Why do people hate Healing Breeze?

Jaide

Jaide

Academy Page

Join Date: Apr 2005

Coastal Oregon

Est Deus in Nobis [EDIN]

D/E

I'm not much of a monk player myself, (I used to be a raid healer in WoW; I enjoy stepping away from that role in GW) but I noticed around here that people really put down use of Healing Breeze. Why is that? What's so bad about that spell? Please forgive my ignorance if it's something obvious, but I have my monk heroes use it all the time, and it's saved party members on numerous occasions, and it's a very nice security to have.

Please enlighten me as to why Healing Breeze is not a good spell to carry, and what would be a superior substitute, in your eyes.

Utaku

Utaku

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Nov 2006

Paris, France

We eat pancakes [Yumy]

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1- Regeneration is not the best way to heal, because it can be completely negated by heavy degen, and simply because it heals overtime while most of the time, you need a straight heal.

2- Healin Breeze is an enchantment, and can be stripped easily. Sometimes it can kill the character it was supposed to heal, when things like [skill]shatter enchantment[/skill] are around

3- Healing Breeze is energy intensive. When a monk spends 10 energy on one spell, target gets Divine favor healing once, whereas with two 5 energy spells, DF bonus gets applied twice.

4- Very often, Healing Breeze means over healing, because the second monk will cast a straight heal to top up the red (or purple) bar.

A superior substitute to healing breeze is a low cost skill that heals directly.

[skill]dwayna's kiss[/skill] can heal for a lot when facing degen hexes. Having some party wide enchantments like necro orders or Aegis helps a lot.

Think of:
[skill]dismiss condition[/skill]
[skill]cure hex[/skill] [skill]remove hex[/skill] [skill]holy veil[/skill]
It's usually better to remove the cause of the degen than healing through it.

And finally, damage reduction if very efficient, bring a prot monk.

Jessyi

Jessyi

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Dec 2005

Mo/

By now I think people hate the people who like healing breeze more than they hate the skill itself, though it's a close race.

People seem to like breeze because they think of it as a pseudo-protection, like a baseline enchantment that's going to make their target more resistant to damage and give allied healers and protectors more time to respond to damage being taken by that player. Technically, that's true but it's morbidly expensive, doesn't actually reduce any damage being taken and it's generally too slow to react to any real damage and it's overkill when there isn't much damage being taken.

The argument that shatter hex makes breeze useless is a common one, but it's wrong (though the people who say that stuff mean well). Any enchantment can be shattered - the question is, is that enchantment powerful enough to merit the risk? Something like protective spirit definitely is AND generally speaking you will go to the trouble of putting a cover enchant over top of it like shield of absorption or shielding hands. You could put a cover enchant over healing breeze, but it would still be garbage. Prot spirit on the other hand actually prevents damage. So does shield of absorption, or shielding hands or reversal of fortune. All healing breeze does is heal, and it doesn't do it well. In every instance where an enchantment will have some synergy, say...mysticism on dervishes or using contemplation of purity or any other number of possibilities, the bottom line is that you're going to find something else that does a better job, which usually means it actually buffs a character's defense, or negates damage, or is more versatile in some other way. Healing Breeze is none of those things.

What people hate the most about healing breeze is that there is absolutely no arguing that there are better skills available, and yet people argue it anyways, be it out of ignorance (which is forgivable if they actually bother to check out the alternatives and change their mind) or stupidity (which people generally don't forgive)

Yeah.

-Jessyi

Dr Strangelove

Dr Strangelove

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Dec 2005

Wasting away again in Margaritaville

[HOTR]

It's 10e for a heal that won't save anyone's life, bad idea.

Zodiak

Jungle Guide

Join Date: May 2005

Gatineau, Qc, Canada

Kiss of Anguish [KISS]

P/W

If you still REALLY like Healing Breeze then I would strongly suggest you switch to something like

[skill]watchful healing[/skill]
Watchful Healing

Sure it can only give +4 health regen, compared to the 9 of Healing Breeze, buts its half the energy, 5e instead of 10e and its good enough to fight most forms of degen, other then multiple degen or really heavy single degen skills.

Plus it has the added benefit of giving the target a decent heal if it gets stripped or removed.

This can also give Players that have the ability to remove enchantments themselves to A) get the healing regen and B) remove it right before it ends to get the heal.

So if your still big on HB, try carrying Watchful Healing instead.

Another benefits being that its linked to Divine Favor, which alot of monks run higher Divine Favor then they do Healing

This also greatly benefits Protection monks that could also bring it if they wished.

Antheus

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jan 2006

Healing Breeze falls under suboptimal skills. It has its specific and specialized use, just like most skills.

But it is the first skill a monk gets in PvE. So they use it, people survive, monk is happy because they are useful...

But then, then reach level 20 areas. But since they've been using HB for so long, they continue to do so, not realizing how poor that once godly heal became.

In low level areas, a monk can use HB to give 3 party members almost constant 5-8 pips of energy. They'll likely have no divine at all, have no use for protection, and simply swear on seeing the bars creep upwards faster than mobs can push them down.

During Prophecies era, HB use to be a sign of "noobness". Not definitive indicator of skill by far, but with much smaller skill set, it was an common indicator of people who played through PvE using the skills in order they received them from quests.

With all the 1000+ skills, changing playstyles and all that, HB is no longer relevant. But it's one of those skills that looks good on paper, but looking at it critically, it is simply sub-par, not because of skill itself, but because of situations it's used in, where it will consistently be outperformed by other, more suitable heals.

Generally, conditional skills with side-effects are very desirable, since their cost/benefit ratio is best.
While not best comparison, ZB heals for about the same as HB can, but only costs 3 energy and cannot be shattered. Dwayna's kiss will also provide for cheap heal which can outperform HB in hex heavy areas. And so on... All conditional, yet very powerful.

Zodiak

Jungle Guide

Join Date: May 2005

Gatineau, Qc, Canada

Kiss of Anguish [KISS]

P/W

LOL!

Sorry, I just thought something was incredibly funny in what you said.

The job of a monk:
Push red bars up faster then the bad guys can push them down

nothing wrong with what you said, just made me laugh for a moment

Jaide

Jaide

Academy Page

Join Date: Apr 2005

Coastal Oregon

Est Deus in Nobis [EDIN]

D/E

Thank you all for the wonderful responses! These are all very valid points, and I'm very glad I asked.

thor thunder

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Sep 2007

Mass

Cellestial Guard

W/E

Ok so if HB is so bad.. then what do you use when you get a party suffering form massive degen?? i use HB, WH is good too but only stops the degen while HB reversis it 90% of the time.. yes its costly but if your a skilled healer it should be no problum.. insted of spaming de hex/condition spells why not just push then thru it with one heal so you can worry about the rest of the group..? I see how its bad but i think the hate people have for it is a bit over rated the skills isnt crap just because you cant use it.. I use it in pve pretty often (tho i must admit WH takes its place quite often these days) I don't have energy problums and it works great. Sometimes i even thro on divin boon and put balathazars with the tank then i use blessed sig to keep up the energy IF it gets low and thats not very often, with DB i heal a party member for 50-100 on top of the effect of the casted skill.. mabey im weird or just noob monk but i do great in partys.. with +9 regen and a 100 hp heal to boot i have a hard time seeing somone die.

Utaku

Utaku

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Nov 2006

Paris, France

We eat pancakes [Yumy]

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by thor thunder
Ok so if HB is so bad.. then what do you use when you get a party suffering form massive degen?? [skill]light of deliverance[/skill]

Stormlord Alex

Stormlord Alex

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Dec 2005

Beyond the Forest of Doom, past the Cavern of Agony... on Kitten & Puppy Island

Soul of Melandru [sOm]

W/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by thor thunder
if your a skilled healer There's no such thing as a skilled healer.
Any idiot can make red bars go up.
The real skill is in prot.

OP - Healing Breeze is bad, for all the reasons already listed.

Tab

Tab

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Oct 2006

Under a bridge

Team Quitter [QQ]

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stormlord Alex
There's no such thing as a skilled healer.
Any idiot can make red bars go up.
The real skill is in prot.

OP - Healing Breeze is bad, for all the reasons already listed. I disagree. I have beaten Hell's Precipice on my WoH build, therefore I must be good.

Coloneh

Coloneh

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Nov 2006

D/W

If someone is dieing breeze wont save them. I would rather save my targets.

Quote:
Originally Posted by thor thunder
Ok so if HB is so bad.. then what do you use when you get a party suffering form massive degen?? [skill]remove hex[/skill]/[skill]mend condition[/skill]

Dean Harper

Dean Harper

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Dec 2005

USA

The Killer Clan Musketeers [TKCM]

Me/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by ibreaktoilets
I disagree. I have beaten Hell's Precipice on my WoH build, therefore I must be good.
Wow, that was a noobish statement... sooo noobish...

Eldin

Eldin

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

America. How about you, commie?

Fellows of Mythgar [FOM]

R/Mo

I don't have a monk, though on my prot monk hero, generally I find:

[skill]Shield of Regeneration[/skill]

More useful.

For a healer hero though, I like to use Watchful Healing.

Stormlord Alex

Stormlord Alex

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Dec 2005

Beyond the Forest of Doom, past the Cavern of Agony... on Kitten & Puppy Island

Soul of Melandru [sOm]

W/E

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dean Harper
Wow, that was a noobish statement... sooo noobish... Maybe you and ibreak need to get a little better acquainted
Thanks for the laugh, man! ... I need it right now

Tab

Tab

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Oct 2006

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Mo/

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/trolling

Age

Age

Hall Hero

Join Date: Jul 2005

California Canada/BC

STG Administrator

Mo/

Heal Other is the same cost of energy and can heal for more with the devine favour bonus.Heal Breeze isn't bad at low lvls as a panick heal but it shouldn't be your main stable don't worry about keeping the red bars 100% anyways it is mostly used to farm with not to heal with.

Div

Div

I like yumy food!

Join Date: Jan 2006

Where I can eat yumy food

Dead Alley [dR]

Mo/R

Quote:
Originally Posted by ibreaktoilets
I disagree. I have beaten Hell's Precipice on my WoH build, therefore I must be good. I beat Hell's precipice in HM with my WoH HB build. Which makes me the leetist and most skilled healer evarrrrrr

Icy DS

Banned

Join Date: May 2006

I run conjure assassins in Hero Battles kthx

me talk lyke dis bcoz ylke evr1 else do lyke ok?

A/E

Oh ya? Well I beat Fort Ranik with healing breeze, without it I would have been dped out...so it must be good...newbz...

yesitsrob

yesitsrob

Elite Guru

Join Date: Sep 2005

Manchester, England

SMS/Victrix

Healing Breeze is actually quite energy efficient in the amount it heals and what it costs, it's pretty comparable to Gift of Health in that sense - maybe it's better i can't actually remember maths. If you don't need an instantaenous heal and have time it's not bad at all.

In PVE, in the middle of a big fight, it's utter shit, like most skills in the Healing Prayers line, put worse - In PVE you can like er... cast it between mobs or something, barely worth doing. It's pretty bad on monk bars.

Age

Age

Hall Hero

Join Date: Jul 2005

California Canada/BC

STG Administrator

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by yesitsrob
Healing Breeze is actually quite energy efficient in the amount it heals and what it costs, it's pretty comparable to Gift of Health in that sense - maybe it's better i can't actually remember maths. If you don't need an instantaenous heal and have time it's not bad at all.

In PVE, in the middle of a big fight, it's utter shit, like most skills in the Healing Prayers line, put worse - In PVE you can like er... cast it between mobs or something, barely worth doing. It's pretty bad on monk bars. it is pretty bad on a non Monk bar as they don't get the devine favour bonus from it just the regen alone with a little healing.

zling

zling

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by yesitsrob
Healing Breeze is actually quite energy efficient in the amount it heals and what it costs, it's pretty comparable to Gift of Health in that sense - maybe it's better i can't actually remember maths. If you don't need an instantaenous heal and have time it's not bad at all.

In PVE, in the middle of a big fight, it's utter shit, like most skills in the Healing Prayers line, put worse - In PVE you can like er... cast it between mobs or something, barely worth doing. It's pretty bad on monk bars. actually it's very NOT energy efficient...
Healing Breeze costs 10 energy, gives ~8 regen for 10 seconds which translates to 80 hp...
Heal Other costs 10 energy, gives 100+ hp... and even recharges faster
Dwayna's Kiss costs 5 energy, gives ~60 hp without any hexes/enchantments on target and a lot more with...
heck even Orison of Healing is more energy efficient than Healing Breeze...

and all of the above skills, besides Dwayna's Kiss perhaps are BAD skills!

the only reason to use Healing Breeze, if any, is as a secondary Monk, yes you dont get Divine Favour Bonus but you dont need it, you use it as a counter to massive degen, mainly for runners or whatever... as a secondary Monk your options of dealing with degen are much more narrow than as a primary Monk which is the only reason to maybe carry Healing Breeze.
or if you're 55ing, but that's an entirely different story

Omniclasm

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2007

Guild Hall

A/

Quote:
Originally Posted by zling
actually it's very NOT energy efficient...
Healing Breeze costs 10 energy, gives ~8 regen for 10 seconds which translates to 80 hp...
Heal Other costs 10 energy, gives 100+ hp... and even recharges faster
Dwayna's Kiss costs 5 energy, gives ~60 hp without any hexes/enchantments on target and a lot more with...
heck even Orison of Healing is more energy efficient than Healing Breeze...

and all of the above skills, besides Dwayna's Kiss perhaps are BAD skills!

the only reason to use Healing Breeze, if any, is as a secondary Monk, yes you dont get Divine Favour Bonus but you dont need it, you use it as a counter to massive degen, mainly for runners or whatever... as a secondary Monk your options of dealing with degen are much more narrow than as a primary Monk which is the only reason to maybe carry Healing Breeze.
or if you're 55ing, but that's an entirely different story 8 regen for 10 seconds is 160.

Div

Div

I like yumy food!

Join Date: Jan 2006

Where I can eat yumy food

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Mo/R

Quote:
Originally Posted by yesitsrob
In PVE, in the middle of a big fight, it's utter shit, like most skills in the Healing Prayers line, put worse - In PVE you can like er... cast it between mobs or something, barely worth doing. It's pretty bad on monk bars. I suppose if you have wammos that like to charge into the next mob before naturally regenning up, the HB is good? Otherwise, why would you need to add +8 pips to the natural +7 or whatever :P

Ensign

Ensign

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Join Date: Dec 2004

Berkeley, CA

Idiot Savants

Quote:
Originally Posted by yesitsrob
Healing Breeze is actually quite energy efficient in the amount it heals and what it costs, it's pretty comparable to Gift of Health in that sense It really isn't. Even under ideal circumstances to compare the two - 14 Healing, no Divine Favor, 20% enchanting part - Gift heals for 141 for 5 energy, Breeze for 206 over 12 seconds for 10. Tack on Divine Favor and the two aren't even close. Healing Breeze would be an interesting skill at 5 energy as is, but is pretty much worthless at 10; it's only valuable at all on /monk as a self heal, as nothing else is available - sad as that may be.

Hundbert

Hundbert

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jan 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ensign
It really isn't. Even under ideal circumstances to compare the two - 14 Healing, no Divine Favor, 20% enchanting part - Gift heals for 141 for 5 energy, Breeze for 206 over 12 seconds for 10. Tack on Divine Favor and the two aren't even close. Healing Breeze would be an interesting skill at 5 energy as is, but is pretty much worthless at 10; it's only valuable at all on /monk as a self heal, as nothing else is available - sad as that may be. Healing breeze will never be 5 energy when skills like restful breeze and watchful healing exists. It would make them bad imo.

Thom Bangalter

Thom Bangalter

Grindin'

Join Date: Dec 2005

MO

E/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by yesitsrob
Healing Breeze is actually quite energy efficient in the amount it heals and what it costs, it's pretty comparable to Gift of Health in that sense - maybe it's better i can't actually remember maths. If you don't need an instantaenous heal and have time it's not bad at all.

In PVE, in the middle of a big fight, it's utter shit, like most skills in the Healing Prayers line, put worse - In PVE you can like er... cast it between mobs or something, barely worth doing. It's pretty bad on monk bars. It's the most efficient healing skill that can target self. It's still terrible, as you said, but the healing prayers line has always been pretty terrible.

BlackSephir

BlackSephir

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2006

A/N

Healing Breeze rhymes with wammo

olly123

olly123

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2006

sh*tvill england

tgc

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Thom Bangalter
It's the most efficient healing skill that can target self. It's still terrible, as you said, but the healing prayers line has always been pretty terrible. um have you ever herd of [skill]Healing Touch[/skill] its 5 energy 3/4 cast time and heals for about 80 DF and about 60 normal HP it is also 5 sec recharge and use to be my main self heal for when i ran protect

Age

Age

Hall Hero

Join Date: Jul 2005

California Canada/BC

STG Administrator

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ensign
It really isn't. Even under ideal circumstances to compare the two - 14 Healing, no Divine Favor, 20% enchanting part - Gift heals for 141 for 5 energy, Breeze for 206 over 12 seconds for 10. Tack on Divine Favor and the two aren't even close. Healing Breeze would be an interesting skill at 5 energy as is, but is pretty much worthless at 10; it's only valuable at all on /monk as a self heal, as nothing else is available - sad as that may be. The only 2 classes which would do good with healing breeze would be Ele. and Mesmer as their own self heal isn't all that great except Ele if they use Glyph of Restoration for Mesmer they need a target to use Esther Feast on and with out one it is not good.
The rest of the classes all have great self heals even Necro with blood renewal.Restfull Breeze is not bad for running.

Div

Div

I like yumy food!

Join Date: Jan 2006

Where I can eat yumy food

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Mo/R

Quote:
Originally Posted by olly123
um have you ever herd of [skill]Healing Touch[/skill] its 5 energy 3/4 cast time and heals for about 80 DF and about 60 normal HP it is also 5 sec recharge and use to be my main self heal for when i ran protect Yeah, pretty terrible like he said. When I run prot, I usually don't have like 15 healing and 13 divine (which is pretty much what you need for a 60+80 heal)...

On second thought, I don't even have 15 healing when I run heal monk...

Coloneh

Coloneh

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Nov 2006

D/W

If i need a self heal on a prot.... then then id be running a hybrid and using [skill]light of deliverance[/skill] or [skill]reversal of fortune[/skill]

olly123

olly123

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2006

sh*tvill england

tgc

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by holymasamune
Yeah, pretty terrible like he said. When I run prot, I usually don't have like 15 healing and 13 divine (which is pretty much what you need for a 60+80 heal)...

On second thought, I don't even have 15 healing when I run heal monk... i wasn't saying it was amazing but back in the day when i ran WoH bars that was what i used for a self heal it healed for about 140 witch is quite a nice heal for only 5 energy and its still better than HB, only 5 energy and quicker cast time

Keithark

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Nov 2006

Be Aggressive B E Aggressive [AGRO]

E/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by Omniclasm
8 regen for 10 seconds is 160.
HUH? So I will loan you $8 every second for 10 seconds...then you will pay me back $160? OK..it's a deal, when can we start?

Stormlord Alex

Stormlord Alex

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Dec 2005

Beyond the Forest of Doom, past the Cavern of Agony... on Kitten & Puppy Island

Soul of Melandru [sOm]

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1 pip of health regen = 2hp a second.

... want a cookie?

Keithark

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Nov 2006

Be Aggressive B E Aggressive [AGRO]

E/Me

1 pip is 1/2 second? I never looked it up and can't from work computer but my energy bar on warrior does not seem to go up 4energy/second?

Dr Strangelove

Dr Strangelove

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Dec 2005

Wasting away again in Margaritaville

[HOTR]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Keithark
1 pip is 1/2 second? I never looked it up and can't from work computer but my energy bar on warrior does not seem to go up 4energy/second? 1 pip of health regen is 2 health/second

1 pip of energy regen is 1/3 energy /second.

BenjZee

BenjZee

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2006

The Overacheivers [Club]

Mo/

u kidding???? that skill has got me through some tough game times. It's my favourite skill (being a monk). Its so useful in pve (dunno about pvp). im shocked to see people dont like it

Thom Bangalter

Thom Bangalter

Grindin'

Join Date: Dec 2005

MO

E/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by olly123
um have you ever herd of [skill]Healing Touch[/skill] its 5 energy 3/4 cast time and heals for about 80 DF and about 60 normal HP it is also 5 sec recharge and use to be my main self heal for when i ran protect Touch is conditional, breeze is not. I'm also not talking about in terms of using it on only yourself, because real monks don't get self heals as it means their bar is sacrificing something to run a terrible skill.

It's a 216pt heal over 12 seconds, unfortunately its absolutely terrible in conjunction with party healing and/or enchantment removal.