Trial By (Healing) Fire
January 21st, 2010 at 10:06 am (Games, World of Warcraft)
I’ve been wanting to see some more of the Northrend instances. Last night, someone in TBC asked (as is often asked) if anyone was interested in a random. After a few more folks piped up, we managed to get a guild(ish) group going. We were still discussing who would heal (Ceire is resto specced and bear feral specced, though I’ve never actually tanked anything) when we were ported into the dungeon – (Heroic) Ahn’kahet: The Old Kingdom.
Now, I’ve only healed two other Northrend instances: Forge of Souls and Pit of Saron. To be honest, I flailed my way through those and am not sure how much of an asset I was at the time, but I wanted the practice and we managed to complete them, so I guess it wasn’t all bad. Actually, before those, I hadn’t healed a group since mid-BC levels when we were running something or other in Auchindoun. I was and am seriously out of practice. And it seems (I was told and have since read elsewhere) that this particular instance is a rough one on healers.
It didn’t start out well. I think I died at least three times, and more is likely. We almost wiped once and did wipe another time, and on non-bosses at that. It seemed to get better, bit by bit, after that.
I’ve found that, as I’m currently geared, I had absolutely no problems with my mana pool. I don’t know if it was the Wisdom Blessing, or my own regen, or just the depth of the pool (at least 14k and maybe 16k, I think – I have no idea if that’s good or not). Whatever it was, I don’t think there was more than once that my mana pool was low enough that I had to drink, except the times that I died and was recovering.
However, big heals are not my thing. I know this is the way druid healing is anyway, but tanks have so. many. hit points. And when you get off that Nourish crit, or that Nature’s Swiftness endowed Healing Touch and their health bar only changes from orange to an orangey yellow … it’s scary. (Yes, I heal by color – want to make something of it? I process color faster than numbers or bar length.)
So, I used Nourish a lot more often, though I think I’m still not using it quite right. I really need to make sure there’s a HoT effect always rolling on the tank of some sort or other (and maybe on the other party members – not as sure about that) to make sure that Nourish does it’s best benefit. And I think with the Nourish glyph, that it might be better if I make sure there’s at least two HoTs on the tank. It is a nice fast little heal, though.
I only used Wild Growth a couple of times to patch up everyone in-between fights. I’m scared of the aggro it may pull, so I was hesitant to use it outside of an emergency. (And there probably were those, but I was too busy yelling, “Heal, damn you, heal,” while I frantically clicked heals on the tank or myself.) I should probably get over that. I really wish I had at least one effective aggro dump tool, though. Besides dying, I mean.
As to the bosses themselves, one thing really stood out, and I’m glad my group warned me about it (though not warning me could have been good for a laugh). There’s this fellow called Herald Volazj. He drives you insane. Well, really, he casts something called Insanity that puts you in a phase all by yourself with your suddenly-very-mean teammates beating up on you. I was warned to just keep myself alive and the rest of them would come save me. Sure enough, as I’m working on keeping my health up, in come charging all four of them to save the day! Twice! It’s a really neat mechanic, and now that I’ve read more about it, I’m looking forward to trying it as DPS, which should be a little different.
tal said,
January 21st, 2010 at 11:33 am
My Thistleberry is PvP Resto and PvE Resto specc’d – if you like I can give you some pointers that will smooth things out healing wise.
Charity said,
January 21st, 2010 at 12:01 pm
I would love any advice you have to offer.
I think that, largely, I need practice. Healing a heroic is massively different from healing a hunter and his pet, which is all I’ve been doing for the last fifteen levels.
Tal said,
January 21st, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Okay best advice I can give is to use wildgrowth. A LOT. If you’re nourish spamming then you’re healing like a paladin. Which is fine…but it doesn’t play to a druid’s strengths. I use regrowth on the tank and will keep a rejuv on him/her at all times. Nourish is what I use in between swiftmends if I don’t think a Lifebloom bloom will bring him back up. If you’re worried about spending your swiftmend (which you shouldn’t but as a new healer I know I worried about not having it for a dps). Otherwise I use wildgrowth all the time even if it is overheal on the dps. Additionally I will slap a rejuv on all party members even if they’re not taking damage in anticipation of damage. And don’t forget the ever useful hitting someone with a lifebloom if you get a clearcast proc to get some cheap mana back. Tranquility is great if everyone is taking damage – use barkskin if you expect to take damage that would interrupt the channel.
Don’t worry about threat – any tank worth their salt will be able to keep the mobs off of you. If you happen to draw aggro – you do have an aggro drop – shadowmeld is a great way to drop aggro. If shadowmeld doesn’t work then make sure you have barkskin keybound for some extra mitigation.
Let me know if you need more…
Charity said,
January 22nd, 2010 at 11:49 am
So…
I hate to call it a rotation, but would a good way of starting out a fight be to throw a regrowth and a rejuv on the tank, then throw rejuvs on everyone else?
Then use wildgrowth and swiftmends primarily for keeping the tank health up? And keep the rejuvs up on everyone?
Do you use Lifebloom outside of when you get a CC proc?
tal said,
January 25th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Whoops didn’t check back until today.
I start the fight with a regrowth on the tank + rejuv. I’ll likely throw a lb on him as he runs in. If I expect that there will be damage on the party I’ll slap a rejuv on them as well.
I then use wildgrowth on cooldown (don’t worry about overheal – this isn’t MC). I’ve gotten to a gearing level that I will use swiftmend on dps (or myself) and just use nourish to even out the tank’s health.
And I do use lb to smooth out damage across many targets if my mana looks promising.