Holy Priest Review (PTR)

[Yewen]

Let me start with saying, bravo Blizzard! You've made the Holy Priest one of, if not, the best healing classes in the game! No longer do I sit around and spam the same heals over and over! Now I look forward to different encounters so I can use a different ability each time!

With that, I thought I would give a review on the Holy Priest from my prespective.

Lightwell: Still not effective - however I won't count it out. I have not seen the new raids, so perhaps (oh lord lets hope so) the dps will be forced to use it.

Chakra: What can I say about this awesome ability? It revolutionizes the Holy Priest, it's now the foundation that we can call our very own!

Chakra - Heal: Fanastic! Especially used in conjuction with Holy Word: Serenity. If needed you can have a 100% up-time on this Chakra state, if needed. I do have on suggestion though. It does feel like the renew refresh would be best suited for Chakra - Renew.

Chakra - Prayer of Healing: This ability has got to be the bee's knees when it comes to AoE healing. With Circle Of Healing's CD reduced by 2 seconds (making it a 6 second CD), and used with conjuction of Holy Word: Sanctuary, is absolutely fantastic. I could not even make a single suggestion on how this could be improved!

Chakra - Renew: This is the only ability I have a few suggestions on: Renew, being a greatHoT as it is (not as effective as Druids but of course) it does feel little out of place when it comes to Chakra. We're not Druids, so it wouldn't be wise to pretend that we are. And with the awesome sauce, which is Chakra -Prayer of Healing, it seems like a waste of an AoE heal.

Circle of Healing: The 8 second Cooldown is perfect. On live, CoH would be the top heal barnone on any given encounter. Please, oh please, keep it like this! (I'll give you cookies if you do!)

Prayer of Mending: As is on live, still an awesome ability. One suggestion though: Could it somehow not target Pets? (i.e. hunter, DK, Warlocks) I would hate to see it go to a pet than a player that actually needed it!

Holy Mastery: What can I say about this? It's... perfect? I've never felt so versitile with a Holy Priest! It makes me so happy to see all those green numbers fly up into the air! (Owl City's Firefly comes into mind..)

PW: Fort: What?! I don't need to buy anymore reagents?! /hug\ You have just saved me over 5g per nite! And for someone who loathes Dailies, I salute you! However, could you put it one more point in it? Just so we can over-ride the Warlock's Imp's Bloodpact? Not everyone can be in range of the warlock's pet!

Cure Disease: No more abolish! yay! Some people like to hit the easy button and not having to worry about diseases, but it gives us more depth I think!

Greater Heal: With Serendipity stacking twice, this gives us another tool, out of abunch, to single heal tanks if needed! Awesome sauce all the round for you Blizzard.

Holy Nova: Still not sure about this. Seems very odd in a group/raid setting. I'm not sure if I would just a GCD, when I have Chakra - Prayer of Healing up. (But I'll reserve my final judgement till Expansion)

Holy Word: Chastie: Who do I hug for this? Seriously, give me the address and I'm coming to your house to hug you! We have a stun now?! Geezzz wizz! I've used this in PvP today and boy! Let me say tons of difference when that warrior or rogue is all over you and you need a quick escape! /hugs\

Shadow Protection: same ole same ole ( not saying it's bad, just the same is all)

Renew: Renew is awesome sauce! (Only certain things can be deemed "awesome sauce" this is one of them) They can crit now?! /XoXoX\

Inner Fire: Oh blizzard, let me count the ways! Seriously! No more charges?! We don't have to use talents to improve it? Again, I'm coming to someone's house, and you better be ready for a bear hug. (tip: exhale during the hug, it won't hurt as bad)

PW: shield: Same ole, for Holys. I (personally) ever use it just in case I'm behind in healing.

Guardian Spirit: Wish the Cooldown was around 2 minutes (even w/ glyph) but I can live with it as is!

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Again, with this review , if I had to give a 1 out of 10 rating for your work on the Holy Priest, it would be 10. It seems as if the Holy Priest has had all of Blizzard's love, and therefore Blizzard, you shall have mine! (You don't have many stalkers as it is.. right?) Keep us this amazing work, and I shall be playing your game for a unhealthy amount of time!

[Vook]

Lightwell: Still not effective - however I won't count it out. I have not seen the new raids, so perhaps (oh lord lets hope so) the dps will be forced to use it.

Lightwell is extremely effective, with the changes. You no longer have to target it, you can just click it and it won't change your target. It's also got a 15-20 yard range, so you don't have to be right next to it to click it.

It does feel like the renew refresh would be best suited for Chakra - Renew.

The Renew Chakra is geared at spamming Renew all over the raid, for aura fights, or parts of fights with steady raidwide damage.

With Circle Of Healing's CD reduced by 2 seconds (making it a 6 second CD),

Circle of Healing: The 8 second Cooldown is perfect.

CoH has a 10 second CD, not 8. It's reduced to 8 seconds with PoH Chakra.

Chakra - Renew: This is the only ability I have a few suggestions on: Renew, being a greatHoT as it is (not as effective as Druids but of course) it does feel little out of place when it comes to Chakra. We're not Druids, so it wouldn't be wise to pretend that we are.

Why not? I find myself Renew-spamming on the aura fights in ICC. We get to be like half-druids, now. And isn't that what Priest is supposed to be? Jack of all trades, master of none? :P

[Hobson]

Holy mastery is stupidly overpowered at it's current state. i had it ticking for 22k/sec after a little flash heal spamming.

other than that, i agree.

[Tezmata]

I agree that maybe Renew Chakra needs a little more "umph." I say have it lower the mana cost of Renew as well, if only by 25%.

[kedri]

Holy mastery is stupidly overpowered at it's current state. i had it ticking for 22k/sec after a little flash heal spamming.

other than that, i agree.

22k/sec? Seriously? I couldn't manage to get more than 1-2k ticks during normal healing (e.g. heal spam with heal chakra). Maybe with high crit and haste rate and flash spam this is possible, but I don't think flash spam is possible in cata (too high mana cost)

On topic: Holy priest masteries is one of the best masteries available. Just love the way it works

[crimsonclovers]

I agree that maybe Renew Chakra needs a little more "umph." I say have it lower the mana cost of Renew as well, if only by 25%.

I would say make the renew also heal for an additional 5% of it's total periodical effect instantly, making it 15% while in the chakra state.

[Azyoulike]

22k/sec?

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...ug-massive-HPS

It's a bug.

[Struja]

Holy priest indeed looks too awesome to be true. Chakra - Revelations is probably the best talent(s) in the whole expansion. I just can't wait to try it.
My only question is what would be better for heavy AOE damage: Chakra - Prayer of Healing or Chakra - Renew?

[zsun]

For heavy AOE damage, something like Sindragosa 25HM Phase 2 where you have 2 healers getting unchained...I'd use Prayer of Healing Chakra.

For moderate AOE damage, such as on Festergut aura damage, then renew would probably be better.

[Deleted]

the more mastery you get the weaker renew gets. Echo of Light (the Holy Mastery) only proccs of direct heals like Heal, CoH, PoM, PoH and the initial heal of renew, if skilled. The renew ticks won't create EoL ticks.
Holy Word Sanctuary is neat...so if you're on a fight which doesn't force the raid to move a lot...use it

[Sellest]

I tried all classes on PTR especially healing ones since that's what my guild needs most and what I will probably play in Cata.. so far I am most impressed with priests and what blizzard did with healing for them. I tried paladin who felt lackluster. I tried shaman and it was pretty much almost same as it used to be in Wrath. Then I tried 70 druid and 72 priest and as priest I felt I have tool for every situation + nice combos like chakra+chastice or evangelism. Unfortunately priest is only class on my current server that I have to start from beginning..

[Spasme]

Beware of Holy Nova spam ( when glyphed ) , went from 35k mana to 0 in 10 seconds flat

Casting only Heal non-stop will actually make your mana go up ( well , i regen more than the ~350 mana it cost to cast )

My FH heals for about the same as GH and the mana cost is only ~50 less

at lvl80
Heal : ~6k
FH: ~11k
GH: ~12k
Holy Word : Sanctuary ticks for ~525 , crits for ~780 ( crit value is 150% )

I healed a couple of heroics and yes do you have time to throw some holy fire and smite around. Of course , that might change as we level.

Glyph of Guardian Spirit now reduces the CD by 30 sec ... no more 1 min CD if the target doesnt die

[Tezmata]

the more mastery you get the weaker renew gets. Echo of Light (the Holy Mastery) only proccs of direct heals like Heal, CoH, PoM, PoH and the initial heal of renew, if skilled. The renew ticks won't create EoL ticks.
Holy Word Sanctuary is neat...so if you're on a fight which doesn't force the raid to move a lot...use it

Echo of Light seems to proc off of any heal at the moment, even indirect ones. I can't tell with Renew for sure, but I'm positive it procs off of Holy Word: Sanctuary.

[Deleted]

Echo of Light seems to proc off of any heal at the moment, even indirect ones. I can't tell with Renew for sure, but I'm positive it procs off of Holy Word: Sanctuary.

After some testing it seems to proc of the empowered renew but not off the actual ticks, but as it does from sanctuary i wonder if it will be changed or would a hot on your hot just be ridiculous?

[Cemetary.]

Man it all sounds awesome Thanks for sharing your thoughts

[Tezmata]

After some testing it seems to proc of the empowered renew but not off the actual ticks, but as it does from sanctuary i wonder if it will be changed or would a hot on your hot just be ridiculous?

Well the HOT on the HOT is still only 10% of the healing, which isn't much. Our mastery is basically "+10% healing."

[Kelesti]

Our mastery is basically "+10% healing."

...
*sunglasses*
Over time.

<YEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAH!>

[taynix]

i not sure i agree with this, havnt played the PTR "BUT" i have played beta. and the thing about not spamming the same ablility i gotta tell you guys that its back again more than ever, heal is gonna be the heal you use 75% of the fight, i do have a priest at 85 and i do not find it enjoyable so far and i loved priest in wotlk. that is just my thoughts.

And there is no longer spam of one ability in the game, you might be able to go Renew spam with chakra, but will go oom very fast. now this is just my experince.

I havnt gotten the best gear, and it might get better with raiding gear. but for now i dont enjoy the healing in the game, and i am thinking about going either shadow or go mage


again and i cannot phrase how importent this is "This is my take of the Beta so far as it comes to holy priests"

i know the talk was about Ptr but cata will come at some point, i just hope they tweak abit with it before releasing it.

[Jendarc]

Having played a holy priest since Classic, I'm enjoying the use of slow heals and watching your mana (though I miss gaming the 5SR). When I was gearing up in the normal dungeons, yes I would use Heal for 75%+ of the fights, but after running heroic Grim Batol last night than percentage dropped significantly. Damage for the most part felt manageable (though the first boss still gives me problems) as long as dps did their best to stay safe, but with the increased use of Greater Heal I found my Heal Chakra state dropping off in most boss fights because I couldn't afford to cast Heal enough. I'm sure this may change with gear levels, but for now it seems balanced.

Of course, if you dislike casting GHeal as much as Heal, I can't help you!

[Ultima]

I'm not quite sure what our current direction is meant to be. They want us to use all our spells, but if we do we will run out of mana.

So, I see two possibilties with this.

We will have the ability and need to flow through various Chakra states to meet the needs of the encounter and Blizzard's philosophy. Or, we will need to use different Chakra states for different encounters.

Latter meets the requirement, but is boring as fuck. The former us plausable, but requires number tuning.

Thoughts? Criticisms?