Restoration rotation?

[Bubbleguy]

Hi, my druid is currently lvl 75 and i'm going for resto at lvl 80, so my question is, what is the most used resto healing rotation?.

[StoicRoivaS]

If you run 25s and trust your tank healers, most druids in today's raids will blanket as many people with rejuv and keep wild growth on cooldown, fight depending. If you get put on tank duty or just want to help out with tank healing, you'll want to keep at least regrowth and rejuv on the tank, and if you want to help more, slow roll a lifebloom stack with nourish in between it all. I'm not really sure why you call it a rotation, as it's really not that at all. Druids have a very nice toolbox at the moment, and basically every spell is usable. Tranquility isn't the best in 25s, and healing touch is pretty much only used with nature's swiftness in a macro, but those spells still get cast all the same. It's really more about recognizing what spells you need in what situations. Knowing how damage comes out in any given fight, and knowing your spells and which to use for which types of damage will always be worth more than trying to find a "rotation" and applying it flawlessly.

[Lostÿ]

Can I answer your question with a question? (Even though I already did once in this post already). How does a healer have a rotation? Last I knew a rotation was something you repeat over and over until the boss dies. Like.. an example: tank is taking a lot of damage, rejuv dps, rejuv dps, rejuv dps, rejuv dps, rejuv dps, wild growth melee, rejuv dps, rejuv dps, rejuv dps, rejuv dps, wild growth melee. OR! Would you break away from this "rotation" and maybe... I don't know, nature's swiftness healing touch the tank? Or maybe even just a simple lifebloom or two?

[emni]

As above posters have said, even though resto druids use some spells more than others, it can hardly be called a rotation. Healing is situational, the spells you cast depend on the type of encounter, the number of people you're healing, how well-geared you and/or your teammates are, etc. You can't just use 3 buttons in a pretty much same order like an arcane mage.

I suggest you read the resto druid sticky. It has some good tips about healing including a detailed description what each spell is good for.

[Richmond]

Rotations are for DPS, and alot of DPS is now revolved around a priority system rather than a straight 11121113 rotation.

Healing on the other hand, especially a resto druid is a completly different kettle of fish. If you want to top the meters in 25 mans, then your 'rotation' should be to blanket as Rejuv, 5x Rejuv then WG a pack of people (Usually the tank so it hits the melee), rinse and repeat.

But if you want to be a good resto (and actually be taken seriously in 10 mans) then you need to be a proactive healer, meaning pre hoting people, using Regrowth on the tank and nourish! (Yes even nourish!!). When i heal in my 10 man, i roll with either a HPriest or a HPala and we will fail if i simply try and blanket the raid with Rejuv.

At you level and early raids, i'd suggest keeping a regrowth on the tank at all times (Its a long HoT and you can easily SM him if he suddenly falls) roll Rejuv on the people who are taking Damage constantly, WG (When needed, you dont need to use it every CD) and use LB when you get a clearcasting proc (OOC). And remember that Nourish is your friend, i hear of too many druids not even using it!

[Bubbleguy]

Thank you very much for the replies, i'm sorry that I said "Rotation" However, I got the idea now of resto druids.

[Arria]

I'll be the first person to not complain about your choice of words, I'm not sure rotation was a right fit but it did get your question across.

Tranquility isn't the best in 25s, and healing touch is pretty much only used with nature's swiftness in a macro, but those spells still get cast all the same.

I agree that tranquility does not come in handy that often but do not forget it is there, my guild uses it to "Heal through" the twins during ToGC, also we assign specific healers to each mark that Heroic Deathbringer Saurfang gives out, and if mine is in my immediate group, or if I am in a tank group then it can really come in handy towards the end of the fight. The point I'm trying to make is just don't forget it is there, think of opportunities where you can use certain odd spells you usually wouldn't.

As for the healing touch + Nature's swiftness macro. I for one have never used this, I am not even spec'ed into natures swiftness. I usually raid heal and trust my tank healers to do most of the heavy spot healing. It is always nice to have an OH SHIT!! button but I rarely need one more often then my swiftmend is off cool down.

bind your entire keyboard to rejuv.

slam your face into keyboard til boss is dead.

collect loot.

This post made me laugh, it can almost be true, I try and just spread rejuv out wherever I see damage happening or where I think it might happen soon. I also try and make sure that it is ALWAYS on the tanks. (sometimes if I'm not too busy I keep a regrowth always on the tanks as well.)

[StoicRoivaS]

As for the healing touch + Nature's swiftness macro. I for one have never used this, I am not even spec'ed into natures swiftness. I usually raid heal and trust my tank healers to do most of the heavy spot healing. It is always nice to have an OH SHIT!! button but I rarely need one more often then my swiftmend is off cool down.

You're kidding right? If you've never wanted an instant button that hits harder than swiftmend, or if you've never wanted a button that takes no setup (like swiftmend does) or if you've never wated a button to hit while swiftmend is down, I fear you aren't actually doing anything that challenges you. Not taking your NS talent as a dedicated healer (not talking about dps/heal hybrid specs for arena) is completely ridiculous.

[Naradin]

Can I answer your question with a question? (Even though I already did once in this post already). How does a healer have a rotation? Last I knew a rotation was something you repeat over and over until the boss dies. Like.. an example: tank is taking a lot of damage, rejuv dps, rejuv dps, rejuv dps, rejuv dps, rejuv dps, wild growth melee, rejuv dps, rejuv dps, rejuv dps, rejuv dps, wild growth melee. OR! Would you break away from this "rotation" and maybe... I don't know, nature's swiftness healing touch the tank? Or maybe even just a simple lifebloom or two?

Simply put, rotations are for dps (Affliction warlocks) and tanks (96969 prot paladin for example) and prioritizing is for healers.
However most healing classes have some spells which should be used on timed intervals (Judgements of the Pure for paladins) or spells with a short CD (PoM for priests, Wild Growth for Druids) or spells which should be on your target all the time (Earth Shield, Beacon Of Light).
What this means is that most healers will have some spells which they try to use as fast as they are available / not present whilst trying to put out as much HPS in between. That really doesn't qualify as a rotation in my book, but certainly a general rule of thumb for healers.

A rotation which many druids use for AoE healing is Rejuv, Rejuv, Rejuv, Rejuv, Rejuv, Wild Growth. Worthy to note about this rotation is that it "requires" haste cap (gcd 1s) to be at it's best.

[Whydrood]

You're kidding right? If you've never wanted an instant button that hits harder than swiftmend, or if you've never wanted a button that takes no setup (like swiftmend does) or if you've never wated a button to hit while swiftmend is down, I fear you aren't actually doing anything that challenges you. Not taking your NS talent as a dedicated healer (not talking about dps/heal hybrid specs for arena) is completely ridiculous.

Actually, no it isn't. Swiftmend has a 15 second cooldown, and hits (raid buffed in decent gear) for the same amount as NS+HT. A swiftmend has almost a 40% more chance to crit then HT does as well. When Swiftmend is on CD, a nourish is almost always going to be quicker then trying to find the NS+HT button. Just think about how many times in the past 10 raids you have used it, and the majority of it has gone to an overheal because the pally or shaman healers beat you to the punch.

[Dendrek]

For someone who doesn't use it, you really can't argue about how useless it is for those that do. Whether or not you agree, that one talent point is worth a lot. I use it, and I wouldn't be caught dead without it. That talent is not there to boost your hps, it's there to save a life, and if you're smart and agile enough with it, it will save a life enough times to be worth the single talent point invested.

Arguing against using it is like:
1) Arguing against a paladin keybinding LoH - if your complaint is its long CD.
2) Arguing against a druid using Swiftmend - if your complaint is that a Nourish cast is nearly just as quick.
3) Arguing against a holy priest getting Guardian Spirit - if your complaint is that it doesn't add much to hps.

If you never use it (because you can not remember where the keybind is or because you'd fail to hit it when it's needed) then that's fine. But you're never going to convince someone who does use it that they've wasted a talent point.

[KeoDK]

Instead of posting a 2 paragraph reply like the .. less than smart posters above, i'll make it short and sweet: Lolhealerrotationsdontexist

[Dendrek]

Instead of posting a 2 paragraph reply like the .. less than smart posters above, i'll make it short and sweet: Lolhealerrotationsdontexist

What a useless post.

[Cerelli]

I agree with everything Dendrek says about the NS+HT macro. I wouldn't be caught dead without it. I will NEVER suggest a spec without it, nor would i let any resto druid in my guild go without it. It's use extends father than just going with HT, I have it bound to my rebirth cast as well. On the rare time that I pvp i have it bound to my cyclone ability, ect... In all cases it more than pull its own weight for the 1 talent point it costs.

I use my NS in almost every fight, sometimes twice depending on the duration of the fight. Even if i didn't use it every fight, I would still keep it in my spec for the fact that it hits just as hard as my swiftmend. It occupies a different cooldown, so what happens when you SW cooldown is up and somebody gets spiked? you nourish them? how many times were you in the middle of a nourish cast and it was just too slow to get the job done (yes, even with a 1 second cast time)? or just hit your SM+Ns macro. Also, you make it seem like it is a terrible burden to "find your macro" but all you need to do is bind your NS+HT macro to your healing touch keybind (shift + right click for me... so hard to find...) and you are good to go there. Same goes for any other spell you want to bind to your NS.

Bottom line is: if you aren't utilizing your nature's swiftness then you are really neglecting one of the best single talents points in the entire restoration tree, hands down. Spec back into it and get into the habit of using it without question every fight. If the person needs the additional healing afterward then you still have your swiftmend and nourish to go to afterward. Also, once you get 0/3 CF haste capped you are more than saturated with extra talent points so there is no excuse not to have NS at that point.

[apepi]

JOHMFUCKINGMADDEN

[Myrrar]

I agree, unless you are having to spec 3/3CF there is no point to not take NS. Do I use it a ton? No. Has it saved lives? Yes.

Pretty much every fight is ICC has a random oshit moment. Sometimes other healers aren't paying attention. Sometimes everyones oshit button is on CD. HT can save a life and on certain fights every person alive is important. It probably wont be something you need every fight. But it's the one thing that after you wipe you wish you had had.

I do agree almost 99% of the time SM is better, but for that moment on LKHM when SM is on CD and something really random happens it's a necessary talent. You shouldn't need to search around for it. If you are using clique or healbot just keybind it to an actual key so you always know where it is at.