For some reason, I am having a terrible time getting groups for instances lately. In particular, it is really hard to find a primary healer. I'm not sure what's going on with them, but I'm considering switching to Holy, so I can at least try to be the primary healer in a 5-man.
I don't really like primary healing as a paladin, though. I love it as my priest, because I feel in control of the situation. I usually have time to pick and choose my healing spells, and it's like I always have the right tool for the right job as a priest.
I never have that same feeling of control when I'm main-healing on my paladin. I'm just praying that my Flash of Light/Holy Light spam is greater than the incoming damage. Either it is, and we survive the fight, or it isn't, and we don't. It's very nerve-racking, personally.
It's a bit annoying, because I think that the paladin is better suited to a 5th-man role, than as the primary healer. But what can one do? If there are no primary healers, I'll have to become one, or I'll never get an instance group off the ground.
To any Holy Paladins, what are your experiences main-healing the level 70 5-man instances, without a secondary healer? Is it doable, does it require significant gear, or are there some instances where you simply cannot primary-heal?
It's actually kind of frustrating. I haven't even been able to complete Mana Tombs yet, let alone any of the higher instances.
I've main healed slave pens and underbog when I was 64 as 10/0/45 so It can be done at lower levels... however the same is not true for later content. With a Ret spec you just don't have the staying power that holy does. Stuff hits much harder and it's near impossible to keep up for the duration of the fights.
ReplyDeleteHoly spec is VERY viable as a main healing spec as paladins are arguably the best single target healers in the game with the correct gear and spec.
What paladins lack in healing options they make up in solid mana efficiency, utility, and survivability.
ReplyDeleteI've main-healed all of the level 70 5-man instances quite successfully. On heroic mode stuff, I've main healed most things, but certain boss fights seem to require multiple healers. Quagmirran, for example, doesn't seem possible with just a paladin healing.
The spec I'm using at the moment is 34/27/0. I chose that primarily for arena - if you were determined on just filling a 5-man healer role, you may as well go 41 holy.
One of the most important talents is Light's Grace - 2 second Holy Lights really allow you to crank out a good amount of HPS, which is something paladins traditionally lack. Flash of Light is mana efficient, sure, but sometimes that isn't enough (Underbog Lords on heroic?).
There's a good amount of paladin-focused healing gear (think the recoloured Judgement pieces, for example) as well as a number of easy rep-reward healing pieces. If you can get close to 1000 +heal unbuffed, you'll have no problems at all.
Theory
Eldre'Thalas
It's the same on Arathor (eu) and in our guild the priesties have been slacking big time. So the Paladin's have been main healing the guild through all of the 70 man instances with no real problem. I have a couple of pieces of the new dungeon set with the rest being TBC blues and my + healing is around 1150. Im specced 40,14,7 which gives me GBoK for the Guild in Karazhan.
ReplyDeletehttp://armory.wow-europe.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Arathor&n=Lazenby
Ive got my spell damage gear on but should give you an idea of my stuff.
The only negative thing ive had with main healing is that sometimes when another pali comes also the group can suffer from lack of DPS. Much better to solo heal and take the mobs and bosses down faster. Oh yeah and you don't have to roll on the Holy Plate
Although I can understand your concern over main healing fear not, it's nothing to worry about at all.
ReplyDeleteI've main healed every 5 man instance and from talking with a good group of guildmembers they actually really enjoy a Paladin along for the ride. I heal every bit as good as a priest and my aggro control on the entire party makes up for my lack of AoE healing...I've always wanted Consecration to heal AoE similar to Tranquiltiy for a druid :)
The biggest issue with a lot of the end game 5 mans (BM, Botanica, etc...) is that you have to control your mana pool. Don't be shy on consumables. Manage your mana with Flash of Light heals, heavy INT gear for that free heal crit, Lights Grace for sticky situations where shear outhealing is needed and use your mana reduced skills in the Holy Tree. That and wearing plate just gives us that much more of an advantage in the large group pulls that are frequent in a lot of the 5-mans.
Word of caution, specing fully holy you had better plan on doing nothing but dungeons. Your DPS will suffer dramaticly, or at least mine did...
Hope that helps.
Enjoy!
I am 9/11/41 which is a bit of an off spec. I have around 920+ healing in my healing plate gear and find its pretty easy to heal most level 70 dungeons.
ReplyDeleteI can heal Steamvaults, Mechanaar, Botanica and Shadow Labs without too many problems
Black Morass, Shattered Halls, and The Arcatraz are a bit of a challenge. Black Morass is a pain since the last boss requires heal over times while the other two have fights that require a lot of healing.
40/21/0
ReplyDelete+1110 healing --- I am one of 3 healers in my Kara group.
Being main healer is dependent on your gear (10%) your tank's gear (50%) and your skill (40%).
A regular fight for me, with myself on the main tank, is to
1) Let the tank take damage down to about 80% health (he should have enough aggro so you won't pull with your heals).
2) Cast a Divine Favor Holy Light spell which will proc Light's Grace.
3) Chain-cast Flash of Light 7-8 times.
4) Cast Holy Light before Light's Grace wears off.
5) Repeat 3 and 4. (Refresh Divine Favor every 2 minutes)
*With a mana pool of about 9k and Heal crits at 25% (free heals), I'll last about 6min of constant healing this way before I'm OOM. When I do get to OOM, I'll usually blow my Imp LoH to give our tank an extra 30% armor while I regain mana.
That's the job of this Pally as MH. Try it and let me know how it works for ya.