Being Offensive as Healer

[Deleted]

Hi, i wanted to make a new thread about being offensive while being a healer in PvP.

The goal is simply discussing i guess, but here are some guidance pointers.

What do you think about the need to be offensive in order to success, when you don't in PvE?
What's your favourite class to do this with? Why?
How far should a healer need to go in terms of being offensive? Dispells, interrupts, or even using casted dps-spells?
How much work do you put down in being offensive rather than supportive? in % perhaps on the battlefield.
It which occasions do you start being offensive? BGs, Arena, Some specific critical moment you and your partner plan in?
Any personal hints?

Me myself i play a shaman, mostly in PvE though and recently when doing some social arena i've tryed to learn being more offensive. The spells are there, Wind Shear, Purge, Frost shock for slow, and the occasional searing totem...oh and the Hex . We have some minor issues with getting the rotation down though, since my friend is a warrior and can't combo that much being fury, in defers to perhaps a rogue or a DK, but we manage around somehow.

What i don't do in either PvP nor PvE is do damagespells however, simply because i don't have time or i don't like doing it :S i should possibly get better at this. It just feels unnecessesary with the low damage output for the time/mana wasted, or as in PvE the hit-rating issue...

In BGs i rarily even touch any of those. Frost shock for my own survival possibly, or the totem, so this wouldn't count as offensiveness to me. Sucks but hey, in the other hand, none of the dpsers in BGs peel them enemys off you anyway so fair enough . PvP-tank here i come, all focus on the healer!

With that measily written content of my own, perhaps you can contribute and improve the thread?

Discuss.

[ItachiZaku]

PVP healers: Disc priest and resto druid
Disc: Used once in awhile and since I PVP as shadow as well, I always throw dots around and was more atonement spec'd so I'd smite heal. I was bad though, so I never got comfortable but with how piss shadow was in PVP at the time, I felt being a healer was more beneficial to the group.

Resto: I'm highly offensive, strong healer CC, other CC just to minimize incoming damage, but all of that I see as being mitigating damage, which is also a healers job - keeping things alive. As for offensive spells, hells yeah. Moonfire and insect swarm almost on everyone, and before Cata I was actually an insect swarm spec'd resto.

To be honest, I get annoyed when I check the stat sheet after a BG to see that I'm not only #1 heals (9/10 the case) but I also out damaged all other healers, usually combined and usually by a lot. I just don't understand how I can easily generate 350-400K damage every BG and other healers don't even manage 10K.

[Ultima]

To be honest, I get annoyed when I check the stat sheet after a BG to see that I'm not only #1 heals (9/10 the case) but I also out damaged all other healers, usually combined and usually by a lot. I just don't understand how I can easily generate 350-400K damage every BG and other healers don't even manage 10K.

Sometimes it's better to be following the flag carrier than being Ann Hero in the middle.

As for the thread, if you are free to be offensive, then do it! If your partner is putting on the pressure to give you freedom, then seize it.

[Warwithin]

I don't currently play a healer (Mage), but I can speak a bit for my partner (Holy Paladin).

The only time he really needs to be offensive is if I call out something along the lines of "I might be able to get a kill here", "Stun the healer and get ready to help me burst", or "HOLY SHIT HE'S ALMOST DEAD PLS KILL HIM I'M FEARED".

Other than those, he generally is just a healbot and a stun/BoP when needed. That's not to discredit his job whatsoever - PvP healing can be equally if not even more stressful than the DPS' job - but to say that he doesn't have to play offensively to an extreme extend; but, when he does, it's very crucial that he does and does well.

[ItachiZaku]

Sometimes it's better to be following the flag carrier than being Ann Hero in the middle.

I'm either flag escort or retrieve team escort, but with insta cast dots that only cost 1490/1690 mana for me, every little bit helps. Also, Insect swarm used to apply hit reduction (not sure if it still does, tooltip doesn't say) I found it very helpful and was programmed to always use it.

[Deleted]

I don't currently play a healer (Mage), but I can speak a bit for my partner (Holy Paladin).

The only time he really needs to be offensive is if I call out something along the lines of "I might be able to get a kill here", "Stun the healer and get ready to help me burst", or "HOLY SHIT HE'S ALMOST DEAD PLS KILL HIM I'M FEARED".

Other than those, he generally is just a healbot and a stun/BoP when needed. That's not to discredit his job whatsoever - PvP healing can be equally if not even more stressful than the DPS' job - but to say that he doesn't have to play offensively to an extreme extend; but, when he does, it's very crucial that he does and does well.

Sounds nice, but doesn't he use the new silence all paladins have now? Though it requiers you to be in melee, if you sit on the enemys healer behind the pillar, it wouldnt be too much work right? I've experienced that anyway, enemy-healer humping Hpalys on me .

While coming to the...er.. "holy shit he's almost dead....", i remember in wrath when healers we're OP indeed (and i had some gear :S ) i always tryed to steal the kill from my dps.

I remember this game where me and my DK-friend we're facing two, yes TWO frost mages. To sum it all up: They nuked the shit out of the DK
Though i was raging against them for this, i didn't give up, but started dpsing the mage he was onto and managed to down him. The other mage didn't have alot of mana either, so i started going onto him too, but unfortunently, he escaped with Invisibility when he was very low and oom, and then came back with full hp and full mana.......

I never forgave mages for having Invisibility since then.....(with addition to tricking me they we're going to aggro the val'kyrs in ICC while being in Invis, getting myself killed.)

[Deleted]

Holy Priest
Dotting rogues, stunning healers, fearing groups.

I won't go as far as to say that it is mandatory to win any battleground (healing is my job, healing is needed to win most battlegrounds) but it sure helps a lot and can give your team the edge on moments like when the flag is captured in your own room (WSG) while your own carrier is incoming for the winning cap.

Being a healing priest with some offensive spells, I tend to use them whenever possible, unless low on mana and/or overrun anyway. In some cases it just is easier to bend over and take the death, as it means you get ressurected at the other side of the battlefield where you are actually useful and can make a difference

[Deleted]

Holy Priest
Dotting rogues, stunning healers, fearing groups.

I won't go as far as to say that it is mandatory to win any battleground (healing is my job, healing is needed to win most battlegrounds) but it sure helps a lot and can give your team the edge on moments like when the flag is captured in your own room (WSG) while your own carrier is incoming for the winning cap.

Being a healing priest with some offensive spells, I tend to use them whenever possible, unless low on mana and/or overrun anyway. In some cases it just is easier to bend over and take the death, as it means you get ressurected at the other side of the battlefield where you are actually useful and can make a difference

Does your dots do a fair damage? On rogues for no stealth i understand, but if you use on others. Im thinking of the above druid saying he dots things up do. Now maybe if its worth using flame-shock. Though its short-lasted and does weak damage.

And also about the fear, don't you need to use it to get people off yourself? Being a clothie and in addition healer in a BG must be auto-target Nr 1 ? I remember when playing rogue, after the stunlock you'd always pop the Cloak of Shadows to dodge the instant panic-fear some priests do. In Arena you would of course combo with it, but i believe you're speaking about BGs so...

Taking death has never come to me either hm... I usually end up fighting with best possible preformance, and suddently notice that horde has got 2 caps, while in standing in the middle healing stuff til' death. -.- ,,,, I feel the need to stay with the group, not take the first attempt to get the flag, so im hoping the group starts going instead of me. Being a healer going solo sucks(possibly for anyone but healer essentially, since you're supposted to support your group). So the group or the flag-carrier.

I also believe priests, in personal experience, are the most offensive one indeed. I remember early Wrath where Rogue+Priest would tear me appart. Pre earthshield immunity and ghostwolf anti-slow.

Your partner getting sapped/feared/blinded and whatnot, and yourself getting stunlocked, while priest is dispelling Earthshield and spamming Mana Burn, and the rogue has 50% less healing and 70% less MS constantly on you, both dpsing you down, and you're having worthless healing with a fastdropping manabar ((

[Dianeticz]

Playing druid i have to be offensive -_-

Clones, Roots, Bashes, Skull bashes etc etc. about 45 percent of the time i'm not behind a pillar because #1 im not worried about getting back to one (any good druid should never be stuck in the open for more than a 5 second stun) and #2 there is too much offensive capability to just sit behind a pillar and press lifebloom and rejuv.

99% of the time my NS is saved for instant cyclones etc etc. I even use tree more offensively than i do defensively, insta root and wrath spam can be the difference between a kill and a nice try.

and most of us in the higher ratings know, cata games can be so long now that if that kill doesnt happen, it could be another 15-20 minutes before you get another chance, if that.

[Deleted]

Does your dots do a fair damage? On rogues for no stealth i understand, but if you use on others. Im thinking of the above druid saying he dots things up do. Now maybe if its worth using flame-shock. Though its short-lasted and does weak damage.

To prevent rogues from going/staying in stealth, it is quite useful. Sure, they can cloak it off, but that way they are forced to use a defensive ability they might have better saved for other moments. Applying one DoT will not drain my mana or make me any less of a healer. The damage may be minimal, but it's effect is there, nevertheless

And also about the fear, don't you need to use it to get people off yourself? Being a clothie and in addition healer in a BG must be auto-target Nr 1 ?

True. But if multiple players focus on me, I am dead anyway. If it's a one-on-one fight, I could always use defensive spells or even Stun/ShadowMeld while fear is on CD. This, indeed, is only in battlegrounds.

I have no place in arena's as both my gear and skills are too low for it. I accepted this and just ignore that part of the game. Instead, I love topping any healing chart by sneaking behind a tree, building, hill or other obstacle and try to spread as much healing trough my partymembers as humanely possible. Some would call it cowardice, but I rather stay behind, avoid being seen and get focussed on by the complete opposing faction...

In Warsong Gulch for example, the small bushes of green around tree stumps in mid-field are the perfect place for any priest to spam their hearts out with Holy spells. Just make sure you don't show yourself with PoM or alike spells. It's better to let the poor Horde wonder where you are than to show yourself and be an easy snack for any rogue/hunter ;-)

[Deleted]

cant do much more than fears and dispels and cast dots on rogues... if you try more , you are goin to be oom... maybe double sw: death if we need to get the kill or its another 10 min of hell...and thats for arena...

in bgs there are millions of other things to worry about so being defensive is not a bad thing to do...

i

[BicycleMafioso]

I'm a Shaman
5k~ mana for a shock and 2,5sec lightning bolts for 4-6k (at low-resi targets)? Yea, I'll stick to purge (awful now), hexes and shearing, thanks!

[ItachiZaku]

I'm a Shaman
5k~ mana for a shock and 2,5sec lightning bolts for 4-6k (at low-resi targets)? Yea, I'll stick to purge (awful now), hexes and shearing, thanks!

I wasn't sure on the mana req's for other healers offensive spells. That's rather piss, I probably wouldn't be very offensive (damage output), if I was a Shaman.

[iArkeus]

I wasn't sure on the mana req's for other healers offensive spells. That's rather piss, I probably wouldn't be very offensive (damage output), if I was a Shaman.

Yeah, I really used to like playing offensive as a healer, but with the new mana balance it isn't feasible to do it very often anymore. Sometimes if you're almost sure you'll get a kill, it's great, but otherwise you can easily end up running yourself out of mana being offensive.

[BlueRising]

Yeah, I really used to like playing offensive as a healer, but with the new mana balance it isn't feasible to do it very often anymore. Sometimes if you're almost sure you'll get a kill, it's great, but otherwise you can easily end up running yourself out of mana being offensive.

Holy Paladins can, but, y'know, they never run out of mana. WTB 1.5 second cast LB with 10k non-crit on resi target hits.

[Deleted]

Well, how much do Smite/Wrath/Exorcism damage and what's their manacosts/castingtimes then?

[Broccolii]

It all depends I think. Each class obvious tools which should be used as often are effective and the match allows. Hex, Psychic Scream, Dispels-both offensive and defensive, Hammer of Justice, Rebuke etc.

In Battlegrounds it is normally best to keep healing but in arena, especially with good communication, you can change games with casting DPS spells. You just need to use them at the right time and not haphazardly or you will run out of mana faster. Co-ordinate when going for a kill and help. If you watch high rated shamans on teams with good CC (non-melee zergs) you will also see them help DPS with casted spells. Think of all the close calls you see as a healer, imagine if 8k Lavaburst and 4k Shock came in- in addition to the normal damage.

It takes practice because sometimes you want to burst while your team is hurting, but know you can seal the game with well placed damage. Just remember dispel'ing your teammates is often more powerful than your own damage!