World of Warcraft → [Classes] 5.0.4 Healing Priest

No, I've returned to my first love thanks the massive rework, my Warlock.

Post by derevka >> September 1st, 2012, 1:02 pm

X. Spirit Shell
Spirit Shell is a new tool available to Discipline in MOP. Essentially it allows us, on a short 1 minute cooldown, to convert all of our spells into absorbs that last for 15 seconds. Finally, we have a spell that lets us do what we've always wanted to do... mass absorbs!

This isn't mechanically different than POH spamming to prepare a raid with Divine Aegis prior to damage occuring that many priests have been comfortable doing in 4.3. Spirit Shell now simply allows us to do this much more effectively, and with much greater ease. Note: Spirit Shell caps at 60% of the Casting Priest's HP.

Using Spirit Shell effectively will be a hallmark of a good Discipline Priest. You could simply use Spirit Shell on cooldown and either pad a tank, or POH pad a raid and see fairly positive results--- however the real marker of a good Disc Priest will be using SShell when its needed the most. Despite it having a fairly short cooldown, we might want to pause a second or two to line up Spirit Shell's absorbs to large raid/boss damage. Simply using the ability on cooldown will be effective, but ultimately not as effective of using it when the fight benefits from it. The tricky part is not delaying it so much, that the short cooldown is wasted.

Spirit Shell scales exceptionally well from both Mastery and Crit. Each cast of a heal while Spirit Shell is active will be the same (barring throughput procs). The Spirit Shell calculation takes Mastery, Crit, and Divine Aegis creation into account and rolls it all up into a single absorb-- making this one of our most scalable heals in our arsenal. Spirit Shell scales linearly by Mastery as well as by the amount of critical strike chance you have. Additionally, when Spirit Shell is active, it essentially ignores the RNG aspect of Crit as it provides direct scaling based on your critical strike chance (guaranteed). (It does this by essentially looking at Crit as an aggregate stat, not as a RNG stat based on a single heal)

XI. Mana Management
Mana will be key in Mists of Pandaria. Figuring out which mana restoration talent you select (FDCL, Mindbender, or PW: Solace), as well as learning how to heal properly. Knowing which spells are suited best for the task at hand. Minimizing our Overhealing also should be a goal of every priest as to be certain we are not wasting our precious mana resources.

At level 90, all priests will be fixed at a flat 300,000 mana. The only way to increase this mana pool is via Meta Gems and the Gnome Racial, Expansive Mind. All spells will cost a fixed percentage of mana. This is means if Greater Heal costs you 5.9% mana (or 17,700 mana at level 90), it will always cost the same amount regardless of gear level. This addresses and interesting issue that Blizzard has always struggled with: mana cost scaling as people gear up through tiers.

What does this mean for us as Holy Priests? Well it means we will need to always be aware of our mana regen, and that Intellect is no longer a mana and throughput stat, it is just a throughput stat. Additionally, Spirit increases in value despite it providing no direct throughput.

We will need to be certain we are using our Regen abilities and potions to their maximum, as well as being certain our gear is balanced between raw throughput, and mana restoration and longevity. As you find yourself gearing up, and needing less spirit (since you have more on your gear) you can start pulling back from spirit from your food/flasks (first) then your gems. The reason I suggest this, as Food/Flask stats are at a 1:1 ratio Int:Secondary Stats, while gems are 2:1 Int:Secondary Stats.
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XII. Rotation
For the most part, there is minimal amounts of change for Holy Priests in Mists of Pandaria.

There is no magic rotation for healing, and it really depends on how the damage is being received by your raid. Here are a series of basic rules and guidelines for a series of damage patterns (Low, Moderate, High, Overwhelming damage for both Single Target and Raid Healing). It should be underscored that these are just sample damage patterns and spell selection options and should not be taken as the only options to heal.

Regardless if you are Single Target or AOE healing, you will always want to keep your Lightwell/Lightspring on CD and within range of a majority of the Raid Group.

A) Single Target Healing
With some of the changes to Chakra: Serenity, Holy Priests can be powerful single target healers, which is something that we have historically struggled with. With Chakra: Serenity now providing a 15% buff to single target heals (Renew included) single target healing is something we can be viable at.

Low Single Target Damage

Chakra state isn't important provided throughput needs are low
Heal for triage
Renew for triage, and maintained via Chakra: Serenity on Main Tank Targets

Moderate Single Target Damage

Chakra: Serenity for added throughput and access to HW: Serenity
Heal for triage
HW: Serenity on targets who need a moderate instant heal, or will be a subsequent target of heals.
Renew for triage, and maintained via Chakra: Serenity on Main Tank Targets
POM on targets who will be taking continual damage and will proc the first charge of POM

High Single Target Damage

Chakra: Serenity for added throughput and access to HW: Serenity
Heal and HW: Serenity for triage
Prayer of Mending on CD on the desired target
Greater Heal provided minimal overhealing
Flash Heal for Emergency Single Target Heals

Overwhelming Single Target Damage

Chakra: Serenity for added throughput and access to HW: Serenity
Flash Heal on target, twice, followed by Serendipity hastened Greater Heal rotations
HW: Serenity to maintain Renew
Prayer of Mending as available

B) AOE or Raid Healing
Raid Healing has typically been the Holy Priest's wheelhouse, particularly Burst AOE healing... this is no exception in Mists of Pandaria. Paired with Chakra: Sanctuary, we have strong AOE healing combinations we can chain together to provide some of the strongest burst AOE healing in the game.

Low Raid Wide Damage

Chakra state isn't important provided throughput needs are low
Circle of Healing on cooldown, provided 3+ targets are in need of healing and are in range of the target.
Prayer of Mending on CD, provided it will be able to bounce to multiple targets
Renew on targets who may need additional healing, particularly if you are in Chakra: Serenity or have Inner Will active
Prayer of Healing on groups, if necessary, and if Prayer of Healing will heal 3+ targets with minimal overheal
Divine Star on CD, if specced

Moderate Raid Wide Damage

Chakra: Sanctuary for increased output and COH CD
Circle of Healing on CD
Prayer of Mending on CD
Renew targets who need additional healing (or if the damage is timed, pre-cast Renew on targets before damage starts)
Holy Word: Sanctuary in an area where a large group of the raid will be standing (ideally without the need to move out of the area)
Prayer of Healing on groups that need additional healing and Prayer of Healing will heal 3+ targets
Divine Star/Halo/Cascade on CD (Note on Halo/Cascade: Should be kept on CD provided predictable High or Overwhelming Raid Damage is not coming prior to the cooldown's completion and stability is not needed prior to its arrival)

High Raid Wide Damage

Chakra: Sanctuary for increased output and COH CD
Circle of Healing on CD
Prayer of Mending on CD
Spam Prayer of Healing on groups that need additional healing
If damage is timed, pre-cast Renew on a number of targets before damage starts. Do not stop POH spam to single target renew.
Holy Word: Sanctuary in an area where a large group of the raid will be standing (ideally without the need to move out of the area, and before damage starts)
Divine Star/Halo/Cascade on CD
Divine Hymn if necessary to stay ahead of damage or to stabilize raid health

Overwhelming Raid Wide Damage

Chakra: Sanctuary for increased output and COH CD
Circle of Healing on CD
Prayer of Mending on CD
If damage is timed, pre-cast Renew on a number of targets before damage starts.
Holy Word: Sanctuary in an area where a large group of the raid will be standing (ideally without the need to move out of the area, and before damage starts)
Divine Star/Halo/Cascade on CD
Divine Hymn

Holy (which is probably the better raid healer) for my OS on the Priest.

if your gear is all dps gear, then you'll need to acquire a second set of spirit gear anyway, so that point is moot in your case.