Greater Healing Wave

Greater Healing Wave, usually abbreviated GHW, is a Shaman healing spell, which has a long casting time but restores a very large number of hit points. It is less mana efficient than Healing Wave, but heals for much more with each cast, making it useful in situations where you need a lot of healing fast. Prior to Cataclysm, the spell was simply called "Healing Wave".

Tips and tactics

 * Make a macro that activates Ancestral Swiftness and then casts Greater Healing Wave. That way you can can instantly land a very large heal with just one keystroke, saving valuable time in emergencies.
 * Tidal Waves makes Greater Healing Wave a great emergency spot heal, as it is much more mana efficient than Healing Surge. Try to avoid using Healing Surge for this purpose when you have Tidal Waves up.
 * Because restoration mastery benefits the entire heal based on the target's health when it lands, a single Greater Healing Wave will benefit more from mastery than several smaller heals in quick succession. This makes it especially effective for bringing people up from low health.

Healing and efficiency

 * The restoration specialization reduces the casting time by 0.5 seconds.
 * Nature's Blessing increases the effect on targets affected by Earth Shield.
 * Spark of Life (shaman talent) increases the healing done by 6%.
 * Tidal Focus reduces the mana cost by up to 5%.
 * Resurgence returns mana every time when it critically strikes.
 * Blessing of the Eternals gives the spell a 100% chance to trigger Earthliving on targets below 35% health.

Utility

 * When activated, Ancestral Swiftness turns it into an instant cast spell.
 * Tidal Waves reduces the casting time after you cast Riptide or Chain Heal.
 * Ancestral Healing causes it to temporarily increase the target's armor when it critically strikes.
 * Ancestral Awakening heals a second target for 30% of the amount healed when it critically strikes.
 * Ancestral Resolve reduces all damage you take while casting this spell by 10%.