How do I target adds effectively?

[Tatou]

I'm not typically a tank, but occasionally in 10man guild raids I'm being asked to offtank for adds, generally when they need to be kited as well. Although kiting is not my forte, my biggest problem is actually getting the new adds targeted during the fight. As a gnome, I've already learned to zoom my camera out to max distance (and a bit beyond thanks to the Carbonite addon) so I can see more than legs and spell effects. I use the "Smart Camera" option, which sometimes causes issues problems as objects cause the camera to move closer, but I find it too valuable for mouse-look maneuvers to drop completely. So overall, I think I've got the best viewing options available to me, but I'd love to hear of something that could help.

However, targeting is still a pain. I generally try to click the new add, but there are enough variables in the fight (lag, raid member runs under my pointer, I'm facing the wrong way when it spawns, I fail, whatever) that I'd like to have a more solid way of targeting. So far I'm just running in, spamming Tab and an attack until I get the guy I'm after which is certainly not optimal and screws up a kite pretty bad.

I use Grid, Perl and a host of macros and other addons. If you have targeting tips involving any of those, I'm interested. If it takes another addon, I'd be happy to do that as well. And if it's just a matter of sucking less, well, at least I'll know I'm not missing an easy solution. :)

[Synapse]

If they have a set name, you could always /targetexact name

[Sark]

First, you want to turn on enemy health bars so it is easy to see the mobs (Pressing V turns them on if you have the default key mappings) and you can actually select them via those bars too even if other raid members are hiding their model on your screen. The default ones are not bad, but Aloft is a mod that lets you customize them even more so I would recommend that. The major limitation for the enemy health bars is that the mobs have to be fairly close for them to show up and if they are way across the screen, you won't see the bars.

Second, in many situations, a targeting macro makes things much easier:
/target Life Spark
/cast Taunt

Something like that - customize it depending on the encounter you are doing. Pay attention to the exact spelling of the names the adds have, and look them up ahead of time if possible. Also be aware that this basically targets the closest add with that name so if you have multiple adds coming with the same name, this won't be reliable for just picking up the new one (say on Yogg's Immortal Guardians or something).

Sharing your targeting macros with the DPS can also help them with target switching quite a bit too if they are not aware of how to make those.

[Brucimus]

as an off tank/Melee dpser I tend to be taking on adds often. What i do is before the fight is identify what I will be killing and make the macros in advance

my job for Freya is to offtank the Stormlasher when he comes out and intercept to any of the healing trees that spawn
so my macros for Freya will be

/tar Eonar's Gift (the healing tree that must be taken out immediately)
/tar Stormlasher (one of the 3 elemental adds during the phases of freya)

on Thorim my job is to be in the arena and kill/interupt Dark Rune Evokers and AoE the Champions

/tar Dark Rune Evoker


Just plan ahead

[Brucimus]

double post please delete

[Tatou]

Thanks all. I'll give Aloft a try and do more prep work for targeting macros.

[donthoto]

Note that Aloft can be set up to show when you are loosing aggro (One colour when you are the target, one coulour when about to loose aggro and a third when aggro is lost).

I think a brief tutorial was included in the http://www.tankspot.com/forums/f120/54747-what-aim-when-customizing-your-ui.html thread.

[Tatou]

For anyone else who wanders into this thread for similar assistance, Aloft isn't current on Curse.com. Make sure you download it from WoWInterface.com.