Just Betrayed!

[Lana]

Hi!I just betrayed my 73 Defiler to a Mystic over the weekend, and I am loving it! I actually killed something on my own! In under a minute! I have DPS!Don't get me wrong, Defilers are awesome at being raid tools, but for me (duo and solo player) it just wasn't working out for me. I am having a lot of fun soloing in Kunzar for the first time, and I really enjoy the skills and buffs (and I love the Mystic AA tree) that mystics have. It has been the class I should have rolled from day one. With all this said, I have a question that I am hoping someone out there can answer for me.I did a group in Karnors Castle the other night, and my wards were getting eaten up as soon as I cast them on the tank (he was a 77 guard). I have the master 1 ward (I think it is the level 68 Ward? Not sure, but it is around there somewhere). We had a noob fury in the group who for some reason couldn't figure out how to heal, so we kept wiping. I was chain casting my ward, both heals, and all the other nifty tools we have for keeping people from dying but I just couldn't keep him standing. Are Shamans built to provide heals just for avoidance tanks? Or can we keep plate tanks alive as well in rough instances? Could it have just been the tank? I didn't get a look at his gear, but it was kinda discouraging that I couldn't keep him alive. Is this why there aren't many shamans? I had this same issue with my Defiler as well, so I know its not just a mystic thing. Anyone have any tips for me for keeping plate tanks alive that are taking a lot of spike damage?Thanks in advance!

[ThelvynD]

Oh no Shamans are great for warding up any tank. As a twoboxer I have a zerker as my tank with my mystic and I do enjoy not getting hit at all. Casting a group ward and the single target ward can keep most things from falling apart in tough situations. The thing with RoK mobs is they really hit like a tank and it's best to have both wards up when going up against them.

[Azriana]

Chances are it was a crappy tank; no matter the healer, a bad tank will always cause the group to drop. My mystic was main healing Unrest at 68 (Pre RoK) so shamans are by no means chumps.<div></div><div>A few tips, if you plan on functioning as the healer in a group:</div><div></div><div>Make sure Ancient Avatar is on the tank and a melee DPS/Off-Tank.  There's a Mystic AA that adds Wis and Int to this buff which boosts spell damage (where applicable) and resistances (helps compensate for < par gear).</div><div></div><div>If you trust the tank, prewarding is ok; otherwise, just practice the timing on your wards.</div><div></div><div>Debuffing is also a MORE than viable method of healing, causing the enemy to do less damage, making your wards last significantly longer.  Coming from a defiler you should already know this.  And while the Mystic doesn't really hold a candle to the size and casting speed of defiler debuffs, they're definitely good enough for most semi-skilled tanks.</div><div></div><div>If you're healing a Guardian/Berserker, or any tank pulling single targets, the combination of wards, debuffs, heals, and occasional nukes/beatings will work more often than not.</div><div></div><div>If healing a Monk/Bruiser who's pulling multiple targets, they tend to have more than enough avoidance to make your wards last.  I've proved this on many occasions, but Mystic/Bruiser is a deadly combination.</div><div></div><div>ShadowKnights tend to go down the reaver line so kind've heal themselves quite a bit and it's self explainatory, just try to keep up. Paladins move slower but it's pretty much the same case.</div><div></div><div>At any rate, read through all your abilities and put a little thought into it, you'll do fine.  I love the versatility of my Mystic and I'm sure that once you get in the swing of yours, you will too (more than you already do).</div><div></div><div>[Afterthought], My Mystic has 109AA, 70 in Shaman (Agi/Str/Sta) & 39 in Mystic(Combat Arts/Buffs/Cures)...</div>

[Azriana]

Chances are it was a crappy tank; no matter the healer, a bad tank will always cause the group to drop. My mystic was main healing Unrest at 68 (Pre RoK) so shamans are by no means chumps.<div></div><div>A few tips, if you plan on functioning as the healer in a group:</div><div></div><div>Make sure Ancient Avatar is on the tank and a melee DPS/Off-Tank.  There's a Mystic AA that adds Wis and Int to this buff which boosts spell damage (where applicable) and resistances (helps compensate for < par gear).</div><div></div><div>If you trust the tank, prewarding is ok; otherwise, just practice the timing on your wards.</div><div></div><div>Debuffing is also a MORE than viable method of healing, causing the enemy to do less damage, making your wards last significantly longer.  Coming from a defiler you should already know this.  And while the Mystic doesn't really hold a candle to the size and casting speed of defiler debuffs, they're definitely good enough for most semi-skilled tanks.</div><div></div><div>If you're healing a Guardian/Berserker, or any tank pulling single targets, the combination of wards, debuffs, heals, and occasional nukes/beatings will work more often than not.</div><div></div><div>If healing a Monk/Bruiser who's pulling multiple targets, they tend to have more than enough avoidance to make your wards last.  I've proved this on many occasions, but Mystic/Bruiser is a deadly combination.</div><div></div><div>ShadowKnights tend to go down the reaver line so kind've heal themselves quite a bit and it's self explainatory, just try to keep up. Paladins move slower but it's pretty much the same case.</div><div></div><div>At any rate, read through all your abilities and put a little thought into it, you'll do fine.  I love the versatility of my Mystic and I'm sure that once you get in the swing of yours, you will too (more than you already do).</div><div></div><div>[Afterthought], My Mystic has 109AA, 70 in Shaman (Agi/Str/Sta) & 39 in Mystic(Combat Arts/Buffs/Cures)...</div>

[Finora]

<cite>Lana@Crushbone wrote:</cite><blockquote>Are Shamans built to provide heals just for avoidance tanks? Or can we keep plate tanks alive as well in rough instances? Could it have just been the tank? I didn't get a look at his gear, but it was kinda discouraging that I couldn't keep him alive. Is this why there aren't many shamans? I had this same issue with my Defiler as well, so I know its not just a mystic thing. Anyone have any tips for me for keeping plate tanks alive that are taking a lot of spike damage?Thanks in advance!</blockquote><p>Oh definately not. I've been healing plate tanks quite successfully for as long as I've been playing my mystic (since about the first week of the game). It's been more difficult in Kunark than in the past expansions but as I become accustomed to the new requirements for the zones & my tanks are getting higher level gear it's getting easier.</p><p>It certainly could have been the tank's gear/aa set up causing issues. Crappy tank in Kunark = pain and suffering for the healers, esp if you have a nukerfury in your group as other healing. Tank might have been in offensive stance, which if the tank is good & well geared, isn't too much of a problem, but if the tank isn't in good gear then the mobs would have just chewed him up without the boost from defensive stance.</p>

[Baccalarium]

I've healed in groups with an 80 bruiser that takes care to equip and spec himself for tanking,  and done many hard zones with him as he uses his tricks to solo explore deep into heroic areas, then grabs a group to take to areas he's been discovering.    But there are plenty of times we fight as hard we can but the decision is we can't continue in that direction untill we talk the 78 guard into joining and tanking.    In most cases we will get further with the 78 guard tank than with the 70 bruiser tank in terms of ability to keep the tank alive while taking down mobs.    Just loose the ability of the tank to go oh crud I don't think I meant to pull that room.

[Eugam]

<cite>Lana@Crushbone wrote:</cite><blockquote>Hi!I just betrayed my 73 Defiler to a Mystic over the weekend, and I am loving it! I actually killed something on my own! In under a minute! I have DPS!Don't get me wrong, Defilers are awesome at being raid tools, but for me (duo and solo player) it just wasn't working out for me. I am having a lot of fun soloing in Kunzar for the first time, and I really enjoy the skills and buffs (and I love the Mystic AA tree) that mystics have. It has been the class I should have rolled from day one. With all this said, I have a question that I am hoping someone out there can answer for me.I did a group in Karnors Castle the other night, and my wards were getting eaten up as soon as I cast them on the tank (he was a 77 guard). I have the master 1 ward (I think it is the level 68 Ward? Not sure, but it is around there somewhere). We had a noob fury in the group who for some reason couldn't figure out how to heal, so we kept wiping. I was chain casting my ward, both heals, and all the other nifty tools we have for keeping people from dying but I just couldn't keep him standing. Are Shamans built to provide heals just for avoidance tanks? Or can we keep plate tanks alive as well in rough instances? Could it have just been the tank? I didn't get a look at his gear, but it was kinda discouraging that I couldn't keep him alive. Is this why there aren't many shamans? I had this same issue with my Defiler as well, so I know its not just a mystic thing. Anyone have any tips for me for keeping plate tanks alive that are taking a lot of spike damage?Thanks in advance!</blockquote>Welcome to mystic land <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />Was Torpor  one of the nifty tools ? Its mystics magic <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> And bolster of course. The Mystic heal also is based on debuff. I think more then the defiler. Try to get in your DPS and STR debuffs as soon as possible. After bolster, ward and torpor you should have some time to get the debuffs in. If your tank knows what he is doing, then preward with the group ward. Dont be shy to cast the bear sometimes. Its all about buying time to cast debuffs.Mystic are absoutely able to keep a tank up. Its just you are 73 and Kanor is hard. Once you got all those +heal items and upgrades you will be fine (again). You cant solo heal a 77 guardian in Kanor at 73 with a slacking fury. period.