Which class should I play for support.

Lestorn

Okay, to be clear, I'm not looking to just be a full on healer, so please, PLEASE keep in mind support also means helping mitigate/Negate damage. With that in mind, I have over thirteen years of being support characters in various games from World of Warcraft(Ten years) Aion(two years) Guild Wars 2 (two or three years here) League of Legends(one year and yes I know it's not an MMO but a support is a support) Heroes of the Storm (two years including a few months in alpha) and Overwatch(two years)
I will leave this running for one week, and whichever has the most votes will be what I role up.

P.S:I know that as a support character I will be using a restoration staff and light armor.
P.P.S: For those of you saying that math adds up to more than thirteen years, some of those years are overlapping years
P.P.P.S: Pineapple on Pizza!

Lightspeedflashb14_ESO

Every class has a way to do what you like. Just choose one that looks interesting to you.

Corpier

Templar

Templar is the best healer. The strength of its heals is comparable to Warden, but it offers much more in enemy debuffs, buffing allies, and resource management.

Luminous Spear: Comparable to Energy Orbs from Undaunted, but more reliable when one ally (the tank) needs stamina.

Solar Prison: Very strong ult that is an aoe which debuffs enemy damage by 30% and is one of the strongest damage synergies in the game. (Warden's Northern Storm is kinda similar but theirs isn't ground targeted and lacks the synergy. Northern Storm is mobile, but requires you to be close to enemies)

Power of the Light: Adds to group dps through reducing target resistances. Very powerful. Do not underestimate!

Illuminate: Is a passive that will give your magicka dps a buff just for using a Dawn's Wrath ability like Power of the Light.

Breath of Life: Strongest ranged heal in the game.

Extended Ritual: A large aoe heal that has a strong synergy (Efficient Purge is more effective for larger groups, but the heal is still strong).

Channeled Focus: Strong ability that buffs both survival and resource management. (Warden's Expansive Cloak is similar and will provide resistance buff to allies. Frost Cloak lacks the same resource return, but Wardens get similar returns form their Nature's Gift passive)

Mending/Sacred Ground/Light Weaver: Passives with good utility that buff your heals, and get allies back in the fight if all else fails. (Warden's Accelerated Growth and Emerald Moss passives are similar in healing amplification. Maturation is near useless in pve because of War Horn)

Lestorn

Night Blade

Again, I'm not looking for what's the "best." Some of us find the best to be boring. Though I will give you positive credit for at least posting why you feel the Templar is a good choice, and using certain abilities to demonstrate this. I'll also say this. I didn't spend ten years end gaming as a holy priest or druid tank, because they were the best. I did it for the challenge actually. ^_^

Corpier

Templar

You asked what class could support by mitigating/negating damage. Those would be Templar and Warden. Your question was answered, what class is best was only a bonus as I explained the strongest support skills are available.

While the other 3 classes pale in comparison in group utility, if you want to play against meta for lulz:

Nightblade and Sorcerer are decent healers that have the benefit off being able to off-heal with Siphoning skills and Twilight Matriarch while being primarily damage dealers in small group content. They also have Veil of Blades and Negate ultimates that have group utility.

Templar, Warden, and Nightblade all also make good healer/tank hybrids if you want to be able to run dungeons with 3 dps.

If you want a challenge make a Nord Dragon Knight healer. The class is the best tank in the game, but has only Cauterize and Igneous Shield (and Magma Shell ult kinda) for abilities that directly contribute to the healer role.

RavenSworn

Warden

I made a mistake. I meant to choose dk but won't warden instead. Honestly though, both wardens and dks are great at group support. As a warden support, you give out really good defensive support for the group and with the right gear you can be a full on support character.

A DK meta tank by its very nature are support characters too so it's by no stretch of the imagination you can copy the setup and have it raring to go.

Dks have access to group shields, aoe minor maim that comes with crowd control, group spell and weapon power buffs and a propensity to not die. Ever.

Corpier

Templar

RavenSworn wrote: »

Dks have access to group shields, aoe minor maim that comes with crowd control, group spell and weapon power buffs and a propensity to not die. Ever.

I don't recommend a healer using Choking Talons to debuff enemies. Its a skill suited for tanks since it has a range around the caster that requires them to be next to enemies. A good healer wants to stand directly behind dps to give them buffs such as Combat Prayer and make sure they can use synergies like Orbs.

Tasear

Sorcerer

Lightspeedflashb14_ESO wrote: »

Every class has a way to do what you like. Just choose one that looks interesting to you.

This is the truth.

Dragon knight
- They good at migration before hand with shields and such.
Sorcs
- Are adaptive to groups with damage buffs
Nightblades
- Are damage dealing heals over time healers
Wardens
- Are about positioning and timing. Also good at reactive support.
Templar
- Are easy to use and balance healer who can do a bit of everything. Most popular choice.

Lestorn

Night Blade

Tasear wrote: »

Lightspeedflashb14_ESO wrote: »

Every class has a way to do what you like. Just choose one that looks interesting to you.

This is the truth.

Dragon knight
- They good at migration before hand with shields and such.
Sorcs
- Are adaptive to groups with damage buffs
Nightblades
- Are damage dealing heals over time healers
Wardens
- Are about positioning and timing. Also good at reactive support.
Templar
- Are easy to use and balance healer who can do a bit of everything. Most popular choice.

This and a few others close to this are what I like to see. I want to thank everyone for your input, and I will continue checking in until the time is up. I also want to thank all of you for being polite and friendly with offering up your suggestions and why you suggested them. Keep them coming if you have a reason why I might enjoy one class over the other, that someone hasn't listed yet. And yes, for those of you saying if I want to "LOL at the META" I do love a good challenge.

SydneyGrey

Templar

Corpier wrote: »

Templar is the best healer. The strength of its heals is comparable to Warden, but it offers much more in enemy debuffs, buffing allies, and resource management.

Was going to say this exact thing. I've played both templar and warden healer in 4-man dungeons. Really, warden does excellent area-effect healing (better than templar, even), but the fact that they don't have as many buffs and debuffs as the templar makes me prefer my templar healer in PvE. I'm actually able to help my team a little more as a templar.

Although in PvP it's the opposite, and I prefer my warden healer in Cyrodiil. Area-effect healing is great in PvP.

Tasear

Sorcerer

SydneyGrey wrote: »

Corpier wrote: »

Templar is the best healer. The strength of its heals is comparable to Warden, but it offers much more in enemy debuffs, buffing allies, and resource management.

Was going to say this exact thing. I've played both templar and warden healer in 4-man dungeons. Really, warden does excellent area-effect healing (better than templar, even), but the fact that they don't have as many buffs and debuffs as the templar makes me prefer my templar healer in PvE. I'm actually able to help my team a little more as a templar.

Although in PvP it's the opposite, and I prefer my warden healer in Cyrodiil. Area-effect healing is great in PvP.

Wardens have more buffs then Templars. Minor life steal, 5k restiances, major maim, minor maim, 1k extra hours to allies

idk

Templar

In ESO support is one of two things. Healer or tank and both buff the group and debuff the NPCs/players enemies. So both roles can provide mitigation you speak of and increase the damage DPS put out. Negate is a specific skill and ofc there is cleans than anyone can use.

I assume you are not speaking of being a tank based on how you worded things so healer is what is left. Templars have the best overall skill set for this role with Wardens being second. This is the consensus among those who raid seriously, or semi seriously.

If you do mean tank it would be DK with Warden being second choice.

Lestorn

Night Blade

Still looking for more feedback. Please keep it civil and coming in. Thank you.

Tasear

Sorcerer

Hmm,

Here's something how about easy of use ranking. This a bit personal but here it is.

Hardest to easiest
1) Nightblade have to learn dps/healing

2) Warden not very forgiving on positioning. If you are in wrong spot then people could die

3) sorrecer - can be easy or hard to use.

4) Dragon Knight - a bit tank like but not hard to use.

5) Templar - very balanced and easy to use.