[Ranting Start]
After some ranting and QQing on Heroic Dailies, I got steamed up to post something about them, being more specific: Bosses.
But we had wipes before those!
May be when in Deadmines, tanker and 2 melee dps stood inside the red ball thing while one of them had that "whirling blades" debuff on them (that damages allies around them), or when people think that little green goo on floor that a mob throws under them can be a buff and decide to stand on it...
Doesn't matter how, people tend to wipe on Heroics, even so many months after the release.
So I got steamed up to post something about Heroic Dungeons.
Just before I started to put words together, I remember that my priest (Discipline/Shadow) hadn't had his daily run. Queued as Healer/DPS and waited. Don't know how, but got in as Shadow.
Anyway, whole 5 strangers to each other get together to beat The Lost City of Tol'Vir.
While the tanker finished loading, I went and started marking for CC. Shaman, mage, a ret Paladin and me with Mind Control, cool, a lot of CCs. Before the second mark was down, a "i dont need cc" and a whooshing charge sound passed by us followed by healer's "gogogo".
We wiped.
At first trash pack.
And there was a group with only a mage and myself standing there, after some third class QQs and rage quits.
So I got steamed up to post something about Crowd Control abilites.
[Ranting End]
tl;dr:
So I got steamed up to post something about Crowd Control abilites (and interrupts).
Here goes a (maybe) complete list of CCs (and interrupts) and some examples of how and when to use. It's important to know them, and matters not if you're a healer, dpser or tanker; know them, assign them, use them. It's cool to use even if you know YOU can faceroll the dungeon. Those with you may not.
[Death Knight]
Interrupt.
A simple melee interrupt that school lock for 4 seconds, costing 20 runic power. 10 seconds cooldown.
Interrupt.
Ranged interrupt, costing 1 blood rune. Silences for 5 seconds, but has a 2 minute cooldown.
[Druid]
Crowd control. Usable in caster, balance and tree of life form.
Tosses the enemy target into the air, preventing all action but making them invulnerable for up to 6 seconds. Only one target can be affected by your Cyclone at a time.
Not that much of a CC, only helpful until so other CCer can position himself. And, besides its short duration of 6 seconds, it still suffers from diminishing returns. So first time a mob is Cycloned, 6 seconds. Second time, 3 seconds; third, 2 seconds and on fourth and onward, no effect.
Crowd control. Usable in caster, balance and tree of life form.
Roots the target and cause damage over 30 seconds. It can break from damage, but it'll never break from its own DoT.
Not the most reliable CC out there, but at least is one of the few with no type required. Humanoids, dragonkin, beasts; you name it, you root it.
Just be sure to not use it against casters/ranged mobs since this will only root them. Only viable to use on those mobs if you are doing a LoS pull (like the third pack on Halls of Origination).
Crowd control. Usable in caster, balance and tree of life form.
Puts the target to sleep up to 40 seconds. Any damage will break the effect.
With a narrow range of targets (Beasts and Dragonkins) it can be tricky to remember this spell at the right time, but it sure is helpful. Every dragonkin in Grim Batol, i.e., can be put to sleep; the same is true for every beast you encounter.
Interrupt. Usable in Cat or Bear form.
A charge with an interrupt and school lock; no minimal range requirement.
When in bear form, it's pretty easy to use it due to rage almost always being topped. In cat, however, you have to be conscious about saving energy to use it on casters.
Interrupt with AoE. Usabe in caster and balance forms.
Balance tree talent spell.
Cast on target, it creates a 5yd radius AoE, interrupting and silencing every hostile inside it. Useful to cast on tank target to keep them silenced or on caster mobs away from tanker, luring it closer. 10 seconds duration.
Due to its long cooldown, it's more useful on heroics and pvp than raids.
"Crowd control"/Debuffer. Usable in caster, balance and tree of life form.
Soothes the target, dispelling enrage effects.
Useful in heroics (like Lost City, on Lockmaw or Stonecore, on berserkers) or in BWD, using on the trash dragon at your right (since 3, 4 stacks is enough to 2-hit kill tankers).
[Hunter]
Crowd Control.
Place a frost trap that freezes the first enemy that approaches, preventing all action for up to 1 min. Any damage caused will break the ice. Trap will exist for 1 minute. 30 seconds cooldown.
If used with Trap Launcher, this is one of the best CCs out there. Not restricted by types, a somewhat long cooldown shadowed by a long duration. The main CC from the class.
Can be used as Interrupt on non-bosses.
A short-range shot, dealing 50% weapon damage and disorienting the target for 4 seconds. Any damage will break the effect.
While not really being an interrupt, thus doing nothing on bosses, it's an useful ability on heroic randoms.
But when an enemy is casting a protected spell (those with cast bar frame shielded), you can Scatter Shot them and interrupt the cast.
"Crowd Control"/Debuffer.
Instant shot that removes 1 Enrage AND 1 Magic effect from an enemy target.
Mix Soothe from druids and Dispel Magic from Priests and cast on your enemy as a single instant abilty = profit.
Just be sure to check your enemy buffs and this will help a lot your group.
Crowd Control.
Scares a beast, causing it to run in fear for up to 20 seconds. Damage caused may interrupt the effect. Only one beast can be feared at a time.
CC with a restrict range of targets, rarely used in dungeons as you can aggro more packs. Useful in a few places, like heroic Beauty at BRC, on puppies. Scare + Freezing trap = DPSers are free to get boss.
Interrupt.
Marksmanship tree talent ability.
A shot that silences the target for 3 seconds. Non-player victim spellcasting is also interrupted for 3 seconds.
Being useful as a ranged interrupt, it suffers from a long 20 seconds cooldown. You'll never be a designated interrupter, but you can do some tricks.
Crowd Control.
Survival tree talent ability.
A stinging shot that puts the target to sleep for 30 seconds. Any damage will cancel the effect. When the target wakes up, the Sting causes nature damage over 6 seconds. Only one Sting per Hunter can be active on the target at a time.
Death Knigths, Druids and Hunters: covered.
Next post: Mages, Paladins and Priests.
Then Rogue, Shaman, Warlock and Warriors.
