How is Merc healing compared to others?

[Anadros]

I was wondering how is the Merc healing ability when spec'd for it compared to classes like the sorcerer? Also as a side note. How is Merc pure DPS compared to others such as Marauder? Thanks.

[cashogy_reborn]

for PvP or PvE?

[Bmilwip]

Mercenary healer in PVE:

 

We have a stigma attached to us that we are the least viable however i don't think that is the case. The class is very versatile at burst healing single targets up and excel at healing tanks. We are able to do some nice AOE healing with Kolto missile (Kolto pods) + Kolto jets. Our sustained healing is not as high as that of the operative and our AOE healing does not compare to that of the sorcerer, but we are very competent and viable .

 

I really enjoy the challenge of this class, something i find lacking in other classes. I also like the play style of this class in PVP. I would recommend this build for pve merc healing: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#300rfMRR0cdkfGzZMccZb.3

 

Mercenary healer in PVP:

 

We are viable, but operative and sorcerer are better, partly due to the ability to do more healing and partly due to their utility. Merc's can survive quite well but in a serious ranked environment we are not the best choice by far. I can see a merc healing in voidstar defense then switching DPS on the attack being the most likely place you would see a merc healer competitive ranked. In normal warzones we are fine. I would use this build: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#300rfMRRdsdkfhzZMcc.3

[DarthBloodloss]

Mercs can heal great in flashpoints......its easy to hit everyone with the AoE heal. In 8-man ops, it doesn't quite work as well (the AoE part).

[Rambeezy]

Mercs can heal great in flashpoints......its easy to hit everyone with the AoE heal. In 8-man ops, it doesn't quite work as well (the AoE part).

 

The first half is right second half completely false.

 

Our aoe ticks for 3 seconds on everyone within range and has a 6 second cd. That means our aoe can tick on 16 people for 50% of every fight. Oh and our damage barrier from super charged kolto missile can be up on everyone in the raid as well. The only thing we may need in the future is some more heat. But if they give us to much heat, I fear we may become too over powered. IMO we arent that hard to play, every merc healer should be following a few set of rules though. Most importat rule, never rapid scan back to back. Healing scan-rapid scan- rapid shots- rapid scan is fine though. The other 2 rules I follow are never getting above 30% heat and use vent heat if i get above 50% heat. Rapid scan is great but it uses 25!!! heat without the reduction buff. Don't burn up using raid scan, kolto missile off cd is your bread and butter.

[DarthBloodloss]

The first half is right second half completely false.

So the completely false part is that the AoE doesn't work as well in a raid scenario?

 

You must have an AoE template that covers the entire zone because I don't see how your 10m AoE can work equally well with 8-man when its standard practice for the entire raid party to not be all stacked.

 

No...you're right. Its completely false and the AoE hits all 16 people spread out across the zone.

[Rambeezy]

Well considering its 15 meters and not 10, I'd still say this idea of kolto missile being anything less than brilliant at anytime in this game is dumb. Edited July 14, 2013 by Rambeezy

[Snapsix]

Indeed kolto missile properly talented is the dog's ding-a-lings...

 

Merc healing is pretty awesome, their single target is great; you have a bubble that autoheals on taking damage, an armor buffing hot heal that makes your nice fat heal that crits like a truck cheaper, and an oh shhiiit no resource cost instaheal - add to that an amazing aoe heal that hot and buffs subsequent heals and can add a damage reduction buff to everyone in the aoe...another self centred aoe heal (talented) for those stack on me moments and a free spamable heal that charges up a super heal buff...plus a cheap cleanse, great aoe dps, a cc, a stun and a JAWA TANK for soloing...what more do you want????

Edited July 15, 2013 by Snapsix

[LadyKohastFel]

Merc healing is extremely viable for flashpoints and it is how I clear my weekly FP quest in less than an hour. I got sick as hell waiting 8 hours per pop as a DPS, so I respeced and learned how to heal.

 

But for raids an arsenal spec is far more effective for contributing to the chance of the raid succeeding, the bodyguard spec is ok for healing and can do the job, but I can do a lot more good as a DPS that can throw out some emergency healing and combat reses.

 

In short you can be an acceptable healer, or an excellent DPS and most raid leaders would prefer you to be excellent rather than just acceptable.

[Rambeezy]

Merc healing is extremely viable for flashpoints and it is how I clear my weekly FP quest in less than an hour. I got sick as hell waiting 8 hours per pop as a DPS, so I respeced and learned how to heal.

 

But for raids an arsenal spec is far more effective for contributing to the chance of the raid succeeding, the bodyguard spec is ok for healing and can do the job, but I can do a lot more good as a DPS that can throw out some emergency healing and combat reses.

 

In short you can be an acceptable healer, or an excellent DPS and most raid leaders would prefer you to be excellent rather than just acceptable.

 

Considering the world first NiM TFB and NiM S&V clears had a merc healer, id call ********.

Edited July 15, 2013 by Rambeezy

[Bmilwip]

We are completely viable, even in the hardest content.

[CommanderKeeva]

We are completely viable, even in the hardest content.

 

In my humble experience healing as a merc is more difficult than healing as either of the other two classes but purely owing to resource management. My merc has some Heat issues in extended fights, especially if lots of big heals are required after each other. I can get away with managing my resources as an operative or sorc without really paying attention but as a merc I always tend to watch my heat bar.

 

The class is viable, no doubt about that, but it's probably the most difficult to master due to Heat considerations. But that's just my experience anyway, maybe others never have Heat issues.

Edited July 15, 2013 by CommanderKeeva

[Bmilwip]

In my humble experience healing as a merc is more difficult than healing as either of the other two classes but purely owing to resource management.

 

Indeed mercs resource management is the worst of all the three healers, but at the same time it provides the challenge others simply lack

[Dominoris]

Indeed mercs resource management is the worst of all the three healers, but at the same time it provides the challenge others simply lack

 

Well, yeah; but then with a sorcerer it takes some serious effort and calculated misuse of talents to become resource starved

Edited July 19, 2013 by Dominoris

[KeyboardNinja]

Mercs definitely have the most challenging resource model due to the burstiness of their heat building phases. However, their cost/regen vs output ratio is almost identical to an operative's, which is a pretty good place to be.

 

I have all three healers at 55 and I've healed through serious content with all of them (including NiM TfB on my commando). Frankly, I like merc healing the best. I feel much less potent in the area of raid healing than the other two, with the exception being burst AoE (Kolto Missile and Jet Boost are booth much better than what the other healers can manage). However, my single-target heals are absolutely stellar. Kolto Shell is vastly underrated, but it's really the cast time and cost on the Healing Scan > Rapid Scan combo that does it. Operatives come closest to matching that burst, but even they fall far, far behind. Sorcs have absolutely nothing which even competes.

 

Merc numbers are definitely lower than the other two healers. However, I find that merc healers are generally better at keeping a single target up in the face of extremely high damage. Hilarious anecdote… We were doing an alt run of TfB HM and were on the final boss. We pulled the boss just as one of our tanks had a sudden DC. I had to kite spit while our two DPS arranged themselves around the tentacle and acted as designated tanks. Since only one of them was taking damage at a time, I was able to keep them up the whole time. Merc healers have no trouble at all keeping a tank alive on Thrasher, so long as they don't have to split time with raid healing, and that alone makes them valuable enough to bring.

 

Overall, Merc healers are in a fantastic place for PvE, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. My ideal healer comp for most 8 man bosses is still Sorc+Merc, and Op+Merc for fights requiring mobility or spread positioning (e.g. Dread Guard).

[PhatMcMuffins]

PVE they are golden. Great single target heals for a tank and kolto missile works nicely

 

PVP is much more of a challenge than the other two classes. Rarely do mercs/mandos put up the same numbers as the other healing classes. lay right they are still viable but will most likely have less output than an equally skilled op or sorc. I've been practicing on my mando healer and I'm figuring out the little nuances of it. Its a challenge but if you take the time, you will see your numbers and value increase

[mindriot]

Indeed kolto missile properly talented is the dog's ding-a-lings...

 

Merc healing is pretty awesome, their single target is great; you have a bubble that autoheals on taking damage, an armor buffing hot heal that makes your nice fat heal that crits like a truck cheaper, and an oh shhiiit no resource cost instaheal - add to that an amazing aoe heal that hot and buffs subsequent heals and can add a damage reduction buff to everyone in the aoe...another self centred aoe heal (talented) for those stack on me moments and a free spamable heal that charges up a super heal buff...plus a cheap cleanse, great aoe dps, a cc, a stun and a JAWA TANK for soloing...what more do you want????

 

This. ^^^ Mercs are in a really good place right now , and the funny things is we are underplayed. Take your bodyguard healer into an 8 man and show em how it's done. The stigma is wrong, and don't let anyone tell you any different. Merc healing is awesome . Once you get the hang of your rotation, and when to supercharge , the lass really comes into it's own. And on top of it, dps is really good right now too. And you don't see a thousand of us like ops, and sorcs

[NeNiMel]

Indeed mercs resource management is the worst of all the three healers, but at the same time it provides the challenge others simply lack

 

I too really like how the mechanics works for the mercenary healer, because it provides a challenge in resource management that I find missing in the other classes. The thing about the heat ressource is that you are really gonna learn how to optimize a rotation, so you can heal a lot for a minimum of ressources.

 

Another thing I like about the mercenary is that it is quiet mobile for small periode at the time, because it have so many instant cast heals

 

Besides that I believe that the mercenary is just as good a healer as sorc and operativ, especially after 2.0 where the mercanary have gotten a huge boost to the healing talent ( for example kolto missile and kolto shell). Of cause as a mercenary you will never beat a sorc in total healing done, but I find that you can easily get a higher EHPS than most sorc players or operativs for that case.

[SuspectDown]

In my humble experience healing as a merc is more difficult than healing as either of the other two classes but purely owing to resource management. My merc has some Heat issues in extended fights, especially if lots of big heals are required after each other. I can get away with managing my resources as an operative or sorc without really paying attention but as a merc I always tend to watch my heat bar.

 

The class is viable, no doubt about that, but it's probably the most difficult to master due to Heat considerations. But that's just my experience anyway, maybe others never have Heat issues.

 

^ This.

 

SWTOR is my first MMO as a healer, and I went Merc. I really enjoy the class, but during 55 HM's I have a hard time keeping up in big, really long fights if more than one person is taking damage. I've learned Kolto Shell + free tech healing is key, but when the **** hits the fan and everyone is taking damage, kolto missle, some single heals, repeat really eats up the heat.

[Ansalem]

merc heals are pretty excellent especially when it comes to tank healing. The only problem Ive ever noticed with merc heals is heat management. They really could use some help in that department because in those long or super bursty fights it can really drain the heat quite fast and rapid shots healing is like trying to put a bandaid on a severed leg. Hopefully bioware improves heat management/regenration for merc heals soon.

[Petvin]

I think that rapid scan in particular could use a cost reduction.

Maybe cost 20 or so?

Edited August 5, 2013 by Petvin

[Bmilwip]

I think the rapid scan cost is fine and along with the heat cost of all other abilities. I think with rapid scan being reduced to 20 heat it would make heat to easy as don't forget critical efficiency reduces the cost of your next rapid scan my 8. a Rapid scan cost 12 heat and while in your supercharged gas could be considered to powerful as you could basically spam the HS>RS rotation alot longer. However i would like to see something attached to the emergency scan heal. As it stands is just a free and instant rapid scan basically and as a end tier talent seems rather bland. I would like an additional component to be added to it maybe the following:

 

 

1. Casting emergency scan also grants you X amount of supercharge gas stacks.
   
2. Casting emergency scan makes your next rapid scan cast twice as fast.
   

 

I would prefer option 1 because it would add a additional way for us to get our supercharge gas and we can use that to regulate our heat better and maybe push out more healing overall as Supercharged gas does dissipate 8 heat when activated.

 

My reasoning behind the second option, is that while it does not help with heat to a great extent it provides us with a fast high heal every 18 seconds (dependent on 4 set). This could be useful in clutch situations where a tank drops really slow and you do the ES>HS>RS quick burst rotation.

 

i did contemplate emergency scan leaving a hot on the target, however this would be a copy of the proactive medicine talent and could just lead to over healing.

Edited August 6, 2013 by Bmilwip

[DarthBloodloss]

They need to splash in some more HoTs somehow for PvP

[cashogy_reborn]

I would like to see Rapid Shotheal you as well as your target (obviously heal you for less), critical hits on Rapid Shot heals regen some ammo (give the effect a small lockout timer, like 3-6s), Kolto Shell to be able to be placed on more than 1 target, and for Emergency Scan to somehow be able to be used more often (maybe a proc system).

 

Ive been playing heals in RWZ lately, and have actually been doing decently (have actually had top heals a couple of times). Its definitely a lot harder to do well with than the other healing classes though.

[Cody-licious]

Ive been playing heals in RWZ lately, and have actually been doing decently (have actually had top heals a couple of times). Its definitely a lot harder to do well with than the other healing classes though.

 

I just wonder how much of that is down to the fact that Merc healing isn't your primary spec. If for example, I dip in and out of a variety of DPS classes, I don't expect to be able to perform at the highest level, since I'm always going to be a little rusty on keybinds, rotations, resource management, etc.

 

However that's not to say that Merc heals in PvP are perfect at the moment. It's a difficult AC to play at the best of times, I'll admit, which is only made all that much harder with that great big Mercernary target slapped on our foreheads that melee DPS love to see.