The Vent Tent - Poor PuGs and Other Terrible Tales

[Telluride]

 

2) When I dungeon as SCH, and you eat an AoE or do something dumb as a DPS, you best hope Selene heals you, cuz I sure as hell will not. My heals are for the tank. If a DPS takes damage, outside of extenuating circumstances, most times they're doing something they shouldn't be. I focus target tank and watch his HP bar while I dps. Lustrate where necessary, a Roused Selene takes care of pretty much all the rest. (Notable exceptions: when dps actually get targeted by mechanics like WP.)

 

Do you run into problems with DPS just not even trying to heal themselves?

 

I try to keep as much self-healing / evasion as I can in my DPS hotbar options, using the cross-class stuff to advantage - Featherfoot, Second Wind at the VERY least, and I try to use them as often as I need them because I don't WANT the Healer trying to save my butt - the Tank has gotta stay up or we're dead, anyway.

 

I'm approaching 50 on DRG, and have already begun trying to get in practice with keeping myself alive, which actually seems a little EASIER with DRG than it was with Bard or Monk, but then, the cross-class stuff (with things from MRD, too) is helping tons.

 

[tries not to be FAILDPS]

[Kellach Woods]

If I have access to Second Wind, I run it. It's just too good to ignore on DPS classes. WAR not so much (and I'd rather be UTILITY TANK~ and run Mantra over SW) but still.

[Spethah]

Don't heal the 75% DPS that didn't bother to dodge an AoE and instead heal me, the 15% health tank that's having to constantly have her finger at the hallowed ground button just in case.

 

1) This is one of the many reasons I prefer tanking as WAR, because self heals are nice. God I miss 1.0 PLD...

 

2) When I dungeon as SCH, and you eat an AoE or do something dumb as a DPS, you best hope Selene heals you, cuz I sure as hell will not. My heals are for the tank. If a DPS takes damage, outside of extenuating circumstances, most times they're doing something they shouldn't be. I focus target tank and watch his HP bar while I dps. Lustrate where necessary, a Roused Selene takes care of pretty much all the rest. (Notable exceptions: when dps actually get targeted by mechanics like WP.)

 

A major reason why I tend to go on my alt, who has WAR, more than my main is because of those self heals. I'm still levelling WAR on my main so I'm stuck with PLD until then.

 

I've noticed that when I stopped healing and started tanking (I am the world's worst DPS so I can only do one or the other), I ended up getting healers that just seem to not think that I'm important (I mean my sole existence is to get beat up, it's clearly an important role) and I end up watching my health rocket to stupidly low levels.

 

Thank goodness warrior raid tanking in WoW taught me not to panic until you hit 10% health.

[Sounsyy]

Do you run into problems with DPS just not even trying to heal themselves?

 

[tries not to be FAILDPS]

 

So (in my opinion) self heals and mitigation cross-classes are great when leveling up to 50, but afterwards are not the most efficient of cross-classes in lieu of other buffs or dps alternatives. I have Bloodbath for my DRG, Second Wind for my MNK and NIN, and Mantra for my BRD. I find that I almost never use Second Wind, and Mantra only for incoming raid-wide damage.

 

Again in my opinion, I am someone who believes the role of the DPS is to achieve and maintain the highest DPS output possible for their gear level. Part of maintaining said DPS is dodging mechanics that will kill you. I don't care if you lose 10 DPS if you stop attacking to run out of the AoE... your DPS drops to 0 if you die. And what I think a lot of DPS don't think about is that if they die, or take unnecessary damage, not only do they hurt their own DPS, but also that of the rest of the party. By you taking unnecessary damage you force your healer to stop DPSing and heal/raise you. This also takes heal focus off of tank, forcing tank to favor mitigation over damage output as well.

 

So TL;DR, never getting hit by avoidable mechanics is the most superior form of damage mitigation. (That goes for tanks as well...)

 

For mechanics that are unavoidable... the problem is, almost all of a DPS's self-heal options are reactive not pro-active, and while you may think you're helping out by healing yourself in response to taking damage, know that a good healer has probably already noticed you took damage and has either elected to heal or not to heal you by the time you actually get that Second Wind off. So really, it makes little difference to the healer either way. If you take significant damage (to an unavoidable mechanic that I knew was coming) I'm not gonna wait around to see if you heal yourself, I'm going to be sending a heal your way. Or Selene will more accurately.

 

The same concept is why Parry for tanks is pretty useless. I can never guarantee RNGesus is going to Parry an incoming tank buster, so I'm going to heal the tank regardless. If he parries, great, my strong heal is already outgoing under the assumption that he's about to take the full amount of damage. So really all the Parry did was make me overheal. Same concept for DPS popping Second Wind. If the damage is enough to make you consider self healing, the healer already has a heal coming your way.

[Khoure]

also one time I was lvling cnj at haukke manor and I kept wondering- why in the world was it so impossible to heal the tank? I kept healing and healing and the tank would die, or it would be a close shave on even trash mobs! Not only that, but every single time I healed, I'd get at least one enemy (usually 2) after me while the tank seemed to be concentrating on dps or something, because he wouldnt pull them off until after the others were dead.

 

I looked at his gear and it turned out he was decked in 1/4 DoM gear, 1/4 DPS gear, and 1/2 crafter gear. And it was all pretty low even for Haukke

 

No matter what I did, he'd be dead or almost dead. When he inevitably ate it in the middle of the final boss, the arcanist in the group summoned topaz carbuncle, which ended up being a waaaay better tank. I remember it fondly now as the legend of the tank from hell, but it wasn't all that funny at the time.

[Kellach Woods]

The same concept is why Parry for tanks is pretty useless. I can never guarantee RNGesus is going to Parry an incoming tank buster, so I'm going to heal the tank regardless. If he parries, great, my strong heal is already outgoing under the assumption that he's about to take the full amount of damage. So really all the Parry did was make me overheal. Same concept for DPS popping Second Wind. If the damage is enough to make you consider self healing, the healer already has a heal coming your way.

 

I've noticed healers fail to notice DPS damage more often than not, so I'd rather not give them the stress of having to babysit me. If they don't have to care about my bar 'cause I can take care of my own raid damage (and more often than not there's not really a better choice except maybe Mantra) then it's better overall for their focus.

 

Parry for tanks is more for mitigating constant damage than Mountain Buster.

[Telluride]

The same concept is why Parry for tanks is pretty useless. I can never guarantee RNGesus is going to Parry an incoming tank buster, so I'm going to heal the tank regardless. If he parries, great, my strong heal is already outgoing under the assumption that he's about to take the full amount of damage. So really all the Parry did was make me overheal. Same concept for DPS popping Second Wind. If the damage is enough to make you consider self healing, the healer already has a heal coming your way.

 

I've noticed healers fail to notice DPS damage more often than not, so I'd rather not give them the stress of having to babysit me. If they don't have to care about my bar 'cause I can take care of my own raid damage (and more often than not there's not really a better choice except maybe Mantra) then it's better overall for their focus.

 

 

Of course, we're assuming a good HEALER in this scenario, which we can't always assume.

 

Some healers will go nuts trying to fix everybody instead of focusing on the tank, and a little DPS damage mitigation might be enough to get off their radar and reduce their stress, after those routine, low-to-medium damage unavoidable raid AOE bursts.

 

So, for THOSE cases, I might be losing DPS to do a little self heal, but if it helps the healer to focus, then it's a net gain - tank stays alive, and while the fight may last a little bit longer, it doesn't wipe from a frantic healer.

 

As a DPS, I cannot always assume the healer is doing his/her job, especially in a pug, just as the healer cannot always know if I'm doing mine.

[Ellavione]

A little thing for me to vent about today. I get up this morning as I do every morning to get some gathering and crafting progress done on my character. I notice my cell phone lost battery the previous night because I forgot to plug it in. No big deal right? Just let it charge a bit, boot it up, and open my square enix token. Well, the phone started fine but when I went into the Square Enix token app it was BACK at the registration screen asking for the registration password. Not to mention I can't log into my Manage Account Service page because it requires the onetime password to log in. So I try to 'emergency password' removal. That doesn't work because apparently my emergency password doesn't match what they have in their system. No biggie... I'll contact customer support I'm sure they will help me get this handled. I submit a ticket and call their customer service line.... and promptly receive a recorded message saying they are closed for the holiday. *hangs head* :frustrated:

 

I'm hoping customer service DOES open up today and I at least get an email about my token. But that was NOT a good start to my day and I just want to go back to bed and start over again.

[Telluride]

Speaking of cell phones:

 

- Well-used and loved but older smartphone suddenly has its touchscreen go out - the only button responding on it at all is the power button.

 

- Am Unhappy, but was unsatisfied with carrier anyway. Hope to get number transferred to better phone and plan.

 

- Phone rep says that it can't be transferred over unless the touch screen works for them to get into the settings. Am Incredulous.

 

- Check at Techshell. Told that repair is minimum $95. Phone is old enough that brand new phones twice as good cost maybe just over half that.

 

It's 2015, and they don't have a damnable App that can plug a reasonably good, supported smartphone, into their desktop machine, and retrieve the necessary info when the owner is right there to provide any ID and passwords needed? It's not as if my old phone was obsolete by any stretch of anyone's imagination.

 

:frustrated:

[Sounsyy]

Parry for tanks is more for mitigating constant damage than Mountain Buster.

 

So, lemme vent about Parry for a bit. This is totally not directed at you Kellach and is not meant to show any tanks in a negative light. Just since the subject got brought up and this is, after all, the vent thread. Spoilering because long.

 

I used to rate Parry very highly for its mitigation properties until I sat down at endgame and did a little parsing and a little paying attention during fights. And when I did this, I became very disenchanted with the stat. So first, let's look at what the Parry stat actually does for you:

 

1) Increases the Parry Rate with main hand weapon.

2) Increases the Block Rate with off hand shield.

 

What are the limitations of the Parry?

 

1) Cannot proc against Magical Damage.

2) Procs against Physical Damage are entirely RNG based for all intents and purposes.

 

There is currently no concrete data pinpointing a statistical point value at Lv50 for how much a single point of Parry affects Parry Rate. However, preliminary testing by Hulan was published on B.L.I.T.Z.B.A.L.L.'s site back in Beta suggested that 1 Parry = 0.076 increase in Parry Rate. Later testing by Reddit user Kestiel seemed to corroborate this number. Meaning a hypothetical increase of +200 Parry stat would only increase your Parry Rate by +15.2%, statistically.

 

I emphasize statistically because you can ask ANY crafter or ANY gatherer how reliable a 20-25% HQ rate is in reality, and they will laugh at you with tears in their eyes. That is FFXIV RNG and you are playing that roulette with your life.

 

So we are forced to work with hypothetical, and even that is quite grim, for WAR especially. Let's say you have two i130 WARs, one VIT with Parry focus, one STR without Parry focus.

 

>VIT WAR has 12000 HP, 486 STR, and 600 Parry, giving them a 25% (19.7% from Parry stat + 5% base) Parry Rate.

>STR WAR has 9800 HP, 631 STR, and 400 Parry, giving them a 10% (4.5% from Parry stat + 5% base) Parry Rate.

 

Statistically, the Parry WAR has the greater chance at frequently Parrying incoming damage.

Realistically, the difference is negligible and completely random.

 

Both i130 Tanks big pull 10 mobs in a hypothetical dungeon. Because there is 0 difference in DEF between the two tanks, both tanks take 500 DMG per attack unmitigated. Let's say things go as intended, the VIT WAR statistically Parries 2 of the 10 incoming attacks. While the STR WAR Parries 1 of the 10 incoming attacks.

 

>VIT WAR takes 8x500 dmg + 2x370 dmg (-26%) from the 2 parried hits = 4,740 dmg.

>STR WAR takes 9x500 dmg + 1x345 dmg (-31%) from the 1 parried hit = 4,845 dmg.

 

Statistically, Parry WAR comes out on top, barely. However, RNG can be a bitch, and hypothetically both tanks could Parry all or none of these 10 incoming attacks if (un)lucky enough and any number in between. The STR WAR could Parry 6 of those attacks while the VIT WAR only Parries 1, in which case, the STR WAR's mitigation becomes far superior.

 

Then there's fights where a boss or mob group only uses Magical Damage, in which case Parry is completely useless. And if you are that Parry WAR in a Magical Damage fight... congrats, you've wasted nearly the entirety of your stat allocations on a stat that does nothing for you, hypothetically and statistically.

 

----

 

So this is all great for WARs, but what about PLDs? You said Parry stat also affects Block Rate? Correct! It does, but at the same 0.076 increase weighted against the Shield's actual Block Rate stat. When a PLD takes incoming damage, the damage is actually weighed against the Shield first. RNGesus /randoms to see if your Shield will Block the attack, if it does not, it then rolls /random again to see if your Sword will Parry the attack, before the PLD actually takes the damage against its DEF rating and Mitigation from Shield Oath/Rampart etc.

 

So why then is Parry useless for PLD if it affects Parry Rate and Block Rate?? Because, a shield with high Block Rate will be just as if not more effective at increasing your Block Chance as dumping 200 Parry will, and because a high Block Rate trumps Parry Rate you're effectively still only plugging your Parry stat into your Sword, which you will rarely ever actually get to use, because your Shield procs first. Top a high Block Rate shield with Bulwark and you'll never actually see your sword parry. Your shield is doing all the work on its own. So why on earth would you want to dump all of your secondary stat allocations into Parry, when your shield will actually do the work all on its own?

 

So if you want to Block more frequently as PLD, get a higher IL shield. The only time Parry would hypothetically be recommended is for a PLD with a Noct Hoplon, which boasts a higher Block Mitigation stat than a Block Rate stat, so Parry could be used to supplement this lower proc rating. However, most endgame shields are Kite Shields that boast equally high Block Mitigation and Block Rate numbers.

 

So again, a Parry PLD will statistically have a slightly higher Block/Parry Rate versus a non-Parry PLD of the same Item Level, but Bulwark effectively makes this difference negligible since both tanks can hit near-100% Block Rate with Bulwark and crushing their Parry rating down to 0%.

 

 

So all of that was simply the math portion of the lecture! Lemme quickly wrap this up by talking from a Healer's perspective. I could care less what your Parry rating is, because 1) I can't see it actually working - I have NO idea when you've parried and when you've eaten a full blow. 2) I'm still going to hit you with Cure II or Lustrate regardless of whether you Parry or not. Because I'm a good healer and I have that shit prepped for when you're taking damage. Your heal is inbound before that damage is even calculated. So, let me reiterate my earlier statement, all your Parry did was keep you from being one-shot. If you were not one-shot, my heal is coming 0.5 seconds later regardless of whether you took 5000 damage or 4700 damage. My lustrate will still hit you for 2300~ in both cases lol.

 

Is it really nice and thoughtful that my tank is Parrying a few hits on big pulls in dungeons versus trash? Sure, but conversely, you could have also taken all that Parry stat you focused and put it into Determination or Critical Hit Rate on your WAR/PLD and help with damage, which 1) increases kill time and decreases the duration of time I have to curebomb you, 2) increases your overall enmity generation meaning I won't get murdered by mobs because I curebombed you, and 3) increase the amount of self-healing you are able to do to supplement the incoming damage.

 

Let's take the example above of the 2 i130 WARs in hypothetical dungeon with 10 mobs on them. Out of the 5,000 damage (10 x 500 dmg) they would've taken unmitigated, their Parrying only actually reduced incoming damage by 155(STR WAR) and 260(VIT WAR) points.

 

The Pro of the VIT WAR is that after taking 5000 damage, he still has 7000 (58%) HP.

The Pro of the STR WAR is that after popping Bloodbath, he can hit Overpower and heal back 1,000-1,500 HP in one move, bringing his HP up to 6000 (61%) HP after the fact.

 

Could the VIT WAR also Bloodbath+Overpower/Steel Cyclone/Inner Beast the same as the STR WAR? Sure he could, he just won't receive as good an HP return, which is fine, cuz he has his Healer's Curebomb inbound.

 

But overall, the VIT/Parry WAR is an inefficient way of optimizing the role, as you lose out on damage, enmity, and self-healing on the supposed basis that you gain more mitigation/survivability by stacking Parry and Vitality, when in fact, the difference in mitigation is mathematically negligible. Does a Parry/VIT WAR work? YES. Is it the most efficient way to play WAR? No.

 

/end lecture. Questions?

 

 

[Kellach Woods]

Oh, I know how Parry is pretty much as bad as Evade in FF6 original cart.

 

It's one of those things that I don't go out of my way to get because IIRC STR increases your parry stat so you may as well get some Phys. Atk out of it. I still like the stat more than damage stats because I'm bad at this game but yeah.

[Enla]

All this talk of healers is making me really, really hope that I'm able to learn how to be an efficient end game healer by the time I finally hit 50 with WHM. I'm still learning rotations and what works best for when, and am constantly afraid I'm doing something wrong even though I rarely allow a party to wipe. With that said I cannot agree enough with the idea of the DPS avoiding unnecessary damage when needed and that a healer should go to the tank, not the other way around. Yes, it does annoy me when the tank kites around static scenery in a stage while I'm healing them as it immediately invalidates what I'm doing - but for everything else it's my job to find that sweet spot between getting too close and being too far away to do anything of use. Likewise for the DPS, if the bloody boss is running an attack with clearly telegraphed paths to avoid - AVOID THEM. If you take damage during a fight it's usual either your fault or the tank is being an idiot. If the latter, I'm sympathetic and try my hardest to keep you alive. If the former I'm just going to facepalm at you and debate ways to floss my teeth with your entrails as I try to regroup and get your health back up to where I need it to be. Especially when it's avoidable. If it isn't, like some bosses, then no sweat.

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Speaking of cell phones:

 

- Well-used and loved but older smartphone suddenly has its touchscreen go out - the only button responding on it at all is the power button.

 

- Am Unhappy, but was unsatisfied with carrier anyway. Hope to get number transferred to better phone and plan.

 

- Phone rep says that it can't be transferred over unless the touch screen works for them to get into the settings. Am Incredulous.

 

- Check at Techshell. Told that repair is minimum $95. Phone is old enough that brand new phones twice as good cost maybe just over half that.

 

It's 2015, and they don't have a damnable App that can plug a reasonably good, supported smartphone, into their desktop machine, and retrieve the necessary info when the owner is right there to provide any ID and passwords needed? It's not as if my old phone was obsolete by any stretch of anyone's imagination.

 

:frustrated:

 

A note on the data thing. Most smartphones encrypt all that information and lockout access to it if the screen is locked. But it seems silly that they couldn't pull out a SIM card if it's a GSM phone, or otherwise find the info if it's CDMA of some variety.

[BlackmoreKnight]

Why do some WARs queue into extreme primals without having 22 GLD. Why. Whhhhyy. 

 

(Yes I know about half of them have irrelevant tank swaps these days but that takes a level of practice/technique/optimization that I don't trust DF with)

[SessionZero]

Words about tanks.

 

Does this dissertation have any effect on PLDs? I went full VIT PLD and mostly use gear with VIT/Parry for maximum mitigation (I also have a level 50 WAR that I never use but was thinking of switching up to a STR WAR for fun OT times). I still buff the ever-loving shit out of myself with Rampart/Fight or Flight/Foresight and took Bloodbath over Mercy Stroke as one of my cross-class skills for a wee bit of self-healing that doesn't depend on an almost-dead mob (though I imagine it does very little in the long run since my PLD does very little damage output comparatively speaking).

 

Also sorry if I'm horribly derailing the thread. I just find Sounsyy's analysis very interesting and relevant to my interests T^T

[Gegenji]

Words about tanks.

 

 

Does this dissertation have any effect on PLDs?

 

Yup, there's bit about 2/3 of the way through on PLDs and how Parry affects them. Basically, your shield will do more to help your block rate than stacking Parry will. And, since your shield block is checked before weapon parry, that makes the parry you're stacking for the weapon extra useless. I've been running a full STR PLD on both characters for a while now and the only downside to doing it is that the STR accessories don't have VIT.

 

... Which sucks if you're dealing with, say, Cloud of Darkness and healers that like to slack off.

 

I still have over 7k with it, though, and I'm i122 on Chachan.

 

It's just so "delightful" that I have to jump around hunting tank items for the left side that DOESN'T have parry on it. The only pieces I have left are really a couple Poetic pieces... and junk I can't get unless I try to run Coil.

 

I don't really NEED it since I'm not doing anything beyond WoD, but it's quite annoying that there's such a useless stat out there that most tanks won't even be aware about.

[Kage]

CHINA ONLY SERVERS DON'T GET GOLD SAUCER.

 

SO THEY GET PANDA MINIONS. :<

 

http://jp.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/character/332076/blog/2042752/

[Kellach Woods]

Words about tanks.

 

 

 

Does this dissertation have any effect on PLDs?

 

Yup, there's bit about 2/3 of the way through on PLDs and how Parry affects them. Basically, your shield will do more to help your block rate than stacking Parry will. And, since your shield block is checked before weapon parry, that makes the parry you're stacking for the weapon extra useless. I've been running a full STR PLD on both characters for a while now and the only downside to doing it is that the STR accessories don't have VIT.

 

Y'know when I made the comparison that Parry = FF6 Evade I didn't expect to be THAT MUCH on the money for PLDs.

 

We should compile a list of VIT items without parry, see if that would help.

[SessionZero]

CHINA ONLY SERVERS DON'T GET GOLD SAUCER.

 

SO THEY GET PANDA MINIONS. :<

 

http://jp.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/character/332076/blog/2042752/

"Please make it global."

 

Lol, China servers get a pittance because they don't get the awesomeness of Gold Saucer... and non-China server players still ask for SE to give it to them too. Like, come on guys.

[Kage]

China server players are also behind in content and they get some weird censors for them bones and stuff lol

[Kage]

For once I saw the "really" bad WoD run.

 

Except it was an in-progress run so I really should have realized that was bad but I just wanted to hopefully get healer pants or belt.

 

I was locked out of the Scylla mob when I joined in-prog. No biggy. 5-headed hydra dragon goes okish but I notice some tank e-peen going on in the beginning. Hurm.

 

Get to Cerberus. Wipe. Wat? Wait is. Did that SMN in my party have derpbuncle? Omg it's derpbuncle. It pulls. We all scramble around. Our BLM in dreadwyrm gear tanks it for awhile. I cry as Lustrates go off so I don't lose a member because of stupid people/ Other alliance tank faces the short sides E-W and not facing the gate or away from the gate LIKE ALL OTHER SENSIBLE TANKS DO. Healers get mauled to death. Like me. We wipe. My alliance tank grabs and positions it the SENSIBLE NORMAL WAY. We clear. Though I did learn in the 2nd wipe that I guess Medica II (not me) or a heal on a chain orb carrier will make them drop the thing. TIL!

 

Derpbuncle pulls again. Ugh. People mad at the SMN. I'm getting mad at the SMN. I MEAN YOU ARE A GORRAMFUCKINGSUMN. One tank drops and other alliance tanks over. Kinda goes ok but meteors. Why the fuck can people not do this mechanic properly? Why? WHY? It's not hard to go to a fucking circle and make sure it lights up. Wipe. Our tank pulls. We keep him up. It's all good. OMFG METEORS but not wipe-fest just yet. Until the clouds for ABC spawn. After the worms. Who apparently you only have to hit once so they don't stun/silence people. Which people in A did not do obviously BECAUSE THEY GOT STUNNED/SILENCED AND WIPED. And did not have enough people to cover clouds and meteors. The tank hoped to save it by Tank LB. ... yeah no.

 

And funnily enough they then want to kick SMN because of derpbuncle. I'm annoyed with said SMN who dies to the shots Cloud does all the time but he's not the one failing mechanics. He's not responsible for the worms. He's not the one responsible for dpsing A's cloud. He's not responsible for all the meteors people are failing.

 

Stop. Fucking. Not. Doing. Mechanics. GDI

 

Get to Cloud of Darkness. OMFG THIS

[FreelanceWizard]

Though I did learn in the 2nd wipe that I guess Medica II (not me) or a heal on a chain orb carrier will make them drop the thing. TIL!

 

It's not just heals -- any effect applied to a chain carrier causes them to drop the chain. This is a truly evil mechanic, since it's not obvious.

 

I just learned this the other day when our tank (the raid MT) was carrying the chain back and I, noticing E4E was up, cast it on him in preparation for the end of Reawakening. "Poof" went the chain. "Rawr!" went Cerberus and wiped the raid. :blush: :cry:

 

Now I always mention before the fight, "Remember that chain carriers can't be touched by any effects, so hold off on AE heals!"

[Gegenji]

I just learned this the other day when our tank (the raid MT) was carrying the chain back and I, noticing E4E was up, cast it on him in preparation for the end of Reawakening. "Poof" went the chain. "Rawr!" went Cerberus and wiped the raid. :blush: :cry:

 

That must've been quite the... chain reaction.

[Kage]

Though I did learn in the 2nd wipe that I guess Medica II (not me) or a heal on a chain orb carrier will make them drop the thing. TIL!

 

It's not just heals -- any effect applied to a chain carrier causes them to drop the chain. This is a truly evil mechanic, since it's not obvious.

 

I just learned this the other day when our tank (the raid MT) was carrying the chain back and I, noticing E4E was up, cast it on him in preparation for the end of Reawakening. "Poof" went the chain. "Rawr!" went Cerberus and wiped the raid. :blush: :cry:

 

Now I always mention before the fight, "Remember that chain carriers can't be touched by any effects, so hold off on AE heals!"

Yeah I wasn't affected by it (other than the wipe) except for seeing it happen. Though it was amusing because the tank going on about it was the tank that just wanted to cleave everyone. I wasn't healing the chained because they were in a different alliance. I was busy trying to keep my tank from dying from the adds and seeing Cerberus chew and claw on me. Succor doesn't hit people not in my party :> On one hand, it's your own alliance. On the hand I learned.

 

I have to say though. Usually I can still comfortably DPS and heal as SCH in WoD. That run... nope. ><

[Caspar]

I really think mitigation and self healing on dps is not just a solo tool. I save my healers some mana and often my life due to the many sources of unavoidable damage in coil. Because our scholar literally does not heal outside of fairy unless we need an adlo or succor, or it's an emergency, not needing a big heal during earthshakers and flares is really useful in lowering the burden on our WHM. SW has a very shot cd as well, so I can usually afford to use it to get a freebie positional and heal to full after damage. We basically don't heal anyone but the tank unless it is absolutely necessary, so there is some time to see the SW and react, plus I often say not to heal me if I am using it. The other reason is just the result of limited options; there just aren't other useful cross class skills. You should take mantra for when the monk has used theirs and the mandatory offense cool downs, and invigorate, but beyond that skills are of much more dubious use. I'd argue that in a lot of fights bloodbath and sw are more useful than fracture or feint... This is not to say that you're free to just take hits for no reason when CDs are up, just that they have a role to play and can fit int your groups strategy. On top of that, remember that things don't always go as planned and having the confidence to know you can recover allows you to aggressively pursue higher dps IMO. Having an emergency button ready is not just reassuring, I've lived solely by virtue of bloodbath/keen flurry/sw when my healer was too busy to save me from unavoidable damage more times than I could count. Plus I play really greedy and it saves me when I mess up, lol