Priest talent specs...

faust

faust

New Member
I am going to level up Salveation as shadow, but sometime close to 60 I plan to respec to a holy/disc combo.

My current spec is:
http://www.wowhead.com/talent/?rZZxMhz

Thinking of using the following build to get to 60:
http://www.wowhead.com/talent/?bVTMshZZxMGdztRt

This is sort of a hybrid build, trying to incorporate some of the decent lower tier discipline talents to help both my character as a shadow priest, and to help some with healing.

My goal there is to improve my spirit a great deal.

When I get to end game, I am thinking of respeccing to something like this:
http://www.wowhead.com/talent/?dVgMsM0oZrxxcc0qL
 
I'll be leveling up my alt: Nazerine once Onesiphorus hits 60. It'd be interesting to get feedback from you re: how that build worked for ya.
 
I am also leveling Buto up shadow, then possibly around the mid 50's changing over to holy. No offense to Reason but I think holy priests will get more playing time then shadow.

I am looking at either 18/33/0 or 25/26/0 as my end game build. This is what i am looking at as my spec till then 16/0/31
 
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Interesting tradeoff for Sakaki: 10% more mana vs 10% more efficient heals. The 10% mana boost helps at the beginning of a fight, but the longer the fight the more 10% more efficient heals would seem to help out. Seems on paper like the 10% more efficient heals would be better... would be most curious to find out people's impressions in practice (theorycraft, FTL).

I noticed that Buto's builds all had blessed recovery. I was wondering if that is a good talent or not. My fear is that the auto-heal on crit hit would only build more aggro on yourself, making it harder for a tank to pull off the mob. Any one have any experience with this talent when getting beat on? I also noticed that Buto didn't have 5/5 in divine fury. That seems like a killer talent for healers: 0.5 sec decrease in casting time on heal/greater heal. That not only increases your healing rate, but it seems like it could make the difference, or perhaps I am just too used to playing mages/warlocks where the reduced casting time makes a big difference? Do priests typically cast flash heal repeatedly over heal/gheal?

I have been debating about holy nova. While it seems like it would be fun, I am not sure how practical it is. Perhaps when you have a chance to use it you won't need to heal anyway, so burning mana for aoe grinding fun is ok?

I noticed that Wend had Inspiriation in last night's DM run, that seems like a great talent, especially coupled with holy specialization (+5% crit for healing). It seemed to proc fairly often for us last night, and the increased armor is never a bad thing... especially since (if things go right) the healer will be healing the warrior most of the time. +25% armor, even if for 15 seconds, is really nice! For me that's around a 2k armor boost, which means I won't have to get healed as much (vs melee mobs), so it works out to be a mana saver in many situations (again in theorycraft). So for those of you who have the talent, do you find it to noticably reduce the amount of healing you have to do?
 
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I've thought about the 10% mana vs. 10% increase to heals, and it's probably a wash either way. I'm just going to have to see how my healing goes. If I'm frequently out of mana, 10% mana is going to be better. Otherwise, 10% heals for the win. The problem with 10% heals is that it only applies to the base healing of the spell. It doesn't take into account any +healing gear you have. In addition, may end-game healers down rank their healing spells. Since they have so much +healing gear they are able to cast lower rank healing spells in order to save mana.

I never saw much use for blessed recovery. If I'm in a group, then I better not be getting hit. And if I get critted, I'm going to need more healing than BR offers. I'm going to fade and flash heal then renew.

Holy Nova isn't used much, but for 1 talent point it is really nice to have. I've used it to finish off lots of small adds in instances when everyone needs a little healing and I have plenty of mana.

Inspiration rocks. I fire off a Inner Forus, then a prayer of healing. I get a free party heal with a 25% increase in chance to crit which in turn has a high chance to proc inspiriation.
 
We will see about Butos build. I expect to make a couple of tweaks to it. I don't think the BR gains aggro, and would be nice for a free heal after a hit. Who know what will happen with Buto, she is only L35 atm and waiting, somewhat, for IMCU to level up.
 
I'm going to be slow in leveling, because I only plan on playing when I can go with a group. It seems very common for people to play shadow to L50+, then switch specs.

That just seems silly to me. Too many times we complain that people don't know how to play their class, yet I'd be doing exactly the same thing. Instead, my intention is to learn to play my class now and be good at healing when it's time to play the healer.
 
I also plan on being very group-centric with Nazerine. I dont mind doing less dmg, even if it makes leveling slower. As long as I can contribute some damage and be primary healer in all the lowbie-midgame instances, i'll be havin' fun. Of course, I'm only level 20, so my opinion still might change in a hurry :-)
:DL
 
Well I hope to get a fair amount of practice healing in instances. I guess the way I look at it is this: learning to heal in an instance while shadow specced will only make things seem easier once I respec to holy/disc. :D

Kind of like how baseball players take a couple of swings of the bat with the weights on before stepping upto plate, so that the bat feels light and they can swing harder.

For those levels where I am in between instances I just want to level as quickly as possible, so I can get my next test in an instance.
 
IMO - any preist spells that count on the priest getting hit (or crit hit) are a waste of talents...that would include blessed recovery and martyrdom. By lvl 60 you are rarely if ever soloing with a holy/disc priest and in a moderate to good group (not to mention the great forgiven groups) you shouldn't be getting hit enough to want to waste 5 points on talents for those situations.

Mike...specifically I would suggest you put the extra talent in your renew as it will quickly become one of your most popular spells (in group).

Sakaki has speccd differently than Wend and it has been interesting comparing the builds...what things are great...what are not so great. I personally think that the spirit of redemption isn't worth the talent...but I've never used it since the 1.10 patch so maybe it's worth it...perhaps Sheri (Kelarra) could weigh in with her opinion on it since she had(has?) is as a talent.

With Wend I went holy/disc the whole way and rarely if ever soloed. Of course I spent most of my time with Zenoir and a mage/priest combo rocks for levelling (I think a warlock priest combo might be even better because of life tap) I would happily help priests to level -- give me a tell and I'll quest with ya..any of ya.. (I have a soft spot for priests)
 
I'll have to go and look at my trees again and take into account all the feedback here. Should be interesting what I can build now.
 
In pre-lvl 55 instances, spec doesn't matter that much. There may be a few talents at the top of a tree that set you appart, but given the ease of pre-55 instances, it's just not important. You are still a capable healer if you're all shadow or all holy. And priests are no different than any other class...your play style changes when you are solo vs when you are in a group. Doing instances while leveling is important to learn to play your class in a group. But whether you are holy or shadow, it doesn't matter as long as you are the main healer.

So... I went with Shadow as I was spending 90% of my time solo or in small groups where I needed to DPS some.
 
Angus_Og said:
I am also leveling Buto up shadow, then possibly around the mid 50's changing over to holy. No offense to Reason but I think holy priests will get more playing time then shadow.

I am looking at either 18/33/0 or 25/26/0 as my end game build. This is what i am looking at as my spec till then 16/0/31
Click to expand...



I would completely agree with that. I don't mind however. The other day I could have went to AQ20 but I had to heal. I wasn't in the mood for it and was told that I needed to heal or I would be replaced. Not in a bad way at all, it was just stated to me. I wished them luck and went on my merry way. I understand that everyone thinks Priests just have to heal. I just disagree with it. I understand the consequences and I deal with them. No biggie.
 
Reason said:
I understand that everyone thinks Priests just have to heal.
Click to expand...

but they do :)

Reason said:
I understand that everyone thinks Priests just have to heal. (emphasis added)
Click to expand...

Yeah, see, this is the part I disagree with. As a feral druid, I get people telling me that druids just have to heal. I think it is an important part of a shadow priest or feral druid to be able to heal, but I'm 100% against the idea that they have to heal all the time. As a feral druid I only heal when it is more useful to, although I do try to make sure to dispel debuffs to keep the healers actually healing.

In short -- I think it is a sign of dishonor if my raid gets flushed because I refused to heal, but I don't have a problem -- or rather I don't ever stop -- telling a raid leader that I am flat-out NOT a healer. I'm a tank (or in Reason's case, and dpser) that just happens to be able to throw heals off if he's practicing being useless -- for example for me, against an enemy that CAN'T be multitanked. Take Venoxis, for instance.

I've played enough with Reason to know that he pops out to heal in emergencies.

I also commend him for dropping from the AQ raid when it wasn't going to let him dps, before they got underway and it would be messy, and instead of going and doing a half-mast job of healing because he didn't actually want to do it. :)
 
I'm using a 30 Holy/ 21 Disc spec on Kelarra right now. I was going for divine spirit in the disc line, spiritual guidance 5/5 and at least 4 points in spiritual healing in the holy line. I also wanted my smites to hit a little harder for when I decide to go crazy and do a little damage.

I'd recommend against taking spirt of redemption. You will get two heals off, maybe three if you're quick, but that's not much. In big raids it rarely makes a difference between success and failure. I'd put that point in spiritual healing instead.

Kelarra's Spec
 
Neirai the Forgiven said:
I've played enough with Reason to know that he pops out to heal in emergencies.

I also commend him for dropping from the AQ raid when it wasn't going to let him dps, before they got underway and it would be messy, and instead of going and doing a half-mast job of healing because he didn't actually want to do it. :)
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Thank you. I'm glad my healing doesn't go completely unnoticed. :) Also, thanks for understanding as well with me dropping the AQ run. It was just something I wasn't in the mood for.


This is not directed at you John btw. Just stating. The above comment was for ya. :)
One thing I will never understand to this day is the following. I have the ability (in longer fights for certain) of doing more damage than a lot of people (not all, but a lot), yet I'm passed up for damage because I am needed to heal. I say, why not kick the lower dps'er out, let me take that persons place, and get another healer? Yet, people don't do this. It might be a little more work, but well worth it.
 
...not to mention, that with an agro reducing ability (fade), you're just as useful as a lock or mage that does the same DPS. (assuming there are adequate number of people for sheep, banish, water, healthstones, soulstones, blah blah blah)

That night we went into Scholo with both you & Wend was really fun. MCs, shackles, occassional heals... that was cool!
 
I think there is a place for feral druids and shadow priests in a 20+ man group, and a 10 man group as well.

Feral druids (if they have leader of the pack) help the main tank hold aggro better and the melee group do more damage overall. To be honest I would think that keeping one feral druids in the MT group would be a boon. Am I wrong?

As for shadow priests, I think placing them in a group with warlocks and mages would make for a heck of a ranged dps group! Curse of elements from the warlocks helps the mage dps, and shadow weaving helps the warlocks (as well as their own curse of elements for fire damage). The shadow priest can help top off the health the group through VE in longer fights, and in a pinch can leave shadow form and save group memebers through healing.

Now I would also argue that there aren't a lot of slots for feral druids and shadow priests in a 20 man group, but they definitely should have a place.

But in general it's best that people understand the role everyone plans to play ahead of time. That way there are no mid-instance surprises. At the same time, it's great in a guild like ours where people know each other, and have learned each other's play style.
 
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