Healers: Defense first or Willpower first?

[Ninepaces]

@t4 for orvr.

Here are the basic arguments:

for defense first:
- dead healer can't heal.

for willpower first:
- weaker heals won't out heal damage so everyone dies anyways.


Discuss

[Marsares]

Dead healer gives zero heals. Weaker heals give 90% (or whatever) heals. Discussion closed.

[roadkillrobin]

Doesn't mather how much willpower you stack. If someone getting focused can't survive of the heals alone. Need defenive skills/morales guard and challange to get trough it.
And defensive stats helps you survive when you get focused.

[kweedko]

+crit first tread closed

[roadkillrobin]

+crit first tread closed

That has more to do with procs. It's also a stat that increase healing so it's much more valueble then willpower.

[Ninepaces]

so when it comes to armor sets, you take the healing ones (because the alt set is intel) and slot in... tough talis? (and run armor pot)

[Lileldys]

Armour talis + armour pot. 44 armour @ lvl40 is 1% Phys mitigation.

[Gachimuchi]

Dead healer gives zero heals. Weaker heals give 90% (or whatever) heals. Discussion closed.

/thread

[Dabbart]

I would, have, and do go LOLdef spec before I would ever pump will. My WP grabbed the defensive green RP gear from the merchant. I doubt he will ever get anni due to how often I play him. 3.4k armor, 500ish tough, good evasion stats(all around 20%+), 0% chance to be crit and AoE detaunt.

Grp heals for 600something. But I survive to drop a lot of those. Plus purify, group hot, etc etc etc. Survive, then you can rezz/heal. Each healer class has a few utilities to help provide spike heals/absorp. People will die. Save those you can, rezz those you can't(if situationaly appropriate...)

[Ramasee]

With only a few exceptions, healing is increased by base_value + (cast_time * [willpower + healing_power]/5). Instant casts have a cast time of 1.5s. That formula is also halved for AoE healing abilities.

Putting points into a mastery tree increases the base value of healing abilities within that tree. That and healing critical chance give far more value than willpower for your average collection of casts.

Your best bet (generalized among all healers, situations vary) is to get healing critical chance, then cap armor, then parry/dodge/disrupt, then toughness/wounds. Then willpower. Tactics should focus on things they give you better AP management, +%healing, large chunks of extra healing/absorbs, and survival.