Disc Priest Summary of Play

[wrynil]

How do you guys use Inner Focus?
I am a baddy who has it macro'd to Prayer of Healing.

Can be usefull on its own, on fights like lei she where you are having moments with only tank dmg, but it is very strong together with spirit shell aswell. If you are doing Thok you can get 2-3 pohs off during the screeches without getting interrupted. Useally use it in conjunction with devotion aura myself on that fight which equals a full duration of spirit shell. It got many nice uses, dont just macro it in.

[Deleted]

Can be usefull on its own, on fights like lei she where you are having moments with only tank dmg, but it is very strong together with spirit shell aswell. If you are doing Thok you can get 2-3 pohs off during the screeches without getting interrupted. Useally use it in conjunction with devotion aura myself on that fight which equals a full duration of spirit shell. It got many nice uses, dont just macro it in.

I am assuming you would macro it for SS though? If it's off CD (you havent used it before on what ever) I am thinking you will always want it paired with SS to try and get full shields on everyone?

[Deleted]

Normally you should be able to get full shields through SS without having to rely upon Inner Focus but, admittedly, it does make life easier. So, yes. You may as well pair it with SS.

[Pinkbyte]

Normally you should be able to get full shields through SS without having to rely upon Inner Focus but, admittedly, it does make life easier. So, yes. You may as well pair it with SS.

Only in 10 man maybe...

I personally save it for when its needed, many use it on CD.

[Deleted]

Only in 10 man maybe...

I personally save it for when its needed, many use it on CD.

You are correct - I should have been clearer in referring to 10 man. You don't have too much of a hope for getting full coverage on 25 man.

[Vilbu]

From 10m PoV:

I've realized that the more gear I get the less spirit shell I am using. I definitely dont use it on cd, sometimes not at all. Most of the time atonement alone is enough to keep everyone alive, and your dps is pretty badass > boss dies quicker > faster phases and such that will eventually amount in less overall healing needed = win from healers point of view or not? Also depending on your raid comp there should be at least a few raid cooldowns that will allow you to just keep on with atonement. Super heavy atonement might not be the playstyle for you if you desire the biggest healing throughput from your priest. Just so it happens to work the best for me and I enjoy being able to contribute to the overall dps.

I am also prioritizing offensive penance over defensive alot. Especially when there's aoe damage its very good multitarget smart heal. If there's not its super effective single target heal and is a huge factor in your dps output.

I tend to use AA pretty much on cd, unless I want to align it with spirit shell later on. Maybe the hardest part when healing with disc is to know how the encounter works and how the incoming damage is happening. Should there be only one big burst, but not enough to kill the whole raid, skip SS > keep atonement, shields on tanks, maybe use DS. If there is continuing AoE damage, you want SS in before it starts > offensive penance on cd > DS on cd > mending preferably with AA and emergency shields all around with maybe PoH in between the shield casts. And don't forget to shout out personals or healthstones to your group.

Remember that this is just how I do it, and maybe it wont work for you or be optimal. I am running around 8k spirit with the meta + dps cloak.

[Nalda]

know how the encounter works and how the incoming damage is happening.

This statement is true for ANY healer. Knowing what to expect and when to expect it is 75% or more of the encounter. Once a player/group understands the mechanics and the dmg output is predictable* You are then able to save that CD or utility for the most beneficial part of the encounter.