Comments on: The Bond between a Healer and Her Tank(s)

By: Of Tanks and Healers :: The Altoholic

Of Tanks and Healers :: The Altoholic — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:14:21 +0000

[...] to a real-life relationship is what makes the feeling so strong and so sudden, particularly, as Phaelia points out, when the tank is a male and the healer is a [...]

By: Chaendryn

Chaendryn — Wed, 28 May 2008 04:13:30 +0000

An insightful article as usual *smiles* Though the healer/tank bond is a strong one, those same bonds form between all the people that raid together often. My favourite – hearing ‘Leave my healer alone!’ yelled over Vent during a particarly intense fight – and this from a rogue who was not my ‘to be kept alive’ assignment. *chuckles* A stray mob made a bee-line for me, to be intercepted and promptly dealt with in true rogue fashion. It’s that ‘in-tuneness’ between eveyone there that makes my experience all the more rewarding.

Chaen

By: Sojourner

Sojourner — Mon, 26 May 2008 00:44:19 +0000

Hey there Phae! I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time, so I’m glad you’ve made a post on it.
While I truly appreciate the bond that can form between tank and healer, I know (from personal experience as a healer), that sometimes this can be detrimental. Between raid healing, off-tanking healing, and main tank healing, healers need to be carry out their tasks at 100% effort, BEFORE helping out in other areas. Of course this means that druid healers often go beyond this 100% effort (which I’m sure we’re all used to doing). Sometimes though, the almost INSTINCTIVE urge to heal your tank can hurt the party/raid. An example might be the Delrissa fight, where keep the tank alive isn’t the highest priority; or after enterring phase 2 of Kael’thas, where a tank falls to second priority. yet your instincts are screaming at you to keep your dear tank alive. Well just wanted to add my 2 cents worth. It’s been an insightful read.

By: Tone

Tone — Fri, 23 May 2008 18:29:58 +0000

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. I’ve noticed this kind of bond as well, from both sides of things (though more as a tank, since I tank more challenging content than I heal). For every “warm blanket” of healing they give me, my healers get an equally warm (though slightly worse-smelling) bear hug in return!

Speaking of bears, I was especially pleased by your use of the phrase “…would otherwise have been so much Cream-of-Bear…” I actually like to tell people I was “turned into a Bear Pancake” when things go wrong. For some reason, equating a smooshed Bear tank to some kind of breakfast food seems like an appropriate analogy!

I’m also glad to hear that a lot of others have the same habit of sending fishsticks and other goodies to their healers. I always thought of it as the equivalent of baking them cookies… well, maybe not *equivalent*… but what they lack in chocolatey goodness, they make up for in +Healing and Omega-3 Fatty Acids! It’s the thought that counts….

By: Roeman

Roeman — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:48:26 +0000

As a different take on the story, I find that male healers function equally well in the “protector” role of healing. My tank and I banter (and sometimes bet) on who will die first. We simply guarantee each other that neither will die before we will… and both take on a “brothers in arms” mentality. Does this mean I out-heal the safe aggro limits when the other healers may be slacking? Yeah… and it means that the tank is so concerned about him dying first that he’s quick with the intervene etc =P

By: Zackoria

Zackoria — Fri, 23 May 2008 11:54:27 +0000

My guild has quite alot of husband and wife teams. Two of these pairs are my guild leader and his wife who are a warrior/Spriest combo and the other two that i have known in game for a very long time now before my current guild are a warrior/moonkin team. Although their wives are definitly more inclined to burn someones face off with a starfire or blast their minds to oblivion both warriors are our main tanks and damn good at it too. I dont know about men always min maxing while the women try to keep a good mix. Of course both of them are hybrids so maybe im just crazy.
Ive allways thought of lifeblooms as a weave and you have to keep that weave up like in Wheel of Time (can you tell im a fan boy?). So i guess that could be close to a blanket (threads=threads in blanket?). Wether or not its a blanket im still sad when someone dies. The tank to healer relationship is all about trust and knowing when that trust goes beyond probability and posibilty, such as the tank getting crushed for 13k…>.> but anyway! This is one of the most importent parts of a good raid team in my own opinion. Knowing your fellow healers as well as your nightly tanks on an intimite level is key. When a new tank or healer comes into the fold it is crucial that they feel this bond or they will become a chain link on the outside no use to any one. Some might say this is the difference between the core raid group and the rest but the tanks and the healers cant just be hangers on.
Also gnomes get healed more and get away with alot more just because there gnomes. How can you yell at that cute little gnome when he pulls agro? Of course now everyone who remembers my gnome will allways think of me as that silly little bouncing ball of energy that used to play annoying music over vent. ^_^ This dosen’t work as good when the guy playing the gnome has a really deep voice though… I can see you playing a 2H war Phae =)

By: Sorayn

Sorayn — Fri, 23 May 2008 11:06:08 +0000

When you’re putting your virtual life in their virtual hands, there’s always some underlying trush that forms. As a tank, you need to trust that your healer is awake, alert, and ready to heal you. You count on them to inform you of anything going on that may affect them so you can correct. You rely on their feedback to improve your game and adjust your playstyle.

As a healer, you put your faith in the tank to hold aggro so as to not make your job a living hell. You count on them to keep you abreast of their intent so you can make sure your heals are effective, efficient and timely.

With the two-way trust that forms, having a regular healer often leads to even simple friendships forming. I know that in my own ancedotal experiences.. every healer I’ve run with more than once, I’ve formed a friendship of sorts.

By: Greylock

Greylock — Fri, 23 May 2008 11:03:01 +0000

I was actually sent this link on the eve of a long time away from the game(work reasons) by the very person i feel this way about. Im a pally tank on the lightbringer server, and while i have met many good healers ( a very good pally healer iv been friends with for a long time, if you ever get chance to raid with him he will not disapoint) I never feel more comfortable when i have syrah(unber resto druid)I know i can always rely on her. she has never let me down(even while healing under the influence haha) because of the time weve spent doing runs pretty much every day for the time I’v been in the guild i now see myself as her protector, I know exactly what buffs she needs and when, and always use my bublles on her when I know she might take the smallest scratch or if a wipe is pending. I always provide her with fishsticks and any mana pots that drop i give priority to her.
I may wind her up about wanting to tank more mobs than i should really, but at times i know i can only because its her and not a pugged healer i dont know and cant rely on to stand and heal me rather than screaming “WIPE” and running. I go out my way to save her, using divine intervention or simply holding mobs giving her time to run, as i know she goes out of her way to save me when tanking.
As a tank i recommend you all find that one special healer, never let her down and she will repay that with kindness in turn.
Thankyou syrah, youve made it so il never look at another healer in the same way.

By: Eldr

Eldr — Fri, 23 May 2008 10:51:24 +0000

Response on my blog, it got a bit long ^^;

@archmera: is that how it works? I was under the impression only effective healing returned mana.

By: Archmera

Archmera — Fri, 23 May 2008 02:39:12 +0000

I was reading this article, and it brought to light a very good point that i never truly thought of.

As both a healer (resto drood) and a tank (paladin), i have a profound understanding of the relationship of the two.

As a tank, it is MY job to take the threat, and i am very VERY thankful to that healer that keeps me going. WIthout that healer, i have no mana, no health, and well, threat goes everywhere.

As a healer, he’s MY tank, as no one else in the party is gonna take care of him/her (bandaids i found, don’t generally work too well ) Especially if i have a paladin tank, what does it show when i take it upon myself to play a game with his health, trying to keep him at 80% thus maximizing the mana returned to him through my heals?

Thank you Phae for linking his story, and providing your perspective, it is indeed always refreshing.