Best race choice as an Alliance Priest

[Shadowkissed]

I am faction changing from Horde to Alliance, where I am currently a BE Priest. I have been searching forums for information on the best race on the Alliance side and have come up with really old forum posts. I am a healy priest, both Disc and Holy with shadow as my off spec. I also PVP. Every thing I have read hasnt mentioned Gnomes at all but it was a race I was considering for the larger mana pool, Arcane resist and well they are cute
I want to make an educated choice before making the switch so any feed back would be great.

[Mystile]

Gnome is cool. 5% more maximum mana, escape artist, and arcane resist. Then there is Human. 10% more rep, always nice for new reps (Avengers of Hyjal, anyone?), free pvp trinket, and that 3% extra spirit (more regen, and something to take into account for shadow's hit.) There is also Draenei. 1% hit for yourself, and gift of the naaru to heal the target for 20% of their health over 15 seconds, along with shadow resistance. Dwarf, my personal favorite, is great due to stoneform 10% damage reduction and bleed, poison, disease removal. They also have some frost resistance.

Human is probably your best all around option, as gnome is limited more towards healing, maximum mana does nothing for shadow.

[Sundreamer]

Gnome is cool. 5% more maximum mana, escape artist, and arcane resist. Then there is Human. 10% more rep, always nice for new reps (Avengers of Hyjal, anyone?), free pvp trinket, and that 3% extra spirit (more regen, and something to take into account for shadow's hit.) There is also Draenei. 1% hit for yourself, and gift of the naaru to heal the target for 20% of their health over 15 seconds, along with shadow resistance. Dwarf, my personal favorite, is great due to stoneform 10% damage reduction and bleed, poison, disease removal. They also have some frost resistance.

Human is probably your best all around option, as gnome is limited more towards healing, maximum mana does nothing for shadow.

5% more base mana that is...i'd say humans - they get +2% spirit and have a free trinket racial for pvp

[Tsuna]

Humans have the racial trinket, and i think they have a tiny bonus to spirit.
Night Elves can shadowmeld to escape unpleasant situations, they can also shoot small stars at people.
Dwarves can stoneform various debuffs for survivability.
Draenai have their extra racial heal to supplement your other spells or if you're completely oom.
Gnomes have a slightly bigger mana pool and an escape from snares.

Really a lot of it is situational. Stat wise I'd stick with the humans, the trinket is powerful in pvp and pve when used right. But if you're opposed to looking ordinary I'd have to go with gnomes, they just win, and stuff.

[Aseren]

Humans have the racial trinket, and i think they have a tiny bonus to spirit.
Night Elves can shadowmeld to escape unpleasant situations, they can also shoot small stars at people.
Dwarves can stoneform various debuffs for survivability.
Draenai have their extra racial heal to supplement your other spells or if you're completely oom.
Gnomes have a slightly bigger mana pool and an escape from snares.

Really a lot of it is situational. Stat wise I'd stick with the humans, the trinket is powerful in pvp and pve when used right. But if you're opposed to looking ordinary I'd have to go with gnomes, they just win, and stuff.

Didn't they remove the very old Starshard or whatever it was from the night elf racial long ago? I honestly haven't played the priest for so long to remember...

[Sundreamer]

Didn't they remove the very old Starshard or whatever it was from the night elf racial long ago? I honestly haven't played the priest for so long to remember...

unfortunately they did

[Penric]

Go gnome.. just because they are awesome.

[Deleted]

Well,

DWARVES all the way on the Alliance side

But, then again since it's a caster Gnomes are awesome too

But, to be a smart ass go Human >.<

[Lecktor]

5% more base mana that is...i'd say humans - they get +2% spirit and have a free trinket racial for pvp

no, it's 5% max mana. no other race comes close at this point for alliance healing priests, especially as disc. the human spirit racial might be better for holy (i have no idea, that spec is for girls), but for disc min/max gnome wins out hands down.

[Arrashi]

If u care for lore go draenei (female ofc) or go dwarf (either gender) for pure badass.

[Sundreamer]

no, it's 5% max mana. no other race comes close at this point for alliance healing priests, especially as disc. the human spirit racial might be better for holy (i have no idea, that spec is for girls), but for disc min/max gnome wins out hands down.

woah when did they change that?

[Deleted]

If you do arena a lot don't go gnome or dwarf. You will have annoying los issues on certain maps. Best allround race is human.

[Lecktor]

woah when did they change that?

it's always been that way. pre-4.0 it was 5% intellect. now it's just 5% max mana.

[Sundreamer]

it's always been that way. pre-4.0 it was 5% intellect. now it's just 5% max mana.

could have swore it was 5% base mana at the start of cata : /

[llubtoille]

personally I fav human (has to be female tho) for pure pve.
diplomacy's pretty average
trinket's nice for getting out of stuns & fears
and I'm pretty sure it's 3% spirit, which is sweet for holy

Dwarf's pretty crap, stoneform is extremely situational,
Gnome's probably pretty good for pvp with escape artist; I thought their 5% mana was from base (like the tauren) but I've not rolled one to check.
draenei's possibly best for pve shadow I'd guess, just from the 1% hit,
for quality of life, Nelf's pretty sweet with shadowmeld, as in a wipe you can often fade till everyone's dead, then shadowmeld + mass rez for quick recoveries (and to not die >.>)

[Mystile]

Please stop posting misinformation. Human is 3% spirit. Gnome is 5% more maximum mana, not base.

[Larwood]

Ignore racials. Pick the one who's ass you want to stare at the most.

[Vook]

could have swore it was 5% base mana at the start of cata : /

Nope, it was never base mana. That'd only give you 1k extra mana anyways, and it would be totally useless because it would also increase the cost of your spells (which are also based on base mana)

But yeah, either Gnome or Human, +5% max mana is lovely for Disc, +3% spirit is nice for Shadow and Holy.

[Yunru]

If you played a elf before--go a elf i say. (and get a orb of sindoreli)

[Frelstie]

I'd pick either human or gnome when it comes to racials.
But when it comes to looks I'd probably pick human, eventhough gnomes are tiny and cute, I don't think armor looks good on them.
Obviously this just applies to female chars, I'd never play human male.