Healbrand Gear Selection.

[Tyrant.1270]

For your Healbrands do you prefer Harriers, Minstrels, a combination, or something else.

I have my eye on minstrels for the added survivability until I get a better hang of things.

[Antina.5973]

It depends if you're going to do raids, as some bosses there aggro on highest toughness in squad, so with Minstrel you'd get tank role for "free" 😉

I personally love Celestial gear, as I can do a bit of damage on top of providing support, a bit like in this build http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?PWwAc+ZlRw6YPsEGJW0SvPbA-zxIY1oj%2FMSQKEiKwjHERmJ2DWTA2sA-e
from: https://snowcrows.com/builds/guardian/firebrand/heal-firebrand

tl;dr - if you're going for a healer/support role and don't want to tank in raids -> Full Harriers

Edited March 28, 2022 by Antina.5973
added link to SC build

[Sena.2761]

I like Celestial personally for HB, but I only do Strikes and T4s so I don't know if the toughness would screw things up in Raids.

[Vidit.7108]

When I first started using HB I used Harriers and it's still pretty good. The newer you are the more reliable it is to run a full set of harriers imo. As a beginner your personal survivability is less of an issue, and what I see a lot of new healbrands struggle with is boon upkeep and actually healing when they need to.

I keep a full set of harriers for outside of fractals (and cele on another character), and a hybrid that maximizes my healing more for inside of fractals since I pug all the time. I focus on making it as hard as possible for pugs to die no matter what utilities I bring, while also holding on to Axe as much as I can over having to use mace.

I have a set of minstrels but I don't really think I've ever equipped all of it before.

[Hotride.2187]

I use minstrel for t4 fractals, used to use it also for wvw zerg fights.

For fractals you just don't die with it and you can still keep might and quickness up all the time.

[Eekasqueak.7850]

I kinda like a mix of harrier and plague doctor gear 

[Legend of Rogue.5394]

On 3/29/2022 at 2:24 PM, Hotride.2187 said:

I use minstrel for t4 fractals, used to use it also for wvw zerg fights.

For fractals you just don't die with it and you can still keep might and quickness up all the time.

Minstrel is just the all around gear anyone should use on FB doesnt matter the style lol! Its just that good

[Zhaid Zhem.6508]

I used Harrier when full healer for fractals with no issues; but I'm not so diligent anymore + in CM sunqua I really hate those Frailty+Boon overload+outflanked combo; now I play minstrel. I did 5-7k DPS and now 1-2k, it's not a great loss.

 

[ASP.8093]

Harrier works fine, and sticking a Tier 10 Jade Core on your character will give you a little more breathing room on your health.

 

I personally like Minstrel's because you get substantially more personal survivability *and healing output,* though (both from having the highest possible base Healing Power and from a few extra +% points of Force of Will). If you're playing full "carrybrand" the last thing you want to do is die to botched mechanics yourself.