Wrath of the Lich King: Priest roundup
Cheer up and be optimistic! Try not to be too worried about the Priest class. True we haven't changed all that much, we are still the most diverse healing class in the game. Even Elizabeth Harper and Phaelia agree that we still remain the best healers (for now). Don't be disheartened! But the challenge starts now. Hitting 80 will be a bit slower for us Holy specced players in comparison to other classes and specs. We can still hold our own against Arthas' minions! So where are we at then?
State of the Game
For the Priests that have just returned to the game, the biggest change is the fact that Priest racials have been removed. Hymn of Hope, Holy Nova and Devouring Plague are baseline abilities for all Priests .
We'll be competing against Mages and Warlocks for gear since the three classes utilize Spirit to an extent.
Circle of Healing is now a smart heal which could come with a 6 second cooldown as a penalty.
Oh yeah, Prayer of Mending now draws threat for the caster instead of the target. The upside is that you can talent it to reduce the cooldown by 3 seconds with Divine Providence.
Talent Trees
Desperate Prayer takes up the 11 point talent slot where Holy Nova used to be.
Discipline received a near complete overhaul. And guess what? It looks like it could be a raid viable spec!
Check out Alex's Shadow Priest overview for a quick refresher.
Dispersion: Great talent? Or greatest talent?
General Tips
A few notable Priest spells were covered in our Skill Mastery columns. Check out Penance and Guardian Spirit.
Having fun is the most important thing you can do. If the quest givers or mobs are overloaded, find a few guildies and lock yourselves into Utgarde Keep for a while.
