Guild Wars 2

The other thing to consider is that in general current content healing is only possible at all with protection generation, which we have a single 100% uptime source of

Healing is most effective when you are able to counter most of the DPS by using

• perma regen (ranger, warrior (traited banner of tactics is very nice for perma regen),
• perma weakness (Necro?) and
• reflects whenever possible (mesmer/guardian)
• projectile blocks when reflects are not possible (ranger, thief, necro, ele?)
  And preferably have some mitigation through armor/or potions (-10% dmg will be very nice)

Also some passives:

• soothing mist
• virtue of resolve
• Inspiring banners
• And -any- other sources of regen or healing over time
• Vampiric aura is underestimated 35 for each hit will fo a long way when fighting a big health boss..

as a group will make up some decent healing.

PaxTheGreatOne.9472:

Healing is most effective when you are able to counter most of the DPS by using

• perma regen (ranger, warrior (traited banner of tactics is very nice for perma regen),
• perma weakness (Necro?) and
• reflects whenever possible (mesmer/guardian)
• projectile blocks when reflects are not possible (ranger, thief, necro, ele?)
  And preferably have some mitigation through armor/or potions (-10% dmg will be very nice)

Also some passives:

• soothing mist
• virtue of resolve
• Inspiring banners
• And -any- other sources of regen or healing over time
• Vampiric aura is underestimated 35 for each hit will fo a long way when fighting a big health boss..

as a group will make up some decent healing.

Well again, you’re leaving out the most important one; protection

Regen is nice but hard to get really high without serious damage sacrifices
Weakness is nice but unreliable (If you’re willing to give up your utility buff, you can easily get perma weakness with any class tho).

Going to hit it again, Protection is the most important healing buff in the game, hands down.

Windsagio.1340:

PaxTheGreatOne.9472:

Healing is most effective when you are able to counter most of the DPS by using

• perma regen (ranger, warrior (traited banner of tactics is very nice for perma regen),
• perma weakness (Necro?) and
• reflects whenever possible (mesmer/guardian)
• projectile blocks when reflects are not possible (ranger, thief, necro, ele?)
  And preferably have some mitigation through armor/or potions (-10% dmg will be very nice)

Also some passives:

• soothing mist
• virtue of resolve
• Inspiring banners
• And -any- other sources of regen or healing over time
• Vampiric aura is underestimated 35 for each hit will fo a long way when fighting a big health boss..

as a group will make up some decent healing.

Well again, you’re leaving out the most important one; protection

Regen is nice but hard to get really high without serious damage sacrifices
Weakness is nice but unreliable (If you’re willing to give up your utility buff, you can easily get perma weakness with any class tho).

Going to hit it again, Protection is the most important healing buff in the game, hands down.

Speaking if damage sacrifices a fully specced ventari/Glint can have pwrma 2000hps uptime along with perma protection. They can burst it up to 3000 to 4000 ish hps. This outsustains lava and is the highest hps of any spec.

This is a list. The higher on the list the better your sustain but worse your burst. The lower on the list the better your burst but worse your sustain.

Ventari
Guardian
Tempest
Druid

This places ventari and druid as main healers with the other two as backup.

Windsagio.1340:

The other thing to consider is that in general current content healing is only possible at all with protection generation, which we have a single 100% uptime source of

Aren’t there three?

Hammer guardian with traited symbols creates a 4 second symbol that grants protection to allies every 3.7 seconds with their autoattack

Herald can pulse sustained protection.

With alacrity, the cooldowns on a chronomancers skills effectively drop down to 60% of their base, meaning 21 seconds on chaos storm and 18 seconds on signet of inspiration. With chaotic dampening, they generate 5 seconds of protection when gaining chaos armor. A staff/sword/sword mesmer has four sources of chaos armor. The staff skill itself, and their three leap finishers inside an ethereal field like chaos storm, null field or a well. Thus, they can stack up protection duration, and then share it all with allies, and then do it again before the first set expires.

With the exception of a thief, any class can heal quite well if built right, even including the necromancer.

What I’m concerned with are the concepts of heal only builds for the 10 Raid. There are bound to be TRI FECTA groups who not only believe tank heal nukes are the only way to run a Raid. In the original Guild wars it was not the TRI FECTA’s that ran the best, but the Synergistic play style and builds. Thus you had Yellow-Way, Barrage Pet Ranger builds, Minion Factory’s etc that did the best job’s at clearing Domain of Anguish, or UrgozWarren, or even the Deep. Rather than just thinking what is best for healing how about thinking what is best for Synergy. I’d like to see some builds like Blue-Way, Shout Way (10 Cleric Shout heal Warriors) or Druidway, or even Fire/Ice (Flame throwing Engineering medics with Cold life stealing Necros) … I mean honestly get creative, and the classes should be synergistic.

Tungsten Monarch.6058:

With the exception of a thief, any class can heal quite well if built right, even including the necromancer.

What I’m concerned with are the concepts of heal only builds for the 10 Raid. There are bound to be TRI FECTA groups who not only believe tank heal nukes are the only way to run a Raid. In the original Guild wars it was not the TRI FECTA’s that ran the best, but the Synergistic play style and builds. Thus you had Yellow-Way, Barrage Pet Ranger builds, Minion Factory’s etc that did the best job’s at clearing Domain of Anguish, or UrgozWarren, or even the Deep. Rather than just thinking what is best for Haling how about thinking what is best for Synergy. I’d like to see some builds like Blue-Way, Shout Way (10 Cleric Shout heal Warriors) or Druidway, or even Fire/Ice (Flame throwing Engineering medics with Cold life stealing Necros) … I mean honestly get creative, and the classes should be synergistic.

I’m pretty sure this is how ANet actually intends for us to be running Raids; with lots of cross-player interaction and combinations.

For example, Reaper has massive damage, but long cast times and/or decently long recharges. What does Chronomancer do again?

“Guardian has amazing heals per second, but is missing any good way to burst heal.”

you have receive the light pbaoe/medium cooldown and signet of courage large aoe/long cooldown.

Lachanche.6859:

“Guardian has amazing heals per second, but is missing any good way to burst heal.”

you have receive the light pbaoe/medium cooldown and signet of courage large aoe/long cooldown.

It’s one of those weird things people keep saying.

Guardians have several on demand/burst heals of various powers and cooldowns:
Dodge roll (usually 1k+, very short coold down)
F2 (if traited right)
Receive the light (pretty big heal)
Signet of Courage (I almost don’t count this, 4s casting time is BRUTAL, the heal is gigantic though)

Also they have some weird almost cases;
Staff 4 (I’ve seen it used as an emergency heal, nobody runs staff anymore though)

Lachanche.6859:

“Guardian has amazing heals per second, but is missing any good way to burst heal.”

you have receive the light pbaoe/medium cooldown and signet of courage large aoe/long cooldown.

Receive the light I’ll give you, but I don’t really consider signet of courage a good burst heal. The cast time is too long to save people from a damage spike.

Pure of heart + Retreat + Virtue of Courage + Shield 4 though…

If I want a healer I’ll go play Wildstar lolz.
Guardian I heard has best heal power to heal output ratio, I’ll go with my zerker guard and the healz are mad! :P

Guardian is over rated with healing, other classes heal much better, however a Guardian in groups with other Guardians with Battle Presence and your Elite Signet, you have your spike healing. Thus I’m looking forward to Blue-Way Guardian only Groups.

Tungsten Monarch.6058:

Guardian is over rated with healing, other classes heal much better, however a Guardian in groups with other Guardians with Battle Presence and your Elite Signet, you have your spike healing. Thus I’m looking forward to Blue-Way Guardian only Groups.

Well support that. You say they’re overrated, and others can do better ,but how and why?

Some people are actually talking about warriors here!? About them maybe being able to be healers?!
Dreams… Hopes… This is all I have ever wanted in GW2. To be able play a healer of some degree with my warrior.

Please don’t crush my dreams Anet.

Please T.T

And how does it work blasting a water area for heal? Is valuable heal or what? I never understood this and how does it work with healng power?

Windsagio.1340:

PaxTheGreatOne.9472:

Healing is most effective when you are able to counter most of the DPS by using

• perma regen (ranger, warrior (traited banner of tactics is very nice for perma regen),
• perma weakness (Necro?) and
• reflects whenever possible (mesmer/guardian)
• projectile blocks when reflects are not possible (ranger, thief, necro, ele?)
  And preferably have some mitigation through armor/or potions (-10% dmg will be very nice)

Also some passives:

• soothing mist
• virtue of resolve
• Inspiring banners
• And -any- other sources of regen or healing over time
• Vampiric aura is underestimated 35 for each hit will fo a long way when fighting a big health boss..

as a group will make up some decent healing.

Well again, you’re leaving out the most important one; protection

Regen is nice but hard to get really high without serious damage sacrifices
Weakness is nice but unreliable (If you’re willing to give up your utility buff, you can easily get perma weakness with any class tho).

Going to hit it again, Protection is the most important healing buff in the game, hands down.

Protection reduces 33% dmg… Weakness removes all enemy crits and gives all hits 50% chance of half dmg…

for an enemy with 50% crit chance and 200% (avg 150% dmgs of standard) critical dmg it’s around 50% dmg reduction….. (from 150-75%)
even with 50% crit chance and at 150% critical dmg it is still 40% dmg reduction.
from 125% to 75%
If the enemy never crits dmg will go down from 25%
from 100% to 75%

Weakness and protection together will reduce any dmg to 50% of “normal hits” not being crits. but only when weakness is in place, else you’ll just negate 33% of a 200% attack or a 150% attack respectively for 133% or 100% of normal at crit.at normal non critting you’d be at 67 % the only area where protection would outshine weakness… :
basic hits.

They should be looked upon as a team… not a discussion which of the 2 is most powerfull. And I’m at fault for not looking aty protection, As a necro player I should be considering the team, though weakness is relatively easy to come by as a necro and protection is only available when using wells..

Lian Olsam.9541:

And how does it work blasting a water area for heal? Is valuable heal or what? I never understood this and how does it work with healng power?

• Water+ Blast: Area Healing
  Healing: 1,320 base + (0.2*healing power)
• Water+ Leap: Healing
  Healing: 1,300 base + (0.5*healing power)
• Water+ Projectile: Regeneration
  Gain health every second; stacks duration. Regeneration (2s): 260 health
• Water+ Whirl Healing Bolts
  Gain health every second; stacks duration. Regeneration (2s): 260 health

Depending whether the field is once or pulsing , the blast can be ok or very powerfull….

Per pulse healing rain, and healing spring can be blasted once… BUT they will pulse for several seconds allowing even a NOT so well healing person to add a significat blast healing… 1320*5 is still 6600 healing… even with NO healing at all.

But to the bad side of this: it can also be not so much as you would wish with a lot of healing power, If you have 2000 healing power maximum gain would be 1720 per blast
\

PaxTheGreatOne.9472:

Weakness removes all enemy crits and gives all hits 50% chance of half dmg…

Don’t think this is true. I believe glancing blow removes chance of crit but weakness only gives you a 50% chance of getting a glancing blow. As such, you can still critically hit someone for huge dps/ get hit by huge dps with weakness on if rng esus is on your side.

Terra.8571:

PaxTheGreatOne.9472:

Weakness removes all enemy crits and gives all hits 50% chance of half dmg…

Don’t think this is true. I believe glancing blow removes chance of crit but weakness only gives you a 50% chance of getting a glancing blow. As such, you can still critically hit someone for huge dps/ get hit by huge dps with weakness on if rng esus is on your side.

you’re right Must have been walking with a fog in my head, last change to weakness is quite ome time ago…

There are honestly a whole lot of viable builds for most classes which can include supportive healing, let’s be honest about that.

I’m of the opinion that what is going to end up mattering isn’t who CAN play a supportive healer, but rather who can run it with the greatest additional amount of DPS and team support.

Guardians are very strong for supporters and have some nice skills coming out. While they probably aren’t going to have the strongest burst heal (Other than the Elite Signet when people stack), they have really nice passive sustain on top of Aegis/Retaliation/Regen/Protection application. Warriors are GREAT supporters, especially with their high number of skills for reflecting projectiles. Damage, however, isn’t always the highest on a full guardian support spec. Guardians also do not have access to water fields.

Druids in HoT have the potential to give Guardians a little bit of a run for their money with the addition of more water fields to the Ranger, an additional blast finisher, and powerful new healing and cleansing skills. Add in that Rangers can give near-permanent regeneration and fury uptime already, and it can be a very nice supporter. Pet damage can help offset SOME of the lack of damage from the support spec, but of course the raw damage on a pure support build will not be as high.

Necromancers, against large groups of mobs, can heal for very impressive numbers while also inflicting conditions which lower enemy DPS. Reaper form will magnify that further, especially with some of the new builds coming out which take advantage of necro healing things like deadly nova MM builds (for lots of minions to keep enemies occupied that will explode into poison upon death) and the new chill traits in the reaper line. A good necro traited correctly can also help massively with team rezzes by relocating downed allies and healing them in shroud. Damage and buff-wise, Necromancers won’t top the charts, but what they DO offer, no other classes can manage as well.

Mesmers have healing options which can definitely be considered, but the advent of the new Chronomancer spec means that most of them will likely have a stronger effect by focusing on support with wells, reflection, and the other things Mesmers can do so nicely.

Eles are probably the single most versatile class in the game, let’s be honest. No Ele is going to have a hard time being able to pump out solid damage while also having healing and support in their back pocket. With new content, I anticipate them to continue their roles in the game as DPS/Healing support while another team member continuously pumps out helpful buffs like aegis and protect so that Eles can survive more easily while doing their jobs.

Warriors are probably the SECOND-most versatile class in the game, and their ability to heal, cleanse, buff, and deal damage is honestly not going to see much change. Warriors are freaking powerful, and the new Berserk spec is going to only give them harder burst and the option of stronger condition builds. Not a lot of change, but honestly the only kind of broken that applies to Warriors is how strong they are.

Engies, in the new update, have been given some fantastic new toys and are apparently the new darling for ultra-high DPS. Engies also have a lot of access to water fields for burst healing and traits they can grab fairly easily which increase their healing output even further. Add to that their ability to raise allies from range in a pinch and their newfound kite tanking skills and Engies are probably going to be the healing/support standard for the first bit of HoT.

Revenants are going to be very popular ‘support’ classes which, honestly, will have to try very hard to NOT get considered supportive even in their DPS builds. Ventari offers some solid, albeit awkward-seeming healing and a 20-freaking-second reflect, and Glint is a strong buff cannon. Even the Herald’s shield skill 4 is a nice team buff. The way they are now, and with all of the support options available, I’d personally say that Ventari is a strong spec for Revs who CAN play a healer in a pinch, but often won’t need to in order to do their jobs well.

Thieves have always had some nice buff potential, and they can be traited easily to be great for reviving fallen friends in nasty situations, but frankly I don’t know how one would build a support thief. They’re great runners with respectable DPS that, in HoT, have gotten sustainability and even MORE mobility with their added dodging, blocking, and the lovely Staff 5 skill.

Anyway that’s just me thinking on the thing.

Lian Olsam.9541:

And how does it work blasting a water area for heal? Is valuable heal or what? I never understood this and how does it work with healng power?

When it comes to water fields and blasting it’s important to remember that the player who is blasting the field is the one who affects the amount healed with their Healing Power, the personal laying down the field only affects the Regen or intial Heal, not the blasted heal. So the blaster is the one who needs the healing power.

Not to suggest you need to have healing power to blast but you will get a bigger bang for your buck, of course you could just have several people blast, that also works.

I’m using a tempest/water/arcane + all gears healing power my soothing mist tick around 600-800 hp/s since its only exotic gears and weapons but mostly I see is 800+heal so I’m assuming that if I’m on fully ascended gear it would tick a 1000 hp/s. I have like more than 6 heals , geyser,healing rain,wash the pain away,overload water,soothing mist, rebound, water blast, greater ice elementals , attuning to water gives heal, and then every shouts, I give them a good amount of regens. which my party members doesn’t even die.

and now I’m working on for ascended gear to see the result and hoping to see a soothing mist ticks for 1k hp/s