Priest Cataclysm Talent Preview

[Balance]

A few things need to be buffed out but it looks good overall. For one thing imp shadowform is now a mandatory pve/pvp talent, so there is no need to have the 70% reduced pushback there on top of the 35/70% reduced pushback on the first tier talent. There is an imp spirit tap ability but no spirit tap.

I am happy to see the return of smiter priests, looks like priests will be almost like the next druids with utility, two dps specs, and two healing specs (referencing them to druids because druids also have 4 possible options for spec). It is important that smiter priests don't have heals too powerful otherwise they will end up being nerfed in the first patch and forgotten.

Power Word Barrier is nice, but lackluster compared to what I was expecting, although that is more my fault for high expectations than their fault for not delivering. I can't wait to see what else they have planned for us.

[Zeelian]

A few things need to be buffed out but it looks good overall. For one thing imp shadowform is now a mandatory pve/pvp talent, so there is no need to have the 70% reduced pushback there on top of the 35/70% reduced pushback on the first tier talent. There is an imp spirit tap ability but no spirit tap.

I am happy to see the return of smiter priests, looks like priests will be almost like the next druids with utility, two dps specs, and two healing specs (referencing them to druids because druids also have 4 possible options for spec). It is important that smiter priests don't have heals too powerful otherwise they will end up being nerfed in the first patch and forgotten.

Power Word Barrier is nice, but lackluster compared to what I was expecting, although that is more my fault for high expectations than their fault for not delivering. I can't wait to see what else they have planned for us.

My guess is that the pushback reduction is removed form imp shadowform and replaced by the 5% raid haste buff but just not updated in the tooltip properly.

As for the imp spirittap but no spirittap my guess would be that normal spirittap becomes a trainer spell instead of a talent.

[skyesfury]

For all the folks bashing shadow, I'm gonna be laughing when I see all your QQ posts about getting rolled by SPriests in RBGs.

I am already leveling a Disc via BGs and seeing these changes just makes me that much happier that I chose this class for my pvp toon.

[gabrranth]

Shadow priests got no leeway in terms of spent talents on this tree. In fact, the cookie-cutter spec is looking like we will have to take every talent in the shadow tree minus two points in our threat reduction to grab Inner Focus. I think Blizzard should make more shadow talents flavor talents and not raw dps upgrades to help mend how bloated it has become. I am very excited for the PI+Chakra Smite spec that I'm sure many will be testing once beta comes out. Seems like it will be good for automated spot heals while still maintaining decent damage output. I noticed the GCD reduction to Holy Nova that this smite spec would take for AoE as well.

I don't like how a hybrid sub spec (smite) will have a proc and a damage CD (Surge of Light / PI ) and Shadow; the main damage spec will not. Also, there are tons of passive damage boosts in shadow that completely defy the goal Blizzard stated for Cataclysm.

Summary:
Disc - Nice changes
Holy - Nice changes
Smite Hybrid - Nice idea I hope stays implemented
Shadow - Same old bloated and boring tree

[nehunter]

phew i thought they will do something more drastic to stop us from spamming shields.
hope i'm not wrong put they give us 1 GCD to do something else

also all disc lovers will get married with smite while leveling at least

[Ghostyamine]

shadow priests are going to be iffy - the shadow tree is okay but theres no other talents really that can help besides twin disc. and improved inner fire

[BlauesLicht]

Good Lord, what did they do to the Holy-Tree? Allmost every second talent is either pvp-based or for doing damage! with holy spells --- what the f?

Discipline? Are you serious? Healing by smiting? No, I won't tank in Cataclysm, when disc-priests are on board. No, just NO!

Shadow... nah, doesn't seem that overlooked to me. At least I hope they change the bugs with the dot-mechanics.

[NefariousNinja]

Poor Shadow. At the moment, don't see as much of a crazy difference from the current spec I'm using and going to use.

[Elderer]

shadow is kinda ''meh''...

[Jorick]

in order to get chakra we have to spec into failwell ???

That's the one disappointment I have about Holy tree. I would prefer they get rid of lolwell and just give Holy a boring passive talent instead, something more useful... Like a 1% chance on all healing spell casts to glow and sparkle for 10 seconds with a buff that just says "I feel pretty!". :|

[nehh]

Archangel (1 rank available) - Consumes your Evangelism effects, instantly restoring 3% of your total mana and increasing your healing done by 3% for each stack. Also allows you to channel Penance while moving. Lasts 18 seconds.

|_|LtR4 r0F|_

[Odissey]

Still dont know why are they forcing us to smite, i guees there is some ppl that would be pleased but i like to heal when im a healer and to dps when im dpsing, not some weird mix of it, im thinking that smite now its going to be something like a judgement for a holy paladin but who knows yet, on the other hand the 20% spirit to hit conversion really sucks, it should be 100% like every other spirit using dps, we will be loosing some other stats if we use spirit gear instead of hit gear

besides, with that talent tree u can have a 51/25/0 speck with spirit of redemption and deliverance

[nehunter]

I don't understand the problem with lightwell.

Some suggested to make it a priest base spell, so we dont have to give up 1 talent point for it. Now that it is tied with a mandatory talent for holy, every holy priest will have it and cast and forget about it.

Worse case possible it can just another way of marking a spot on the ground. But it will be more common in Cataclysm if this build holds. And smart groups will find uses for it.

[Odissey]

I don't understand the problem with lightwell.

Some suggested to make it a priest base spell, so we dont have to give up 1 talent point for it. Now that it is tied with a mandatory talent for holy, every holy priest will have it and cast and forget about it.

Worse case possible it can just another way of marking a spot on the ground. But it will be more common in Cataclysm if this build holds. And smart groups will find uses for it.

why everyone is saying that lolwell is tied to chakra, it is not in the wowhead talent calculator

[nehunter]

@Odissey
http://www.wowtal.com/#k=.9dw.priest enjoy

[Hyko]

Archangel talent = A Mass of QQ in the future . Thats if it makes it through alpha and beta!

[Danner]

Yay baby, time to get smiting!

Second that!

[Jarv]

Its possible to spec disc down to Spirit of redemption.

http://cata.wowhead.com/talent#bVIbzGhckhsffRtbAtcc0o

Based on they said mana was going to be alot tighter in Cata, perhaps thats why they are implementing that smite can restore mana. Does seem a little backward to have a healer dpsing to recover mana, but guess you could argue that channeling hymn of hope to restore mana isnt time spent healing either.

Penance on the move is interesting thou...

[Zoros]

I wouldn't call a talent that improves our ability to DPS with holy spells the "best" talent change.

Do you see something better in the holy tree? O.o

I
Combined with some of the other PvP talents in Holy it could be great

"Could be great" is different of "could be fun". With the current holy talent tree you have to spend 25 talent points on PvP things. They should reduce the amount of PvP talents, make it better, and let players waste their talents on fun things not on talents that are exactly the same of resilience gems.

What?? Its not meant as a PvP talent, its a regen talent. By making it proc on crits taken it would be useless for PvE.

LOL. Ofc, t should be in addition no replacing the current Holy Concentration mechanic .

I love this talent. It makes holy priests even more versatile by giving them the option to do better at a certain type of healing if/when needed. And you won't necessarily have to spam 3 spells every 20 seconds, especially if you want to stay in the same chakra state, since you'll already be casting those three spells most likely.

Chakra hurts priest versatility, it doesn't improve it. Even if Heal-Heal-Heal rotation is the most common, we can't lose Chakra buff for casting necessary Heal-Heal-Binding or Greater-Heal-Flash combos. Chakra force players to play bad to get a buff, or it just frustrate players that prefer to use the correct spells. Chakra states are not a bad thing, the 3 spell in a row mechanic to get it is a terrible mechanic that even holy paladins don't diserve.

Not pointless. It takes 3 seconds off MS, which costs 30 rage to reapply. That's very useful, combined with the bleed reduction.

Yes, and more powerful shields and powerful healing costs more rage to warriors trying to kill us. But ey, you prefer that boring and pointless talent that just increase the endless list of pure PvP talents that holy needs to enjoy PvP, but still is not enough to be good as discipline. ¬¬º

[Worgoblin]

You anti-smiters are such a buzzkill.

"IF" they balanced encounters assuming all priests are using smite, then yeah that'd be lame.

"IF" they are giving priests more options and versatility, and smiting isn't required but instead is a viable option, then that's awesome.

I really really really doubt they're gonna try forcing priests into doing DPS if they don't wanna.