As a new player going heal/support isn't going to be easy as you'll be looking at only zerg surfing and pick up groups. You'll be pretty unlikely to get much by the way of peeling (friendly players who do their best to "peel" enemy players off of you) as you will get focused, hard.

The major issue is how much you want to be specced into a playstyle. Heal/support absolutely require groups/zerg surfing but you can also be a mix of solo and heal/support.

With Bow you can use bombard to root enemies in place, which is very effective on breaches and works both defensively (root the chasing enemies in place) and offensively (roots the fleeing enemies in place). Can go deep fissure for the major breach and to help kill/debuff enemies. Soothing spores is a good stam heal which works under negates which can save people caught under them. In groups you can go back bar powerful assault but it requires either alot of gold or telvar and only works in groups but works fine back bar with SnB.

You can also go Bow/Resto Staff. Can run 5x armor master set on bow bar, maelstrom powered resto, 5x heartland conqueror body, 1x magma and markyn ring. Can go 5 medium 2 heavy (or 1H 1L) so you use shuffle on bow armor master bar.

Bars would maybe look like:

Bow:
1. Spammable (Snipe, warden bird attack)
2. Deep Fissure
3. Bombard
4. Shuffle
5. Venom Arrow or Netch (Mag or stam)- Netch is better but makes you vulnerable to plaguebreak
Ult: Permafrost or Offensive Ult like bow ult, dawnbreaker

Resto:
1. Soothing Spores
2. Vigor (Expansive is nice but less self healing)
3. Radiating Regen
4. *Flex Spot*
5. Ice Fortress (the minor protection outweighs the larger radius in pugs)
Ult: Barrier or Enchanted Forest (Barrier group only, but can be used before incoming damage so less lost via overhealing)

The flex spot you have a few options. Arctic blast gives you a stun and some self healing, polar wind more outgoing healing but no stun. Illustious healing for more healing Aoes. Bursting vines for a instant big heal on others (not yourself). Orbs (healing better for pugs without harmony) for more support/healing. Can also use crystallized slab for projectile protection and a less reliable stun come next patch (but is still on pts so may not be the case upon release). Leeching vines for a pseudo hot and mag and stam sustain with green balance passives.

Can go jewels of misrule for decent stam and mag sustain, or bewitched if you are good with bow/resto heavies. Race doesn't matter all that much, pretty much anything would work.

Digibrax wrote: »

Hmm, Bow + Frost staff also seems like fun. Would it work?
What about mobility with this build potentially?

Without a Twohander/ two one handed weapons you cannot reliably finish people off.