New FVS needs advice on role

[reddoormedia]

So I have a level 8 FVS that I have been soloing. I TR'ed from a sorc. I am basically a soloer but I know that around Giant Hold I will group a lot more. I have always stayed away from healing classes in all games. Why because of all the *****ing that goes on when people die. It's seems for some people it's never their fault. And that the healer is there to keep them up. I disagree with this attitude, but it's a fact of life for the healer. I have always tried to play in a way that I want to use a healer as little as possible.

So I am drawn to the soul for their melee abilities. My sorc was pretty much reduced to a bystander, trash removal in raids. I am following the Superior FVS build from Impact. So far so good. I beat down everything for the most part with very little offensive casting at this point.

So my question is what will be expected of me when I begin grouping. I am used to melee style with dual longswords. Can I continue to play up front in groups? While watching peoples health bars? How does it work? Better question is how does it work well with this type of build? What are my priorities?

[Illiain]

I have a melee focused FvS (Undying Court). Get the best Devotion/Potency item you can find that's not a weapon. Turn on Quicken and Empower/Empower Healing and your Mass Cures/Heals should be more than enough for keeping everyone up. If casters and ranged dps want heals let them know you're doing aoe heals and to stand closer to melee.

[sirgog]

Playing as a healing/melee hybrid FvS will take a little bit of practice, but is a blast when you get it downpat. There's something satisfying about being both the main tank and an emergency backup healer in a raid.

I'd practice by first grouping up and running some quests that are challenging for your level, but playing solely as a healbot (to get the basic healing aspect of the class downpat). At FvS8, you might want to consider Stormcleave Outpost Elite, Tempest's Spine Normal, and, if you own the pack, Slavers of the Shrieking Mines normal.

Once you have that downpat (and in particular have a sense of the timing to throw someone a really urgent heal), run slightly easier quests and add in melee.

After a little practice, you'll be able to do both at once in harder content.