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=== Long Duration Crowd Control Summary ===
 
=== Long Duration Crowd Control Summary ===
The following class abilities will take a mob out of the fight for 20 seconds or longer and are thus commonly used for PvE content. Fear effects, however, are struck out because of their relative uselessness in instances (due to the chance that a mob could run toward another group and cause a wipe).
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The following class abilities will take a mob out of the fight for 20 seconds or longer and are thus commonly used for PvE content. Fear effects, however, are struck out because of their relative uselessness in instances (due to the chance that a mob could run toward another group and cause a wipe). Use of the [[Glyph of Fear]] can make [[Warlock]] [[Fear]] an acceptable form of crowd control however.
   
   

Revision as of 14:21, 27 February 2011

Partying Help
Tactics

Partying
Instancing

Group Roles

Tank
Healer
Damage

Functions

Leader
Crowd control
Main assist
Puller
Rezzer
Scout

Related

Aggro
Hybrid classes
Meeting Stone
Pickup group
Wipe

Crowd Control (often abbreviated to CC) refers to spells and abilities which limit an opponents ability to participate in a fight. Crowd Control abilities can be divided in to two distinct categories: loss of control abilities, and positional control abilities.

Loss of control abilities are such that when used, the target loses the ability to participate in a battle (be it an NPC or player). They are essentially taken out of play for the duration of the controlling spell. Positional control abilities, however, do not remove control over the unit but may hinder it in some other form (target may still use it's abilities to an extent).

All raid bosses are immune to all forms of crowd control. Elite mobs may or may not have high resistance to, or be immune to, specific CC that would normally work on their non-elite counterparts. Player characters are susceptible to most forms of CC, but are subject to Diminishing Returns.

Within the two categories discussed, further forms of Crowd Control exist, similar to the way magical spells are divided in to schools (e.g. Holy, Shadow):

  • Loss of Control
    • Charm: target is under control of the caster.
    • Fear: target runs randomly around.
    • Polymorph: target is transformed into a critter.
    • Stun (controlled and random): target is unable to move or perform any actions.
    • Incapacitate: a stun which breaks on damage to the target.
    • Sleep: target is put to sleep, unable to move or perform any actions.
    • Disorientate: target wanders around, unable to perform actions. Similar to a Polymorph but no transformation occurs.
    • Banish: target is made immune to all effects but is unable to perform any.
    • Horror: similar to Fear effect, but target is stationery and duration tends to be short.
  • Positional Control
    • Snare: targets movement speed is limited, often slowed to below normal run speed.
    • Root (controlled and random): target is locked in place, stationery, but abilities may still be performed.
    • Daze: targets movement speed is reduced to 50%, and dismounted if applicable.

Class Abilities

The following table details a list of all crowd control abilites throughout the 10 classes.

Ability Type Class Tree Duration
Spell nature slow [Shackle Undead] Stun (controlled) Priest Discipline 10/50
Spell shadow shadowworddominate [Mind Control] Charm Priest Shadow 10/60
Spell shadow psychicscream [Psychic Scream] Fear Priest Shadow 8/8
Spell shadow psychichorrors [Psychic Horror] Horror Priest Shadow 3/3
Gnaw Stun (controlled) Death Knight Pet ability 3/3
Inv staff 15 [Hungering Cold] Incapacitate Death Knight Frost 10/10
Peticon-beast Ability druid bash [Bash] Stun (controlled) Druid Feral 4-5/4-5
Spell nature earthbind [Cyclone] Banish Druid Feral 6/6
Spell nature stranglevines [Entangling Roots] Root (controlled) Druid Balance 10/27
Spell nature sleep [Hibernate] Sleep Druid Balance 10/40
Ability druid mangle [Maim] Stun (controlled) Druid Feral 1-5/1-5
Ability druid supriseattack [Pounce] Stun (controlled) Druid Feral 3-4/3-4
Ability ensnare [Entrapment] Root (random) Hunter Survival 4/4
Spell frost chainsofice [Freezing Trap] Incapacitate Hunter Survival 10/20
Ability hunter pet crab [Pin] Root (controlled) Hunter Pet ability 4/4
Ability druid cower [Scare Beast] Fear Hunter Beast Mastery 10/20
Ability golemstormbolt [Scatter Shot] Disorientate Hunter Survival 4/4
Ability devour [Intimidation] Stun (controlled) Hunter Pet ability 3/3
Ability druid ravage [Ravage] Stun (controlled) Hunter Pet ability 2/2
Ability hunter pet bat [Sonic Blast] Stun (controlled) Hunter Pet ability 2/2
Inv spear 02 [Wyvern Sting] Sleep Hunter Survival 6/30
Ability mage deepfreeze [Deep Freeze] Stun (controlled) Mage Frost 5/5
Inv misc head dragon 01 [Dragon's Breath] Disorientate Mage Fire 5/5
Freeze Root (controlled) Mage Pet ability 8/8
Spell frost frostnova [Frost Nova] Root (controlled) Mage Frost 8/8
Spell frost frostarmor [Frostbite] Root (random) Mage Frost 5/5
Spell holy greaterheal [Impact] Stun (random) Mage Fire 2/2
Spell nature polymorph [Polymorph] Polymorph Mage Arcane 10/50
Ability mage coldasice [Shattered Barrier] Root (random) Mage Frost 8/8
Spell nature slow [Slow] Snare Mage Arcane 15/15
Spell holy sealofmight [Hammer of Justice] Stun (controlled) Paladin Protection 6/6
Spell holy excorcism [Holy Wrath] Stun (controlled) Paladin Holy 3/3
Spell holy prayerofhealing [Repentance] Incapacitate Paladin Retribution 6/60
Spell holy sealofwrath [Seal of Justice] Stun (random) Paladin Protection 2/2
Ability paladin turnevil [Turn Evil] Fear Paladin Holy 10/20
Spell shadow mindsteal [Blind] Disorientate Rogue Subtlety 10/10
Ability cheapshot [Cheap Shot] Stun (controlled) Rogue Assassination 4/4
Ability gouge [Gouge] Incapacitate Rogue Combat 4-5.5/4
Ability rogue kidneyshot [Kidney Shot] Stun (controlled) Rogue Assassination 2-6/6
Ability sap [Sap] Incapacitate Rogue Subtlety 10/60
Peticon-beast Ability druid bash [Bash] Stun (controlled) Shaman Pet ability 2/2
Storm, Earth and Fire Root (controlled) Shaman Elemental 5/5
Spell nature strengthofearthtotem02 [Earthbind Totem] Snare Shaman Elemental 45/45
Spell nature stoneclawtotem [Stoneclaw Totem] Stun (random) Shaman Elemental 3/3
Spell shaman hex [Hex] Polymorph Shaman Elemental 10/30
Spell shadow cripple [Banish] Banish Warlock Demonology 6/30
Spell shadow deathcoil [Death Coil] Horror Warlock Affliction 3/3
Spell shadow possession [Fear] Fear Warlock Affliction 10/20
Ability warlock howlofterror [Howl of Terror] Fear Warlock Affliction 8/8
Ability warrior victoryrush [Intercept] Stun (controlled) Warlock Pet ability 3/3
Spell shadow seduction [Seduction] Stun (controlled) Warlock Pet ability 10/15
Ability warlock shadowfurytga [Shadowfury] Stun (controlled) Warlock Destruction 3/3
Ability warrior charge [Charge] Stun (controlled) Warrior Arms 1.5/1.5
Ability thunderbolt [Concussion Blow] Stun (controlled) Warrior Protection 5/5
Ability warrior victoryrush [Intercept] Stun (controlled) Warrior Protection 3/3
Ability shockwave [Hamstring] Snare (controlled) Warrior Arms 10/15
Ability shockwave [Improved Hamstring] Root (controlled) Warrior Arms 5/5
Ability golemthunderclap [Intimidating Shout] Fear Warrior Fury 8/8
Ability warrior shockwave [Shockwave] Stun (controlled) Warrior Protection 4/4
Spell holy chastise [Holy Word: Chastise] Stun (controlled) Priest Holy 3/3
Spell holy prayerofshadowprotection [Sin and Punishment] Horror Priest Shadow 3/3
Spell frost frostbolt02 [Frostbolt] Snare (controlled) Mage Frost 9/9

Duration numbers are outlined as PvP first, PvE second (PvP/PvE)

Long Duration Crowd Control Summary

The following class abilities will take a mob out of the fight for 20 seconds or longer and are thus commonly used for PvE content. Fear effects, however, are struck out because of their relative uselessness in instances (due to the chance that a mob could run toward another group and cause a wipe). Use of the Inv glyph majorwarlock [Glyph of Fear] can make Warlock Spell shadow possession [Fear] an acceptable form of crowd control however.


Death Knight Druid Hunter Mage Paladin Priest Rogue Shaman Warlock Warrior
Any Spell nature stranglevines [Entangling Roots] Spell frost chainsofice [Freezing Trap]
Inv spear 02 [Wyvern Sting]
Spell shadow possession [Fear]
Beasts Spell nature sleep [Hibernate] Ability druid cower [Scare Beast] Spell nature polymorph [Polymorph] Ability sap [Sap] Spell shaman hex [Hex]
Demon Ability paladin turnevil [Turn Evil]
Spell holy prayerofhealing [Repentance]
Ability sap [Sap] Spell shadow cripple [Banish]
Enslave Demon
Dragonkin Spell nature sleep [Hibernate] Spell holy prayerofhealing [Repentance] Ability sap [Sap]
Elemental Spell shaman bindelemental [Bind Elemental] Spell shadow cripple [Banish]
Giant Spell holy prayerofhealing [Repentance]
Humanoid Spell nature polymorph [Polymorph] Spell holy prayerofhealing [Repentance] Spell shadow shadowworddominate [Mind Control] Ability sap [Sap] Spell shaman hex [Hex] Spell shadow seduction [Seduction]
Undead Ability paladin turnevil [Turn Evil]
Spell holy prayerofhealing [Repentance]
Spell nature slow [Shackle Undead]

PvE Strategy

Main article: Instance grouping guide for a crowd controller

The strategy for crowd control was generally well understood in vanilla World of Warcraft and the Burning Crusade expansion. During the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, use of crowd control diminished as it was not well suited to the AoE based tanking style of play that the expansion favoured. With the release of the Cataclysm expansion, crowd control is once again used frequently in instances.

Raid Icons

To use crowd control effectively in an instance, it is necessary to select and communicate which mobs will be controlled. This is most commonly done through the assignment of raid icons and the establishment of a default "kill order" based on the icons chosen. For example, it is customary for players to treat a mob marked with a skull icon as the first target to be killed, followed by X. At the other end, it is often customary to use the moon icon as the "last target" to be killed, and to designate that target for a repeatable crowd control such as the spell Spell nature polymorph [Polymorph]. The blue square is also commonly used for this purpose. The star icon is often associated with the rogue's Ability sap [Sap] ability, and is also often associated as a third or fourth target in the kill order. This dual-meaning is partly due to the fact that Sap may only be used at the beginning of the fight, so it is necessary to kill the rogue's target as the fight progresses sooner than other targets that may be crowd controlled indefinitely.

It is reccomended that the kill order be established to include the order in which crowd controlled targets will be killed (for example, one could declare that square will be killed before moon). Repeatable crowd control abilities should be kept last in the order, for maximum effect. In the event that group participants confuse the targets and go out of order, is generally best to follow the tank's lead. If possible, crowd control the other target instead. To aid in preventing confusion, group leaders might consider assigning the skull icon to a key and then progressively assigning the icon to the preferred target as each previous target is killed.

Positioning

To effectively employ most forms of crowd control, it is necessary to avoid causing damage to a target that will break the effect prematurely. For this reason, tanks should take care to pull the fighting mobs a short distance away from controlled ones so that AoE abilities will not cause accidental damage. One way to mitigate this problem is to select casters or ranged-attackers to be controlled, or to use line of sight tactics.

If the crowd control fails and the mob enters the fray, the player may have to abandon the use of crowd control. It is particularly difficult to apply crowd control once there are DoT effects on the target. If possible, select an alternative target and announce the change of targets.

Macros

Players responsible for the application of crowd control are well advised to take advantage of macros. A common strategy is to assign a focus target and use a macro to cast the crowd control ability on the focus target without diselecting the current target.