I’ve had few runs with tanks, usually DH, that jumps into packs and flops over super fast. I pre-hot with LB, two Rejuv, and CW. However, they leap so far ahead I’m scrambling to catch up to them, and then before I can even Swiftmend they’re dead.
This is the second season in a row I’ve really wanted to play Rdruid because I’m having a lot of fun, but get frustrated by this type of thing and question if I should choose another healer.
I enjoy healing, and really enjoy my druid, but find these moments to be frustrating and embarassing.
Thanks for any info.
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You didn’t mention it in your post but in case you aren’t already you can use Ironbark on them too.
Depending on the dungeon/key level you’ll sometimes be partied up with tanks that don’t understand they have to use defensives preemptively. Sometimes this is because they can get away with not using defensives at all during easier content. Sometimes it’s because they’re genuinely unfamiliar with the dungeon
I use the OmniCD addon to track defensives in a dungeon, and if I see the tank dies or is losing hp rapidly without pressing defensives I know that it’s not my fault and/or that I’ll have to baby the tank for the dungeon.
The best thing you can do is find a tank you are confident can take care of themselves (excluding stuff like the Corridor Creepers in Darkflame Cleft which obliterate tanks even when you’re dispelling on cooldown). Add them as a friend and run keys together. Having a partner you can rely on will make the game more fun and increase the level of content you can do
I played Resto Druid, in DF S3 (and really liked it) and I have experimented with them ever sense. But if you are running with the wild ones, I find that the healing kit does not have the emergency fixes that groups you don’t know sometimes need.
If you find that you need or want to run with such groups and you don’t want 10K APM, (here is looking at you Resto Shammy), and you want to have the range to reach runners, (assuming that you don’t want to run with the pack, 'cause if you do, then Mistweaver Monk is something to look at), then you might look at Priest.
I have found that the Holy version, with the current buff, has the healing tools for runners.
And, if you are in a group you know, Disc Priest is solid.
As the other poster said, running with known groups is the best healer option right now.
As a rule of thumb, if the tank falls over it’s not your fault.
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If a DH is actually jumping into packs instead of infront or just near them and leaving you in the dust without cooldowns up theyre just doing it wrong, every good DH knows jumping into packs is how you get insta-gibbed cause they cant dodge or parry any mob behind them and thats like half their non-cooldown mitigation. Good tanks also know how much they can tank without a healer and will pace themselves appropriately, so youre back in range to spam them right around when their defensives fall off.
Outside of that good positioning on your end can help, if you know the route and arent going to pull more you can position yourself that way early. Layering up hots is good, saving natures swiftness for a chunky regrowth can also save them if timed well. Cenarion ward with VI extension and the garunteed bloom from wildstalker last quite awhile and heals a ton, especially with other hots so thats an option to pre-apply if theyre extra zealous. Cat dash or deer leap to catchup of theyre moving over lots of terrain between packs but damage isnt going out til they stop.
But outside of specific heal checks and tank busters if the tank is dying its not really on you.
If a tank you’ve pre-rolled with ward, 2 rejuvs, and an LB runs out of range and immediately melts, it’s not because you’re a Restoration Druid. It’s because your tank doesn’t know how to use the tanking spec.
Honestly, that setup plus Ironbark is god-tier. Throw in a SoF Swiftmend + Wild Growth and Flourish after he starts getting wailed on, and he is literally immortal while the ward ticks. The only thing more foolproof is wings/cheat death…and trust me, ours is better.
I heal a VDH main tank right now with a Restoration Druid, both in raid and in M+.
He doesn’t melt.
Melting tanks who haven’t over-pulled for their gear (or the healer’s gear)…are just not using their damage mitigation correctly.
The only other explanationI can think of is that you were trying to heal a VDH in Cinderbrew Meadery’s first room and nobody was CCing the mobs effectively.
NO TANK can survive more than like 5-6 stacks of the bleed in that room, and no healer can keep one up at a difficulty-appropriate gear level through more than like 6-7 stacks. I don’t care how good the tank and healer are…the mobs in there have GOT to be controlled or the tank will melt and you’re gonna chain wipe.
This.
Since you specifically mentioned DHs, it’s because they’re fotm re-rollers.
When a DH jumps into group(s) like that, they’re not aware of the damage they’re taking from behind that can’t be dodged, parried, or otherwise. So they’re taking full damage.
And I see whelptress already covered that so i’ll stop talking now lol
^^That.
I have the privilege of playing with some DH’s who’ve been playing the class a long time. This is not a VDH problem. It’s a fotm re-roller who’s good at the Prot Twins and hasn’t figured out that he’s bad at DH’ing.
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I appreciate all the replies and suspected it was likely the tank. First pull with a DK I’ll add ironbark as well because they can have a rough time before they get rolling.
One of the times was Cinderbrew, and the other was priory. Whenever a VDH starts leaping ahead like that I always have a moment of panic. So many dk jump straight into the middle, so I do think I they may not know what they’re doing.
Glad to hear it isn’t my Druid. Been having a lot of fun with him.
A good/geared tank doesn’t need much healing
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A DH pulling should always immediately Fel Dev for the mitigation. It’s the tank who makes the mistake if they fall over on pull. Not yours.
I never walk into a pull without a defensive rolling on Bear.
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There’s a point where the tank needs to be mitigating damage on big pulls. It’s not your job to carry them through massive pulls while they ignore their own cooldowns.
When I’m on my tank, I can usually manage large pull with my own cooldowns and don’t require the healers until mine start to fade, or if it’s a MASSIVE pull.
They also need to be using some kind of damage mitigation while they build up their defenses (if they’re a spec that does that). Guardian Druid for example is vulnerable until they have iron fur stacks rolling. So the initial pull they need to cover with barkskin or something.
It’s not always the healers fault when the tank dies. Sometimes they aren’t managing their cds properly to give you the chance to heal them.