Well, I have another treasure trove of experience in my path of learning the druid. This one comes in the form of a brutally failed Underbog run. I am leaving it open to consideration/contemplation whose "fault" it was.
Now, I have already run this multiple times on my paladin "old school" (i.e. when it was current content. I also tried to run it heroic as I heard it was the easiest TBC heroic but I wasn't geared for the task at the time). I have also run it as a tank in a group with my druid. Admittedly, I am not used to druid tanking, so although my main target aggro was great, my group aggro was, well, pretty lousy. I know I can spam swipe, and if I'm using berserk, it generates AMAZING aggro on up to 3 targets, and I have growl, I guess coming from a pally with consecration, I feel like its a lot harder to keep the mobs focused. I guess I could try swapping between them stacking lacerate? Anyways, we cleared the instance, so I must not have done too badly. Alas, I did not get the leather pants I was after (assless tanking chaps FTW!!! Thats a guild inside joke, don't ask), so I wanted to try again.
As is usually the case, I got asked to heal the run, fine by me. I went to Shattrath, got my gear, switched to resto, all good. I had trained lifebloom and this was my first chance to use it. Our group consisted of me (66 druid), a 68 DPS warrior, a 63 warlock, a 65 pally, and a 64 DK who was tanking (allegedly). Now, the warlock kept sacrificing himself down to 1/4 life for mana and wouldn't you know it, asked if anyone had water at the very beginning of the run. He ended up dying repeatedly, but I'll get to that. The "tank" although his aggro was good was just getting crushed by everything. My normal healing pattern is straight HoT, then the green one once they've taken a lil damage, then swiftmend to pop them to full if necessary. That normally works on trash. Big pulls, I can roll the lifebloom, and if they're bad, just let it bloom for big massive heals. DPS I normally don't heal because they shouldn't be taking damage. Can any experienced druid healers tell me if that sounds unreasonable? I have a macro for instant cast healing touch if necessary which I use as an "emergency button". Anyways, 3 wipes in with no bosses down, I quit the group. Tank couldn't stay up (which I believe was a function of his level/gear. 64 in underbog in almost entirely the initial DK gear, no upgrades at all).
So yes, I let DPS die, the warlock died frequently (I thought he should have come with water and been more careful sacrificing health, I have a 61 warlock and been every spec, its not like I don't understand them), and I couldn't keep the tank from wiping. I've never had a problem before healing with the druid and I can't blame gear as I'm all in outlands gear and with 351 SP in tree form. I'm all gemmed (in things that can get gems), and I've trained everything and followed the most prevalent spec (can't link cuz I'm at work).
I'm open to suggestions. I genuinely like healing, probably more than tanking in all honesty, I just want to learn it better. I guess over and under powered groups aren't the best ways to learn.
Stay a while and listen.
12 years ago
12 comments:
Step 1: Rejuv, lifebloom, nourish tank. That takes care of tank and all melee for the first 10 seconds.
Step 2: Rejuv the warlock
Step 3: Check your self, lifebllom yourself if needed
Step 4: other ranged dps (rejuv the mage/hunter/boomkin) if needed
Step 5: Goto step 1
Save swiftmend for emergencies.
Regrowth the tank on burst.
Nature swiftness/regrowth for melee that takes burst as needed.
Forgot,
Glyphs:
swiftmend glyph
rejuv glyph
nourish glyph
The old addage:
If the tank dies, it's the healer's fault.
If the healer dies, it's the tank's fault.
If the DPS dies, it's their own stupid fault.
That said, if the tank isn't geared for an instance it's an uphill struggle to keep him up. You don't need the extra panic when mobs start peeling off and hitting other people.
The Warlock (and yes, I'm a warlock) obviously can't manage his aggro and if he keeps pulling off the tanks he'll find it increasingly difficult to find groups that'll put up with it. He should go repair, install omen and l2p his class.
Can I ask a "stupid question" - was your lock using any CC? Underbog was one of my favourite instances due to the number of banishable mobs...
DPS needs heals... it's the insult of needing heals that spurs us to do more damage...
I'm constantly coping HoT's from my pocket Trees. I am always bottom on the chart of healing received, but then, I can only take a couple of hits before I go down, and you want me up to take the mob down before the mob takes the tank down.
I don't think the Lock was pulling aggro, so much as sacrificing his life to the point he was at less than 1/4 life before every pull. My issue was not with healing him in general as much as him relying on me to be his mana bar.
As far as Nourish goes, don't get that till 80, so can't use it yet.
I have both of the above glyphs (that I can use) as well as unburdened rebirth. My healing gear is actually pretty decent, 60-62 greens and blues. . .
Having a level 80 resto druid, I always heal the dps unless the actually piss me off. I have a 72 warlock and would expect to be healed when I tap. The more dps that survives, they quicker a fight goes. As a druid, it is so easy to HoT a dps with a rejuv, why not do it?
Gah, that sounds like a really frustrating run. Don't get demoralised and don't blame yourself, there's nothing worse than an instance that goes wrong and there isn't an obvious finger of blame to point. Unsurprisingly, in such circumstances, I find the blame tends to end up heaped on the healer by default.
Basically it sounds like a situation of moderate-crapness spread across most of the rest of the party. Basically if your tank is doing his job and the DPS are behaving like fools you often have time and mana to spare to keep them alive - if there's a warlock in the party I'll often fling a few HoTs their way to just to make help them keep their mana pools replenished. However, they don't this if they're playing like a tard - it's a special bonus for people I like :)
Sounds like the main bulk of the problem lies with the tank. DK tanks can be incredibly squishy because there isn't a tank tree as such, so unless they've been moderately sensible and gone in search of the mitigiation talents you basically end up with damp paper bag in a skull helmet the mobs are using as a punching bag.
And ultimately if you'd been less stressed about keeping the tank alive you'd probably have felt more able to moderate the stupidity of the DPS. Equally if they tank wasn't doing his job, they wouldn't have been under fire anyway.
I've had runs where, for whatever reason, I just haven't been able to keep the tank alive. It always gives me extreme hemo (emo for healers): "oh my god, is it meeeee! Wah!"
Also you shouldn't be expected, as a healer, to compensate for the inadequacy of others.
So don't stress it, and better luck next time!
The warlock should be Life Tapping after each pull or so, and you should just toss a Rejuv on him. It's much faster and easier than having him sit down and drink. It's a forced mechanic from Blizz, so you shouldn't feel insulted that he's using you as a mana battery.
I can't give any advice on druid healing. I'm a druid tank, and I heal on my shaman.
Ummm...
I have just one question about the lock, what spec was he?
I typically will drain my own life to replenish my mana but I do not expect the healers to keep me up. First thing I do before draining my mana is drain my Imps (not using him for much anyway). The second thing I do is then throw my dots up on a mob and then hit drain life. I am Aff though so I get a little help from my dots, but it sounds like to me the lock has some mechanical issues.
DKs are my least favorite leveling tanks. Once they learn how to handle their rotations and manage agro, I love them at higher levels, at least the good ones.
The basic rules of heling do apply. Tank needs to be alive to hold aggro. I do agree though with the HoTs that Druids have, you should just throw some up on your DPS. I typically will watch my recount meter and omen and whatever DPS is doing highest threat and DPS, then I will make every effort to keep them up. However, I heal as a Pali and we have a lot of different mechanics, but you have the HoTs man!
@Ruhtra
I'd lay money on him having gone destro before he had the gear for it. Typical meter-maid.
Now, of course I wasn't there, but from a suicidal pally healer point of view......just from what you described, sounds like the lock came unprepared. That is a pet peeve of mine. Secondly, the supposed tank needs to know how to pull and has to know their limits. Yes, obviously it is the healer's (Fish in this case) job to keep the tank up, and everyone else up, but there also comes a responsibility for everyone else to keep themselves in check. We healers can't do it all, but if I can use my SS after death in nexus to take out the dragon before it resets.....well, I'm just that damn good. (Eus is pimpin, brushes her shoulder off)
to Fishy: Thanks again for rolling on Cho'gall. I know allies on there appreciate it. As I told Edyion, I really have to wonder if they could even pvp if their lives depended on it.
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