Solo healing HoF

[Tuppen]

My main group is made up of myself a 70 warden, 70 Guardian, 68 Conjurer, 65 Swashbuckler, and generally we add on a second tank or second mage class from guild or friend list (ranging from 68 to 70 in level). 

 

I have always thought of myself as a pretty good warden-- possibly even above average from what folks tell me, however, I have found it nearly impossible to solo heal HoF with this set up. 

 

We have only been successful in the zone when we have had a second healer join us--mostly templars.  We don't have any high level furies, wardens or mystics in guild or in our alliance.

 

I have mostly Adept 1, a few Adept 3, and only our single target regen at Master 1 and I chose Regenerative Spores as my Master 2 option.

 

Do any of you succeed in solo healing this zone?  If so, what techniques do you use?  I am willing to try just about anything at this point, so any ideas at all would be helpful...just don't tell me to reroll as another priest class.  :smileytongue:

 

 

 

Message Edited by Tuppen on 05-01-2006 01:58 PM

Message Edited by Tuppen on 05-01-2006 01:59 PM

[Barand]

just cure trauma, there is not that much healing needed if you cure.You may have no luck and wipe, but if you cure quickly the zone is as easy as other instance.

[Tuppen]

I cure.  I cure.  I cure.   I think I am the only healer I know besides my guild leader who bothers to cure.

Good suggestion, but that doesn't seem to be my problem.  /sigh

[mikemcmodmi]

Use your hots proactively instead of reactively and cure trauma the second it hits.  Instead of healing cure, then it's cake.  Make sure that when that 5k hit comes because the tank had his mitigation debuffed by 3k you have the time to cure it and your hots are already on doing some of the healing for you.  I also always use SS before VB too when healing for the extra .5 secs.... that's it.  Oh and pay attention, it's a fun zone because you can't slack or sit back too much.  I even stop chain nuking a bit on certain parts.

Your swashbuckler is a bit low.  If you're going to solo heal it then the fights have to be fast.  The faster you can burn the stuff the less you'll have to heal.  Plus train dps to stun any nameds/tough mobs after the tank takes a big shot to help you out.

Message Edited by mikemcmodmike on 05-01-2006 11:18 AM

[Barand]

and of course keep sandstorm up as much as possible  the zone was very hard for me too the first time i solo heal it. But now it seems like a sepulcher run, i think equipment, spell level (all in adept III/master) and tank equipment play a large part in that too.

[mikemcmodmi]

For sure.  I'm still not sure what's better for a healer, getting a spell upgrade for us or getting an armor upgrade for your tank.

[Rappy]

someone already said it... cure cure curethe traumatic debuff many of the mobs have takes 4k mitgation of the tank.. you must get it off before you heal unless absolutely necessary.  It is doable but there are some mobs that short range AE traumatic (which our resists do not help at all) it can single hit many scouts and mages.  We do not have enough HP buffs to compensate for this, so you just gotta suck it up and stay out of range yourself

Message Edited by Rappy on 05-01-2006 11:24 AM

[Tuppen]

Thanks mikemcmodmike.

Good suggestions. 

I have been trying to be proactive with the heals...always making sure to slap regen on the tank just before he pulls, etc..something I never found necessary before HoF.

Also have had a tendency to throw on more heals before that cure.  I will make sure to toss the cure first, then the additional heals.

And yeah...I know about the level of the Swashie...but we are a committed group of friends and she just doesn't have the time to play like we do, and we really love having her along regardless of whether she can hit the mobs or not.

[Tuppen]

LoL, Rappy....yeah...my group mates who are casters have gotten tired of me yelling at them about staying out of AOE range.

Careless casters have gotten us wiped more than once...though our group regen and heals really shine in here.   All my templar friends envy me in that respect. 

[Sokolov]

Even with my HP buffs, I have problems solo healing this zone.  Part of my problem is the long cast time on my Wards and Heals, between 2 and 5 seconds.  That is a LONG time if the debuff happens to land during one of these times.And if you are unlucky (like me last time I was in there), the debuff will land one second before the mob does Hammer Fist - there isn't much anyone can do when that happens.

[mikemcmodmi]

Yea, I have no problem solo healing any T7 zone.  For grouping Wardens are fine.  It's only when it comes to raiding I think we need a boost.  Why something like a spell shield (wouldn't have an effect in HoF but might vs some epic) would be good.

[MysidiaDrakkenbane]

A minor suggestion, if I may.

There have been times where I am the solo healer for my group and when the tank is just about to pull, I throw a regen on him just as he goes in, for a preventative measure and it seems to help a great deal. I'm not always playing "catch up" when I do this.

Keep in mind that your tree is a valuable tool, too. I know that sometimes it can be a nuiscence (sp?) with line of sight, so if you can, try to do it behind the group or off in a corner where it can still heal along with you. I can't tell you how many times that tree has saved lives. (Just be mindful of AoE's with the tree as it will drop the moment it's attacked.)

And as people have mentioned here, cure the ailments that get thrown on them. Once they start to stack up, not only will you be playing "catch up" but you're burning mana taking them off of him/her too. As soon as they get on them, take them off.

Being a solo healer for a group is a busy job, but you can do it as a Warden. Hope this helps.

[Crimson Dragon]

---

Rappy wrote:

someone already said it... cure cure curethe traumatic debuff many of the mobs have takes 4k mitgation of the tank.. you must get it off before you heal unless absolutely necessary.  It is doable but there are some mobs that short range AE traumatic (which our resists do not help at all) it can single hit many scouts and mages.  We do not have enough HP buffs to compensate for this, so you just gotta suck it up and stay out of range yourself

---

ah yes, the mighty brigand debilitate debuff.... nasty. very nasty.(vallix is polishing his dagger and laughing)halls of fate is not an easy zone. it's not meant to be. you can solo heal it if you're in an "uber group" - everyone in  your group is [Removed for Content] out in raided gear, and you  have a good mix of classes. heck you might even be able to pull it off without anyone dying... but i doubt it. it's possible to do most of the zone with just one healer if your group plays smart. i was in a group last night that did it with one level 67 mystic up to and including sothis. (even the tough guy on the table) we had one raiding guild person and the rest of the group was in treasured - fabled gear and a collection of spell levels (probly adept 1+). i was playing my brigand.realistically, not everyone is in a raiding guild with every tank in full fabled and every caster, melee, and buffer maxed out on master 1 or better spells. if you're not in that category, it will be tough. is it doable? sure, if you're lucky. if you're just trying to do the zone, what's the harm in taking a second healer with you? and if you just wanna see if you can do it, then you don't need people here to tell you that their groups were armed like a roman legion and they pulled it off. go for it. the worst that could happen is you die and have to mend. there isn't even a lockout timer until you kill the first big named. so go, try... get your butt kicked. just have fun.:smileyvery-happy:

[mina]

Everyone's pretty much already said it, you need to cure trauma, debilitate can be stacked two or three times on your MT if you don't cure him and no matter how much you heal him, he's pretty much a goner.  There's also a poison dot that does a bunch of damage that I try to keep cured as well.  What I do when I solo heal is when the tank is pulling, you put on your single target and group hot and cure as he pulls, and keep them up and spot heal as needed. 

Also if you're putting up duststorm, make sure your back is facing a nice corner because a lot of the mobs have knockbacks and it's a pain to cancel it and run towards your group :p

[mikemcmodmi]

HoF isn't THAT bad.  I mean thinking about it there aren't many armor upgrades out there for tanks in T7 worth their salt that's aren't from raiding.  I remember I had a really hard time when I first hit 68 and didn't have upgrades yet.  We gave up mid zone.  My ego was shattered   Then a week later with a little more upgrades I remember doing it and it wasn't too bad.  I think the tank had T6 fableds.  Another week or so and I was solo healing it every day to get my stupid upgrade for my class hat.

I mean yea, bring another healer if you want.  It's all good.  I think HoF is the only zone I worry about dying these days on so there's some sense of adventure left though.  I don't know if it's just me, but I find it a lot more fun when you bring tank, dirge/troub, me, and 3 dps to burn through mobs as fast as you can.  You clear the zone so fast and it just seems more enjoyable. 

Bringing another healer can suck too because when you're group dies they always blame the druid.  They say it's because you're nuking.  They don't understand healing momentum and you're relying on the other healer to heal a stable amount so you can just spot heal and dps.  If the other healer sucks and you're nuking away while you wipe, they blame you.  I don't take that crap so cut out the slacker to begin with and solo heal it.  Then I know when I can nuke or not because I've done the zone enough and what the mobs do.  You can't rely on another healer being consistent and not slacking since they don't get blame if things go south.  That's my view on it at least.

Message Edited by mikemcmodmike on 05-01-2006 08:27 PM

[Akhashi]

I just glanced over each post so if I am repeating what someone else said yell at me pls!  I can solo heal hof as a 70 warden, did it at like 64 or 65 too i think.  The tank was a 67 beserker when i did it before 70.  I have all my spells at adept 3 or master so maybe makes it easier but in any event if you are having probs with the tank dying, get  a necro as your backup healer/dps and you cna rot while he nukes if a pull goes bad and tank dies.  There arent many mobs I can't duo with a necro.  That said as a a way to keep from dying from initial damage precast single target hot, grp hot, elemental ward and trees and it seems to work everytime I go in this order, when the tank says inc in 10 i cast tree, greater chloroplat, elemental ward than the group hot.  If he goes at ten like he says you are rdy to recast single target hot and well should be gtg after that.

 

Krazeeladee

70 Warden Befallen

[MysidiaDrakkenbane]

---

Akhashi wrote:

I just glanced over each post so if I am repeating what someone else said yell at me pls!  I can solo heal hof as a 70 warden, did it at like 64 or 65 too i think.  The tank was a 67 beserker when i did it before 70.  I have all my spells at adept 3 or master so maybe makes it easier but in any event if you are having probs with the tank dying, get  a necro as your backup healer/dps and you cna rot while he nukes if a pull goes bad and tank dies.  There arent many mobs I can't duo with a necro.  That said as a a way to keep from dying from initial damage precast single target hot, grp hot, elemental ward and trees and it seems to work everytime I go in this order, when the tank says inc in 10 i cast tree, greater chloroplat, elemental ward than the group hot.  If he goes at ten like he says you are rdy to recast single target hot and well should be gtg after that.

 

Krazeeladee

70 Warden Befallen

---

Certain spells at master level make a huge difference when healing. The tree, however, does not. If you're going for masters and find yourself becoming the solo healer more and more, invest in those healing masters.

If you're in a decent sized guild and you find yourself going on raids more and more, ask your guild to help you out in buying the masters because they benefit THEM just as much as you.

[Akhashi]

Yeah, my heals are all master other than trees and single target hot. 

 

Krazeeladee

70 Warden Befallen

[heel]

Get your spells ad3 at least.

Debilitate, which is a brigand skill, is what you have to worry about the most to get rid of asap. This is probably only zone besides raids where you have to utilize ALL you have in your grasp. Ancient Sylph and two roots are your friends. Nature's Regrowth and Tunare's Watch can mean a real life-saver.

Stack up ALL your hot(including group hot) at all times when countering named. Make sure you have Sylvan lines heals up before each named pull. Since your group sound to be lacking dps, take your time and don't rush Rooting even in seemingly no dangerous situation can help recovery, especially on those zerker type mobs.

Table named can be tricky. If your tank and swashy doesn't like rooting route, have him pull to a snuggly corner right under the circular steps.

Sothis. Depending on whether you guys have picked up enough potions to throw on adds, pick a good distant spot to pull.

Itchy-Krutch(excuse my language) is easiest of all named there, just make sure your tank rescue off ya when ceno adds rushing in. They like to target healers first off.

Katalkana or however it's called, is basically a matter of making a careful prox pull(body pull) on his path.

Doomlord is perhaps the hardest there. When I soloheal HoF, this is often the named that I involuntarily let go of my grasp on tank. Nasty aoe kb that carries a hefty dmg can be easily a wipe issue. Rooting constantyl can help here to ease recovery.

Have fun! HoF is my favorite zone..no moment to go idle.

 

Message Edited by heelox on 05-03-2006 06:51 PM

[Domiuk]

If i am reading op correct you normally only have 5 ? one of whom is only 65 ?

 

HoF is simply a tough zone.

 

I have been hit for in excess of 7000 with no ill effects on me several times as a 70 guardian 5000 mit and 7000hps self buffed.

 6200 and 10k in usual group. 

 

With 6 70s it isnt a cakewalk and we invariably have a well equipped templar and a Paladin.

 

Ability to clear the zone isnt just about the tank or you as the healer, its a group thing and if your group is not strong enough then it simply isnt strong enough.

 

Try it again with all 70s and I suspect you will have an easier time, do not underestimate the differance your dps stuns etc are making.

[heel]

/nod, Domiuk.

I am usually one-shot death there(and more) if I'm not careful in my position, since I prefer goin' there equipped with FT items with less stats(although I always have to equip buckler there for little bit more mit). Warden as a solohealer in HoF doesn't buff tank and group much except resists, and unlike vault this is a heavy melee dmg zone. Zerkers are worst along with debilitating raiders. I've never solohealed group with guardian as tank..so needless to say my experience solohealing there is rather edgey.   SK and Pally proven alight there tho. Paladin, actually is my favorite tank to this warden(from lvl 20s till now)..they compliment each other well.

HoF I find more than any other zones, success depends on positions of groupmates because of constant kbs and ae melee from mobs. Pulling spot is crucial and can help greatly. Not to mention everyone in group understanding their role helps. Many mobs there are stun-immune including named..so caution.

Message Edited by heelox on 05-05-2006 11:07 AM

[Tuppen]

Everyone has given me some great suggestions!  I also appreciate the feedback that I am getting letting me know that part of the issue is simply the group make up (some too low, sometimes one shy of a full group, etc) that makes it more difficult for me to solo heal here.

I recently upgraded all of my 58-70 spells to at least Adept 3, but I haven't had a chance to get into HoF this week.  I am looking forward to trying out some of the strategies and techniques suggested!

Great community we have here!  Thanks for all the feedback.  :smileyhappy:

Message Edited by Tuppen on 05-05-2006 06:54 PM

[TimidMou]

Frankly I find that my ability to solo heal HoF as a warden depends more than anything on the tank. There are some tanks that will drop despite my best efforts, and its not always their gear that explains it. Solo healing is possible, but if you have a bad tank it may well be difficult or impossible in that particular case.

[Geroth Vex'T]

early into tier 7 i had some problems healing in hof (I'm always the only healer in my groups unless another priest needs xp in my guild.)

 

it pretty much boiled down to quick cures and a regen on pull, which is standard practice by now...

 

since our tanks are outfitted very nicely now from raids i've found that I can relax and just remove effects before a 2nd is stacked without tanks taking too much dmg... so the worse off your tank is for equip the more you have to pay attn pretty much.

 

whether the same applies to you or not im not sure, i'm an old eq1 druid and very used to healing... and definately one of the top 20 equipped worldwide and almost all masters. (#2 on my server and from what i see on eq2players im probly in top 10 worldwide.)

by the time someone reads this i'll be #13942 worldwide!!

[Oakum]

I won't cover all the points already covered but will point out some observations about HoF. The tree being up before the (probably a body pull, i never ask) has caused the mob being pulled to come straight for me after it ticks a heal before the tank taunts. I die quickly and the group follows usually so be aware. It's the only explanation I can find for why the  mob comes after me once in a while when I havent cast any useful heal. It usually  happens on the centurions. One thing I have noticed about there too is that sometimes there is a lag there that I dont get in other instances. I run at extreme performane on a 128 card, 3.2 processer, 2 gig mem through a cable modem on a lap top so upgrading the video card is not much of an option before anyone gets helpful, lol. Other group members have noted it also. Its like a 1 to 1.5 second lag at the pull. Its not enough to do teh jump screen thing but enough to put you behind the curve on curing healing or even knowing the tank pulled. By the time you see the tank get debuffed he/she is dead. Sometime I cast the cure on a pull if I see it happening. Other times the tank will be one shotted before any heal can hit. The tank is a big part of the equation for soloing HoF along with good dps to burn down mobs quick.

 

 One thing to remember is that if the tank is one shotted to root the mob, rez the tank, and carry on. Keep the mob rooted as the tank starts taunting until you see it change target to the tank as they overcome any hate built up by the rest of the group. Other group members can root it too which works out even better since the root builds up aggro just being on a mob. Talk to your group about this prior to going in so that you have a workable plan. Maintaining the root for too long will eat your power up eventually and its best NOT to root the mobs where the tank of course.

[Especial]

This zone is a cinch to solo heal in. The only one to worry about is the guy who resurrects and like 2 shots every tank out there. The dead guy on the table--whatever his name is. For him, I'll get within range of where the tank is pulling him and Sandstorm it (Master 1). The I'll hit my single target regen--say "go", cast group regen, cast whatever the spell is to buff group elemental dmg. Then cure cure cure/heal/cure/heal/heal/heal/heal lolol. I use the Nature's Growth or whatever the auto-rezz'r spell is if the tank goes into the red, then I hit my group emergency heal. Which seems to help out immensly. That spell is at Master 1 also. I do this with a pretty regular group with my guild, however, I did it the other night with a friend of mine's guild. First time I'd grouped with them and I solo healed it. I think 3 of the 6 grouped regularly-but mostly we were a pickup group. You just gotta feel your way around your group and communicate. I use the tree also--Sandstorm and put up the tree--it helps more than most think. I'm not decked out in all fabled--I'm a Sage so all my spells are adept III or higher, and I have a mix of legendary/fabled armor that I use. But honestly with any group I've gone in there with (pickup or otherwise), I've not had any problems solo healing this place.  Just my 2 cents--I've seen a lot of gimpy players running around in fabled gear with all this uber crap on, but wipe on trash mobs in places like HoF cause they don't really get in and understand their class or the other classes they're grouped with--I say this cause I see a lot of people leaning on the "You need uber gear and such and such to solo heal this and super tanks who have the secret never-die AA line!". I've found that when I do my part the best I can, and the other people in the group do also, then the gear and such is just icing. The gear helps--I'm not saying it doesn't--but an idiot in fabled gear is still an idiot. Please forgive me for going off the topic =)

 

Samui

70 Warden/ 70 Sage

Oasis

[Tuppen]

FYI,

 

I took a lot of the adivce here, and have successfully solo healed HoF several times. Having everyone at level 70 and all spells at last at adept 3 made a huge difference as well.

 

I hope that anyone else struggling with this zone initially finds it as useful as I did.

 

Thanks again all!