Rest Druid in arena's are a bit rediculous

[Ozone]

First let me start out by saying that I do not agree with complete character balancing and believe that some classes should have an advantage over other (but not one class better than all). I play a Holy Paladin and have since TBC after I switch from my Rogue. I use to raid heal but I don't do any PvE and haven’t even done a 5 man since Wotlk. I do my share of BG grinding and currently doing arenas (primarily 2's). We are competitive and having fun with a 3-1 win lose ration at about 1600 rating. I hate complaining about other classes and I don't want to come off like I am but I can't get over the clear advantages of Druid healers over all other healers. Being a Paladin, I hard cast just about everything which means CC is highly effective. Druids use mostly HoT and instant cast heals which makes CC far less effective. Great if that was it, but it’s not. The ability to shape shift with really no consequences to mana is over the top. The chain cyclones on their own DR, the cat stuns, shift to caster and chain cyclone for and extra-long CC chain to me seems ridiculous. Most healing classes either have great survivability but are highly burdened by CC (Hpally) or they have more instants and Hots but are quicker to burn down. Druids seem to have both alone with a massive amount of CC utilities that don't penalize the player for using at all in any form. Don't get me wrong holly paladins defiantly have their strengths and I love playing it, but come on why would that much great healing, CC, and survivability be allowed?

[Snuggli]

Paladins have a CC chain that is just as potent as Druids, and i'd argue that Holy Paladins actually cast less than Resto Druids overall (I have played both at 2.2k+ mmr this season).

Overall, Paladin and Druids are about as good as each other. Paladins have better burst healing and burst CC (HoJ>Rep>Blinding Light is 6-8-6 but it all has a CD), Druids have better consistent CC and healing. Paladins can react better to 1shots than Druids can, Druids react better to 'pressure' better than Paladins.

[Ozone]

Thankd for the reply. What you say makes a lot of sense and I guess some of it in definatly my inexperience in hardcore arena matches. I'm not saying Palys are underpowered at all, that would be a rediculous statement. I just mean I have to be damn near in melee range to do any cc and as a healer thats not the best spot to be, not to mention the long cd's.

I guess the only real complaint I have in the shapeshifting without a significant disadvantage for doing so other than risking getting caught and killed with your guard down. Its a huge advantage. I'm not saying they shouldnt shift (thats what druids are all about) but how about a huge mana penalty for doing it so often? Not right they can switch to cat, stun, stealth, go to bear for defense, then pop back into cater with full mana.

[asb]

All classes have their strengths and weaknesses, and quite often the grass can appear greener so to speak. Druids have outstanding mobility, can get by indefinitely with instants in low-damage scenarios (often the case in 2v2), and don't particularly rely on cooldowns the way many other classes do. That said, their biggest weakness is an almost crippling lack of burst healing in a very bursty game. The 5.2 mushrooms are better than nothing, but it doesn't really compare to the simplicity and availability of i.e. eternal flame. I don't think anything about resto druids is really overpowered honestly, but their periodic healing allows them disproportionate free time in 2v2, much in the same way a disc priest's shields simply absorb far too much damage. In both cases, playing larger brackets requires a lot of supplementation with actual casting. It's that kind of artifact that makes people not take 2v2 seriously.