Void walker is a good tank?

guluk · April 28, 2006, 09:10 AM

Greetings!

I am currently a level 24 orc lock who is heading down the path to SL. I have put 5 points in to instant corruption and then 10 points total into the first three talents of tier 1. As of level 25 i will be able to start putting points into Fel stamina and the 1 point into summoning a demon faster.

Now to my question slash concern:

The other night i went into WC just to collect serpent bloom for some easy cash from the quest. All the raptors and wind serpents were grey to me and i summon the blueberry. Well i start by sending the VW in and start my dots of Curse of Agony, corruption and Immolate. Now my VW has no problem holding aggro, but good gravy he almost dies every time we fight a single mob! Going back to what i do after the dots, i will send 2 shadow bolts and then wand the rest of the fight to regain mana to reapply dots. My wand averges about 35 points per hit and crits for around 60 on ocassion, witha speed of 1.6 i think.

Now should my void be getting crushed like this in terms of damabe from a mob that almost 7 lvls below him? it seems like he has no AC, so other then holding aggro should this "tank" be better at damage mitigation?

Shriek · April 28, 2006, 12:14 PM

Those guys you are referring to hit a ton, even several levels below you. I can say with certainty after having levelled both a warlock and a hunter to level 60 that the VW is a good tank.

Shriek

guluk · April 28, 2006, 12:36 PM

ok so it was just the fact that i was taking on eleites in WC that my void (which has almost a 100hps less then me unbuffed) was gettign pounded on so bad? Like i said he holds aggro like no other, just seems his hps go by faster then i can burn down the enemy

Nugsolot · April 28, 2006, 12:48 PM

Yeah the elite mobs will hit way harder and if they were hitting you i bet they would be doing even more damage then they were doing to ole blue ; ive always though of the VW as a great tank as well, espicaily when you've put 3 tp in imp vw.

Shriek · April 28, 2006, 12:49 PM

Your level isn't so high that these guys don't hit you hard, and they do have a ton of hps. Ã‚ Sometimes you are going to have to use health funnel to heal the VW and alternate that with life drain. Ã‚ The difference between you and the hunter is that all of your DOTs are still running on the mob, whereas the hunter has to stop doing damage to heal the pet.

Shriek

Zarski · May 02, 2006, 11:33 AM

I really like my VW, since i am a destro build, sometimes when mine is about to die, i start using searing pain and pull argo or if the mob has more then 15% hp left. pulling off a shadow bolt or 2 sometimes saves him.

Ralicx · May 03, 2006, 03:29 PM

Imho void walker= ftl. When soloing elites i find it is always more efficient to kite them with succy. This way you do more damage and your pet takes less damage. I suppose that this doesnt really apply to wc, due to the cramped environment and nearby mobs, just some general advice though.

Sadina · May 09, 2006, 10:03 AM

you have to say that I don't find my VW holds the agro very well at all.
I'm level 45, and have DP in my affliction tree, and have only just started to put point into demonolgy.

If I use the VW, I send him in, cast Curse of Agony, Siphon Life and Corruption on the mob, then life tap twice and proceed to drain from the mob.. by this time though its already running at me and the VW just doesn't kill it quick enough. So I tend to use the succy or the felhunter, mainly the succy, she doesn't hold the agro, but I don't expect her to, her DPS is what I want

If I get down my demonology tree to Improved VW, will this increase his ability to hold the agro? I'd like the options to use him as an efficient tank when I need to, but right now I just feel I can't. Will those talents points help, or do I need to do less casting of my own? or maybe more spaced out casting ?

Kristenanne · May 09, 2006, 07:09 PM

Caveat I'm only level 22.

I have improved Void walker and torment level 2, and unless his torment is resisted I CANNOT PULL AGGRO from big blue.

If I'm grinding I usally pull with CoW and send in VW. He torments and pulls aggro. I follow with corruption and then either wand or immolate then wand.

No downtime for mana and VW generally only loses 10% health a pull and sometimes even regains that back as I target the next mob. In a fast respawn area (think the bristleback area just northwest of Camp T), I am a non-stop killing maching.

Think of it a raid practice, you HAVE to learn aggro management eventually...why not now?

Sadina · May 10, 2006, 05:37 AM

Yes you are correct Kristenanne, aggro management is important, and I understand this.
In groups and playing with my guild my aggro management is fine, it just concerns me that the only pet I have designed to keep a mob from me can not .. I guess I will just have to put those talent points into Imp. VW and see what happens

can anyone else aff/demon spec'd advise if the extra points do actually help out ?

April 28, 2006, 09:10 AM	#1 (permalink)
guluk Registered	Void walker is a good tank? Greetings! I am currently a level 24 orc lock who is heading down the path to SL. I have put 5 points in to instant corruption and then 10 points total into the first three talents of tier 1. As of level 25 i will be able to start putting points into Fel stamina and the 1 point into summoning a demon faster. Now to my question slash concern: The other night i went into WC just to collect serpent bloom for some easy cash from the quest. All the raptors and wind serpents were grey to me and i summon the blueberry. Well i start by sending the VW in and start my dots of Curse of Agony, corruption and Immolate. Now my VW has no problem holding aggro, but good gravy he almost dies every time we fight a single mob! Going back to what i do after the dots, i will send 2 shadow bolts and then wand the rest of the fight to regain mana to reapply dots. My wand averges about 35 points per hit and crits for around 60 on ocassion, witha speed of 1.6 i think. Now should my void be getting crushed like this in terms of damabe from a mob that almost 7 lvls below him? it seems like he has no AC, so other then holding aggro should this "tank" be better at damage mitigation?

April 28, 2006, 12:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
Shriek Member Character Info Shriek 60 Undead Warlock Nether	Re: Void walker is a good tank? Those guys you are referring to hit a ton, even several levels below you. I can say with certainty after having levelled both a warlock and a hunter to level 60 that the VW is a good tank. Shriek

April 28, 2006, 12:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
guluk Registered	Re: Void walker is a good tank? ok so it was just the fact that i was taking on eleites in WC that my void (which has almost a 100hps less then me unbuffed) was gettign pounded on so bad? Like i said he holds aggro like no other, just seems his hps go by faster then i can burn down the enemy

April 28, 2006, 12:48 PM	#4 (permalink)
Nugsolot Lurker	Re: Void walker is a good tank? Yeah the elite mobs will hit way harder and if they were hitting you i bet they would be doing even more damage then they were doing to ole blue ; ive always though of the VW as a great tank as well, espicaily when you've put 3 tp in imp vw.

April 28, 2006, 12:49 PM	#5 (permalink)
Shriek Member Character Info Shriek 60 Undead Warlock Nether	Re: Void walker is a good tank? Your level isn't so high that these guys don't hit you hard, and they do have a ton of hps. Ã‚ Sometimes you are going to have to use health funnel to heal the VW and alternate that with life drain. Ã‚ The difference between you and the hunter is that all of your DOTs are still running on the mob, whereas the hunter has to stop doing damage to heal the pet. Shriek

May 02, 2006, 11:33 AM	#6 (permalink)
Zarski Lurker Character Info Zarski 60 Undead Warlock Firetree US PvP Guild: Shamang Heroes	Re: Void walker is a good tank? I really like my VW, since i am a destro build, sometimes when mine is about to die, i start using searing pain and pull argo or if the mob has more then 15% hp left. pulling off a shadow bolt or 2 sometimes saves him.

May 03, 2006, 03:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
Ralicx Registered	Re: Void walker is a good tank? Imho void walker= ftl. When soloing elites i find it is always more efficient to kite them with succy. This way you do more damage and your pet takes less damage. I suppose that this doesnt really apply to wc, due to the cramped environment and nearby mobs, just some general advice though.

May 09, 2006, 10:03 AM	#8 (permalink)
Sadina Registered	Re: Void walker is a good tank? you have to say that I don't find my VW holds the agro very well at all. I'm level 45, and have DP in my affliction tree, and have only just started to put point into demonolgy. If I use the VW, I send him in, cast Curse of Agony, Siphon Life and Corruption on the mob, then life tap twice and proceed to drain from the mob.. by this time though its already running at me and the VW just doesn't kill it quick enough. So I tend to use the succy or the felhunter, mainly the succy, she doesn't hold the agro, but I don't expect her to, her DPS is what I want If I get down my demonology tree to Improved VW, will this increase his ability to hold the agro? I'd like the options to use him as an efficient tank when I need to, but right now I just feel I can't. Will those talents points help, or do I need to do less casting of my own? or maybe more spaced out casting ?

May 09, 2006, 07:09 PM	#9 (permalink)
Kristenanne Member Character Info Kristenanne 27 Undead Warlock Thorium Brotherhood US RP Guild: Still Looking for one Profile: CTProfile	Re: Void walker is a good tank? Caveat I'm only level 22. I have improved Void walker and torment level 2, and unless his torment is resisted I CANNOT PULL AGGRO from big blue. If I'm grinding I usally pull with CoW and send in VW. He torments and pulls aggro. I follow with corruption and then either wand or immolate then wand. No downtime for mana and VW generally only loses 10% health a pull and sometimes even regains that back as I target the next mob. In a fast respawn area (think the bristleback area just northwest of Camp T), I am a non-stop killing maching. Think of it a raid practice, you HAVE to learn aggro management eventually...why not now?

May 10, 2006, 05:37 AM	#10 (permalink)
Sadina Registered	Re: Void walker is a good tank? Yes you are correct Kristenanne, aggro management is important, and I understand this. In groups and playing with my guild my aggro management is fine, it just concerns me that the only pet I have designed to keep a mob from me can not .. I guess I will just have to put those talent points into Imp. VW and see what happens can anyone else aff/demon spec'd advise if the extra points do actually help out ?