Thread: Approaching level cap; Freaking out

Okay, well I'm at level 70 now and it's just struck me that in 5 levels I'll start running foundry. I have experience healing in Moria Instances, and also one attempt at a Watcher raid (luckily the wipe wasn't actually my fault.) But now I'm near end-game, I thought I'd like to be a bit more structured with what I do.
Should I use my coda to heal frequently? or is it better to keep my ballad buffs up? I trait 4b 3y for healing and my virtues are focused on.... Armour value, fate, will and mitigation I think. Is this right/good for easy healing?
And AoE heals; do I use these often, or only as emergency? thanks for advice in advance

Please note that I realise Foundry isn't the only end-game and isn't particularly difficult (not as a LM it wasn't anyway)
You may want to know how I currently heal too, so here it is:
Solilquoy of Spirit on tank
3x healing ballad
Bolster courage
Chord of Salvation
Inspire Fellows
Coda

Anthems I typically use:
Start with compassion
Then Anthem of the Thrid Age (harmony)
Anthem of Composure (if I need power(
Anthem of Prowess (if it is a face roll instance and I've gone War Speech >.<)

Originally Posted by Geindir

Please note that I realise Foundry isn't the only end-game and isn't particularly difficult (not as a LM it wasn't anyway)
You may want to know how I currently heal too, so here it is:
Solilquoy of Spirit on tank
3x healing ballad
Bolster courage
Chord of Salvation
Inspire Fellows
Coda

Anthems I typically use:
Start with compassion
Then Anthem of the Thrid Age (harmony)
Anthem of Composure (if I need power(
Anthem of Prowess (if it is a face roll instance and I've gone War Speech >.<)

First, don't freak out. Just find some friends/kinmates with experience who will run with you knowing it's your first attempt so you don't feel as much pressure to avoid mistakes. The only way to learn is to try it. Your approach to healing rotation is okay for controlled situations except cut out CoS, IF, and Coda. Those are situational. I made a post on a similar topic recently: http://forums.lotro.com/showthread.p...16#post6241516

In terms of anthems just forget about Compassion. Unless your tank is bad, you won't get aggro. If you are really concerned throw down song of soothing after a few seconds.
Anthem of the 3rd Age: harmony? Don't heal in harmony, the coda is not great for most situations and you lose your most powerful healing anthem. Heal in no stance or "melody". AoTA (Melody) is the most useful anthem when big damage is incoming to the group or a single target. You can spam BC or IF with this and get a lot more HPS.
Anthem of Composure - nice when tactical damage is coming in and when you need power
Prowess - Useful when your group is composed of burg, champs, hunters, etc who get a big DPS boost from the -attack duration
Free Peoples - Pretty good ICMR but for some reason I never got into using this one much.
War - Good when there's a dps race or you are just speeding through trash.

For trash my anthem priority is usually:
-Prowess
-War
-Composure/Free Peoples/3rd age

For tougher pulls I would use:
-3rd Age
-Composure/Prowess (depending on whether damage is tactical or physical)
-the other one of those two

A fresh 75 mini can heal foundry just fine (I just did that a few days ago ). asearchforreason's post is full of good advice - I'd emphasize the "don't heal in harmony" advice unless you know what you're doing. Harmony works great in Draigoch, but I haven't had much luck with it in other situations. I trait 4y3b but heal in melody stance. I continue to treat the coda as a medium severity panic button (when just using bolster courage isn't doing the job, but things aren't so desperate that you need triumphant spirit, basically) just like when soloing. And make sure to use anthem of composure at least once before you have to coda - at the very end of the Foundry run I was relying on the occasional coda just for the power restore. It also helps when the group leader notices your power bar and calls for a big blue FM , but you can get by on composure codas.

Ballads - I'd argue that speed trumps optimizing the bonuses, so I just get either healing-power-healing or power-healing-power out asap at the start of each fight. Then a quick Aot3A(melody) and a BC or two on the tank to catch up to the damage he's taken in those few seconds. Threat has never been a problem so far.

Question for experienced minis - when, if ever, do you use Song of Aid and Call to Greatness? I occasionally toss the latter on the tank at the start of a pull, not sure it makes any difference (I don't recall being on the receiving end of it when I was playing my guardian). And Song of Aid just seems to take too long to be very useful...

Also, since you just hit 70, make sure to get your endgame instrument(s) if you haven't already.

thank you for replies. I made a mistake in my post; I use third age Melody anthem. (I'm not just saying this because you both say it is better.)
As for your question about call to greatness/song of aid: In moria instances I used them when I was doing fine on my healing. just before I piercing cry or something. I also try to use the skill that improves fs conjunctions by 10%. Dont know how much this helps but it only takes me a second so it's no biggie I suppose.
Is the song of aid/call to greatness the same in foundry/RoF/draig etc. as in moria instances? or is it unlikely that I would have time to use?

Originally Posted by J_Howell

A fresh 75 mini can heal foundry just fine (I just did that a few days ago ). asearchforreason's post is full of good advice - I'd emphasize the "don't heal in harmony" advice unless you know what you're doing. Harmony works great in Draigoch, but I haven't had much luck with it in other situations. I trait 4y3b but heal in melody stance. I continue to treat the coda as a medium severity panic button (when just using bolster courage isn't doing the job, but things aren't so desperate that you need triumphant spirit, basically) just like when soloing. And make sure to use anthem of composure at least once before you have to coda - at the very end of the Foundry run I was relying on the occasional coda just for the power restore. It also helps when the group leader notices your power bar and calls for a big blue FM , but you can get by on composure codas.

Ballads - I'd argue that speed trumps optimizing the bonuses, so I just get either healing-power-healing or power-healing-power out asap at the start of each fight. Then a quick Aot3A(melody) and a BC or two on the tank to catch up to the damage he's taken in those few seconds. Threat has never been a problem so far.

Question for experienced minis - when, if ever, do you use Song of Aid and Call to Greatness? I occasionally toss the latter on the tank at the start of a pull, not sure it makes any difference (I don't recall being on the receiving end of it when I was playing my guardian). And Song of Aid just seems to take too long to be very useful...

Also, since you just hit 70, make sure to get your endgame instrument(s) if you haven't already.

I have lute (for solo? and flute (for groups) right now. Both level seventy crafted by a nice woodworker. Are there any others I should get?

Originally Posted by J_Howell

Question for experienced minis - when, if ever, do you use Song of Aid and Call to Greatness? I occasionally toss the latter on the tank at the start of a pull, not sure it makes any difference (I don't recall being on the receiving end of it when I was playing my guardian). And Song of Aid just seems to take too long to be very useful...

CtG I tend to use for tanks on pulls, Cappies during fights without a lot of mobs dying, anyone else if bored and it's up without any other reason to use it - usually champs or hunters. LMs get it for CC duties by prior appointment.

Song of Aid I only tend to use either right before the pull, or if incredibly bored during a fight which isn't going to make me regret getting locked into an induction when a quick heal is needed.

One day I'll remember to use Call to the Fellowship before a CJ.

Originally Posted by Geindir

I have lute (for solo? and flute (for groups) right now. Both level seventy crafted by a nice woodworker. Are there any others I should get?

Any instrument can have any of the various buffs since about 8(?) months ago. I like the -power, +healing crit chance, +350(?) power ones.

For heals I like to keep up the AotTA for the +10% healing buff AND for the non- induction BC after using the coda. It is a nice burst healing rotation for emergencies, ie AotTa, coda, BC (no induction), CoS, SoS (animation break).

Other than power return I generally don't use the coda (exception noted above) and just use BC or RtS, maybe the odd CoS for the group overtime heal. All the while keepping up AotTA and if possible one other (usually composure)