Merc healing. I hope it gets better.

[Vizantir]

Hello BH forum-goers; I have a concern about my new Merc.

 

After healing a few Heroic 4s and a FP today on my level 19 Merc, I was frustrated so much at just how MUCH heat Rapid/Healing scan generates, I mean wow... I overheat like an oven with almost every pull.

 

I have a well geared 55 Operative as my main, and many people have remarked about my considerable skill at healing on that class.

 

However I just can get the hang of Merc heals.

 

Any advice would be very helpful

[Phrase]

Kolto missile early and often. Practice weaving rapid shots into your healing scan/ rapid scan rotation. Try not to use rapid scan back to back unless it's an emergency. Learn to manage SCG so you pop it during burst heal phases for the bonus, minor heat dump and healing scan spam.

[Vizantir]

Funny thing is that my rotation is just about exactly like the one you just described.

 

I try to manage my heat, but at the expense of mobs out-dpsing my heals. Thus I am forced to spam my scans until I'm overheated.

Edited September 19, 2013 by Vizantir
Grammar

[Michka]

Getting your top tier skill will help you some, it's on a long CD (21 seconds without set bonus) but it's heat free and instant cast heal, and using a global on that allowed heat to dissipate, plus followed with another rapid shots. Also you won't have your skill that makes your next ability cost no heat, which is good when you have to cast rapid scan twice in a row, so your heat doesn't get up too fast. It's on a long CD as well and I'm not sure what level you get it, but it helps. Try to never use 2 things that cost heat back to back unless absolutely necessary, rapid shots a lot, and kolto missile a lot. It's a very efficient heal, heals for a lot, and of course boosts the effectiveness of all subsequent heals. At level 19 you won't have the skill yet that makes healing scan reduce the heat cost of rapid scan, which is basically the "bread and butter" combo of the class, and will make you overheat far less often. Popping SCG makes you able to spam the healing scan -> rapid scan combo with no CD, and as long as you throw in a rapid shots every few heals while it's up, you can basically heal very hard without any worry of overheating.

 

Heat is a huge issue with the merc healing, it is a lot more work to do basically what an op can do far easier. It's a lot more of an unforgiving resource, and if you make a mistake, it is very very very difficult to come back from it. You will basically be playing catch up with heals in a bad heat zone unless you are healing with a good partner in a raid that can make up for your mistake while your heat dissipates. All you can do is just, as tempting as it is, continue to rapid shots as much as possible as filler even when it feels like you can't afford to at times. You often can get away with it more than you think. Staying in the good heat regen as much as possible will improve your output a lot, even though it feels like you're wasting a lot more GCDs on filler. It gets easier with practice to output lots of healing while still staying at a good heat level, but heat management is the main frustration of the class, and the main reason you don't see many merc healers around.

 

Your level right now is the main reason you are struggling, you just need more of the heat management skills that you'll get later on.

[Vizantir]

Getting your top tier skill will help you some, it's on a long CD (21 seconds without set bonus) but it's heat free and instant cast heal, and using a global on that allowed heat to dissipate, plus followed with another rapid shots. Also you won't have your skill that makes your next ability cost no heat, which is good when you have to cast rapid scan twice in a row, so your heat doesn't get up too fast. It's on a long CD as well and I'm not sure what level you get it, but it helps. Try to never use 2 things that cost heat back to back unless absolutely necessary, rapid shots a lot, and kolto missile a lot. It's a very efficient heal, heals for a lot, and of course boosts the effectiveness of all subsequent heals. At level 19 you won't have the skill yet that makes healing scan reduce the heat cost of rapid scan, which is basically the "bread and butter" combo of the class, and will make you overheat far less often. Popping SCG makes you able to spam the healing scan -> rapid scan combo with no CD, and as long as you throw in a rapid shots every few heals while it's up, you can basically heal very hard without any worry of overheating.

 

Heat is a huge issue with the merc healing, it is a lot more work to do basically what an op can do far easier. It's a lot more of an unforgiving resource, and if you make a mistake, it is very very very difficult to come back from it. You will basically be playing catch up with heals in a bad heat zone unless you are healing with a good partner in a raid that can make up for your mistake while your heat dissipates. All you can do is just, as tempting as it is, continue to rapid shots as much as possible as filler even when it feels like you can't afford to at times. You often can get away with it more than you think. Staying in the good heat regen as much as possible will improve your output a lot, even though it feels like you're wasting a lot more GCDs on filler. It gets easier with practice to output lots of healing while still staying at a good heat level, but heat management is the main frustration of the class, and the main reason you don't see many merc healers around.

 

Your level right now is the main reason you are struggling, you just need more of the heat management skills that you'll get later on.

 

Thank you very much for that extremely informative post.

 

With the Op, it's a cakewalk to manage energy. Heck, even with the Sorc, it's basically limited only by how much your health you have left.

 

A part of the problem is that I've been doing these heroics/FPs with shoddy "tanks" that don't tank. However I will stick it out for the higher level stuff.

 

Again, thank you for your help.

Edited September 19, 2013 by Vizantir

[schooch]

ammo management is super tight with mercs, plus it is hard to judge a class at lvl 19. Once you get lvl'ed and become proficient with it, the tight resources arn't to bad, I rarely run out of ammo anymore. But it take a while to get the hang of being perfect with your rotation, and managing your cool downs perfectly if you do have to over extend your ammo a bit.

 

Disclaimer, I am not saying the ammo resources are fine.

[BigDumbViking]

I found in leveling that Arsenal was much better at lower levels. Merc healing gets better later, but if you are comparing it to Ops... expect to work 100% harder to do 20% less healing.

[Strifegambit]

Do not worry to much, it will get better, as your tanks will also get tougher after more levels.

Heat management is tough early game, it will teach you how to heal so much more efficiently if you work hard at it now with the view to late game healing.

[Vizantir]

Lol I hope so.

 

Am foreseeing numerous occasions where I'll have to be the healer

[thecoffeecup]

I actually found merc healing very easy once I got Kolto Missile (level 20). I find it worth it even while leveling to go 2 points into Arsenal to get +20% healing on it.

[Phrase]

Funny thing is that my rotation is just about exactly like the one you just described.

 

I try to manage my heat, but at the expense of mobs out-dpsing my heals. Thus I am forced to spam my scans until I'm overheated.

 

Yeah. As others have said, Bodyguard doesn't really perform until 30 or so.

 

I'd use this build for lvl 19: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#300rdZ0c.3 mainly b/c the boost to vent heat and the Aim bonus to all heals. You also get the boost to rapid scan and healing scan while also giving Rapid Scan the ability to build CSC charges. You won't have SCG yet, but you'll still get the passive healing boost, which should help take a bit of the pressure off and let you use Rapid Shots a bit more frequently.

 

Your next two points ought to go into Iron Warheads for the Kolto Missile boost. Then get to SCG, Residue and Pods as quickly as possible. From there it should start getting much better for you.

Edited September 22, 2013 by Phrase