Threat changes

Before the Threat changes, tanks got a rough time holding aggro against strong damage dealers. Especially with broken mount powers like Vecna's Slab. The Threat changes made tanking again comfortable. However, this does not mean that tanks can now lay back! Under certain circumstances, tanks do not benefit much from the threat changes and thus lose aggro from time to time! I have especially seen Vanguards loosing aggro and witnessed this myself. Now this goes a bit against the popular opinion, so let me explain what exactly the threat changes did and then explain why this might happen:

  • The threat changes mainly increased the threat generated of the Powers that were not flagged as "Increased Threat" powers (so every power except Threatening Rush, Linebreaker, Retaliate and the feated Shieldthrower). This was done by increasing the tank threat multiplier from 5.5 to 15, while reducing the additional multiplier for the mentioned powers from 8 to 3. The goal was to "free" the Vanguards from requiring them to use these powers to hold aggro!

  • Furthermore Tide of Iron and Staying Power now significantly increase the Threat generated (each +33%)! This increases the Threat baseline on all powers given that Tide of Iron and Staying Power are used!

These two changes however had side effects. Threat generated by actions that are not the abovementioned powers were also increased! This mainly affects the following effects:

  • Threat rings! The Threat generated was close to tripled! This makes holding aggro on trash mobs simply by running in circles a child's play!

  • Manticore's Mane Bite. The damage scales off HP and now generates also close to three times the Threat!

  • Potions and Health Stone charges also generate now close to three times the Threat!

In reality, these three effects were the main factor, why aggro can be easily established now!

That said, how does one still lose the threat race? Well, this can happen when many of the above mentioned effect are not available:

  • If our power setup doesn't include Enforced Threat due to the risk of an unwanted tank swap, we can not profit from Staying Power! Or we decided to use Shield Thrower instead of Staying Power.

  • If we took the 'risk' to not use Tide of Iron, because the power is so clunky and slow and only holds 5s, then we also do not profit from the other big Threat buff.

  • If we have mostly Utility Powers slotted (Enforced Threat, Knight's Valor, Knight's Challenge, Iron Warrior), then we also do gain much from the increased threat by damage! We simply generate no increased threat by using these Encounter Powers!

  • If we are forced to stay in one spot, have not our daily ready and spare our healing stones for rough times (or the heals are too good and we can't use them), then we also do not gain the benefits of the aggro rings, manticore's mane bite and potions!

  • KV goes to the wrong target ...

Due to the mentioned 'mishaps', the Threat we generate is not significantly higher than before the Threat changes and we may loose aggro! In my experience, not having these circumstances may happen faster than expected. Now that is mostly what I liked to sketch, so I won't say much to the table below. It lists the threat generated by each power.

Threat Generation (by power)

At-Will
Threat (in Magnitude)
Threat / Cast Time

Cleave

55 * 20 = 1100

1100 / 0.5 = 2200

Brazen Slash

100 * 20 = 2000

2000 / 0.5 = 4000

Shield Bash

55 * 20 = 1100

1100 / 0.6 = 3333

Garded Strike

100 * 20 = 2000

2000 / 0.5 = 4000

Tide of Iron

120 * 20 = 2400

2400 / 1 = 2400

Threatening Rush

60 * 20 * 3 = 3600

3600 / 0.8 = 4500

Encounter
Threat (in Magnitude)
Threat / Cooldown

Shield Slam

350 * 20 = 7000

7000 / 14 = 500

Kneebreaker

700 * 20 = 14000

14000 / 16 = 875

Bull Charge

520 * 20 = 10400

10400 / 12 ~ 866

Shield Throw

450 * 20 = 9000

9000 / 12 = 750

Shield Throw (Feated)

325 * 20 * 3 = 19500

19500 / 6 = 3250

Anvil of Doom

880 * 20 = 17600

17600 / 18 ~ 977

Linebreaker

300 * 20 * 3 = 18000

18000 / 14 ~ 1285

Daily / Retailate
Threat (in Magnitude)
Threat / Cooldown

Earthshaker

1050 * 20 = 21000

-

Retailate

500 * 20 * 3 = 30000

30000 / 10 = 3000

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