Amma's Advanced Healing Guide

INTRODUCTION
In my basic healing guide, I covered the major healing abilities common to all the healing classes. In this guide I will cover auxiliary heals and advanced tactics. This is a work in progress, and more will be added over time.

CLASS-SPECIFIC FEATS
Each of the healing classes can gain additional healing abilities through feats. These abilities are unique to each class. This is not an exhaustive list, merely a selection of the best or most noteworthy abilities.

Bear Shaman
Rune of Regrowth: A feated ability granted in the Spirits tree, this is an additional HoT that heals in an area around the shaman for about the same amount as a green heal, but only half as often. Although the amount of healing is not great and the recast time is long, this is an excellent ability because it works with other heals and is easy to use.

Priest of Mitra
Lance of Mitra: This ability is granted at the very top of the Divinity tree, and can and should be buffed with several addition feats. Lance is, hands down, the best auxiliary heal in the game. It strikes every hostile target in a line between the caster and the selected target, and heals every friendly target near those struck. It has a quick recast time, does fair damage, and heals for over 300 points at level 80. On the downside, it consumes a large amount of mana.

Blessing of Mitra: Also available from the Divinity tree, this is not a heal but a channeled spell that causes the friendly target to do extra damage while gaining damage deflection (deflection being a percentage reduction to incoming damage of all types). Although not ideal for every battle, in some situations (such as tough boss fights), it is extraordinarily powerful. Since it is channeled, make sure that your HoTs are going before targeting your tank and using this spell.

Holy Cleansing: One of the final spells in the Divinity tree, this ability may seem limited in use. For a short time, it causes everyone in the group to heal from any poison or unholy damage taken. In many fights this is indeed useless, but in certain circumstances it can actually heal the entire party from almost dead to full health in a matter of seconds. Certain raid boss battles almost require this ability. Highly recommended.

Tempest of Set
Vital Shock: A simple damage spell that heals friendly targets near the enemy, notable only in that it is the single auxiliary healing spell available to Tempests. Its damage and healing are both minor, and its recast time makes this spell almost worthless.

ALTERNATE ADVANCEMENT AND HEAL RATING
With the addition of Khitai and alternate advancement to the game world, many new options opened up for healers. In Khitai, level 80 gear meant for healers often has a new stat: Heal Rating. This stat is never found on old-world gear, not even raid gear. This stat has no impact at all on any of the existing healer abilities, and a healer without alternate advancement healing skills should regard this stat as irrelevant. Heal rating is, however, vital to make the most of the new abilities offered by alternate advancement.

Celestial Gaze
The first new alternate advancement healing ability is also the only one available to all three healing classes. It consumes no space on the perk bar, meaning that every healer should, sooner or later, pick it up. Celestial Gaze is a simple cone heal that strikes an area in front of the caster slightly smaller than a regular blue heal. It has a 25 second recast time. Without heal rating, the amount of healing is very small. Heal rating seems to improve the amount of healing at approximately a 4 to 1 ratio, so 400 heal rating improves the heal by about 100 points. For a very well equipped healer with a very high heal rating, Celestial Gaze can actually rival the big heals, with less than half the cooldown time and no worry about it being blocked by other heals.

Empowered Mending
This AA buffs the caster's big heal, giving it an increased chance to heal critically and the amount it heals when it does. Extremely useful for any healer.

Enlarged Lifeforce
This AA increases the power of the caster's blue heals, but only on the caster. Since a blue heal normally heals the caster for half as much as other targets, this can be useful in situations where you are the lone healer or are soloing. A nice AA to put some points in to.

Extended Lifeforce
Grants an extended duration to green heals. At best a buffer, and at worst a crutch for sloppy healers, this AA is not really necessary or recommended.

Bear Shaman AAs
All three of the major perks available to Bear Shamans deal with healing in some form. The most basic of these, Manifestation of Moss, is simply a new manifestation ability that improves heal rating, most useful in the company of another healer that relies heavily on AAs. Sleuth of Bears is, despite its unusual pet mechanic, essential an additional heal over time for the group. Spirit of Yggdrasil is a damage bubble best cast when the tank is already hurt.

Priest of Mitra AAs
Two of the Priest major perks deal with healing. Shimmering Invocation is a powerful area healing spell but with an associated debuff that prevents it from being used again for 90 seconds, similar to a big heal. Emissary of Elysium is a combination of damage bubble and heal.

Tempest of Set AAs
Tempests also have two major perks related to healing. Idol of Dark Rejuvenation is similar to Idol of Set, except that when the spell is cast again with the idol still active, the idol will be removed and nearby allies healed. Eyes of Set is a damage bubble that affects up to three targets in a small area selected by the caster. This spell is also targeted on the ground similar to Idol of Set, but with a very small area that can be hard to aim on moving allies.

ADVANCED HEALING STRATEGIES
In general, simply following the Healer's Golden Rule will ensure that you are an effective healer. Keep your HoTs up at all times, and in between refreshing them use your damaging spells/attacks and your auxiliary heals. Most exceptions to this are special situations outside the scope of this guide, but the following are some advanced strategies to keep in mind.

Working With Other Healers
When another healer is in the same group, it's usually best if both follow the Healer's Golden Rule. Even though the heals will not always stack, the extra healing will do no harm and will provide a buffer if one healer should be knocked out or miss refreshing their HoTs. Both healers should make full use of their auxiliary heals, since these usually work together without any problem. Priests of Mitra are especially good at working with other healers, since all they have to do is make sure they are under the effect of the other healer's blue heal, and the Reciprocal Healing buff will provide an additional heal to the whole group.

Big Heals With Other Healers
If two healers working together are of the same class, determine which of them has more points in the Empowered Mending AA and have them be in charge of casting the big heals. For healers of different classes, try to rotate who will cast their big heal next. That way, if a single big heal proves to be enough, the other will not be wasted because all the healers went for it at the same time.

Blue Heals On The Run
In most fights, blue heals are fairly easy to aim; you simply get to the right distance, point yourself towards the battle, and cast. Over time, any healer should become very comfortable with the area that a blue heal affects. In some cases, however, it is necessary to hit a moving target, whether it be a kiting tank or an ally in almost any pvp situation. Even for a healer very comfortable with their blue heal's area of effect, hitting a rapidly moving target can be a challenge. The trick is usually to run into position and aim ahead of the target, so that they will be in the cone as it is cast. For targets that are running away from you, this can actually mean sprinting ahead of them and casting. Keeping a moving target healed is a skill that takes practice.