Whm PVP tips

Hi all!
With Frontlines out I am getting curious about PvP, but terrified to try it. Although I approach it casually, being a healer I still feel some pressure to do well or risk a wipe, but between the new abilities, re-organization of my crossbarrs and a new playstyle (from what I've understood, slees, stuns and binds are used a lot more frequently), I find the whole thing very confusing.

Does anybody have any starting tips? Particularly on what my class is supposed to do (beyond healing, of course), how it differs from PvE and the crossbarrs' organization. I play on PS3 and spent quite a lot of time organizing my abilities to be in the most accessible places, so any tips on how/when/where the PvP abilities are used would help a lot.

Thank you!

Caveat: Healing effectively in Frontlines is very difficult at the moment due to the challenge of targeting non-party members with accuracy. I imagine the problem will compounded on the PS3. This may be frustrating at times.

Having said that, your main job besides healing will be crowd controlling (CC) other players by using Repose and, to a lesser degree, using Stone to put Heavy on melee classes (this is highly situational). If the DPS in your group isn't wailing on the other team's healers, then sleep them with Repose so that they're out of the battle and can't heal for a bit. You may also want to sleep a Bard if they're attacking you since they can interrupt you easily and from a distance. Also use Sprint to distance yourself from enemies. You don't ever need TP so don't be afraid to Sprint a whole lot. As far cross-class abilities, you'll need Virus and Eye for an Eye for damage mitigation, Surecast and Swiftcast for utility, and Blizzard II to bind enemies when they're on top of you.

PvP Skills:
1) Aetheric Burst: When you have 2+ people attacking you, use this to push them back. Otherwise use Fluid Aura since its single-target.
2) Purify: Use when someone Sleeps you and the duration is really long and no one is attacking you. Sometimes uncoordinated teams will sleep someone then a DD will attack them and immediately unsleep them. You may get lucky and have an enemy break sleep without having to burn your CD.
3) Equanimity: Upgrade this one immediately. 15 secs of uninterrupted casting is very precious!
4) Sacred Prism: If your group is fighting at the flag (as they should be lol) drop this near the flag when attacked. Try to save it for when the group is fighting in a clump so it'll have maximum effectiveness. I don't tend to use this one when the group I'm running with is caster heavy because they're constantly running away and trying not get interrupted. This skill is mostly dependent upon how many of your party members see it and actually stay in it.
5) Attunement: When Aetheric Burst, Fluid Aura, Equanimity, and Sprint are all on CD, I use this one to nullify most of the incoming damage while I wait for the Sprint CD to finish. Make sure you're at high health and don't have too many DoTs on you or else they may kill you.
6) Focalization: I don't use this one much, but I imagine that it would be helpful when your group is getting swamped by BLMs.
7) Divine Breath: Haven't tried it in FL yet cause most people release before I can get to them and rez. Actually, I don't even know if it works in FL lol. It works. Now it seems people are starting to wait and ask for rez before releasing. ^_^

General Tips:
When you're focused: If you want to get some distance between you and the attackers, cast Surecast/Swiftcast + Blizzard II + Sprint; this will bind them while you dash away and continue healing (keep in mind that Surecast can be stunned, so Swiftcast may be better option if you want to spend the CD). But if you want to be aggressive, use Equanimity + Divine Seal and keep healing. If you're really swamped use Aetheric Burst and Sprint.
When your team is focused: Heal up as usual. If there is another healer nearby or if your party's HP is topped off, you should be CC'ing the other team's healer with Repose and casting Stone on others to slow them down. Don't worry about using Cleric Stance, you just want the utility not the DPS. If things are stable, you could Cleric Stance + Holy if you want, however. Don't forget to Esuna Sleep when you see a party member dozing off.
Downtime: Don't forget to buff up party and alliance members (including pets). If an enemy party is incoming, pre-HoT your team with Regen and Medica II.

This guide is a pretty extensive one, but it's mostly tailored to the Wolves' Den.

Thank you very much! Targeting on PS3 is a bit of a problem. I'm trying to practice on non-party members in CT2, but even using filters it can still take some time.

Just a couple of follow up questons :D

Since I shouldn't worry about DPS, is it safe to take Aero, Aero II and Stone II off the crossbarr, or at least move them to the second crossbar? I feel like I have enough ability as is.
Are Swiftcast+Repose/Blizzard II macros useful?
Raise vs Divine Breath and raising in general. I know you said you don't use it so if anybody else knows what should I prioritize and is raising actually worth the MP?

I have a mouse handy to use to click players not in my party. Its great for ct because u can just click the alliance list and whoever needs heals. In Frontlines you'll have to look for the player on the field, then click them.

When using Repose (sleep) use it on someone and immediately start casting it again. The idea is that if they have a habit of purify RIGHT when they get slept, the second sleep will go off and get em'. Its a mind game too, sometimes they'll know what your doing with double cast, you stop and walk away a second, and they break and re-sleep. This isn't to be used all the time, but its a neat little trick.

Check out this thread from two weeks ago.
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...175985-Whm-pvp

Didn't notice shakes post already linked the last WHM discussion, sorry :)

How to FL whm, u become a dps and raid the far off bases.
Go on a wild goose chase with a hundred dps chasing behind you because ppl are barbaric in FL.
Think diffierent and win the war cuz honestly ppl just think camp at bases is the best way to win atm.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Moqi

Thank you very much! Targeting on PS3 is a bit of a problem. I'm trying to practice on non-party members in CT2, but even using filters it can still take some time.

Just a couple of follow up questons :D

Since I shouldn't worry about DPS, is it safe to take Aero, Aero II and Stone II off the crossbarr, or at least move them to the second crossbar? I feel like I have enough ability as is.
Are Swiftcast+Repose/Blizzard II macros useful?
Raise vs Divine Breath and raising in general. I know you said you don't use it so if anybody else knows what should I prioritize and is raising actually worth the MP?

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You can certainly DPS in Frontlines, but I normally only use Stone II for a few quick hits here and there to finish someone off. I feel like anything else really crowds my hotbar, but that's only a personal opinion. Moving them to second crossbar would be a good option if you want more diversity in your spells. And yes, those would be some helpful macros! I also use Swiftcast + Medica II every once in a while if I need to raid heal while on the run.

I think people are starting to realize that you can be rezzed in battle, so they'll wait before releasing. Divine Breath is great because its instant but I also keep Raise on hand if Swiftcast is up. With Shroud of Saints and Mana Draw, MP shouldn't be a problem unless you're getting into a super long skirmish.

Hea Moqi,

There are some good points up here I'll add a few tricks I've learned.

1. Your primary job is to keep your own team alive. Worry about them first, alliance members second.
2. Watch your position, make sure you can heal the majority of your frontline without being exposed to ranged attacks.
3. As WHM your are somewhat more defensive than most other jobs. With your skills you can take a beating. For instance a enemy tank or even some DD's like a brd probably can't kill you if you just simply use DS+Regen on yourself. (You have LOTS of ways to stay alive. DS+Regen, Swifcast+Cure II, Sacred Prism+ Regen+Atunement, Bene.. there are lots of things you can do)
4. Due to 3 sometimes it's better not to run but to stick with your team so your PLD's can peel threats off of you.
5. Buff in downtime, before a fight regen your team, during the fight if nobody needs heal then throw out ranged CC (sleep + heavy)
6. Watch your members of your team needed ensuna. Ensuna can turn a fight.

Divine Breath and Raise most definitely work in Frontline. It saves a ton of travel time if I get a raise after the encounter is over and we've won.

Thanks guys! Unfortunately I still gotta rank up a bit to try out Frontlines, but I should be able to enter in a couple of days. I'll make treasure of your advice and come back if I have more questions :D

Thread's amazing...once I stop fumbling through my cross hotbars.