Needs advice for a healer for my team of hunters

[betrayed]

I'm currently have 4x lvl 51 hunters & a lvl 51 holy paladin leading the way.

I also have a lvl 56 resto druid waiting. I need some opinions on which healer would be best for the hunters. I also have a shaman who I can use as a healer for the hunters also. Any advice is appreciated.

[palabor]

i would use shaman for their group totems.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

Hmm...that's a choice that'll depend on what you're doing. I think I'd vote shaman because he's got the best toolsets for survivability in PVP and PVE both. Self-rez = wipe prevention; this cannot be underestimated. ;) And grounding/tremor totems are damned nifty. For raw powerful heals, the druid has the best set of options there, IMO, plus innervate for the mana boost in longer fights. I'll let others speak to holy pallies as my experience with them has shown too little healing in clinch situations.

[betrayed]

Which healer lasts longer or has more escape routes? I may do some pve but not much. I will concentrate more on PVP. I hear that shamans dont really have a way out of danger if i need to get out quick. Priest = fear / Pally = bubble / Druids instant & hots plus cheetah.



One last Question - Do I go 4 BM spec or split it up so that I get trueshot aura and expose armor??

[Orshok]

Yesterday, I had the same question : I went from 5 hunters to 4 and decided to include a healer for the instances. Its a lowbie team so far. As I have already a 5 shaman team and another 5 box team with a priest and also a duo rogue-druid, I eventually settled for a holy paladin.

I like the auras and the buffs for the pets, the wisdom for the hunters. Another difference with another healer is there is no fade or equivalent, so my pala can take aggro but he can also take a beating compared to a clothie. So, I have a new follow key where only the hunters followed my main hunter, leave the pala heal himself, take some distance to shoot the mobs. The pala can be a kind of bait for adds.

[Dorffo]

The pala can be a kind of bait for adds.

For what its worth I find this tends to hold true in BG / World (not arena) pvp as well... people see a pali healer and swarm him while my 4dps lights them up :) good times. I think it has to do with the "kill the brain" mentality people have when they see my little group running around since i usually lead with the Pal.

[betrayed]

so then if im expecting to get beat up on the pally is th ebest choice? Or can a druid stay alive just as long as a pally? Im even considering the shaman for its totems. Lets see if I miss anything:

Pally can - Give Blessings to improve dps or mana regen. Also Devotion aura for more armor. Also can take a beaten.

Druid - Cast Gift of the wild buff for more armor & resistance. Thorns for added dps. Innervate for mana regen. Nice instants / hots / swiftmend

Shaman - Earthen shield / totems - more agil / Str / mana & health regen. grounding totem / tremor totem / lots of totems :) 1 instant heal.

Please someone help me decide and why :)