Ascii code and targeting.

You'll notice, especially in battlegrounds, many characters using ascii code in their names in or order to make it harder for you to target them using

/target name

method.

For instance, if your target's name is Bill, you would use

/target bill

in order to hlep track him and attack him, etc. Using this in a macros also helps reacquiring if the stealth, shadowmeld, distract, etc.

As I said the use of macros is to make it harder for you to do so.

Of course, it can also be used to get that name you want, but which is already being used. Just by changing one of the letters to ascii code.

So, if Bill is already being used, you can now be Bïll.

Ascii codes can be found at this link:

http://chexed.com/ComputerTips/asciicodes.php

As explained there, you simply use/hold your ALT key and type in the numeric key at same time.

So for an i with 2 dots over it, you would use ALT with 139, and the result is ï.

This will also help you find those characters on Blizzards armory as well.

Ok, so so some people may ask what I mean by tracking.

In this example, I am a horde hunter, in WSG, standing guard in the flagroom, with Track Humanoids on.

On my minimap, I might see the allie Bill approaching.

I can quickly type:

/track Bill

Poof, I got Bill's profile up eventhough I don't see him in line-of sight (LOS) yet. And this allows me to stay put while I command my pet to attack him.

So Bill is being attacked while approaching me up the tunnel, before he even gets to me.

Variations of this can be used.

Granted it's not the same for other classes, but let's say the enemy-flag-carrier (EFC), just snagged your flag, but you weren't in LOS to see him and click on him to target him.

You got his name in battleground chat. Let's say it's Bill again.

Quickly type:

/target Bill.

If your close enough, his profile should appear and you'll know he's nearby.

This method works good when approaching the EFC, trying to find him and kill him in their base, etc.

This method also works when questing and looking for certain npcs, etc.

Also for when hunting for rare npc spawns for achievements.

Macros be used too.

You can make a macro called "Rares."

It would simply be something like this:

/target rare1
/target rare2


As many as you want. As you search area, spam your macro until one of the rares in your list pops up.

Crowd Control in battlegrounds.

Use a trageting macro.

This works when you play battlegrounds a lot and you see the same enemies a lot.

One of the best CC methods, is too constantly hunt down and slow down the enemy who normally does the most dmage or carries the flag the most, or even the FCs healer. You get the idea.

Even if you can't kill this person, at least by slowing them, you have given your team a slight advantage.

Many times your target will completely forget the FC he was chasing to go after you. If that is the case, you were succesful in your distraction.

So as a Horde you make a macro "Allies."

So, if Bill, Joe and Tom are your common hunts, your macro would look like:

/target Bill
/target Joe
/target Tom

As you you see more common allies, you simply add them to the list in your macro.

As a side note, with regard to distraction, one method that almost always works is to lol, joke/silly, dance, etc. the enemy you have targeted. They almost always forget their main objective to go after you becuase you made them mad. Again, if it works, you have been succesful at distraction. But, keep in mind not to fall for this yourself. If your target is the EFC, stay focused on the EFC.

i also recommend making i your target macro (in the case of npcs or rares) whisper you back when you have it targeted. I do this for my Icecrown macro for the Time Lost Proto...
it looks like this:

/tar Dirkee
/tar Vyra
/tar Time
/stopmacro [noexists]
/tell Schwarzertod > %t <

(replace my name with your name)

as you can see i have 3 rares + the whisper part of the macro.. just spam this when you're in the area.

A note though.. if you hit the button it will whisper back what ever you have targeted.. so if you have your pet or another player targeted, it will pst that back to you.

Here is a good macros from wowwiki for those pesky shaman totems.
This is intended to be a hunter pet macro, but can also be used by other classes with combat pets, such as warlocks.

/petattack [target=Earthbind Totem]
/petattack [target=Searing Totem]
/petattack [target=Fire Nova Totem]
/petattack [target=Stoneskin Totem]
/petattack [target=Strength of Earth Totem]

So while your pet, using this macros, is cutting down his totems, you can club him with your trusty fishing pole.

Isn't there a change coming in 3.2 that will mess the totem targeting macro up?