Overview
This guide teaches healer fundamentals from level 1 to 90:
- How to **triage damage** and use oGCDs.
- When to **deal damage vs heal**.
- Dungeon and trial habits that make parties love you.
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Phase 1 – Early Levels (1–30)
Basic priorities:
- Keep **regen or shield** on the tank.
- Don't spam Cure/Benefic/Diagnose; watch real incoming damage.
- Start weaving **damage spells** (Stone/Malefic/Dosis) when everyone is stable.
Positioning
- Stand near the **back or side** of the group.
- Avoid standing exactly on the tank (cleaves) or on melee DPS (stacked AoEs).
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Phase 2 – Midgame (30–60)
You'll unlock:
- More oGCD heals (Largesse, Essential Dignity, etc. depending on job).
- Stronger area heals (Medica II, Helios, Indomitability, etc.).
Triage Checklist
In any pull:
1. Is the tank above 50% HP and using mitigation?
2. Are DPS standing in avoidable AoEs?
3. Do we have a raid-wide AoE incoming?
Rule of thumb:
- Heal **after** mechanics finish, not during every animation.
- Use **regen/shield before** predictable hits.
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Phase 3 – Trials and Raid-Wides
Reading Telegraphed Damage
- Big boss casts with unique names usually mean:
- Tankbuster
- Wide raid AoE
- Precast:
- Shields (Adlo/Succor, Aspected Helios, Kerachole)
- Party buffs (Sacred Soil, Collective Unconscious, Temperance)
Raise Etiquette
- Raise priority: Other healer > Tank > Mechanic-savvy DPS > everyone else.
- If you're solo-healing, consider **letting a DPS stay down** until after a heavy mechanic.
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Phase 4 – High-Level (70–90) Optimization
By Endwalker, focus on:
- **Weaving** damage spells and oGCD heals smoothly.
- Using **cooldowns proactively**, not reactively.
- Planning **two-minute burst windows** where you contribute damage with the party.
Secret – Learning via Extreme/Savage Logs
Even if you don't raid, watching logs/PoVs of top healers:
- Shows how little they spam GCD heals.
- Demonstrates effective cooldown rotations.
Studying these helps you bring "raid-quality" play into casual dungeons, making every run smoother and faster.