Question - HoT xpac on a true FTP team

[Wraith6911]

So I am running a true FTP team that is entering the HoT range - 83-85. When I say a true FTP team, I mean no one in the group is gold or on a chrono right now. The team comp = war, shm, brd, bst, zerk,zerk.

The team was pretty solid up until now - I would simply hold them back a few extra levels before entering new content etc to make sure that they were ready. But entering the HoT expansion the shaman just cannot my war standing on any difficult fight. They do just fine on the relatively weak mobs, and they can handle 1-2 normal mobs so long as the bard lands the mez fast enough. But we pull a named and they are toast. Everytime. I have always gone gold on a tank or chrono'd in this range before on my previous groups, but was really hoping to stretch this group to like 100 before I did that this time around. How do you old pro's handle this level range without a temp sub?

the group is mostly sporting tradable t1 HoT armor and non-vis. So terror-infused and the like. So everyone in the team is 20K plus hp - the war with buffs ( and wild growth) gets right near 40k.

Thanks in advance

 

[allandallis235]

PM sent. Hope it helps.

 

[Sic]

the game just isn't designed for a tank to be f2p - that's one of their "gotchas".

no AAs, no augs --- these are absolute killers once you get more into the modern game - 85ish+

 

[Captin03]

I’m impresssed you made it into the 80’s with a 0 AA war. I would guess a mage pet tank would preform better without AA. Every team I have done I normally sub the tank and keep the others free as I level. If you really don’t want to spend money just look at it as part of the gearing process. Find a place you can farm plat and earn the Krono in game to sub the warrior.

 

[Wraith6911]

It has definitely been an interesting challenge. I have always subbed one or two in the past just for QoL while leveling, was trying so hard this time to not do that if I could help it until like lvl 100. Mostly just to say I made it honestly.

I did think about the farming for plats to buy him a chrono option - but they are going for over 3mil on my server atm. I spend more plats on all my crazy teams than I make some months..hehe

 

[Wraith6911]

I have six groups that have gone through this situation. You can do the yard at 90. Use loping plains to 90. You have to literally be several levels above content if you're f2p.



I'm about to find out if this is true soon.
PS. So far the pet groups have needed far less gear, spells/tomes, plat than the pure melee groups have needed to get to 60. There are only a few core spells "needed" so far. Just saying.

I would like to know how the pet tanking goes into the higher levels. I experimented some in the 85 range and it went okay using a mage pet as a tank. That team kind of fizzled out after a bit though since I was running mercs rather than a full 6. But keep us posted!