The Art of Healing: WHM Best Practices

To be the best healer possible, you need more than awesome gear. You need to know how to use the tools you have. But also, you need knowledge and anticipation. What follows is a step-by-step list of everything I do before, during, and after an event.

In your spare time, work on the following:

• Capping your healing & enhancing magic skills.
  
• Obtain the Orison +2 set.
  
• Build an Arka IV cure potency staff.
  
• Make the Cleric's Pantaloons +2.

Before leaving town for an event:

1. Refresh your stock of echo drops, if needed. You should have AT LEAST a full stack on you at all times.
   
2. Research the NM/event you will be fighting/attending. You're looking for the following information:
   • Does the NM cast any elemental magic spells? You need to know this so you can put up the appropriate barspell.
     
   • Does the NM cast enfeebling magic/have TP moves that inflict status effects? Again, this is so you know if you'll need to put up a barstatus spell.
     
   • Does the NM use Doom or spam Sleep spells? If the former, you might want to pick up some holy waters to use. I usually just spam Cursna on myself if needed, but I carry holy waters as well just in case. If an NM spams Sleepga/Foe Lullaby, you might want to buy some Poison Potions.
     
   • What are the TP moves the mob uses? Knowing this can help you anticipate what spells you'll need to cast.
     
   • If you are doing a BCNM-type event, check to see if buffs wear upon entry or not. If not, you can buff outside before going in (my preference).
   
   
3. Refresh you stock of traverser stones or voidstones.
   
4. If going to Voidwatch: buy cells if you like, and make sure you have the proper atmacite equipped (for WHM I use Devotion and Aplomb).

When arriving at your destination:

1. Activate Light Arts.
   
2. Activate Afflatus Solace.
   
3. Cast your highest Reraise on yourself.
   
4. Activate Sublimation.
   
5. Examine the list of party members:
   • Who is the tank (if there is one)? Is the tank in your party?
     
   • Who are the other healers? This is good to know so that you can Silena/wake them, if needed, or make sure to raise them if they die without Reraise.
     
   • What jobs are the members of your party? You need to know this so you can cast the appropriate buffs.
     
   • Make sure your echo drops/other meds are in your main inventory and not in your satchel/sack.
     

Before battle begins, cast the following buffs:

1. Reraise, if you don't already have it up.
   
2. Protectra V & Shellra V.
   
3. The appropriate bar-element spell, if necessary. If the NM casts several elements, pick one.
   
4. The appropriate bar-status spell, if necessary. I prioritize the following, in rough order:
   
   1. Baramnesra. If the mob uses a move that can cause Amnesia, I put this up. We have no way to remove Amnesia, alas, so out of all our barstatus spells, this is probably the most important.
      
   2. Barsleepra. Because if you, the WHM, get slept, it can REALLY make a mess of things.
      
   3. Barsilencra. Definitely prioritize this move if the mob uses Silence-ga moves and you're in the mage party.
      
   4. Barparalyzra, because paralyze is just so freaking annoying.
   
   
5. The appropriate Boost-stat spell:
   
   
   • If you're in the DD or tank party, cast Boost-STR.
     
   • If you're in the mage party, cast Boost-INT.
     
   • Alternatively, Boost-VIT is usually a good choice, regardless of which party you're in. Especially consider this if you're in the tank party and the mob uses nasty TP moves that cause a lot of damage.
     
   • For best results, run out of AoE range after casting Boost-stat on your party members, and cast Boost-MND for your own use.
   
   
6. Accession -> Stoneskin.
   
7. An additional AoE buff:
   • If you have a NIN tank, I recommend Accession -> Aquaveil.
     
   • If in the mage party, do Accession -> Hailstorm or Accession -> Aquaveil.
     
   • If in the DD/tank party, do Accession -> Blink. Be aware that Blink doesn't stack with Utsusemi shadows (you can have one or the other, but not both), so if there's a lot of /NINs in the party, I'd do Aquaveil instead.
   
   
8. Auspice
   
9. Haste. First on the tank (if in your party), then on yourself, then on the remaining party members. Ranged jobs (COR and RNG) do not need haste, unless they are melee-ing.

During battle:

1. Cure for the appropriate amount. Your goal is to use the cure spell that will fill up the HP gauge without going over. While MP conservation isn't usually an issue these days, there will still be times when you WILL run out of MP. Thus, I highly recommend you develop the habit of not over-curing. It's much more MP efficient, which means you can do your job more effectively.
   • Like all rules, there's an exception. If the mob you're fighting does highly damaging TP moves, it might actually be better *to* over-cure, so you can keep Cureskin on the tank. This is especially true in low-man situations in Abyssea. Example: I used this strategy while fighting Hedjedjet with a WAR tank.
   
   
2. Keep up your haste cycle. Remember: tank (if in your party), then you, then other members.
   
3. Keep Regen IV on the tank, if they're in your party.
   
4. Recast buffs as needed:
   • If you're in Voidwatch, use a Fanatic's and Fool's drink before running in to recast buffs.
     
   • In other situations, cast Stoneskin/Blink on yourself before running in.
     
   • Of course, some mobs are {Easy Prey} and thus won't require taking the extra precaution. Use your best judgement.
     
   • It is always best to STAY ALIVE. Buffs are great - I like buffs! I am very pro-buff! But if the mob is spamming nasty moves, it's much better to stay on the back line and keep yourself safe, even if it means your party will lose buffs.
     
   • Watch the chatlog for dispelled buffs. Recast the buff if you can. It's especially important to put Shell and Protect back on the tank, if those should be dispelled.
5. Use Celerity->Raise to quickly raise any fallen members. Your priority is: tank, other healers, jobs that can cast sleep (if crowd control is necessary), then anybody else.
   
6. Anticipate. Anticipate. Anticipate. Watch the chatlog for the mob's TP moves/magic spells. If the NM is about to do a heavily damaging move, be ready to cure the tank. If the mob is about to use a move that inflicts a status effect, be ready to cast Esuna, Erase, or the appropriate -na spell.
   
7. If in Voidwatch: try to keep Fanatic's and Fool's drinks up as much as possible. Gnostic's drink is also good to use.

If you should die during battle:

1. Wait until it's safe before getting up. Yes, this can mean that sometimes other party members will die as well before you can get up.
   
2. Cast Reraise on yourself or use a Reraise item as soon as you get up and are in a safe spot. The most important part of your job is making sure you have Reraise on. This is why point #1 exists: you don't want to get up only to die right away without having reraise. Because if the party wipes and no one has Reraise, it's game over.
   
3. Activate Light Arts & Afflatus Solace. And actually, I recommend you combine 2 & 3: my Reraise macros all activate LA/Solace before casting Reraise.
   
4. Cast Haste on yourself. WHM can still do its job pretty well even while weakened, but your recast timers SUCK, so get Haste on yourself ASAP.
   
5. Cure the tank.
   
6. Cure yourself.

After battle ends:

1. Raise fallen members. Prioritize anyone who can help raise, first.
   
2. If doing Voidwatch, clear your items from the chest.
   
3. Recast buffs, if you will be fighting the NM again.
   
4. If doing Voidwatch, trade more cells if you'd like.