PvP As A Healer...Need Help

[Skaterjoec55]

Already well after watching the WoW Tournaments of 3v3 Arena during BlizzCon, I got inspired to start PvPing and will soon start looking for a Arena Team when Arena will be avaliable. But what I am asking is what should a resto druid know about PvP? What spells should I keep handy on my action bar (I currently have Entagle Roots, Barkskin, Natures Grasp, Natures Swiftness, Cyclone, and all my healing abilities.)? Also what should I be gemming my PvP gear with? And how exactly do I heal during PvP? It is getting quite frusturating when the opposing faction gangs up on me. Do I just make sure everyone in my area has HoT's? Should I also play offensively? Please help me because I really want to start grasping the concept of healing in BG's, and in the future Arena. Thanks for your help, I will see you on the battle ground, whether drawing blood or preventing its flow!

[Served]

The first rule of PVP healing is...you can't heal everybody.
The second rule of PVP healing is...you can't heal when you're dead (unless Holy Priest).
The third rule of ANY healing is...you are not the grantor of immortality; people die.

After learning those three rules, you can now start healing.

Heal yourself first and anybody else that you can; blowing alot of heals on a single pvp friendly is costly, since several other players could benefit from your attention.

PVP is situational healing...there is no right or wrong way...as long as you're healing. I think of PVP as a raid...the enemy has selected a target..that target has pvp aggro..keep them up if you can.

My opinion of course, many other more skilled people may differ

[Bashal]

I find cleansing is something you do much, much more often in PvP as a healer. If you have a talent or glyph that will heal a player that you have successfully cleansed, that will probably help loads.

[Skaterjoec55]

Yea I do find myself healing a lot, but sadly there is no glyph or ability or spec that allows me to heal the target that I cleansed. But thanks for the advice!

[Xiafar]

OK, I see more responses but not alot of answers. As Patch 4.0.1 Areana season has ended, so any information on Areana will have to be based on Patch 3.3. I can speak to BG's as a RESTO, ALOT HAS BEEN MADE OF LOSING TREE FORM, but truth be told in a BG it did two thing, both negative, it negated any offence, and two it put a HUGE bullseye on you. So losing it in PVP isnt the worst thing, but in true healing intensive fights pop to tree, or if CC'ed, to drop snares, CAT/BEAR can also be used but tree keeps you healing. REJUV, is still the spell, pop it quick and pop it often, its your first line of defence, try to always keep one on your self and rolling , as YOU WILL BE STUNNED/SILENCED/MOLESTED with every pet/demon/ghoul in the game. I live by the addage "if you see a priest in a BG kill it, if you see a Druid Healer CC till every thing else is dead then kill it". So REJUV is your life's blood, Swiftmend is your OH CRAP I might die button, along with Natures swiftness(NOTE if I use Natures swiftness I only use it with healing touch, bang for the buck). Wild Growth is a life saver of allies, but I cast it on my self and I anounce it at the begining of my BG's I want teamates to center around me, IE dont stray off to far from heals.
I use lifebloom on Allies that are getting hard hit and any Flag carriers, as they will usually be first targets till they figure out your there. (Note Flag Carriers, should never run away from the healers espcially if CC/Stunned) for "if the healer fate is sealed, yours is soon to follow" my quote. LOL Regrouth has taken the place of nourish for the speedy quick heal and you will cast it the second most, rejuv/regrowth(4.1 has a 6 sec HOT compared to a 29SEC in 3.3). I havnt found the niche for nourish in PVP. That covers the healing part, but a few words on survivability. THORNS ROCKS, use any time melee wont get off you, with a nice zap of moonfire, and of course barkskin. Barkskin can and should be used anytime this includes stuns. And Cyclone is a Druids best friend, but becareful as its one of only a few CC that cant be broken by fire, DONT CYCLONE enemies that are activly being engaged, your teamates will go bannana's over it, (5 combo poins into a rogue/druid and they will lose their minds). I use Cyclone for the guy way off in the distance thats healing away or a mage that is casting arcane blast, Cast it and when its about to go off cast again if its still unattended. I also use it as a wake up call in a BG if say a few folks are after one toon and the healer is hiding and healing it, IE we are in a stale mate, I call it the blood in the water manuver, I will Cyclone their target so they see the healer and then go after it, then cyclone the DPS again till the healers is down, then they will pop the DPS. As far as roots, this si great for Flag events or while on board a siege, root them, and leave them, roots with no damage takes a long time to get out of, and is highly effective if your teammates dont break it, great for taking down the numbers to your favor. Also one last tip, a tanking trinket like the corroded key can be your ultimate savior, the Stam helps you survive yeah you lose some SP for that big heal but live by the alot of little heals fast, and if your in Dire need POP it for 6k plus of damage mitigation( I also have a black heart that I will hot swap as it just procs every 45 sec I believe) a 2 min CD so you need to monitor it and use it , say when a Rogue gets you. Mine looks like this-rogue ambush, rej was up so i am healing, Barkskin, wait for kidney punch, trinket, corroded key,thorns, turn and moonfire, rej,swiftmend,wild growth, about this time rogue will curseOP druids and vanish! And usually try again. Ferie Fire him 3 times/rej/siftmend/moonfire, natureswiftness healing touch, rogue si now usually dead, and he will tell his friends that A warrior killed him, cause nobody ever dies from a "tree"! I hope this helped.

[Xiafar]

Oh, sry My toons name is Xiabear of Cairne server, I am in Full Relentless with spaterings of wrathful gear in the Extra slots, also full Relentless in Feral, but changed to Boomkin in 4.0.1(if you cant beat them join them), just a test phase. I have Wrathful wepon on kitty, but not on Resto as of yet.

[Edgar]

HOLY JESUS TEXT WALL ABOVE ME!

Hey.

The answer to the question to what you should know is: Everything. The more you know the better you can react to things. It's a shitty answer but it's true. You need to know your enemies abilities, your partners abilities, when to use your abilities, when to ask for help and when you're fine. Bind your abilities to your keys, use the mouse to turn the camera and don't use S to walk away from opponents (learn to strafe using Q/E). Learn to use focus frames. What's also good to know as a druid is offensive cycloning. It is acceptable to cyclone a target that is being focused in order to stop incoming heals on it, be careful in BGs though. People are dumb.

The abilities are fine so far. I would add hibernate (for those shamans and druids that are not using focus ) and maybe make a couple of macros for NS+Large Heal (forgot the name, sorry) as pressing NS and then the heal takes more time and can cost a mates life. NS Cyclone is good too.

You gem mostly Int, maybe some Haste. Time will tell when were in S9.

Spread your hots, cast nourish when needed, watch out for Warriors, Rogues, Ferals or Paladins running up to you as they're likely to try and kick that cast. Don't stand next to them when healing, focus kick can be deadly for the person being healed.

If the situation allows it, sure, be as offensive as you can be. Starfire some nerds.

[soulbound]

I Heal as disc in bgs and in arena. I love it (pre-patch). I cant really wait for cata to drop so pvp will become "balanced" again. As it stands now, bg'ing on my disc priest isnt very fun, at all.

One tip that ive picked up that is applicable here- go into menu, keybinds> unbind the "target nearest enemy" and sellect "target nearest friendly player". set it for "tab". very pro, if i do say so myself.

[Reev]

For healing friendly players in Range, having Grid or another raid healing frame that tells what allies are in range is quite helpful. Then you don't need to tab to nearest friendly.

[soulbound]

I actually prefer to target so i can always know who is around me. If I am defending or going with the zerg, i always ellect to heal the closest person to me... well, because i plan to use them as my meat shield. Im not worried about XX player on Grid that is just out of range. If he isnt peeling, im not healing him.

but it comes down to play style and class. Im not really spec'ed for raid-wide heals. My goal is to keep a couple people alive. I use tab target for that so i can physically see whos taking incoming dmg. Not only that, I really cant stand clucnky addons on my screen in bgs and arena. I like to view the entire scope of the field.

[Reev]

Well Grid lights up just the people who are in range, so your problem is solved. It'll just be the people immediately around you who are lit up.

[soulbound]

Well Grid lights up just the people who are in range, so your problem is solved. It'll just be the people immediately around you who are lit up.

to be honest, ive never tried any healing addons- maybe out of fear or annxiety that i wont understand them. i can see the benefit of these addons for healing raids. but in pvp i like to keep things simple. as a healer- i pvp vicariously though the meatsheilds around me. I like to become immersed in that. I think healing via an addon would break my immersion.

since we are talking about addons for pvp, i could use an addon to help me track CDs: not mine, but enemy CDs. is there such an addon?