Resto - 4pc + talents/glyphs: Theory-crafting vs Application/Synergy

[Frebreeze]

Hey everyone I want to hear what you guys think about my logic regarding HT and our 4pc bonus. Here it goes!

General (Online) Census: The 4pc bonus for our spec is very weak and neigh on useless. Many choose to forgo getting to full 4 pc bonus and instead chose to go for only 2. This is due to a few reasons:

1. Doesn't make use of our mastery
2. HPM loss to rejuv
3. Outshined by Doc,
4. Difficult to weave into rotation,
5. Forces you to be stationary

However, I would like to try and argue that it has a much greater niche position than people think.

Thesis: High potential synergy: Equipping a glyph of rejuv, alongside a glyph of HT enables you to pump out more HT and more NS. Thanks to our 2pc, our NS has 3 uses now. So if we are able to cut the cd on that, we are able to get even more frequent NS uses (which are really dam strong, use it on cd unless encounter specific!). These 3 free shorted cd'd NS now increase HPM. Furthermore, completion of the 4pc allows for cheaper WG. Finally, because we would replace DoC with HT as a filler, we can now take NV which can give a lot more HPS and HPM in the burstier phases.

When to cast HT and not to: During a low damage phase or when individuals are taking low damage, (not raid wide). Many would just throw a rejuv out, but that is a LOSS of HPM, because the rejuv will never recieve its full value. Within multiple seconds, the other healers will use their smart/efficient heals to quickly cover up the damage inflicted. Instead, HT will (hopefully) receive full value because it is a hardcasted spell that heals immediately after completion(also has a shorter cast if you take the glyph, allowing you to beat out smart heals and make your HPM/HPS higher). It also allows you to upkeep harmony much easier during low damage phases, instead of having to cast swiftmend or hope for a OOC proc to use RG.

People then try and argue that the HPM is a loss compared to having DoC - DoC is a strong talent w/o a doubt during the low damage phases. It gives druids a much needed basic filler spell (that gives smart heals) during low damage phases. However, if we drop DoC and pick up most likely NV, this frees up a very powerful, lowish cd spell for higher damage phases). Now our filler spell becomes HT. These low damage phases we have to just toss up rejuvs on tanks (if using germ just double rej both of them and put lifebloom on one taking most damage) and start healing out the corresponding damage with HT. During low damage phases, tanks are frequently taking most if not all the damage, just casually keep your hots up and use your HT as a filler for random damage. You will now have NV to work with along side a cheaper WG, as well as more frequent NS to work with. This will allow you to really shine during those high damage phases in which resto is so strong.

Rejuv does the same thing, but cheaper and better - This is a pretty unfair statement to make. When was the last time a rejuv got full value during a low damage phase. I am not advocating use of HT as a filler for pre-hoting or rejuv spam for high damage fights like kromog where rejuv efficiency and healing will really shine. But rather as a low damage filler that gives your more value and potential (remember, we now have NV !) for the high damage phases.

If the fight is super high mobility that you can't cast HT during a low damage phase, then make use of that reduced CD NS and just pop people up as they get dropped low (im thinking bombs on iron maidens). Once the mobility is returned to normal, and the damage is low, go back to using HT. If its high damage and high mobi, then use those rejuvs!

Overall idea: If people look strictly at HPM comparisons of HT to DoC/rejuv, then yeah, our set bonus is pretty weak (Especially since many people just care about topping meters). But there seems to be a lot of inherent synergy that isnt really (or very difficult to be)quantifiable. It gives us a lot of potential to work with in the high damage phases with a lower mana cost on WG, lower CD on NS, opens up NV (if you were taking up DoC), helps keep harmony and your lifebloom up for low phases, places potential living seeds on targets (rejuv and DoC cant do this; also seeds are strong because they guarantee a future smart heal on that target = more HPM/HPS ).

If someone can quantifiably compute all of the extra synergy behind using HT as a new filler (making use of the opened up potential for high damage phases) and then demonstrate that it is still inferior to having a 5 sec efficiency of rejuv, or a DoC cast, then I guess I might reconsider. But currently, I believe people are not giving all the dues needed to our undervalued 4pc. Sure, its a partial change on style for low damage fights, but it rewards you with some really high potential on high damage phases.

How do you feel about it (now)?

[Mikael123]

I still feel that 4 set bonus is shit. 25% reduced mana cost of wild growth is nothing. You should never use HT as a filler as you suggest.

[Loganess]

I appreciate the fact you've taken time to try to look further into this but the fact is.. Don't use the 4 set, just use tier for the stats. This is way too complicated and it would probably be a HPS loss unfortunately.

[Frebreeze]

Yeah I agree, the 4pc is w/o a doubt lack luster. But HT can still be used as a filler when rejuvs arent efficient and you have downtime to heal. Avoid using absolutes when it comes to healing.

[Thalur]

I'm not going to get into a detailed analysis, I just want to challenge your statements to give you a starting point where you can see that what you advocate doesn't work. The problem is not the 4-set bonus by itself -- if it were tied to Regrowth or Rejuv, it would be good. The problem is Healing Touch, and as soon as you start to use it for more than keeping up mastery / Lifebloom, it will severely hurt your mana and healing output.

When to cast HT and not to: During a low damage phase or when individuals are taking low damage, (not raid wide). Many would just throw a rejuv out, but that is a LOSS of HPM, because the rejuv will never recieve its full value. Within multiple seconds, the other healers will use their smart/efficient heals to quickly cover up the damage inflicted. Instead, HT will (hopefully) receive full value because it is a hardcasted spell that heals immediately after completion(also has a shorter cast if you take the glyph, allowing you to beat out smart heals and make your HPM/HPS higher).

This makes me wonder what it is you want to accomplish in your raid. Is your goal to kill bosses, or to sniper healing from other healers to look good on meters? Let's look at the exact situation you describe. Someone gets a little damage, is not in danger of dying, you want to heal him, and he will receive some healing from other healers. You say: Rejuv will overheal (because it is too slow) as other healers will have healed him up by the time it ticks through. I say: that's exactly the reason why Rejuv is so much better here. Let's look at your options:
a) Use HT (glyph or no). Cost: 3312 mana. Result: player gets healed back up.
b) Use Rejuv. Cost: 3024 mana. Result: player gets healed back up AND still has your hot ticking on him (which is great if he takes some more damage).
So there is absolutely no advantage to use HT over Rejuv, except if you want to sniper healing to look good on meters. You spend 10% more mana, and lose the hot that would tick for the next 18 seconds. Rejuv is DEFINITELY NOT a loss of HPM as you call it - on the contrary, you save mana if you use it instead of HT.

TL;DR: Using HT over Rejuv rotationally will give you LESS mana for the intense healing phases, because it is more expensive. Rejuv is 10% cheaper than HT and provides 20% more healing per cast. In high damage phases, HT is not an option at all because of low throughput and low efficiency.

P.S. I'm not talking about DoC here. Just don't use it.