Healing requires unique skills distinct from damage dealing or tanking. This guide focuses on Restoration Druids and Holy Priests, two of the most popular healing specializations. Master these fundamentals to elevate your healing performance in raids and dungeons.
Restoration Druid Fundamentals
Druids excel at HoT (Heal over Time) healing and raid-wide coverage. Your strength lies in pre-positioning heals before damage occurs. Maintain Rejuvenation on the raid while keeping Lifebloom active on the tank.
Wild Growth serves as your primary reactive healing tool. Use Flourish to extend HoTs during heavy damage periods. Mastery increases healing on targets with multiple HoTs, rewarding careful maintenance.
Holy Priest Essentials
Holy Priests bring strong single-target healing and valuable utility through Guardian Spirit. Your Holy Word abilities form the core rotation, with Chastise for damage and Serenity for healing.
Prayer of Healing excels in stacked raid situations. Circle of Healing provides efficient smart healing. Use Divine Hymn as your raid cooldown for maximum impact during critical moments.
Universal Healing Principles
| Situation | Priority Target | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|
| Tank spike damage | Tank | Instant heal + HoT |
| Raid-wide damage | Injured players | AoE healing spell |
| Low mana | Self | Efficient heals only |
| Critical health | Anyone below 30% | Fastest available heal |
| Damage lull | None | Regenerate mana |
Advanced Tips
Pre-hot the raid before known damage events. Track incoming damage through boss timers rather than health bars. Communicate with other healers about cooldown usage. Position yourself for line-of-sight on all raid members.