooo good with proper aggro).
The Monk - keep the party alive... if the warrior runs ahead to take aggro and they have full mana they should not flame the warrior for rushing, the warrior is doing his job, which is getting aggro (when the red dot comes into the warriors aggro circle no party members should be in it, then aggro sticks).

For the new classes I don't know it, but would prob be something like:
Assassin - DO NOT TANK, have you checked your armor level? Behave like a ranger
Spiritualist - Would be clueless about this class, but they probably fit in the 'keep the party members alive' group like monks.

So, when ppl know what to do calling is only needed when the casters arent focussing their fire. Hope it helps ^^

I mostly agree with your role descriptions, but I don't agree that calling targets is unimportant.

When you're facing a huge group with multiple healers, focusing fire makes a huge difference. Characters that deal damage to one target at a time, whether mesmer, assassin, air ele, blood necro, or ranger, do better by working together.

I really believe in target calling, I just find it hard to convince PUG's that it shouldn't be the warrior's job.

Warriors do not need to call, they are tabbing through targets keeping aggro...anyone who askes you to call as a warrior is an %$$#@**$%^% and has no idea what they are doing....tell them you can't call and assign a ranger to call.

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I think it depends on how many groups are bunched together. When one group can be separated from others (like in Hell's Precipice) the ranger should pull. When there is only one group, the warrior should rush ahead while others stay out of his aggro bubble.

Anyways, I think I'm going to start asking assassins to call. It matches with their supposed role of finding and quickly killing important targets.

I believe with teh addition of the Assasin, roles will change up a bit. The "Shoadow Step" adbility is quite nice and can make targeting the one in back a little bit easier than before.

I have read a large number of posts regarding Wa/xx builds/strategies/failings etc. Throughout all of them I see the same main discussion appearing: Tank or Damage dealer. The short answer to this is "whatever your playing style leads to". The whole ethos of this game is to allow you to play the game the way YOU want to, not the way someone else believes is the correct way.

If you are the sort of person that wants to stand "toe-to-toe", then thats what you want to do. Make sure your playing partners know this and are happy with it. The same goes for tanking. A good, balanced team is one that can complete the task at hand regardless of the individuals in it.

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