Guild Wars 2

Hi I am returning to druid (I love healing) after seeing the latest patch. I was wondering if they have been made any more viable for raids and possibly fractals. Thanks!

Druids always been viable for raids and fractals, your setup would just be different as fractals doesn’t really require healing

I’m guessing for fractals it’d be more about providing damage buffs and mobility?

Fractals were originally balanced around a game that didn’t have a healer class. There isn’t a need for a healer in Fractals, and people are so used to polarized damage groups that it can feel slow. The upside is that the team as a whole can get away otherwise fatal mistakes.

In practice, healing at anything under fractal 20 is useless and boring. I’m certain others would argue that threshold is more like 40.

Make sure your team knows what you are doing. Otherwise you end up playing “Kite the Healer”.

Beyond that:
* ball & daze locking the trash mobs and eating boss break bars
* Damage buffs (Glyph / Frost spirit)
* “Guard!” incoming spike damage and/or fill time gaps in the reflect wall.
* condition clears / regen
* the very rarely needed spike heal to get a wounded party member back in the action.

Mouse.3608:

Fractals were originally balanced around a game that didn’t have a healer class. There isn’t a need for a healer in Fractals, and people are so used to polarized damage groups that it can feel slow. The upside is that the team as a whole can get away otherwise fatal mistakes.

In practice, healing at anything under fractal 20 is useless and boring. I’m certain others would argue that threshold is more like 40.

Make sure your team knows what you are doing. Otherwise you end up playing “Kite the Healer”.

Beyond that:
* ball & daze locking the trash mobs and eating boss break bars
* Damage buffs (Glyph / Frost spirit)
* “Guard!” incoming spike damage and/or fill time gaps in the reflect wall.
* condition clears / regen
* the very rarely needed spike heal to get a wounded party member back in the action.

what he said, although i’d say 50 or higher (and only on certain fractals) before worrying about healing. I also will toss out a few heals periodically for GotL, it adds up with GoE and Frost.

edit: took out the kitten

Healer druid is more than welcome in higher fractals run for achievments.

Everyday dailies and speeds will do without heals (druid actually is one of the best DPS boosts for the party).
But having a healing druid in lvl 93 fractal and not is day and night difference.

Thanks all for the replies, youve been helpful!

Tragic Positive.9356:

Healer druid is more than welcome in higher fractals run for achievments.

Everyday dailies and speeds will do without heals (druid actually is one of the best DPS boosts for the party).
But having a healing druid in lvl 93 fractal and not is day and night difference.

Tragic, what are you running in 80+ fractals, condi or power druid? anet said they changed t he toughness scaling in those high fractals so they mobs aren’t such dps sponges but i’m not sure if i should stick with my power ranger once i get that high. I’ve been thinking of gearing a necro for 80+ if condi is the way to go.

Prophet.1584:

Tragic Positive.9356:

Healer druid is more than welcome in higher fractals run for achievments.

Everyday dailies and speeds will do without heals (druid actually is one of the best DPS boosts for the party).
But having a healing druid in lvl 93 fractal and not is day and night difference.

Tragic, what are you running in 80+ fractals, condi or power druid? anet said they changed t he toughness scaling in those high fractals so they mobs aren’t such dps sponges but i’m not sure if i should stick with my power ranger once i get that high. I’ve been thinking of gearing a necro for 80+ if condi is the way to go.

It’s hard to say, actually.
For pugging, Condi is definitely better in DPS. If you are organized and have constant 25 might, banners and everything – I’d say Zerk still beats it thank to it’s “safe” pattern. You don’t have to worry that QuickDraw bug will postpone your rotation by 20 seconds in condi builds where Zerk still deals almost it’s finest on sword attacks regardless.

The damage difference really isn’t that high.
Condi is the peak of DPS but has restrictions of movement and you can’t really do the magic in pugs because spotter competes with Hidden Barbs and Trapper’s Expertise competes with Sharpened Edges and might from Axe is wasted regardless.

If the encounter is immobile like Bloomhunger – condi is better for sure regardless of situation; buffed or not.
If you intend to play other fractals as well, Zerk would be as good as condi.

Tragic Positive.9356:

Prophet.1584:

Tragic Positive.9356:

Healer druid is more than welcome in higher fractals run for achievments.

Everyday dailies and speeds will do without heals (druid actually is one of the best DPS boosts for the party).
But having a healing druid in lvl 93 fractal and not is day and night difference.

Tragic, what are you running in 80+ fractals, condi or power druid? anet said they changed t he toughness scaling in those high fractals so they mobs aren’t such dps sponges but i’m not sure if i should stick with my power ranger once i get that high. I’ve been thinking of gearing a necro for 80+ if condi is the way to go.

It’s hard to say, actually.
For pugging, Condi is definitely better in DPS. If you are organized and have constant 25 might, banners and everything – I’d say Zerk still beats it thank to it’s “safe” pattern. You don’t have to worry that QuickDraw bug will postpone your rotation by 20 seconds in condi builds where Zerk still deals almost it’s finest on sword attacks regardless.

The damage difference really isn’t that high.
Condi is the peak of DPS but has restrictions of movement and you can’t really do the magic in pugs because spotter competes with Hidden Barbs and Trapper’s Expertise competes with Sharpened Edges and might from Axe is wasted regardless.

If the encounter is immobile like Bloomhunger – condi is better for sure regardless of situation; buffed or not.
If you intend to play other fractals as well, Zerk would be as good as condi.

Thanks! i’ll stick with my zealots/zerker setup for fractals then

Prophet.1584:

Thanks! i’ll stick with my zealots/zerker setup for fractals then

Anytime.
Don’t worry about your stats as much. The differences are not that big in our case. I, for example, play literally nothing but Clerics in fractals 77+ (assuming I’m the only healer).
And you have no idea how much time this saved me. DPS? A lie. Strategy is what counts.