Pulling It Badly

style="font-family: tahoma;">A Guide to Pulling Part III

style="font-style: italic;">By Nuitaran

OOPS! size="-1">

   
In my third installment, I will cover what happens when pulling goes
horribly wrong, as well as clarify some things about monster perception
and pulling ranged mobs.  Nobody is perfect, and even the best
pullers really goof things up sometimes.  Skilled parties can
recover from a bad pull with very little dying.  In this guide we
will learn how to do just that.  I have also spent the time since
my href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=420">last
guide sneaking up on monsters and taking screenshots of them seeing
and chasing me.  After the XP Debt I racked up doing this, my
beloved Visslaer will be taking some time off to regenerate that debt.

GOOD PULLIN'
GONE BAD

   
Sometimes things go bad, horribly bad.  One of the risks we should
be willing to assume as pullers is taking one for the team.  When
a pull goes bad, you have two options.  Pull it anyway and hope
the party can recover, or stop, take the death, and try it again after
you get back up.  The trick to this decision is to know your party
and be capable of making a snap decision. style="font-family: tahoma;"> If you just pulled a few extra, warn
your party that there are more than intended coming and pull them
anyway if you think they can handle it. 



However, sometimes a single misstep, or possibly forgetting to turn off
autofire (I do that sometimes) can bring a whole mob storming down on
your head.  That's when it's time to take one for the team. 
Stop where you are, get killed, go back for a rez, and give it another
try.  Make sure you let your party know what you are doing so they
don't get themselves in trouble coming to your rescue. style="font-family: tahoma;">



 I was in a group of level 6-7 characters doing Greymoon on
elite.  We decided that I would pull some of the trolls in the
trouble spots just in case.  I positioned myself on a corner to
watch and wait for one Troll to look in my direction so I could pull
it.  I targeted a monster to see what type it was, and nearly had
a heart attack as an arrow launched from my bow.   Down came
the whole mob on my head.  I told the party to hold, and took my
punishment for a bad pull.  One of my guildmates decided to snap a
screenshot to immortalize a pull gone bad.  And here it is…. 
Thanks FatherThyme.  href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=VissSoulstone&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Soulstone from a bad pull"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/VissSoulstone.sized.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 250px; height: 188px;" align="right">




The lesson here?  Check your autofire before you start examining
mobs…. When you decide to
bring a rough pull back to the party, make sure they have enough time
to set up any additional buffs/defenses they might need.  There's
nothing worse than being responsible for a party wipe after assuring a
group that you could pull safely.  Take the mob on an extra lap if
you have to and buy your party valuable preparation time.

PULLING IT SOLO

   
Being able to pull just for yourself is a great way to be able to solo
difficult dungeons.  Wide open outdoor maps are especially good
for this.  Gwylan's Stand and Redwillow both come to mind right
away.  There is plenty of area to pull single monsters out of
groups, and bring them to a spot to fight at your leisure. Although
soloing 7 Trolls at once on Elite doesn't sound like fun no matter what
level you are, fighting one Troll at a time is quite doable. style="font-family: tahoma;">  When pulling for yourself you also
have the benefit of being the only one who knows when you really goof
things up.  When pulling Solo, make sure you know your map well,
and are aware of your surroundings.  The last thing you want to do
is pull a monster right into another mob.

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Facing_1b.jpg"> alt="Seperating Your Enemies"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Facing_1b.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 250px; height: 271px;" align="left"> size="-1">FOR EXAMPLE size="-1"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Facing_1a&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Facing is Important"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Facing_1a.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 250px; height: 204px;" align="right">

    size="-1"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Facing_1b.jpg"> size="-1"> In this section I will
lay out some examples and screenshots of some of the tactics I
discussed in previous articles.  To start out, lets discuss
monster facing.  style="font-family: tahoma;"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Facing_1a&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> size="-1"> This is the most
important part of the prestigious “Single Monster Pull”.   size="-1"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Facing_1a&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> size="-1">In this first screenshot
you can see that I am just outside the perception range of the two
giants on the path ahead.  Both are facing my direction, and if I
take one more step forward they will both be after me in short
order.  As they move on
their  style="font-family: tahoma;"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Facing_1b.jpg"> size="-1">patrol, I slowly move
backwards to keep out of perception, and wait until one has it's back
turned, or they separate enough  style="font-family: tahoma;"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Facing_1b.jpg"> size="-1">that only one will see
me.  As soon as this happens, I take the step forward into the
perception range, and immediately begin  size="-1"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Facing_1b.jpg"> size="-1">to backpedal until the
monster is a safe distance from his friend.  Now I can take him on
without any cronies. href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Facing_1b.jpg"> style="font-family: tahoma;"> style="font-family: tahoma;">   style="font-family: tahoma;">

SEPARATING YOUR
ENEMIES

   
In this second
series of screenshots, I use the same tactic on these ogres. 
However,
they are more stationary and don't have a patrol path. You can see in
the second screenshot how I adjust my position to make sure I cross
into href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=317">perception
range at an angle where one has it's back turned.

style="font-family: tahoma;"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Facing_2a&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Separating"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Facing_2a.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 216px; height: 136px;" align="middle">

style="font-family: tahoma;"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Facing_2b&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Separating 2"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Facing_2b.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 216px; height: 138px;" align="middle">

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Facing_2c&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Separating 3"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Facing_2c.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 216px; height: 137px;" align="middle">

style="font-family: tahoma;">

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Facing_2b&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> size="-1">

style="text-decoration: underline;"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Facing_2b&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> size="-1"> size="-1">

USING
LINE OF SIGHT

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_1b&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">

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href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_1b&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">

    I
mentioned vaguely pulling targets who have ranged capabilities in
previous articles.  Lacking quality screenshots of the tactic it
was difficult to explain and I have had a few requests to clarify how
this is done.  In the following screenshots, you can see how I
prevent the giants from just throwing rocks at me as I shoot them by
using the walls of the cave to block their line of sight.  Each
time I step behind a wall, they move to a new position to try and get a
better shot.  I use this to lure them away from their buddies so I
can melee them in safety.

style="font-family: tahoma;"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_1a&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Pulling using blocking walls 1"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Pulling_Ranged_1a.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 216px; height: 167px;" align="middle">

style="font-family: tahoma;"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_1b&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Pulling Using Blocking Walls 2"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Pulling_Ranged_1b.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 216px; height: 169px;" align="middle">

style="font-family: tahoma;"> href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_2a&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Pulling Using Blocking Walls 3"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Pulling_Ranged_2a.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 224px; height: 168px;" align="middle">

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_2b&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> alt="Pulling Using Blocking Walls 4"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Pulling_Ranged_2b.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 220px; height: 170px;" align="middle">

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Pulling_Ranged_2c.jpg"> alt="Pulling Using Blocking Walls"
src="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album44/Pulling_Ranged_2c.jpg"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 216px; height: 170px;" align="middle">

QUICK ON YOUR
FEET?

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_1a&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">

The last topic to discuss
is the flashy recovery.  This works bestwith a href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=203">solid
fog set in the killing zone and an organized party.  What
happens is this:  You goof up a pull and grab way too many
monsters.  Ask your caster for a solid fog and instruct the party
to ONLY aggro one monster at a time from those chasing you.  As
you bring them in, the party takes the aggro of one monster, and you
start running the others back and forth through the solid fog. 
While the other monsters are busy chasing you in circles, the party can
clean them up one at a time. size="-1">

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_1b&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">

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href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_2a&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">

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href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_1a&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_1b&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_1b&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_1b&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_1b&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_2a&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_1a&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">

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href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_1a&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">

size="-1">

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_2a&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php"> size="-1">THE END

href="http://ddo.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album44&id=Pulling_Ranged_2a&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">

With all this info
among three guides you should now be the best puller the world has ever
seen!  Well, you should at least be able to make some good pulls,
and get some parties through some tough quests without nearly as many
party wipes.  The important thing to remember is when things go
bad, keep your head.  Don't panic, warn the party far ahead of
time, and be prepared to make an informed decision of the best way to
proceed.





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