[Guide] Mercenary Healing

[Chob]

Hey guys thanks for the input, I've made some minor adjustments. With it being xmas and all I don't have much time now to go through my TODO list but in early janu I'll be rapidly updating more (as I'll most likely also be lv 50 by then).

I would like some opinions on the matter of surge vs critical rating however. Having a talent already increasing our critical heals, I'm more inclined to lean towards focusing on crit rating rather than increasing the size of the crits, or perhaps a 1:1 ratio of the two. I do believe alacrity is not our thing however; it would seem heat management would become a problem. I believe pushing for stronger heals rather than faster weaker heals is the way to go. Opinions?

[Ragnarocket]

It's probably an even distribution between the 2, we want a decent amount of crit heals but we also want those crits to matter when we get them. I have a friend who is a Merc at level 50 and he seems to swear by crit though. He's not done any heroic flashpoints yet though so once again its a bit hard to tell.

Personally I'll be looking at a 1:1 ratio between the 2, prioritizing crit if I have to between the 2 mainly because Crit is useful even if I have no Surge, but if I have no Crit then Surge becomes useless. Just my logic though...

[Annoying]

Wall of text inc.

Having healed quite a bit of content thus far at max level I have some revisions for you:

Do not cast Kolto Missile unless you have SG active. In my experience thus far the aoe heal is weak, and is only really effective with the added stuff from SG. It may be worth casting it to apply the healing % increase buff, if you have the time & heat to do it.

This isn't the case. The 10% is far too valuable, and the heal isn't tiny. It's about 3/4 of a regular heal and has the benefit of topping melee off if needed. Without keeping the 10% buff up, I had lots of trouble. The buffs provided to tanks are extremely underemphasized in this guide, and healing at max level just isn't that way. You *need* the 10% healing increase on the tank. You *need* the 10% armor buff on the tank. Maybe once I'm in better gear this might not be the case, but for now the buffs are 100% required to be maintained on the tank.

When SG is active:
1x Kolto Missile to apply buffs (if you have time) > spam Healing Scan

You really want to alternate Healing Scan and Rapid Scan unless you're healing the group. You'll quickly cap out on heat if you don't take advantage of the heat reduction gained from Healing Scan.
If you're popping SG to heal a group, chances are you're in for some trouble ahead unless the tank has a cooldown of some kind.

Those notes taken into account, here's my view on healing post-heroic mode FP clearing:

- Rotation

The rotation isn't as set in stone as you have it. You even mention using VH at 70 heat, which you should pretty much do everything in your power to never even get close to reaching. Getting to 70 heat means you've probably already lost somewhere around 20 heat to regeneration. If I get above 50 or so and the damage is heavy enough, I pop it. Any more and you find yourself heat capped at/above 40 again almost instantly. I suppose at the very end of some crazy spike damage phase this would be true, but more often than not, you need the heat in the middle of some crazy stuff.

I'd organize the rotation more like this -

Main heals:
Kolto Missile(for buff) > Healing Scan > Rapid Scan
Without another healer to provide the armor buff, Healing Scan needs to be cast on the tank on cooldown regardless of if he needs heals or not. If you're in an OP with a healing sorc, then don't worry about it.

Filler/Heat Reduction tools:
Emergency Scan > Reapplying Kolto Shell > Rapid Shots

Combat Support Cylinder stack building:
Rapid Scan > Rapid Shots
If you're at or close to 0 heat, you should build stacks with rapid scan, not rapid shots.

Cancel Casting/Heat Management Goals: (This is the most important part of healing with a merc)
Goal 1 - Unless you're forced to, never go above 40 heat.
- If you're forced to, use vent heats before you resort to blowing SG when you don't need the extra heals. If you're barely over 40 and the damage isn't bad, consider saving cooldowns.
- If you have to use SG to get below 40 heat, utilize it. It lasts long enough to guarantee a bubble on the tank, and even if you don't need the heals, top everyone off.

Goal 2 - Unless you know some crazy spike damage is coming, stay above 0 heat.
- Not utilizing your resources is a waste. If the tank is full, heal some DPS or yourself.
- Rapid Scan builds CSC stacks faster than Rapid Shots.
- This allows for pre-emptive healing. Landing a Rapid Scan right as a tank gets smacked is far more valuable than being at 0 heat and then healing him after he gets hit.

Goal 3 - Don't waste heat.
- If you're above 20 heat and your heal isn't going to do anything, cancel it.
- If you're below 20 heat and your heal isn't going to do anything, let it go off. Cancelling it is only good here if you have some way to prevent dropping to 0 heat (reapplying KM or armor buff)

Goal 4 - Keep every stinking buff on the tank as often as possible.
- Use Healing Scan on cooldown on the tank unless some other healer is keeping up the armor buff. Mercs have the worst method of keeping the armor buff up.
- Kolto missile's heal isn't small, and KM is cheap. Thus, keep the 10% healing buff up on the tank. If you roll KM on the tank and the melee correctly (on cooldown!), they get 10% to KM's heal when you re-apply.
- When Kolto Shell drops, reapply it ASAP. ASAP doesn't mean at the cost of a critical heal that's going to save the tank's ass.

Goal 5 - Use your freaking cooldowns!
- Supercharged Gas is amazing. It causes a GCD but can be used during one. Consider popping it after Emergency Scan, Kolto Shield, or Rapid Shots.
- Don't waste SG's heat dump. Intentionally spike yourself up to as close to 40 heat as you can get when you want to pop SG.
- On particularly damage heavy fights, you might have to pop SG on cooldown and very carefully manage your heat and CSC stacks.
- Power Surge + Rapid Scan is amazing. This saves lives and is like a second Emergency Scan every two minutes.
- TSO is an amazing heat reduction talent. If you break above 40 heat, TSO gives you a free Rapid Scan, meaning you get to regenerate ~6 heat instead of spending more to heal.

Goal 6 - Never get behind on heals.
- The heat system is extremely punishing. We don't have static manabars. Sitting back and not healing when you have the resources to heal means that when big spikes come you have to spend more to recover. Spending more means you're most certainly going to break the heat cap. Once above the heat cap, without cooldowns, you're pretty much done for unless you can scream for help from an offspec.
- I repeat, in different wording, breaking the heat cap causes an exponential decay in your throughput.
- If the tank's threat/boss mechanics allow for it, put everyone in melee range if you're solo healing. You have to keep KM's buff on the boss, might as well get some free group heals in too.

Stats:
I've found that alacrity shouldn't be considered in any sense of throughput. Short of maybe adding 2-3 more Rapid shots through the fight, it doesn't help your heals/sec. However - It does help heals go off if you're looking to save someone's life.
That being said, my current priorities are something like this:
Power>Aim>Crit||Surge>Alacrity

Power gives more per item budget cost than aim does. generally this isn't an issue because they are mutually exclusive on mods. Given the choice though, power is better.

Crits are cool and all, but they almost always overheal unless something crazy is happening. If the trend of crazy spike phases is introduced ever, I'd probably put crit way up top with surge right below it, but as it stands you can interrupt, dispel, or avoid pretty much every spike mechanic thus far. Without unavoidable spike phases, you're looking at having your heals hit harder since you can't afford the heat of them hitting more often.

[Nicolicious]

Good read. But there was nothing a BH Merc shouldnt know at 50. So I guess this would be a guide for dummies . I've been 50 for about a week now and done alot of Hard Modes and Eternity Vault/Hutt Hospitality (8 man). And I have to agree with the poster above me. Always have 10% armor available on the tank. Nothing more to it. I also use VH at 50% if I know there is incoming a shit ton of damage cause if you use it at 70-100% you will get to 50-70% anyway shortly thereafter and that would just be pointless.

[Chob]

@annoying great insight - thanks! It will help refine this guide. Will be working on it a bit today.

@nicolicious - ofc it's a pre-50 guide, so yes it's for dummies. I don't have endgame experience yet. Sitting at level 48 as we speak so won't be long though! Your insight is appreciated and will be taken into account!

[Blutelf]

The only time you'd be able to pick Power over Aim is when choosing Augments pretty much.

[XceptOneAlpha]

Awesome guide, now I can gear my alt properly!

[Chob]

Ok, I've done some hardmodes now. I will be frapsing some of these in the near future to add to the guide, to show you my playstyle and level 50 playstyle of mercenary healing endgame.

I will be making some slight adjustments based on what I've experienced in hardmode so far. It seems that as long as the 'shit doesn't hit the fan' the mercenary can basically heal forever - you will never run 'out of mana'. Which is a very strong point. Even with some decent pressure on the group, if you use your emergency skills properly and in the proper order, you will not dead-lock yourself with overheating. However - if you end up at overheat point without any cooldown's to take you out of it, you're technically dead in the water, something you should avoid at all times! That's however easier said than done, especially with some of the enrage mechanics it's easy to get to that point fast in boss fights.

[Ishau]

Turn on Operations Frame in your settings. These are essentially raidframes - much easier to heal with! You can also move this window around to your liking.

Is it possible to make mouseover macros/binds in order to heal without actually targetting someone?

[leetsushi]

Is it possible to make mouseover macros/binds in order to heal without actually targetting someone?

macros currently don't exist in the game.

[Chob]

Yeah, what leetsushi said. There is no possibility for mouse-over healing in the game as it is now. It is known however that Bioware is working on an API for addons - let's hope this includes this type of functionality. There's absolutely no way of telling when this will be implemented however.

[devidoll]

For heavy Single Target healing:

Super Charged Gas | Healing Scan > Rapid Scan > Healing Scan > Rapid Scan > Healing Scan > Rapid Scan

The reason you don't spam healing scan is because rapid scan does about 40% more healing that Healing scan. Rotating the two will give cost you
16 heat > 9 heat > 16 heat > 9 heat >16 heat > 9 heat and will heal for 1900 > 2600 > 1900 > 2600 > 1900 > 2600

This will be a total heat cost of 75 and healing (assuming no crits) of 13500 which would be an efficiency of 180 HP/H

The way you had it costs 96 heat and only does 11400 healing assuming no crits which would be an efficiency of 118 HP/H

16 heat > 16 heat > 16 heat > 16 heat > 16 heat > 16 heat and would heal for 1900 > 1900 > 1900 > 1900 > 1900 > 1900



For heavy group healing:

Super Charged Gas | Kolto Missles > Healing Scan > Rapid Scan > Healing Scan > Kolto Missles > Rapid Scan

This allows you to get the 10 DR buff on 3 people in the beginning and then 3 at the end. This rotation would be followed by Emergency Scan, Kolto Shell, and Rapid Shots assuming that you have some heat to dissipate.



http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=120269

I wrote this before the game was released and added some extra stuff to it since I started doing operations. I have been doing hardmodes in 16 man and we're starting nightmare this week. I was gonna post it here as well but there was one already Happy Healing!

[Inorbit]

Thanks for this post, I`m only lvl 15 but it’s good to get these tips so I can start healing training as early as possible.

[Synbaby]

Good guide. This post needs to be added to the class section on the first page!!!!

[Schwarz]

I just want to say that Koto Missles heals for alot and should be used. After doing directive 7 last night it really shinned in there.

Seriously learn to use your koto missles early. With the level 50 spec suggested in the OP you are using 5 talent points to get this ability and make it better.

[nebul]

Great class and specc to play, I've tried it for a few days and I was astonished :P thx for the guide

[Trix]

Almost all of the end game gear has Alacrity on it...

Is it really our worst stat?

[georgevonfranken]

Almost all of the end game gear has Alacrity on it...

Is it really our worst stat?

The way I see it is Alacrity is ok until you get rapid scan down to 1.5 cast time, then any lower is pointless because your limited by the gcd

[Hibbo]

The way I see it is Alacrity is ok until you get rapid scan down to 1.5 cast time, then any lower is pointless because your limited by the gcd

Alacrity has no GCD limitation for all spells with a cast time, so it is only useless for your instant casts like Emergency Scan and Kolto Missile.

Further Information can be found here:
http://sithwarrior.com/forums/Thread...ty-and-the-GCD

[Chob]

The reason Alacrity is so low on the priority list is because it messes up the heat-management. Great if you can get nice HPS by dishing out spells fast, but your heat will build up fast and you'll be limited in a certain amount of casts anyway. That's why generally I believe it is better to focus on power / crit / surge in that order. That is not to say alacrity is useless... but definitely do not stack it.

I'll look into specific numbers to add to the guide. Been meaning to update this but I've been busy lately, got some time this weekend to go over it.