Stannum wrote: »

Autolycus wrote: »

I've been healing on a DK for a long time (since beta) and agree that something needs to be done in an effort to rebalance DKs as healers pve. It's not going to be an easy job for ZOS though, because the implications for pvp are remarkable, especially once we factor in the re-vamped Dragon's Blood and Dragon Leap. DKs are already exceptionally strong in duel and small-group settings, and adding favorable heals and/or buffs will undoubtedly skew the balance. While this is something to keep in mind, it is not a good enough reason to ignore DK healers in pve.

Cauterize, contrary to popular opinion and common belief, is an exceptionally useful skill. It is for this skill alone that we are able to use Resto/Destro instead of Resto/Resto. The destro bar is loaded with utility and group buffs (Necrotic Orb & Ele Drain, and another flex that changes with content, like Chains or Igneous Weapons), along with Cauterize and Inner Light. Cauterize is reliable and potent enough to cover 99% of necessary heals while we are re-applying buffs, and all other time should be spent on the front bar anyway. This of course assumes that we have our priorities in order, and that the proper HoTs and buffs are running before we swap to the back bar.

Those of you up top there ^ saying that Cauterize is useless or bad are simply wrong. Sorry to say it, but if you don't see the value in Cauterize then you haven't been around the (PvE) block enough times. Healing in PvE is not about who has the strongest burst heal.

My main heal is DK I always play resto/destro and used cauterize. As i found that its heal is good but usless (really i have comletely enought healing without it) I changed it for maglight simply for magika bonus that rises DPS. As i have blockade and emgiulfing flames on my destro bar (and use infernal guardian as monster set).

Autolycus wrote: »

I've been healing on a DK for a long time (since beta) and agree that something needs to be done in an effort to rebalance DKs as healers pve. It's not going to be an easy job for ZOS though, because the implications for pvp are remarkable, especially once we factor in the re-vamped Dragon's Blood and Dragon Leap. DKs are already exceptionally strong in duel and small-group settings, and adding favorable heals and/or buffs will undoubtedly skew the balance. While this is something to keep in mind, it is not a good enough reason to ignore DK healers in pve.

Cauterize, contrary to popular opinion and common belief, is an exceptionally useful skill. It is for this skill alone that we are able to use Resto/Destro instead of Resto/Resto. The destro bar is loaded with utility and group buffs (Necrotic Orb & Ele Drain, and another flex that changes with content, like Chains or Igneous Weapons), along with Cauterize and Inner Light. Cauterize is reliable and potent enough to cover 99% of necessary heals while we are re-applying buffs, and all other time should be spent on the front bar anyway. This of course assumes that we have our priorities in order, and that the proper HoTs and buffs are running before we swap to the back bar.

The problem with Cauterize is that it can't target the caster. The reduced range (relative to BoL) is fine for most cases. The issue is that endgame, competitive healers already have their skill selection largely dictated by what the group needs, not what the healer needs. Since our core healing utility is on the front bar, and we have no room to slot Embers or Dragon's Blood, this leaves us vulnerable on our back bar when it shouldn't. The key issue here is that in all other settings, DK self-heals are not an issue and are arguably some of the strongest in the same. There is plenty of truth to that argument.

The second largest drawback to DK healing is lack of synergies. We used to have a synergy with Magma Shell, but in an effort to rebalance and make the skill more useful, the damage shield component became automatic instead of requiring synergy. This was the right decision, but it leaves something to be desired for DKs in an environment where providing constant synergies is a must. This does not render DK healers obsolete in veteran trials, and again this is contrary to common opinion, because group composition has the potential to override the concept entirely (it only takes one magplar dps to recreate balance among synergy potential).

Not that I expect it, but anyone who has seen my past comments on DK healing knows that I've used it in the most challenging content for as long as I've played. My first ever clear of vDSA (back when it was released, not any time recently) was on a DK healer, and I've healed other vet trials and hardmodes. Most people believe that they are hands-down disqualified for something like vet trial hardmodes or vMoL, but this is merely a mentality that spurs from a combination of ignorance and inexperience.

I know better than to believe they cannot do that content, because I do it myself. But that doesn't change the fact that they lack certain very valuable utilities that other healers, especially Templars (think synergies) excel at. Their limited range, combined with limited synergies and the inability to heal oneself with Cauterize, makes DK healing substantially more difficult than healing as a Templar, and it is for this reason that they are not commonly used in endgame content. They actually do excel over Templars in a number of situations (such as chaining adds on the Twins), but these nuances are too few in number to change the general opinion, and there aren't many DK healers around to prove it otherwise. Their higher difficulty is also a barrier to entry, so fewer people try to learn it.

At the end of the day, what matters most is group composition. It's entirely possible to have two non-Templar healers and beat vMol. It's not easy and would still require a solid group with knowledge of strategy and mechanics, but simply being of a different class doesn't prevent completion. Getting competitive leaderboard scores is a different, more complicated story, but that's a different discussion and I do not personally want to get into that here. Adding a synergy or two and creating an efficiency with Cauterize would go a very, very long way, and it's not much to ask for.

Those of you up top there ^ saying that Cauterize is useless or bad are simply wrong. Sorry to say it, but if you don't see the value in Cauterize then you haven't been around the (PvE) block enough times. Healing in PvE is not about who has the strongest burst heal. The overwhelmingly vast majority of fights in PvE favor Healing Springs over any other heal, rendering this "need" for highest burst healing nearly pointless. I've never once been unable to heal up a near-dead player with a single cast of Cauterize, but in some cases it doesn't hurt cancel Cauterize into a Combat Prayer. It works on-demand, heals while you're rezzing or doing another mechanic, has the potential to heal someone while you are simultaneously targeting another, and requires no target to be useful. The Major Prophecy debate is pointless; it won't kill you to run both. We've been running Inner Light and Cauterize on the same bar for almost a year now. Although, I would absolutely back the concept of treating it like the old Sea of Flames, but for healing. That's an excellent idea.

Seraphayel wrote: »

I think Dragon Knight healers don't necessarily need a skill like you suggest (although I would love to have one). The best thing as Dragon Knight healer is Igneous Shield with it's Major Mending buff. The Shield is quite nice (~ 10-15% of max HP depening if you shield DPS or the tank) and 6 seconds 25% more healing and Igneous Shield is pretty cheap.