Raiding spec thoughts and review in world of warcraft

Overthepastweekend,IhadachancetotryoutDisciplineinfullwiththenewspellsandexpandedtreeonbothliveandbetaservers.Howdidcheapwowgoldgo?

BlackTempleisslowlybeingrotatedoutofschedule.We'vestartedtodevoteourmainraidingdaystoSunwell(andI'mhappytosaythatwetookdownKalecgos,Brutallus,andFelmystoverthepastweeksincethenerfhit).BlackTemplewouldnowbeheldonoffnightsallowingsocialplayersandaltstohaveacrackatit.ThismeantIcouldswitchouttoanexperimentalspec.Ioptedforthe56/5/0buildwhichIsuggestedafewdaysago.

聽I'lladmitit.I'vebeenHolymyentirelife.I'donlygoDisciplinejusttohavesomefuninPvPontheweekendsinordertograbmyselfsomeextraArenapointsforPvPgearandwhatnot.Inthepast,IdidtrytogoalloutDisciplinebecausewehadsomemanyPriests.Varietyisthespiceofliferight?Astimewenton,myGuildslowlystartedlosingtoPrieststoreallifeuntilIwastheonlyoneremaining.TheguildcouldnotaffordmetoexperimentanylongerandIswitchedbacktothecomfortofHoly.

KeyGlyphs

IhadtomakesureIpickedouttherightGlyphsthatwouldbenefitmethemostunderthisspec.ThevariousScribersinmyguildwerehardatworkpowerlevelingandseveralofthemwereatthepointofalmostmaxingout.

GlyphofPowerWord:Shield:Withoutadoubt,thisGlyphwasmyfirstpickoverall.TheamountofemphasisthatDisciplineplacedoncastingShields,itwouldn'thurtatalltosnapthisoneup.GlyphofFlashHeal:IfiguredthiswouldbethenextbestGlyphtousetohelpeaseuponmanaissues.ThemainissuehereislackofselectiononMajorGlyphs.Icould'vegonefortheGlyphofRenew,butIrealizedthatRenewwouldimmediatelygetoverwrittenbythecolossalamountofhealingdonebytheotherplayers.IwouldgainmorefromFlashHealthanRenew.Thiswillbeadifferentstoryatlevel80.I'lldefinitelypickuptheRenewglyphthen(whenthe3rdslotunlocks).

TheTheory

Fromthetalentsandthespellsnowatmydisposal,IquicklydeterminedthatI'mnothingmorethanasupersingletargethealer.OneluckymagegetsaPowerInfusion(whichisupevery1.6minutes)asoftenaspossible.ThemainkeyspellsIwouldusemostoftenisFlashHeal,PowerWord:Shield,andPenance.IdeliberatelylaidofftheRenew(samereasonsasIalludedtoearlier)unlessIfeltitwasabsolutelynecessary.

TheTrialRun

Sotomakeitinteresting(andfast),weranBlackTempleonSaturdaywith5healers.Technically,weranitwith4healerssinceoneofthemwasthemasterlooter.I'mnottryingtoshowofforanything.IjustwantedtoemphasizethatI'mtryingtostressmyselfandtheotherhealersasmuchaspossible.Thesideeffectofhavingthismanyhealersisthatmobssimplydiedtoofast.IntheracebetweenDPSandhealermana,DPSwonbyawidemargin.

IfoundthatIendedupusingPenanceeverypossiblechanceIcould(partiallybecauseitlookscool).GreaterHealwashardlyeverusedbecausePenancefeltquicker.InoticedIdidhavetoworkwiththecooldownofPenanceandit'ssomethingI'mnotusedto.OtherwiseIresortedtoFlashHeal(becauseit'sthecheapesthealIhave).Manadidn'tfeellikeanissueatallbutthat'smostlikelyduetothefactthatweblitzedthesemobsdown.

Here'sthelastquestion.Icanjustabouthearitfromeveryonewhowantstoknow.

Whichisthebetterraidhealingspec?

Withthewaybuffsarenow(raidwide)andamongsomeoftheothervariouschangessincethepatch,Blizzardappearstobetryingtoprovidetheplayerwiththechoiceofwhattheywanttobringtotheencounterinsteadofwhattheencounterrequirestheplayertobring.

Ihopethatmadesense.

IfaPriestwantstogodeepDiscipline,theycanprovidedtheguildthey'reinallowsthemtodoit.IfaPriestwantstogodeepHoly,there'snothingwrongwiththateither.ThechoiceislargelygoingtodependonwhattheirguildwouldlikethemtodoandwhatthePriestswanttodo.NomatterwhatPriestswishtospec,it'sgoingtobeuptotheplayertomaximizethatspec.ThedaysofeveryPriestgoingCircleofHealingandcastingitrepeatedlyareover.Iforeseetheplayerdecidinghowwelltheirclasswillplay.Itwon'tbethespecthatdecidesthatnow.

Honestly,thejury'sstilloutonthisone.I'minconclusiveatthispoint.IcanseehowwellDisciplinecanwork.Thepotentialisthere.There'safewthingsholdingmebackfromprovidingasolidopinion.

    Level70raidingisnotanaccuratemeasure.It'snot.Withalltheinstancenerfs,Ican'ttellfalsepositivesfrompositives(wait,doesthatevenmakesense?).Atlevel80,theraidsdidn'tlastlongenoughformetogetafeelforit.MostoftheraidsIparticipatedinhadleaderswhorequestedmetorespectoHoly.WhenIwentDiscipline,raidsstartedtorandomlyfallapart.Sigh.Gearisnotoptimalyet.Abigdifferencebetweenthegearwehavenowatlevel70comparedtothegearatlevel80isthelackofcrit.Yes,Iknow,level80geariswaydifferent.Onbeta,myPriesthasawhopping~24%crit(whichisprettyhighforaPriest).RightnowI'mbarelypushing12%.Inotherwords,I'mtestinglevel80specsinlevel70raidingsituationswithoutlevel80gear.Ineedtobeat80,actuallyinNaxxwiththeappropriateamountofgear.You'dbesurprised.Alotoftheclothgearatthatlevelhascritstufflitteredallovertheplace.

Tags:Worldofwarcraft