VanCleef Assault

[Tal]

Sometimes the mistake is that the party does not accept when it is outmatched - this occurred last time when about 6-7 mobs were aggroed on the ship and came for us at once.  Instead of fleeing, the party stuck around and was annihilated.  There is no shame in recognizing an unwinnable pull and retreating.  ESPECIALLY the characters that can res (Paladins, Priests).  This happens despite repeated /v Run and just typing RUN! in the party chat.  Personal beef of mine - I think that players feel that if they run, they're letting the team down, but I'd much rather see a res'ing class playing cautiously and saving us than throwing yet another attempt at VC and 2 hours down the drain.  :)
-Bolty

I can't agree with this more but with a caveat. I've been (for the most part) playing the role of tank in my times through the VC encounter. One thing people don't understand is that as the tank I won't run. Not that I can't or have no desire to but because I have usually spent most of the fight trying to piss off every mob that has aggroed the party. If I run, I bring the train with me. ;) It also means that even if the party (with me in tow) does manage to get out of aggro range of the first mob we encounter it will get re-aggroed when it passes its buddies who are still aggro'd onto the party. For that reason I expect to go down fighting and buying time for the rest of the party to escape. A good rule of thumb that I use when playing in parties as a pally that if there is a second pally. Whoever is the smaller of the two is the one to break and run. If I'm the bigger pally and I say run I mean it. ;)