Which Healing class for BGs/Arena

[admielke]

Vote for which class is best for random battlegrounds and rated battlegrounds.
Please exclude arena.


Thank you!

[Sevyvia]

Seeming like it's Resto Shaman right now and in 5.2.

[admielke]

Seeming like it's Resto Shaman right now and in 5.2.

I'm curious why quite a few people say RShaman. Seems like 40% say RShaman, 30% say RDruid, 20% say MW Monk, and 10% say HPaladin. RShaman has Hex which has a 45 second cooldown (35 sec with Glyph), Purge costing 16.4% base mana (Glyph doubles the number but in 5.2 will have a 6 sec cooldown, plus Priests have Dispel Magic which costs 2.6% base mana), their Mastery looks strong for PvP, and Unleash Weapon looks good too.

[Sevyvia]

Resto Shaman mastery is excellent for PvP, and they have a very large toolkit. They are not getting any nerfs in 5.2. They have good cooldowns to manage burst DPS as well. If you can set it up, earth shield + unleash elements + mastery bonus + riptide effect all stacked up for a healing surge is practically a lay on hands. Resto Shamans are good against casters, and as I've understood it, slightly worse than Paladin against melee.

Resto Druid is far more fragile and lacks much of the anti-burst of the other healers. Requires more babysitting by partners. Cyclone is a powerful CC, of course. Paladin is getting a few slight nerfs as I understand it, but it's still a very sturdy healer against melee and has some seriously powerful instant heals. Don't know much about Monk/Priest.

If you're playing random BGs without support, it's probably best to stay away from Resto Druids. It's not that they're bad, I enjoy playing mine immensely, but it's just a world of difference in arena where you have support compared to your average BG where you have nothing. You can play any of the 5 healers next patch and have viable comps in arena it seems. For RBGs, I think the standard is Shaman/Druid/Paladin for healer team. Personally I've leveled a Paladin as my random BGs where I expect no support healer.

[pkm]

Shaman is insanely fun, when you have support. So unless your guild runs premades the best choice would be paladin or mw monk.

[Deleted]

Paladin: Stun on 1 min cd (30 sec if talented. dispellable), Incapatate on 15 sec cd (dispellable), Blind on 2 min cd, Interrupt 15 sec cd, Slow for 50%
Moderate heals. Strong support.

Shaman: Polymorph on 45 sec cd (30 sec Glyphed. Dispellable), Interrupt 15 sec cd, Stun on 45 sec cd (Charge time, can be glyphed for shorter arming.Can be talented for placement. Dispellable), Snare for 50% (Can be talented to root/snare).
Strong heals, Moderate support.

Choose your winner

[admielke]

I will be making a RShaman and start trying it out. Time to start buying some heirlooms and figure out which race. Most seem to go Orc, but heard good things about Goblin.

---------- Post added 2013-02-23 at 05:42 PM ----------

Paladin: Stun on 1 min cd (30 sec if talented. dispellable), Incapatate on 15 sec cd (dispellable), Blind on 2 min cd, Interrupt 15 sec cd, Slow for 50%
Moderate heals. Strong support.

Shaman: Polymorph on 45 sec cd (30 sec Glyphed. Dispellable), Interrupt 15 sec cd, Stun on 45 sec cd (Charge time, can be glyphed for shorter arming.Can be talented for placement. Dispellable), Snare for 50% (Can be talented to root/snare).
Strong heals, Moderate support.

Choose your winner

What slows for 50% other than the Judgement talent?

[Deleted]

Paladin: Stun on 1 min cd (30 sec if talented. dispellable), Incapatate on 15 sec cd (dispellable), Blind on 2 min cd, Interrupt 15 sec cd, Slow for 50%
Moderate heals. Strong support.

Shaman: Polymorph on 45 sec cd (30 sec Glyphed. Dispellable), Interrupt 15 sec cd, Stun on 45 sec cd (Charge time, can be glyphed for shorter arming.Can be talented for placement. Dispellable), Snare for 50% (Can be talented to root/snare).
Strong heals, Moderate support.

Choose your winner

Let's completly ignore Paladins hand of freedom, melee bubble, his own bubble and a lot of other stuff. Btw capacitor totem is useless against anyone using any kind of addons warning about it or halfway decent and being able to move it around will cost you totemic restoration. Btw the frog is 35 seconds with glyph not 30 with glyph.

[admielke]

Let's completly ignore Paladins hand of freedom, melee bubble, his own bubble and a lot of other stuff. Btw capacitor totem is useless against anyone using any kind of addons warning about it or halfway decent and being able to move it around will cost you totemic restoration. Btw the frog is 35 seconds with glyph not 30 with glyph.

This is what I see...

(TIE) Hex has a 1.5 sec cast with a 45 sec timer; Repentence has a ~1.8 sec cast (patch 5.2) with a 15 sec timer. I made this a tie because I like the "Fist of Justice" talent more.
(Shaman +1) Wind Shear lock out is 3 sec with a 12 sec timer at a range of 25 yd; Rebuke lock out is 4 sec with a 15 sec timer at melee range.
(Shaman +1) Purge removes a beneficial effect from the enemy costing 16.9% base mana (huge cost as it seems) and with the 5.2 changes the double Purge glyph will give Purge a 6 sec timer; Paladins have nothing.
(Paladin +1) Ghost Wolf gives the Shaman a 30% movement with reduction in impairing effects (glyph); Paladins get a constant 10% plus 5% per Holy Power up to 25% ("Pursuit of Justice" talent, which I use). I gave this to the Paladin because you can still heal while running.
(Paladin +1) Shamans have Windwalk Totem with a 1 min timer lasting 6 sec; Paladins can place two Hand of Freedoms with a queue-down (my nickname for a queued cooldown) of 25 sec ("Clemency" talent, which I use).
(Shaman +1) Frost Shock reduces movement by 50% for 8 sec with a 6 sec timer plus Earthbind Totem; Paladins can reduce movement by 50% for 12 sec every 6 sec ("Burden of Guilt" talent).
(Shaman +1) Shaman's Deep Healing mastery heals an extra 24% (base) depending on the level of HP the ally has; Paladin's Illuminated Healing mastery gives the ally a shield equal to 12% of the healing done.
(Paladin +1) Riptide heals for ~4k + ~11k over 18 sec; Holy Shock heals for ~10k plus has a 25% bonus to crit and has a much higher spell power bonus curve. Both with same cost and cooldown.
(TIE) Tidal Waves causes Chain Heal and Riptide to reduce the cast time of your next 2 Healing Waves (low cost heal) or Greater Healing Waves (large expensive heal) by 30%, or increases critical chance of your next Healing Surges (quick expensive heal) by 30%; Infusion of Light causes your Holy Shock crits to reduce the cast time of your next Holy Light (low cost heal), Divine Light (large expensive heal), and Holy Radiance (large area heal + HoT) by 1.5 sec. Holy Shock has a 25% bonus to crit. Although the Infusion of Light has a higher potential heal it is exactly that - potential; where Tidal Waves has a more constant and reliable heal.
(Shaman +2) Water Shield + Resurgence + Mana Tide Totem gives huge mana regeneration to Shamans; Paladins get Divine Plea. I gave Shamans +2 because of the lack of Paladin mana regeneration.
(Paladin +1) Spirit Link Totem is the only real jail-free card, but I will also consider Earthen Shield + Riptide + Unleash Elements ("Unleashed Fury" talent) + Healing Surge x2; Paladins get Divine Shield, Devotion Aura, Hand of Protection (x2 from "Clemency" talent), Divine Protection, and Lay on Hands, but these have Forbearance.
(Shaman +1) Far Sight is actually a nice perk to see what the enemy is doing; Paladins have 20% mount speed.
(Shaman +1) Tremor Totem is almost like a free PvP Trinket; Paladins have bubble.
(Paladin +1) Capacitor Totem seems that it could be decent if you get the "Totemic Projection" talent, but it is good to drop down when being focused then escaping; Paladins get Hammer of Justice.
(Shaman +1) Shamans get Burning Wrath (10% spell), Grace of Air (3000 mastery); Paladins get Blessing of Kings and Blessing of Might.
(Paladin +1) Shamans get Heroism/Bloodlust and Ascendance; Paladins get Avenging Wrath and Divine Favor. Gave this to Paladin because Heroism/Bloodlust can be dispelled.
(Shaman +1) Chain Heal and Healing Rain; Holy Radiance and Dawn of Light. I gave this to Shaman because Dawn of Light is a frontal.

Looks like Shaman is a good bet for me, I think. I need to figure out which race (Horde). Any bidders?

[Deleted]

admielke, you're completly ignoring quite a lot of utility the Paladin has while giving Shaman a + for things that really don't deserve it. For example when it comes to mana regeneration you're ignoring holy power and WoG, WoG being instant.

Paladin is an incredibly easy to play healer with a solid defense and great support. The only weakness he has is that he's fairly easy to CC. Aside from that he outshines most other healers.

[Deleted]

Orc for less stun time and SP boost racial

[admielke]

admielke, you're completly ignoring quite a lot of utility the Paladin has while giving Shaman a + for things that really don't deserve it. For example when it comes to mana regeneration you're ignoring holy power and WoG, WoG being instant.

Paladin is an incredibly easy to play healer with a solid defense and great support. The only weakness he has is that he's fairly easy to CC. Aside from that he outshines most other healers.

I am not really looking for an easy healer. I would like to play the more difficult healer. Although, I don't know if I want to play a Mistweaver. As for the mana regeneration, Paladin heals heal for about 0-10% more and cost about 5-20% more than the Shaman making that Word of Glory fill in. Also, even if that regeneration was stronger for Paladins then the tally would be more like 9-7 instead of 10-6.

[pkm]

Well then go shaman I guess. With their team they are very good. Paladin are good but there are too many running around you will have lots of competition for arenas and rbgs. Not many good shamans I think.

[Sevyvia]

You're ignoring the mana saving of Holy Power when it comes to mana conservation. Also, +1 for Far Sight? Are you kidding? :P And again, not that anyone uses Healing Rain, Chain Heal, Light of Dawn (Not a frontal cone) and Holy Radiance, but it's a weird thing to give a plus for

[rzy]

Disc priest, so many more cds than any other healer, + decent CC and adding damage to help burst people down...plus RMP owns everything

[Psionicist]

(Shaman +1) Chain Heal and Healing Rain; Holy Radiance and Dawn of Light. I gave this to Shaman because Dawn of Light is a frontal.

LOD isn't frontal , it was changed in mop expansion

[Eliot123]

If you don't have a premade support, do NOT(!!!!) go resto shaman for BGs.

[Blackflag421]

No druid love eh?

[admielke]

If you don't have a premade support, do NOT(!!!!) go resto shaman for BGs.

Then go what? I have thought about Mistweaver.

---------- Post added 2013-02-25 at 12:19 AM ----------

No druid love eh?

I have a 86 RDruid. They seem like they die so quick even for 85-89 bracket.

---------- Post added 2013-02-25 at 03:12 AM ----------

I am debating between a Priest (5.2 changes seem to make them strong), MW, or RSham. I like to run Random BGs and RBGs and hear they're the best.

[Blackflag421]

My main is a rdruid, and I do well in bgs. Not like in cata where noone even bothered to cc you or silence you since they could just burst thru your treeform healing :/

Definitely need glyphs of lifebloom, blooming, and barkskin tho.