Should a healer ever use Guard

Heroeric1337 · February 2017

Usually Tank's use guard on the healers when dungeon hunting, but what about a Healer using guard? Do you guys feel this is acceptable, or if there are any healer builds that can properly utilize it?

Mojmir · February 2017

I wouldn't in end game trials or vet dlc dungeons.

Dracane · February 2017

There are good reasons to use it. Remember though, that you take the 30% mitigated damage yourself.
So when you get hit by an boss aoe for example and also take the 30% you just took from your DD or Tank.... this may be a one shot. Benefit is the 8% more healing from the minor vitality morph or 12% more crit damage from the other. Provided your target doesn't have this buff already.

But this is as Mojmir said nothing for trials and it's overall not really necessary also. It's really more a pvp skill for Duo's and there it's very strong.

AcadianPaladin · February 2017

As a healer, I have at least 15 skills that I have developed and would love to slot. The problem is that I only have 10 slots (ults notwithstanding) and have to choose carefully depending on who I am supporting. Healing (burst, HoT), buffing magicka, buffing stamina, cursing foes, occasionally having to defend myself, if time allows contributing some dps. Oh, and providing the expected Jesus Beam execute when a boss gets low enough. Does the idea of guard justify one of those precious slots? Not for my healer.

Stannum · February 2017

The main point why i think it's a bad idea - using a slot on each bar. Really healer have no spare slots.

FrancisCrawford · January 2019

Stannum wrote: »

The main point why i think it's a bad idea - using a slot on each bar. Really healer have no spare slots.

Bumping this thread in general to see what people think now, and in particular to check whether Guard still needs to be double-barred.

ChunkyCat · January 2019

You talking about BGs?

Then yes.

Tasear · January 2019

A dead healer is a no good healer. Just get a off tank to do or pretend you don't have the skill.

Also a healer can do a lot more with 2 slots. I would rather slot mend wounds and something else.

Halcyon_blue · January 2019

Yes Guard needs to be double barred or guard will drop the moment you swap weapons.

It does have pvp value, assuming for whatever reason the other teams decide to let you heal (as well as dps and cc) completely unfettered, in which case Guard is likely not necessary anyway to win the match up.

As others have pointed out, the economic cost of potentially double-barring this ability is not really worthwhile, given the comparative value of something else.

That said, there are Guardplar healer builds out there - I believe Fengrush has one you can view on you tube. You'll need to ascertain if this matches your needs, style and capabilities.

Have fun!

idk · January 2019

Tasear wrote: »

A dead healer is a no good healer. Just get a off tank to do or pretend you don't have the skill.

Also a healer can do a lot more with 2 slots. I would rather slot mend wounds and something else.

Slot Tasear on both bars and you will be in good shape. (I have been trying to figure out how to do that for awhile).

On a side note, there are not many absolutes in ESO. I have seen every role use it in vet trials though I would much prefer a dps than a healer use it if that is the choice.

Sy1ph5 · January 2019

Healers guard dps when there isn't anything better to do. The only reason to slot mend wounds is for the rp value.

Valykc · January 2019

Tasear wrote: »

A dead healer is a no good healer. Just get a off tank to do or pretend you don't have the skill.

Also a healer can do a lot more with 2 slots. I would rather slot mend wounds and something else.

^This. It’s not worth it unless you can take that kinda of damage

idk · January 2019

Sy1ph5 wrote: »

Healers guard dps when there isn't anything better to do. The only reason to slot mend wounds is for the rp value.

It is not about if there is anything better to do. It is about bar space.

For a Templar
BoL
Channeled Focus
Ritual of Retribution
Healing Springs
Combat Prayer
Orbs
Shards
Inner Light
WoE
Ele Drain

For healing challenging trials there is not a slot for Guard, let alone two. But granted, I am not sure I would slot mend wounds in any situation. Have only seen that as a skill I would call cute. I am sure some have found use for it.

p00tx · January 2019

It's for PvP where healers are more like hand waving tanks, not for PvE where healers are in light armor with less than 20k HP.

**Amended/updated: Except in vSS/vSS HM. It's a thing there.

Liofa · January 2019

Yes. You give your Magicka DDs Minor Force, letting them run another skill on back bar instead of Accelerate/Trap. The damage you take is very minimal because how Guard works and how the damage taken is calculated. A healer can easily Guard a tank in Warrior fight for example. If you have flex spots, definitely run it.

BossTuggles · January 2019

There is no reason not to be guarding a dps ever in PvE. PvP it's situational but the buff that guard brings your dpser is too strong not to be taken advantage off. plus you dont "need" to double bar guard. only time i see guard as not feasible is for heavy movement fights.

Sy1ph5 · January 2019

If it's a challenging trial. Then the healer has something better to do.

Silver_Strider · January 2019

BossTuggles wrote: »

There is no reason not to be guarding a dps ever in PvE. PvP it's situational but the buff that guard brings your dpser is too strong not to be taken advantage off. plus you dont "need" to double bar guard. only time i see guard as not feasible is for heavy movement fights.

No reason? I can list several off the bat as to why a Healer shouldn't run Guard, mostly being bar space (or lack thereof) and the fact that the risk vs reward of utilizing it is terrible. As already stated several times in this thread, Healers typically do not have the space to run Guard, especially for the menial buffs the morphs provide. Minor Vitality is not worth risking your own life over, even more so when Overhealing is as rampant as it is while Stamina builds already have Minor Force access in the form of Trap Beast, leaving only Magic builds to benefit from Guard and even then, they can technically use Accelerate from the Psijic Skill Line for Minor Force. If a Healer is dead set on giving Minor Force to group mates, Twilight's Remedy is the infinitely superior option since Guard can only affect 1 person at a time vs Twilight's Remedy potentially granting it to several allies with a fairly nice HoT on top and while this is a 5pc set vs 1 skill, with all the skills a healer is expected to use (WoE, E-Drain, Orbs/Shards, etc.) there just isn't an room to run Guard in a typical setting.

You are needlessly increasing your own damage intake by 30% guarding a DPS from any and all attacks that head their way, which is an extraordinary amount giving how Vet content nowadays have even trash mobs that can 1 shot you. With most mechanics being 1 Shots, what exactly is Guard going to do for you at all, except increase the casualty rating of vet content? I can see a case for PvP since you can build a VERY Tanky Healer there with little repercussion on your effectiveness but those are still on a case by case basis and still liable to get you killed in the process regardless.

The ONLY time I have ever seen Guard used in PvE is when it's by a Templar/Warden Tank doing both Healer/Tank jobs with 3 DPS. Then and only then can I see that being a viable time for a "Healer" to run guard.

royo · January 2019

Healers have been running guard for years in vet trial score runs. If you aren't running for score, don't bother.

VoidCommander · January 2020

This might be a little off topic, but I have been using this ability on my magicka templar dps. I connect with the other dps and then neither of us need to cast channeled acceleration anymore. Since I am a templar running puncturing sweeps, the extra damage I take is trivial. Since I am directly replacing channeled acceleration, using this method only costs my rotation one additional ability slot on the other bar. In update 24, the update of my post, abilities are so expensive that there are usually a couple dead slots for damage dealers since the meta is all about spammables. This setup requires more testing, but initial runs in veteran dungeons has been extremely promising. I’d like to hear everyone’s thoughts on this.