DK Healer questions

Rikakiah · October 2020

I've been playing my MagDK as a healer lately (actually started leveling as such around 30 for faster daily random queues) and have actually been enjoying it (swore I'd never make a healer in this game).

Background:
She's a Breton. I really don't have a desire to do trials (what little I've done on my other chars have been just normal but were very boring to me). I love dungeons and have been having fun tanking vets on my magblade (maybe I just like off-meta setups). I've also been having a bit of fun with her in Cyrodiil, despite my set-in dislike for pvp in general--even without pvp-related gear/traits. I likely won't be swapping my CP to maximize PVP effectiveness (so say I now...), but am looking at a few considerations to make me more effective there, too (namely things like a separate gear set with impen, etc).

Gear:
Running Spell Power Cure for my "main" set (weapons/jewelry as that's harder to replace/swap), especially as it looks to be getting a nice buff come Markarth. Also seems pretty viable for PVP.
Body set is Hollowfang. Definitely need to swap this out for PVP. Thinking Kag's, Combat Physician, Jorvuld's (hate Scalecaller, though), or maybe Trinimac's Valor?
Monster is Chokethorn, although, considering swapping this for either Nightflame or Sentinel of Rkugamz (more heal vs resource regen--maybe swap as needed for group)--planning to continue to use Chokethorn in PVP as I've already noticed it seems pretty powerful there. Chokethorn's single target randomness seems more like a dice roll in dungeons, whereas in PVP it still maintains some decent healing (vs an already weaker ground aoe) and every target arguably needs as much healing as the next guy (ie it's not hitting a dps taking little damage while the tank really needs it more).

Skills:
Resto:
Combat Prayer, Illustrious Healing, Radiating Regen, Ward Ally, Cauterize, Ult: Magma Shield
Destro:
Ele Blockade, Crushing Shock, Cinder Storm, Igneous Weapons, Cauterize, Ult: Aggressive Horn

Questions:
I started with Fragmented Shield due to the group effect and Major Mending. However, at least in PVE, the shield it provides seems to be extremely insignificant, so I switched to Ward Ally and noticed significantly better results. However, I lose the Major Mending and Mountain's Blessing bonus. So, am I nuts about the weakness of Frag, or is it really just more about the "passive" buffs it provides with a "bonus" shield?

I have Cauterize on both for the passive crit (and it seems a solid skill in its own right), especially to maximize Hollowfang. However, should I maybe replace this on one of the bars (which one--pve/pvp difference?) with Obsidian Shard to help maximize Mountain's Blessing time?

For some reason, Magma Shield feels a bit weak (related, do allies have to notice and activate it to get their own shield?) and I was planning to replace it with Barrier, both because it looks stronger and to benefit from the Magicka Aid passive. Is this a valid reasoning, and if so, which morph of Barrier would I want?

Finally, builds I've been seeing online show Charged on the destro (lightning staff), but I've also read that Charged only works while that bar is active, so wouldn't Infused be better since that would still be effective off Wall when I swap back to resto?

zvavi · October 2020

I always go infused backbar.
You are lacking dk buffs for PvE, like engulfing flames and stone giant.
Magma shield scales of hp of allies while barrier of your offensive stat, generally on non tanks barrier is stronger.
You can get major mending from a good heavy attack on your restoration staff.

Your post is a bit of a mess and I am too lazy to make heads and tails of it but tried to answer some questions

Vevvev · October 2020

zvali is right in that you want to be using the flame damage buff and giving your allies minor brutality through one of your Earthen Fire skills.

If for some reason you are grouped with nothing but magDPS that are not using flame damage at all (which is highly unlikely due to how powerful flame staves are) Magma Armor is still useful for being a cheaper version of Barrier that allows you to take a boss's heavy attack to the face and live.

I also would recommend running the PVP Purge skill since it's Dragonknight's only way of getting rid of harmful effects from your group.

Rikakiah · October 2020

zvavi wrote: »

I always go infused backbar.
You are lacking dk buffs for PvE, like engulfing flames and stone giant.
Magma shield scales of hp of allies while barrier of your offensive stat, generally on non tanks barrier is stronger.
You can get major mending from a good heavy attack on your restoration staff.

Your post is a bit of a mess and I am too lazy to make heads and tails of it but tried to answer some questions

I'm not sure why I'd run Engulfing Flames or Stone Giant as a healer, or even where I'd put them. They're both range-dependent abilities which can get complicated in many cases. Stone Giant is a stamina morph that I'd have to spam for most effect, so I'm not sure I'd be getting much up-time with it on a magdk--Obsidian Shard seems a much more effective morph if I were to incorporate that skill. Engulfing Flames only increases flame damage, which is largely a dps magdk, who likely would be running that themselves if they're in a group--as well as being based on spell power which is a somewhat lesser stat behind magicka and recovery for a healer.

Thanks for the ult shield input--that's kind of what I figured. Just have to grind out Alliance War ranks now...

And yes, but heavy attacks take. so. long. :P

I am having trouble seeing what's a mess, aside from me liking parenthesis a bit too much. Not sure how I'd organize it any better for you...

zvavi · October 2020

Rikakiah wrote: »

I am having trouble seeing what's a mess, aside from me liking parenthesis a bit too much. Not sure how I'd organize it any better for you...

It is probably just me being lazy

About engulfing and stone giant, they both put a debuff on boss that adds to your dd's damage, as buffs/debuffs enter your role as support, those are good skills if your group doesn't run them.

Vevvev · October 2020

Here's my magDK healer build. Pay no attention to the CP placement since its not configured for PVE healing but to be honest I do just fine with it even in veteran dungeons.

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Special:EsoBuildData?id=218545

Its very offensive focused but you can use Talons + Lava Whip to apply off balance to trash ads while also giving your DD's a powerful synergy to use. More often than not the tank is a Dragonknight with Talons slotted so in those scenarios I guess you could change it out for something else of your liking.

I'd only ever use Stone Giant if you have the stamina to spend though. My build does not which is why I have it more DD focused than healer focused. The ability Obsidian Shard is a very powerful burst heal though you could use in a pinch.

the1andonlyskwex · October 2020

Is this a trials or dungeon build? I can't really comment on trials, but you have way too many healing skills for dungeons.

You definitely don't need both Illustrious Healing and Cinder Storm, and I find that I don't need either most of the time. I would drop both and add Energy Orb (which has similar healing and provides resources for your team) and Engulfing Flames (which does damage, grants you resources through Combustion, and buffs group damage for anyone using an inferno staff).

Additionally, I very much prefer Obsidian Shard over Ward Ally, although they're both a little redundant if you're also using Combat Prayer.

My DK healer build has a lot of other differences from yours, but those are the major things that stuck out to me.

Rikakiah · October 2020

Dungeons. And yes, my bad--I completely forgot about Energy Orb. I had my destro bar a bit of a hodge-podge setup between a solo bar and some damage for PVP. Cinder Storm does get replaced with Energy Orb. I'd kill for some sort of "loadout" option so I didn't have to remember what all I swap around...

I'll definitely give Obsidian Shard a try--I'd honestly not noticed the heal morph until I was looking into it today. Still not 100% sold on Engulfing Flames as it seems it wouldn't be full strength due to my spell power and potentially only buffing 1 guy's light attacks, but I've already got it leveled, so it'll be ready if the group is flame heavier. Might throw Frag Shield back in if only for another option to keep Minor Brutality up. That was one of the big reasons I had been using it (along with Major Mending), but forgot about when the shield aspect felt so lackluster.

While in dungeons, I do find myself primarily using Combat Prayer and Regen, but I like having Illustrious on there for certain situations. If I'm in a pug that likes to run around, I can drop that on the tank's location and it gives me a few seconds to deal with DPS-McFirePuddleSwimmer back in the corner.

Vevvev, where are you getting Major Mending from in your character sheet? Just heavy attacks?

Also, what are some major purgeable effects, in dungeons and PVP? I guess I'm not used to seeing them either on my tank or dps--perhaps the healer just clears them before I notice, or we power through despite them.

Finally, what are a few choice gear options for PVP to swap out Hollowfang for? Nothing from trials, but I should be capable of getting gear from anywhere else.

Thanks for all the (rapid) input.

the1andonlyskwex · October 2020

I didn't notice this on my first look, but you also don't really need/want Cauterize on both bars.

You'd probably be best off with something like Elemental Drain or Siphon Spirit on one of your bars. That said, if you really need/want Major Prophecy on both bars, you'd be better off using Inner Light for one of them. You don't really need the active part of Cauterize on both bars, and Inner Light has extra passive bonuses.

Vevvev · October 2020

Rikakiah wrote: »

Vevvev, where are you getting Major Mending from in your character sheet? Just heavy attacks?

Yep!

Due to the way damage/healing abilities you apply to people work that small duration is just enough to get a couple Radiating Regenerations off with the large healing buff over the duration of the whole skill. While it's active your Energy Orb and Healing Springs abilities increase in power till it expires.

This also means casting Engulfing Flames twice increases the damage of the second cast. And as a healer unless you build into health or straight healing buffs (Like for example the healing buff located on the monster set in that build) your offensive power is actually going to be quite high.