Guild Wars 2

Must I roll an elementalist? I want to heal people. I want to provide support. I want to bring a lot of utility.

I have been playing Guild Wars ever since its release day back in 2005. The very first profession that I played was the monk, since I am bad at damage professions. Right from the get-go, I was in love with my monk. Thing is though, I hated the Healing Prayers attribute and skills since they provided little utility. I have been speccing into Protection Prayers all the time from GW1 release to GW2 release because I absolutely loved the huge amounts of utility that it brings, plus its healing capabilities aren’t too shabby either.

Must I roll an Elementalist if I want to experience that feeling again?

Nope I healed an AC run as a ranger I have also been in groups that the Guardian healed it, that is the beauty of this game, just takes some research and trial and error to know when and what to do.

How do Guardians heal other than using Tome of Courage? By using the staff?

engies can get some nice heals out too. pretty sure gaurd has some traits allowing some of there aoe to heal. not sure what kind of numbers they can get with that tho.

every class can be built in every way, so any class can be a healer.
ive got a ele and it heals pretty well. guardians are also really good.

dragonfan.1379:

How do Guardians heal other than using Tome of Courage? By using the staff?

http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?fUQQNAW5elcgqDHGSPEmIA

Check it out.

I think this has the most potential to heal and protect your partners.

The Guardian has a wide variety of healing and support (boons, blocking, controll, condition removal, …) abilities.

However, it is important to understand that healing in GW2 works different. Basically, every class has an effective self heal. Whereas healing others mostly works via multiple smaller heals.

The Guardian has a lot of those “smaller heals” as well as multiple ways of reducing damage.

dragonfan.1379:

How do Guardians heal other than using Tome of Courage? By using the staff?

Guardians can heal through a staff spell, I believe a focus spell as well. They have a virtue to activate for a small aoe heal. They have a trait too that heals players standing in their symbol. And your can get sigil of water to have a 30% chance to heal other players upon swing. All the heals are small compared to a player’s actual self heal. But I guess that’s why they can be a support heal class.

I have no idea about Ranger healing, I honestly didn’t know they had much as it’s the only class I’ve not played. Also not -every- class can be a healer. You’ll struggle with Warrior for example.

However…

Guardian, Necromancer, Elementalist and Engineer are also fine utility and healing professions.

What you have to keep in mind is that there is no -true- healing class in this game, not like most MMOs, but you can get pretty close. I’ve been healing/supporting in MMOs for many years now, and had made it something of a quest to look into it in GW2 too. So:

Your main things to consider will be buffs(boons), debuff cures, debuffs(conditions) and healing.

Engineer’s spec for you would be Elixirs. Med kit, Elixir gun kit, and the thrown Elixir skills. You have a couple of buffs, couple of debuffs, couple of cures and couple of healing circles. It’s fairly versatile, a jack of all trades, master of none so to speak.

Guardian is one of the best for it. They have an elite which can throw out mad healing AND has a full heal for up to five people, including yourself. I would go as far as to say it’s overpowered. Outside of their elite they lack as much healing or debuffing as the others, but they have more buffs to give than any other profession in the game and multiple bubble shield abilties which are amazing. They also have a fair few cures. All in all, Guardians can guard like their name suggests and are one of your strongest choices.

Elementalist is a mixed beast. Take a Staff. You’ll have a lot of healing to give when attuned to water, more than any other profession with the exception of Guardina’s elite skill (which has a 3 min CD). You also have roots and snares and a self projectile reflect in Earth and a group Swiftness buff and a stun field ability in Air. Their downsides arethe lack of buffs outside of Swiftness and lack of debuff cures for others. They are also fairly squishy.

Necromancer is my personal favourite. Although one of the weakest classes in the current state of the game, you can do well. It has better healing than Engineer and better healing than Guardian outside of their elite. As far as cures go, Necromancer is pretty good at getting rid of them and do the opposite and remove enemy buffs if you spec that way. Debuffs are where Necro shines, having fears, snares, roots, dazes and such. Their elite skill ‘Plague’ can keep all enemies in it’s AoE circle permanently blinded by mashing the 2 key too for it’s duration if they don’t move out of it, which offers better protection than any Guardian bubble most of the time and can cripple as needed too. Their downsides are few buffs and that the regen from the staff’s 2 button requires you to the be fairly close to the target. You’ll want to mainly use the staff for it’s regen, snare, condition removal and fear.

As perhaps you can tell, I’ve spent the least time with Engineer and the most time with Necromancer. But I can safely say any of them can provide what you’re looking for.

I also feel it’s worth noting a Thief can support with stealth circles and smoke screens, and the Mesmer with it’s array of interrupts and stuns, but are not good for primarily supporting.

Karther.7481:

I have no idea about Ranger healing, I honestly didn’t know they had much as it’s the only class I’ve not played. Also not -every- class can be a healer. You’ll struggle with Warrior for example.

However…

Guardian, Necromancer, Elementalist and Engineer are also fine utility and healing professions.

What you have to keep in mind is that there is no -true- healing class in this game, not like most MMOs, but you can get pretty close. I’ve been healing/supporting in MMOs for many years now, and had made it something of a quest to look into it in GW2 too. So:

Your main things to consider will be buffs(boons), debuff cures, debuffs(conditions) and healing.

Engineer’s spec for you would be Elixirs. Med kit, Elixir gun kit, and the thrown Elixir skills. You have a couple of buffs, couple of debuffs, couple of cures and couple of healing circles. It’s fairly versatile, a jack of all trades, master of none so to speak.

Guardian is one of the best for it. They have an elite which can throw out mad healing AND has a full heal for up to five people, including yourself. I would go as far as to say it’s overpowered. Outside of their elite they lack as much healing or debuffing as the others, but they have more buffs to give than any other profession in the game and multiple bubble shield abilties which are amazing. They also have a fair few cures. All in all, Guardians can guard like their name suggests and are one of your strongest choices.

Elementalist is a mixed beast. Take a Staff. You’ll have a lot of healing to give when attuned to water, more than any other profession with the exception of Guardina’s elite skill (which has a 3 min CD). You also have roots and snares and a self projectile reflect in Earth and a group Swiftness buff and a stun field ability in Air. Their downsides arethe lack of buffs outside of Swiftness and lack of debuff cures for others. They are also fairly squishy.

Necromancer is my personal favourite. Although one of the weakest classes in the current state of the game, you can do well. It has better healing than Engineer and better healing than Guardian outside of their elite. As far as cures go, Necromancer is pretty good at getting rid of them and do the opposite and remove enemy buffs if you spec that way. Debuffs are where Necro shines, having fears, snares, roots, dazes and such. Their elite skill ‘Plague’ can keep all enemies in it’s AoE circle permanently blinded by mashing the 2 key too for it’s duration if they don’t move out of it, which offers better protection than any Guardian bubble most of the time and can cripple as needed too. Their downsides are few buffs and that the regen from the staff’s 2 button requires you to the be fairly close to the target. You’ll want to mainly use the staff for it’s regen, snare, condition removal and fear.

As perhaps you can tell, I’ve spent the least time with Engineer and the most time with Necromancer. But I can safely say any of them can provide what you’re looking for.

I also feel it’s worth noting a Thief can support with stealth circles and smoke screens, and the Mesmer with it’s array of interrupts and stuns, but are not good for primarily supporting.

I have been reading up on the Mesmer Mantra support with traits that heal nearby allies when the Mesmer uses up the mantras along with the trait that increases the use of mantras to 3.

Thanks for the replies everyone! I guess I should give my 28 Guardian another chance, eventhough I absolutely love the hammer Guardian in WvW. Judge’s Intervention → Hammer skill 5 → Hammer skill 3 = dead enemy if caught in the ring. Gets them every time

Even with warrior I can heal others, with healing shouts and healing power build/gear + healing banners
So, supporting/healing/buffing/decursing others can be done almost by all classes, which is great.

Ranger has a healing elite, and Healing Spring works both as AoE regen and as a combo field that’s really easy to combo through using any ranged weapon, so they can spread regen to every ally. That’s pretty much how ranger healing works. I can’t say I’ve intentionally spec’d myself as a ‘healing ranger’ but it worked OK in dungeons.

Have had a look at Warrior and Ranger’s healing and support today and wasn’t so impressed. I’ve yet to look at Mesmer, but it’s true they have some nice stealth circles and various effect fields to remove buffs from the enemy, debuffs from you or reflect projectiles.

dragonfan.1379:

How do Guardians heal other than using Tome of Courage? By using the staff?

We use our 7-9 skills to heal others. As well as trait build. I passively regen the entire parties hp and with shouts i can further increase that. I also help the team avoid damage outright with group wide aegis.

SiNoS.2147:

We use our 7-9 skills to heal others.

There is a lot of healing in #1-6 skills: e.g. Symobl of Faith, Orb of Light, … as well as Healing Breeze.

I’ve engineered a fantasic healing spec as a Guardian, I rocked about 600-700 bonus healing and had a number of abilities I could use consistently.

Mace in main-hand; aoe healing symbol on ground (boosted with traits) and aoe defensive ability.

Shield offhand: Shield to 5 allies, plus aoe defensive push-back with light-field (cures conditions)

6 skill: Self-heal with conal healing component
7 skill: ‘Retreat’ – grants swiftness and aegis (100% block on next attack), grants heal with trait.
8 skill: Intervention or something – Teleport to ally with lowest health and drop an aoe heal
9 skill: sanctuary (defensive bubble with immunity) or reflective arrow wall ability or stabalisation shout (depends on encounter)
Elite skill: Summon a tome with the following healing abilities
1: aoe heal in placed area – no cd, short cast
2: bouncing chain spell – cures allies of conditions
3: conal buff spell
4: makes nearby enemies ceasefire for a few seconds
5: heals up to 5 nearby allies to FULL health.

Combine this with weapons that have the water rune (30% change to heal on hit) and you’re set.

Edit: Oh and obviously stack gear with bonus healing on.

Rock.7324:

dragonfan.1379:

How do Guardians heal other than using Tome of Courage? By using the staff?

http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?fUQQNAW5elcgqDHGSPEmIA

Check it out.

I think this has the most potential to heal and protect your partners.

Wow…I’m so gonna try that!

Oh my. Guardians are pretty good at healing without using Tome of Courage. 15 points in Virtue I think gives you a small heal everytime you dodge. Just an example. You can get regen to everyone around you every 3 seconds, etc.

Warriors can heal pretty awesomely too.

Try to get our of your head the standard game stigmas about certain class names.

Elementalist is not the glass cannon. He is a healer, DPS, and even some limited tanking (I say limited because I have not fully explored this, but I know it can be done).

Guardians, are in the lowest hit points bracket in the game. Yet, they can tank, they can buff, debuff, heal, dps, etc.

Necros have the highest HP in the game. They can tank as well, and they are a “caster”.

Hawke I build my elementalist as “healer/tank”. Traits in the earth line and scepter + focus as weapons for armor, blind, removing conditions and and invulnerable ability while attuned to earth seems to work great. I am a sylvari so use the take root elite skill that spawns mortar plants, but also gives a few seconds of invulnerability.

When combining with the water trait line you can get some nice passive healing going on with each cast and vitality is a nice bonus when going tanky.

When going to healing I simply swap to staff and can switch some utility skills if needed.

There is no “one guy heals the whole party” thing, but every profession can do it’s part keeping everybody alive.

If you heal and support your party as Thief with healing Vemons or stealth flields, as Necro with wells, Guardian with walls and heals, Engeneer with healing turrets….

every professions has so many ways in keeping the group alive, and in dungeons everybody actually has to use them.

Also don’t forget that a good daze, blind, cripple, freeze etc. can just be as good as a healing spell, if not even way better. Preventing damage is more effective than trying to heal damage thats already done away.

If you enjoyed the Monk on protection, then every class is something for you.

As others have already pointed out, everyone can do a pretty good job at healing. The important thing to note, however, is that there are NO dedicated healers! If you attempt to spec healing and just stand in the back doing nothing but tossing heals you are only going to hold your group back.

dragonfan.1379:

How do Guardians heal other than using Tome of Courage? By using the staff?

I currently roll a healing guardian. It is great for support. but know that you wont be able to fully sustain an entire party like in other mmos and you need to be helping with damage as well as healing. Heres what you need.

Weapons – Staff/Hammer
Traits –
Virtues 5
Honor 30: Protective reviver, Writ of Persistance, Writ of the merciful
Valor 30: Strength of the Fallen, Altruistic Healing, Strenght in Numbers.
Zeal 5

UT Skills.
Healing Breeze
Hold the line
Bow of Truth(or merciful intervention)
Sanctuary

Elite Skill
Tome of Courage

How to play it.
Keep your bow up as much as possible to keep conditions off your allies. Try to time Hold the Line so that your team doesnt dip below 50%. While they are above 50% be in there doing damage with your hammer. As you know ALL your symbols heal and give regen, so when you use your 1 attack with the hammer it also heals all the melee fighters in there with you. if things get intense, dodge back, use orb of light to heal, then skill 4, then put down symbol of swiftness, and dodge back in. If you need to give a quick heal and all skills are on CD, dodging heals your team. So try to dodge in and not just walk in when you switch to hammer.whenever an ally is downed YOU revive them as wit will give both of you an aegis and regen. Good luck to ya man and if you have any more questions pm me or reply here.

Marcus Tidus Maleos – 71 Healing Guardian – Tarnished Coast US

Svenn.5209:

As others have already pointed out, everyone can do a pretty good job at healing. The important thing to note, however, is that there are NO dedicated healers! If you attempt to spec healing and just stand in the back doing nothing but tossing heals you are only going to hold your group back.

Like many other healers in many other games, you can do more than just heal. I don’t know that I’ve ever played a game where the healing class does nothing but heal…unless I tell them to because their reaction time is too terrible to do anything else useful.

Healing, Buffing, Debuffing, CC, Damage, and Tanking are all parts of this game and you can make any class more effective at one than any of the others. However, that doesn’t mean that all of those other abilities cease to exist. Regardless of spec, you should always be performing as many roles as your class allows for to help your team out.

Its actually more about how the role you want to perform is played and how well your play style fits the class you chose for it.