Stoneskin

I keep seeing tanks recasting stoneskin while in combat. Should I be doing this too? I do it at the start of a boss fight. When I've used DF to do the primal fights, only a couple other healers do this though so I was thinking it wasn't necessary.

I know doing it in downtime can't hurt, per say, but being a new WHM I'm having a bit of trouble with mana atm so I prefer to let my mana regen rather than casting another spell that'll be gone in a moment.

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Originally Posted by Alisi

I keep seeing tanks recasting stoneskin while in combat. Should I be doing this too? I do it at the start of a boss fight. When I've used DF to do the primal fights, only a couple other healers do this though so I was thinking it wasn't necessary.

I know doing it in downtime can't hurt, per say, but being a new WHM I'm having a bit of trouble with mana atm so I prefer to let my mana regen rather than casting another spell that'll be gone in a moment.

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Some tanks will do this if they are holding enmity just fine and aren't getting it from WHM before a tank buster. Generally they should just keep whacking whatever they're whacking, though.

If I am on pally and start spamming self stoneskin theres 3 different possibilities:
1.) A tankbuster is incoming and no healers makes effort to migitate anything :(
2.) I ran out of CDs for some reason (misstimed or slow heals or something)
3.) In stuff like T5 DPS horribly low u keep stunning every dread 4 times till it dies -> no TP so do ANYTHING while they restore ;)

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Originally Posted by Alisi

Should I be doing this too?

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I'd only re-apply SS in 4 situations:

1) Your mana is almost full (to avoid wasting MP regen)
2) There is a heavy hit coming that you want to mitigate in advance
3) You know mana is not going to be an issue and have a break between healing and/or DPS
4) A trash mob fight is about to end (apply ready for next fight)

3 and 4 very much optional. If you are having mana issues in a fight then you should definitely save it for healing after the initial SS. Healing is way more effecient than SS from a mana perspective.

Edit: speaking as WHM

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Originally Posted by Alisi

I prefer to let my mana regen rather than casting another spell that'll be gone in a moment.

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There's another situation where I use SS: When tank is pulling (exe. Expert dungeons) and has to walk to the next group while keeping aggro on the earlier group for a big pull, if you use a big cure, you risk taking all the aggro to yourself. Using SS doesn't draw much hate and ensures the tank will survive until he gets aggro on every enemy and then you start the healing itself.

it's ok to cast SS only at the beginning of the fight. you can also recast that SS when a masive attack will hit u (For example: when Ifrit cast Inferno) but also it's an option if u only hit: Divine Seal+Medica II it would be great too.

Don't worry about SS a lot. WHM has great healing spells to refill HP bars again that costs less MP that using SS on every party member, Also if you want to be a little more preventive at dungeons you could cast SS on your tans before he pull.

casting stoneskin on the tank the last mob of the current group is about to die also has the additional benefit that you have more time to spam holy at the next pull before you need to heal the tank again.

In my opinion, tanks that do this are actually quite helpful. Casting SS dpee generate enmity, and is a good thing for a tank to do while the boss jumps or becomes invulnerable. In addition to that, on trash pulls if the tank establishes good aggro on all the mobs, and casts SS while in combat, it allows the healer to switch to cleric and DPS more. Since the tank is now taking less damage, this will allow the healer to get a few more attacks in before having to switch back and heal. Anything the tank can do to help mitigate damage is a good thing. But as far as your question, it just depends on where you are talking about. If you know a big hit is coming, SS will never hurt. If you are dpsing and your tank is casting SS on himself, then that's great. More dps for you and the fight is over quicker. If the tank is casting SS on himself and you're just standing there doing nothing, then that's a problem. Just be productive

As tank I ss myself whenever the boss is casting smth I.e. won't interrupt my cast and I have good enmity - makes life easier for healer.

As healer I ss the tank before a heavy hit and that's about. However I do always ss myself because I have bad latency and any form of mitigation is good for me - healers can't afford to die

Dont take this as an indication you need to be using it. SS is a utility plds will use in specific situations to help you or themselves, its not a hint that you need to be casting it more. I use it in certain places, If i get a moment during a boss fight as mentioned above (titan/ifrit jumping, garuda mid aerial blast so I have it for the first hit after) I spam stoneskin during taluurd (ogre) in darkhold because the healer is trying to avoid dmg or help dps who are getting hit with unavoidable rocks.

As a healer main that plays PLD regularly, I do it for utility as I have hate secured and a global to use during a cast or when the boss jumps away, etc. Not a knock on the WHM, just something I can do to help prevent damage. I do leave the tank busters to the healers to mitigate though.

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Originally Posted by Alisi

I keep seeing tanks recasting stoneskin while in combat. Should I be doing this too? I do it at the start of a boss fight. When I've used DF to do the primal fights, only a couple other healers do this though so I was thinking it wasn't necessary.

I know doing it in downtime can't hurt, per say, but being a new WHM I'm having a bit of trouble with mana atm so I prefer to let my mana regen rather than casting another spell that'll be gone in a moment.

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Considering I ran into a WHM yesterday who REFUSED to cast stoneskin, said their job was only to heal and not cast buffs, I see why tanks are casting buffs themselves. And yes, this WHM was told they were a bad healer and booted. I do not tolerate this in my parties.

And yes, you should be casting buffs. Yours is stronger (traited). I typically have runs where they pull big so swiftcast +SS2 before every pull. If I see a tank casting it, I override it.

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Originally Posted by Seraphyna

Considering I ran into a WHM yesterday who REFUSED to cast stoneskin, said their job was only to heal and not cast buffs, I see why tanks are casting buffs themselves. And yes, this WHM was told they were a bad healer and booted. I do not tolerate this in my parties.

And yes, you should be casting buffs. Yours is stronger (traited). I typically have runs where they pull big so swiftcast +SS2 before every pull. If I see a tank casting it, I override it.

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That WHM deserved to be booted.

But yes, that is exactly why tanks should leave tank buster mitigation to healers and never do it themselves because of traited SS and Adlos.

I've seen tanks think they have to do everything, SS themselves and then end up mistiming their cooldown for the upcoming tank buster and killing themselves in the process.

Stoneskin can be used as an added shield. If you have a dps with lag issues - have a mob that poisons - SS can allow them to dodge an attack. (Depending on HP)

I use it frequently in world of darkness - Well geared players still working out the mechanics can be stoneskined to dodge Heatwave, Ululation. On the First boss, if they take 2 stacks of Double Vision a SS can save a players life. (DEPENDING ON HP)

It for sure has it uses - like the stun on holy. Use allll the skilllssssss <3

stoneskin has it's great moments but have a big problem too: the cast is long and no added heal. if you cast stoneskin (18% shield) before a big hit hits the tank and he drops while you cast to >82% life (probably an auto-hit) the shield is nothing more than a waste of mana.
you can use it to shield the tank, but most of the time it's better to bring his HP to the max before the hit is incoming :x but yeah, depends on the situation.