Disc priests got backstabbed

[Deleted]

This hotfix was a cheap backstab for disc priests. Completely unjustified.
Dirty trick, low blow.

Hope the people who came up with it get fired.

[Lackluster]

How was it unjustified?
Disc priests were doing more HPS than anyone else by spamming a single spell. You're the healer version of level 70 destruction locks (shadowbolt harder).

[Apellosine]

It was a rushed fix sure but something had to be done to stop the ridiculousness of shield spamming. A fix like limiting it to 3 targets would be a better solution imo. It stops the power of shield blanketing in raids, still allows a few to be maintained on a few targets while at the same time not screwing over fresh 85 disc priests and pvp disc priests.

[Konoka]

Completely unjustified.

As a raiding priest, it was totally overpowered and had to be nerfed to the ground.

[ShuttleXpC]

How was it unjustified?
Disc priests were doing more HPS than anyone else by spamming a single spell. You're the healer version of level 70 destruction locks (shadowbolt harder).

I still don't believe Recount shows actual HPS done with the shields it spikes to ridiculous levels. I shield the tank for 26k (my shield level in heroic gears), he takes that damage...which is 1-2 cast of smite and it would be 26k as well possibly more because it crits a lot. So I sit there, I have PoM, Shield on tank and the shield wears off and PoM goes off. It says I just healed for 13-15kHPS...the tank only took about 26k (Shield) + 8k (PoM). Now, if I sit there and let the tank run in no shields and I simply smite healing the tank to full easily in 2-3 casts, my HPS is 4k...if that. The smite casts take the exact same duration shield and PoM stay up, which isn't very long. 6-10sec max when tank pulls without CC.

Recount and every other thing that checks for HPS off shields is wonky, it gives totally ridiculous numbers on things that clearly didn't happen its exactly why you should never trust DPS on Recount, Mages spike way up to 15-20k in raids but as they even out they are back down to 13-14k like everyone else (PuG example of mine recently). Look at total damage done or healing done it also counts the shields and you will see we are right near each other. We will likely have WAY less overheal compared to whatever other healer you're looking at too.

[Deleted]

Unjustified for other priests other then 25 man raiders who spammed it with external mana regen.

[Deleted]

I agree PW Shield was a bit OP when in a spam situation - but this hotfix has made PW:S useless - and made PoH look a more attractive option.

A more constructive fix for PW:S would be revert the mana cost and to not allow Weakened Soul to be active on any more than 5 targets at a time. This would stop the shield spam, keeping the spec viable for 5/10/25man and not nerfing the heck out of rapture. Also Strength of Soul talent becomes most useful - would make u use ur heals to reduce a WS on a target allowing u to put out another shield.

[Mandible]

I didn´t shield spam and usually I did more hps than others in my 10 man - so honestly I don´t see why blizzard made this change. I understand the reasoning for it, but I don´t get it tbh. They ought to understand by now that people will allways find some way around something and certain people will also use something to the furthest of their advantage. Also its abit old to just give something a higher mana cost since it seems to ruin more than it helps at a given time - as mentioned something like a limiter to weakened soul would be more efficient since it actually limits () the amount you can cast at a given time.

[Deleted]

this is so crapy solution. so is blizz gonna increase mana cost o PW:S every new raiding tier when our mana pool and regen will go up?
fresh 85 will be screwed then. beter as someone said here alow to have 3-4 shields at a same time active or as i seen somewhere else make next sield more expensive. this will adress only times when people spam PW:S whith is the problem and not hit everyother situation.

[Tantric]

I agree PW Shield was a bit OP when in a spam situation - but this hotfix has made PW:S useless - and made PoH look a more attractive option.

A more constructive fix for PW:S would be revert the mana cost and to not allow Weakened Soul to be active on any more than 5 targets at a time. This would stop the shield spam, keeping the spec viable for 5/10/25man and not nerfing the heck out of rapture. Also Strength of Soul talent becomes most useful - would make u use ur heals to reduce a WS on a target allowing u to put out another shield.

I like this idea more. Increasing the mana cost just feels like a quick and dirty solution. And unfortunately it impacts many aspects of play, such as pvp. The idea you suggested would have fixed the problem while still making mastery worth it.

So lets add mastery so you can make something your class does better. Then when people actually use it and it becomes really good, nerf it all to hell. Why even have mastery in the first place?

I have recently switched to a disc priest from my bear tank you see in my sig. I switched mains because I was sick of the ridiculous nerfs and changes happening every other week to bears. Blizz took a spec that I loved playing and shat on it until it was not even fun anymore. It kinda feels like they are following me around. Maybe I will switch mains again so they can nerf the hell out of that one too...

[The High Druid]

I still don't believe Recount shows actual HPS done with the shields it spikes to ridiculous levels.

Even if recount does not show the numbers accurately Blizzard do not get their combat data from recount.

[Rozali]

I agree PW Shield was a bit OP when in a spam situation - but this hotfix has made PW:S useless - and made PoH look a more attractive option.

A more constructive fix for PW:S would be revert the mana cost and to not allow Weakened Soul to be active on any more than 5 targets at a time. This would stop the shield spam, keeping the spec viable for 5/10/25man and not nerfing the heck out of rapture. Also Strength of Soul talent becomes most useful - would make u use ur heals to reduce a WS on a target allowing u to put out another shield.

I really like your idea! Too bad this wasn't implemented instead.

[KnickKnack]

I agree PW Shield was a bit OP when in a spam situation - but this hotfix has made PW:S useless - and made PoH look a more attractive option.

A more constructive fix for PW:S would be revert the mana cost and to not allow Weakened Soul to be active on any more than 5 targets at a time. This would stop the shield spam, keeping the spec viable for 5/10/25man and not nerfing the heck out of rapture. Also Strength of Soul talent becomes most useful - would make u use ur heals to reduce a WS on a target allowing u to put out another shield.

That is actually an awesome idea. It encourages healers to actually think about who to shield instead of mindlessly blanket the raid and will encourage to cast heal/gheal or whatever to remove WS.

I still would rather have another shielding type spell. Divine Aegis is good but since it only works on crits and scaling SUCKS this time around, it won't work the way you want it to be.

The problem with disc is that our heals are too small to cast and that is why people are encouraged to shield spam, because that is our MAIN ABILITY, our STRENGTH.

[Deleted]

Or just remove Soul Warding, problem solved.

[balrok69]

Think on the time line of disc priest when cata came:
Shields 11-14k, POH with absorb -> People use POH cause has better overall between cost/effective
Nerf on POH 15%, Shields 24-26k -> People use Shields cause has better overall between cost/effective
Shields 24-26k but expensive -> People use less shields, POH has not to much effective so try to heal with:
Penance? = 10secs CD
Smite? = 10k, 1,7-1,8secs?
Heal? = 10k? 2,1-2,2 secs?¿
Flash Heal? = expensive only when needed
Superior Heal = expensive but useful to one target

This fix it's ridiculous, because as much you take better items... it's not a scalable change.
Disc by now, are one target heals. healing raid it's not effective as other class.
Maybe if POH was not nerfed could be just.

Anyway it's supouse that as discipline my work it's avoid damage, so if i cannot mitigate damage...
If i cannot use shields 25k cost 6k mana, why dont have another shields with 12k absorb and 3k mana cost? could be a solution...

Hope this change will revert and apply another good idea, cause this it's just ridiculous.

[TeeZed]

Unjustified for other priests other then 25 man raiders who spammed it with external mana regen.

Pretty much this.

Nerfing something because of external factors is just stupid. It is however an instant cast 20-30k heal buffer. It SHOULD be expensive but the price now... What the hell were they thinking, the sole reason it was overpowered in 25mans was simply due to the fact of... INNERVATE, INNERVATE, INNERVATE, MANA TIDE, MANA TIDE, SHADOW FIEND. It's basicly infinite mana, same as pre WOTLK where disc priests raped the meters on some fights. Twin valks for example. If you're gonna give a class a mastery that direcetly benefits on specific spell greatly... don't make it so the spell is SO expensive you're gonna think twice before using it. Stupid... it really is.

The whole idea of having it only on 2-3 people max at a time is almost perfect. Stops blanket healing, makes it effective for putting it on 2-3 people in pvp, and can heal / buffer 2 tanks at once.

[HDPriest]

A poster in another thread suggested an Arcane Blast style debuff that would increase the mana cost by stacks if u spammed it, and I liked the idea alot. But seriously, a CD on it, making Soul Warding itself a CD (also someone else's idea, just parroting what I thought sounded nice), limiting # of people who can have Weakened Soul at a time, ANYTHING would be better than this band-aid nonfix. I have to believe this was temporary until a real patch can do something better but it just seems so lazy and awful. I'm not fed Innervates. My 10man team doesn't even have MTT, and I have to beg my Mage to go Frost or Pally to go Ret so I can heal with Replin ("You enjoy Shadow too, so why don't you just do it?" Because I'm our top healer ffs!)

If they really mean for this to be what they want...which can't be true as it wouldn't hold up in a tier without continuing to increase it and make it take a whole base manabar eventually to cast just one...then give us Holy's 15% PoH buff or CoH since u gave them our bubbles. Taking our shields right after giving them to us AND nerfing PoH makes us worse raid healers than Pallys, who still get the tankhealing job if they show up. Or a new group Penance, or Something, because this just isn't working. When I can afford to smartshield I don't mind weaker PoH somuch because u can get it out fast by shielding the lowest one in the group and using BT for the group heal. Now that I can't do that for as long, I'm not sure how to counteract group damage anymore. Single target heals are good...but only optimal on shielded targets....I feel like I'm going down the rabbit hole...

I'm all for discouraging spamming. It's not a fun way to play at all. But we shouldn't be penalized for using our talents and spell smartly without some kind of a balancing payback.

[Deleted]

/rage
They wont revert it, they are assholes.
They actually think they did a good thing, but they hardly touched 25 man raiders and made it so much worse for freshly dinged 85,s.
/rage

Its just a pathetic attempt.

[adilina]

Yes Blizzard should make PW:S renewable by mind sear.

[Deleted]

Yes Blizzard should make PW:S renewable by mind sear.

I actually lolled for a sec there in reallife