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old.ifish
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This is an attempt at creating a healer guide, but bear in mind that this is a draft only, thus not complete yet. But please post any comments you may have, so I can turn it into a more complete Healer guide later..
A Healer Guide (sort of)
Part One - Playing a Healer.
----------------------------
Crowd Control (CC) is perhaps the most critical skill a Healer should learn to master.
One Mob.
When fighting only one mob (not really C but...), the first thing a healer should do is to cast a Harry Spirit (mob attach speed debuff). Try again if it is resisted, but if the mob starts dropping below 2/3 - 1/2 health dont bother with it, then try to get in a stun. Once you see the health of a member of your group drops around 50-60% start healing him.
Many mobs.
Here is when it starts to get challenging. To do successful CC you need to have a good group that know how to manage Aggro, that is the main tank should have aggro when possible. This makes healing a lot more easy, low power cost, and effective. Also make sure ppl do not damage messed mobs, as this brakes the mes. Also remember that mobs that are damaged (with more than 20% (i think) of their total health cannot be messed since they are enraged. Buffs: Always give all the relevant buffs to the main tank first, then puller and other meleers. If you get aggro, always tell your group that you have aggro asap, so they can get it off you. Most thanks should know this, though. Ok now I'll try to divide combat into three stages.
1. Pulling.
Stay behind the puller as he moves away from the group to pull. Move just to the side of the main group so you have a clear line of sight to the mob that is being pulled. Have your Mes spell ready. When a mob is pulled watch closely to see where the Add (second mob) comes from, and target the Add with your mouse (not F8, it has much shorter range). Start casting the mes once you have the Add targeted even if it is out of range. Keep hammering the mes spell key until the Add is within range and the spell starts. Watch closely if the Mes sticks or not. If it does not stick, then you should have enough time left to cast a second Mes before the Add is too close. You should be able to Mes one or two adds this way, depending on possible resists.
2. Main combat.
Now we assume that one of the to Messes stuck, and the Add (or both Adds) is Messed. Now move a little behind the group, and check the status of the others health. Most likely the main tank has started to drop, so throw him a heal or two, or heal where needed etc. Then there are a three other "main" things you should do. They are:
* Heal (duh) when needed, but do not "over heal", try to save the power for when it is really needed, but then again, do not heal to seldom. You will just have to find the balance. If you heal too much, then the group always have to wait for you to regain power, while the others are full health and ready. Ideally you should all have full mana and power regained at the same time, this way there is minimum downtime.
*Harry Spirit (mob attack debuff).
Try to use this spell as fast as possible on the mob the group is fighting, but it no point on casting it once the mob is below 50% health. This spell can also be used to pull with.
*Stun. Use stun whenever you do not have to heal or mes Adds, but only once or twice (second stun only lasts 1/2 of the first etc.) pr. mob. A 6-7 second stun gives you time to heal, to other CC or even sit and regain mana.. It is a really nice spell, since a stunned mob cannot do anything, and attacks will not break it.
3. End Game.
Here there are two main scenarios:
* Things are looking good
When you see that things are under control, and are going your way, the only "concern" is to minimize downtime. That is do not heal everyone full just before the fight ends. Then they have to wait for you to regain power while they are ready, like I said above. Always be aware that mobs may spawn thogh, so be aware.
*Things are looking bad
If you are above lvl 10 and thus have the Resurrect (Res) spell you need to know when to run for it. If you think you cannot win the fight, it is much better that the healer flees and comes back to Res his fallen team mates than a whole group wipeout and loss of xp and time... The decision about when to run/flee is a tough one, it comes with experience. But when you choose to stay, always focus on the main tank! Let other casters, rouges etc die if you have to choose who to heal. As long as the main tank and the healer are alive, there is a chance.
Ok, these are my thoughts on how to play a healer well. But as I said, a good healer is dependant on a good group, so whenever you team up with ppl you like and that also play well, add them to your friends list (type /friend charactername ). Oh and yeah, when you are a group with more than 4-5 ppl I really recommend being two healers in the group... Otherwise you can run out of power real soon, and CC'ing 3-4 adds can be a bitch One last note, to heal effectively always try to have your mending at 2/3 or a little more that your level. That way the heals are 100-125% of the base number.
Part Two - Healer Templates.
----------------------------
My recomendation is to have Mending at least 2/3 your level from the start. Stop putting points into mending when Mend is 23 (because between 23 and 35 the spec spells are less cost effective). Try to get Mend to 12 asap since the Insta-Heal is a lifesaver, both for group and solo).
Get Pacification up to 4 real fast so you get the power regen spell. The thing with Pac is that the spells you use the most before you start RvR are the ones on the General line (single Mes and Stun), and therefore you can do really good CrowdControl with ust a few points into Pac. But for the long run, building Pac to 38 is a must! All RvR healers (and PvE as well) say the Instant-Cast Mez and Paralyze are our best spells...
And no, having a higher Pac does NOT make pac spells last longer or resist less (nor does +pac items). This is purely level based.
Augmentation. Well what can I say, get it at least up to 5 so you get the first run speed buff. After that I really do not know. Many ppl think it sux, some think it is ok, but personally I would hold onto my points and see what (if anything) mythic will do about it.
So my advise, in short, is this:
1. Mending should be at least 23 (but not between 23 and 35) With Mend 23 you can still be the main healer in a big group at high levels.
2. Pacification should be 38 (but not much more, as the other two lines would suffer too much, compared to what you gain by building Pac past 38).
3. Augmentation, get ut up to 5 es early as possible, and then perhaps up to 15. Wait and see if mythic does improve the line before you invest furhter in it.
Templates:
Earwin (Healer team lead) said this:
"If one wants to be a “mend” Healer then 38P, 35M, 15A is a good template.
Personally I don’t think much is gained over specializing Mending to 23 however. A bit bigger GH and a very nice 390 ish major heal, but the lvl 23 GH is generally sufficient. I really can’t remember a time when a larger or faster heal would have really made a difference.
I would suggest that 38P, 23M, 30A is overall the best Healer. Plenty of crowd control, more than enough mending and buffs, poor though they are, do help especially the lvl 30 damage add."
Please all healers go read this board: (LOTS of good info...) !
Midgard Seer Professions - A forum for Midgard players pursuing a career as a Seer. Includes Healer and Shaman professions.
http://vnboards.ign.com/board.asp?brd=20913
This thread also has Healer FAQ (under construction):
http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=26199969&replies=31
I wish all you Healers out there the best of luck
Tjall
Dwarf Healer
Eye of Odin
Midgard, Prydwen.
A Healer Guide (sort of)
Part One - Playing a Healer.
----------------------------
Crowd Control (CC) is perhaps the most critical skill a Healer should learn to master.
One Mob.
When fighting only one mob (not really C but...), the first thing a healer should do is to cast a Harry Spirit (mob attach speed debuff). Try again if it is resisted, but if the mob starts dropping below 2/3 - 1/2 health dont bother with it, then try to get in a stun. Once you see the health of a member of your group drops around 50-60% start healing him.
Many mobs.
Here is when it starts to get challenging. To do successful CC you need to have a good group that know how to manage Aggro, that is the main tank should have aggro when possible. This makes healing a lot more easy, low power cost, and effective. Also make sure ppl do not damage messed mobs, as this brakes the mes. Also remember that mobs that are damaged (with more than 20% (i think) of their total health cannot be messed since they are enraged. Buffs: Always give all the relevant buffs to the main tank first, then puller and other meleers. If you get aggro, always tell your group that you have aggro asap, so they can get it off you. Most thanks should know this, though. Ok now I'll try to divide combat into three stages.
1. Pulling.
Stay behind the puller as he moves away from the group to pull. Move just to the side of the main group so you have a clear line of sight to the mob that is being pulled. Have your Mes spell ready. When a mob is pulled watch closely to see where the Add (second mob) comes from, and target the Add with your mouse (not F8, it has much shorter range). Start casting the mes once you have the Add targeted even if it is out of range. Keep hammering the mes spell key until the Add is within range and the spell starts. Watch closely if the Mes sticks or not. If it does not stick, then you should have enough time left to cast a second Mes before the Add is too close. You should be able to Mes one or two adds this way, depending on possible resists.
2. Main combat.
Now we assume that one of the to Messes stuck, and the Add (or both Adds) is Messed. Now move a little behind the group, and check the status of the others health. Most likely the main tank has started to drop, so throw him a heal or two, or heal where needed etc. Then there are a three other "main" things you should do. They are:
* Heal (duh) when needed, but do not "over heal", try to save the power for when it is really needed, but then again, do not heal to seldom. You will just have to find the balance. If you heal too much, then the group always have to wait for you to regain power, while the others are full health and ready. Ideally you should all have full mana and power regained at the same time, this way there is minimum downtime.
*Harry Spirit (mob attack debuff).
Try to use this spell as fast as possible on the mob the group is fighting, but it no point on casting it once the mob is below 50% health. This spell can also be used to pull with.
*Stun. Use stun whenever you do not have to heal or mes Adds, but only once or twice (second stun only lasts 1/2 of the first etc.) pr. mob. A 6-7 second stun gives you time to heal, to other CC or even sit and regain mana.. It is a really nice spell, since a stunned mob cannot do anything, and attacks will not break it.
3. End Game.
Here there are two main scenarios:
* Things are looking good
When you see that things are under control, and are going your way, the only "concern" is to minimize downtime. That is do not heal everyone full just before the fight ends. Then they have to wait for you to regain power while they are ready, like I said above. Always be aware that mobs may spawn thogh, so be aware.
*Things are looking bad
If you are above lvl 10 and thus have the Resurrect (Res) spell you need to know when to run for it. If you think you cannot win the fight, it is much better that the healer flees and comes back to Res his fallen team mates than a whole group wipeout and loss of xp and time... The decision about when to run/flee is a tough one, it comes with experience. But when you choose to stay, always focus on the main tank! Let other casters, rouges etc die if you have to choose who to heal. As long as the main tank and the healer are alive, there is a chance.
Ok, these are my thoughts on how to play a healer well. But as I said, a good healer is dependant on a good group, so whenever you team up with ppl you like and that also play well, add them to your friends list (type /friend charactername ). Oh and yeah, when you are a group with more than 4-5 ppl I really recommend being two healers in the group... Otherwise you can run out of power real soon, and CC'ing 3-4 adds can be a bitch One last note, to heal effectively always try to have your mending at 2/3 or a little more that your level. That way the heals are 100-125% of the base number.
Part Two - Healer Templates.
----------------------------
My recomendation is to have Mending at least 2/3 your level from the start. Stop putting points into mending when Mend is 23 (because between 23 and 35 the spec spells are less cost effective). Try to get Mend to 12 asap since the Insta-Heal is a lifesaver, both for group and solo).
Get Pacification up to 4 real fast so you get the power regen spell. The thing with Pac is that the spells you use the most before you start RvR are the ones on the General line (single Mes and Stun), and therefore you can do really good CrowdControl with ust a few points into Pac. But for the long run, building Pac to 38 is a must! All RvR healers (and PvE as well) say the Instant-Cast Mez and Paralyze are our best spells...
And no, having a higher Pac does NOT make pac spells last longer or resist less (nor does +pac items). This is purely level based.
Augmentation. Well what can I say, get it at least up to 5 so you get the first run speed buff. After that I really do not know. Many ppl think it sux, some think it is ok, but personally I would hold onto my points and see what (if anything) mythic will do about it.
So my advise, in short, is this:
1. Mending should be at least 23 (but not between 23 and 35) With Mend 23 you can still be the main healer in a big group at high levels.
2. Pacification should be 38 (but not much more, as the other two lines would suffer too much, compared to what you gain by building Pac past 38).
3. Augmentation, get ut up to 5 es early as possible, and then perhaps up to 15. Wait and see if mythic does improve the line before you invest furhter in it.
Templates:
Earwin (Healer team lead) said this:
"If one wants to be a “mend” Healer then 38P, 35M, 15A is a good template.
Personally I don’t think much is gained over specializing Mending to 23 however. A bit bigger GH and a very nice 390 ish major heal, but the lvl 23 GH is generally sufficient. I really can’t remember a time when a larger or faster heal would have really made a difference.
I would suggest that 38P, 23M, 30A is overall the best Healer. Plenty of crowd control, more than enough mending and buffs, poor though they are, do help especially the lvl 30 damage add."
Please all healers go read this board: (LOTS of good info...) !
Midgard Seer Professions - A forum for Midgard players pursuing a career as a Seer. Includes Healer and Shaman professions.
http://vnboards.ign.com/board.asp?brd=20913
This thread also has Healer FAQ (under construction):
http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=26199969&replies=31
I wish all you Healers out there the best of luck
Tjall
Dwarf Healer
Eye of Odin
Midgard, Prydwen.