WHM DF/Trial Tips?

[Lynesse]

I'm a fresh 70 and still inexperienced.

Trials in the Duty Finder can be exhausting, and I'm curious how other healers handle it when everything goes wrong.

Is it normal to overheal in DF Trials? I try to study the other healer and see what they do when the party takes raid-wide damage, but it can be hard to coordinate with them in the chaos. I try to cast Medica I if I know the other WHM will use Medica II. I'll use Medica II if I'm the only WHM.

But sometimes I'm forced to use Medica II -> Medica I or Assize because the other healer is struggling with mechanics, dead, or otherwise not pulling their weight.

Is this bad practice? Is there a better way to handle situations like this?

I've read a lot about waiting for Medica II to finish its regen, but what if I can't trust my group and Largesse + Medica I isn't enough, or Largesse and Assize are on cooldown?

Thanks for any help!

[Tridus]

Do you have a specific trial you're having trouble with, or just in general? The final trial in the Stormblood storyline is a step up in difficulty, so if its that one, you are not alone.

One thing you don't need to worry about as a WHM is stacking issues. Unlike shields, Medica II and Regen stack with each other. If both of you use it, people get both effects. You can wind up with overhealing that way, but in a DF trial, that's a fact of life. It's not the end of the world and not something to stress over.

You don't want to constantly use Medica II because it can get expensive MP wise, but if it's the tool for the job, use it without worrying about the other healer. If they also use it, you don't need to follow up with another AoE heal, and if they're having issues with mechanics/death, you can follow up with a Medica and then Plenary Indulgence (which is free and will heal for a fair bit after two other AoE heals). Those three combined will get the group from near death to near full in anything outside Extreme/Savage mode, and you can do it yourself. You simply stop the second cast if the other healer also gets one off.

For the tank, keep Regen up as much as possible, as that helps every healing situation (including another WHM, who can put their own Regen up). You can try talking to them and coordinating, but in a lot of DF trials that can fall apart when stuff goes wrong, so in those I tend to favor simply doing the first cast and canceling the second if they help out. It's easier to react to that than it is to coordinate it without voice chat, IMO. It's also something that comes with experience.

I will say that if Medica II still has lots of time left on the HoT part, you don't want to cast it again. Medica (and Cure 3 for a stacking mechanic) put out more immediate healing, and overwriting the HoT with another one is just a waste of MP if there's enough duration left to bring people back up anyway. If it's down to 5 seconds or whatever, then you can overwrite it.

But if you can't trust your group... well, then you have to heal them up. In that situation, use Lucid Dreaming before you're at half MP, since that will let you get it back faster. Use Thin Air to Raise people, or for big AoE healing segments if you have a Red Mage (since they can raise people very quickly). Don't forget about PI for the extra top up.

[Lynesse]

Thank you! That was incredibly helpful! I don't have any trouble with any specific trial. Just PUGs. The final Stormblood trial did trip me up the first time, but I nailed it after that. It was embarrassing, though, because I was absolutely, 100% why we wiped.

It didn't occur to me that Medica II stacks! That solves my problem right there. I won't kick myself anymore if both me and the other WHM cast it.

I was mostly confused about AoE healing because it seemed like what worked ran counter to what the guides said to do. But I think those guides were written with ideal conditions in mind.

I've been doing all of what you said, and I'm really happy to know I'm on the right track.

Thank you again.

[Sebazy]

I wouldn't concern yourself too much with your overhealing just yet, find your legs and get your confidence going first. Efficiency can come later (Thin Air is the best xoxo).

Frankly, in pugs, unless I know the other healer, I just assume they aren't there and play accordingly. It's not the most refined play style, but it gets the job done.

[Lyrai_Celestine]

The good thing about Regen is that it stacks. Medica II and Regen can be stacked on top of another healer (WHM) so it should be all right. Your usage of Medica II -> Medica -> Assize is the best way to top everyone off.

Overheal is something that you should care about, but only if your weaknesses are clearly seen.
I will tell you some Overheal examples that are glaring enough for you to care about:

For example, you spam Medica II too much. Even if it works, your MP would be drained too quickly!

Another example, you spam Cure II on a target whose HP is full or almost full non-stop. Your MP will drain too quickly too! Because you healed too much and gain little (Overheal), you should try to be more efficient.

[Lynesse]

Thanks, guys! This is very helpful!

Frankly, in pugs, unless I know the other healer, I just assume they aren't there and play accordingly.

I've found that this really is the best way to play. I'm glad to have some confirmation on this.

snip

I understand! I would never do either of those things.

I've gotten very good at managing my MP, and I guess if I'm not pulling aggro or going OOM, I'm okay.

[Gemina]

I'm not lv70, but from my experience with DF trials and DF in general is if you've been running it as a healer for those 70 levels, you should be well adept at being adaptable by this point. You're not going to get the same healing partner from instance to instance so there really is no steadfast approach to a DF trial other than be ready for anything. The other thing you have to consider is to the other healer in your group, you ARE the OTHER healer to them, and they don't know what to expect from you.

DF trials tend to have lower clear rates when two or more people cannot perform their tasks for whatever reason. So when hiccups like over-healing happen, it really doesn't affect the ability to clear the instance despite low optimization between the two. But if both healers fail mechanics, then a clear is unlikely. I think this is the difference between savage clears and DF clears TBH. Because in DF, typically an experienced healer can still take care of everything should the other healer be inadequate. I don't do savage content, but I'd imagine both healers need to be on their game.

FWIW I do do EX trials with FC mates, and I guess it's pretty similar to savage. That said, the challenge I find here is different. It's more about coordination and memorization here. What's coming when, and who is doing what, and getting this down along with your part. In DF, there is no coordination. There is only adaptation. There are rare times when I have synergized with the other healer without words, but we're talking maybe 1 in 50 queues and that's on the optimistic end.

[Trunks]

Just a +1 to "I pretend they aren't there". In fact, this is how I heal all content at 70+. WHM is so OP that there's seldom much need for a second healer except as a supporting shieldbot and to compensate for derps (mostly the latter).

[Ghislane]

WHM is my favourite job ATM because it seems so easy. Generally if your group is dying the issue isn't that you're not doing it right, but that a member of the party isn't sure of the mechanics; including oneself.

As others have said, don't worry about overhealing from your HoT abilities. If Regen+Medica II is keeping your party topped up then you can take that opportunity to help out with some DPS or just to standby for more healing.

[Lynesse]

Just a +1 to "I pretend they aren't there". In fact, this is how I heal all content at 70+. WHM is so OP that there's seldom much need for a second healer except as a supporting shieldbot and to compensate for derps (mostly the latter).

Thanks. This is actually why I started this thread. WHM has multiple ways of solving the same problems, and the game doesn't necessarily punish you for using the less-than-optimal tool because there are so many ways to mitigate mistakes you make with MP management and even mechanics. Barring obvious bad play, there doesn't seem to be a "wrong" choice.

I'm not having trouble at all, and that makes me uneasy, so I started this thread more to make sure I was doing things right. It's comforting to know that everyone thinks roughly the same things that I do. I was almost certain I was doing something wrong, a bad habit that raids would punish me for in the future, but I guess not.

Thanks, guys.