Restoration Guide to MoP

[Deleted]

What do you mean? All heirlooms are item level 1.

Heirlooms are generally better than your average everyday leveling green/blue, because they are always going to be 'good' for your level. You very likely wont replace the slots you have heirlooms in until you hit the level they stop working at (so in this case, your weapon slot). As such, you want to pick Heirlooms that will provide the best bonus because whilst you could get lucky and get a bunch of spirit gear whilst you level and have 0 mana problems, you are more than likely not going too, so its better to compensate for that lack of spirit and go for the shield+mace combo.

I am going to level solo, as in I have no dedicated group I am going to spend my time with all the way to level cap (at least not at the moment), but I will spend a lot of time in dungeons. When I'm not in dungeons, or just when I feel like it, I was thinking I could go as Enhancement. From what I've read, my impression is Enhancement is more fun to play and is a little bit harder, but all my impressions are from end-game, as there aren't a whole lot of leveling threads up and running. Usually, though, there isn't much of a difference between specs for leveling, but if you propose that Elemental is going to be substantially better than Enhancement while leveling, then please do let me know.

I don't think Elemental is better than Enhance for leveling. I actually think the opposite, melee generally have a better time when it comes to leveling because of their better movement and the fact they are (generally) able to handle more mobs. Plus standing still and casting really slows you down when you can be fighting mobs and moving to those collect the shiney spots at the same time. However, if you are going to focus your gear on Resto for 5 mans, then it makes sense to level outside of 5 mans as Elemental because you can switch to the staff and use that. If you also have the heirlooms needed for Enhancement and you prefer to play Enhance, then thanks to the new gear system you can level as that instead.

When I leveled my caster druid, I mainly did dungeons as Resto, and I never ran out of mana no matter what I did. This was in Cataclysm, though, but I never had any problem with mana when I leveled my Mistweaver monk early this expansion, either. I never reached level 60 on it before my break, though, so I don't know anything about healing in Outland through Cataclysm zones. It seems that mana is going to be more of an issue in Warlords, but doesn't that only apply to endgame?

That is the beauty of Heirlooms, and already having both sets. If you do find yourself not needing the mana, you can just change. I've not actually leveled on the beta personally, but I've just been told that mana is sometimes an issue if you are in premade groups who rush through the 5 mans really fast. If you are just going to LFG it, then you likely wont be going fast enough to matter (chaining dungeons often means that you end up doing dungeons the moment you have access to them which in turn means you are likely going to be undergeared for them, so take more damage and thus need more healing, which is where the mana issue comes in).

tl;dr - If you have the Heirlooms for Enhance too, then level outside of Dungeons however you see fit. Whilst in Resto, I would recommend using both heirloom setups, and swap to Staff whenever you feel your mana isn't an issue (level 90-95ish whilst your epics are still useful), and maybe swap into the Mace+Shield as you approach 100, depending on your luck with drops and quest rewards.

[Arctagon]

If you also have the heirlooms needed for Enhancement and you prefer to play Enhance, then thanks to the new gear system you can level as that instead.

The new gear system changes stats based on spec, but I don't think this applies to heirlooms (perhaps they will when they reintroduce them later on). I don't know, in the first half of the sentence you seem to suggest one thing, while in the other half you seem to suggest the opposite.

I've not actually leveled on the beta personally, but I've just been told that mana is sometimes an issue if you are in premade groups who rush through the 5 mans really fast.

Interesting. If this is a result of content being harder, then that is a welcome change. Low level content has had a tendency to be boringly easy the past couple of years.

I will be going with mace + shield, then, and switch to staff whenever I don't need the extra mana regen. For questing mostly, I will be going with Enhancement, since you raise a very fair point when it comes to mobility and the ability to take on several mobs. Getting gear for Enhancement won't be hard—4.3k~ JP for chest and shoulders, rest for gold. I already have two maces from leveling a rogue in Wrath. Also, I won't be leveling this shaman until after the release of Warlords, so I won't have any epics at 90. But it doesn't matter, as heirloom gear currently doesn't go that far anyway.

[Deleted]

The new gear system changes stats based on spec, but I don't think this applies to heirlooms (perhaps they will when they reintroduce them later on). I don't know, in the first half of the sentence you seem to suggest one thing, while in the other half you seem to suggest the opposite.

Sorry if you found this unclear. What I meant was, if you have the heirlooms from Garrosh for enhancement (because you're right, they don't change with spec), then you'll be alright because all your other items will change with spec, its only the heirlooms that you need to have spec specific (and trinkets/non-armor items, but those are far less important for leveling, you can certainly get away without trinkets when questing).

[poledancer]

Is there a way to macro unleash life and chain heal together such that if unleash life is on cooldown it's skipped or ignored?

[Deleted]

Is there a way to macro unleash life and chain heal together such that if unleash life is on cooldown it's skipped or ignored?

Because it uses a GCD, if you just put them both in too the same macro, with Unleash Life first, pressing it will cast Unleash Life then cease. If UL is on CD it will cast CL instead.

[MaugrimEU]

Because it uses a GCD, if you just put them both in too the same macro, with Unleash Life first, pressing it will cast Unleash Life then cease. If UL is on CD it will cast CL instead.

I thought unleashed life was off the GCD now? I'm probably wrong, but I'm sure I read the removed the GCD :>

Anyway my question is has anyone tried gemming for crit? I've gone from 15% unbuffed to 28% while still rocking high haste for fast healing surges, but now hopefully they crit more?