Qs for healers and Tanks

[juniglee]

Um ok so...

OP is not yet at Hard Mode Primals. He is just at Titan Story Mode (Lv. 34) for those of you who seem to be mentioning Titan HM tactics, or even the word "Garuda".

Tanks also have a responsibility to dodge AoE and make life easier for the healer. If they choose to be lazy about it, I suggest you find another party, because it's not worth the stress to put up with players who refuse to perform their role in the party. Tanks have a responsibility to make sure the healer can go on healing them for as long as possible by helping them preserve mana where they can. This includes: dodging Landslides, dodging Weight of the Land, dodging Dragon Breath - pretty much any AoE attack that can be avoided. The longer the healer's mana is able to hold out, the longer the tank is able to tank - please make sure they do see it this way. Some attacks are unavoidable - ie. Titan stomps, so for those attacks you simply have to be prepared to heal.

If they choose to be pricks about it, they are clearly not worth your time. This is when I would suggest you find another party. You should perhaps look into making some tank friends - perhaps join an FC, or an LS on your server, and see if they have people friendly enough to help you out.

[Teleniel]

As a tank I can 'get a feel' for how hard an attack is going to rock me. I also have a good feel for the pace of a fight and take the time to watch MP and other members to make sure that what I decide is reasonable. If I'm deciding not to dodge (and I DO actually decide) I'm usually using 1 or more defensive abilities to mitigate the damage.


As a healer, I've run in to tanks who dodge everything (gives me time to do more DPS... maybe) and one who dodged nothing, and said half way through the dungeon their armor was broken. There is a careful line to walk when playing a healer about when to DPS, when to use mitigation, and just how low you and your tank are comfortable with their HP.

It isn't your fault they didn't dodge, however just about every fight up till this point you can brunt force past so they may not have known better.

As far as Stoneskin.... before pulls buys you a bit of time to perform other actions (or just let the tank generate hate). If the tank is full/near-full it will provide even more comfort zone. If a major attack is telegraphed to rock the tank, it will help reduce the damage. If you have to walk away from your tank it will give you a few seconds of not needing to mash cure. And for DPS it will 'forgive' them being hit once by not paying attention to agro levels.

[lebirath]

hey.. thanks a bunch for all the replies. Great tips

and yeap, i have a FC and linkshell and quite a few nice friends that r tank; that day i was helping a dps friend in an "off time" for our group..

And just wanted to clarified that i m not trying to be a *%+*%# : i understand we all were noobies (still one), and that some tank can take damage (i did flox with one of my friends, got bored and starting dpsing; BORED.. this guy could take DAMAGE .. lol) but yea, thanks for letting me know that all should try to avoid aoe and help c my mp pool

thx so much again.. and c all stoneskin tips

also BEAT titan, 3 wipes (even after clip didnt understood 1st the big redcircle, so die 2 ) and 4th smooth.. yay!!

EDIT: yeap heard of swiftcast, gonna work on my Thaum up to lvl 26 (right no need for more than that?) thx

[Urthdigger]

As far as stoneskin goes, always cast it before a fight, and NEVER use it during a fight UNLESS the person is at or near full HP. Stoneskin negates a certain amount of damage. It can be considered equivalent to curing damage, except that you cast it before the damage occurs instead of after. Unless the tank is vastly better geared than you (I'm talking level 90 gear while you still have just artifact), chances are your cures are going to be more effective. So, if HP is missing, use cures. If HP is pretty much full and you feel them need even MORE HP (They're weakened, or you know the boss will do a powerful move soon), pop stoneskin on them.

[Lemon8or]

Actually, it doesn't matter when you pop stone skin. It gives you percentage shield based on your maximum HP, not current HP.

[Urthdigger]

Actually, it doesn't matter when you pop stone skin. It gives you percentage shield based on your maximum HP, not current HP.

This is true. However, it's a matter of efficiency. Cure II and Stoneskin have the same cost and Cure II is faster. If you're decently geared, Cure II will heal more than Stoneskin will protect, which is functionally the same (Both allow the tank to survive X more damage).

Cure II is basically better than Stoneskin, functionally, in every way except for one: Stoneskin can help the tank even if his HP is full. That is why I say never cast it on the tank unless a cure would overheal.

[Rivienne]

This is true. However, it's a matter of efficiency. Cure II and Stoneskin have the same cost and Cure II is faster. If you're decently geared, Cure II will heal more than Stoneskin will protect, which is functionally the same (Both allow the tank to survive X more damage).

Cure II is basically better than Stoneskin, functionally, in every way except for one: Stoneskin can help the tank even if his HP is full. That is why I say never cast it on the tank unless a cure would overheal.

While I mostly agree with this, when I use stoneskin in a fight I actually will use it before a cure 1 if they are above 70% health. The reasoning is that stoneskin takes longer, so if I get a freecure from the cure 1, it is usually lost before I need it. So 70% health, enough time to cast stoneskin, then cure 1, 15% chance of freecure for the next heal.

This mainly works well in fights with phases, where at each phase you get sudden spike damage, but have long enough intervals in between to cast stoneskin. By the time the spike happens they have full health +18% and I have a very good chance of having a free cure 2 ready to go. I find the freecure happens often enough to offset the cost of the stoneskin, and the stoneskin creates enough of a buffer to make those phases less stressful.

[lebirath]

hmmm... that s a very neat strategy.. i ll see if im fast enough to try it .. i think that tend to use the time that my tank is full in HP to cure/ release status from my dps

[Merryl]

I come from many years of playing on consoles by myself. Which means I have the horrific habit of using any class like a tank. However I do know how its supposed to work in group only the healer has limits. I think everyone should take healer to at least level 10 to get a feel for what its like and see the restrictions on spells.
Medica does nothing for a party member on the other side of the dungeon because they have left the epicenter. Also the healer is vunerable no matter what their level...once the mp runs out it takes 30 seconds to be able to use ether again. So be careful out there lol.