Ultima HM is really frustrating

For bits, I usually have no choice but to use only Medicas, standing roughly in the center while hopefully still close enough for Med to hit the MT. Your DPS is hopefully rational enough to focus down bits one or two at a time so that there's less to dodge as soon as possible. If I'm in midcast and just one laser beam ends up falling on me, then I stand still and let my spell finish because each bit doesn't hit that hard.

Priority is still always on the MT though. Cure2 as needed. If you see green lasers, then top off the MT and be ready to Stoneskin after the third laser since Diffractive usually comes a few seconds after.
On that note, I never spend Swiftcast on Med. I save it for raises since most tanks I've seen are death-prone to Diffractive, often not knowing when to pop cooldowns for it, or getting brought down to double-digits even if they did. And then there's the occasional player who's lagging and gets hit by Ifrit's charge or something.

Try moving a tiny bit out of the laser's path and be trigger happy on the cure. You should be able to cast before the next laser hits you. Doesn't always work, but if you just move a little bit and then cast immediately you should be able to get a cure off most of the time. Also, you can move before the cast animation completes if you move right when the cast bar gets close to zero.

Due to how the server handles checks you can actually cast and move before the cast ends. It will still go off :)
It takes a bit of practice but once you get the hang of it it's easy to get a cast of while dodging lasers. Even a cure II.

During the first set of lasers you want to be all the way out to the side but close to the tanks so you can dance but still reach the MT easily.

Also, make sure your tanks know how to dodge..lazy tanks on this fight can make it hell for a healer.
Again, assigning one healer to do MT healing and the other focus on the group while both help out if one gets into trouble works really well.

However, this is really a teamwork check and if your dps get hit by things they can avoid all the time it's not really your fault :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wilbow

- Moron runs right into you + healer during eruption phase when tank has lowish HP? LOLBADHEALZ NO HEAL TANK YO. /facepalm

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I laughed. The fun eruptions are when both healers get it and run to each other. Good times.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Velox

My technique is not the problem though, it's the mechanic of the fight.

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If other healers are able to complete the fight successfully without encountering your issues, the problem is your technique, not the fight. It may feel a bit stressful, but it's entirely possible to cast cure IIs on the main tank during the laser parts. You just have to time your movement and casting well (there's already tips for this by others in this thread), and in the worst case eat a laser or two. You should also have Medica II up on the whole party (that should be enough to heal them, can also Medica or Cure III with Swiftcast right after the planes), cast it with Divine Seal and keep Regen on main tank too.

The 2nd laser phase is easy - as a Scholar I focus heal on tank while the whm raid heals. When the 4 airships drop and people run to center, I throw Sacred Soil there and keep spam healing tank while whm Cure III everyone. Spread out to avoid lasers as soon as those airships hit the ground.

In my experience, groups wipe there when the healers don't communicate and overlap heals too much on either the tank or raid.

I'm amazed you have a problem with yourself - for me it's always some tank who doesn't understand how to use cooldowns or has terrible gear and ends up dying and then therefore wiping the party. I'm a scholar though and the best advice I have is "stay out of the fire" and during the laser bits run somewhere where you are in the range of being able to heal the tanks.

With the middle lasers portion - run into the middle where there's no lasers and continue to pay attention to where you should be standing until the ships drop.
Soon as you can't see the lasers and ship drop animation happens you should be RUNNING AWAY.
You do not need to "stand in the middle" until the airship animation finishes and by doing so you're leaving yourself susceptible to a laser.

Essentially it's "ultima's ballad" and well you'll be finding yourself "dancing around the room" most of the run :D

I main WHM for this fight and this is the most difficult it part of the fight to heal through. Your PLD tank needs to save hallowed ground for when the second airships come down. (Holmgang for WAR?) If I am pugging a group I will ask the MT to save their biggest cooldowns for this phase.

For my own strat I will Divine Seal > swiftcast cure 2 as the bits spawn. I then place a buffed regen on the MT, E4E and virus Ultima. With all the debuffs up cure 1 is enough to keep the MT up while throwing out an occasional heal to dps who get hit by bits. If things get scary I pop PoM and start spamming cures. After airships I will aoe heal the raid again and help top off the tank.

I find the lasers to be rather easy - even if I have them all on me, I can always stop and get of a heal. ALL the lasers fire on an easy to grasp rhythm, and your heals can fit in nicely. As stated above, you simply need the cast bar to hit about 8/10 complete and it will still go off, practice outside of combat if need be (or just try it when everyone is prepping as I think the latency in Ultima is improved vs in zones). Simply need to remember - any 'latency' that you blame on enemy AoEs hitting you, also works the exact same in your favour.

Lasers appear > move slightly > cast to 8/10 > lasers appear > move slightly > cast again > repeat. If need be, take one laser hit - one won't kill you. If you cannot get a heal off, use Regen at least whilst moving. If you have all the lasers then the other healer should be having a much easier time.

I've also never had an issue with a tank getting too damaged by the airship, if they move to the midpoint of the landing zones on the outside, they won't take too much damage. By then enough lasers should be down you can precast a heal on the tank anyway.

Also, when the green lasers start appearing, simply run behind Ultima (or to the side) as it only cast them in 45°, 90° and 135° from where it is facing. Even standing slightly in front and slightly to the side is easy enough to dodge.

I usually encounter another WHM for Ultima so I don't know if it is more because there are 2 WHMs or not, but I usually can still cast something amidst bits, there is always that tiny piece of land between the lasers. I know that I can move half a second before the cast actually finishing (probably due to lag) so I do it. In the event I can't move, 3 bits won't kill me, each is just about 400 or something, no biggie.

I have more problem with tanks dying after Aetheric Boom.