New to EQ2, Are Templars the best group healers?

[Lance]

<DIV>Im new and I enjoy playing in groups , I am looking to play a class that is mainly designed for group support and the best healing. Is that the Templar? What class is the most sought after class in groups? Thanks in advance.</DIV>

[Landaros]

I doubt that there is a "best" healer for anything really - every class has its pros and cons.If I remember correctly Templars have the highest + Health buffs, but I think the heals are slow and low amound of life healed.Healer of the week/ expansion is Fury right now - dps, healer and porter, but I am sure they will be the next class to be n...adjusted.The best is not to go for whats supposedly best but more to look into the mechanics of each healer - wards reactives etc - then take whatever suits you best.<div></div>

[SenorPhrog]

<P>You don't remember correctly.   We have some of the largest heals available and they are immediate, not summed up in "ticks."  We do have the highest health, mitigation buffs.</P> <P>If what you are going to spend most of your time doing is grouping, then Templar is a great class.  While the Fury is popular (have one myself), they don't have certain advantages the Templars enjoy especially in raids.</P>

[Momolicio]

This is really a loaded question, with a large opinion variable.IMO, as a Templar since beta, the Warden is the best group healer.If I was to pick one over the other though. Templar all the way. The game uses the tank mechanic meaning most of your properly played encounters will require 1 target healing with some minor heals elsewhere. This is Templar Forte'.If you need to heal a group though that is where the Warden is better due to their class heals being a single and group health regen. (Fury too but I believe there regens are of lesser amounts)So if your looking to follow the standard game mechanic party where you have a tank that neads healing. Templar all the way.<div></div>As a Templar I duo with my Wife very often and she is a Swashbuckler. We can take lvl 73^^^'s or lvl 70^^^ named. A friend of mine is a Warden and he says he would be hard pressed to heal my wife in those same encounters.So it is all in how you define group healer.

[Tidrey12]

<DIV>Its my exsperaince that templars wear plate for a reason. HAHA. Reactives are the most usful. I have my heal crits maxed and all healing spells mastered. The HP buffs rock neither one are mastered but i can add like 1400 more HP to the tank. So in my personal play and learn no group will turn you down or look over you when it comes to healing a group. I only have a little trouble when the TV is on and get left behind a little <OOPS>. but on raids im usually second behind a defiler and his wards. The 2 of us make up 50% of the heals for the whole raid. Thats Hot! Hope ya decide to make 1 TEMPLARS ARE UBAH AND NEVER FORGET TO BUFF THE TANK! haha they get craby if you dont </DIV>

[Uilamin]

IMO if you are looking for a single group healer, Templars are the best.If you have multiple healers in your group, shaman/druid is probably the best combination.Templars have the problem of slower casting and their reactives are the last heal to go on the damage stack.  For hard hitting mobs this can create a problem.<div></div>

[Antryg Mistrose]

<div></div><blockquote><hr>Uilamin wrote:IMO if you are looking for a single group healer, Templars are the best. <font color="#ffff00">For AoE damage no - thats a druid speciality</font><font color="#ffff00"> </font><font color="#ffff00">For infreqient really big hits no - thats a shaman speciality</font><font color="#ffff00"> </font>If you have multiple healers in your group, shaman/druid is probably the best combination. <font color="#ffff00">Shaman/cleric has some advantages too, and Cleric/Druid isn't bad either</font>Templars have the problem of slower casting and their reactives are the last heal to go on the damage stack.  For hard hitting mobs this can create a problem. <font color="#ffff00">Regens (druid speciality heal) are the last heal to go off, not reactives, slow casting times means templars have to be proactive not reactive (unlike druids)</font><div></div><hr></blockquote>

[Uilamin]

Regens do not go off on the damage stack as they are not tied to damage input.  for the fact that clerics have to be proactive.  They don't always have that option.IMO if you are looking for a single group healer, Templars are the best. <font color="#ffff00">For AoE damage no - thats a druid speciality</font><font color="#ffff00"> </font><font color="#ffff00">For infreqient really big hits no - thats a shaman speciality<font color="#ffffff">For a <u><i><b>single </b></i></u>group you want a class that can cover all those areas.</font></font>If you have multiple healers in your group, shaman/druid is probably the best combination. <font color="#ffff00">Shaman/cleric has some advantages too, and Cleric/Druid isn't bad either<font color="#ffffff">I agree that other two aren't bad, but I am talking optimal performance in most T7 cases.  The problem with Shaman/cleric is that initial pulls on hard hitting mobs can get a bit shaky, sure it is usually recoverable but the two classes specialize in dampening damage intake.</font></font><div></div>

[Mew]

Templars are, IMHO, the best raid healers.  In a crisis situation no one can hold you together like a well played templar.  When your main tank's health is in the red regen is not going to cut it.  The tiny little pop gun heals of the other priest classes won't handle it.  You need a healing cannon - a templar.  When the whole group is about to wipe the sand with their faces and they need to hold it together for that evac or the one last massive hit that will take the mobs down you need a templar with that group wide AOE heal.  When the DOTs from the mobs are wearing down everyone in the group into mush you need a templar with his group "cure all effects" spell.   While your leather bound priest is being rendered down to toilet paper by big nasty teeth and claws and runs screaming "get it off me!" the templar is patient and stands fast until the main assist can come pull the aggro.  Templars are for the calm and the patient.  If you are prone to panic then don't be a templar.

[Fenrock]

<p>Along the lines of what Mewse said, Templars are great group healers because we wear plate armor.  The healer surviving the battle is a big part of a group surviving an encounter.  In my experience having plate armor helps a whole lot sense I can worry more about keeping the tank up then me taking a little damage.  I throw a reactive on myself now and then and I am good to go, not having to worry about the one guy hitting on me now and then.  And when your in a normal group, Praetorate is an awsome buff to give yourself for a nice power buff.</p>

[sprogn]

<p>More of a lurker here than a poster but I've played all the healing classes at some point or another and all the tanks to varying levels so thought I'd chirp in,</p><p> As a plate tank, nothing beats a Templar.  In any big fight the tanks gonna get hit - often frequently.  This spells out reactives.  Wards are great - till they run out.  Then a mystic is left struggling to get the ward back up and heal any damage from in between.  A good mystic is great, but a Templar is so much better in these situations.  Druids are nice for topping up the group from AOE's with regen spells which reactives won't necessarily help as much.</p><p>As a plate tank, I'd take a Templar first, Mystic second and druid last of all.  Having said that, I group a lot with a fury who is a damned good healer, I just never feel as safe in his hands as I do a Templar of lesser skill.  Much much more HP bounce with a druid.</p><p> However, all of this is reversed when playing an avoidance tank.  A monk won't get hit much, but when he does get hit, it's REALLY going to hurt.  This bodes bad for reactive heals as the tank simply won't get hit enough to make them worth the work.  Also the hits are often to large for reactives to take effect.  In these situations, a fast casting big regen spell is best and this is where druids excel.</p><p>Mystics can do well as the only healer, although I'd say there job is a little harder.  Each class is very unique and has it's advantages in certain situations.  All would be wanted in a good Raid setup however.  Take what feels best to you.</p>

[Ironcleaver]

Also do not forget about the Templar's Glory of Combat/Battle line of weapon buffs. With a master version of this spell and having the proc chance maxed in our Templar AA line, it can really add up to an impressive amount of healing; easily taking care of group spot healing off of the main tank. If you have a lot of melee types (fighters, bards and monks), try to get it on everyone you can. By doing this I've had it heal upwards of 9k damage on the main tank, and kept everyone else spot healed - all for a few concentation points.