Role of a PvE cleric?

[Squible3]

i am writing this because when i choose cleric, it was for the obvious healing utility... but when i did my first dungeon, i realized that almost everyone had a cleric companion and that nobody needed my heals. i am only lvl 30 now but i am still wondering, does partys REALLY need cleric's heal? or companion doing the job is enough?

Because they have the adavantage to aim instantly, and with a good tank and good dodger the damage to heal so far seam very low, plus, with only the rigth mouse button i can put a debuff on enemies so it heal my allies when they hit them. After all that i am wondering if i would be more useful as a dps cleric with only that debuff to heal a bit everyone? is a healer in this game only useful to make up for the bad skills of other players?

[Pillow]

I don't know if there is really much of a role for devoted cleric in this game unless you are playing with a guild and players you know that want you. Most all the classes have ways to heal, life steal, regen themselves. In the epic dungeons most want you to lay down astral shield\hallowed ground on bosses or thick mob areas. I don't do PvP so not sure what the role is there.

[PhellAsleep]

Your role in dungeons is to keep the GF and GWF healed while they face tank enemies. Their role is to keep adds off you and the other DPS. For the most part, healers feels less needed because most players run with a healing companion.

If they removed companions from dungeons and instances, like in PvP, you would see an influx of calls for Clerics.

Also, the threat mechanic in the game is barely functional currently, so there isn't as much need for concentrated healing, since tanks can't hold agro and enemies spread damage around all over the place.

[ducttapebowtie]

Level 60 healing based cleric here!

When I was in the lower levels' dungeons and skirmishes, I was quite upset when I found that while I could and did reach the most health points healed in each one, I didn't seem entirely nessicary.

The turning point for me was the Lair of the Pirate King dungeon, (and a few skirmishes). For me, those were the first time my party members started really needing health. Companion clerics only heal so much, and overlapping damage of minions and high dps bosses can kill in an instant.

I didn't know until it happened in Pirate King, but if all your party members die, you start the boss battle alllll over again. If your party members have to use all their potions in the first one, you're boned in the next one or two (or ten. I've done ten before and then I left the party). Once even one of your dps players dies, it's a domino effect.

If you want to feel more important or more helpful in a more direct way, killing the little dudes that spawn during the battles will help your tanks and GWFs go for the gold. Other than putting astral seal on the boss, I wouldn't spend too much time on him other than your daily powers (depending on the ones you're using). But all that of course, is up to you.

As for endgame content (which I know is a ways off, but could still help to know), healing-based clerics will struggle with the non skirmish and dungeon PvE a little, but it is very much still doable. It takes more skill and finesse for me to complete the campaign dalies than my level 60 Hunter Ranger friend. But it's still very doable.

If you regret your decision to choose healing, by all means, go for dps. But if support is a role you want to play, your day shall soon come.

[Squible3]

Thx duct, guess i'll build dps for the lvling up and then switch to heal on the last lvls where people will actualy need my heal lol. Respec are made for that :P

[PhellAsleep]

You might even get a free respec token with the new module coming soon.

[WarofChanges22]

The Devoted Cleric heals more than the claric compainion and you get to chose what to do while the cliric compainion heals randomly and dies faster.

[Squible3]

Ok so there is still hope for my healing cleric :P Still feels a bit weird to not be wanted that much for group, in most MMO, healer and tank are like rockstar lol. Anyway, i enjoy polyvalent classes and no matter how the endgame is, i'm sure cleric will do more then just one task, heal, buff, cc, dmg, tank and on and on.

[Kamajo]

I've switched from healing based to a debuffer for PVP, but if you'd like to support your team by using your healing power, stick to it, you'll be fine.

[DLSHORNET]

Healers can sway the tide of battle in PVE and PVP! Love your cleric, a good one makes all the difference end game. Focus on Buff/Debuff and Heal at high lvl, your DPS can be high burst (for pvp) but completely negligible for PVE

[pig without 3.14 is 9.81]

I agree with this guy

[ragnarcarlsen]

The better players tend not to run with cleric companions, but use the ones that don't draw aggro (stones and cats). A good healer is a very nice thing to have in an epic dungeon, and it gives you the bonus of always being able to go to the front of a dungeon queue if you're pugging. As was mentioned: your job is to keep the BLUE Astral Shield and Hallowed ground down as much as possible, to keep major enemies under Astral Seal, and to spot heal tanks. Do those things in epic dungeons, and you'll make many friends. Lay down the Circle of Shame (aka yellow Astral Shield) and you won't.

[ducttapebowtie]

(If you don't have the divine power for it and can't get it fast enough for whatever reason, non-divine yellow is better than nothing tho.)