Effective Healer?

[kehatch]

I am planning on going Smuggler. I generally play the versatile classes (EQ and WOW Druids, etc) and this seems the closest. I also like the story implications of the class.

 

My question is how effective are the smugglers as primary healers? I usually play healer in MMOs and would like to do that here. Also, is a fully specced healer still viable for solo play?

 

Thanks!

[Zomeguy]

Well I only got to level 20 but my smuggler did just fine healing. I have seen several smugglers healing end game as well.

[SirArion]

Smuggler Scoundrels (and IA-OPs) fully specced into healing do very well. In fact we can solo some heroic/FP content solo.

 

Don't forget that you are never solo but have your companion, so they are tanking/dpsing while you heal and dps alongside them.

 

I had no problem main healing the on level heroics and FP I did from 10-37 but I must say that you don't get all your tools until about 30ish. So 10-20 was an uphill climb and 20-30 was great just adding new tricks to my toys.

 

Each of the healers have their own resource management thus their own styles so try not to compare them directly. For one, smugglers at later levels almost never run out of energy.

[kehatch]

Thanks for the information. I am definitely looking forward to playing the Smuggler. It is one of those rare games where I know exactly what I want to play. Normally I spend the first 3-months class jumping before I finally decide on a class.

[Eroiqua]

I had no problem main healing the on level heroics and FP I did from 10-37 but I must say that you don't get all your tools until about 30ish. So 10-20 was an uphill climb and 20-30 was great just adding new tricks to my toys.

 

I think this really needs to be emphasised. Don't get discouraged and respec due to what you see early on. At 20 you get your slow-release medpac and it just goes up from there.

 

In the betas I had some "***, how am I supposed to heal this" in the early flashpoints, and I can see how some people might get frustrated and discouraged. Thing is, almost all of the problems I had were due to team members not paying attention and not avoiding avoidable damage. Keep that in mind. Don't let others tell you that sawbones (or you) are bad at healing when it's not the case.

[Solantharius]

I have also seen Scoundrels heal hard mode FPs at 50 no problem at all so yes they are viable at endgame as well

[baribandgeek]

For the healer aspect of Smuggler, I have came up with this list. The list is based on the powers found in game during the Beta.

 

:sy_auction:Link to talents: Sawbone Spec

Heals:

• Diagnostic Scan - HOT
  
• Emergency Medpac - Instant - Needs upperhand
  
• Kolto Cloud - AOE HOT
  
• Kolto Pack - Instant - Needs upperhand
  
• Slow-release Medpac - Stacking HOT
  
• Underworld Medicine - Instant
  

 

Revive:

• Heartrigger Patch - Combat rez - 5 min
  
• Field Revive
  
• Revive
  
• Revive Companion
  

 

Purge of Status affects: Triage

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Based on these powers, I theorize that this class, at end game, will heal similar to Restoration Druids from Wow.

 

This means that you will use the HOTs to help heal a person through damage instead of healing after damage is done. There is at least one stacking HOT in the list and several instant heals ranging from small to major heals. So you have some 'oh *****' buttons just in case the tank is about to die.

 

The only party I am curious about is how the power management is when healing in this class.

[Griswel]

Excellent news! I appreciate all the answers to the OP and look forward to getting in, someday.

[Eroiqua]

The only party I am curious about is how the power management is when healing in this class.

 

The only time I had a problem with energy was when group members were taking avoidable damage. In one of the betas I ran with a group where the dps liked to stand in front of the final boss in Hammer Station and eat his frontal cone ability. That's not going to work.

 

In general, we have a few tools to help with energy management. We have Pugnacity, which IIRC lasts for 45 seconds but only has a 35 second cooldown (meaning you should always have it up). Pugnacity uses an Upper Hand (in higher levels it's pretty easy to proc Upper Hands) and returns a bit of energy to you every few seconds. We also have Cool Hand which gives 50 energy (58/66 with talents) every two minutes; I found I rarely needed this, but it was a very good oh s--- button when things went bad. Finally, Diagnostic Scan, when talented, returns energy on crits. After I reached those talent points I found myself using this quite a bit as a filler when my team wasn't taking loads of damage. On medium damage I would keep medpacs rolling, throw a direct heal here or there, and use Diagnosticn Scans as fillers. On light damage I would just keep people topped up with Diagnostic Scans and blow my energy on DPS.

 

All-in-all, you should not have to worry about energy management if the other group members are doing their parts...staying away from avoidable damage, CCing, and maybe throwing in an interrupt once in a while.

[schorseboy]

Heals:

Diagnostic Scan - HOT

Emergency Medpac - Instant - Needs upperhand

Kolto Cloud - AOE HOT

Kolto Pack - Instant - Needs upperhand

Slow-release Medpac - Stacking HOT

Underworld Medicine - Instant

 

This is just not correct

Edited December 14, 2011 by schorseboy

[csward]

I think this really needs to be emphasised. Don't get discouraged and respec due to what you see early on. At 20 you get your slow-release medpac and it just goes up from there.

 

In the betas I had some "***, how am I supposed to heal this" in the early flashpoints, and I can see how some people might get frustrated and discouraged. Thing is, almost all of the problems I had were due to team members not paying attention and not avoiding avoidable damage. Keep that in mind. Don't let others tell you that sawbones (or you) are bad at healing when it's not the case.

 

I enjoyed that about Essles in Beta. I was like "woah, WoW raid mechanics in low level dungeions? An actual challenge? Awesome" I guess they were in the Cata dungeons, but still, the majority of WoW bosses were snoozers..

[csward]

Speaking of which, Eroiqua, my biggest problem was getting my companion to avoid damage. I decided he was too dumb to do so, so I focused all my healing on my brother and let them die. Hopefully, companions will get some better AI in the future (unlikely).

[ManaKeKz]

For the healer aspect of Smuggler, I have came up with this list. The list is based on the powers found in game during the Beta.

 

:sy_auction:Link to talents: Sawbone Spec

Heals:

• Diagnostic Scan - HOT
  
• Emergency Medpac - Instant - Needs upperhand
  
• Kolto Cloud - AOE HOT
  
• Kolto Pack - Instant - Needs upperhand
  
• Slow-release Medpac - Stacking HOT
  
• Underworld Medicine - Instant
  

 

Revive:

• Heartrigger Patch - Combat rez - 5 min
  
• Field Revive
  
• Revive
  
• Revive Companion
  

 

Purge of Status affects: Triage

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Based on these powers, I theorize that this class, at end game, will heal similar to Restoration Druids from Wow.

 

This means that you will use the HOTs to help heal a person through damage instead of healing after damage is done. There is at least one stacking HOT in the list and several instant heals ranging from small to major heals. So you have some 'oh *****' buttons just in case the tank is about to die.

 

The only party I am curious about is how the power management is when healing in this class.

 

No. Nonono. Not at all. Maybe you mean the right thing, but your descriptions are way off.

 

• Diagnostic Scan - A 3 sec channeled heal, as opposed to "HoT" - HoTs are not channeled effects. Costs nothing and is pretty weak, by the way
  
• Emergency Medpac - Instant - Needs upperhand. Also costs no energy
  
• Kolto Cloud - AOE HOT. Ground target 10m aoe HoT on up to 4 targets. 30 energy
  
• Kolto Pack - Needs upperhand. 1.5 sec cast time, NOT instant. Maybe you meant direct heal. Costs 20 energy in addition to UH.
  
• Slow-release Medpac - Stacking HOT. Stacks twice, lasts 18 sec, 15 energy
  
• Underworld Medicine - 2 sec cast time, NOT instant. Costs 25 energy
  

 

So all in all, you have a single HoT you keep on the tank. The aoe HoT is too expensive to use unless you hit 3+ targets that actually need the healing.

Your main heals are UWM (2 sec, 25 energy, builds 1 UH) and EMP (instant, costs 1 UH). By just doing that rotation, refreshing your SRMP every 18 secs and channeling a DS when your energy is going near 60, you can go almost infinitely.

KC is situational in its use (as described above) and KP is rarely ever worth it. Does the same HPS as UWM, less HPM and consumes UH, which instead could be used for a free EMP.

 

So as far as I'm concerned, they play nothing like druids.

 

 

P.S: You were asking about resource management. Ground rules are:

 

- Keep up the Pugnacity buff. It costs 1 Upper Hand and gives you a 45 sec buff that increases your energy regeneration by 1/sec

- Stay above 60 energy, always. As log as you're at 60 or more energy, your regeneration is 5/sec (+1 from Pug, totaling to 6 energy each second). If you drop below 60 energy, your regeneration is reduced by 2/sec - you don't want that unless your fight is about to end or you absolutely have to

- Exception: If you need to burst, burst all the way down to 0 energy, then use Cool Head (restores 66 energy, 2 min CD) to get back above 60. Then continue as before

 

In order for your energy to stay above 60 it is imperative that you do not use more than 6 energy per sec in any long term rotations. If you alternate UWM with EMP, you spend 3.5 seconds healing and 25 energy. During 3.5 seconds you regenerate 21 energy, so you can keep going for a while and use a DS or your basic attack if your energy nears 60.

 

The difference can really be felt. I found healing so much easier if I pay close attention to my energy bar and never let it drop below 60.

Edited December 15, 2011 by ManaKeKz