Best backbar destro staff setup for healer?

Draxund · November 2021

Here's the context: I'm a templar healer who exclusively runs 4-man dungeons (norm and vet). I wear SPC and I've been farming Hollowfang staves for a long time now. I finally have the resto staff and got an inferno too (I'm likely not going to do the arena, so not bothering with the arena front bar staff). Anyhow, I see that most healers run a lightning staff on backbar with charged trait and shock enchant, likely to benefit from the concussed status effect and off balance. Sadly, I'd rather have a root canal than go into Moongrave Fane again for the stinking lightning staff.

Two questions:
1. If I stick with the inferno staff, is it possible to benefit from concussed status effects by putting a shock enchant on it?? In other words, would it allow me to get both burning and concussed (i.e., inferno staff with shock enchant)?
2. If I stick with the inferno staff, what do you recommend as the best trait and enchant set up?

Thanks so much!

Kaelthorn_Nightbloom · November 2021

Edit: for dungeons, the Perfected Maelstrom Resto Staff is not needed for most bosses

Original Reply:

You should backbar the Perfected Maelstrom Resto Staff for the sustain. With Radiating Regen active on 3 players, the staff will usually proc every 2 seconds which is equivalent to +558 magicka recovery. It works when backbar is not active.

You will not find a better backbar staff for healers. The sustain tick is equivalent to running The Atronach. This enables you to run a different mundus like The Apprentice for heal/dps hybrid dungeon runs, or The Ritual for raw healing power in PvP.

Draxund · November 2021

You should backbar the Perfected Maelstrom Resto Staff for the sustain. With Radiating Regen active on 3 players, the staff will usually proc every 2 seconds which is equivalent to +558 magicka recovery. It works when backbar is not active.

You will not find a better backbar staff for healers. The sustain tick is equivalent to running The Atronach. This enables you to run a different mundus like The Apprentice for heal/dps hybrid dungeon runs, or The Ritual for raw healing power in PvP.

Interesting. I have never considered running 2 restos since I tend to spend just as much time doing damage as I do healing. Specifically, I usually use Elemental Drain and Unstable Wall. I guess another option is to run the Maelstrom resto on front bar and Hollowfang destro on back? But then I'm back to needing advice on which trait and enchant to use on the inferno...

Kaelthorn_Nightbloom · November 2021

Draxund wrote: »

I tend to spend just as much time doing damage as I do healing

Actually you're right. Inferno front, Lightning back makes more sense for most dungeons. You just don't need that much healing or sustain. For example, Scalecaller Peak Vet HM has mostly 1shot mechanics so I'll go 75% damage 25% healing.

Light attacks don't proc status effects. You'll never have burning or shock from a staff without an enchant.

Running Shock + Precise on Inferno frontbar and Weapon Damage + Infused on Lightning backbar is fine.

If you know there will always be Shock status on the boss, then go Flame enchant on Inferno frontbar instead.

Dungeons are so easy that most of the time it doesn't matter. You really don't need to optimize that heavily.

lQrukl · November 2021

I see that most healers run a lightning staff on backbar with charged trait and shock enchant

Its not nessesary anymore since new CP.
There was CP star that boosted damage by 10% against offbalanced enemies.

Just take Berserker glyph with any destro staff you like (Infused trait) to boost your both damage and healing. Casting Wall of Elements from backbar grants you 100% glyph uptime.

ixthUA · November 2021

Dunmer race, didn't put anything into magicka recovery, never run out of magicka in vet dungeons. I use magicka potions often though, have a full bank of them.
I'd use frost staff for destruction staff for minor brittle, and restoration staff for combat prayer.

Stx · November 2021

I never thought about using a frost staff as healer. I guess minor brittle would be more important to keep up than minor vuln or off balance. Those are so easy to proc these days.

Snow_White · November 2021

My dungeon healer is a Templar that runs a Magplar rotation, but I keep energy orb, extended ritual and breath of life on the back bar.

Two destro staves. SPC and Hollowfang have decent DPS specs in the 2 through 4 piece bonuses. I usually run Symphony. Can add a maelstrom inferno on the backbar for more DPS. My CP is spec’d for healing.

I also carry a masters resto and can switch to a full on healing build if required, but most of the time extended ritual and healing orb are all that’s needed.

The main advantage to a lighting stave is that I don’t need to aim the heavy attacks. By not needing to focus on a single target it frees me up to keep an eye on the bigger picture. The small loss in ST DPS for me is worth it to maintain better situational awareness (lightning is better for AOE).

Oreyn_Bearclaw · November 2021

Snow_White wrote: »

My dungeon healer is a Templar that runs a Magplar rotation, but I keep energy orb, extended ritual and breath of life on the back bar.

Two destro staves. SPC and Hollowfang have decent DPS specs in the 2 through 4 piece bonuses. I usually run Symphony. Can add a maelstrom inferno on the backbar for more DPS. My CP is spec’d for healing.

I also carry a masters resto and can switch to a full on healing build if required, but most of the time extended ritual and healing orb are all that’s needed.

The main advantage to a lighting stave is that I don’t need to aim the heavy attacks. By not needing to focus on a single target it frees me up to keep an eye on the bigger picture. The small loss in ST DPS for me is worth it to maintain better situational awareness (lightning is better for AOE).

I do something similar on my NB. Full DPS setup, double fire staff, but I swap to healing morphs of Funnel, Path, and Orb. More than enough healing for virtually all 4 man content, especially with Sap Essence as part of my AOE, and basically I can just do my normal DPS rotation. I carry a resto staff if more healing is needed to make room for Combat Prayer (in place of blockade), healing springs in place of my Shades, and veil in place of destro ult. Almost never need to actually do that, but there are a handful of spots where targeted heals are nice.

Love the new armory because I can now do that with a click of a button. Queue as a healer ready to heal, but if I get the go ahead from the group (I always ask), can easily go full damage. A 100% dedicated healer is frankly a hinderance in most 4 man content. Not commenting on whether that's good for the game, but it is a very true statement. A healer in 4 man content should be spec'ed for roughly 50% DPS, 25% buffs, and 25% healing (if that).

To the OP, dont need lighting staff unless you like it for the AOE heavies. New CP makes it a non-issue.

BXR_Lonestar · November 2021

Honestly, I just run a SPC Lighting staff/olo lightning staff back bar, depending on which set I'm running. I've tooled with my build enough that I don't need to double resto, even in Cloud Rest where bar swap mech can really cause some problems. Back bar is almost always infused trait with any number of glyphs the group may need, or if none, I'll just go increase weapon/spell power glyph.

BronzeCaiman · November 2021

I usually use an ice staff on back bar so I can block for Magicka, and get the bonus block mitigation. The minor brittle from chilled with wall of elements giving 6 allies a projectile damage shield is great. Also you can benefit from a damage shield that gives magicka from fully charged heavy attacks. I use a weapon damage glyph to increase healing.

Vevvev · November 2021

I actually make the flame staff my front bar and get damage buffed from my own SPC set. Then I run several DoTs, Blood for Blood, and Cauterize on that bar. Resto staff is the back bar with all the healing and group buff tools. Ends up becoming my main bar during fights where keeping the group alive is paramount.

Also reason for Blood for Blood on the flame staff bar is so I can DPS without eating too into my magicka pool. Really helps with sustain and is actually a way to sometimes apply minor magickasteal to foes when you proc a magic status effect. Also the can't be healed by others debuff is pretty silly when you're the primary source of all healing for the group.

buttaface · November 2021

Maelstrom staff back bar is meh IMO unless you are overspamming skills. Not really a fan of hollowfang either on four man. Better easy to get non trial alternatives are Potentates for cheaper ults and especially Powerful Assault for a very strong team damage buff that will stack with SPC and Minor Berserk, is easy to trigger, just cast razor caltrops or echoing vigor on the back bar on set cooldown. If you are pugging, having razor caltrops is very nice as there may not be an aoe breach/snare otherwise and uses stamina. Another backbar option if wanting to help out with DPS is Winter's Respite, which provides a powerful aoe heal to the team and allows you to contribute a little more dps while the set adds to ambient healing.

Unless you are doing exclusively DLC Hardmodes with their very big sponge health bosses, IMO the extra team regen is far less useful and entirely worthless in normals than team dps buffs. Also consider recently buffed charged back ice staff with ice enchant for chilled minor maim and minor brittle if no other brittle and another lightning source in the team. Personally, I wouldn't use inferno back for healing, but you will get -some- OB or minor vuln from it, just not very much.

FeedbackOnly · November 2021

I saw an interesting one here yesterday.

https://taseartreehouse.blogspot.com/2021/11/dungeon-sorcerer-healer-witch.html?m=1

Use frost staff with shock glyph to get both elemental status effects

Dolphinsgal · November 2021

I love using frost staves on my healers, with the tri-focus passive active. I absolutely refuse to use Fire staves, even on my dps. My healers depending on content and who's in the group I either run restro/ice restro/lightning or restro/restro...the double restro is usually saved for trials or vet hm dlc's.