Patch 5.3 interview with Ghostcrawler
Mystery of the Unborn Val'kyr
The latest patch 5.3 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsRaid Rx: Sometimes you just need to Focus
by Matt Low 
Jan 13th 2010 at 9:00AM
I received a plea for help via email from a discipline priest. Here's the gist of the email:
Well Bizkit, there is something that can help you out. All you need is a little focus!Hi Matt
Basically I use grid and clique. I target my tank and have no issues with this. However, when it comes to dispelling Jaraxxus for example, I need to tab target to find him, and then use raid frames to get my tank back.
Do you know of a way either by another raid frame or macro where I can consistently target the boss and heal the tank? I use buttons for Prayer of Mending, Power Word: Shield and Penance, and the other spells through clique and grid.
Any help you can give would be appreciated
Thanks!
Bizkit
The focus is a feature that came out several years ago and WoW.com has touched on it before in the past. I'd say that there's still a number of players who don't have a firm understanding of what it is or just have yet to realize the potential it has. DPS players frequently make use of focus to keep enemies crowd controlled. Think Polymorph or Banish as examples.
What exactly is the focus?
I'm going to pull a definition from WoWWiki as I can't explain it anymore eloquently:
This is incredibly valuable for healers. It opens up a wide array of stuff we can do while healing. For Priests, we can Shackle targets without risking too much (such as in Halls of Reflection). Shamans can then Wind Shock to interrupt mobs without losing healing time (Lord Jaraxxus and his Fel Fireballs anyone?).A focus target is a secondary target system, used to keep track of a second unit other than the currently targeted unit. The focus is a sort of "target memory" meaning that the focus can be set then recalled with simple macro commands. Furthermore, the user interface supplies full real-time updates for the currently stored focus, including health and mana updates and enemy casting bars. Some user interface addons provide a complete unit frame for the focus.
Those are just some of the applications that can help in raid settings
Some focus commands
/focus - This sets your selected target as your focus. I bound this command to my b key ever since I started using shift + b to open all of them./clearfocus - Removes your focus target. It's blank. Without a focus, your focus macros will skip the focus part.
/target focus - This changes your current target to your focus target.
/target focustarget - Automatically targets the focus target.
Focus addons
Personally, I like to use Pitbull 3 to manage all my unit frame stuff. I'll demonstrate how I handle the focus stuff.
My personal unit frame is on the far left. My target is on the far right (Decaying Colossus). The target being railed on by the Colossus is the fat bad in the middle. The focus is the smaller bar underneath on the left while the focus target is the one beside it.
Anyway, I'm still tweaking with it trying to decide what information I really need and what I don't. But that's the general layout of it. Its in a place that sits square in the middle of my screen where my eyes can trace it easily.
Anyway, I'm still tweaking with it trying to decide what information I really need and what I don't. But that's the general layout of it. Its in a place that sits square in the middle of my screen where my eyes can trace it easily.
Putting it in practice
Now, let's apply this in a standard raid situation. As a priest, my healing targets are going to continue to change. I could jump from rogue to mage to myself if it became necessary. I've been assigned specifically to heal the raid. A common misconception of being assigned to raid is to heal the raid minus the tanks and that is really wrong! Raid healers heal everyone in the raid. Sometimes tank healers need a boost or maybe they get shut down by some ability which neutralizes them for a few seconds.A good healer who realizes the tank is in trouble will simply mouseover them and then use a direct heal of their choice until that tank is back in the green.
A great healer who realizes the tank is in trouble simply presses their heal focus target macro. This saves them the trouble of having to find the tank on their frames, mousing over or selecting them, and then dropping a heal. Using a focus macro immediately causes the healer to simply heal the focus target without losing much time at all.
The Jaraxxus scenario.
Lets go back to how a player in a situation such as Bizkit would apply this against Lord Jaraxxus. In this case, since there does not appear to be a shaman who can Purge or a mage who can Spellsteal, the duty of removing Lord Jaraxxus Nether Power buff can only be removed with the aid of a priest.
How can we ensure that Jaraxxus gets his Nether Power removed while minimizing the risk of the tank falling over?
Step 1: Create a macro which targets your focus and dispels them. Be sure to bind it (I like to use e for Dispel, ctrl + e for Mass Dispel and shift + e for Abolish Disease and alt + e for focused dispels. Your macro should look something like this:
Step 2: Set Lord Jaraxxus as your focus. Target him, and press your focus key (or type /focus with Lord Jaraxxus selected)./cast [target=focus] Dispel Magic
Step 3: Now when Lord J gets powered up, just repeatedly press your new focus macro and it will remove Nether Power. At the same time, you won't lose your primary healing target. For example, the tank will continue to remain your main target.
Now start focusing! Good luck and happy healing! Feel free to get in touch if you have more raid healing-ish questions.
Want some more advice for working with the healers in your guild? Raid Rx has you covered with all there is to know! Need raid or guild healing advice? E-mail me at matticus@wow.com and you could see a future post addressing your question. Looking for less healer-centric raiding advice? Take a look at our raiding column Ready Check. Filed under: Druid, Paladin, Priest, Shaman, Raiding, Raid Rx (Raid Healing)
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 3)
wrendil Jan 13th 2010 12:19PM
bags, i bet...
Tanzier Jan 13th 2010 12:08PM
I give the thumbs up to VuhDo as well. I used Grid/Clique for a long time but I had a number of issues with it. VuhDo is fantastic, has all the same (if not more) functionality and is much easier to manage. I keep the boss targeted at all times, using only the vuhdo frames to heal. I use hotkeys for purge and windshear, as well as totems. Everything else is setup in VuhDo via 5 button mouse and alt/ctrl/shift modifiers.
Foxyknights Jan 13th 2010 12:14PM
yeah macros are useful, but there is a addon which you can use called Decursive which works when I am pally or druid healers, although not tested it yet with a priest yet, but I suggest you give that a go.
tatsumasa Jan 13th 2010 12:20PM
um i'm not reading every comment. not sure if it was posted or not, but since you're using clique, you can target the boss and then click on his target portrait to heal without making that target your target first.
i play a moonkin-turned-tree and while i don't do this during raids, i do use it while healing heroics. hot up the tank, target the boss, dps the boss while watching the tank's health via the boss's target frame, heal the tank via that frame. allows me to push out 1k dps while healing and get through the daily random that much faster.
ccarlton Jan 13th 2010 12:30PM
Yes.. I think Matt definitely picked the wrong example to talk about focus targets.
A much better solution for the jaraxius example is to either download: GridStatusRaidDebuff, or to program grid to show that particular debuff in grid. (GridStatusRaidDebuff is a predefined set of debuffs, so you dont have to do any grid configuring).
Now that the debuff shows in grid, you can see who has the debuff.
Now configure clique to do something about it.. Set click to "Dispel" on Alt click, or Shift click, or ctrl click, or whatever key you want.
Now, when someone gets the debuff, and you see it in grid, mouse over the person in grid, and click the key/combination you set in clique..
No need to mess with focus targets, or anything like that.. Much easier.
Does it teach priests about focuses, or the other important things that are covered in the article? no.
Good information in the article. Bad examples used to help explain that good info.
obarthelemy Jan 14th 2010 1:58AM
MMmmm... you mean to say you get to see Jaraxcxus in grid ? or did you just misunderstand what the article is all about, which, hint, is dispelling Jaraxxus....
Holly Jan 13th 2010 1:27PM
I'm a holy pally, and I use healbot. I usually put my beacon of light on the off-tank, and sacred shield on the tank. If I'm not grouped with both during a raid, I set a focus for whichever isn't in my group so I can switch between the two faster when I need to refresh the beacon/sacred shield. Recently healbot has decided to remove whoever has the focus on them from the healbot list. The only way I've found to fix this is to /reload ui, which obviously can't be done during a fight, so it becomes a giant pain. Anyone else noticed this and/or know something I don't about how to fix it?
nieboh Jan 13th 2010 2:29PM
I don't use a focus on my pally and I try to keep the boss (or some other mob) targetted for judging to keep up Judgements of the Pure. I use healbot for healing, and I have macroed 2 convenient keys with /cast [@mouseover] Beacon of Light and Sacred Shield. The Beacon and Shield I just monitor on healbot. It works quite well for me and doesn't seem to matter who I'm actually grouped with.
Alexis Jan 13th 2010 1:30PM
Wind shock doesn't exist anymore as of a couple patches ago. Wind Shear interrupts, does no damage, locks them out of spells of that type for a couple seconds, and reduces your threat. So it's basically perfect for pulling a caster who is attacking you over into your tank's AoE
Banthis Jan 14th 2010 1:51AM
As a suggestion, have your boss tank be your focus, and have your macro target your focustarget. Repeatedly setting your focus from fight to fight (and sometimes changing during the fight) is an extra diversion that's usually not needed.
notsonic Jan 13th 2010 1:52PM
a lot of this functionality is built into the default ui.
i dont use addons. /shrug
notsonic Jan 13th 2010 1:54PM
this was meant as a response to everyone talking about addons, not the original article.
jojocvb Jan 13th 2010 2:53PM
To Holly: Healbot has a 'set targets' type function where you can watch certain people separately with your healbot list, in that they become a group. CTRL-RIGHT CLICK-(and target) adds them to area in healbot. This may help if you have someone you are attempting to monitor.
Hope this helps.
Dragonrose Jan 13th 2010 4:18PM
I use the focus feature to Misdirect tot he tank without losing my current dps target and let me tell you, putting focus on the tank is the first thing I do whenever I enter a group situation (because otherwise my MD macro misdirects to my pet /lazy).
Tim Jan 13th 2010 8:57PM
I was tanking Deathbringer Saurfang the other day and the other tank wanted me to watch for his debuff. I'm using AGUF and I don't see the de-buffs on each player, even if you could, they are very small. Is there a way to pull out a raid frame (similar to the target you are on) and see all of the relevant details? Often times , as heals, I would like to have the boss 'raid frame' up while I target the tanks and would also like to 'pull the tanks raid frame' out so that I see it all the time no matter who I'm focused on.
Thanks!
obarthelemy Jan 14th 2010 1:55AM
GRID + GRIDSTATUSRAIDDEBUFFS ?
Tankforhire Jan 13th 2010 11:54PM
I just use Mouseover Macro's and Grid for Healing/Decursing/Etc. So far for every healer I've played i've done fairly well.
obarthelemy Jan 14th 2010 1:53AM
i find the following macro more useful:
/cast [button:1/2, target=focus, exists, nodead] dispel magic; [button:1/2] dispel magic
/focus [button 3, nomod]
/clearfocus [button 3, mod]
that way
1- if you don't have a target or if it's dead, your dispel will work on your target, as iF there were no macro
2- middle cliC sets the focus to your target, and shift-middle clic clears it;
ajemkex Jan 14th 2010 5:42AM
Thanks, just used this to clean up all my target/focus macros :D
JohnNYC Jan 14th 2010 2:15PM
Not to be contrary, but I'm confused. I use Grid and Clique and, because of how they work, I never have to target any allies. Instead, I keep the main mob targetted throughout the entire fight.
With Grid and Clique, why would you ever have to keep your tank as your target? You just click on his square in Grid when he needs a heal. Or am I missing something here?