PW:S vs PoMFollow

One thing regarding PW:S and PoM. They don't play well together all the time. It isn't something you can really plan for until you keep noticing your PoM jumping off the tank onto a melee that you just shielded at half health and probably won't be taking much more damage.

The question becomes, "Do I forego casting shield so my PoM has free run?" or, "Do I only shield people that are topped off so that PoM won't jump to them?"

The answer is, well... both. PoM is nice that it is fire and forget, but if you are seeing it heal once and then sit on a particular fight, you might want to reconsider where you start it at. Normally, the MT is the optimal primary target. A PW:S/PoM is a great way to put 12-17k worth of future healing on the tank. On fights like Marrowgar, or any similar fight that multiple tanks are taking constant damage, PoM really shines. Very rarely is it still active by the time the cd comes around. The shield is only active on them for one or two hits, and then PoM takes over and allows you to do maintenance. (And since PoM jumps are not throttled by a gcd, your healing spikes tremendously during this exchange.)

Other fights, it is not so dandy. On fights where the tanks trade off, like Saurfang, PoM will pop once and sit. I have found that more times than not, when PoM comes off cd, it is still sitting on the second tank. I have started to put PoM on the Bloodboil target with a shield, and that seems to have better results. After it jumps from the target to another damaged person in the vicinity, it has been moving to where the action is most of the times rather than getting one heal on the tank and sitting on another member who may or may not take damage. If possible, the person that receives the first Mark should move within range (20 yds) of the tank so they may share the bouncy ball of healiness. (Can't run to the cannons anymore anyway. )

My point is that while both of these spells are powerful in their own right, changing your tactics to match the fight will allow these strengths to be in harmony rather in contention.



I was bored... or drunk... or bored of being drunk. Cocktail, anyone?

Don't PoM the bloodboil target. Shield him. Bloodboil only gives Saurfang blood points for damage dealt; damage that's absorbed isn't "dealt". Use Shield and you noticeably effect his blood point generation.

Oh, I'll shield the Blodboilee, I just toss the PoM on top it.

I heard some rumblings about shields not helping as much, but not sure about the details. My 10-man group only got to about 40% before the first mark, when we had been normally getting closer to 30%. We had a few different players this week, though, and that may have been the cause of the premature demarkulation.

Now I will return to studying my navel. I think it is changing locations on me. Last week, I could have swore it was off center. Seems to be fine now... oh well.

Just a little story about Saurfang. I was in a pugged 25 man that was a bit melee heavy. The first mark came out around 70%... and it was on me. =O

I set to task and started pouring out the binding heals. Kept it up after the second mark came out around 40%, and was crying for an innervate at 10% (my mana alert goes off at 25%, hadn't heard that in a while). With 4 (might have been 5) marks rolling in the group, I oomed and died with the boss at 2%. Awwww.

During this fight, I was able to cast 3 pain suppressions (the first one always goes on the first mark with a shield), toss pi on a dps 4 times (maybe I shoulda saved one for me...), and led the raid in damage taken. >.>

Someone posted a meter afterwards, the two tanks were close to each other and I was over 6% more damage taken than the leading tank.

So I am an honorary tank! =)