Since it went public, many folks have asked me about the secrets of a successful tank-healer relationship. Well, ok, nobody asked but I know you want to know. A healthy tank-healer relationship is not unlike a healthy marriage. The foundation of your relationship is chemistry and history, but there are other important elements. For one it is useful if you know each other well in real life so that there is a distinction not only between your game identity and your real life identity, but also in the relationships between those identities and those of your partner. Even if you’ve never met in real life, at least there is some connection outside the game. Little things like remembering and honoring birthdays and anniversaries go a long way. And if you are able you might even write a little poem or song for each other. It also helps to not always be serious — joke around and be playful. The tank-healer relationship defines who you are as a tank or a healer, and you support one another because of your complementary roles, but just as importantly that support is unconditional:
[W:To] [Keredria]: i sent you a bunch more spice. you don’t need to cook it all up for me. it’s just there for you to use as you want
[W:From] [Keredria]: kk i will parcel it out to you on my discretion…
[W:To] [Keredria]: lol
[W:From] [Keredria]: based on performance
Heh, I remembers that day. Great googly moogly, was I pissed at WI.
Had me old friend Zinzi What Gives Good Resurrection at me back fer the first time in a Northrend instance last night. No offenses ta Mr. Hoof, but it sure were nice ta be with me partner agains.
[...] I’d be willing to bet that most tanks have a “that healer.” “That healer” is the healer that healed you in that one instance things went so swimmingly in. “That healer” is the person a tank asks “do you want to run X” before he asks anyone else, because he knows that “that healer” is good at what they do and knows they’ll do their best to keep them up. A relationship between a tank and “that healer” can extend beyond that, in time, as experienced by Jessika. [...]