Maintenance for the week of November 11:
• PC/Mac: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – November 11, 4:00AM EST (9:00 UTC) - 9:00AM EST (14:00 UTC)
• Xbox: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – November 13, 4:00AM EST (9:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EST (17:00 UTC)
• PlayStation®: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – November 13, 4:00AM EST (9:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EST (17:00 UTC)

Companion Healers, food for thought

Hamfast
Hamfast
✭✭✭✭
I have looked at all the companion builds for healers and they all have 2 things in common, they all use restoration staves, and none address the companion running out of range of the fight.

The problem is that while the Resto staff has healing skills (DUH, no-brainer), it also precipitates the companion when attacked by some mob, running away from the fight.

I recently started Azander learning his 3rd weapon, in this case, a Great Sword, and while not wearing soothing armor, I noticed he not only stays in the fight, but he is also more likely to be in range to toss out that much-needed heal from his own skill line...

Until there is a way to control how far a ranged companion will run from a fight, I would like to hear from both the folks here and those that create the builds and post them online, why a companion, armed with Soothing armor and previously unwanted soothing melee weapon and the healing skills they have from their own skill lines, would not make a better healer than the ones they have posted on their various sites...
Of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most...
  • Necrotech_Master
    Necrotech_Master
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    i dont know if i would use soothing, i would rather use quickened so their heals come back faster, as most of the heals are at base on 11-15 sec cooldowns

    you can also source other heals from other skill lines (theres a heal over time from the mages guild skill line, and the blood altar from the undaunted skill line)

    i have bastian as a main healer and azander as a secondary (bastian is the one i use more since i actually have him unlocked on all my toons, im not going through the hell that is azanders intro quest with 8 more toons)

    the 2 skills i have him using are the heal over time and dmg shield one from the resto line, the rest of the skills are heals from class or guild skill lines

    if your using azander but want to keep him at range without him running in the fight, you can give him a ice staff and he has a few class skills (the chakram shields and the heal) then you could also give him the mages guild heal over time (he cant target himself with it, but its high uptime, 2nd skill dont remember the name of it lol), and the undaunted crimson font (has a massive aoe like 28 meters, applies a constant heal over time, and gives you a synergy to heal to full, though it has a long cooldown)

    because ice staff is still supposed to be a tank weapon according to zos, the companion AI will not prefer to dodge roll unless they are severe danger (<25% hp)

    i personally still use a resto on my bastian and azarnder for the extra heal over time and the emergency big shield, i definitely do not have traits optimized because meh doesnt make much of a difference

    the only way i would suggest using soothing trait is if you are wearing telvanni efficiency set to reduce the companion cooldown by 50%
    plays PC/NA
    handle @Necrotech_Master
    active player since april 2014

    i have my main house (grand topal hideaway) listed in the housing tours, it has multiple target dummies, scribing altar, and grandmaster stations (in progress being filled out), as well as almost every antiquity furnishing on display to preview them

    feel free to stop by and use the facilities
  • Erickson9610
    Erickson9610
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    I think that companions with a restoration staff should opt to stay close to you. You'd expect a healer to stand near you when healing you, right?
    PC/NA — Lone Werewolf, the Templar Khajiit Werewolf

    Werewolf Should be Allowed to Sneak
    Please give us Werewolf Skill Styles (for customizing our fur color), Grimoires/Scribing skills (to fill in the holes in our builds), and Companions (to transform with).
  • Zodiarkslayer
    Zodiarkslayer
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    I agree with @Necrotech_Master
    Companions have the highest potential as healers and as tanks.
    What weapons you use and which traits are best entirely depends on your character's build.

    Its really complex and not quickly explained.

    Isobel, Sharp and Bastian are good Tanks. Mirri and Ember are best as healers and Azandar can do both, but is better as a healer/support buffer.

    Now, if I want to use a comp, I think about what my build lacks the most and/or can benefit the most of.
    My HA MagSorc has Bastian as a healer because of the great HA damage bonus he can provide.
    Necros have subpar and unreliable self healing, so they get a raw healer in all soothing or all Quickened armor to remedy that.
    Do you lack power and sustain? Take Azandar as Buffbot in all Quickened for the uptimes.

    All one needs to do is switch on his own brain and do a little autonomous thinking.

    But one thing is sure. Youtubers dont know *** about companions. They recommend agressive for dps, soothing for healers and bolstered for tank builds. Always...

    Stooooooooooopid!
    If anyone here says: OH! But, PVP! I swear I'll ...

    Thank you for the valuable input and respectfully recommend to discuss that aspect of ESO on the PVP forum.
  • phaneub17_ESO
    phaneub17_ESO
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    The only reason to use a restoration staff with companions is if you plan on making use of any 3 abilities that come with its skill line. If you aren't using any of them then weapon choice does not matter. I use Isobel with 2h, Azandar with 1h+shield, and Sharp-as-Night with dual-wield for healing.
  • TybaltKaine
    TybaltKaine
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    I typically design my companions who aren't DPS as tank/healer hydrids. If they don't have a gap closer as part of their class kit, I slot the shield charge so they can get in close.

    All companions get Reverse Entropy from Mages Guild and Crimson Font from Undaunted, that's two independent heals right there.

    After that I look at the class skills and pick two more to finish up.

    Example Bastian skill bar: Bashing Bulwark, Provoke, Crimson Font, Kindle, Skeletal Aegis/Basalt Barrier/Drake's Blood depending on the fight.

    Play with them until you get the order you like and ensure he's wearing a 4/3 Light/Heavy split for armor.

    You can also go 5/2 Heavy/Light for access to Bulwark if you want to make him more of a tank.

    Isobel really shines with a setup like this since she has those nice Templar AOE heals.

    If you build with more of a skew toward heal and harm you can have a decent Mirri set up as well thanks to her first two skills in Soul Thief.

    Resto staff should only really be used if you are able to hold taunt on everything, otherwise the enemy AI will go after them and you get the "run backwards 30 feet and start my rotation over" infinite loop until the mob resets.
    • Tybalt Kaine Khajiit Nightblade Aldmeri Dominion
    • PC/NA
    • Guildmaster- Lucky Raven
    • Knight of Marrow - Blackfeather Academy
    • Adepti- The Witches Goblet
    • "Nightblade healer huh? How does that work?"
    • "I drain the blood of our enemies and fire it into you. It's a lot less messy than it sounds, and yeah I'm basically a Vampire without the whole AGH FIRE BAD"
  • AcadianPaladin
    AcadianPaladin
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    I never got on well with using companions as healers. I've had ever so much better luck packing my own heals that can affect others and using a companion tank. Companion tanks stay right where they're supposed to be - in the boss' face so you can focus on damage and and maybe keeping a HoT on the companion.
    PC NA(no Steam), PvE, mostly solo
  • Erickson9610
    Erickson9610
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    I've built Sharp-as-Night as a restoration staff healer, and he is insanely good at it. Once he uses up all of his roll dodges in combat, he remains put, and with the help of Telvanni Efficiency, has been able to solo a world boss without my assistance. I'd say he's almost as tanky as Isobel when she is built as a damage shield tank!
    PC/NA — Lone Werewolf, the Templar Khajiit Werewolf

    Werewolf Should be Allowed to Sneak
    Please give us Werewolf Skill Styles (for customizing our fur color), Grimoires/Scribing skills (to fill in the holes in our builds), and Companions (to transform with).
  • Snamyap
    Snamyap
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭
    It's a double edged sword. On one hand you want the healer to stay close, but a lot of bosses do heavy AE damage at close range. It's no good if the companion has to spend his precious heals more on itself than on you. In dungeons this is generally not an issue since most newer encounters are in a closed room.
  • FrancisCrawford
    FrancisCrawford
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭
    Do pet commands help?

    In theory they should, but I haven't tried them on companions.

    Of course, if you also have actual pets, that could be a problem, as I believe all pets are given the same command.
  • AcadianPaladin
    AcadianPaladin
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    @FrancisCrawford yes, companions respond to pet commands. My wardens will only use tank companions because if they tell their crew to attack with a ranged companion the ranged attack will beat the bear to the punch and get aggro instead of the bear. With a tank companion, the companion and bear both melee strike at the same time and work quite well together. Incidently, my nightblade's shade responds to pet commands as well.
    PC NA(no Steam), PvE, mostly solo
  • FrancisCrawford
    FrancisCrawford
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭
    @FrancisCrawford yes, companions respond to pet commands. My wardens will only use tank companions because if they tell their crew to attack with a ranged companion the ranged attack will beat the bear to the punch and get aggro instead of the bear. With a tank companion, the companion and bear both melee strike at the same time and work quite well together. Incidently, my nightblade's shade responds to pet commands as well.

    Thanks!

    Meanwhile, one thing I've begun to think about:

    Off-Balance is pretty valuable if you're running HA builds. Isobel's charge attack gives AoE Off-Balance, which is generally hard to get for non-templars otherwise. Her generic basic attack buff is tied to her version of Jabs; I don't know what the range on that is.

    Meanwhile, Bastian's generic basic attack buff just happens, probably with a big AoE range. However, his version of Whip causes single-target off-balance in melee range.

    So in some cases, it will be desirable to put melee-range class attacks on companions' skill bars no matter what weapon they wield.
  • Snamyap
    Snamyap
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭
    @FrancisCrawford yes, companions respond to pet commands. My wardens will only use tank companions because if they tell their crew to attack with a ranged companion the ranged attack will beat the bear to the punch and get aggro instead of the bear. With a tank companion, the companion and bear both melee strike at the same time and work quite well together. Incidently, my nightblade's shade responds to pet commands as well.

    Thanks!

    Meanwhile, one thing I've begun to think about:

    Off-Balance is pretty valuable if you're running HA builds. Isobel's charge attack gives AoE Off-Balance, which is generally hard to get for non-templars otherwise. Her generic basic attack buff is tied to her version of Jabs; I don't know what the range on that is.

    Meanwhile, Bastian's generic basic attack buff just happens, probably with a big AoE range. However, his version of Whip causes single-target off-balance in melee range.

    So in some cases, it will be desirable to put melee-range class attacks on companions' skill bars no matter what weapon they wield.

    I'm pretty sure companions will not move into melee range to use melee skills when they have a ranged weapon equipped. Bastian's ultimate for instance very rarely gets used with a restoration staff equipped.
  • FrancisCrawford
    FrancisCrawford
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭
    Snamyap wrote: »
    @FrancisCrawford yes, companions respond to pet commands. My wardens will only use tank companions because if they tell their crew to attack with a ranged companion the ranged attack will beat the bear to the punch and get aggro instead of the bear. With a tank companion, the companion and bear both melee strike at the same time and work quite well together. Incidently, my nightblade's shade responds to pet commands as well.

    Thanks!

    Meanwhile, one thing I've begun to think about:

    Off-Balance is pretty valuable if you're running HA builds. Isobel's charge attack gives AoE Off-Balance, which is generally hard to get for non-templars otherwise. Her generic basic attack buff is tied to her version of Jabs; I don't know what the range on that is.

    Meanwhile, Bastian's generic basic attack buff just happens, probably with a big AoE range. However, his version of Whip causes single-target off-balance in melee range.

    So in some cases, it will be desirable to put melee-range class attacks on companions' skill bars no matter what weapon they wield.

    I'm pretty sure companions will not move into melee range to use melee skills when they have a ranged weapon equipped. Bastian's ultimate for instance very rarely gets used with a restoration staff equipped.

    Hmm. That may explain why my companions rarely use ultimates.

    That said, Isobel definitely uses her charge skill with a resto staff equipped.
  • Necrotech_Master
    Necrotech_Master
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Snamyap wrote: »
    @FrancisCrawford yes, companions respond to pet commands. My wardens will only use tank companions because if they tell their crew to attack with a ranged companion the ranged attack will beat the bear to the punch and get aggro instead of the bear. With a tank companion, the companion and bear both melee strike at the same time and work quite well together. Incidently, my nightblade's shade responds to pet commands as well.

    Thanks!

    Meanwhile, one thing I've begun to think about:

    Off-Balance is pretty valuable if you're running HA builds. Isobel's charge attack gives AoE Off-Balance, which is generally hard to get for non-templars otherwise. Her generic basic attack buff is tied to her version of Jabs; I don't know what the range on that is.

    Meanwhile, Bastian's generic basic attack buff just happens, probably with a big AoE range. However, his version of Whip causes single-target off-balance in melee range.

    So in some cases, it will be desirable to put melee-range class attacks on companions' skill bars no matter what weapon they wield.

    I'm pretty sure companions will not move into melee range to use melee skills when they have a ranged weapon equipped. Bastian's ultimate for instance very rarely gets used with a restoration staff equipped.

    Hmm. That may explain why my companions rarely use ultimates.

    That said, Isobel definitely uses her charge skill with a resto staff equipped.

    isobels ultimate has a cone range, as long as something is in range they can trigger it

    bastians ultimate is a aoe effect centered on him, with a not very long range, so there has to be at least 1 enemy within melee range for him to even consider using the ultimate

    i have bastian set as a healer with a resto staff right now, and he only tends to fire his ultimate when he gets cornered, or i happen to be standing near him holding the enemy aggro

    the biggest problem i have with the companion ultimates are the ones with the horrendously long cast times (such as bastian and isobel, in fact isobels is so bad i dont even have her ultimate slotted)
    plays PC/NA
    handle @Necrotech_Master
    active player since april 2014

    i have my main house (grand topal hideaway) listed in the housing tours, it has multiple target dummies, scribing altar, and grandmaster stations (in progress being filled out), as well as almost every antiquity furnishing on display to preview them

    feel free to stop by and use the facilities
  • AcadianPaladin
    AcadianPaladin
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    I use Mirri as a tank and her ultimate is ranged. If its full and I tell to initiate a boss fight, sometimes she opens from range with her ultimate instead of charging in with her S&B taunt. Then the boss charges her and she taunts him when he gets to her. Not normally a problem, just sometimes starts the fight with the boss positioned differently than I anticipated. Unslotting the ultimate would fix but on balance, not worth it I think.
    PC NA(no Steam), PvE, mostly solo
  • Snamyap
    Snamyap
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭
    Snamyap wrote: »
    @FrancisCrawford yes, companions respond to pet commands. My wardens will only use tank companions because if they tell their crew to attack with a ranged companion the ranged attack will beat the bear to the punch and get aggro instead of the bear. With a tank companion, the companion and bear both melee strike at the same time and work quite well together. Incidently, my nightblade's shade responds to pet commands as well.

    Thanks!

    Meanwhile, one thing I've begun to think about:

    Off-Balance is pretty valuable if you're running HA builds. Isobel's charge attack gives AoE Off-Balance, which is generally hard to get for non-templars otherwise. Her generic basic attack buff is tied to her version of Jabs; I don't know what the range on that is.

    Meanwhile, Bastian's generic basic attack buff just happens, probably with a big AoE range. However, his version of Whip causes single-target off-balance in melee range.

    So in some cases, it will be desirable to put melee-range class attacks on companions' skill bars no matter what weapon they wield.

    I'm pretty sure companions will not move into melee range to use melee skills when they have a ranged weapon equipped. Bastian's ultimate for instance very rarely gets used with a restoration staff equipped.

    Hmm. That may explain why my companions rarely use ultimates.

    That said, Isobel definitely uses her charge skill with a resto staff equipped.

    Gallant Blitz is not a melee skill, it has a 22m range (and a minimum range of 7m).
Sign In or Register to comment.