I’ve read that the major difference between Mystic and Defiler is one has bigger wards and the other has better direct heals at a burst. Which style/class is more conducive to raids in the upcoming SF xpac? Does mythic buffs factor into which is more desired?
Defiler is mostly used as a MT group healer. Mystic is mostly used for melee DPS groups. Both can do each other jobs though.
Mystic's are better because bolster can be used as both a offensive and defensive buff, plus the regular wards are all copy + pastes, oberon parses about as much as deathward. Torpor is a bonus to mystic. Immunization, balm is pretty tight too. I'd run two mystics if I could, and 0 defilers.
Run a defiler for debuffs. This is TLE and not life so Debuffs are still pretty important and no priest can cripple like a defiler. We ran 1 defiler in our debuff group and it does make a significant difference in overall survivability and dps output. That being said, we are not a "hardcore" group so we actually have to design and build our groups how they were intended.
I'm confused, we don't design and build groups how they were "intended". Either way, the debuffs are negligible, and the only bosses you need them on strip the debuffs periodically so it's hard to keep them all up full time when you need to constantly heal. Mystic is basically equal to defiler in terms of debuffs, we cleared everything in this expansion not even having a mystic. I promise you don't need both shamans. And designing groups as intended is silly, considering how you can actually run four troubs, constant jcap the main tank and main tank healers and get more temp time with harmonization and see a similar avoidance report as running a dirge. Plus, 60% of the current TSO content is 1-2groupable.
It all depends on WHO plays the shaman. The player of the character of the same type of class is most important since they are very similar. Its like this with a lot of players. Some people who've been around can play a poorly geared tank better than a nicely geared tank because they know the general setup to make things happen correctly at the right time.
Old habits, honestly I'd prefer two mystics but our defiler doesn't want to betray. Bolster gives our tank enough HP (and it's a permanant buff) to equal another single target ward basically full time and we also have a cleric/druid spot healing him. Oberon tetris' perfectly into a guardians gap in temps right now and you also factor in the added offensive bonus of a Mystic being able to bolster someone when you don't need bolster. I've seen both shamans push 9-10k hps on a lot of encounters, and stuff like munzok where we run templar/channeler/defiler MT with a guardian and OT with mystic/inquis/channeler with a zerker, both can live and yet the one with the inquis/weaker temps can also tank it. Some fights mystics blow defilers out of the water because of the added noxious ward to the group as well, which is on quite a few encounters. Plus spirit tap is ridiculously bonkers for fights that are power intensive. Immunizations is also leaps and bounds better than voice of the ancestors and you can completely cycle it between sanctuary/channeler break between every aoe and never have the group at a moment where they are locked down. As Airvh said, it all comes down to who is playing the shaman, if the shaman doesn't just chain ward, debuff, and press temps between it doesn't matter which type of shaman they are, they are worse than a better one~
That was about exactly my playing style and I could succesfully solo heal a raid MT group with that. Never had really insane gear. But now, I am at a total loss at how to play a mystic. Yesterday was dramatic, I was in a heroic group trying to do a T2 instance. As stuff got harder and harder I just didnt have the healing power to keep up until the last mob. Seemed I did only 10% of heal of the other healer (warden) and no dps at all because I didnt have time to cast any ascension spells cause I was healing my *** off. I just cant keep up anymore, wards are almost no good either because they dont stack anymore. Potency is 60K, resolve is 1416. All my spells are at expert or better. I really have no idea how to change this. Advice other then changing class or main or pumping RL money into the game Krono's or something is very welcome, Thanks.
I feel your pain being a Mystic myself. From what I have heard you need 70K potency for T2 zones. People keep saying heal parses are overrated but to me it shows how well you are doing besides your group staying alive. You can also dig down into ACT and check your Heal Out and see what seems to be working the best for you and what seems to worthless. It may take more then one go around through a zone to figure out what works best for you. All I can suggest is to modify your AAs until you find a setup that works for you. If you are relying on Soul Shackle or Spirit Aegis I would not anymore. I still use Soul Shackle but have dumped Spirit Aegis in favor of Totemic Protection. Umbral Barrier is now my main ward. Pre CD my soul shackle did close to 50% of my heals, now it barely reaches 18%. Also keep your solo wards running on the tank or whoever the mob is chewing on. Don't be afraid to use Transcendence frequently and Ancestral Channeling. I wish I could help more but I am having the same troubles you are.
Yeap remember that torpor is a regenerating ward and that bolster with AAs getmit increase, run speed and possilby other cool effects. And well the white dog is cooler and spell conversion is nice too ... This is for pre-AoM content, live is now such a messthat is is probably useless to comment about totally insane mechanics (.i.e last time i vaguely read the forums Sks were T1 dps which is perfeclty fine for a Tankarchetype -- rofl --)
