Commando heals gimp?

[TangTsu]

Asking from honest ignorance here... Ive heard commandos ripped from quite a few people as being inferior healers. As I've never healed anything I have no way of comparing them. Our guild needs healers for endgame content, and I have no desire to level another smuggler since I already have a GS. Can commandos keep pace with scoundrels and sages when it comes to healing?

[Gyronamics]

I've been DPS since beta and only respecced to do healing last week (and back and forth -_-).

 

My healing partner has been a sage for the first 3 of EC HM (8man) and we did kephess with a scoundrel.

 

Wasn't some kind of cunning plan, our server is dead, anything that gets the raid going is fine.

 

Anyway, what the Sage AOE heal is good at is covering for players being clumsy, things like standing in "insert avoidable AOE damage here". Up to a point of course, they run flat of action points like every other healer when overloaded and then you gotta heal them up while they do that sacrifice thing (the irony).

 

Not 100% sure what a scoundrel is good at but if you want to keep a tank alive nothing beats a commando for crazy single target healing.

 

And on that note, if players know the fight then the damage they take is predictable and easily dealt with by a commando doing heavy single target healing or light (jesus beam) single target topping up throughout the raid.

 

Our AOE heal isn't that crap, I do about 1-3k per person instantly which is good enough for dropping on the melee clustered on a boss, then I can do that bit more healing on anyone taking spike damage because of the residue.

 

I don't think I'm a great healer, I've got accuracy and everything, I'm still a DPS doing offspec healing in my DPS gear.

 

And yet I can still heal through 8man EC HM.

 

I guess it's not that gimped after all.

Edited May 29, 2012 by Gyronamics

[Porvalsh]

Commando single target heals are great. The wheels start coming off though if they are expected to AOE heal in large amounts. Unfortunately, the Sage AOE heal is so great that I think people have gotten sloppy with their positioning during fights and their strategies to minimize extra damage to players other than the tank. They expect that if they can't do a HM or OP with a combat medic but can with a sage that the problem is the combat medic.

 

In actuality it may be their strategy or other aspects of the group dynamic.

 

For instance, in Maelstrom HM the other night was unable to heal through all the damage the group was taking on the first boss. This boss is supposed to be an easy tank and spank so naturally it was the healers problem. This boss will pull party members towards him and then do a 9k AOE. If your entire party gets hit by that there is no way you can heal through 36k damage before he repeats the skill. If your party makeup is all melee this encounter turns very hard, IMO.

 

They can help you by:

1.) Not running back into the fray after being kicked far away until AOE is expired.

2.) Burning defensives before the big AOE.

3.) Using personal med packs.

4.) Timing a "speed" boost so that people can possibly get far enough away to avoid the AOE.

 

Our team blew up, and we added a Gunslinger DPS. He stayed at range and never got hit by the AOE. This small change made us successful on the very first attempt.

 

Likewise, I've noticed that people seem reluctant to use basic techniques for reducing damage intake throughout a HM FP. For instance:

 

1.) Always using a CC when its available. Why not fight 4v2 as opposed to 4v3?

1b) Not breaking CC with dumb AOE attacks.

2.) Using stuns on appropriate mobs - stuns will work on a good number of mobs even up through some elites. Stuns will go a long way to reducing damage.

3.) All attacking the same mobs - team will take less overall damage by killing easy first and moving up through the hards assuming elites have been taunted by tanks. If two elites are being attacked, with DPS split between them, overall damage goes up because the mobs stay alive longer.

4.) Allowing the tank to tank (not pulling aggro off of him). DPS should adjust their output so they do not pull aggro off the tank. This is another reason to attack what the tank is attacking rather than going off of your own.

 

These small things in my opinion can lead your team to being more successful when rolling with a combat medic because the team damage style is aligned with that of the combat medic healers strength (single target heals) as opposed to his weakness (widespread aoe healing).

[Smashbrother]

Asking from honest ignorance here... Ive heard commandos ripped from quite a few people as being inferior healers. As I've never healed anything I have no way of comparing them. Our guild needs healers for endgame content, and I have no desire to level another smuggler since I already have a GS. Can commandos keep pace with scoundrels and sages when it comes to healing?

 

Commandoes are the weakest of the 3 healers right now, with scoundrel being very highly above the other two. We definitely have ammo issues now and cannot afford "baddies" in our groups that like to stand in aoe and take unnecessary damage.

[spookyBen]

Commando heals arent weak. Im a gunnery spec and in a blackhole daily, my group's healer got locked out by a forcefield summoning when the boss fight started, and then I off-healed our tank and none of us died.

[SvnStrSlm]

About to hit 50 on my commando and i am worried about ammo with healing. I try to hit amp then mp then kb then two ghostbuster beams. I try to save bacta for oh ***** obviously. Should i pop csc every stack of 30? I want to start healing raids but i dont want to let my guild down.

[Smashbrother]

Commando heals arent weak. Im a gunnery spec and in a blackhole daily, my group's healer got locked out by a forcefield summoning when the boss fight started, and then I off-healed our tank and none of us died.

 

Lol's it's a freaking heroic, big whoop. I've two manned that with healer companions.

[alterator]

in full columi i've solo healed (HMs) (to completion):

• Esseles
  
• T5
  
• MP
  
• D7
  
• Illum
  
• FE
  
• Li
  
• Kaon
  

 

At present, our guild has only got EV HM on farm, (myself and a full columi scoundrel as healers).

As long as you've got your rotation down pat, you can heal any FP, no problem.

 

I learnt all the basics from RuQu - http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=181529

I always go into a fight with a stim loaded and 30 stacks ready.

After the fight starts i'll pop SCC and kolto bomb for the shield then a steady rotation of MP, AP and HS, making sure i'm above 8-9 ammo and building up the 30 stacks again.

HS if you need to get back up to 8 ammo but don't just spam MP or you'll wipe.

If (excrement) starts to get serious, pop some cool downs.

If there's an enrage or hell breaks loose, pop relics, cool downs, SCC and mad MP/AP smashing.

 

We're not useless, we're just undervalued.

Team up with a scoundrel or sage for HM Ops and you'll be fine.

L2P and show those haters that CM's are as viable as any other healer.

Edited May 31, 2012 by alterator

[Gyronamics]

I always go into a fight with a stim loaded and 30 stacks ready.

After the fight starts i'll pop SCC and kolto bomb for the shield then a steady rotation of MP, AP and HS, making sure i'm above 8-9 ammo and building up the 30 stacks again.

HS if you need to get back up to 8 ammo but don't just spam MP or you'll wipe.

If (excrement) starts to get serious, pop some cool downs.

If there's an enrage or hell breaks loose, pop relics, cool downs, SCC and mad MP/AP smashing.

 

Not 100% behind you on the SCC use but why are you not using Bacta Infusion?

 

Also Tech Override/Reserve Powercell/MP combo for an emergency heal.

[alterator]

Not 100% behind you on the SCC use but why are you not using Bacta Infusion?

 

Oh its in there somewhere .

re: SSC I pop it if i'm confident that a) i wont need to emergency heal in the next (however long it takes to get 30 stacks) b) i'll need a shield to help with heals.

[Porvalsh]

You can solo heal many HM FP's in less than full columi - at the very least you can solo heal Taral V in PvP Recruit set although you need some geared buddies.

 

I've only got 3 pieces of Columi now and just healed through False Emperor hard mode and it was basically cake, especially Malgus. That guy barely does any damage until the end.

 

It helps to have a watchman sentinel using his group heal every 30 stacks when you're in a pinch. This offsets your AOE healing problem which can occur from sloppy teamwork or AOE intensive bosses.

[MidichIorian]

Decided to finally level my Commando to 50 the other day, it's been sitting on 44 for a good 4 months. Everything was fine until I started to encounter lvl 47 mobs on Voss. I had a rough time, the outcome of not having played aa commando for a long time and still wearing lvl 20-30 gear. I wanted to get some better gear but I couldnt find anything on GTN so I decided to re-spec as healer. Did that and played some warzones. Population is not big on the server so I ended up next to a scoundrel healer in every game. We we pretty even in heals the first couple of games but from game 5 and on I would consistently out-heal her, I believe it was a her, with a good 100K. Could have been a player skill issue or simply that commandos arent so bad after all.

 

I should add that I'm only healing by tab targeting, I'm not using the ops frame at all. OPs frames might be ok for a PvE boss, where you have LOS to everyone, but it sucks for pvp. I've heard that a lot, if not the majority, of healers use ops frames in PvP but it is IMO only giving them tunnel vision. Nor will they get a clear view of who they're actually healing or in what situation that person is. By scouting the field it's easier to prioritize instead of just throwing out random heals.

Edited June 2, 2012 by MidichIorian

[mdesiderio]

Want to know how I know commandos are gimp?

 

Because half of you are proud to be able to solo heal flashpoints and heroic missions

 

Those places were designed to be solo healed

[Chanamel]

They suck. Gear and skill being equal, sages are better and scoundrels are far better.

 

We have no mobility. We have no instant casts on a decent CD or no CD to get around interrupts. We have a single decent defensive CD.

 

When you can't Concussive Charge someone off a ledge or pop Reactive Shield (which isn't that great anyways), all you can do is try to stand there and heal-tank until you die. God help you if there is a talented marauder on you.

[Grayseven]

Having played a couple of different healers, I have to say that Combat Medics seem to be a hybrid healer/dps. Other healers have better overall healing but don't have the damage output potential of CM's. I'm sure there is a niche somewhere for CM's but at the moment it doesn't appear to be a needed niche.

 

Of course, I could just be making an excuse for the state CM's appear to be in right now...

[pureeffinmetal]

I love healing on my Trooper (much moreso than my Sorc). In no way do I feel gimp. Edited June 17, 2012 by pureeffinmetal

[The_Old_One]

I love all three healers.

 

But when it comes to resource management (i.e. Ammo in this case), I think Commando suffers a bit more than the others.

 

I hardly ever run out on my IA; occasionally with my Sorc; getting a bit more often with my Commando.

 

And when it is out, Commando seems to be the one that is harder to get back up again. However, I must add that, although you can use it on yourself, the ghostbuster beam is free - so as Diagnostic Scan, which helps to regain some resource back, and you can use it on yourself.

 

I would say that if the ammo management can get a little more forgiving, Commando would be perfect.

 

By the way, in WZs, I only see a Commando being able out-heals the other 2 classes once in a while.

Edited June 17, 2012 by The_Old_One

[Eillack]

Commando heal is crap sinse the nerf bat was swung against it. Thanks to the imps crying in pvp because they didn't know how to play...

[Draginelf]

Ok i play a scoundrel healer as my main healer but i also have a commando healer. All i can say is that commando at 50 with some gear is a lot better healer then when your leveling. So if you think a commando sucks at healing your just playing him wrong and not utilizing its mechanics right. and to another topic to answer YES a commando can use a blaster rifle same healing as a assault cannon tested in a hm both the same.

[Gyronamics]

Commando heal is crap sinse the nerf bat was swung against it. Thanks to the imps crying in pvp because they didn't know how to play...

 

Are you oblivious to the term "mirror class"?

 

Mercenary healers had the same changes

[NeverRose]

In terms of PvP, commandos are trash in competetive enviroment.

[The_Old_One]

Commando healers are not gimp in pvp. I have seen some good ones even though they are getting rarer these days.

 

They suffer more than the others in terms of resource management and mobility. Operative seems to be better because they do not suffer as much, or as apparent.

 

Sorc has similar problems too. But they can mitigate them by bubbles, 2 self-casting HoTs (one instant; one has casting time but you still get some healing done even though the casting is interrupted), 2 snares, 1 stun, 1 hold, force speed (for running away or to your friends), HP-sacrificing resource top up (not as good as Diagnostic Scan but it does fine with talents), and interrupt.

 

Commando has to make do with less.

Edited June 18, 2012 by The_Old_One

[Chanamel]

Commando healers are not gimp in pvp. I have seen some good ones even though they are getting rarer these days.

 

...

 

Commando has to make do with less.

 

These two sentences essentially self-refute your first.

[The_Old_One]

These two sentences essentially self-refute your first.

 

What are you on about?

[Trevalion]

I play a mando healer strictly for pvp.

I have had this discussion (about taking a mando healer into a ranked wz) and I am really on the fence about it. My initial reaction is, yeah taking a mando healer would be a waste of a slot. However, discussing this with others in my guild has given me new perspectives on it.

 

Straight up heal spec (31/10/0) I always get lower total heal numbers than the sage and scoundrels I run guild pre mades with, but when I offer to play a different role everyone always tells me no.

 

Here is why. I (in my WH gear) can tank 2 dps for a long time while still giving my dps partner enough heals AND extra dps to burn down THEIR healer and thus reduce their dps (ex: fighting on a node in alderaan or denova, tying up a door for voidstar, holding mid in huttball). If I have a tank partner with me, we can tank 6-8 people for about 30 seconds, sometimes quite a bit longer if the stars align and my cooldowns are up. I guess that the only utility I bring besides my healing is I have some significant dps and I am very tanky in my heal spec. AOE dps to pressure and single target to help focus/burst a called target (from range mind you, I can pop out from behind the pillar when the target is called and help burn them from 30 meters). Apparently people who team up with me like the tankiness and dps capacity.

 

The other thing that people tell me makes my lower heal numbers worthwhile is that a significant portion of my healing is single-target. This may actually seem like a downside, and it kind of is when I am solo healing a wz. Even though I am not getting the AOE heals, I am still putting up respectable (300k+) single target heals in an alderaan or denova. I have broken 500k once in voidstar. I know, those numbers seem pretty paltry when compared to the awesome heals of a scoundrel or sage. They are the main reason I choke when thinking about taking my mando into ranked as a healer. Raw numbers don't lie. The numbers at the end of the warzone all represent mitigation. Single target or AOE. BUT people do tell me that the single target heals keep them alive when the AOE heals just dont have enough umph to do it. I'ts hard for me to see it from where I am, but there it is.

 

Sure, I can die if focused by 3 people pretty fast unless I get a peel, but I have way more survivability than equally geared sages. That is good because I have to stand still to heal effectively.

 

Scoundrels are on par survivability wise, but for different reasons. They are incredibly mobile and can put out lots of heals while moving about.

 

TLDR : Commando can put out worthwhile single target healing in PVP and still brings good pressure and burst DPS to the table. Commando healers are hard to kill when well geared and working with a team.