Is trying to level with a heal spec a bad idea?

[TheToony]

I rolled a commando. He's still quite low level but I'm perceiving a possible issue with trying to level as a healer. Jorgan pretty much sits on his thumbs and doesn't do much, and as such doesn't draw aggro (I'm aware he's not a tank). As such enemies just dogpile on me and never even pay attention to my companion. Now, this doesn't make fights unwinnable (though I'm certain they'd be easier if I was DPS specced) but it has me wondering....why try leveling as a healer? I never have much need to use my heals except for on myself, and my companion never needs healing because he's never attacked. So I could pretty much just respec to the DPS tree and solo twice as fast and twice as easy.

 

 

I guess my question is, is there a redeeming factor to leveling up like this? Does it get better when I get my tank companion? Should I just go DPS until I get my tank and then switch to healing or should I just level as a DPS and switch to healing at 50?

[Chris_G]

I think leveling as a healer is fine. For hard fights order Jorgan to attack first so he builds up aggro before you join in. Your third companion is a tank and it does make things easier.

[Areka]

Leveling as healer is totally fine. I was using Jorgan up to level 30 and we had no trouble. I'd use him as bait against Elites, and against other enemies he would DPS and I'd alternate as needed.

 

With the tank companion, less worries about aggro (and by then, or close to it, you will get a skill to reduce yours).

[Stilgarr]

Levelled as healing in beta and doing it on live too and not had a single problem yet.

 

Best thing to do if you can though, blitz through your class quests on Nar for your tank companion. Then go back for the rest.

 

But, and tbh it's a chunky one. Kit him out. Either get stuff from the GTN, use Cybertech if you have it or make buddies with one. He is far more gear reliant than the others ( or at least from what I noticed) but keeping him upto date will pay off big time.

 

Enjoy solo'ing most 2 heroics and the rare elites while others wait for groups

[Picklefinger]

I agree with everyone else. I'm also leveling up my commando healer spec and it's super easy. It's probably one of the easiest classes to solo with due to the combination of heavy armor, healing and a ton of aoe attacks.

 

When you get to boss encounters, just pop supercharge cells and melt him down with about 6 or 7 charged bolts.

[Prophetik]

This is one of the few games where leveling as a healer is totally doable. Combat Medic + M1-4X tank companion + Cybertech = great leveling.

[Soshla]

Levelled as healing in beta and doing it on live too and not had a single problem yet.

 

Best thing to do if you can though, blitz through your class quests on Nar for your tank companion. Then go back for the rest.

 

But, and tbh it's a chunky one. Kit him out. Either get stuff from the GTN, use Cybertech if you have it or make buddies with one. He is far more gear reliant than the others ( or at least from what I noticed) but keeping him upto date will pay off big time.

 

Enjoy solo'ing most 2 heroics and the rare elites while others wait for groups

Is it more important to upgrade his weapon or his armors?

[Ceranos]

Having leveled my main as a Combat Medic from the start (now lvl 36), I'd say it's not only viable, but quite easy as well. As others have pointed out, having your companion attack the mobs first to draw initial aggro helps a lot more than you'd think. In lower levels, before getting our ranged tank, I had Jorgan attack one mob, Sticky Grenade another weak mob in the pack for the CC, and Full Auto a third one. That way, you can easily handle packs of four- five weak mobs very fast and safely.

 

After Nar Shadaa, having the M1-4X geared turns most content into easymode (Pay attention to the underlined part, an undergeared droid's health drops way faster than it should I think).

 

On a sidenote though, right after Nar Shadaa is a good point to start grouping up a bit if you have guildies or friends at about the same level. I can honestly say that running around Tatooine and Alderaan as a full squad with a Shield Specialist Vanguard, a Tactics Vanguard and a Gunnery Commando, completing quests and killing any other group with red nameplates above their heads, was by far the best fun I had so far!

[jonathanchef]

Levelled as healing in beta and doing it on live too and not had a single problem yet.

 

Best thing to do if you can though, blitz through your class quests on Nar for your tank companion. Then go back for the rest.

 

But, and tbh it's a chunky one. Kit him out. Either get stuff from the GTN, use Cybertech if you have it or make buddies with one. He is far more gear reliant than the others ( or at least from what I noticed) but keeping him upto date will pay off big time.

 

Enjoy solo'ing most 2 heroics and the rare elites while others wait for groups

 

I am Scavenging/Armstech/Slicing... will I be able to buy everything I need from the GTN to upgrade my tank pet once I get him (I'm lvl 18 now...) I hve hella money now (already have over 25k at lvl 18).

[bigcfromrbc]

Been heals the whole time and had no trouble.

[Corran]

trooper gets their tank pet rather late. yo get m1-4x who is good but because he's ranged he not only doesnt get in there, he seems to not have much in the way of aoe threat

 

once yo get tanno vik and gear him (strip elara imo if you've been using her) it's all over. get him a sweet vibroblade and gear him up. he has abilities identical to the sorceror/sage starting tanks and he's really tough. also if you are playing a darkside trooper he's the easiest to keep happy.

[Fsixknight]

I'm leveling as a pure healer as well. Currently 39.

 

On a sidenote, I'm doing every planet, every quest in order as I want to experience the full story. This means that I'm usually doing content 4-6 levels below my own level. So far I have done half of the 4 man heroic quests solo. (whenever I cant find a group).

It takes a lot of time but it's very doable with crowd control and then keeping Jorgan alive while he tanks and kills the elite mobs. Just take out the standard and strong mobs first to reduce incoming damage.

If you are doing content around your own level then a tanking companion might be more useful.

 

I'm using Jorgan as my "tank" because I'm armormech and it's quite easy to keep him in decent gear.

Off course, if you are cybertech then you can make full use of 4X once you get him.

Edited December 27, 2011 by Fsixknight

[Kwigongibb]

I am currently level 36 CM, and have used Jorgen the entire time leveling. I am able to solo Heroic 2's and any Champion's I have come across. It almost feels like cheating because you just run a pretty standard healing rotation (MP, AMP, MP, HSx3) on Jorgen and if it gets bad use his defensive cool down. I haven't come across any content that I haven't been able to solo but I don't even bother with the Heroic 4's because it would be such a huge time sink even if you do complete it.