D&D 4E How well do 4e parties handle monster groups of the same type?

[Stalker0]

We've seen talk of encounters with "balanced roles". For example, a solider, a brute, artillery, and lurker for example.

But in many cases, it makes sense to use many copies of the same monster. For example, I'm sure I would use 5 gargoyles more often than 3 gargoyles, a leader guy, and a mage (at least for my games).

How well does 4e encounter system handle this? For example, if I have a monster team of 5 strikers, they will pump out crazy amounts of damage. Will this simply obliterate a 4e group one at a time, or can players take it long enough to get in close and control the field?

 

[themilkman]

Groups of one enemy type actually tend to be less effective than mixed groups.

Consider, for example, a group of only ranged strikers. Will they do more damage? Yes, but like you said, they won't do enough damage to end the fight before a Fighter and a Paladin get up in their faces. Then, whenever they fire, they're going to provoke AoO. Try to shift away first? That's an AoO from the Fighter, and if he hits, then you can't shift, and you have to fire from melee and take another AoO anyway. Flank them with high mobility units and they're finished especially fast.

 

[Stalker0]

Groups of one enemy type actually tend to be less effective than mixed groups.

Consider, for example, a group of only ranged strikers. Will they do more damage? Yes, but like you said, they won't do enough damage to end the fight before a Fighter and a Paladin get up in their faces. Then, whenever they fire, they're going to provoke AoO. Try to shift away first? That's an AoO from the Fighter, and if he hits, then you can't shift, and you have to fire from melee and take another AoO anyway. Flank them with high mobility units and they're finished especially fast.

That's the theory. I was curious is anyone at DDX had encounters like these, to find out how it works in actuality.

 

[ltbaxter]

Groups of one enemy type actually tend to be less effective than mixed groups.

Consider, for example, a group of only ranged strikers. Will they do more damage? Yes, but like you said, they won't do enough damage to end the fight before a Fighter and a Paladin get up in their faces. Then, whenever they fire, they're going to provoke AoO. Try to shift away first? That's an AoO from the Fighter, and if he hits, then you can't shift, and you have to fire from melee and take another AoO anyway. Flank them with high mobility units and they're finished especially fast.

Was going to reply that shifting does not generate opportunity attacks, then double checked the abilities of the fighter. Combat Challenge however states: "when an adjacent enemy shifts, make an immediate melee basic attack against them". So good point

 

[alaric]

From the info we have (for example the gnolls page from the MM), it looks like most monsters will come with 3 or 4 variants to cover multiple roles (this also explains how 500 monsters take up 288 pages). So you don't fight 5 gnolls, you fight 2 Gnoll Huntmasters (Artillery), 2 Gnoll Claw Fights (Skirmishers), and a Gnoll Marauder (Brute).