Bot commands and strategies

How commands work

A command is a normal chat message. Whisper it to one bot (/w Name stay) or say it in party or raid chat (/p stay) for every bot of the group. Bots obey the player who controls them: your altbots and addclass bots, and random bots that joined your group. The basics are in Playing with bots.

help makes a bot list every command and strategy name it knows.

Links work as arguments: shift-click an item, quest or spell into the chat line where a command expects one.

Choosing who obeys

In party or raid chat, a filter at the start of the message limits who reacts:

Filter	Who obeys
`@tank`, `@heal`, `@dps`	Bots in that role
`@melee`, `@ranged`	Melee or ranged bots
`@warrior`, `@priest`, `@dk`...	Bots of that class (`@dk` for death knights)
`@60`, `@10-20`	Bots of that level or level range
`@group2`, `@group1-3`	Bots in those raid subgroups
`@skull`, `@moon`...	Bots whose current target carries that raid mark

Example: /p @ranged stay keeps the casters in place while the melee follow you.

Movement and position

Command	What it does
`follow`	Follow you; cancels `stay`, `grind`, `flee` and `move from group`.
`stay`	Stay at the current spot.
`flee`	Follow you and stop attacking (turns on `passive`). `follow` ends it.
`grind`	Hunt monsters nearby on their own.
`move from group`	Step away from the group. `follow` ends it.
`summon`	Teleport the bot to you; a dead bot is revived if you are alive and out of combat, and its gear is repaired.
`formation <name>`	Formation when following: `arrow`, `queue`, `near`, `far`, `melee`, `line`, `circle`, `chaos` (the default), `shield`. `formation ?` shows the current one.
`disperse set <yards>`	Keep this distance from other group members in combat. `disperse disable` turns it off.

Combat

Command	What it does
`attack`	Attack your current target.
`tank attack`	Tanks only: leave `passive` and attack your target.
`pull`	Tanks only: pull your target.
`pull rti`	Tanks only: pull the target with the bot's raid mark (see `rti`).
`max dps`	Damage bots stop watching threat and saving mana, and use debuffs and cooldowns.
`wait for attack time <0-99>`	Seconds to wait before attacking, used by the `wait for attack` strategy (`co +wait for attack`), so the tank gets threat first.
`rti <mark>`	The raid mark the bot treats as its marked target, for example `rti skull`. `rti cc <mark>` sets the mark for crowd-control targets, `rti ?` shows both.
`cast <spell>`	Cast a spell on your target; `castnc` is the out-of-combat variant.
`attackers`, `target`	The bot tells you who attacks it or what its target is.

Death and rest

Command	What it does
`release`	Release the spirit.
`revive`	A ghost goes to the spirit healer and is resurrected there.
`drink`	Sit down and drink.
`home`	Bind the hearthstone at the innkeeper you target.

Gear and bags

Command	What it does
`c <item>`	How many of that item the bot carries (`items` and `inv` are the same command).
`e <item>` / `ue <item>`	Equip / unequip an item from the bot's bags.
`u <item>`	Use an item.
`s gray`	At a vendor: sell grey items (`s *` is the same). `s vendor` sells everything the bot has no use for.
`b <item>`	At a vendor: buy the item. `b vendor` buys what the bot finds useful.
`destroy <item>`	Destroy the item.
`open items`	Open lockboxes, clams and similar containers.
`repair`	Repair at a repair vendor.
`autogear`	Pick better gear, limited by the server settings (rare quality by default). Also `autogear green`, `autogear match` (your average item level), `autogear 200` (an item level) and `autogear reset`.
`maintenance`	Free service: repair, restock consumables, learn class spells, place talent points and more.
`roll <item>`	Roll for a looted item if it suits the bot.

Loot

ll <mode> sets what a bot picks up:

Mode	What it takes
`ll useful`	Upgrades, quest items, food, potions, ammo and trade goods the bot needs, and anything green or better.
`ll normal`	The useful items plus white and grey items with a vendor price. The default of a bot nobody changed.
`ll gray`	As `normal`, plus grey items without a price.
`ll disenchant`	As `normal`, plus green or better armour and weapons for disenchanting.
`ll all`	Everything on the corpse.

ll ? shows the mode and the always-loot list; ll [item] adds an item to that list and ll -[item] removes it. add all loot makes the bots loot the corpses around them. Random bots in your group refuse nc -loot and nc +loot unless you are a GM.

Quests and NPCs

Command	What it does
`quests`	List the bot's quests. `quests completed`, `quests incompleted` and `quests all` filter the list.
`accept <quest>`	Accept the quest from a quest giver nearby. `accept *` takes every quest the NPCs next to the bot offer.
`drop <quest>`	Abandon the quest.
`r <item>`	At the quest giver: take that item as the quest reward.
`talk`	Talk to your target (a quest giver).
`trainer`	With a trainer targeted, list what the bot can learn there. `trainer learn` learns it all (the bot pays).

Character

Command	What it does
`stats`	Gold, free bag slots, experience and repair cost.
`talents`	The bot's spec. `talents spec list`, `talents spec <name>`, `talents switch 1`, `talents switch 2` and `talents autopick` change it.
`spells`	List the bot's spells.
`rep`	Reputations.
`glyphs`	Glyphs.
`reset botAI`	Reset the strategies and saved settings of the bot to the defaults.
`leave`	Leave the group.
`logout`	Log out (altbots and addclass bots only).

Pets

Command	What it does
`pet attack`	The bot's pet attacks.
`pet follow`, `pet stay`	The pet follows or stays.
`pet aggressive`, `pet defensive`, `pet passive`	The pet's stance.
`tame abandon`	A hunter bot abandons its pet.

Strategies

A bot's behaviour is a set of strategies. There are two lists: co for combat and nc for out of combat.

Command	What it does
`co ?` / `nc ?`	Show the current list.
`co +name`	Add a strategy.
`co -name`	Remove a strategy.
`co ~name`	Toggle a strategy.
`co !` / `nc !`	Reset the list to the class defaults.

Several changes fit in one message: co +aoe,-threat. Changes are saved with the bot.

Strategies that are safe to switch:

Strategy	List	Effect
`aoe`	co	Use area abilities when several enemies are close.
`save mana`	co	Prefer cheaper spells and keep a mana reserve.
`behind`	co	Melee: attack from behind.
`avoid aoe`	co	Step out of harmful ground effects.
`dps assist`	co	Attack what the tank attacks.
`dps aoe`	co	Pick targets so area attacks hit the most enemies.
`tank assist`	co	Tank: pick up enemies that attack the group.
`focus`	co	Keep hitting one enemy.
`passive`	co	Do not attack.
`threat`	co	Hold back before pulling aggro from the tank.
`tank face`	co	Tank: turn enemies away from the group.
`healer dps`	co	Healer: attack when nobody needs healing.
`boost`	co	Use offensive cooldowns.
`buff`	nc	Keep buffs up on the group.
`loot`	nc	Loot corpses after the fight.
`gather`	nc	Gather herbs and ore with a gathering profession.
`food`	nc	Eat and drink when low.
`follow`, `stay`, `grind`	nc	What the bot does between fights.

dps assist, dps aoe and tank assist exclude each other: adding one removes the other two.

Roles

The role of a bot is its main combat strategy, set from its talents when it logs in. The names by class:

Class	Tank	Healer	Damage
Warrior	`tank`		`arms`, `fury`
Paladin	`tank`	`heal`	`dps`
Priest		`heal`, `holy heal`	`dps`
Death knight	`blood`		`frost`, `unholy`
Shaman		`resto`	`ele`, `enh`
Druid	`bear`	`resto`	`balance`, `cat`
Hunter, rogue, mage, warlock			damage only

A role comes with several supporting strategies, so switching by hand takes a few co changes; co ? shows the full set. The Style tab of Bot tactics switches the whole set with one click.