Heal track
A short course in tanking, healing and DPS in a group: how to think, what to set up first, and a calm road into dungeons.
What is a healer?
A healer keeps the group alive. Enemies hurt your friends; your heals fill their health back up.
Pick who you heal: click that person's bar (their frame), then press your heal. Nobody picked, or an enemy picked? Then a normal heal lands on yourself. Spells that can also hurt enemies (like Holy Shock and Divine Toll) go to the enemy instead.
Frames are the health bars of your group on your screen. Easier to read: Esc -> Edit Mode -> click Party Frames -> tick "Use Raid-Style Party Frames".
Next step, once clicking feels easy: Click Casting. You put a heal on a mouse click, and clicking a frame heals that person at once. Esc -> Options -> Gameplay -> Keybindings -> Click Casting, then "Add Binding" and "Save". Using frames from an addon with its own click casting (DandersFrames, Cell, VuhDo)? Then set your heals there instead, and leave Blizzard's Click Casting empty: two of them on the same click get in each other's way.
Gear: the main stat of your healer spec (for healers: Intellect). The game shows it under each spec as "Primary Stat".
Switch to your healer spec: Talents & Spellbook -> Specialization -> Activate (free). Loot spec, the spec your loot is for: right-click your own portrait (the picture of your character next to your health bar) -> Loot Specialization.
Words you will hear
- Pull
- starting a fight with a pack.
- Pack
- a group of enemies that fight together.
- Trash
- the normal enemies between the bosses.
- Boss
- a big, strong enemy with its own tricks.
- Aggro
- an enemy is attacking you.
- Threat
- how angry an enemy is with you. It attacks whoever has the most.
- Taunt
- a tank button that makes one enemy attack you.
- Cooldown
- the wait before you can press a button again. "(1.5 min)" behind a button is that wait.
- On cooldown (as in "press it on cooldown")
- press it again as soon as it is ready.
- Defensive
- a button that makes you take less damage for a short time.
- Active mitigation
- a tank button you press again and again to take less damage. In the toolkit, [Block] marks one that uses your shield.
- Interrupt (kick)
- a button that stops an enemy's spell while it is being cast.
- CC (crowd control)
- taking an enemy out of the fight for a while, for example with a stun.
- Debuff
- a bad effect on someone, like a Poison.
- Dispel
- removing a debuff from someone.
- Wipe
- the whole group dies. You run back and try again.
- OOM
- out of mana. A healer with no mana cannot heal.
- Frames
- the health bars of your group on your screen.
- DPS
- the players who do the damage (in the Group Finder that role is called Damage). It also means damage per second.
- Spec (specialization)
- the direction you pick inside your class, like Holy, Protection or Retribution for a Paladin.
- HP (health)
- your hit points. At 0 you die.
- Buff
- a good effect on someone, like more stats or a heal that keeps ticking. Your own buffs show as icons at the top right.
- Normal, Heroic, Mythic
- how hard a dungeon or raid is, from easy to hard.
- LFR (Raid Finder)
- the easiest way to raid. Sign up in the Group Finder -> Dungeons & Raids -> Raid Finder.
- M+ (Mythic+)
- a Mythic dungeon with a Keystone. You race a timer, and every + level makes the enemies stronger.
- Follower dungeon
- a dungeon where computer characters (NPCs) fill the rest of your group.
- Training dummy
- a practice target in town that never dies. Hit it to practise your buttons.
- Gear
- the armor and weapons you wear.
- Cast
- a spell that takes a moment: a bar fills up first. Instant: a spell that works right away.
- HoT (heal over time)
- a heal that keeps healing for a while.
- Overheal
- healing more than someone is missing. That extra is wasted mana.
- Raid
- a bigger group than a dungeon, against bigger bosses.
- Instance
- a place only your group enters, like a dungeon, raid or delve.
- Bad stuff
- harmful spots on the ground, like fire. Step out of them.
- Keys
- MH writes them short here, like the game does: s-3 is Shift+3, c- is Ctrl.
Switch role, step by step
Your ticks are kept in this browser only. In the game, the Academy keeps its own.
Heal mindset
You are not responsible for everyone at 100% health all the time.
Your job is triage: keep the tank alive, save the person about to die, then the rest. Some damage is normal - panic overhealing empties mana.
Triage (who first?)
1. You (if you're dying - dead healer heals nobody)
2. Tank (if the pack is still on them)
3. Anyone under ~40% or with a deadly debuff
4. Everyone else with efficient heals
Someone about to die: first a heal that lands right away (an instant one - its tooltip says "Instant" - or your fast heal). Lots of damage and time to cast: your big heal (Resto Druid: Regrowth, your direct heal). Calm: a heal that costs little mana (the tooltip shows the cost).
How you see a big hit coming
In a boss fight the game warns you itself: icons count down on the Boss Abilities timeline, and big warnings appear in the middle of your screen. Both are on by default (Esc -> Options -> Gameplay -> Gameplay Enhancements -> Boss Warnings).
When an enemy casts a spell, a bar fills up under its health bar (and under its portrait, its small picture, if it is your target). The spell lands the moment the bar is full. So interrupt, step away or press a defensive while the bar is still filling - as soon as you see it is fine. A full bar is too late. A bar with a shield cannot be interrupted.
A glowing bar means an important cast. No glow does not mean it is safe.
Before you pull, read the boss: Shift+J (Adventure Guide) -> the boss -> Abilities, or type /mh bosswin. The MH window closes when the fight starts, so read it first.
Physical or magic? In the Adventure Guide, open the boss -> Overview -> Tanks or Healers. It names the damage of a big attack: "Physical" is physical damage; a school such as Fire or Shadow means magic.
Anxiety ladder (recommended order)
1. Heal a friend out in the world (not in a dungeon)
2. Delves with a small group
3. Follower dungeon: NPCs fill the rest of the group (level 80-90). Group Finder -> Dungeon Finder -> Follower Dungeons
4. Normal dungeon with patient friends
5. Raid LFR / heroic when ready
Delves are the softest step into instanced content.
The buttons of each spec
Open your spec. This is the toolkit the Academy shows in the game, with the same coloured labels, like [Block] or [Heal].
The site cannot see your character, so it lists every button of the spec, talents you may not have picked included. In the game you only see the ones you have, each with the key it is on.
Restoration Druid
How to heal, in 3 steps
1. Put HoTs (heals that keep healing for a while) on people early: Lifebloom on the tank, Rejuvenation on others who will get hit.2. A big hole in someone's health? Fill it with Regrowth.
3. Nobody needs healing? Wrath on the enemy.
Your everyday heals
- [HoT] Rejuvenation — Heal-over-time — apply it early and let it tick while you do other things.
- [HoT] Lifebloom — Heal-over-time — apply it early and let it tick while you do other things.
- [Fast] Regrowth — Quick single-target heal — your reactive button when someone dips.
- [Fast] Swiftmend — Quick single-target heal — your reactive button when someone dips.
- [Group] Wild Growth — Group heal — use when several people are hurt at once.
Your cooldowns
- [Heal] Tranquility (3 min) — For a big hit on the whole group — not for small random damage.
- [Heal] Incarnation: Tree of Life (3 min) — Pop during heavy, sustained damage to boost your healing.
- [Heal] Convoke the Spirits (2 min) — Pop during heavy, sustained damage to boost your healing.
- [External] Ironbark (1.5 min) — Cast on the tank or ally who's about to take a big hit.
Your personal defensives (keep yourself alive)
- [Defensive] Barkskin (45s) — keeps YOU alive. Press it just before a big hit lands on you. An immunity: just before a hit you will not survive.
What you can dispel
- Nature's Cure — removes Magic, Curse, Poison from a friendly target.
How you fight alone
Out in the world nobody heals or tanks for you. Target the enemy, then go down this list (the same order Blizzard's own Single-Button Assistant uses).
Preservation Evoker
How to heal, in 3 steps
1. Temporal Anomaly whenever it is ready. It shields the group and puts Echo on them: your next heal copies to everyone with Echo.2. Dream Breath often: hold the key and let go at the first level.
3. Nobody hurt? Living Flame on the enemy. Don't heal with it: it costs a lot of mana.
Your everyday heals
- [Fast] Living Flame — Quick single-target heal — your reactive button when someone dips.
- [HoT] Reversion — Heal-over-time — apply it early and let it tick while you do other things.
- [Fast] Verdant Embrace — Quick single-target heal — your reactive button when someone dips.
- [Group] Emerald Blossom — Group heal — use when several people are hurt at once.
Your cooldowns
- [Heal] Rewind (4 min) — For a big hit on the whole group — not for small random damage.
- [Heal] Dream Flight (2 min) — For a big hit on the whole group — not for small random damage.
- [Heal] Stasis (1.5 min) — Pop during heavy, sustained damage to boost your healing.
- [External] Time Dilation (1 min) — Cast on the tank or ally who's about to take a big hit.
Your personal defensives (keep yourself alive)
- [Defensive] Obsidian Scales (1.5 min) — keeps YOU alive. Press it just before a big hit lands on you. An immunity: just before a hit you will not survive.
What you can dispel
- Naturalize — removes Magic, Poison from a friendly target.
How you fight alone
Out in the world nobody heals or tanks for you. Target the enemy, then go down this list (the same order Blizzard's own Single-Button Assistant uses).
- Fire Breath — whenever it is ready
- Disintegrate — whenever it is ready
- Living Flame — press this until the enemy dies
Mistweaver Monk
How to heal, in 3 steps
1. Renewing Mist whenever it is ready. Your goal: a mist on everyone.2. Someone hurt? Vivify on them. It also heals everyone who has a mist.
3. Nobody needs healing? Rising Sun Kick, Tiger Palm and Blackout Kick on the enemy: your hits heal friends a bit.
Your everyday heals
- [Channel] Soothing Mist — Channeled base heal — often powers your other spells.
- [Fast] Vivify — Quick single-target heal — your reactive button when someone dips.
- [HoT] Renewing Mist — Heal-over-time — apply it early and let it tick while you do other things.
- [Big] Enveloping Mist — Bigger, slower heal — heals a lot, but takes time to cast. Whether it saves mana depends on your spec.
Your cooldowns
- [Heal] Revival (3 min) — For a big hit on the whole group — not for small random damage.
- [Heal] Invoke Chi-Ji, the Red Crane (2 min) — For a big hit on the whole group — not for small random damage.
- [Heal] Invoke Yu'lon, the Jade Serpent (2 min) — For a big hit on the whole group — not for small random damage.
- [External] Life Cocoon (2 min) — Cast on the tank or ally who's about to take a big hit.
Your personal defensives (keep yourself alive)
- [Defensive] Fortifying Brew — keeps YOU alive. Press it just before a big hit lands on you. An immunity: just before a hit you will not survive.
What you can dispel
- Detox — removes Magic, Poison, Disease from a friendly target.
How you fight alone
Out in the world nobody heals or tanks for you. Target the enemy, then go down this list (the same order Blizzard's own Single-Button Assistant uses).
- Rushing Wind Kick — whenever it is ready
- Tiger Palm — a few times, then the next one
- Blackout Kick — after Tiger Palm
- Spinning Crane Kick — for three or more enemies
- Crackling Jade Lightning — when the enemy is too far away
Holy Paladin
How to heal, in 3 steps
1. Holy Shock on someone who got hit. It heals, and it gives you Holy Power: points you save up and then spend.2. 3 Holy Power or more? Spend it on Word of Glory (with Herald of the Sun this button is Eternal Flame) on the friend lowest on health. At 5, spend it right away.
3. Nothing ready and someone is still dropping? Flash of Light (1.5 sec, cheap). Holy Light (2 sec, expensive, very big) only when someone is missing a lot of health and you have enough Mana.
4. Nobody needs healing? Judgment and Shield of the Righteous on the enemy: damage and some Mana back.
Your everyday heals
- [Fast] Holy Shock — Quick single-target heal — your reactive button when someone dips.
- [Fast] Flash of Light — Quick single-target heal — your reactive button when someone dips.
- [Big] Holy Light — Bigger, slower heal — heals a lot, but takes time to cast. Whether it saves mana depends on your spec.
- [Fast] Word of Glory — Quick single-target heal — your reactive button when someone dips.
- [Group] Light of Dawn — Group heal — use when several people are hurt at once.
Your cooldowns
- [Heal] Avenging Wrath (2 min) — Use it often - close to on cooldown. Only hold it a few seconds if you know a big damage moment is coming.
- [Heal] Divine Toll (1 min) — Use it often - close to on cooldown. Only hold it a few seconds if you know a big damage moment is coming.
- [Damage reduction] Aura Mastery (3 min) — For a big hit on the whole group — not for small random damage.
- [External] Blessing of Sacrifice (2 min) — Cast on the tank or ally who's about to take a big hit.
- [Heal] Lay on Hands (10 min) — Emergency button — hit it the instant someone (or you) is about to die. For yourself: health already low, this one; a hit coming that you will not survive, Divine Shield just before it. Pick one: after one, the other does not work on you for 30 sec.
Your personal defensives (keep yourself alive)
- [Defensive] Divine Protection (1 min) — keeps YOU alive. Press it just before a big hit lands on you. An immunity: just before a hit you will not survive.
- [Immunity] Divine Shield (5 min) — keeps YOU alive. Press it just before a big hit lands on you. An immunity: just before a hit you will not survive.
What you can dispel
- Cleanse — removes Magic, Poison, Disease from a friendly target.
How you fight alone
Out in the world nobody heals or tanks for you. Target the enemy, then go down this list (the same order Blizzard's own Single-Button Assistant uses).
- Judgment — whenever it is ready
- Holy Shock — whenever it is ready
- Shield of the Righteous — when you can (it uses Holy Power)
Discipline Priest
How to heal, in 3 steps
1. Power Word: Shield on a friend about to get hit. It gives them Atonement: while they have it, your damage heals them.2. Hit the enemy: keep Shadow Word: Pain on it, Mind Blast and Penance whenever they are ready, and Smite when nothing else is ready.
3. Someone very low? Shadow Mend on them (or Flash Heal, if you do not have it). Then back to step 1.
Your everyday heals
- [Shield] Power Word: Shield — Absorb shield — apply it just before the damage lands.
- [Fast] Flash Heal — Quick single-target heal — your reactive button when someone dips.
- [Group] Power Word: Radiance — Group heal — use when several people are hurt at once.
Your cooldowns
- [Heal] Ultimate Penitence (4 min) — Pop during heavy, sustained damage to boost your healing.
- [Damage reduction] Power Word: Barrier (3 min) — For a big hit on the whole group — not for small random damage.
- [External] Pain Suppression (3 min) — Cast on the tank or ally who's about to take a big hit.
- [Heal] Evangelism (1.5 min) — For a big hit on the whole group — not for small random damage.
- [Utility] Power Infusion (2 min) — Line up with your biggest healing burst for extra casts.
Your personal defensives (keep yourself alive)
- [Defensive] Desperate Prayer (1.5 min) — keeps YOU alive. Press it just before a big hit lands on you. An immunity: just before a hit you will not survive.
What you can dispel
- Purify — removes Magic, Disease from a friendly target.
How you fight alone
Out in the world nobody heals or tanks for you. Target the enemy, then go down this list (the same order Blizzard's own Single-Button Assistant uses).
- Shadow Word: Pain — damage over time: once on each enemy
- Mind Blast — whenever it is ready
- Penance — whenever it is ready
- Smite — press this until the enemy dies
- Shadow Word: Death — when the enemy is below 20% health
Holy Priest
How to heal, in 3 steps
1. Prayer of Mending every time it is ready, even when everyone is full: it heals them when they get hit.2. Someone low? Holy Word: Serenity (a Holy Word: it comes back fast, so don't save it). Not ready? Flash Heal: it makes your Holy Words come back sooner.
3. Nobody needs healing? Holy Word: Chastise, Holy Fire and Smite on the enemy.
Your everyday heals
- [Fast] Flash Heal — Quick single-target heal — your reactive button when someone dips.
- [Smart] Prayer of Mending — Smart heal that spreads to hurt allies — great cast proactively.
- [Group] Prayer of Healing — Group heal — use when several people are hurt at once.
Your cooldowns
- [Heal] Holy Word: Salvation (12 min) — For a big hit on the whole group — not for small random damage.
- [Heal] Divine Hymn (3 min) — For a big hit on the whole group — not for small random damage.
- [Heal] Apotheosis (2 min) — Pop during heavy, sustained damage to boost your healing.
- [External] Guardian Spirit (3 min) — Cast on the tank or ally who's about to take a big hit.
- [Utility] Power Infusion (2 min) — Line up with your biggest healing burst for extra casts.
Your personal defensives (keep yourself alive)
- [Defensive] Desperate Prayer (1.5 min) — keeps YOU alive. Press it just before a big hit lands on you. An immunity: just before a hit you will not survive.
What you can dispel
- Purify — removes Magic, Disease from a friendly target.
How you fight alone
Out in the world nobody heals or tanks for you. Target the enemy, then go down this list (the same order Blizzard's own Single-Button Assistant uses).
- Holy Word: Chastise — whenever it is ready
- Holy Fire — whenever it is ready
- Shadow Word: Pain — damage over time: once on each enemy
- Smite — press this until the enemy dies
- Holy Nova — for three or more enemies
Restoration Shaman
How to heal, in 3 steps
1. Put down Healing Stream Totem whenever it is ready: a totem that heals for you.2. Someone hurt? Riptide on them, then Healing Wave. Several people hurt? Chain Heal.
3. Nobody needs healing? Flame Shock, Lava Burst, then Lightning Bolt on the enemy.
Your everyday heals
- [HoT] Riptide — Heal-over-time — apply it early and let it tick while you do other things.
- [Big] Healing Wave — Bigger, slower heal — heals a lot, but takes time to cast. Whether it saves mana depends on your spec.
- [Smart] Chain Heal — Smart heal that spreads to hurt allies — great cast proactively.
- [Group] Healing Rain — Group heal — use when several people are hurt at once.
Your cooldowns
- [Heal] Healing Tide Totem (3 min) — For a big hit on the whole group — not for small random damage.
- [Damage reduction] Spirit Link Totem (3 min) — For a big hit on the whole group — not for small random damage.
- [Heal] Ascendance (3 min) — For a big hit on the whole group — not for small random damage.
Your personal defensives (keep yourself alive)
- [Defensive] Astral Shift (2 min) — keeps YOU alive. Press it just before a big hit lands on you. An immunity: just before a hit you will not survive.
What you can dispel
- Purify Spirit — removes Magic, Curse from a friendly target.
How you fight alone
Out in the world nobody heals or tanks for you. Target the enemy, then go down this list (the same order Blizzard's own Single-Button Assistant uses).
- Flame Shock — damage over time: once on each enemy
- Lava Burst — whenever it is ready
- Lightning Bolt — press this until the enemy dies
- Chain Lightning — for three or more enemies
Mana and efficiency
Mana is your real health bar. If you empty it, you can't heal at all.
Which heal is cheap differs per spec: for some the slow heal is the thrifty one, for others the fast one. Hover your mouse over a heal: the tooltip shows its mana cost. Some tooltips also say in words whether the heal is efficient or expensive. Not everyone needs to sit at full - let people ride at 80%.
Drink between every pull. "OOM (out of mana), 5 sec" is a normal, professional thing to say.
Where to stand
Stay in range of the whole group, but not on top of the boss. A back corner where you can see everyone beats hugging the tank.
You still have to dodge. A dead healer heals nobody - step out of the bad stuff even if it costs half a second of casting.
Keep line of sight: you can't heal someone through a wall or pillar.
Use your cooldowns at the right moment
Your healing cooldowns are buttons with a long wait. Some are for the big moments - a boss hit on the whole group, or many people dropping at once - not for random scratches. Others you use often, close to on cooldown.
Holding a cooldown "just in case" for the whole fight wastes it. Pressing it roughly at the right moment beats never pressing it.
Type /mh healcds for your spec's cooldowns and when to use each one. It works when you are in your healer spec.
Common beginner mistakes
1. Tunnel-visioning one health bar while three others drop
2. Panic-overhealing to 100% and emptying mana
3. Standing in the bad stuff while staring at frames
4. Never pressing your cooldowns
5. Healing through fixable damage instead of asking for an interrupt
Pick one to watch each run - not all five at once.
When it goes wrong
"Could I have saved the tank?" is the useful question - not "why did the DPS stand in the bad stuff?"
If mana was empty, use more efficient spells next time. One wipe does not mean you cannot heal.
It's okay to lose someone
Someone will die on your watch. Every healer alive has let people die - it's how you learn where the limits are.
One death is not a wipe, and a wipe is not a verdict on you. Note the one thing you'd do differently, then let it go.
Groups remember a calm healer who communicates far more than a perfect one.
Your first normal dungeon (after a follower one)
With friends if you can, otherwise a random group (the step plan above shows how). Tick the Healer icon before you press Find Group.
Tell the group you are learning. Stay close enough to the tank for your heals to reach (in range); let DPS take a scratch before you blast mana.
Between pulls: drink, buff, breathe. You are allowed to say "OOM, 5 sec".
Raids and LFR (later)
LFR: raid-wide damage is predictable after one wipe. Learn when the boss's big hits come (the Boss Abilities timeline shows them), not every player's bars.
Raid heals use the same triage - tank and raid cooldown windows first.
Party chat
Click a line (or its copy icon) and press Ctrl+C. Press Enter: the chat opens on Say, which only people near you see. To reach your group, first type /p and a space; in a Group Finder dungeon type /i instead. Then Ctrl+V to paste and Enter to send. Put the name of the enemy's spell where it says [spell name].
- Learning healer - I'll call low mana.
- Tank is priority - shout if you need a breather.
- Big heal on you - watch your health.
- OOM 5 sec between pulls.
- That was on me - I'll save more for the tank next pull.
Learning tank or DPS too?
The DPS track is the gentlest second role - just your buttons, interrupts and where you stand, no pressure on the group. As a tank you wait the shortest for a dungeon group, once tanking feels less scary.
Two roles in one week in groups of strangers is a lot - pick one as your "main" to reduce fear.
In the game the Academy knows your character. It ticks the steps it can see, shows only the spells you have, puts your own key behind every button and turns a button red when it is not on a key yet. Type /mh academy.