08-10-2005, 10:13 AM
AoEing elites is only possible with multiple AoE sources, so I wont talk about it. In general I never recommend party to AoE when there are only 1 or 2 non-elites, it's faster, safer and more mana efficient to quickly kill them right in the begining (after dangerous casters are dead).
So in your cases above in general:
1 elite + 4 non elite: pull elite and focus fire on it and AoE
2 elite + 3 non elite: CC one and then the same, if CC is not possilbe, party will have to agree on something depending on composion of both group and the targets
3 elite + 2 non elite: no AoE, unless there are more AoE sources
But as always, it depends on party and mobs and only experience what you can and what you cannot do with the pull right in front of you.
In any case, I prefer charge pull, since all mobs gather around tank and especially ranged attackers in the pull stay close and in AoE range (e.g. BRD pulls around Constructs). As a frost/arcane mage I always begin with FN/CoC and then just IAE and throw CoC again when it becomes available.
I tried to begin with Blizzard for higher mana efficiency, but always ended these fights with less mana than when doing the above because of:
1. With most tanks the mobs tend to break and go after healer very shortly after pull/charge - I often have barely enough time to FN them after they gather around tank
2. Even when I was giving tank some time, the Blizzard broke all mobs after 3rd wave at most and then 2-3 more waves and I had to cancel Blizzard anyway. I think about trying out Flamestrike, but it's not possible when mobs are breaking from tank, it also has rather small range.
By the way, I also think everyone in the group should know exactly what's going on and I don't see why not.
So in your cases above in general:
1 elite + 4 non elite: pull elite and focus fire on it and AoE
2 elite + 3 non elite: CC one and then the same, if CC is not possilbe, party will have to agree on something depending on composion of both group and the targets
3 elite + 2 non elite: no AoE, unless there are more AoE sources
But as always, it depends on party and mobs and only experience what you can and what you cannot do with the pull right in front of you.
In any case, I prefer charge pull, since all mobs gather around tank and especially ranged attackers in the pull stay close and in AoE range (e.g. BRD pulls around Constructs). As a frost/arcane mage I always begin with FN/CoC and then just IAE and throw CoC again when it becomes available.
I tried to begin with Blizzard for higher mana efficiency, but always ended these fights with less mana than when doing the above because of:
1. With most tanks the mobs tend to break and go after healer very shortly after pull/charge - I often have barely enough time to FN them after they gather around tank
2. Even when I was giving tank some time, the Blizzard broke all mobs after 3rd wave at most and then 2-3 more waves and I had to cancel Blizzard anyway. I think about trying out Flamestrike, but it's not possible when mobs are breaking from tank, it also has rather small range.
By the way, I also think everyone in the group should know exactly what's going on and I don't see why not.