Some questions about the healing mage (mending) set?

Jim_Pipp · July 2017

Hi. I'd really like some information about the healing mage set, ideally from people who have actually tested it out.

TLDR The specific questions I have are in bold. Everything else is just waffle.

First of all this is what the gear does, it is the 5-piece bonus I am really interested in.
(2 items) Adds 129 Magicka Recovery
(3 items) Adds 967 Max Magicka
(4 items) Adds 2% Healing Done
(5 items) When you use an area of effect heal ability, you reduce the Weapon Damage of all enemies within 10 meters of you by 430 for 3 seconds.

Question 1 - What constitutes an area of effect heal?
Often this is going to be obvious, but if we think about the NB, do all skills that have an AoE heal component count? What about funnel health (heals one nearby ally)? What about Sap essence (a damage ability that also can heal nearby allies)? What about Refreshing path (a ground based dot that can has been morphed to have a healing component)?

Other classes and skill lines have similar abilities that have a healing component which may proc the 5-piece bonus, but the heal is almost a secondary feature of the ability (e.g. wardens have an ability that allows their heavy attacks to heal a nearby ally, and resto staff has something similar).

I'm particularly interested in nightblade mechanics, because potentially a sap tank would have 100% uptime on the 5-piece bonus. That leads to the second question.

Question 2 - What is weapon damage on mobs? How effective is it to debuff it?
I've done some research and I've heard that mobs don't have separate weapon and spell damage - they have a single damage stat called weapon damage which is reduced by 430 through the 5-piece bonus, so the 5 piece will affect all mobs equally. Can anyone with experience confirm that is true?

So how useful is a 430 damage debuff? If I debuff another players damage by 430 that is going to really hurt their dps (unless they are a proctato, but that's another story). But players get most of their weapon damage through buffs like brutality/beserk etc, and I don't notice NPC's buffing themselves nearly so much. Or does the 430 just get deducted from the amount of damage a mob was going to do? If this is true then the healing mage set may be very effective against large groups of trash mobs with low damage, but almost useless against bosses that do thousands or tens of thousands of damage with each attack.

I'm not very good at explaining, but I suppose I'm asking if the debuff affects the mobs base weapon damage (which subsequently reduces the damage of their abilities significantly), or does it reduce the total damage the ability would do by just 430?

Question 3 - Any cooldown? Any cap on the number of Mobs debuffed? Are bosses effected?
I've got an idea for a NB dungeon healer who gets right into the thick of the fight, standing near the tank and melee dps protecting them by debuffing every nearby enemy mainly by using sap essence to keep a 100% uptime on the debuff. But if there is a cool down or AoE cap not mentioned in the tooltip then the build idea goes out of the window. Equally, if the debuff doesn't affect dungeon bosses then this set will be completely outclassed by other healer gear.

Sorry for going on!!! Anyway, I really don't want to start grinding for gear in trials if the build I've been thinking about won't do what I want. If anyone read to this point thanks! If you have any answers then thank you very much.

Sordidfairytale · July 2017

I tested this a while back, things may have changed but from what I recall:

Question 2 - What is weapon damage on mobs? How effective is it to debuff it?

Mobs have physical and spell damage, this only affects physical damage. Incorrect.

Question 3 - Any cooldown? Any cap on the number of Mobs debuffed? Are bosses effected?
Bosses are not affected Incorrect

Additionally the mobs affected are centered on the healer, not on the center of the AOE. This is important due to the range of aoe heals. For instance you can be healing allies 20 meters away with healing springs, and the debuff won't affect the mobs on the ally because the healer is more than 10 meters away. They need to change this ability so that it affects mobs in the AOE, no matter where the healer is.

Tasear · July 2017

Question 1 - What constitutes an area of effect heal?

A lot more things then you would think. Easiest way to think is if it doesn't say heals over time and has a radius then it's good. Though I believe things like healing springs count on the first tick... but I could be wrong.

Question 2, and 3 have been answered already

I don't think mending is that grand of a set, especially when as a night blade you have veil or could just enchant the gear.

Suggestions

Inventor's Guard Set

LEVEL 50 CHAMPION 160

(2 items) Adds 129 Magicka Recovery

(3 items) Gain Minor Slayer at all times

(4 items) Adds 2% Healing Done

(5 items) When you use an Ultimate ability, you and the closest 2 allies within 28 meters of you gain Major Aegis for 10 seconds, reducing your damage taken from Dungeons and Trials Monsters by 15%.

Draqone · July 2017

@Jim_Pipp

I am a healer main and I can tell you @Sordidfairytale 's answers are straight out wrong.

Question 2 - What is weapon damage on mobs? How effective is it to debuff it?

Mobs DO NOT have separate Weapon and Spell Damage. Mending reduces the mobs damage by a flat value, and the % amount it reduces depends on the type of mob. In my testing, overland mobs lose ~30% of their damage when debuffed, world bosses lose ~10% of their damage. I don't have exact values on trial mobs, it's aroundish 20% on vet trial trash and <10% on vet trial bosses.

Question 3 - Any cooldown? Any cap on the number of Mobs debuffed? Are bosses effected?
There is no cooldown. Mending DOES NOT affect all targets, it debuffs a maximum of 6 targets around you. Bosses ARE affected!
He is correct it debuffs the mobs centred on you, not on the target healed.

As far as @Tasear 's answers, I need to correct a few points.

Question 1 - What constitutes an area of effect heal?
Everything that is a multi target heal is an "area of effect heal" as far as this set is concerned. I have not used it on a Nightblade but it works with skills like Rapid Regen/Mutagen and Breath of Life. It also works on all AoE HoTs like Healing Springs (when you cast them).

It does not work on Healing Ward or any proc set heals.

As far as item recommendations, i would no use Inventor's guard. If you wanted a healer set master Architect would be vastly superior to Inventors as it buffs the damage and on a NB damage done directly translates to healing done.

From my testing, mending is a good set but why would you want to die slower if you can kill faster?

Minaithelan · November 2017

Hello!

I actually main a NB healer in veteran trials (though I changed to Templar due to the Orsinium event demanding my NB in vMA). First of all, to complement a bit on the answers:
Healing mage is the best set for a NB healer

Extra healing: Not only does the 2% allows you to reach permanent 8% if you slot two skills (Healthy offering and Siphoning Attacks) but it ALSO STACKS with the minor mending you get by casting Healthy Offering. If timed correctly, you get great heals for extended periods of time.
Damage reduced on mobs: Most people will ask for mending instead of worm or sanctuary, especially for lower part vHRC and Axes on vAA. As a NB you can heal lower vHRC but you'll never be the Mending healer in vAA due to your lack of Luminous Shards (Orbs are bugged and cannot go through tank spot).
Set being outclassed: Yes, people want to kill things faster, so Worm/Sanctuary may be common. I've seen though, that most guilds that like to do HMs and no-deaths usually go for either Mending/Worm or Mending/Sanctuary. But the mending healer needs to get personal with the mobs due to its small radius. THIS IS WHERE THE NB HEALS SHINE. Cast refreshing path and get major expedition, cast orbs and run through the mobs: SPC and Mending procs just like that.

Lastly, if you really are interested in NB healing, it may take some convincing but trust me, it works and does wonders. You can use this WIP-guide i got too

.

Jim_Pipp · July 2017

Thanks for taking the time to give clear answers @Sordidfairytale and @Tasear

I would have wasted ages grinding for the wrong gear without your help. It's times like this that I really appreciate the community on the forums.

Sordidfairytale · July 2017

Draqone wrote: »

@Jim_Pipp

I am a healer main and I can tell you @Sordidfairytale 's answers are straight out wrong.

Thanks for the update.

It had been a year or more that I tested this set out. It could have been changed, or it could be my failing memory. I just recalled that the set wasn't very helpful to me. It was probably most likely because the radius is centered on the healer.

elijafire · November 2017

It's good bc it lets groups just stack on bosses arse and ignore mechanics thus greatly increasing DPS.

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Some questions about the healing mage (mending) set?

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