Tips on aggro

It seems like even during end game content most players don't understand how the aggro system works (late game monks seem to be the exception to this). I see necros hit 60% dp 5 minutes into underworld, and get angry at the single warrior for failing to body block, or pbaoe elementalists who don't have a single defensive ability. Considering that all 3 of my characters are softies, I've gotten used to throwing aggro off myself. Follow these tips, and you'll always be the last to die:

1) Before any battle starts, stand such that the warrior, and consequently any enemies, are outside of your aggro circle. There is no point in the game where you cannot do this without adds, unless you're skipping mobs, which you should not ever do. Once the fight starts, wait for every mob aggrod to engage on the warrior, after this happens, then you can join in the fight, keeping the maximum distance you can the entire time. If you're a monk, make sure the tanks know that they must be able to survive a second or two worth of beating. If they can't, your party will fail anyways. Also, you can always breeze them or something before they aggro.

2) If you do get aggro (happens when a warrior backs up too much, or another player doesn't follow rule 1 and draws his mob to you), never ever run back. Run to the front lines, don't cast a single spell or use anything but stances, and run a circle around the warriors to force the mob to path through them, which will usually cause it to break off and attack the warriors. Check to make sure you didn't pick up any new aggro, and then return to the backlines to do your job.

3) Watch the map during the fight, always. Even if you're not skipping mobs, sometimes patrols can add. When this happens, you want them to add on the warriors, so once again, make sure your aggro range is outside the warriors, and that you're standing such that the added mobs will step into the warriors aggro circle first.

4) Don't use pbaoe ablities unless you can tank as well as a warrior. This includes certain well built earth eles or smiting mo/w's.

To the monks out there, if a softy has trouble avoiding aggro, and you're in a difficult zone like underworld, you probably shouldn't stop healing the tank to heal them. If the tank dies, the party usually wipes soon after, so if there's any risk at all of the tank taking some unforseen spike damage while you're keeping the mesmer alive, you're better off just letting him die. It's probably best you do this in early game too, just so they learn. A monk and a tank can duo pretty much anything early game.

The above is why it's a good idea to take damage mitigation to protect yourself while trying to lose aggro. Never use self healing, it won't work. Use distortion or that phys resist stance if you're a mesmer, blind, earth wards, or earth or water protect enchants if you're an ele, or throw dirt if you're a ranger.