Category: Balance, Groups, Restoration, Solo, Thoughts
“Can I do that?”
Later, I have to write a nice numbery post about comparative damage in the Balance tree, because I promised my guildmaster I would. Tonight, though, I have a different topic in mind.
Innervate. It’s an awesome spell.
We can (and should) give our Innervates to other people.
I know several druids who used to think Innervate was self-only. It’s not! If you’re off-tanking and have a couple seconds without damage incoming, or playing the Shred game, or if you’ve got lots of mana and your healer’s blue bar is flagging, toss them your bolt-o-fun and watch them cover you with praises and loot (Well, maybe loot). Since Innervate is based on Spirit, your priority list should work roughly like this. Start at position one. If that person looks like they need mana, throw them your innervate. If they don’t exist or don’t look like they need mana, move down a slot:
- Primary healer priest
- Primary healer druid
- Primary healer shaman
- Primary healer paladin
- Offhealer of any kind
- Yourself if non-feral
- Mage/Shadowpriest
- Balance Druid
- Shaman/Warlock
- Hunter
Why this order? Healers are the prime candidates for running out of mana. Unless there’s some special condition in effect, they have absolute priority for Innervate. Yes, that even means that if you’re Balance, you should consider (I only said consider) keeping your Innervate cold for the use of your healer in a tough bossfight.
So again, why this order? Priests are the first candidate because they stack spirit like crazy, meaning an Innervate tossed to them can have near-obscene effect. Healing druids are second- they have their own Innervate, so yours is likely backup and a canny healing druid will have Intensity (and maybe Dreamstate as well based on their build), but the treekin also pack a lot of spirit and if you’re doing the cat thing, they need the mana more than you. (Exception: Bears, please do not break form to give an innervate while you’re taking hits from mobs, I.E. while tanking. The mana you return to your healer probably won’t cover the extra damage you take.)
Then we have Shaman and Paladins, who are great healers but not nearly so likely to have much Spirit; they don’t have the in-combat regen and bonus effects that Priests and treekin get from it, so they’re more likely to stack int and just drink outside combat. Still, better them having mana than being bone-dry, if it comes to that.
Then the offhealer(s) if there is/are such things. Are you sensing a common theme about Innervate targets?
Now we’re into non-healers. If you’re Balance and the healers are okay, by all means, juice yourself up. If you’re Feral… A mage can regenerate mana, but they have to stop fighting to do it. Toss them some love. Shamans, Warlocks and especially Shadowpriests have ways to regenerate mana in combat. Warlocks and Shamans have little spirit and, with their own mechanics, can regen faster by themselves. Shadowpriests do stack a lot of spirit, but also have spells to get mana back while causing damage- they almost certainly do not need your help (nonetheless they make a decent target if the return of mana to them means extra mana for you, I.E. if they’re in your group).
Last on the list is hunters. They do not have spirit. Ever. A hunter with more than a total of ten +spirit on his gear either likes the way it looks, does not know what the stats are for, or is deliberately trying to make the game harder. Some hunters have +mp5 gear, and that’s fine- but they generally do not wait to get out of the 5sr and will therefore not be using spirit gear.
Spirit Sticks
Casters, carry a Spirit Stick. This is something I’m guilty of not doing and am trying to fix. The one gear-swap you can make in combat is weaponry. So what you do is, you carry some toy with massive stats but nil in terms of spirit, and put a damage or healing enchant on it. Get another staff that’s loaded with +spirit and not much else. Put a +spirit enchant on it. When in a fight, use the first weapon until you run dry- then swap and unload innervate with your sudden 40-point rise in Spirit. Regen off 40spi times four…
(Bonus tip: Moonkin should use this same trick with a caster weapon/+form attack power weapon combo. Cast yourself dry, then swap to a beatstick and smack the juices out of a foe in melee.)
Cast It Lots
Guilty. I don’t cast Innervate enough. The correct time is “Half mana or lower during any fight that is not conducted with a boss in plain view/knowing a boss is about to attack”. The cooldown is six minutes. Ask your party to take a snack break if it’s still on cooldown before a boss fight. Cast it lots.
Bloody Mages…
If you use Innervate in PVP, do not:
- Cast it near a 70 mage; he’ll steal it if he’s smart.
- Cast it near a priest or shaman; it will get purged or dispelled.
- Cast it near a warlock’s Fel Hunter- it may get eaten.
- Cast it near a Hunter- the new Arcane Shot is a royal pain.
It’s no good to you if it fades after two ticks. Warriors have a move that has a dispel component now as well, but I have rarely seen them use it. (Lifebloom is a great spell to cast near dispel-happy players, as its ‘explode’ effect triggers on a dispel)
In addition, you should try to avoid casting it near
- An out-of-combat enemy warrior;
- A rogue or
- A paladin
It gives 400% regen and continues while casting; having to stop due to stuns is a pain. On that note
Cast Through It!
Once you’ve been Innervated, keep casting if you need to. Regeneration continues at 400% while you cast under this spell’s effect.
All By Myself
It’s godlike in groups but it’s also handy in solo. It can give you ‘rescue mana’ if you get a bad pull unexpectedly (I admit, I keep my Innervate cold for just this reason- 2% mana remaining and my target shouts for help). It can reduce or replace the need to drink after every third pull (let’s face it, even at our best, druids are not mana-efficient at anything but healing). It can be used after getting yourself spread thinly across the landscape to respawn much faster than normal (Innervate, Rejuvenate; you’ll be back at full health and mana in seconds and on your feet).
Cooldown Left 5:47…
In conclusion, Innervate is one of the most subtly powerful tools in our arsenal. With the above tips to guide you, it may save your group from a wipe. It may just save you the few silver for more drinks. Knowing your tools well is the first step to victory.
