So why Archery?

Full confession here: I don't like Archery. I think the idea of a machine gun bow is incredibly silly even in a world with cat people, werespiders, and fireballs. However, Archery fills the niche I was looking for to supplement heals. You can lay down cover fire with it, and often will stun if you've got another archer or a sorcerer around. More importantly, the basic spells are all instant cast, so you don't hold yourself in place to work in a bit of damage.

Other options in place of Archery would be Occultism, Witchcraft, and Shadowplay. Occultism has great support spells. Telekinesis is the best troll spell this side of Imprison. Mana Stars and Hellspear are also great kiting spells. You've just got to switch weapons to do any damage.

Shadowplay is always useful, especially on a boat where is useless and packs are a giant "gank me" sign. You probably won't ever die if you've invested heavily into Auramancy and take Stealth, Freerunner, and Shadowstep.

Witchcraft makes you a Hierophant, which is awesome. It's my favorite healer class. However, I prefer to invest heavily into Witchcraft when I take it, and leave Auramancy as only a Vitalism supplement tree. It's a perfectly valid choice, but you're a "stand still and ruin the enemy's day" healer instead of a "kiting" healer.

So why didn't you take X skill?

When playing any healer, remember one thing above all others: "You are the most important member of your group." So long as you live, death means nothing to your allies. It is for this reason that I've chosen over the more common , and why I've invested in (it's also really fun). If you run into a fight you can't possibly win, say a galleon full of reds, you can flee to safety and set up your invisibility field for your allies. If some of them die, you can wait until the enemy moves on, bring them back to life, and move on in search of more packs.

is here for the group speed boost. You might be able to chain teleport from Solis to Cinderstone, but your luck might run out, and your allies are almost certainly not going to have the ability. Therefore, you lay down 31 meters of super speed for everyone and chase down/run away from your enemy. However, there are certainly skills that are interchangeable while still being in the spirit of the build.

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for : I like big numbers and I cannot lie. Your party might appreciate the smaller boost to their stats though. Also synergizes with .

for : I hate being silenced. HATE. Anyone without Defense will appreciate the health boost if you can live without your "oh shit" (or "mmmmmmph") button.

for or : I like the synergy with . Get crit, then take less damage and reset all your healing skills. A 7% refund on damage taken or more flat health are certainly strong options.

for : Pew-pewing eats into your mana quickly, and if you're running AGI + SPR leather armor, you won't have that much mana to begin with. If you're just fighting small skirmishes, should be all the mana sustain you need. However, fits so perfectly with the theme of the build that I couldn't not mention it, even though is already a snare and damage amp in one skill.

MOAR DEEPS: You can keep your buddies alive pretty effectively with just , , and , which leaves you free to put 9 points into Archery. Coincidentally, that's just enough to grab . Pick up and , plus . Note that a high proficiency in the enemy's language is required to use this. The hate /shouts are better if you can read them.
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