Food before flowers is a direct translation of the Japanese proverb, hana yori dango, which means putting practical concerns before aesthetic ones. Guest writer Cclemon is here to share insights into practical addons and maximizing their use.
Today we’ll look at Clique. Clique allows you to assign different spells to cast to different mouse buttons in an intuitive manner. As a healer I had heard many people suggest it but never found any argument compelling enough to pull me away from the mouse-over macro method I had been using… until Ulduar happened.
As a healer my hands are occupied with three things: moving, targeting, and spell selection. My previous setup allowed me to do any two of those three at the same time. Unfortunately many fights in Ulduar require healing on the move with a good example being Hodir. When Hodir goes into frozen blows, heals need to cover AoE damage, spike damage (possibly on multiple targets), and I need to stay on the move to prevent stacks of the damage debuff or falling icicles from killing me. Different spells, different targets, and different positions all at once. Enter Clique.
With one hand on the keyboard I can move and activate cooldowns as normal. With the other hand on my pointing device (trackball in my case) I select targets by mousing over raid frames to the person I want to cast the spell on and select the spell I want to cast depending on the button I click.
For example, as a restoration shaman I have three main spells: Chain Heal, Riptide, and Lesser Healing Wave. With my current configuration, left-click on a raid frame casts Chain Heal on that target, middle-click casts Riptide, and right-click casts Lesser Healing Wave. On my restoration druid alt I have a similar configuration for Rejuvenation, Regrowth, and Life Bloom, and I use modifier keys (control-clicks) for Swiftmend, Wild Growth, and Nourish.
Back on Hodir’s frozen blows, I can now move towards a fire while choosing the right target and the right spell without having to change my hands around a lot the way I had been before, saving lives, wipes, and repair bills.
I’d like to focus this article on a look at clique’s basic configuration because it is a little different than many other addons.
Clique installs like any other addon, but on entering the game you might not find it right away. It’s hiding on your spell book (the mouse in a wizard’s hat).
Click on the Clique configuration icon and then find a spell in your spell book and click on it with the key you want to assign. Hold a modifier (shift, control, or alt) key and click to create combinations like alt-click for a cooldown, and so on. Click the custom button to assign some other kinds of actions including macros to the click.
One quick caution: Clique will override the default things you may take for granted like the right-click menu on your character or left-click to select a target. You can assign a different click to do the action you want using the custom button (for example, I use shift-modified clicks for selection/menu), or disable clique’s actions for specific frames by unchecking the frame you want to act normally under Frames (the button next to Custom).
I have a lot of other neat little tricks for using this addon, please look for my follow up columns or leave your tips and tricks in the comments below.
Found a cool addon? Want to share a UI tip? In the mood to contribute a guest post? Have some ideas for future posts? Feel free to 
I have stopped using the Clique/Grid combo for this reason: “One quick caution: Clique will override the default things you may take for granted like the right-click menu on your character or left-click to select a target.” I found it immensely annoying to try to inspect, trade, whisper, click invite, any of a number of things that you normally take for granted, overridden. Yes, you can set Clique up so that doesn’t happen, but I found that those settings tended to be overwritten pretty easily with no action on my part.
I have since switched to VuhDo. I find it to be a superior addon in every way. It does everything that the Clique/Grid combo does, and does it better (an ice block icon on the raid frame when a raid member get’s KT’s block! That has saved so many lives, I can’t count it).
Also, I have to say: a healy shaman who doesn’t have Earth Shield on click to cast? Really?
I recenetly installed Clique as part of my review of Grid/Clique vs Vuhdo vs Healbot and I was pretty impressed
Elven best thing to do is set clique up to NOT do anything on right click (i.e. dont do a mapping) or map the menu to SHIFT+RIGHTCLICK or something that way you get the best of both worlds
Clique serves it’s purpose and serves it well in my opinion, this isnt really a Grid V Vuhdo post haha
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(an ice block icon on the raid frame when a raid member get’s KT’s block! That has saved so many lives, I can’t count it).
That’s easy to do in Grid as well – just add the debuff (Frost Blast) to Grid’s list of auras and assign it to the centre icon. You can also change any other part of grid based on the debuff.
@Elvendude I’d have to say if the settings are getting overwritten or changed, it likely is something on your part. I’ve used Clique for over a year and never had that problem.
elfennau´s last blog ..elfennau: @amethystdawn <3
I, personally, have all of my heals bound with the alt key along with a mouse button. I did this so that my normal functions like targeting and right-clicking wouldn’t get messed up. Also, I have a Logitech G5 mouse, so I have 5 buttons, and I use them all. As a Disc Priest, my setup is like this:
Alt+Left = Flash Heal
Alt + Right = Greater Heal
Alt + Middle = Renew
Alt + Button 4 = Penance
Alt + Button 5 = Prayer of Mending
Button 5 = Power Word: Shield
I picked alt because it is in a comfortable spot to hold down with my thumb as I play. Hodir was odd adjusting to because of constantly switching between alt and spacebar, but I’ve gotten a feel for it now.
bacclor´s last blog ..Why Has Wrath Sucked?
> Clique will override the default things you may take for granted like the right-click menu on your character or left-click to select a target
Clique allows you to choose the unit frames that it overwrites click actions for, you just select grid and unselect the Blizzard frames. (I’ve only ever had to do this once, and it’s always behaved).
You would think as a Holy Paladin I wouldn’t have many click actions…
Left: Flash of Light
Middle: Holy Shock
Right: Holy Light
Alt+Left: Cleanse
Shift+Left: Select Unit
Shift+Middle: Beacon of Light
Shift+Right: Sacred Shield
Ctrl+Left: Hand of Freedom
Ctrl+Middle: Hand of Salvation
Ctrl+Right: Hand of Sacrifice
Button 4: Hand of Protection
Button 5: Lay On Hands
Getting Grid and Clique set up can take a little, but it’s very rewarding.
Matthewd´s last blog ..that just happened
For me it was the only way to manage all ranks and types of spells we had in TBC. It did 100% of what I needed, leaving me only with a button for a manapot, mass dispell and shadowfiend.
Only in WotLK did the need arise to expand my shortcuts and interface beyond clique. But it still covers most of it.
One note though, it might be interesting to know that clique takes complete precedence when clicking on a frame but it does not kill alternative shortcuts. For example, I have a mouse 4 shortcut in clique to shield, and depending on key combo’s to do other stuff. But I also have mouse 4 button linked to an action button on my bars with a mouseover shield macro. What happens is that:
– whenever I click with mouse 4 on a frame, regardless of combo’s, clique is used
– when doing heads-up healing, the mouseover is used.
It might allow some complex interactions if you want to :)
Ohh, and one more thing. I shortcutted:
– mouse 1: Renew
– mouse 2: PoM
– mouse 3: GS
– mouse 4: shield
Shift + mouse: direct healing spells with a cast time
ALT+ mouse: dispells and utility spells
Alt combines pretty well with “wasd”, shift to lesser extent. This maximizes my movement freedom while healing spell I can cast while moving :)
Ohh, and one more thing. I shortcutted:
– mouse 1: Renew
– mouse 2: PoM
– mouse 3: GS
– mouse 4: shield
Shift + mouse: direct healing spells with a cast time
ALT+ mouse: dispells and utility spells
Alt combines pretty well with “wasd”, shift to lesser extent. This maximizes my movement freedom while healing spell I can cast while moving :)
OH! You’re my new favorite blogger fyi
I’ve used Clique for a longlong time. I’ve found it to be perfectly suited to INSTANT CAST spells, especially Dispel Magic/Abolish Disease and Cleanse/Purify. Every spell I have to stay rooted for, like Holy Light and Greater Heal are still the default process of “Target, then cast”
I use this along with mouseover macros for raid healing. If I’m supposed to be killing something/keeping a tank alive, I target, then cast. It’s probably needlessly complicated, but I’m very competitive with the dispels and Clique. I’ve neverever been called out for dispeling late. :]
@Zusterke
I really like what you’re doing with your bindings being dictated by your ability to move… I might have to try this. :D
I use Clique.
With my hunter.
I found it very handy to do on the fly misdirections.
Clique is not just a great healer’s addon. It’s a great addon. :P
Nefernet´s last blog ..Let’s frag some pyrite : Orbit-uary guide
Well, I’ve run out of combinations to bind new stuff actually. =S and about Clique over-riding default menu options.. Just use the slash commands; no problems there.
sparkle_freeze´s last blog ..Mental Agility Hybrid
I love Clique- it definitely improved my capability as a healer. And using a 5-button mouse with it is made of win. :3
I have Penance, Flash Heal, Prayer of Mending, Power Word: Shield, Renew, Pain Suppression, Binding Heal, and Greater Heal all bound to a mouse click and either Shift, Alt, or Ctrl. With Grid, I can respond super fast to just about anything without having to think much about it.
Would love to figure out how to config dispells via clique to my scroll wheel (and not with a press, but with a scroll)
Valkure´s last blog ..Caught between extremes
Clique can be set up to change with your dual spec change. Select one profile for one spec, create a second for the next spec. I dual disc/holy atm and it’s very handy to automatically replace penance for CoH.
Clique can also perform Macro actions, use trinkets, etc. Surprised this stuff wasn’t in the article :)
Shy´s last blog ..How to be a good PUG
@ Nefernet, you sir/madam, are correct, clique will make you the fastest MD in the west so to speak. I was fortunate enough to have a healer girlfriend (who I sometimes suspect has a secret crush on Matticus) point me towards grid/clique for my resto druid alt and when the MD lightbulb went off on my hunter main, she threatened to leave me for all of my giddy gleeful giggling.
I’ve since changed over to VuhDo, as I feel that it is a superior mod to the grid/clique combo. To digress into a full-blown tangent, VuhDo in many ways, reminds me of Mac OS X: it comes very shiny out of the box, works exceptionally well as is, needs little to no customization, but has enough bells and whistles that it can be customized to the point of insanity. VuhDo gives you food first, but brings the flowers if you want them. However, my favorite aspect of VuhDo is the fact that the mod is constantly being updated with suggestions from the community and pertinent buffs/debuffs from current content.
tl;dr VuhDo is the one-stop-shop for super-customizable raid frames, click-casting and more. Try it and win at everything forever.