Heroic Adventures

Running Cataclysm Heroics as a slightly overgeared healer is a lot more fun than running them as a healer geared to the level of the instances.  Even so, I find my adventures.  The main reasons are because many of the other players are undergeared, or else they think they can take more risks, because the healer is overgeared.

Chasing the Tank

The other day, for instance, I found myself in an Heroic Lost City of Tol'vir.  No problem, I thought.  This is a fun instance.  As we went on, I think the tank realized I could manage things pretty well, because he started chain-pulling the trash.  Tanks, no matter how well-geared your healer is, if she has to keep tossing out heals because you or the dps are not as well-geared, sooner or later, she is going to need to replenish her mana.  I found myself dropping on the ground to drink for the four seconds or so I could get away with until the tank absolutely needed another heal.  I commented in Druid chat (in short bursts, because that was all I could manage while casting), "This tank needs a hearty rendition of 'Chase the Tank.'"

After the run, I made a macro inviting tanks to listen to the song, specifying the YouTube URL.  I doubt I will ever actually click it, but it gave me a sense of satisfaction.

Unwelcome Moonfire

Another fun run was a Blackrock Caverns.  As soon as I saw the graphic, I thought, "Oh, this will be easy.  I can heal this one with my eyes closed."  It's a good thing I kept my eyes open.  I found myself in a group with a tank (pally--for some reason, I've had a lot of pally tanks), an Enhance shammy, and two moonkins.  I was quite surprised until I realized both moonkins were from the same guild and probably queued together.  (Lot o' orange on my Vuhdo.)

Everything started out fine.  The tank seemed to know what he was doing, more or less, in pulling the trash in increments.  When the first boss entered the room, the pally paused to wait for him to pat back out, so as not to pull the other group waiting on the other side of the room.  But apparently one moonkin decided he was bored and didn't want to wait.

I watched in amazement as a Moonfire hit the boss, and both the boss and the trash pack immediately beside him charged in our direction.  I wanted to punch a moonkin, but I didn't know which one had tossed the moonfire.  In the mayhem, while the tank feverishly worked to pick up the adds, I managed to die.  A moonkin tossed me a BR, but now I was in the gimped position of having to keep everyone alive through the boss and the extra group with just the mana from my innervate and a quick Mysterious Potion.  I hearkened back to my undergeared days and practiced focused triage healing, keeping the tank up and everyone else at about half health or so, with heavy use of Nourish.  I think I lost a moonkin in the process, if I recall correctly, but we made it through the encounter.  It wasn't the last time one of the moonkins decided he wanted to pull . . . I wasn't disappointed to see the last of them after the instance was complete and I got my 70 Valor.

Drowning Beneath the Sea

Yesterday, I found myself in Throne of the Tides.  My 14-yr-old heard me groan upon seeing the loading graphic, and when she asked me what was wrong, I told her, "I hate this one."

This run ended up being interesting for a couple of reasons.  The tank was playing his pally alt, when he is used to playing his bear main, so he kept forgetting he was undergeared.  And the mage, who happened to be a guildie of the tank, kept standing in stuff.  I spent so much time keeping the mage alive sometimes that I almost made a conscious decision to let him die.  (Lost him a few times, but you can't always keep alive a squishy mage who thinks he can stand in poison.)

We did manage to make it through, but it took a few wipes (lost track of the number--at least half a dozen) and a LOT of mana.  On the gauntlet with the water elementals, it was absolutely crazy trying to keep the tank alive (we did wipe there once because he forgot he couldn't just gather them all up and be fine in his present gear) as well as trying to keep myself alive from everything I managed to pull via healing aggro.  I almost died on the attempt we were successful, but the tank remembered he had Lay on Hands and used it.  I made sure to tell him afterward it was a well-timed move.

At least nobody lost their temper, bailed out, kicked anyone, etc.  We finished the instance with the same people who started it.  (With the exception of the rogue who was afk at the start, but I don't count him.  He never really started the instance.)

Honestly, in these situations, I really don't get too upset or agitated.  They amuse me, and they challenge me, but they don't raise my blood pressure.  Maybe it's because I know I don't really have anything to prove in these instances.  If I succeed, people will take it for granted, because I'm overgeared.  If I make a mistake and we wipe, they will most likely not blame me, anyway, because I'm overgeared.

It's all fun and games, and I haven't yet been denied a chance for Valor.