Can I get a straight answer on Sorc healer viability?

Stories-Bones-Tell · June 2016

Hey there folks. I have a Templar healer on ps4 but I'm ready to make the switch over to PC for obvious reasons (Wont go into detail because im not trying to start platform wars). Now I've poked around about the possibility of a sorc healer and the answers I've gotten are either a flat out "no" or "Anyone can do anything". So can I just get a straight answer? Can Sorc healer's do vet dungeon content without being gimped compared to Templars? Can sorc healers exist in Cyrodil without being at a huge disadvantage to Templar healers?

Frankly, I'm just looking for a new experience since I'm going to have to go through the leveling process again but don't want to end up weaker than I was on console and the idea of having pets follow me around sounds cool.

DRXHarbinger · June 2016

Nightblade healer is better, just spam your 2 main attacks and you heal the group, sorcs are too fiddly to heal with and thier passives don't suit it.

ostrapz · June 2016

You have to double bar pets so it may not be what you want, if i had to rank healers though. You obviously must be magicka, id say 10/10 templar, 8/10 nb, 6/10 sorc 5/10 mdk. Like the other guy said nightblades can be decent healers since their regupar dps moves heal anway, sorc really doesnt have anything going for it to assist in healing. With a lot of skill you could pull it off but in the harder dungeons and trials i think there are a few places where you simply wont have enough healing power from passives and everything to get the job done

Elara_Northwind · June 2016

We used to have an amazing sorcerer healer in our guild, before he decided to take a break from the game. He was possibly one of the best healers I have ever known, and this was before they apparently became better at it, with the pets healing and so fourth. For this reason, I think it would be great

Shaun98ca2 · June 2016

ostrapz wrote: »

id say 10/10 templar, 8/10 nb, 6/10 sorc 5/10 mdk.

I'd would say Sorc and DK Equal with DK pulling slightly ahead in that DK can ward damage from the whole group with class ability. The Sorc gets a healing pet which is great......if its alive.

Templar and NB Pull immediately to the #1 position due to all around better class abilities geared towards healing.

Can a Sorc heal. YES like OP stated you will get responses everybody can do everything. Which is true. The other 3 classes have a slight/major edge in healing due to class abilities .

A Templar could actually MT heal without a restro staff......though I could never recommend it.

WuffyCerulei · June 2016

Though templars are more potent healers, sorc healers are still good. My sorc does pretty well with Illustrious healing, Mutagen, and Blessing of Protection/Combat Prayer. That and slap on Absorption Field and Twilight Matriarch, you're golden. In PvP, all that healing can build ultimate quickly. Don't think just cuz you're aren't a Funnel Health-spamming NB or a Temp doesn't mean you can't heal.
That and if your Spell Crit is high enough, you can get a lot of critical heals on people.
I like to think sorcs are very versatile. You could tank, dps, or heal with them, even if they aren't an ideal race!

Shaun98ca2 · June 2016

wolfninja101b14_ESO wrote: »

Though templars are more potent healers, sorc healers are still good. My sorc does pretty well with Illustrious healing, Mutagen, and Blessing of Protection/Combat Prayer. That and slap on Absorption Field and Twilight Matriarch, you're golden. In PvP, all that healing can build ultimate quickly. Don't think just cuz you're aren't a Funnel Health-spamming NB or a Temp doesn't mean you can't heal.

Nobody said a Sorc cant heal.

Its about real side by side comparison. So take restro staff out if it what are you left with class abilities.

Templar and NB FAR outshine a Sorc. DK and Sorc....meh maybe DK is slightly better hard to say. You can kill the Sorcs pet. DK is preventing damage altogether.

Can all classes heal. YES that's not even up for debate.

IS Templar and NB better at it. Compare class abilities alone and see how the Sorc really pars.

timidobserver · June 2016

It is viable like using a screw driver as a eating utensil. Yeh it would work, but there are better options.

Eocosa · June 2016

Full disclosure that I haven't healed any trials, but I have played around with a sorc healer.

My experience was definitely a pleasant one I must say. Between restoration staff, winged twilights smart heal (essentially our BoL), and now with the addition of an ultimate that helps heal as well I think we are in a pretty good spot! Mix in trinimacs valor and your shields are also healing people too (admittedly anyone can do this).

Through your high magic, if you put overload as one of your ultimately you can also deal substantial damage when needed or in areas of low healing required.

I often put summon clannfear on this extra overload bar as well so if people start dropping, or even worse the tank, you flip over to the bar summon the clannfear to take aggro leaving you completely free to Rez those who dropped.

In PvP I had a BLAST being what I would call a "combat medic" more than anything. I rocked heavy impenetrable armor with my restoration staff and simply would not drop while I kept those players that were more squishy alive. Could a full blown light armored Templar healer heal better? Probably, but I wouldn't change my build for the world!

A lot of the anything-but-Templar hate is because Templars can heal stamina as well through shards so many players who are unable to manage their own resources use this as a crutch. While that is definitely something you'll encounter I think that's more of them needed to redo their character a bit than you needed to reroll yours.

saps101 · June 2016

I main a sorc healer, with people who know how to play, it really is quite simple, you dont need any pets, you just have to be good at positioning. If you work well with your group, its a brilliant role to play.

Templars are easymode, nightblades can be unreliable in certain situations and sorcerers have no real group heals (the bubble is nice, but the silence/stun on it is more useful) so it is resto/destro all the way.

Sorcerers have what the other healers lack, you can basically be everywhere at once, i can run permanent major expedition and streak everywhere, plus our passives make heals cheap as chips and with proper rotation i can pop an aggressive warhorn every 20-25 seconds in a boss fight.

As for PVP, I'd take a sorc healer who knows how to use streak over a standard templar healer any day.

But most people wont want you for end-game content, but they aren't worth grouping with anyway.

failkiwib16_ESO · June 2016

You can be any class and do any role - if you are a decent player, and you have friends and guildies to do content with.
You can only be a Templar healer - if you want to run with many pugs/randoms, specially bad groups and have increased chances of success.

Most groups prefer a templar healer, because it is the only class that can provide a significant amount of stamina to their teams, buff with minor sorcery and have an instant-burst-heal skill.

I have had 3 healer friends, and whenever I needed a healer by my side, I would ask one of those 3 first. They are a Sorcerer, a Nightblade and a Dragonknight.
I can't count the amount of times I have done dungeons with them, with someone in group requiring me as a Damage Dealer to slot Blazing Spear and Repentance, because I was the only templar in group. Despite my healers being able to buff and sustain magicka resources of our teams, they were not able to sustain the stamina >.< As a Damage Dealer, the weaponswap and casting of Blazing Spear and Repentance costs me around 5k-10k dps.

An honest good advice, make a templar for this role.

cbaudersub17_ESO · September 2016

failkiwib16_ESO wrote: »

"...they were not able to sustain the stamina.... "

Sounds like a deficiency with their builds.

OP, I hope your rolled that sorc healer. Miss Information has spent quite a bit of time on this and similar threads.

failkiwib16_ESO · September 2016

cbaudersub17_ESO wrote: »

failkiwib16_ESO wrote: »

"...they were not able to sustain the stamina.... "

Sounds like a deficiency with their builds.

OP, I hope your rolled that sorc healer. Miss Information has spent quite a bit of time on this and similar threads.

@cbaudersub17_ESO why the need to necromance an old thread, and what misinformation did I write? Can sorcerers deliver stamina to their group members?

Lightspeedflashb14_ESO · September 2016

failkiwib16_ESO wrote: »

cbaudersub17_ESO wrote: »

failkiwib16_ESO wrote: »

"...they were not able to sustain the stamina.... "

Sounds like a deficiency with their builds.

OP, I hope your rolled that sorc healer. Miss Information has spent quite a bit of time on this and similar threads.

@cbaudersub17_ESO why the need to necromance an old thread, and what misinformation did I write? Can sorcerers deliver stamina to their group members?

The master resto and the new set coming out. Sentinel of rekugums. Gives 500 stam every second for 8 seconds.

The master resto is relatively hard to get but completely worth it for any healer. 258 stam on a none infused one might not sounds like a lot but think of it this way, you are increasing the stam regen of the people in your healing springs by 516. That is a lot.

On topic, sorcs can heal just fine. I healed on my magsorc when I was leveling and it really did not feel all that much different from my temp. Keep mutagen up and use healing ward/matriarch when things go south. Springs for when the group is stacked and burning.

Stardark · September 2016

cbaudersub17_ESO wrote: »

failkiwib16_ESO wrote: »

"...they were not able to sustain the stamina.... "

Sounds like a deficiency with their builds.

I really do hate seeing this.

If you are running solo then you need to build for sustainability. If you are building for optimum group play then you need to build around the abilities of your team mates. Being light on stamina regen means they can go heavier into DPS, not having a Templar hurts this and lowers the overall efficiency of the team (Providing stamina to a real DPS does far more than trying to DPS on your own).

Yes you can heal on anything you want, but the very best team, with the very best people, all playing optimally will be better having a Templar.

That said: The Templar doesn't have to be the healer.

I heal on a Templar and Spears, Repentance and Necrotic Orbs are just as important as my heals, no other class can bring all 3.

So the answer really depends upon what you want to do, and who you run with. Don't be afraid to run on a Sorc, but don't have false expectations.

failkiwib16_ESO · September 2016

@Lightspeedflashb14_ESO Thanks for enlighting me about that set, it's truely good news.

The problem is that the current meta BiS is Spell Power Cure and Infallible Aether set, so if a healer is wearing anything different then it's considerate a dps loss for the group. Luckily enough Spell Power Cure is enough to please most groups, so combining that with another set is not that big of a deal.

vDSA Master Restoration staff is good buff and the enchant can stack up to 3 times if I'm not mistaken, so it's a good thing to have - but can not be compared to templar Blazing Spear and Repentence.
-Beside that, getting a group that is able to farm that staff is freaking hard to get... so if you're a starter and don't have a network of friends and guildmates with whom you get along with in dungeons, who are experienced and know their classes very well, then it's close to impossible to get into a group that is able to farm that place.

I look forward to try that new set in the future with my sorc... I heal with it because I've got l2p issues with sorc class dps lol

cbaudersub17_ESO · September 2016

@failkiwib16_ESO : I really did not mean to have any appearance of calling you out with presentation or infer you, specifically, were providing misinformation. But re-reading, you kind of were behind a veil of the 'state of community' perception as to what constitutes a REAL healer in ESO. I found this thread (and several others) while looking for skill tips for old non-Templar healer that I dusted off and looking to take a bit further (bored at work...uh, browsing the forums while eating lunch...yeah, that's it). But to answer your question and as @Lightspeedflashb14_ESO has already done above me, all classes have means to provide stamina to their group as healers.

All classes have means to provide stamina to themselves. Abilities and weapon choices aside, 'pots' provide stamina too. Did non-stave heavy attacks stop restoring stamina?

From reading similar threads and personal experience, the 'Spear Shards and Restoring Aura' defense of Templars pan out to be a straw man.

I will take raising this thread from the grips of death with my reply as a sign of a continued type-cast with at least some in the community. Thinking and encouraging others to think 'outside the box' or be creative is rarely a bad thing.

@Stardark : Something I dislike: describing a zero sum gain and putting it under a banner of 'optimum group play'.

Having a Templar in group, whether its 4-person content or 12-person content or Cyrodiil, is different than having a Templar as healer.

A PUG'ing situation is different than a group of regular players. Optimizing a group of regular players is different than building what is believed to be the optimum group from the ground floor. Blanket statements about group composition seem premature without knowing the goal or goals of the 'group'.

More real estate toward optimum group play is garnered with gear choices, ability rotations, experience, and skill level than whether one in the group has slotted Spear Shards and/or Restoring Aura. Block, dodge, interrupt/bash, and being 'red-aware' are great things, too.

driosketch · September 2016

Lightspeedflashb14_ESO wrote: »

failkiwib16_ESO wrote: »

cbaudersub17_ESO wrote: »

failkiwib16_ESO wrote: »

"...they were not able to sustain the stamina.... "

Sounds like a deficiency with their builds.

OP, I hope your rolled that sorc healer. Miss Information has spent quite a bit of time on this and similar threads.

@cbaudersub17_ESO why the need to necromance an old thread, and what misinformation did I write? Can sorcerers deliver stamina to their group members?

The master resto and the new set coming out. Sentinel of rekugums. Gives 500 stam every second for 8 seconds.

The master resto is relatively hard to get but completely worth it for any healer. 258 stam on a none infused one might not sounds like a lot but think of it this way, you are increasing the stam regen of the people in your healing springs by 516. That is a lot.

On topic, sorcs can heal just fine. I healed on my magsorc when I was leveling and it really did not feel all that much different from my temp. Keep mutagen up and use healing ward/matriarch when things go south. Springs for when the group is stacked and burning.

That's pretty much the thing about a sorc healer though. They work, but they are not a build to run on a novice account. You need gear, CP, alliance war skills ect. Also group make up matters. If a group were in need of a blood transfusion, Templars would be a Type O while the sorc is Type A. So as long as you don't have any stamina plsyers: Type B, have a Templar dps who'll be throwing shards anyways ( fairly common), or have players with adequate sustain, a sorc healer is not a problem.

Apherius · September 2016

with a sorcerer heal , you can Overload + heal .... so ... in group dungeon , this is pretty good

Aeaeren · September 2016

Stories-Bones-Tell wrote: »

Hey there folks. I have a Templar healer on ps4 but I'm ready to make the switch over to PC for obvious reasons (Wont go into detail because im not trying to start platform wars). Now I've poked around about the possibility of a sorc healer and the answers I've gotten are either a flat out "no" or "Anyone can do anything". So can I just get a straight answer? Can Sorc healer's do vet dungeon content without being gimped compared to Templars? Can sorc healers exist in Cyrodil without being at a huge disadvantage to Templar healers?

Frankly, I'm just looking for a new experience since I'm going to have to go through the leveling process again but don't want to end up weaker than I was on console and the idea of having pets follow me around sounds cool.

I have healed most dungeons on my Socr. You have to insure that you heavy attack to get Major Mending. You can use the Twilight pet although I find it can die quickly so keep that in mind. Yes you can heal dungeon's (Vet or Normal) and Trials on NORMAL. We will never compare to Templar's healing as they got more tools, but we can hold our own.

Autolycus · September 2016

Aeaeren wrote: »

Stories-Bones-Tell wrote: »

Hey there folks. I have a Templar healer on ps4 but I'm ready to make the switch over to PC for obvious reasons (Wont go into detail because im not trying to start platform wars). Now I've poked around about the possibility of a sorc healer and the answers I've gotten are either a flat out "no" or "Anyone can do anything". So can I just get a straight answer? Can Sorc healer's do vet dungeon content without being gimped compared to Templars? Can sorc healers exist in Cyrodil without being at a huge disadvantage to Templar healers?

Frankly, I'm just looking for a new experience since I'm going to have to go through the leveling process again but don't want to end up weaker than I was on console and the idea of having pets follow me around sounds cool.

I have healed most dungeons on my Socr. You have to insure that you heavy attack to get Major Mending. You can use the Twilight pet although I find it can die quickly so keep that in mind. Yes you can heal dungeon's (Vet or Normal) and Trials on NORMAL. We will never compare to Templar's healing as they got more tools, but we can hold our own.

One of our core healers is a sorc, and he is capable of healing vet trials. I will take him into vMoL and hardmodes as my healer without hesitation anytime.

I've made several posts about the viability of non-templar healers over the last several months (not that I expect you to have seen them, just for informative purposes). Changes that were made back in TG leveled out the playing field for healers across the board. What truly makes a good healer nowadays is almost all in the hands of the player behind the character, and not the character's class. BiS gear for healers is almost universal (with some exceptions, and one of them definitely applies to Sorcs in that they have the option to use other sets, like Necropotence). There are a variety of options that provide non-templar healers with the utility all groups need, including restoration of stamina and magicka (and actually, the capabilities of a Sorc to sustain magicka-heavy groups is higher than other classes through the use of Empowered Ward).

AverageJo3Gam3r · September 2016

@Autolycus do you use a masters resto on your healer? You feel this is a requirement for trials healing? Asking for a mDK.

Autolycus · September 2016

AverageJo3Gam3r wrote: »

@Autolycus do you use a masters resto on your healer? You feel this is a requirement for trials healing? Asking for a mDK.

My primary healer is a mDK, and yes I do use a Master's Resto. I prefer to use an Infused trait to maximize the benefit of the stamina return on Springs. However, I recommend the use of a Master's Resto regardless of class (including Templars), except in certain circumstances where a different build could/would merit a different choice of weapon (for example, my mDK has a primary Master's Resto and secondary IA staff, and my rotation includes bar-swapping to maximize the benefit of both).

Edit: I forgot to address the "requirement for trials healing" portion of the question. Generally speaking, I'd say so, yes. There are exceptions, as I mentioned, but it is at least my opinion that there are few circumstances in which other staves provide a higher utility to the group. I don't like to over-generalize, so take it with a grain of salt. But given my own experiences and theorycrafting, I'd say that, particularly for vet trials, this is what affords the biggest bang-for-buck.

Aeaeren · September 2016

Autolycus wrote: »

Aeaeren wrote: »

Stories-Bones-Tell wrote: »

Hey there folks. I have a Templar healer on ps4 but I'm ready to make the switch over to PC for obvious reasons (Wont go into detail because im not trying to start platform wars). Now I've poked around about the possibility of a sorc healer and the answers I've gotten are either a flat out "no" or "Anyone can do anything". So can I just get a straight answer? Can Sorc healer's do vet dungeon content without being gimped compared to Templars? Can sorc healers exist in Cyrodil without being at a huge disadvantage to Templar healers?

Frankly, I'm just looking for a new experience since I'm going to have to go through the leveling process again but don't want to end up weaker than I was on console and the idea of having pets follow me around sounds cool.

I have healed most dungeons on my Socr. You have to insure that you heavy attack to get Major Mending. You can use the Twilight pet although I find it can die quickly so keep that in mind. Yes you can heal dungeon's (Vet or Normal) and Trials on NORMAL. We will never compare to Templar's healing as they got more tools, but we can hold our own.

One of our core healers is a sorc, and he is capable of healing vet trials. I will take him into vMoL and hardmodes as my healer without hesitation anytime.

I've made several posts about the viability of non-templar healers over the last several months (not that I expect you to have seen them, just for informative purposes). Changes that were made back in TG leveled out the playing field for healers across the board. What truly makes a good healer nowadays is almost all in the hands of the player behind the character, and not the character's class. BiS gear for healers is almost universal (with some exceptions, and one of them definitely applies to Sorcs in that they have the option to use other sets, like Necropotence). There are a variety of options that provide non-templar healers with the utility all groups need, including restoration of stamina and magicka (and actually, the capabilities of a Sorc to sustain magicka-heavy groups is higher than other classes through the use of Empowered Ward).

I wasn't saying we can't heal trials, the issue is most trial groups want that Templar. But yes it is about the player more so than the skills. I don't heal Vet Trials because I don't have the gear for it and I don't swap CPs etc. I just change staffs and skills

I am DPS first and if need be I can fill in as backup healer.

RavenSworn · October 2016

I feel sorcerer healers are in a good spot. They have good magicka management, good off dps on healing downtime and the pets, while needing the slot on both bars, provide an additional 'target' for random effects that might have killed off another player.

Sorcerer skills also have a lot of control spells that can lock down mobs of trash pulls. I prefer the atronach and dispel globe for my own game play, it provides a synergy opportunity which will then proc the Undaunted command (albeit a lesser stamina shard) but with lightning flood also giving more dps, sorcerers are really good at healing / control dps.

AoDD33pfri3d · October 2016

I have a vet 226 sorc/healer character stat is 5 points in hp and rest in magic. My magic is almost 30k, been working great for me no problems