Dear experienced Aug healers:

I'm running in Thid with different PUGs and I find that i'm constantly swarmed by pets of all types when fighting albs. I have to deal with the cabalist pet, multiple thurge pets and often a controlled creature pet almost every fight. With all the pets on me, it basically shuts down my ability to cast spells, and I'm stuck with just instants (if they are up). Plus, I don't live that long with that many pets on me. I have the "help your healer, i'm under attack" macro, but with so many pets on me it doesn't really help and I can't demez folks to help me fight the pets.

I've tried really hard to be in the back by stopping early and casting celerity well before we engage; I try to avoid LOS (not that easy, since you need LOS to do the instant-single target heal). But, frankly I find that my character is shut down after just a few seconds into the fight so often that I'm beginning to think i'm doing something wrong. I don't have a quick-cast to do a mez or a root, and it wouldn't matter anyway because there's usually multiple pets on me each fight. What should I do, or is it something the group members need to do? Any info would be appreciated so that I can be a better healer in RvR.

Thanks.

if you have a caster in grp he should stand way back and clear multiple pets. Warris should help you with 1-3 pets. All you can do is get moc 1 to at least demezz/cure disease/rezz and a little heal while you have pets and if it is not ready run to your tanks and spam the clear pet macro... if nothing else helps just draw your hammer and hit a caster

Theurg pets are mostly job for your casters, make a /t macro and spam them. Don't forget that you can stun the theurg pets, even as aug healer you have access to I think 6 second aoe stun. Wind pets are problem, since they will stun/rupt pretty much the instant they are born. Other pets you should be able to see coming and mezz them, after that it's again job for your casters or pac healer.
I never played in group without caster, but I imagine I would pick one tank for petclear duty. If he doesn't like it, boot him, rupted healer = dead group.

Biggest problem are RR5'd cabby pet, but you are not gonna run into those in thid fortunately .

Edit: Also get staff, it's 100% dex based and usualy slow, with luck and dd proc/dmg add you can twoshoot or even oneshoot earth pets.

The layout of Thid makes the gameplay a bit different compared to what is the case with the more open field situations in Emain or Breifine, but in general terms you can try a few steps.

For the most part it does look like you try to seek out range for celerity. Don't do that. It is the biggest cause of aug healers getting aggro from be it pets or other players. Try to not even use celerity at all in fights, with the exception where you can push up to a keep wall or side of a bridge without LoS of the enemy and still be within range of your tanks.
Instead try to operate at 1900-2000 range from whatever is taking damage (and that is not covered by the pac healer).

When it comes to pet clearing poplik is correct about the staff (it really is insane how many years it took before people finally understood the reason for using staff instead of 2h hammer).
For pets you should have a def tank and a caster to support you if you do end up getting pets, but there are a few you can clear yourself.
Those are:
- 1 earth pet (1-2 hits with staff, or 1 hit staff, 1 hit 1h hammer). (Maybe two, if your caster or def tank can not help, but it takes too long to clear it most of the time, it is quicker to move yourself and ask someone to help you clear it, be it other support or caster or tanks.).
- 1 air pet (only if you catch it before it interrupt you, two full duration single target stuns eats up all its duration)
- druid cub pet (1 hit with 1h hammer, but expect two swings since bladeturn)
- druid youth pet (2 hits with staff, but expect more swings because of bladeturn, so you can try with 1h hammer open, and if lucky and no bladeturn the follow-up staff hit might drop him)

Healer in general is kinda funny, be it pac or aug. The better the group plays, the more opportunities you are given to utilize all of what you can be. If your group lack control of the fight, you are usually forced into only using di, insta heals, bof and if you have it moc2. (moc1 hurt you more than it helps, unless your shaman have 25 mending)

Thanks for the replies.