Healer tips

[matax]

Healer tips plz

Fairly new to the healer class and I'm fairly overawed by the number/variety of spells/quickbar icons I am now faced with (especially as my main character (on Hib) is a tank).

I have seen mezzes/stuns etc from the equivalent characters in Hib and have read most of the Healer guides. However I have found all the guides to be rather vague.

What I wondered was if anyone knew of any more in depth class guides, or if someone could give me some good hints/tips to playing a Healer.

I am planning on speccing high in Pacification (3/4 level ish) and then about 1/3 level in Augment and Mending.

Augment - I'm happy with the buffs (fairly self explanatory). Just make sure you have enough concentration, so give them out in order of priority/usefulness.

Mending - difference between the 4 different heals - should you be using one line in particular. Is heal spell II (Refinement/Improvement ... Emendation) fine for most situations? Would I ever use the specialisation healing lines over the automatic ones ? Insta's - big topic I know they are a big aggro generator - any hints (for when I have them)?

Pacify - I know what they do, but what EXACTLY is the difference between Mez, Stun and Root. Tips on situations when you would use one v's the other. Using AE v's target versions. Wake Senseless - have tried using this, but found the mob immediately breaks from the mez and attacks me - I'm obviously using this wrong - help on this one.

Any general tips on playing a healer. How to solo (although I will be grouping as much as poss). Quickbar arrangement.

All help appreciated

 

[Tasans]

First of all spec.
I would suggest skip aug line cause its a total waste. Speccing high there will only make you a better soloer, and will gimp you in rvr.
Mend is somewhat good to spec but giving it more than 26 isnt worth it. Spec as high pac as you can because its what healers are most wanted in higher levels.
Now in healing i normaly use minor heal and medium heal. No aggro and tanks are happy. I rarely use big heals cause they generate loads of aggro and have a long cast time as well as big power usage. I generaly use instas when someone has few hp left and i havent even started casting a heal. You would rarely need to throw too many heals because of stuns and attack spd debuff.
Now quickbars it would be best having 2. 1 with all the heals and 1 with all the pac stuff in it. And also a buff only quickbar.
If you want to have everything in 1 i would suggest:
1. Minor heal
2. Medium heal
3. Big heal
4. Insta
5. Group insta
6. mez
7. Stun
8. Attck speed debuff
Thats how my quickbar is but that is just me because it helps me keyboarding it. Try to organize different quickbars to see what fits you best.

 

[old.chesnor]

You got to remember the AUG line was given some major love and PAC was nerfed in 1.50 & 1.51. So however you spec, bear in mind the changes to the Healer class in those patches.

Up to 1.48, PAC was the way to go, AUG was indeed a waste beyond about 5 (imho). But the AUG line now rocks, and after 1.50 every tank out there with any sense will have the purge RA making mezz less important in RvR than it is now (but still pretty important)

So it depends on your style of play. A 'Battle Healer' is now viable (don't laugh please) as many Healers heavily AUG specced are now soloing oranges in PvE. You're life expectancy solo in RvR will be much better and you will still be able to lay down some sweet mezzes when needed.

I think 23 Mending, 29 Pacification, 39 Augmentation sounds good for me, as I've played a full out PAC healer and didn't enjoy it too much. With this spec you get the 2 insta heals and the insta mezz and stun. You get +46% run buff and a 9.0dps self dmg buff and some really nice resist buffs.....

Go have a read of the IGN seer forums, good info there
http://vnboards.ign.com/board.asp?brd=20913

 

[old.chesnor]

And a few more tips from personal experience.....

Wake senseless is 'pretty' useless in PvE imho. I can count on one hand how many times I needed to use it. What it is good for in RvR though (because of its 2300 range) is interrupting casters. I was casting this loads in Thirdanki the other day and it was really annoying the Alb caster trying to nuke our tanks with 1500 range.

Insta heals are obviously aggro magnets in PvE. I generally only used them as an aggro managment tool (i.e. healing someone and getting aggro to me to save their necks) when I felt that I could take the beating before the mob died. Using group insta in PvE is for the suicidal. Instas totally rock in RvR. You can run in and heal the whole group (if they are close) quickly and without attracting too much attention (I always took off shield in RvR so I looked like a skald or thane )

And remember, ignore what everyone says BUFF YOURSELF FULLY before everyone else !. Your survival in RvR is the key to everone elses survival. If you are dead and cannot res, mezz or heal, failure follows. If you are fully buffed, with all your instas up and with good equipment, you are a match for almost any class 1on1. Don't think you can't fight or let anyone tell you you cannot fight, you can (just hide when all your instas are down for 20mins rofl)

 

[Jimli]

Has any1 seen the effects of 1.51 on the power costs of the healing spells?

Im thinking of taking my healer to 50 mending 'cause of this patch so I can keep lots of peeps alive in rvr.

 

[infozwerg]

keyboard:

1. /face
2. insta
3. heal
4. stun
5. ae mezz (att speed debuff in pve low level)
6. mezz
7. root
8. sprint

1. /follow
2. cure poison
3. cure disease
4. instastun
5. insta ae stun
6. insta mezz
7. insta ae mezz
8. groupinsta

1. /face
2. ress
3. 2h hammer
4. ae stun
5. amnesia
6. ae mezz
7. shield
8. 1 hammer

NEVER, EVER heal a clothwearer or shawdoblade that got aggro. you will wipe out the party doing that. let them die and ress after the fight, they usually learn not to take aggro after two or three deaths.

buff yourself with dex, af, con and pom before doing any other buffs.

buff tanks with af and str, if conc left with con.

buff casters with pom and dex, if conc left with con.

specc mending to 22, more is ok but useless. with 1.51 it will become better and will still be useless but you will be a better ressbot rvr.

specc aug to 5 to get first speed. if you specc more, ppl will laugh at you behind your back. in 1.51 you can specc in aug to become a bad tank. if i wanted to play a bad tank, id ask chesnor bout champions or just roll a thane.

specc pac to 35 to get purity of contemplation. specc pac to to 38 to get ae instas. specc pac to 44 to get good ae mezz. specc pac to 45 to feel the true calmness. specc pac to 48 to get good ae instas.

wake sensless (amnesia) is a very usefull spell. you cast it on a mob when aggro goes wrong, so tanks can take it back. there are two situation when this becomes important: 1. the main tank dies and aggro goes to a non-tank. 2. another healer in the group uses groupinsta.

 

[old.chesnor]

Sure an AUG specced healer is a bad tank. Much like a champion (especially a pierce/shield lurikeen ) is a bad tank. And a sword and board armsman or hero. Or a zerker, merc, blademaster. AUG (+some PAC) specced healers (with all instas) could kill all these classes relatively easily in RvR imho.

PAC spec is the weakest solo RvR Healer solo spec. Now I know you aren't going to be solo much in RvR but there will be times when you are the last one standing. This is when the AUG spec will save your ass and allow you to not only fight when you need to, but to escape to safety with 46% run buff. You can then sit up and try to get back to res when the heat is off.

See, before 1.50/1.51 PAC was THE only spec path. Now its not, there is real scope to spec different types of Healers. And I will repeat, don't lay down and accept your role as a resbot or buffbot. The Healer class is MUCH stronger than that.

I will spec AUG not because I want to be a bad tank, but because I want to heal, buff, res, mezz, insta mezz, insta stun AND toe to toe when I need to and feel confident about coming out on top.

Oh and one more point, the 1min+ mezzes from the PAC line rule in PvE, but most RvR skirmishes don't last 1min+. 30s mezz is generally enough to turn the tide in RvR. So although long duration mezzes sound nice, they aren't totally necessary in RvR...

 

[infozwerg]

AUG (+some PAC) specced healers (with all instas) could kill all these classes relatively easily in RvR imho.

i doubt a healer (whatever spec) can kill any shieldspecced tankclass. possible exception is a slashing pala that will do next to no dam to chain. a zerker usually rips clerics in tiny pieces 1-1, healers wont have so much better chances (maybe with LA nerfs, dunno).

you are the last one standing. This is when the AUG spec will save your ass and allow you to not only fight when you need to, but to escape to safety with 46% run buff.

if you are the last man standing and fight, you will die.

if you are the last man standing and try to get away with a speedbuff that is slower than any other speedbuff in the game, you will be chased and killed 9 out of 10 times you try this.

And I will repeat, don't lay down and accept your role as a resbot or buffbot.

shamans and druids are mostly forced in this role (recent changes yadda yadda yadda). clerics dont have to do it because they have smite. healers dont have to do it cause they have CC.

I want to heal, buff, res, mezz, insta mezz, insta stun AND toe to toe when I need to and feel confident about coming out on top.

you DO want to? playing healer again? i have the impression you want to convince others to do it. for whatever reasons.

 

[old.chesnor]

Estat, you underestimate your powers....

Chesnor was lvl46 when I got pissed and deleted him. But I had killed yellow cons tanks 1on1. I had killed almost every tank class there is (also died many times trying as well, I admit). A fully buffed Healer with all instas CAN kill almost any other tanking class, that is fact. The trick is to bash away with 2h, use insta heals (x2), mezz and heal up when required and use insta stun. Its really a matter of making them use their end before your hp is at zero. It can be done, and I've done it...so there

And remember, not ALL RvR is zerging. In small 8 man group skirmishing the Healers role is different. Rush in with skald & mezz, retire the back line and heal. Run when it all goes wrong. Most Alb/Hib groups won't have many minstrels or bards. As soon as the bards/minstrels are dead, you can outrun anyone left alive with a 46% runbuff. Also the bards and minstrels will go down first if your group is clever, as they are the CC classes.

I am not trying to convince anyone that AUG owns PAC. Just that AUG is now viable, whereas prior to 1.51 it wasn't. And yes, I do have a new Healer, and will spec AUG much higher than I did with Chesnor.

Healer is not a cookie cutter class any more....accept it

 

[Tasans]

Originally posted by Jimli
Has any1 seen the effects of 1.51 on the power costs of the healing spells?

Im thinking of taking my healer to 50 mending 'cause of this patch so I can keep lots of peeps alive in rvr.

I was reading a test done with clerics and the efficiency of large heals was increased at 1.51 well at least for albs.
And i think mend 50 is a little too much after all Mythic stated that putting most of your skill points in one line is the way to gimp your char. Of course Mythic has said many things....

 

[Jimli]

link to this test?

Have indeed alrdy changed my mind, now thinking of taking it to 35 for the 75% group heal. Rezz with full health (still rezz sickness) and the 2 100% heal insta's wont do much good i think

 

[matax]

Thanks for all your info guys Here is the template I've come up with:

31 Augment
25 Mending
36 Pacification

First thing I did when building this was set Pac to 36 for the 2nd Insta mez. Could go to 38 for the stun, but thought that the mez would be adequate and the extra few points could be better used upping one of the other lines. Could go even higher (40's), but that would then mean ignoring one of the other lines completely.

Having done that I then had 31/25 to put into the other 2 lines. I chose Aug over Mend because I felt that the 'free' heals would be enough in most cases and it would be more beneficial to have that extra level of buffs (not to be a 'tank healer', but to buff up the tanks in the group).

I'm sure some of you will disagree, but this is just my thoughts (at the moment) and I'm quite happy with this from all the info you've given and the various guides/forum posts etc I've read on the subject.
Note that my primary focus for the character will be PvE groups - not solo and not RvR. I'm not saying I won't do these at all, but this character is an 'alt' and as such is simply for when I need a change from my Hibbie mains

If anyone has any further insights to add please feel free to do so - thanks

 

[infozwerg]

you can outrun anyone left alive with a 46% runbuff.

any sorcer0r, theurgist, warder or enchanter (1.51) and in pvp runemaster will be faster than you.

what server is your healur on, chesnor?

31 Augment
25 Mending
36 Pacification

First thing I did when building this was set Pac to 36 for the 2nd Insta mez. Could go to 38 for the stun

do it. they choice you have with this is havin 4 instas instead of 3 or 3 more levels mending.

i was thinking about this template: 31 aug 22 mend 38 pac, and changed my mind because of the somewhat whimpy radius on the first set of AE instas. so i suggest you dont spend much on aug until you tested it yourself.

 

[old.chesnor]

Healer is on Midgard/Excal called Genghis. Hes mostly sat on his skinny Norseman ass in Gna crafting or in Thidranki annoying any Albs and Hibbys foolish enough to enter mezz range. I'm kinda not levelling him quickly, as I really want to squeeze every ounce of fun out of the BGs as I can, then park him up ready for when DF arrives so I CAN AVOID GOING TO MALMO EVER !!

Still not 100% how I will spec tbh. I used to get annoyed that there was really only one template. Now I'm annoyed because there are too many choices.....Damn you Mythic for fixing my class

 

[infozwerg]

Healer is on Midgard/Excal called Genghis.

dual acc spy?

I CAN AVOID GOING TO MALMO EVER !!

hehe wise choice. but NO DE GLOVES f00 j00 f00l!

wait a min. i have no DE gloves either.

/cry

 

[old.chesnor]

no, I'm not dual accounting hehhe. I was in beta on Middy for 36lvls (as a Healer) then did 46 in retail (as a Healer) before Stella Artois + dumbass troll skalds drove me to the stupid act of deleting my 25 days /played Healer lv46 Healer....

All other classes suck compared to Healer, and I have tried them all apart from Cabalists. It is my class, although I whine lots about it, but I am a natural born whiner...

So, once again, I am not a spying cheat, mmkay...just a dumbass