Newbie trying at healing with Scholar

[RizenSaga]

I didn't mean to start a debate, just wanted to share different viewpoints.

[RizenSaga]

The post above is a work in progress and still needs a lot of work. My goal is to make it a starter to intermediate guide for healing and specifically scholar.

[VanilleFang]

https://rizensaga.wordpress.com/author/rizensaga/
https://rizensaga.wordpress.com/healer-dps/

I have one complaint.

I understand that some SCH like to macro different fairy abilities and such, but macros also can't queue like regular skills can. I don't see any macros at the moment for Physick+Embrace, just ones for regular SCH skills.
FFXIV is not built for heavy use of macros, unlike other MMOs. Most people discourage macro use, especially for healers.

[Rawrz]

Just to chime in on Cross Class, I'm going to say avoid Surecast, but interchange Blizzard II and Stoneskin. Blizzard II is a significant DPS increase when you don't have broil, with just 2 targets. It is a good DPS increase at 4, but even in Expert there are pulls with 10+ mobs (500 potency every gcd compared to 170.)

Protect, Cleric Stance, Aero, and Swiftcast are absolute. In Trials there is almost never AOE opportunity, therefore you should be using Stoneskin in case you do get paired with that AST. Anywhere that you can AOE (2+ mobs before 54, 4+ after 54) use Blizzard II. It's 2 second cast time instead of 2.5 leaves room to quickly exit CS and Lustrate while minimizing clipping into the GCD compared to broil. Blizzard II is a massive DPS increase, it's just not always applicable.

A handy macro to switch between Stoneskin and Blizzard II in one click I made is:

/Macrolock
/echo You are switching your cross class skills. The following skill will be disabled:
/recast "Stoneskin"
/recast "Blizzard II"
/aaction "Blizzard II"
/aaction "Stoneskin"
/aaction "Blizzard II" on
/chotbar action "Stoneskin" 8 13
/chotbar action "Blizzard II" 8 13
/echo Your current cross class has been changed to the following:
/recast "Stoneskin"
/recast "Blizzard II"

On a PC use /hotbar instead of /chotbar. Use your hotbar number (I used 8) and slot number on that bar (I used 13.)

[Taika]

Learn to keep your fairy on Obey, especially Eos. This lets you manually cast Embrace (place it on your action bar!) on the target you want more often than the fairy would by herself. Remember to use your fairy abilities: Rouse + Fey Illumination + Whispering Dawn (Eos) is extremely powerful AoE regen for your party and Fey Covenant (Eos) shields your party from magic damage. Fey Wind (Selene) is a nice 3% attack speed that's up 50% of the time and Fey Caress (Selene) can remove a detrimental effect (like a DoT) from all party members once a minute. You can use all fairy abilities to heal while you yourself are in Cleric Stance and doing DPS.

When DPSing in dungeons, first Swiftcast Shadow Flare (and in most situations, prioritise this over Sacred Soil! It doesn't only do DPS but also slows the enemies so the tank will get hit by less damage), then choose your target for DoTs and cast Bio II + Miasma + Bio and Bane them on the whole group. Also use Miasma II, you'll have to be near the monster group to hit. On single target, use Aero as the 4th DoT instead of Miasma II.

Remember to use Eye for an Eye on tank as often as it's up and Virus when a monster is casting something that hits hard. Between pulls, you can shield your tank with both Adlo and Stoneskin (but Adlo takes priority if you can only cast one, it's stronger).

For stats, as level 60 you'll want ACC to 592 (if you're planning to raid), then CRIT (!!!) > SpS > DET.

[RizenSaga]

I have one complaint.

I understand that some SCH like to macro different fairy abilities and such, but macros also can't queue like regular skills can. I don't see any macros at the moment for Physick+Embrace, just ones for regular SCH skills.
FFXIV is not built for heavy use of macros, unlike other MMOs. Most people discourage macro use, especially for healers.

As far as the extremely valid points you've brought up I do intend to touch on them all, and probably should have started with them, but when I started the site I was far less interested in those aspects then what I did write about at those moments.

I've only been back on FFXIV for about three weeks. I was an amazing scholar 18 months ago. Today I'm average but am trying to improve myself. My macro's aren't my old ones, those are long gone. The muscle memory has also left me, but I'm now free to alter my style and I'm doing so currently and frequently. Hopefully I can put a side by side comparison one day on stacking GCD's and Macro's because there is a positive to each one, it just depends on the sacrifice/player skill/and if the trade is ultimately worth it. To not test this and instead follow common beliefs would be to err.

I do have fairy macro's but as so much of my ffxiv life they are still a work in progress.

[basketofseals]

You're prioritizing bliz2 and surecast over stoneskin.. lol. You know, when you're paired with an ast and they have to cast stoneskin 8 times every pull they might not agree with your decision.

Whyyyyyyyyy are you stoneskinning every pull. Are you mad?

[ChiiSoSeriouz]

Excuse you. You should stoneskin the party the party before every pull. You're wearing yafaemi gear and dungeon jewelry on your healer so maybe if you did actual raids in this game you would know something as simple as that.

[Rivxkobe]

..

As an ex-SCH main (currently leveling it on this character as I miss it) I have tried multiple types of macros and I have come full circle from using none, to using some, to using a lot to using none again.

Examples include:

a) <tt> heals and damage spells. So I could be lazy and just heal the tank if I'm targetting the mobs and vice versa. Not only are these annoying (less control) but they also can't be queued.
b) Adding Embrace to healing spells. Same as above.
c) putting Eos abilities all in one macro. Annoying, and Eos Queue is messed up and has weird delays.
d) Aetherflow on insta-cast spells. I just find these annoying.

I dislike being unable to queue spells, and restricting my control over what I am doing. If you like and can use macros, then you can use them if you want, but they are much less efficient in most situations compared to non-macro'd spells.


I don't understand how you can compare Aero to Surecast (Aero is a thousand times better) or how you can't state it is a core cross-class ability. If anything it should be:

1st) CS
2nd) Aero
3rd) Protect
4th) Swiftcast
5th) Stoneskin/Blizzard II

In any order you feel most comfortable with. No one playing seriously should even consider Surecast as an option. Its basically a joke. It isn't useful in most situations, since in most situations you aren't in danger of being interrupted. And in situations that would call for it (very few) Swiftcast is a better option that also has uses outside of these situations.

Not using Aero 99% of the time is a personal choice. But it is one I greatly disapprove of. (I love Aero. Its the best.)

[Nekotee]

I will add my voice to the Bliz2 over stoneskin or surecast

first because Surecast is less than useful honestly
And also bliz2 is amazing in pack DPS (which was good in A2S but less and less after on the raid scene, but still perfect in dungeon)
Stoneskin is a pure manaloss for a sch compare to Adlo => In raid as main Ast I do prefer to be the one to cast 8 stoneskin... because it allow me to draw card XD

And aero is mandatory as SCH you can't have Bliz2 over aero, because this spell is a must have.