An Absolute (PvP) Newbie's Guide to Healing Warzones

Hello! So, you say you want to try healing in PvP, but are afraid of hating it/sucking at it? That's all right. I, too, once felt your pain. Which is why I'm going to share a few tips¹ that might make the transition from whatever it is you usually do in MMO's to a semi-competent PVP'er more enjoyable. And I will even do it for free!²

Tip #1: Learn to Die.   

Any good PvPer around knows that trying to kill a player that is being healed is substantially harder. Any good PvP'er arounds also knows that it's so much easier to kill the healer healing that player first. And any great PvP'er knows that it's a good strategy to tell everyone who the healer for the opposite team is. The result of this is, unfortunately, that people will try to kill you often (unless they're not very good) and enemies will gang up on you until you fall dead at their feet. This can be very frustrating. 

Now, there are strategies that will help you increase your survivability significantly (and we will discuss them in a second). However, the best way to deal with dying as a healer is to learn that it's gonna happen. And it's gonna happen a lot. Accept it. come to terms with it. It might help to think that you're being targeted due to your sheer awesomeness, true or not. It may also help to think that every second people are focusing on beating you to a pulp is a second your teammates are free(er) to cap points. 

In any case, you're going to die. And it's okay. 

Tip #2: Play for Heals, Not for Medals.

Getting medals is good for your valor. Winning matches, however, is even better. Now, you may argue, I thought that the stuff we did to get medals (like healing, killing people, and capping/protecting objectives) helped win matches?! And you're right. But here's the deal: in every match you'll be playing with seven other people and, usually, you'll be the only healer. Everyone can cap points and everyone can shoot₃ at the enemy. In order to do both of these things, however, they have to be alive. And not everyone can heal. Certainly, only dedicated healers can heal at a rate that will more or less match the dps of the guy whacking on your teammates. So unless no one is getting whacked on and/or there is a great opening for capturing an objective and your teammates are hopeless killing machines that forget that this is objective-based PvP and won't take some time out of their busy head-bashing schedule to do it, for the love of God, keep hitting those heals.

Tip #3: Remember This -Is- Objective-Based PvP 

This means that, when prioritising who gets your heals, the people that are trying to take the Huttball to the other side, defend the bombs, plant the bombs, defend the turrets, cap the turrets and everything objective-related, are the ones you should be trying to keep alive the most. After yourself, of course. After all, for all I've said about embracing death, you still can't heal when you're dead, so trying to keep yourself alive in order to keep other people alive in order for them to do the stuff your team needs to do in order to win takes precedence over anything⁴. 

Tip #4: Don't Hang Out in the Open

Learning to use map geography to your advantage is a complicated affair that will probably require a lot of practise and doing each warzone time and time again. However, you'd be surprised at how much your survivability increases when you learn to stand off to the side, near walls, instead of hanging around in the open field or, even worse, near objectives. The fact is that less people will see you (and even less will recognise you as a threat) and it will take your opponent a couple of extra seconds to figure out where that annoying healer is standing, which ultimately means less death to you. 

Tip #5: Remember Your Utility Abilities, Especially Those Instant Casts

You probably have an AoE CC ability. You also probably have a not-so-long-lasting stun. Bind them somewhere you can easily reach and hit them. Hit them often. Sure, they'll be ocassions when you'll just burn them at inadequate times, but if there's someone banging on you, chances are they'll be invaluable in helping you escape. 

Along those lines are CC-breakers, and things that help you go faster. Remember you have them, keep them handy and, for the love of God, use them.

Tip #6: Learn to Run

You know how we discussed that your survivability is key? Good. Then you probably understand why, when someone is whacking on you, running is often a good idea. It is a truth often overlooked in PvP that people won't chase you to the other end of the map, they'll chase you a few steps. And guess what? Running away and running back is often a lot less time consuming than dying so, if you manage to drop your chaser before you die, you have a good chance of still being useful in whatever mini-battle is being fought out.

Just remember, heal yourself before going back. You don't want to die the second you step back into the fray. Also, refer to #5 for making your escape all that more effective. 

Tip #7: Zoom Out, Keep Plates For Your Enemies On

This is the one tip I'm going to give you regarding your UI. First of all, turn the max. zooming out distance option⁵ to 100% and zoom out all the way. PvP is all about awareness (is there a guy heading my way with an angry look and a lightsaber-a-swinging'? is that guy about to kill our ball carrier? who is our ball carrier, anyway? is there a mob of imps heading to take over this node?). Zooming out all the way means you can see more of those things at any one time. The benefits should be self evident. Also, be aware of when - because of your position, deaths or freakish accidents - your camrea zooms in closer and rectifiy it as soon as possible. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that keeping those health plate thingies that hover people's heads showing for the opposite team will let you know, at a glance, who is your enemy. This is handy for preemptive running away, positioning, letting people know on chat that you need reinforcements and myriad other things. It should be noted, though, that if you've got a low-end computer, it might increase your lag and decrease FPS and, as we all know, we like healing battles, not slide shows. So use judiciously. 

Bonus Tip: Regarding Other People⁶

PvP is a team sport. This means that you have to be a team player. You have to learn to communicate. If ten imps are heading towards your node, or the left side, or swarming the ball carrier, let people know through chat. The same goes for strategies, go through them with people before the match starts. Also, don't ever be abusive of other players. They might suck, and you can give constructive criticism, but being an annoying prat helps nobody. And, never, EVER leave the frakking warzone. NEVER. I don't care if you're losing one billion-nil. It's the ultimate slap in the face to your teammates. It makes it even harder for them to turn the tables, and it's just plain rude. After all, if the other team scored five hundred times within the last minute, you probably could've done something better, too. It's also unfair to the guy who will replace you. 

Yes, I understand, bad things happen. Sometimes your house catches on fire. Your computer decides that it wants to die for a few seconds. The stupid swoopbikes in Alderaan are invisible to you and/or you become stuck while clicking them. Those are things that you can't help. But, if you ever are about to hit the 'leave warzone' option, consider this first: can I really not stick it out for a few more minutes? 

And this, this is all folks. Congratulations! You are now less sucky than 50% of healers who are trying warzone healing for the first time. And if you follow this advice consistently, you are less sucky than me.



1. Yes I know. A few tips, a guide do not make. It's just guide had a better ring.
2. Mostly, so you can't sue me. 
3. Figuratively, of course. If it's not shooting, it's bashing. Either way, it's something you shouldn't be doing a lot of. 
4. Rambling sentences... for the win? 
5. I don't know what this is called, exactly.But it's in your settings. 
6. In other words, how not to be a douche. 

A Short History on the History of This Blog

If, for some bizarre reason, you chanced upon this blog some time before this post, you may have noticed that the couple of posts that were here are now gone. There is a good reason for that. Mostly, it's that they were crappy. But there's also the fact that my whole intent for this blog has changed and getting rid of them seemed like a good symbolic act.

While orginally conceived as a blog in which to discuss stuff surrounding The Old Republic, I've long since come to the realisation that -for one- as much as I love that game, I don't play enough of it to be able to post many constructive advice and/or criticism specifically relating to it (i.e. I don't have that much to say about it) and -secondly- I'm much too lazy to have two separate blogs for writing on different subjects. This means, essentially, that this site has officially been converted into my personal blog rather than my TOR blog.

I am, however, keeping the jedi thematic. Holocrons are, after all, the jedi's version of blogs, which makes that title quite fitting.  Besides, I like letting the word know how much of a nerd I am at just a glance.

As for what to expect in regards to posting... well, only time can tell. There will probably still be a lot about the game and gaming in general, a lot of referencing nerdy things and perhaps some Deep Thinking every once in a while.

In any case, may the force be with you. Or something to that effect.