Need WHM advise for Howling Eye (Garuda) HM

I have been procrastinating fighting Garuda in HM as a WHM for about a week or so because I'm not sure what the best practices for my job would be. I don't want to be "that healer" who wipes, doesn't heal the right folks, or is just plain useless. I've DPS'ed Garuda HM already as a BRD, and I actually enjoyed it. As a BRD, I could stay on my toes, but a WHM needs to stand still for each cast most of the time, and this trial requires a lot of movement. I have Swiftcast and Surecast ready to roll. I have Presence of Mind on CD and Divine Seal, Holy and Benediction ready along with the basic stuff. Since I'm on PS4, I have an offensive and defensive button set so I can punch into CS and beat on bad guys and switch cleanly out of CS and heal away. I'm worried about the mechanics of this fight the most. Please remember, I'm a WHM, so stuff for the SCH won't help. Thanks.

Since your new to healing the fight, I'd recommend forgetting about all of your offensive spells. Don't try to dps until you are comfortable with healing the fight.

Other than that, the difficulty of healing this fight depends on the people your with. Most DF groups one shot this now, but the odd one still acts as though this is September 2013.

The main tank should know about positioning. Keep an eye on him during the twister phases, and move when he does. The Twisters hurt a lot, to the tune of two shotting you. Always keep yourself away from the front of Garuda, and the sisters. Be ready for some AOE heals during the sister phases. It's a really easy fight, just a matter of getting your positioning down. :)

Just hit the queue in the DF. This fight can easily be solo healed,so let yourself get carried, at least to figure out what you're missing. Or surprise yourself and live! This is dated content now, the vast majority of people you get in your DF group will be doing it for trial roulette, having done the fight dozens of times themselves.

These days people are so overgeared for Garuda HM you shouldn't really have any trouble. As WHM save Shroud of Saints for add phases to avoid getting hate from clones. Make sure no regens or medica 2 are up when clones are about to appear. Make sure to place yourself so that you're not standing in front of Garuda or the clones (don't stand with the DDs as they're likely to pull at least one add) to avoid getting stunned. When tanks have secured hate you can use divine seal medica 2 for add phase and then just cure tank(s) as needed. You can stoneskin (+eye) at least MT when garuda jumps before add phase.

Good luck! :)

Thanks all. I will be running this with a random group of folks, so I'm hoping to roll healer experienced with this trial. And, hey, the tomes won't hurt me either. :D

I felt the same with this fight. I've done it quite a few times on a black mage but I've been leveling my white mage while waiting for new content. I've been 50 since last Sunday and last night I had a few beers and finally jumped in. And it really wasn't that bad at all. Knowing this fight as a ranged dps really does help so don't be afraid to give it a go. Titan is my real enemy but I got lucky on him last night. Had to raise the other healer twice and died to a landslide while raising him the last time (forgot I could move with instant cast lol). He managed to solo heal the last 1/8th of the fight.

May be a bit of shameless self plugging here but you can check out these from my PoV with commentary as a WHM here:

Hard Mode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08GmYYEMEPg

Extreme Mode -
normal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIaeUUvuTOI
solo heal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIaeUUvuTOI


**just a note that there was no echo buff when I did these so some things will change a bit but with a group of randoms it should be pretty close to the same.

You can fluid aura the adds if they are not picked up and killing you. This may mess up your melee and cause general annoyment so use with discretion.

With the Trial roulette, you will meet high geared people (along with other newer ones doing the relic quest) so it is much easier than it used to be months ago.

My main is PLD and I did not long ago the relic quest for the WHM, and later the BLM, and now I do the Trial roulette with the WHM, more relaxed than the tank.

I find it's not difficult, but there may be chaos moments. I put regen on the main tank and focus on him while keeping an eye on everybody, put a regen here and there, and when things get a bit rough with the Sisters or Whirlwinds, Divine Seal + Medica 2, Medica if needed,etc.

If there are wipes the echo will help a lot.

Even Titan HM is so much easier now that you meet high geared people and the echo helps a lot if there are wipes. The relic quest used to take weeks but I suppose the fresh level 50 have it much easier now.

If you can handle story mode Garuda... HM Garuda is going to be fine. I dunno why, but it feels like SM Garuda is just a tad bit harder. Or rather it feels like it.

Anyway some tips from another WHM. Cooldowns aren't really needed. Except for maybe Swiftcast and Shroud of Saints. Of course use Switftcast on a Cure II or a Medica if you need to get one or the other off like not now but right now. And use Shroud if you get below 60% MP. I haven't ran out of mana on this fight yet, but sometimes depending one what happens it gets close.

As others have said, don't worry about DPSing until you know you can heal it well. I throw a Holy in on the feather adds so its easier for the DPS to take them down. I only use it once per set of adds since I'm using it for the AOE stun and not really so much on the damage.

Medica II and Medica works well after a big AOE hits the party. And NEVER EVER stand in front of Garuda or her clones. If your tanks make it impossible to stay behind them all, yell at them for it. And keeping Stoneskin active on yourself helps when you get random frictions thrown your way. The less you have to worry about healing yourself the better. So if you're not in the middle of casting a heal and everyone's topped of, stoneskin yourself, once thats done, stoneskin the tank.

Overall Healing Garuda on Hardmode is pretty easy. Maybe even easier than Ifrit. Most of the failures will be because the DPS didn't get the adds down. I've not seen many healing failures.

Dont worry.

When you see garuda do an exaggerated swipe an AOE is coming.

Try not to have any HOTs up before the sisters spawn other than regen on MT