Off spec healing...

"Smid" <smidscot RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7c80ba6a-7d6b-4c0d-a404-9f79f58c8805@s13g2000prd.googlegroups.com...
> I've got two level 69's, a feral druid and a shadow priest... The
> priest has stored up all those quest + AH heal gear having dmg and
> healing gear. The druid keeps tanking and dmg gear, but no healing
> gear.
>
> I've been asked to heal instances on the druid, but I will refuse (and
> offer the shadow priest as an alternative). The few times I've had to
> heal, I get the impression I'm out of mana so quick its barely worth
> it. Other times, on Ring of Blood quest, an off spec shaman was
> failing to heal my tank...
>
> How are the prot/ret paladins, feral/balance druids and non resto
> shamens when it comes to healing? I got the impression that Priests
> can heal out of spec, at least non heroic, but exactly how bad are the
> others? Even with a bunch of healing gear?
>
> Smid

I will not comment regarding shadow priest healing. I will reply with
regard to druid however.

Since Xpac the sweet spot for healing has been Holy Pally. Holy Priest is
viable.

In some cases a Resto druid can do the job, and if very well geared for
healing can handle more situations, but not all if healing solo (absent gear
way beyond the instance being run). Essentially all of the meaningful
healing of a druid in Xpac comes from the Resto tree talents supplemented by
gear. Great gear can supplement these talents but cannot replace them. As
a result, if a feral druid (who by definition lacks these talents) could
solo heal any Xpac instance effectively I would be utterly and completely
shocked. I have never seen or heard of it. (Albeit with gear far beyond an
instance odder things have been done... i.e. all priest group killing Ony
pre Xpac). If a feral could heal an instance, I would expect it would be a
feral druid with a remarkable healing set in a Hellfire Peninsula normal
instances or in a group where no one was taking any damage to speak of, e.g.
an advanced Tier set or Meta set group slumming an instance to farm or grind
something.)

Blizz beefed up feral toward (primarily) tanking in the Xpac. Indeed, feral
dru's (especially 'bear ferals') are very viable tanks. "Cat" drus are
decent at dps too. But a feral dru gives up viable level appropriate
(including instance progression) healing to do it, just as a Resto dru gives
up tanking ability to heal.

Bottom line... you should stick with your philosophy of not solo healing any
Xpac instance with your feral. Tank that shat!

Hope that Helps and Happy Hunting!

<ting.TakeThisOut@thsu.org> wrote in message
news:f129c37e-8bde-4e4a-9caa-add7c3d08916@e23g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> On Jan 31, 11:32 am, Catriona R <catrionarNOS....TakeThisOut@totalise.co.uk>
> wrote:
....
> This has been my experience too. I'm a feral druid with 1800 healing
> and 150 mp5 while casting, unbuffed. I can heal *everything* if I have
> a decent group.
>
....

> Knowledge really means, have you had to main heal before? Once you've
> done it a dozen times, it becomes old hat, and you can do it no matter
> what your spec is.
> --
> // T.Hsu

As an experienced Resto druid healer, I believe you are overstating. You
can heal "everything" as a solo healer? I sincerely doubt this.