How do you play frontline healer in WvW?
To use the healing/support capabilities to its full extent you have to run with the melee guys. But this build relies heavily on stab/protection from allies to survive in the frontline and in pug zergs you often won’t get those boons so it will be better to stay back.
I will write with the assumption that you are not getting an optimal party; commanders that don’t know you are most likely going to put you in a bad party. That’s just how things are atm.
It’s best if you run with the melee. As they constantly move, being behind them trying to heal is the worst spot because you will stick out like a sore thumb and then you die if you haven’t died to all those aoes.
Gw2 is an odd game where since AOE can only hit 5 targets at the same time, and most boons/cleanses have small ranges that it can be counterproductive that the safest spot is often one that really is the eye of the storm. I mean, yes you will get a smaller portion due to not being in the best parties, but then again that’s why you stack up on survival. That being said, red circles are always a bad thing.
Personally, I would ditch the gylphs and slot Protect Me/Signet of the Wild. This will give you adequate defense against CC, as well as protect me breaking other people out of stuns. I also would prefer GS simply for the leap. Finally, Nature Magic especially with Allies Aid seems like a better idea than skirmishing even with spotter, but I digress.
Anyhow, as the enemy makes contact, cast rampage as one (cast it a little earlier than you think because it has a cast time). Fire off Celestial Avatar. Ideally you’ll want to wait until you have some condis on you so you’ll clear them off. This is a good time to heal your folks as they try to regroup for the next pass.
Now a few things will happen.
If you make a successful push deep into them, and you have a clear shot, then run into their clump and press 5. (Do not do this if there’s a lot of red circles.) You will CC their people out of position and make theme easier to kill. Do not get kitteny and think you can stomp that random downed thief on the edge. If the train moves, so do you.
If you don’t, and are trying to sustain, then spamming heals is fine (3 and 1). When you’re done start hitting them with your best weapon. This will generally be whatever CC skills you have available.
If you failed or got jumped first, do not just heal spam. You will not outheal the wrath of a zerg especially with epidemics. This is actually your chance to be useful. Finish the channel on Rejuvinating tides as possible, get 1 lunar impact down, and head towards allies that are dying. Leave Celestial avatar. This gives you and people around you superspeed and stealth. Stealth even for a little is great because it breaks target if someone is being focused. Your goal is to survive and get out of enemy train’s path at all costs. Your average enemy train is highly inflexible and moves in a rigid direction. Mapping a key to “look back” helps. Once you’ve managed to get out of the way, try and see if there’s any easy allied targets to res.
At this point, in any case, once there’s distance between your respective groups, take out your staff and play defensively while you build up more astral force.
I also suggest immediately swapping your pet upon making enemy contact. The pet will obviously not last long in any fight but at least you’ll be able to get some utility out of it and not be stuck to 48 second cooldowns.
Finally, at this is the key to Zerg survival on any class in WvW, you must pay attention to how the enemy sets up their burst. It may take a few passes (and maybe a death or two if you’re unlucky), but over time you’ll notice what happens right before they set up their big condi bomb, and this is your signal to dodge, not when it hits as you’ll be dead. Unfortunately, there’s really no way to actually explain this as every group is different. In any case, until that moment comes, save something that will get you out of trouble.
As a note, my experience is colored by the fact that I usually play more damage/healer variants though the idea is really the same, just squishier, hits harder, and not as much green numbers. Now, i’m not a veteran ranger, so I’m sure people have better tactics but this works satisfactorily enough.
For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards,
for there you have been and there you will long to return.
for there you have been and there you will long to return.
(edited by ArchonWing.9480)
You are going to have “fun” with that build.
Good luck.
Ps: i’m sure most people here don’t roam or zerg in EU T1-T2.. otherwise i can’t explain it….