Raid Rx: Answering your Cataclysm healing questions
by Matt Low 
Nov 19th 2010 at 3:00PM
I've been receiving a steady amount of email and questions in regards to healing for the expansion. Rather than coming up with something boring, I decided to gather up what I had and answer them all here. In my classes, I know that when one person asks a question, a good number of the students are thinking the same thing. It just so happens that the one guy who raised his hand has more guts than everyone else (although personally, there have been times where I wished that one guy would just keep his hand down so we could all leave class on time -- but I digress).
The answers I'm issuing here are based on personal experience and a fairly small sample size. Take it with some salt (or if you're like me, soya sauce).
How big of a deal is it to have diverse healing classes? For example, can we operate with having two of the same classes for healing? Or is it really beneficial to have varying classes?
I think it is possible now to have a raid healing team comprised of three paladins clearing normal level 10-man raids. If you think about it, we have similar core abilities across all the classes. We have sufficient AoE healing, for one. We each have our fast, main and large single-target healing spells. Everything after that is what separates us from each other. In fact, I'd hazard a guess saying we could slip from one healing class to another and still remain proficient at doing basic healing.
Getting back to the question at hand, I feel you won't suffer too heavily with a composition like a two-druid, one-priest setup or a two-shaman, one-paladin setup. But if you make the jump to the heroic raids, where the difficulty becomes harder, you'll want the extra abilities those classes can bring.
The healing composition I'll be running in my guild will be one of each spec. I'll have two priests who are both holy and discipline. In addition, I'll have a paladin, shaman and druid. That leaves a sixth healing spot. I'm not sure what class to use there yet. Since I have all the classes covered anyway, I figured I would simply take the best healer I have left available, regardless of what class they are, and run with six for the opening raids.
How many healers is ideal for 10s and 25s?
Raids appear to be designed for two to three healers on 10s and five to six healers on 25s. The number to actually use is going to vary from boss to boss. Anything with an enrage timer is an encounter for which you may want to bring one less healer and opt for an extra DPS player.
Since the different healing classes have similar abilities, there should be some parity when it comes to healing from boss encounter to boss boss encounter. Confirm or deny?
I'd think in theory, yes. This is assuming lab conditions. The reality is that healers will have differing healing assignments. Some will specialize in tank healing (not because of their class, but because it is what they are comfortable doing). Others like me prefer raid healing due to the large amounts of awareness and micromanagement needed. Now if I were to run a test in which all five specs were to heal the same tank over the course of five weeks, with a different healer every week, I would expect the healing to be about the same.
Raid healing is a different statistic entirely, since part of that is going to be based on what the other players around you are doing. You have factor in where players are standing and how they're moving. It'll tank your AoE healing if players are standing too far away.
Which healing class is highest on the meter?
This is a landmine of a question. But since I'm a priest, I'm going to say priest. Not just that, I'm going to say holy priest. I have absolutely nothing to back that up with.
So yeah. Take that.
Is it viable for healers to play both healing and DPS roles?
Yes. I mentioned earlier that raids will want to field between five and six healers. As your guild gets better and quicker at advancing through raid instances, you'll want to drop down to five at some point for the extra damage. You could move a tank to a DPS spot or bring a new DPS player entirely.
Or if you're crafty and your healers are willing, you can request a healer to switch to DPS. Each hybrid healing class has a talent that converts spirit into a value of hit. Before this change, hybrid players had to collect two sets of gear: one for healing and one for DPS. Now, we can simply stick with healing-related gear and then talent into the spirit modifier. We might end up with a hit value of 28 percent, but look on the bright side: At least you won't need to collect hit gear.
What should the balance be between intellect and spirit?
I wish I could answer this question with absolute certainty. Perhaps I'll turn it over to the comments below in hopes someone can shed some light on the issue.
Do you want more impact heals or the resources to cast them?
I've always favored having increased regeneration, as more mana typically means more options with the spells I have. At least for the opening expansion cycle, it makes some sense to lean slightly towards regeneration. After intellect, haste would be another option.
Are there any secondary stats I should stack as a healer? Do our healing masteries still suck at max level?
I know I mentioned in an earlier question my thoughts about ideal secondary stats. I do think healers should focus on their "core" of spellpower and regeneration first. Once those reach sufficient levels, I think you can then start deviating toward additional haste or crit rating. That is what I had to do when I was still in blue gear starting out during Wrath. Don't forget about mastery. It may suck now at level 80, but don't underestimate the potential it has at level 85. Remember the video I showed from last week? Not everyone is at full capacity. The masteries are going to benefit you there.
Anyway, I hope this helps solve any questions you might have had. Feel free to offer your own insight and your experience. Mine has been strictly limited to a few 5-player heroics and a smattering of beta raid instances. Any information you have might benefit someone out there.
Need advice on working with the healers in your guild? Raid Rx has you covered. Send your questions about raid healing to matticus@wow.com. For less healer-centric raiding advice, visit Ready Check, and don't miss our strategy guides to Icecrown Citadel and Halion/the Ruby Sanctum.Filed under: Raid Rx (Raid Healing), Druid, Paladin, Priest, Shaman
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Bith Nov 19th 2010 3:15PM
(although personally, there have been times where I wished that one guy would just keep his hand down so we could all leave class on time -- but I digress).
I totally agree 100%. As a fellow student of Mr(s). Annoying, please limit their questions and have them ask the rest during office hours or after class if you have the time. This will prevent your schedule from being bogged down. This goes to any professor reading this. Please please please. We hate it just as much as you do.
Nopunin10did Nov 19th 2010 3:19PM
Your mileage may vary, of course, but from my personal experience re: healing meters...
-Holy Priests and Druids specifically assigned to raid healing can easily rack up top spots on the Healing meter... but they'll also get to be really high on the Overhealing meter. Particularly true for Druids, since so many of their heals are HOTs.
-Discipline Priests will rank the lowest on the healing meter, and I would suggest getting a recount addon that estimates healing for damage absorbed if you want to do any sort of comparison.
-Paladin healers pre-4.0.3 could easily hit the top of healing/overhealing charts because of the int-stacking and mana supply that went a LONG way.
-Shaman healers, all other things being equal, can end up almost anywhere on the chart based on their healing style. However, what's most important (if you're monitoring recount) is to see /where/ their heals are coming from. Those that just sit there and indiscriminately spam chain heal will probably end up with high overhealing scores (and IMO are not all that effective).
Rakah Nov 19th 2010 3:51PM
recount does absorbs by default FYI
Styvorama Nov 19th 2010 5:10PM
@Rakah
Unless this is a recent thing changed with recount, no it doesn't. Last I used it in early ICC it only counted Heals(not absorbs) and would always be far off from the WoL numbers for classes with an Absorb mechanic.
Aurilia Nov 19th 2010 5:19PM
To clarify some, in Patch 4.0.1 Blizzard finally implemented combat text for preventative heals. The combat log shows an absorb value for the bubble, and updates that value as the bubble prevents damage. This allows addons like Recount to easily track which preventative heal prevented damage, and who the caster of that buff was.
As a Discipline priest in a 10-man guild, I am usually the top healer as far as overall healing is reported on Recount - when we run 3 healers, I'm the top by far (bubbles can't be sniped), with two, the second healer and myself are generally close to one another in healing output.
The only known preventative heal that is not recorded on any meters (including World of Logs) is the current Power Word: Barrier.
Zabery Nov 19th 2010 5:25PM
@Styvorama: It is a recent thing, yes. Well, certainly more recent than the ancient history of early ICC.
The absorb module hit the main Recount addon in early October and has been refined since then. The separate 'RecountGuessAbsorbs' addon is now obsolete. You can see this in the 'Changes' tab in its page on Curse.
Lipstick Nov 20th 2010 4:49AM
I wish healing meters would die a slow and painful death.
Much the way gear score seemed like a good idea in theory -- the practice leaves much, much, much to be desired.
Here's hoping cata returns -- quality, instead of quantity to the healing game.
Finnicks Nov 20th 2010 9:19PM
I remember getting kicked out of raids before (by idiots, granted, but it still sucked) because my "overhealing was too high".
Of course, reminding them politely "I'm a DRUID you tardface" never helped much.
Forreststump Nov 19th 2010 3:23PM
Paladins with sufficient AoE healing to run a normal 10-man with THREE of them? I'll pass. Two, plus one other healer? I'm comfortable.
benbettis Nov 19th 2010 5:46PM
Do keep in mind that he's speaking from a cataclysm perspective. Holy paladins have actually been top dogs along with druids at AoE healing (granted, prior to a recent Holy Radiance nerf).
Things are changing.
ashkaryo Nov 19th 2010 3:40PM
Good read, and what I was looking for. Would you mind if I repost this on my guild forums?
Matticus Nov 19th 2010 4:10PM
Go for it. But just be advised, post doesn't come with a warranty ^^.
giraffe Nov 19th 2010 4:14PM
I think your best bet would be to post a link to it on your forum; don't copy+paste the article.
giraffe Nov 19th 2010 4:16PM
Okay... fail reply on my last one. See below.
/end comment spam
Mir Nov 19th 2010 3:53PM
What about how changes affect PVP? (yes I know this article is entitled RAID Rx, but since you're in a question answering mood,,,) What kind of throughput do healers have in comparison to dps, and how quickly would a healer go oom trying to outheal a dps trying to burst them down? This is all theoretical on my part since I am not on the beta, but the numbers I've seen indicate that it might be a better idea to just drop all healers and replace them with dps. Prior to the recent patches, I could take on (or rather wear down) any class with my tree. That's no longer the case.
Matticus Nov 19th 2010 4:17PM
Not sure if this will help, Mir but I shot a for fun video in the new Twin Peaks BG.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ffy_L8W-os
It's still fairly fast paced especially if you're being run down by 5+ players. This was in full resilience blue crafted gear. Like the PvP game is just... I can't use heal, period. Its too slow. I have to use instants, or fast casting spells or else I'm out of the game entirely because I get shut down. As a result of spell choice, I run out of steam a lot quicker since I'm burning more mana and being inefficient. From my limited experience, its either be inefficient or die. I don't need to keep my team up forever. I just need to keep them alive long enough to kill the OTHER guy. Then I can drink and stuff after.
Mir Nov 19th 2010 5:15PM
Pretty much what I thought. If I have crazy haste I might be able to use Regrowth, but other than that it's all instants. And instants won't have nearly enough throughput to keep anyone up for any appreciable length of time. Won't know for certain till we actually play, but it looks to me like 5dps > x dps + y heal for any values of x and y where x + y = 5. (can you tell I've been trying to help my daughter with math the last couple nights)
Then again, if there's suddenly much more focus on CC, HoTs are useful if you get a chance to cast them, and aren't CCed yourself.
giraffe Nov 19th 2010 4:15PM
Well Matt is faster at replying. So... yeah. >.
Grovinofdarkhour Nov 19th 2010 4:35PM
Sorry Matt, but I have to take a moment to go all English major on your statement that "I think it is possible now to have a raid comprised of three paladins clearing normal instances." With only three of them in attendance, and use of the word "raid" implying at least 10-man content, I sincerely hope that we're talking about a raid they significantly outlevel.
"Comprised of" implies that forthcoming is a list of all of the components, not just some of the components. You could not say, "The United States is comprised of North Dakota and South Dakota." This would be patently incorrect. You could, however, say "The Unites States is comprised of North Dakota, South Dakota, and 48 other states."
"I think it is possible now to have a raid clearing normal instances with three paladins as its healers" would work, as would "I think it is possible now to have a raid comprised of three paladins healing, and seven others in attendance, clearing normal instances."
Matticus Nov 19th 2010 4:48PM
Fixed for further clarification, thanks. I blame it on this phenomenon known as the "Curse of Knowledge".