I want to Heal; Do I have to take Melee(STR)/Casting(Int) lines?

[Fixii]

<p>Hey.</p><p>I like healing in groups. I don't like having to "Melee and Heal" or "Nuke and Heal". Is it alright to just heal :O ?</p><p>I like to Melee when I solo, but I would just find it really awkward trying to run about and melee with 20fps in a group situation, especially when I have to watch health bars and stuff too :<</p><p>I'm not fond of casting, but I suppose Infusion is kind of cool. So...what should I do :< I'm a 59 Warden with only 62 AAs atm <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Easymode]

<p>im a melee spec warden, i solo v.well and healing in grps for pve or pvp is no problem at all. i am lvl 36 with 64 aa's, most of aa's are in wardens line for melee attacks and crit, also got full STR line, remainder of points are in wis for power and resists. gear is important for power pool and +heal amounts etc but melee wardens are the dogs danglies!</p>

[stgninja]

<p>I'm sure groups wouldn't mind if you just sat back and healed.  I'm also full melee spec at 77 and I like to take advantage of having a chance to heal with every attack.</p>

[Tinrae]

<p>Do you solo much, or are you always grouped?</p><p>I'd suggest you find a crafter to make you an AA mirror, and keep two profiles saved on it that you can switch between: one solo build that lets you go DPS for soloing and light healing and one full heal build for when you're with others.</p><p>I think many groups are fine with you just healing, but there's a lot of times when little to no healing is needed, so there's no reason not to help kill stuff if you're not spamming heals.</p><p>Personally I'm usually set to melee unless I know for a fact that I'll be going to a very difficult area where I need every ounce of healing in my arsenal, which isn't very often for me.</p>

[Wclarry]

<p>You can never go wrong with Infusion. Jack up your spell crit as much as possible and just spam your group heals everytime theyre up. Doesnt really require you to melee or nuke or do anything besides what youre normally doing. Healing.</p><p>I get lazy in a lot of the instances now adays and go on dummy mode spam heal and let infusion do whatever dps Im adding.</p>

[Eugam]

<p><cite>Fixii wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Hey.</p><p>I like healing in groups. I don't like having to "Melee and Heal" or "Nuke and Heal". Is it alright to just heal :O ?</p><p>I like to Melee when I solo, but I would just find it really awkward trying to run about and melee with 20fps in a group situation, especially when I have to watch health bars and stuff too :<</p><p>I'm not fond of casting, but I suppose Infusion is kind of cool. So...what should I do :< I'm a 59 Warden with only 62 AAs atm <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>For healing you dont need melee spec or caster spec. You ll heals just as good as without.</p><p>You dont need them if you are always duoing or in a group.</p><p>If you have to do the solo quests on your own, then do yourself a favor and spec melee. There is enough AA (minus a few in the shadows tab) to be a melee warden and a full heal spec'ed warden.</p><p>Otherwise you should gain more AA <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> 59/62 is not good. The warden is one of the classes who gains a lot of healpower from AA>120 (2nd and 3rd line of shadows tab).</p>

[Meirril]

<p>Personally, my warden is spec'ed to heal. Agility line does some amazing stuff for healing. What it doesn't tell you is that when you reduce the duration of your main heals, you also reduce the reuse timer. Being able to recast in half the time is a beautiful thing.</p><p>As a spell-based warden you'll find you kill things a little slower than a melee based warden. But using 2 roots (group root + single target root) on a single mob perty much means you can nuke it till it glows and never take any damage. Just watch the root icons so you can recast when the first one breaks.</p><p>So yeah, you can get by with just healing in groups. Throwing a few nukes here and there helps liven things up a bit but when things get serious you can spend 100% of your time healing.</p>

[Mikai]

<p>Personally, for a long time, I was a melee specced warden, and still am if I'm soloing.  As soon as I hit T8, though, I found the melee to be significatnly less effective than it used to.  Not that spells are much better, but I don't kill things like I used to.  These days, I find I enjoy my warden most when I don't have to dps.  I'll clarify, I do dps as I can, but the fights I enjoy the most are the ones that keep me on my toes healing every chance I get.  One of my friends I play with often (Guardian) is usually the tank for the groups I play with.  I tell him to "give me a challenge" and let him pull entire rooms while I heal my buns off.</p><p>I do have an AA mirror and will swtich back to melee as needed, but for the most part, I rather enjoy simply healing.  Groups tend to like me better this way too.  Melee warden is great in lower levels, but anymore, meleeing puts me too close to the stuns/stifles/fears/massive aoes/etc etc.........not a good place for the healer.  why waste the aa on melee if it won't be useful in the situations I want to play my warden in most (i.e. groups/raids)?</p>

[Arielle Nightshade]

<p>I'd think it would be fine to just heal...but it depends what you are doing.   If you are having power issues, or the fights are long, remember that any dps that could be contributed to kill a mob is sometimes needed.     You are also not doing about a third of all that you could do - which is fine, but isn't fun, IMO.</p><p>In a group, they probably brought you to heal.  Depending on the rest of the dps set up just healing is all they really want out of you, but why would you just do that when you can nuke and have fun too?   If you are biting your nails keeping people alive in a tough situation, no one ever expects you to dps.     That said, if you take INT to infusions every heal you cast can damage too - without you doing anything but healing.</p><p>You don't have to take STR or INT, but I don't think a spec that doesn't beef either one of those up is much fun, tbh.   Up to you though <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Eugam]

<p>Well, i forgot to mention that the STR line is procing heals. You dont have to "melee". just auto-attack. Its not a lot, but it is healing <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> In that regard a warden with STR line is a better healer <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Arielle Nightshade]

<p>I've never spec'd STR and I can outheal you.  <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> </p><p>Something tells me the OP doesn't want to be in there melee'ing in order to heal, hence the question about whether it was necessary to take an AA line that's basically designed for damage.</p>

[Oakum]

<p><cite>Arielle Nightshade wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I've never spec'd STR and I can outheal you.  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /> </p><p>Something tells me the OP doesn't want to be in there melee'ing in order to heal, hence the question about whether it was necessary to take an AA line that's basically designed for damage.</p></blockquote><p>That is what I see too. Just to heal without dpsing at all, all you need is the heal crit and faster regens and you can max out to rebirth for when things go really wrong and up the wis one which grants short immunity to negative effect chances, lol.</p><p>Personally, I like to help the group the best way I can. If its a hard zone, then I dont dps much at all and wear healer gear and vice versa for easy zone, raid trash, 2 healer groups ect.</p><p>It also means you can free up a lot of aa's that become useless like the melee ca's/crits. The bad side is the cure line is  pretty useless and should be replaced but that gives you more to put in the TSO lines, lol.</p><p>Druids are healer/dps hybrids who traded heavier armor, good buffs, and heals that land last for the ability to DPS when healing is not required so dont be surprised if people dont agree with your liking to just sit back and heal, even when heavy healing is not required and not use both sides of being a druid. Just remember that its your money and to enjoy your character the way you like to.</p>

[baka-neko]

<p>I completely agree with what Oakum said.As a warden you've got to keep being versatile. The role wardens play in groups/raids maybe somewhere between healer and dps (just do not try to tank unless you find a way to wear plate).</p><p>Wardens have been the better healers compared to our fellow furys in RoK. No matter wich "flavour" you choose for you (melee/cast) you've been a healer as a warden, furys were the nukers <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" />With TSO we didn't fully reach the dps potential of a fury, but definitely caught up.</p><p>So, back to topic: Get an AA-Mirror, soon.I personally use either a Heal or Fun spec when grouping. If it's not one of the hard zones and if your just the backup healer you can easily use a STR/STA/INT Melee Spec to be more useful in groups than healing the damage that didn't pierce the shammy's wards.</p><p>Determining the right choice of spec depending on your group will evolve while your achivements and gear is getting better. As you get the stances with AA Level 184 (regularly) you may want to experiment a little with what zones you're able to solo-heal in melee-spec, and you might be supprised there <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/ed515dbff23a0ee3241dcc0a601c9ed6.gif" border="0" />Always keeping the STR-Line in any spec might help as well, as you can auto-melee and with that auto-heal, even when you're not nuking at all, and what's even better, you might carry six crates all the time to bring a lot of gear to change.</p><p>And while we're on the gear topic: Use macros to swich gear fast. Just drag your complete worn equip for a setting into a macro (like crit-heal, fast-heal, mana-replenish, melee, proc, tanking, etc).Even when you're in melee spec a fast-heal gear helps a lot in buffing up again after a death/wipe <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/908627bbe5e9f6a080977db8c365caff.gif" border="0" /></p><p>Above all that, (I know it's just been mentioned) have fun and enjoy your warden.</p><p>- Tharabas</p>

[Eugam]

<p><cite>Arielle Nightshade wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I've never spec'd STR and I can outheal you. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I dont want to discuss this old topic again. And i do heal all the time. On encounters where its save to not get stunned i just stand close to the scout(s) and hit 1 for auto-attack. Usually i play save and keep my distance, heal and maybe send dogs and thunderstorm. No1 is always heal and cure though and i wont risc a timer on a CA/dog/anything when things are critical. Usually i buy me the time for dogs or storm with the big group HoT. I really play healer first.</p><p>Still i am curious. Going down STR doesnt take away a single AA point from my heals spec. The proc is a minor proc in T8 and neglectable, still it is heal. The auto-attacks wont  disturb  my heal timers in any way.  So, where is that outhealing ? You are probably a better player then me, but can you outheal yourself with a non-STR setup ? You will heal the same way, but the STR warden will proc at least one heal and top it. No ?</p>

[Kiern]

<p><cite>Fixii wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Hey.</p><p>I like healing in groups. I don't like having to "Melee and Heal" or "Nuke and Heal". Is it alright to just heal :O ?</p><p>I like to Melee when I solo, but I would just find it really awkward trying to run about and melee with 20fps in a group situation, especially when I have to watch health bars and stuff too :<</p><p>I'm not fond of casting, but I suppose Infusion is kind of cool. So...what should I do :< I'm a 59 Warden with only 62 AAs atm <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>There is nothing awkward about doing melee in a group and watching the health bars at the same time. You just target the Main Tank and attack through them. It's simple. You have the MT targeted to attack or heal, and you don't have to stop attacking to switch targets to heal others. If you are mele spec'd, you can just stand next to the tank, hit auto-attack, and heal like you would otherwise. If healing is going pretty easy, then feel free to start using the CA's. The group will always appreciate faster kills.</p><p>As far as standing around doing nothing, but heals.  Do so at your own risk. If you are the sole healer in a group and healing is keeping you busy full time, then you can get away with nothing but healing. However, if the healing requirement is minimal, or you have plate or chain healers in the group with you, you better be able to contribute more than just healing, or you may just get swapped out for another class.  Bottom line is that you need to be flexible, and have something to contribute to the group in all situations.</p>

[Arielle Nightshade]

<p><cite>Eugam wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Arielle Nightshade wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I've never spec'd STR and I can outheal you. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I dont want to discuss this old topic again. And i do heal all the time. On encounters where its save to not get stunned i just stand close to the scout(s) and hit 1 for auto-attack. Usually i play save and keep my distance, heal and maybe send dogs and thunderstorm. No1 is always heal and cure though and i wont risc a timer on a CA/dog/anything when things are critical. Usually i buy me the time for dogs or storm with the big group HoT. I really play healer first.</p><p>Still i am curious. Going down STR doesnt take away a single AA point from my heals spec. The proc is a minor proc in T8 and neglectable, still it is heal. The auto-attacks wont  disturb  my heal timers in any way.  So, where is that outhealing ? You are probably a better player then me, but can you outheal yourself with a non-STR setup ? You will heal the same way, but the STR warden will proc at least one heal and top it. No ?</p></blockquote><p>Just responding to your remark that a STR spec'd Warden is a 'better healer'.  It's just not true in my experience.</p>

[Kiern]

<p><cite>Arielle Nightshade wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I've never spec'd STR and I can outheal you.  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /> </p><p>Something tells me the OP doesn't want to be in there melee'ing in order to heal, hence the question about whether it was necessary to take an AA line that's basically designed for damage.</p></blockquote><p>Well, the OP doesn't want to melee or cast to do damage. They never really asked about taking an AA line for damage, that came up in later later posts. Some suggestions about speccing AA's to give them the ability to do damage from healing doesn't really address the issue.  If there isn't a lot of healing to be done, then they won't be doing damage. They weren't asking how to be a better heaer, or how to do damage while healing, but if they could get away with nothing but healing. Not to save AA points, but just because they don't want to do damage, melee or casting. We simply aren't always in situations where we need to be healing constantly, so I don't think that is viable. I have seen healers kicked from groups for just sitting back and doing nothing. You need to contribute to the group regardless of the situation. If you don't someone else will.</p><p>Arielle, this was not directed at you. This just seemed like the best post to quote to make the point. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p>