Trying to get into PvP - how to get team to help me not die...

[MirielleLavandre]

Hiya all,
I'm trying to get more into PvP as it seems more fun and a lot more dynamic than just the same old dungeons. I play WHM and when I get in, I try to stay with the group as much as possible (hard when they all run off in different directions, so I stick with my party if they stay together). I use my PvP actions, heal as much as I can, Assize/Tetra/Med 2 and all - however, my problem is that I am, of course, singled out by the enemy and then the melee come for me.

When this happens, I hardly ever have anyone helping to keep me alive, end up spamming myself with heals and still die. Is there any way besides typing "Help, please" in chat to get my team to defend the healer(s)? I'm often the only healer in my party so I would hope people would kinda help guard me so I can keep them alive -- and I do try to stay in the backline as much as possible, except often my alliance or party doesn't even seem to have 'lines' at all... and everyone runs around on their own *sadface* Makes it really discouraging to play healer in PvP and I end up wanting to level my bard up to 60 and just use that, even though I know PvP needs healers.

Any suggestions are welcome!

[Februs]

I don't heal, so I can't say for certain, but In my experience the idea of finding lines takes some eye training. Your map is your best friend. You have to constantly be aware of the group, where they are, where the enemy is, and try to hide yourself out of reach of the enemy. They think twice when they either can't find you or have to cross through hell just to get to you. Be constantly on the move, readjusting your position.
Also, try marking yourself/other healers so you know where to go when you're desperate for help. Most of the time when I'm struggling to kill a healer it's because there's another healer nearby that I either didn't see or couldn't get to. Also, don't be shy with fluid aura or sleep. Dps pounce on targets that can't move/defend themselves. If you're in trouble, try to aim your fluid aura so that the guy attacking you ends up surrounded by your dps team. He'll either die or limp off home.

[Iagainsti]

As the healer, when you get pounced on by multiple foes, try to watch your debuffs. Most often, dps will load more stuns/cc then is needed, so waiting to see 2-3 then pop your purify, instead of popping it for one stun then getting nailed immediately after. Once your mobile, run through your team, pop your invulnerability, and drop your target. If anyone targets you, they pop up on your screen, hit them with your aura blast or repose. If you're still getting ganked, your team should be helping you out with their purify's or CCs, If not, sorry dude, heal through it and run.

[Cidel]

I've since 3.0 swapped to AST from WHM for PvP, which feels like it has a lot more survivability than WHM, but some things on WHM that should still work in addition to Februs's advice to stick by other healers and watching your map-

- In general, whenever possible, surround yourself by a few other teammates, even squishier ones like BLMs and SMNs can be good deterrents (they may get focused 1st).
- Stoneskin isn't as strong as it used to be, but you might as well put it on yourself between conflicts. Also liberally apply Regen (and Medica II if you have a chance) on yourself, especially if you have an enemy or two on you.
- Equanimity/Surecast are best used IMO when you have people on you and you need to keep yourself alive. Divine Seal with these are pretty potent.
- Swiftcast is a good tool to use when you need to bust out Holy/BlizzardII (AoE stun or several seconds bind AoE) to get out of tight situations. Maybe even an instant Cure II if it'll save you.
- Sprint away. Often used in conjunction with the tools previously mentioned.

Keep in mind, I think WHM is the least independent healer in Frontlines and crumbles with as little as 3 focused enemies on them. If you're getting overwhelmed and know your heals won't keep up, really all you have left is attunement. Ideally though you want to keep yourself out of situations where you can be singled-out and you have no one around to help or blend in with/hide behind. Also, take into consideration how many other healers your team has to begin with. If you're in a match with like 2 other healers (or less) alliance-wide, you are more likely to get focused.

[MirielleLavandre]

Thanks for the information all! I should really glamour something other than AF2 in order to blend...that white/red just screams 'medic here...come kill me' :P

[Beckett]

snip

The other teams actually see your nameplate as White Mage, so you're very easy to pick out regardless of what you're wearing.

Even as a tank, if I wind up way ahead of my group I'll get focus targeted and taken down quickly. As a healer, you're going to be the primary target for every single enemy attacker unless their are 10 or so bodies between you and them. Unless you stay deep inside your own territory, you'll get taken out quickly.

Unfortunately, this means that the people who you are trying to heal will often be out of your range. If they're smart, they'll run back towards you when they've taken some damage, and you can top them off before they run back into the fray. For the people that run deep into enemy territory on their own... well, it's their own stupid fault if they die.

Finding the line between areas that are safe to heal in is probably the single hardest thing about healing PVP, but you'll get used to it in time.

[Farrell]

Just don't roll Twin Adders and you already won.

[Buff_Archer]

I have some macros for when I'm on Scholar for when I'm under heavy attack and need help from my teammates. Came up with them after I found I would just die whenever Attunement expired because everyone would leave while I was stuck standing there under attack and it occurred to me- maybe they don't really understand that I'm stuck back there under Attunement. I don't think I'll be posting my PVP macros on a public forum, but perhaps that will give you some ideas to work with. When I'm in the midst of a good team, it's practically suicide for a melee player to jump me, because they just got focused by three players.

If I'm off by myself as SCH and get killed, that's on me. If however I'm getting focused by multiple people right in the midst of my team, and after a minute of exhausting my survival skills and cooldowns my teammates aren't helping me- I have that button on my hotbar that changes my class to Summoner when I get back to the landing and I won't hesitate to use it.

[Aiden_Volkov]

Im one who hunt your type, i don't like the ovwerpowered heal so the best thing as you can do is heal yourself, buff, run, cry for help and try to arrive with your team before a dps (or group of them) jump in to you and kill you brutaly, even you can try to slow dps who try to hunt you so you have more options to scape. If you arrive with your team mates you're safe or not, i sacrifique sometimes to kill my prey healer so my companions could destroy the enemy team easier if enemies doesn't have their healer even sometimes i survive XD and hunt again, kill and be killed this is pvp!