Spike heal

A spike heal is a term used to refer to a healing skill that heals for a very large amount of health in a very short amount of time. Because these skills heal for so much in a compressed manner, they often have a high resource cost to limit how frequently they can be used. As the name implies, these skills are often used to counter spikes, or large packets of damage.

Concept

Teams most often attempt to counter incoming damage through the combined use of protective and healing abilities. While the various forms of protection the game offers are suitable to prevent spikes before they occur, human players are not infallible and will inevitably fail to prevent spikes of damage from happening. When these situations occur, quick reflexes combined with the use of a suitable spike healing skill can save an ally before they die.

Spike Heals

Currently, there are only three skills in the game whose base effects allow them to serve as a spike heal with appropriate attribute investment. Each one of these skills belongs to a different primary profession.

• Imbue Health

Imbue Health is a healing spell native to the Dervish profession. As mentioned earlier, it meets the criteria to be considered a spike heal due to its very fast casting time and ability to heal for a maximum of 300 health. It also has a high resource cost by way of ten energy and a ten second recharge. Because of this, Imbue Health can effectively counter a spike when it occurs, but cannot serve as a Dervish's main heal.

• Infuse Health

Infuse Health is the most powerful spike healing ability in Guild Wars. It is capable of healing for a very large amount, often replenishing an ally's health bar in its entirety. However, because of its strength it also comes with the most penalizing cost out of all the spike heals; a loss of 50% health. Though Infuse Health has no recharge, this penalty effectively prevents it from being used too frequently, as its wielder must follow up a cast of Infuse Health with a self-heal of their own.

• Spirit Transfer

Spirit Transfer is the Ritualist's take on a spike heal. Unlike the prior two skills, Spirit Transfer requires the player to be within casting range of a spirit in order to function, but otherwise has the most balanced resource cost of the three spike heals. Because this spell draws its healing power from a spirit, it is capable of self-targeting. Consequently, it also heals for the lowest amount of these skills, yet still at a level sufficient enough to counter a spike.

The Infuser Role

In organized Player versus Player combat, teams often rely on spike damage to kill enemies. Because of how common these "spike teams" are, the ability to spike heal has become virtually mandatory as players have a high chance of facing off against a spike team.

The Monk skill Infuse Health has been the primary answer to these spike teams when prots fail. Infuse Health has become so ubiquitous in PvP that the role it serves has been given an unofficial term by the community, the Infuser. While Imbue Health and Spirit Transfer are capable of serving as spike heals, the nature of PvP combat as well as the differences in play between enemy monsters and enemy players has relegated Infuse Health as being the main source of spike healing in competitive PvP.

In Player versus Environment combat, the title of Infuser generally falls to Elementalists. Though Infuse Health is a primary Monk skill, Elementalists often combine enchantments like Ether Renewal, Life Attunement, and Aura of Restoration to not only pay for the energy cost of Infuse Health, but to also heal back much of the health loss, allowing them to use the spell as if it were a primary heal.

See also

• Healer
• Party heal
• Spot heal

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