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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: The bandages
by Amanda Miller 
Jan 23rd 2008 at 8:05AM
This morning, while catching up on my weblog reading, I came across a post written by Kestrel pointing out that many players still have not trained first aid, and are not carrying, or using, bandages. Although this shouldn't have struck me as surprising, it did make me pause. Didn't everyone get the memo that post-expansion, bandages are integral? Hasn't everyone been bullied into training it? Are there really still players running around wiping more often simply because they won't carry a stack of bandages?
Evidently. If you need convincing information as to why you should be carrying this item, posts like Kestrel's will walk you through some of the situations in which not doing so can be disastrous.
As a last note on behalf of all hunters; please heal your pet in groups. Better yet, get a macro.
| has 0-50 first aid | |
|---|---|
| has maximum first aid, carries, and uses bandages | |
| has high first aid, but forgets to carry or use bandages | |
| has no interest in first aid | |
| doesn't exist |
Filed under: First Aid, Breakfast Topics, Buffs
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 4)
Frog Jan 23rd 2008 9:56AM
I'm a holy priest with tailoring so I think using cloth to lvl first aid would be counter productive. My mana regen is very high (spirit is our stat), and even if it weren't drinks from vendors are cheaper than cloth on the AH. I just started a lock (lvl 18) and I'm making a big effort to remember to use it with her. If you're specced to heal I'm not sure why you would get first aid - if you're not, I can't imagine why you wouldn't. I've seen rogues save instances with it after I'm down.
superfrank Jan 23rd 2008 11:08AM
Can you honestly tell me that you have never ever run out of mana?
nav Jan 23rd 2008 11:11AM
Use your cloth to level tailoring. Sooner or later you will be levelled, and have excess cloth. Then level first aid.
superfrank has explained why.
brittwilson Jan 23rd 2008 12:33PM
Mana conservation aside, when your healing during a 25 man raid, and damage is flying everywhere, I don't have time to do a channeling heal on myself for 3800 health or whatever heavy netherweave bandages do. theres too much healing to be done to take that kind of time out from doing my primary job.
Bloodthorn Jan 23rd 2008 9:00AM
as a warrior I often used bandages instead of eating, as a druid I have yet to need any, if I am oom and low on health, I am usually in bigger problems than a bandage can fix, especially as feral..
George Jan 23rd 2008 9:02AM
What pray tell does the linked hunter macro column have to do with healing your pet?
And why would a macro be necessary?
And thank Elune my pally healer likes to heal my pet so I can focus more on pew pew and waste less mana on mend pet.
Kestrel Jan 23rd 2008 9:15AM
Let me just add (in case I didn't in the article referenced--and thank you for that, Amanda!), my 70 Holy Priest has had maxed first aid as soon as he could train it.
Furthermore, I've used it several times in instances, as a Priest--often on my groupmates! The last thing I want is my tank dying because I wasted precious mana healing myself, when I could use a bandage instead.
And hunters who don't have bandages? That's one of the origins of the term "huntard". (Yes, I have a 70 hunter with maxed FA too.)
Dipstick Jan 23rd 2008 9:31AM
I have max ranked it on all my characters. My main characters (paladin and priest) however very rarely use it due to having heals.
When I'm specced retri I always have some linen bandages for the person that runs up to me screaming: "FFS RETNOOB HEAL".
Mirina Jan 23rd 2008 9:37AM
70 End-game Raiding Hunter...I *always* have a stack of 40 bandages on me at all times...I bandaged my way through Tidewalker and Karathress in SSC. There are times that I know that I shouldn't be expecting healing--especially when it's a healing fight, and I try to let our healers concentrate on the tanks first and foremost...otherwise, chain heal from the resto shammies is a nice bonus. Any good raider should have max first aid, come supplied with bandages, pots/elixirs/flasks, and food to help everyone out.
Brad Jan 23rd 2008 9:46AM
I think bandages come in handy even if you are a healer. Ever taken a few hits before the tank pulls mobs off of you? Instead of wasting your mana on yourself, bandage up, then continue healing everyone else.
Mic Jan 23rd 2008 9:58AM
Both my toon are maxed, and they bothe use them liberally. My destro lock has to lifetap alot on long fights, and that saves a healer worrying about me. and my holy pally uses them when i dont wanna burn mana on myself that should be going to the tank's heals. not having FA maxed and knowing how to use it is simply leaving a solid tool behind, and only hurts you and your raid.
yotix Jan 24th 2008 4:58AM
My WL main does carry bandages, but usually I forget to use them.
Besides, a main char is for raiding -- who needs bandages when you get 2-4 HoTs whenever you sneeze (swap HP for Mana, I forget the english name)?
My twinks?
70 warrior. Obvious candidate for 2 stacks of bandages and 4 of healing pots.
70 Shadow Priest. Look, I can't heal, I've never been main healer for any instance group (well once, but that failed miserably - "Oom" -> "Wipe" -> repeat -> "Leave the group pls" *g*); and I definitely suck at whack-a-mole when the moles are running around like mad AND yelling "heal me".
Well I can sorta heal ... after combat. Bandages? WTF for?
70 Hunter. Got a HoT for the pet ... and really tried to learn, need, and use bandages. Got skill up to 120 and still haven't used any of the woolen bandages I made a year ago. Threw them away now.
65 Pala - WTF for would a paladin want to learn bandaging for? Bubble-and-firstaid?
58 Druid - why would I need first aid?
53 Rogue - does carry bandages, but usually I only use them between fights. Stun+firstaid seems stupid - why heal yourself a little if you can just swallow a health pot and do massive damage?
IMO bandages are useless for any class that has healing spells.
Ryan Jan 23rd 2008 9:57AM
Just recently maxed FA on my feral druid -- just never feel the need really, the only thing I use my mana for is heals and shifting, plus FA takes so much longer than just tossing up a rejuv. Still haven't used FA since I maxed it, though; but on my warlock, I use it all the time, so I guess it is more important for the non-healing classes.
Ahoni Jan 23rd 2008 9:57AM
When I first started playing, I got my first toon almost up to 60 before I even trained First Aid. I reasoned that I had cooking, which gave me all these great foods to eat, why do I need FA. Then someone mentioned that you could bandage IN COMBAT! Holy eye opening revelations batman.
Since then every toon has max first aid for their level. The only one who doesn't use them is the feral druid, and that just because when I am feral, I can't use them, so if I shift, I might as well HOT. I think my druid still has the original Netherweave and Heavy Netherweave bandages needed to max the skill.
The only people I can excuse not having them are healers, but if you are raiding, even as a healer, you should have them. I would be shocked at melee DPS who don't use them, and any mage/warlock/hunter who doesn't is a fool.
Neil T. Jan 23rd 2008 9:58AM
Originally I had FA stuck at 225 - I could never complete the triage quest after several attempts so gave up. Then one day I did it first time. I didn't see a big need for it and still don't - my main is a holy paladin and even though I was in a serious raiding guild bandaging was never something I needed to do frequently.
I have, however, levelled it on my druid - level 61 and FA skill 362 at the moment, and am levelling it on my level 18 hunter. Cloth is easy to come by and none of my characters are tailors so it would just get auctioned otherwise.
Marcie Knox Jan 23rd 2008 9:59AM
I have maxed FA on both of my healers, but rather than carry bandages, I just carry the cloth. I'm one of those people that doesn't make something unless I'm sure I need it.
The cloth isn't for me, but for anyone else in the raid that has run out. On some unexpectedly long progression nights, it comes in handy.
Bullcrud Jan 23rd 2008 10:09AM
I find that I use bandages in two circumstances, Blade's Edge dailies and some raid boss fights. These comments mostly apply to DPS classes without their own healing spells.
In blades edge when get hit by Fel Cannon during bombing run, bandaging gets you back up fast - no need to wait to eat. Or anytime you find yourself down to half life - just bandage and keep going.
I also find that as a DPS class some raid boss fights call for bandaging. A good example is Morogrim Tidewalker in SSC. Some healers are on main tank, some on watery graves, some on murlock tank. With Morogrim's earthquakes hitting every few seconds, getting sent to water grave, I find that an occasional self-bandage makes sure that healers can concentrate on those really in trouble and a poorly timed watery grave with your healthstone already gone won't cause you to die. I find that with raid bosses a few seconds of lost DPS is much better then you dying and the raid losing your DPS for the rest of the fight.
Maarick Jan 23rd 2008 10:15AM
as a sl/sl warlock i have maxed out FA and only really use them as a suppliment to food and water to speed the process up, i find if i am relying/using them in a fight, im not really doing well or what i need to be doing
not intregal
maybe for other classes such as warriors or rouges it is integral, that would make sense to me
they would cut into my gold supply anyway, cloth is one of my cash cows