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domingo, 27 de febrero de 2011

Can I shake your Hand?

As you probably now Pallys are the most awesome and sexy class, yet I've been finding Pallys who don't use all of their abilities, in particular their "Hand" spells.

Pallys on any spec, have all of the "Hand" spells, and they are there not just to take space on the actions bars, but to be cast at the right time. We are natural friends to everyone, and everybody wants to shake our Hands. You see we were desing for glory.

Knowing when and how to use your "Hand's" makes a big difference, and is on the distinctive traits of a Sexy Pally. Allow me then to share some of my knowledge (As little as it may be).

 
Hand of Protection makes the target Immune to Physical Attacks. This spells is one of our most iconic spells and serves as a multi utility tool. "Save the Day" spell. When to use it?
  • Some party or raid member manages to be the object of "love" of a loose Add. Works awesome on squishy classes, clothes preferable (Mages have their own shield they are not on top of our priority list, nevertheless don't forget them), our Leafy friends the Druids need protection too, good old Shammys, and help those plate weares too if they are being hit hard, but make the squishier classes your prioritys, specially healers. Be careful on using this on other Pallys, as they will get Forbearance and you'll render them unable to cast the more potent  Divine Shield.
  • Some party or raid member is building a deadly amount of treath. Hand of Protection temporary makes the target disapear from the aggro table, but remeber that once the spell fades, they will return to the aggro table. As long as the Hand lasts the target won't be attacked by physical attackers, that won't be the case with casters. Those seconds not gaining aggro should be enough for your tank to out aggro the protected target.
  • Prevent Abilities. For an example, when you get the storm drake on the Halfus encounter, one loose Shadow Nova hurts the raid pretty bad and theres always a Shadow Nova at the end of his Furious Roar, in order to interrupt them you can cast the hand on yourself or another raid member (make sure to let them know, and that they can interrupt), you will not be affected by the roar,  giving you the chance to interrupt the nova. Divine Shield does the trick too, but in case you have it on Cd or you are affected by Forbearance, enable other raider, so he can interrupt the Nova. Doing this makes raiders happy.
  • Emergency on Arena. If one of your companions ends up being beaten by Melees, act fast. Sometimes its better to cast the Hand before damage occurs; be ready to use it.
  • Removing some Physical Debuffs. The spell can remove some nasty physical debuffs, like Harmstring, or the Boiling Blood debuff that Deathbringer Saurfang delivered.
  • Bubble Taunt. When you have a boss with 2% health, and 2 secs on the enrage timer, Bubble Up, Taunt, and buy your raid or party some precious little seconds of DPS. You can do this with Divine Shield also, thats true, but if you get someone else from your raid do the Bubble Taunt also (That someone needs to have a taunt, or taun like ability), you can buy even more extra seconds. This is called Double Bubble Taunt, sexy name.
Its me being hit by an angry mob of Pally Haters, see how useful Shields are...




Hand of Salvation this spell reduces the amount of treath. "Somebody is doing it wrong" spell. When to use it?
  • Be it that you got a "low treath tank", "big treath dps" or "I can't control mah poweh" raiders, use salvation. Protections Pallys are the only tanks, who can "control" other raiders aggro, you might cover your lead on treath or help and off tank with a particular raider. 
  • Holy Palllys not always use Salvation, and its a shame, you have an advantage point by being at range instead of melee and might reach faster, or just reach that far away squishy mage building some nasty aggro, whereas a protection Pally in order to reach him, need to move with the boss following him. 
  • If you are a ret Pally, and start off with some cooldowns, you might want to use Salvation in conjuction with those to avoid taking the lead on aggro, and don't forget to help with the treath of raiders if needed. 
  • If you Glyph it, instead of reducing some treath over time, completely stops the target from gaining more treath, as long as the spell lasts. It makes the spell instead of a "band aid" a "OMG someone else hit him harder" thing, supposedly the tank.

Hand of freedom makes its target immune to imparing effects, and also removes them. "Who's gonna stop me now" spell. When to use it?
  • When a raid or party member is slowed, or glued  by some evil witchcraft and a "Hope Breaking" ability is going to hit them, if they don't move from where they are. For instance the encounter with Asaad in the Vortex Pinnacle. The static cling grounds the target and you need to avoid the supremacy of the storm by positiong yourslef in the "Safe Triangle of Energy", but not much can be done if you are stuck to the ground. Release those poor people.
  • When you or a partner in Arena or Bg, are snared by some wrong doers. If you are running away you need to do it fast, and that mage's slow isn't helping, or if you need to deliver some melee punishment, that harmstring might not be making it easier, Free yourself. Don't forget to use it on other players, those extra swings your buddy was landing do make the difference.
  • When you want to avoid and ability. On both PvP and PvE, some abilities will snare or inmobilize you, but if you know they are coming, act first, and laugh about their futile intentions. Hunter traps, frostbolts, Static clings, etc.

Hand of Sacrifice you redirect 30% of the incoming damage of your target to yourself. "Take me Instead " spell. When to use it?
  • Gargantuan amount of damage is incoming to your tank or other raid/party member. This spell works almost as a Tanking cooldown, but to do so, when you cast the hand on the target, you'll need to cast Divine Shield, Hand of Protection or even a Glyphed Divine Protection, just make sure you use the correct damage reduction ability (Hand of Protection only stops Physical damage), or you might end killing yourslef, or just complicating the situation. Hand of Sacrifice is a really powerful spell and not all Pallys seem to use it, when my guild was doing Festergut 25, we had one tank dying when the Gastric Bloat was on 8, we had 6 pallys on our raid, so we make a chain wit orr Hand of Sacrifice, and made it until the other tank taunt it. It doesn't matter what spec you play, use this spell. If your tank gets chewed by magmaw; if someone is locked with Acquiring Target when magmatron is up; if somebody is about to get hit by a Meteor and somehow finds himself alone on th valiona and theralion encounter; Use it on any mechanic that involves a nasty amount of damage, you can and should make that ability less painful. Show your Pally golden Hearth.
  • Works awesome in Bgs or Arenas. You do more damage when you and your teammates are alive, than by yourself; specially if you need a burst kill, those extra hits will get the job done. On Bgs, share the pain with your other companions, when defending a nod, each second you last holding the nod is good. When attacking the enemy army leader, help the guy whos tanking, he and the healers will like appreciate it.
  • Breaks Cc. Be that you are on PvE or PvP, you can get yourself out of Cc, with the damage you transfer, kind of like Ozruk shields, wich break his paralysis and let you continue doing your job, or just flee the shatter. On PvP is awesome, if you hear the woosh of a rogue or can't find your opponets, you know they are invisible, or stealthed, land your hand on a buddy, so you may break the Cc that may be about to land; or do so if you feel somekind of Cc is incoming,you need to keep healing or hitting something, don't let an unworthy Cc stop you XD.

Hand of Reckoning this is our Taunt, single taun. "Get over Here" spell. When to use it?
  • You see a Mob running towards your squishy friends, use it. You are a plate wearer and you are sexy, mobs respect enemys who wear plate and are sexy, and you'll last longer than your more squishy friends; have the mob until the tanks pick that Mob, the Mob dies or you die, but don't let it get to your healers, if you are a Healer tough, don't do this. Always take good care of your healers, they will take care of you. Don't forget you can also help other squishy dps, they are not as sexy as us, but helping is the way of the Pally.
  • This is the Taunt, in the Bubble Taunt maneuever. wich is explained in the Hand of Protection part above, but if the damage the target of the taunt does, is not physical, you'll be better by doing the Bubble Taunt with Divine Shield.
  • If a Boss its about to die and you hit the enrage timer, taunt him off even tough you cannot bubble, ask for other taunts, you might just earn some precious seconds for a kill by making the boss run. If you are a Holy Pally, taunt him as fast as you can, you won't be healing much at that point, and you'll need the dps to burn him down, so take the bullet, be a hero (we rock).
  • If the Tank made a horrible pull and you are ret, taunt one add, away of the pull and when he's on you, repentance him, make that bad pull more manageable, everybody will be glad you did. Make sure the add you picked can be affected by repentance, otherwise you are making the pull harder
General Rule

Players may only have 1 Hand per Pally at any time, so casting Hand of Protection, followed by Hand of freedom, will cancel the Hand of Protection. Be careful with those casts, you don't want to override a Hand that's doing what is needed, yet you can make use of these restriction. Hand of Protection won't let you cast Physical Abilities, and you might end up locking a DPS from doing their job, true, you can remove buffs by right clicking on them, but lots of players have custum UIs, and a /cancelaura command in the middle of an encounter gets trick; so cast another hand on them, to let them keep doing their job, help them all the way. Be sure to remind a Hand Protected player. that spells can be cast during the shield, so they can keep doing DPS or Healing.


Those are our hands, and using them, may turn you into a hero, or just a good Pally, it's up to you to save the day. Be warned tough that you might turn into the object of adoration of other players, even complete strangers may ask if they can shake your Hand. But fear not my Pally friend, wiser Pallys (/salute, Ophelie did far a better job, than mine with just one spell Y_Y, but since dungeons and raids seem to be more demanding, I tought a quick reminder of our "Hands" was needed) have had this burden for a long time.

5 comentarios:

  1. Excellent post! It always makes me sad when I see pallies not using their hands. Our huge toolbox of utility spells is what makes the paladin class what it is.

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  2. Yeah... Shammys that hits loose adds... who could ever think about doing that? :D

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  3. Ty, so true, using all of our spells really makes a Pally shine.

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  4. I'm really sorry about all the misspellings and "strange" sentences. I'll try to keep those mistakes minimal, and make the corrections faster. Y_Y I continue to fight with English, he won't express what I think yet.

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  5. Nice post. The examples you provided for use of the various Hands were excellent. They probably are extrememly underused. Newer Pallys who don't have the benefit of a mentor (such as myself when I wear my Pally hat) may indeed have the spells in some remote corner of their action bars but rarely consider when or how to use them.

    Don't worry about your English. It's coming along fine. :)

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