Dual Healing ICC- Shaman+Shaman

Probably everyone I know is running ICC with only two healers. So I am sort of curious of what the two healer combos are. I know my friend Jessabelle has a priest/druid combo with shaman back up. This sounds like an awesome combo. I think anything combined with a druid would be pretty nice. Especially a disc priest or pally. Some teams that people might not think are so grand might be a holy priest/druid or pally/disc priest. I really think that any combo can work as long as the healers are working together. We usually run with a pally/shaman combo with two healers on the side if needed shaman/priest.


One combo I was pretty sure was a bad idea would be any two of the same class. I mean maybe holy/disc priest combo, but that doesn't count. How could a raid do well with two healers of any one spec/class. Well I was pleasantly surprised last night. In my ten man ICC, our pally has been taking a break. Our priest enjoys dpsing so I have been volunteering to heal, which I am completely happy with. But why not use our priest instead, because two shaman healers seem like a fail to me. We have two shaman healed a lot of fights but last night... was our first time one shotting Rotface. We cleared everything no issues with heals of course, and then came Rotface. We usually wipe a few times before we sloppily down him. But last night, with two shaman healers we one shotted him. I was actually surprised. My co-healer whispered me and shared his fears that he thought our combo was bad and that he thought we would have more issues. I completely agreed with him, and I am still stoked that we successfully have been healing ICC with two shamans. After a few weeks of this combo I feel excited to really feel as though we are a good team, and that it is possible to two heal with the same class/spec. I still don't think it is the best idea ever! But it works. I wonder if any other class has had the same success with two healing with their twin.

Circle of Healers: Part Two

Ok, so Miss Medicina has posted some new questions as a follow up to the original Circle of Healers Survey.

The New Questions:

1. Reread your original answers to the questions. With the benefit of hindsight, score your own work in terms of its cringeworthiness.
Ok, so I was primarily a druid healer when I first answered this survey. Now I can safely say that I can competently raid anything as a shaman healer. I have done ICC as both, but moreso on my shaman.

2. Has your class's healing improved in the area you identified as its weakest?
I still feel as though druid's are weaker in the area of tank healing. Now that I heal with my shaman, I think my biggest weakness is mobility. On my druid I can run around almost the entire fight unless I need to cast a regrowth or nourish on the tank. 

3. Have you changed your "least favoured class to heal with"?
I originally said that I disliked healing with paladins. In a two healer fight if I am on my druid pallys are completely fine, and probably somewhat desired. On my shaman, I might struggle since we have no HoTs b/w us, and we both have the big crit heals. In a 25 man I prefer to run with a huge variety of healers. I love them all.

4. Did you read the entries from others in the webring, especially your class?
I paid close attention to other druids and shamans.

5. If Yes to #4, did you learn anything that made you a better healer?
It helped me to read what shamans said, since I was new to shaman healing. Looking back I realize I can identify my shaman play style with some of those posts. I love the tank healing! I can do it yes I can. Healing melee is awesome for shamans too, I can chain heal a few times in b/w healing the tanks. As a druid, I didn't really learn much, but was definitely interesting to see how we all have our favorite spells, and how no one uses healing touch lol.

6. What tools/resources or information do you think you would need to improve as a healer and how could that help the community at large?
There isn't a whole lot of information for shaman healers blog wise. I try to read up on elitistjerks. I would love to put out some info on shaman healing, and now that I have healed in 10 and 25 man ICC, maybe I am a bit more qualified. It is always best to compare yourself to other healers of the same class, which I was able to do last week in 25 man. When I heal in PuGs I get to run with other resto shammys so all of this helps me improve and get a good idea of what I am doing right and wrong.

7. What did you identify as your worst habit as a healer? Have you improved in this area?
I identified myself as an impatient healer. Which I still am! On my druid I know exactly when people are going to take damage, so I HoT them in advance. This doesn't lead to mana problems, or extra high overheals, because these people do take damage. But it frustrates me when I look at recount and see the other healers so low. I need to learn, still, to be patient, so that the other healers can do their job. This is more a problem in ten mans than 25s. As a shaman, I don't have this issue, because I HAVE to wait to heal. I think this is why I enjoy shaman healing so much, I get to see bars change drastically when I throw a heal. One little lesser healing wave is so much more healing in one quick shot than a rejuv. So I like to see the bars change, not over time, but right now! I am impatient remember!

8. What did you list as your favorite healing spell and your least used healing spell for your class? Are these answers still true? If they have changed, what caused the change (i.e. patch fix, different healing environment, etc)?
My favorite spell on my druid was rejuv combined with swiftmend. This is the most powerful spell I can use to save someone quickly, or get a huge heal to the tank. I would say wild growth will almost tie with this. It is awesome for raid healing, and anyone notice the pretty two set t10 bonus? On my shaman my favorite spell is riptide. I love being able to splash that water on someone, and make my healing wave a much quicker heal. Chain heal is awesome and everything but, I love the riptide.

Patch 3.3.2- Thank you Blizzard

So the patch notes, as always are found here. It is a small patch, except for the release of the Lich King of course! Also a new VoA boss to get extra loot chances, awesome. But the change I was looking forward to the most, and the only one that affects the toons I play?

• Shamans
• Talents
• Elemental Combat
• Shamanism: This talent now provides 4/8/12/16/20% extra spell damage to Lightning Bolt/Chain Lightning, up from 3/6/9/12/15%, and 5/10/15/20/25% to Lava Burst, up from 4/8/12/16/20%.
• Tier-10 Elemental Shaman 4-Piece Set Bonus: Redesigned. Successful Lava Burst casts now increase the duration of Flame Shock on the target by 6 seconds.

YAY! I was starting to really worry about my poor little shaman, when all I read is that ele shamans were among the lowest dpsers in game. It seemed as though I was doing okay in ICC, but my mage was doing much much better, so I could definitely tell what people were talking about. My shaman was main spec resto, but since my guild has so many awesome healers, it was more useful for me to go dps as main spec. Since I am starting ICC 25 soon, this change comes as a big relief. At least Blizzard is recognizing the problem and trying to fix it. So for once, I am really excited that my class received a buff and looking forward to seeing how it affects me in ICC. So thanks Blizz!

ToC Ten: Another Day, Another Raid

I have done ToC 10 what seems like a million times. Since the release of ToC, I have cleared it every Monday night. But last night I decided to join up with some of my friends and fellow bloggers instead of my usual hard core group of acquaintances who just clear it with no problem week after week. I first came in on my mage, which is the toon I usually bring in there. Of course my dps would help since many of the people coming with us had never stepped foot in there. Hey it is more fun to wipe with close friends, than clear with people you like, but is more of a business relationship right?

Well of course my mage was doing the dps I expcected but it seemed as though we had problems healing. So after some discussion and acceptance of losing my dps, and wipes of course, I switched to my shaman to heal. Yay now this place is like a new raid altogether. Luckily for me my druid was saved, so i really got to experience something new. I love learning how to play on my shaman.

I am totally not one of those shamans who is obsessed with chain healing, so I quickly volunteered that I would be perfect for tank healing, especially since the other two healers were a holy priest and resto druid. This group make up seemed to work really well, and I worked really hard to keep an eye on my mana and keep my water shield up, and I did a good job, much better than when I started out healing a few weeks ago. I really like being the tank healer as well, since I am so use to raid healing on my druid. So I learned some things about my class that many raid leaders don't know.

So some perspectives from a noob shaman healer:

• Shamans are awesome tank healers! 
• With earth shield I kept the tank buffed with a little heal when he got hit, a great controller of spike damage as far as I could tell.
• My riptide was a great way to top off the tank or even a raid member, and provide the spell haste I needed to my other heals so that I could keep the tank topped off at all times.
• Lesser Healing wave made it to where I almost didn't need to cast healing wave, because the tank with my other heals, rarely needed that huge crit
• But I think healing wave is what really makes shaman a viable tank healer, this spell will heal the tank for probably 1/3 or so of his or her HP.
• Shamans should not spam chain heal, and is not the only thing they are useful for
• In most fights last night my chain heal only hit one or two people because people were so spread out. I am so glad I am not a veteran shaman because I don't have to break the habit of spamming chain heal, I just am trying hard to not get myself into that habit.
• I love Mail!
• I did notice a difference in my survival rate from my druid in faction champions. I mean maybe I shouldn't have because my druid gets a buff from tree form, but maybe it was the extra HP on mail gear that made me feel a little more safe taking hits.
• The biggest thing I learned last night, is how important it is for the healing team to be in sync.
• When you blog, you read a lot of blogs from other healers. It is so helpful to know what other classes' strengths are! This will help you to gauge what you should be focused on during a raid, and how to help your healers. When that druid healer is running from legion flames I am not too worried b/c they can rejuv and swiftmend themselves, which is what I do on my druid. But on my shaman send me heals please, because my riptide doesn't quite cut it. 
• Knowing the other classes you are healing with is priceless, and makes any healing team stronger.

Maybe this is why after the switch we cleared three bosses, before it was our bed time. Two of us have tried to familiarize ourselves with other healers strengths and weaknesses by reading blogs and studying other classes. I think this made us more in sync and aware, which made us succeed. Next week I am certain we can clear the entire raid, too bad our bed time was at 11 last night. But I am definitely looking forward to next week, and now my friends may trust me to bring my shaman yay!

Tidal Force: What is it Good For?

Ok so I still consider myself really new to shaman healing. I am trying to use all my abilities in the best way I can, and am still running five mans to practice. I think I have pretty much mastered healing in five mans, so I want to start looking at healing more seriously and refine my raiding skills. First I have a problem with mana, but maybe that is my gear and mostly not remembering to use my water shield. Otherwise I think I am use to having a huge CD like innervate for me to regen a ton of mana. And no, mana tide totem is not the same!! But my biggest issue with healing is wondering if I have a good spec.

I have checked many shamans healing specs, and I have found that all the ones I have checked out have Tidal Force. I find myself never using this spell, and I would love to know when other shamans use it, or even if they are specd into it. For my mage I put crit increases into macros, so that I get all the use out of it I can, but is healing the same, or do you use it for only boss fights? Or do you not use it at all. I want to use this spell because I am sure it makes my healing more powerful during the time it is up, but is it worth the talents? So far I find myself never using it unless there is a ton of damage going around that I don't feel like I can handle. Maybe this spell is more useful than this?

Shaman Healing: First Impressions

So, I finally had the chance to heal in a 25 man raid on my shaman last night. Although it was only Naxx I think it was a good starting point. I was pleasantly surprised that I wasn't completely bored out of my mind, and maybe that was because we chose to have only four healers. I have been anticipating healing on my shaman for some time now so that I could compare it to druid healing.

On some fights i was reaching 5k hps, which my druid rarely reaches. I know hps is not a great way to see how well you are healing, but it is fun to look at anyway. I was lucky enough to run with a druid healer that I trust very much and I know she is very competent so I was keeping an eye on comparing myself to her, since I can't heal on both my toons at the same time. In some fights the druid beat me in healing, but for the most part of the night I was out healing her and I don't think that really means a whole lot, except to know that shamans are just as good at group healing as druids. When I first healed on my shaman in five mans, I thought they would be amazing main tank healers because of the huge crits, overall I think shamans are pretty versatile and can fulfill any role the raid needs.

Overall this new healing class was loads of fun, and I think I did well for my first big raid. Some things I missed about my druid, was that precious instant group heal Wild Growth. I also missed being able to run around arms flailing about, all while throwing heals to people. Shamans really can't heal on the run which is a huge drawback in many fights, and I think druids excel at these type of fights over any other healing class. I also missed my innervate, because I suck at keeping my mana shield up and I was having mana issues on a few of the fights. I actually had to ask for a druid's innervate at one point, which I hate because I don't want to have to rely on others if I can help it.

I am glad to finally have two raid healers at my disposal. I can't say that I love one more than the other, because so far my shaman is tons of fun. I think it is beneficial for me to have both because I like being able to see where different classes are coming from, as far as bragging and complaints. I am sure once I truly become and expert at shaman healing I will be able to write about the ins and outs in more depth, but for now I am having a blast learning this class. O and BTW I am dual speccd elemental, and from running a few ten mans and many five man heroics I can see the potential this class has for Amazing dps, so lots to look forward to on my new raider.