To be a Tree: The Evolution of [Druid] Healing

[Bolty]

In the most extreme of cases a Druid can maintain trinketed three stacked Lifeblooms on three different targets while also keeping Rejuvenation on two of them for a total of 19712 raw healing over six seconds for 860 mana. That is over two and a half times as much healing output as an equally geared Paladin.

As a Priest, I can also spam Flash Heal nonstop to outheal a Paladin, but that won't change the fact that 60 seconds later I'm out of mana and the Paladin isn't. Finessing the five-second-rule is a critical component of Priest/Druid healing, because we get the most out of spirit.

Lifebloom/Rejuvenation spams are impressive as hell, yes, but 860 mana per 6 seconds isn't sustainable. In one minute of that, 8600 mana is gone, and all of it was spent in the five-second-rule, meaning very little regen (maybe 1500 mana back, total, with awesome stacked mp/5 gear). That's the quintessential problem with Druid healing - they need spirit regen, especially now that they get spirit/4 regen instead of spirit/5 regen, but the HoT-stack style of healing keeps them in the five-second-rule.

Also, it's cute math, but how often are you going to be using Lifebloom on three separate targets along with Rejuvenation on two? Who heals the main tank, as well?

People get carried away with theorycraft, sometimes. I don't think Druids suck at healing, but this guy's post is a bit over the top. The Druid's strength in healing is that their HoTs dominate. But HoTs just aren't as applicable in raids as direct heals. Not saying they're useless, just less applicable. For example, HoTs rule during the Gruul encounter after shatters - just run around HoTing people who have been hurt by Shatter and you can do a ton of healing very fast. But HoTs during Maulgar? Uh, no.

-Bolty