A key conversation aboard the Esseles
General: LF1M Tank for Esseles
How many times have you seen that in Carrick Station? On the Imperial side, how many times do you see a similar message in Vaiken station for Black Talon? Black Talon and Esseles are the first flashpoints that players first encounter in Star Wars: The Old Republic, usually around level 10 to 12. Most players will have just picked their Advanced Class, but they will not have more than a point or two in their tree. At the Esseles/Black Talon level, there really aren’t tanks and healers yet. These flashpoints are very forgiving, and they can be completed with as few as two players (with their companions). I’ve run it numerous times with all different combinations of classes, companions and Advanced Classes.
Esseles and Black Talon are horrible flashpoints to determine pretty much anything about how your chosen tank plays. Tanks at this level lack all the tools that will really make them tanks as they progress in the game. They don’t have their tanking stance which increases their threat and reduces their damage taken. They don’t have any of their taunts. They don’t have virtually any of their major tanking cool downs, with the exception of Warriors/Knights who have one. These classes just really aren’t tanks yet. I assume the same goes for our healer brethren as well.
Can I Tank?
If you find yourself grouped with a player who really wants to tank, let them have it, but don’t be overly critical of their performance. They are trying to cut wood with scissors. It might get the job done a little bit, but much better tools come later. By the same token, if you are a tank, don’t be too harsh on yourself. You are just learning your role, and at this level, you simply don’t have the skill set to make it really work.
At the level you run these flashpoints, everyone is essentially a damage dealer. You don’t need a tank or a healer to successfully complete them. If you really feel the need to have a tank, your best bet is forming a party of three characters and ensuring you have a Jedi Knight (either Advanced Class) or a Sith Inquisitor (again either Advanced Class will work) included in the party. Why? Because with only three in the group, these classes can bring their companions, T7 and Khem Val, respectively. As sad as it may be to admit, T7 and Khem will be better than a dedicated tank class that is missing its tanking tools. These companions at least have their taunt, and their aggro-grabbing stance, so they’re really the best tanks in the game at this low level.
On the Esseles, you face Ironfist, the first of Kilran's enforcers
It’s All About the Fun
In both of these early instances, you should do just fine even with just four damage dealers. Esseles doesn’t get challenging until you reach Ironfist, or some of the early droids on the Imperial ship. If you find you are struggling with a fight, try sending in your companions first (you target the enemy and press Control and the 1 key to get your companion to move in first). The companion can soak the initial damage which should give your party plenty of time to defeat the boss.
Esseles and Black Talon are great flashpoints with a rich story and interesting dialog options. I try to run them on every character I make – they’re fun instances. However, don’t let a less-than-ideal group configuration (healer+tank+2 DPSers) stop you from a memorable run, especially when it’s far from required. Instead, just go for it – you’ll probably succeed, and have a great time doing it.
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Very true great point.
What level 10 reads Torwars? Why in god’s name would you write an article directed at someone who has had the game for 1 day?
Why? Because people who have played other MMO’s might search for a site like Torwars with articles like this before jumping into their first Flashpoint.
Because someone who may have a higher character/different class may have re-rolled to tank and get discouraged after their very first performance.
Because not everyone knows every detail about every little thing!
(P.S. even if God is playing SW:TOR, he probably doesn’t want/need to be dragged into this…)
What Talena said.
Well said, Talena.
Actually Rob is absolutly right. Talena you make a pretty case but also a completly false one.
Anyone reading a fan site for a game is the kind of player that knows their stuff and is looking for that extra information that will give him an edge.
If this article was posted on launch date it could have made sense because any new player the game may have at the moment, and is not familiar with mmo gameplay, is the casual kind that will not go on the web looking for sites like TorWars.
A few friends and I actually started reading TORWARS before we started playing SWTOR: mainly to get a general consensus of the game before we committed to it, so to say articles like these are of no use or whatever is an untruth.
As for the article itself, think of it as a retrospective: I’ve been in pugs in Black Talon and Esseles where someone has flamed on a random for ‘not tanking properly’: maybe if more ‘experienced’ players read articles like this, they might not be such massive douches to folk…
I rerolled over the weekend as a Sith Sorcerer, Past Black Talon by myself at lvl 11, they nerfed these too much.
Level 11 Sith Sorcerers have been soloing Black Talon from launch. My friend Minaru did it the first night of pre-launch.
I think these instances are great learning tools for those who played KOTOR but never got into MMO’s. I am pleased that Bioware would think of those people when designing the first instance in the game.
I know that sometimes people have trouble putting things into the perspective of the other player. Never forget that the person on the other side of the screen is not “just like you”, they are their own distinct and different person and may not have your experience. Try to be kind and always ask before giving critiques and advise.
I think it’s great that there are articles for beginners out there. Nothing wrong with content for beginners; we all were at one time. Sometimes it’s good to cover the basics.
I think there are way more “new” players to this game than the stereotypical MMO jumper; a kind of player who already knows the base elements of the MMO platform. So providing content to get them more comfortable with the game makes them stay longer, have more fun and quite possibly refer the game to a friend to help perpetuate the positive game state.
So thanks for the new player guides. Here’s a tip for expert gamers who are reading beginner guides:
Skip to the expert guides and leave the beginners alone
Well said!
The game is about a month old. When I write Think Tank, I try to think about players from all backgrounds. Some are like me who have been tanking for years, some are tanking for their first time.
Here are your 2 scenarios at the date of writing this article.
You just hit lvl 10/11 and are given the mission to board the Black Talon and it says you need a group;
Scenario 1: you have experience with mmo’s, you look at the skill trees and realize there is no such thing as tanks or healers pure spec and just do it with another player.
Scenario 2: you have no experience with mmo’s, you read you need a group for this so you just do it with another player oblivious of what the tank, healer, dps trinity is.
In none of these scenarios you go google to find this article…
Scenario 3: You’ve seen many other people (incorrectly) LF1M Tank in general for Black Talon/Esseles, and assume you should do the same.
The article’s validity stands.
First time post here just because of the negativity towards the author. I have played many a mmo (thang online, GW, Aion, RoM, Rappelz, Rift) and fell into this trap all during beta and my many rerolls and also during live. It wasnt until a recent alt were I was a healer that I discovered it wasnt needed. Had a group of two mercs try and run BT with me and I was concerned since no one could tank. I was then informed that you could actually duo the damn thing with companions o.O lol Point is that just because you have been around the block a few times doesn’t mean you have seen every nook and cranny.