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Cataclysm Beta: The latest on shadow priests
Pro: Blizzard has weeded out a lot of the "filler" talents. Talents like Shadow Reach, Shadow Focus, and Focused Mind are gone. These were necessary talents, but the never really felt "fun" to take any of them.
Cataclysm Beta: Priest talent analysis
Well, just when we thought we knew what Blizzard was doing with priests, this week the devs have thrown us a curve ball in the form of a new talent build on the Cataclysm beta. I have but one, ultimate question: How many talent previews must a priest walk down? Do you know the answer? Perhaps Fox Van Allen and Dawn Moore of Spiritual Guidance infamy can assist you in the calculations. Remember: don't panic. [ Discipline ] [ Holy ] [ Shadow ]
Spiritual Guidance: So you wanna play a priest, part 2
The word priest is derived from the Greek work presbyteros, meaning "elder." While Dawn Moore is neither Greek nor an elder, she has 300 days played between her various priests (two-thirds of which was probably spent AFK) and will do her best to relay the information learned in those days each week in Spiritual Guidance. This week instead of one of my typical, eloquent (ha!) introductions, I am going to tell you a story. A story about a machine. The machine was an ancient treasure, crafted by the titans and unearthed by a young priestess. The machine was very powerful and was said to hold the answers to all questions, even the ultimate ones. The priestess honored this machine with her life and wished only to do good with it. One day, while traversing the icy northern valleys of the Storm Peaks, the priestess crossed paths with a leopard. A snow leopard. The priestess slowly took guard, not wishing to agitate the beast. It seemed to be of no matter, however, as the beast was furious with hunger, and it leapt at her without hesitation. The priestess scrambled to her right, calling up a protective shield as the leopard came at her. It seemed she would have to do combat; she began to recite the words to a holy prayer aloud. Unfortunately, before she could finish her prayer, the beast broke her barrier and tackled her to the ground. As she fell, she panicked, thinking of the machine tucked carefully in her satchel. The sound of metal crunching and contorting split through the sounds of the leopard's growls. Or maybe it was just the sound of the priestess' heart? Whatever it was, the priestess screeched in anger, frightening the animal off of her as she called forth the shadows. A protodrake later dined on the leopard's broken corpse. The priestess hurried to Mimiron, master tinkerer and watcher of the titans. She begged him to repair the machine but he shook his head sadly. The machine was ruined, and only the absent titans themselves could restore it. The priestess lowered her head solemnly. Don't understand what that story is about? Don't worry about it. It's time for the second installment of my holy and discipline healing guide. Let's get started.
Spiritual Guidance: Healing Halion and the Ruby Sanctum
Every weekend, Dawn Moore enjoys drinking her tea English style and writing Spiritual Guidance to the pleasant sound of birds (this is quite fortunate, since she lives in an aviary.) This weekend however, Dawn's soundtrack is being interrupted by the sound of explosives. What could be the root of this?! Fox Van Allen must have finally teamed up with goblin engineers to foil Dawn's Sunday column. How will she write for healing priests with that incessant racket?! This week I'll be writing about how to traverse the Ruby Sanctum as a healing priest. I know, I know, I promised you all a leveling guide, but for the sake of being timely we'll have to push it back a week. Forgive me, please? In the guide I'll be covering Halion, as well as the three mini-bosses you'll have to defeat before you can face him. I will also examine priest appropriate loot in the instance and compare it to a few pieces we've seen in Icecrown Citadel. Hit the jump and we'll get started.
Spiritual Guidance: The worst shadow priest raiding application ever
Each Wednesday, Spiritual Guidance is taken over by shadow priest ambassador Fox Van Allen. Named one of People Magazine's "Most Influential People" in 1984, Fox finished ahead of both Secretary of State James Baker III (#8) and actress Farrah Fawcett (#9). Where was Dawn Moore on that list? She tied Press Your Luck host Peter Tomarkin at #273. It was a very comprehensive list, you see. Icecrown Citadel, in some capacity, has been open for business for over six months now. There's some good news and bad news in that statement. It's definitely bad news for established raiding groups -- once core members have established themselves as Kingslayers, they're likely to start losing interest in raiding. That's good news, too, at least for people interested in becoming Kingslayers themselves -- it's an ideal time to be looking for a raid group, even if you're not a perfect, hardcore raider. While opportunities are increasingly plentiful, any raid group worth joining is going to have some semblance of standards. You can't just walk in off the street just because you're a shadow priest and they're looking for one -- you have to prove yourself a little bit first. That's what this week's column is all about: understanding what raid teams are looking for and understanding how to best present yourself. In the spirit of Goofus and Gallant, we'll teach by showing you what not to do. I will be playing the part of the handsome Gallant. Playing Goofus today is Mookie Wilson, New York Met and villain (or hero, whatever) of the 1986 World Series.
Spiritual Guidance: So you wanna play a priest
The final week of June has been declared a week of vigil for Fox Van Allen, the once great shadow priest who vanished after his expeditions in Borean Tundra. His dream to tame 300 thousand penguins with Critter Bites was a great one. Spiritual Guidance, Dawn Moore, and all holy and discipline priests honor his memory. Spriest on, comrade, spriest on! You've seen them basking in that heavenly golden light while effortlessly dishing out heals left and right. You've seen those magnificent white wings stretch out over your fallen allies, just when it seemed all hope was lost, and in the longest 15 seconds of your life, carry your comrades to victory. They are priests, arguably the healer of the World of Warcraft. Today I am writing for the players out there who don't have a priest of their own, but have long watched from afar with longing. Does the priest class intrigue you? Perhaps you have been thinking of venturing into the light but have yet to do so? Well, today I will be laying out what you need to know before you get started.
Spiritual Guidance: A shadowy work in progress
The Spiritual Guidance duo, Fox Van Allen and Dawn Moore, haven't always gotten along so well. While some attribute that to the natural way that the shadow abhors the light, the real reason is the time they were on The Price is Right together in 2003. I mean, two hundred dollars for a grandfather clock, Dawn? What were you thinking? Some days, I wish Spiritual Guidance was a TV show. Not only would the world be better able to appreciate my own physical beauty, but I'd be able to do one of those "Last time, on Spiritual Guidance" opening montages, filled with dramatic clips that tell you exactly what happened last week. "Fox, we need to get to level 10, and fast! Before the orphanage explodes!" "But if you're the Priest trainer ... then who's that?" "You're not casting Smite enough! Faster! Faster! More Smite NOW! Hurry, there's not much time!" KABOOM! "The orphans, they're on fire! Quick, cast Renew!" Things are often a lot more awesome in my head than in real life, I'm afraid. Still, last week, we did address the process of starting a new priest, getting him geared up with heirlooms (or heaven forfend, green items) and the basics of the early spells (Smite, lol). This week, we're digging a bit deeper, getting to 20, rocking some instances and doing some PvP -- that's right, life as a priest is finally ready to begin. Follow me after the cut. And don't mind the random explosions and orphan debris -- they're just there for next week's opening montage.
Spiritual Guidance: A shadowy work in progress, page 2
A large part of World of Warcraft is the solo questing aspect. Alliance and Horde can find things to do in Redridge Mountains (15+), Ashenvale (18+), and Stonetalon Mountains (17+), though the first two are skewed more towards Alliance and the latter is skewed towards Horde. Once you pass level 10, you'll find yourself able to enter battlegrounds with your newly minted priest -- specifically, Warsong Gulch.
Spiritual Guidance: Do's and don't's of priest healing
Another Sunday is upon us, and while a certain priest who shall remain nameless (his name might start with a "F" and end with an "ox Van Allen") lies about in a post-Warlock-soiree-stupor somewhere, Spiritual Guidance and Dawn Moore are here to cater to all your priest and healing needs. Dawn Moore won't forget to pick you up from the airport, and she definitely doesn't watch Jersey Shore. I have this notebook; it's nothing special in design, just a composition book, but after using it for several months it has become quite an impressive little catalog of messy handwriting (though, I was recently told I make a nice lowercase "G.") What makes this notebook worth mentioning today is that I've used this notebook every week since I started writing for WoW.com six months ago. In it are all my thoughts, notes, questions and more about playing a priest and healer in the World of Warcraft. There are also some random drawings where I illustrate my raid leader's unusual commentary. As each week passes I tend to cross out things that I've covered in articles, and make a notation of the date on which I published it. Many articles are born in this little book. Unfortunately, there are a lot of stray notes in it as well. What I mean by that are there are lots of scribbles of ideas that don't quite constitute a full feature article, but still make for a worthwhile discussion. Today, I've decided to compile those stray thoughts into a list of "do's and don't's" for my fellow healing priests.
Spiritual Guidance: Starting a shadow priest from scratch
Like all shadow priests, Fox Van Allen is a resilient sort. He has few weaknesses: accidentally dropping Shadowform by casting a holy spell; the silver arrow from the far upper left room in level 9; and his own gargantuan ego. By comparison, Dawn Moore's weaknesses include scratchy sweaters, Shadowfiend bites, and the nasty case of the sniffles she gets when the thermostat dips below 67. The Sunday edition is all about warmth, hugs and kisses. Today is Wednesday. It was a cold December day when the respawn timer ticked, creating the most elite shadow priest to ever grace the Wednesday version of Spiritual Guidance. "Surely, he'll make a fine holy spec priest one day," the nurses assumed. "Such fortitude! And, why look, he can cast Smite already!" "In between sips of milk, of course." "Of course." Those of us who already made the journey from level 1 to level 80 no doubt have some mixed feelings about the earliest, most formative years of our shadow priest. Heck, even mages, balance druids, elemental shaman, warlocks know the same pain. Starting a new caster can be a repetitive experience. The good news, of course, is that World of Warcraft is revitalizing the leveling process in Cataclysm. They're giving us Shadow Orbs and refurbishing our talent tree to make shadow priests feel more like shadow priests. That's great. I can't wait for the change. But still, if you haven't started a new priest in the last few months, you may have missed some of the more recent changes to the leveling process. It really is better now, and I can honestly say there's been no better time to start a priest. Why wait until Cataclysm? (And don't you dare say because you want to roll a gnome.)
Spiritual Guidance: For the love of Lightwell
Of the redeeming traits of Fox Van Allen, it is his unusual ability to sense the migratory paths of arctic terns within a 500-mile radius that has led to his success. Fox Van Allen can also boast that when he cooks an omelet, four out of five of them are not burned. Fox Van Allen also writes the Wednesday edition of Spiritual Guidance. Unfortunately, today is not Wednesday, and instead you will have to contend with Dawn Moore, a young woman whose super powers include predicting upcoming traffic junctions by suddenly feeling worried that she missed them, and an immunity to skunk spray. Dawn Moore writes also about healing for discipline and holy priests. When I was in sixth grade, everyone made fun of me. I'm not quite sure why, as there was nothing particularly noticeable about me at the time. I was very average: quiet, didn't get straight A's and looked about as ridiculous as everyone else at that age. For whatever reason though, I got picked out among the throng of students to be the kid who gets stuff thrown at her in the dressing rooms, has trash shoved into her locker and is called all sorts of names that none of us actually knew the definitions to. The oddest thing about it was that the students who harassed me most were people I didn't even know. I didn't know their names, had never talked with them and only had maybe one class with them -- so it's not like any of them knew anything about me to justify what they were doing. At this point in my life, the only guess I've got is that making fun of me was the cool thing to do at the time. Nowadays, I'm not sure if making fun of me is still the cool thing to do, but regardless, the reason I bring up the story today is because I'll be talking about Lightwell. Don't see the connection? Well the way I see it, Lightwell and I are kindred spirits. After all, Lightwell is the kid no one wants to be friends with, out of fear of suffering the same ridicule by association. Lightwell is so unpopular it doesn't even get the chance to be picked last in gym class; instead, the teachers have Lightwell sit in the office and do worksheets, since the last time they let it play with the other kids they found it collapsed behind the bleachers with a bloody nose. Well, Lightwell, I love you. I see past the trash talk and the ridicule. I see you and your individuality. You haven't given up, and I haven't given up on you either. So today, I'm going to try and make everyone see what I see in you. Mon chéri, je t'aime.
Cataclysm Talent Preview: Holy priests
If you didn't already know, late Wednesday evening, Blizzard released a new and thorough Cataclysm talent preview for select classes. Among those classes was the priest class, and as WoW.com's healing priest, thus I have been charged with providing you with a talent-by-talent breakdown for the holy tree. (There is also a preview analysis for discipline.) The preview's biggest highlight is Chakra, but there are a few twists and turns in the tree that are well worth a look. Hit the jump and we'll get down to business.
Cataclysm Talent Preview: Shadow priests
On Thursday, Blizzard released brand new information regarding talent builds in Cataclysm. Surely, all of us World of Warcraft addicts are grateful for the slow tease of information. Of course, a lot of the "new" information was already data mined and leaked from the alpha over a month ago. I covered a lot of the changes to the shadow tree in a previous column, Ghostly aspects of our shadowy hatepower. Shadowy Apparitions, Shadow Orbs, getting rid of Shadow Focus, spirit contributing to our hit rating -- it's all in there. I won't bore you with all the details I covered already. But it's not all old news, of course. There's some new stuff in there, and there is stuff to be excited about. I'm getting more optimistic about shadow priesting in Cataclysm with each drop of new information, and it feels like Blizzard might actually be listening to us. Seriously. Listen, the standard caveats apply here -- it's really early to talk about this stuff and this could all change. But it'd be really quiet and boring around here today if we didn't.
Cataclysm Talent Preview: Discipline priests
Last night, Blizzard unexpectedly released an extensive talent preview from Cataclysm for select classes. Priests were among those classes, and as the resident healing priest, I will be walking you through the preview for discipline (as well as holy) talent by talent. The preview confirms the full details on the long-awaited discipline ability, Power Word: Barrier. A new talent called Archangel was also unveiled. Hit the jump to check it out.
Spiritual Guidance: Soloing 5-man content the shadow priest way
Dawn Moore is at it again, running misleading, sleazy ads against Spiritual Guidance's Fox Van Allen. What's she trying to hide? We know that Fox Van Allen, self-appointed high priest of the shadows, favors lower hybrid taxes, a strong [3. Local Defense] and securing our borders with the timely use of Mind Flay and Shadowfiends. Maybe Dawn is trying to hide that she favors higher taxes on your DPS, that she voted repeatedly to give valuable Renews to those playing the game illegally and is flat-out soft on gnomes. Dawn Moore. Wrong for priests. Wrong for Azeroth. (Paid for by the Committee to Elect Fox Van Allen.) End -of-expansion ennui. It's inevitable. I'll admit, even though I've yet to see the Lich King downed on hard mode, a lot of the Wrath content is growing stale for me. I'm playing alts more often (Recruit-A-Friend really is a great way to experience the game). I'm spending more time at the auction house. Basically, I'm trying to find new and different ways to experience the game. That's our general idea today: experiencing the game in a new way. A way that Blizzard didn't really intend, but a way that still holds a lot of entertainment value. A way that proves that shadow priests are, in fact, as awesome as five other players put together. That's right, I'm suggesting you try soloing some old school 5-man content. Why would you want to? You're bored as hell with all the Northrend stuff you've been running every day for the last one-and-a-half years. It's a new challenge that requires you to approach World of Warcraft in an entirely different way than you're used to. You probably don't have the all the 5-man BC achievements if you started your character after fall of 2008. You can farm a lot of valuable enchanting materials, find some rare trade skills, items and pets, and walk away with a solid chunk of gold, besides. Best of all, doing stuff alone means that you can tell the GearScore elitists where to shove it. Interested? Rock. Follow me after the break, and let's figure a way to get this done.
Spiritual Guidance: Going to the dark side
Silvermoon City records show that Dawn Moore was born and raised by a loving fire mage and holy priest. Fox Van Allen? He crawled out of an ethereal sludge and was raised by warlock cultists. Dawn once saved some puppies and bunnies from a burning zeppelin while simultaneously defeating Undermine drug lords. Fox? He tried to eat those same bunnies. Each Sunday in Spiritual Guidance, Dawn brings you information on how to walk, talk, and dance like a holy or discipline priest. Fox brings you trollish recipes for gnome genocide. Dawn Moore: the choice is clear. [Paid for by priests for Dawn Moore - nsfw] It's about that time in a major content patch when things start to slow down. We've run all the 5-mans we can stomach, and in Icecrown Citadel we're starting to really close in on our goals as the 20% buff and our accumulated gear help to fill in the gaps of what we need to succeed. As this happens, your wish list of equipment is undoubtedly getting smaller; maybe you're done gearing up, or are just waiting for a few more pieces to drop. Maybe you're cursing my name for reminding you that you've had the most terrible luck at getting that wand, cloak, or whatever to drop. But regardless of where you are, I'm certain you've found yourself thinking, "hmm, I could use that for offspec." Like most classes, priests are starting to think about where to go next. Do I gear out an alternative healing set? Should I collect more spirit items for Cataclysm? Do I spend my extra badges on PvP gear? (Dawn says yes! But that's another article.) How about honing out skills in that other healing spec we don't like quite as much as our favorite? Oh, and then of course, there is always the sweet seduction of the shadows. Today, I've put together a little guide for healing priests who want to dabble in the darkness of the shadow tree. While there are notable differences between the styles of playing holy or discipline, the switch to shadow is more than just tossing on some hit gear and taking a trip to the trainer. But before we get started though, I have a small task for everyone.
Spiritual Guidance: Shadow priest tips for killing the Lich King
Every Wednesday, Fox Van Allen locks the well-meaning but misguided Dawn Moore in his basement so he can once again take control of Spiritual Guidance. It's hard work undoing all the "good" that Dawn inflicted on his poor readers the weekend before, but he sure does his best. Hugs and sunshine are out. Plague and pestilence are in. Let's face it: We've all got Cataclysm fever. We've seen the images from the alpha. We've Googled it. We've YouTubed it. We already have the name of our worgen picked out. We want to live it. I'll be damned if this stupid Lich King isn't still in the way, though. We can't move on to Cataclysm until we beat Wrath of the Lich King, right? It'd be like trying to watch American Ninja 4 without seeing the ending to American Ninja 3 -- how in the heck are you going to be able to follow what's going on? So yeah, OK, you could maybe just click the fountain in Dalaran for the epic retelling of the story that Bolvar Fordragon asked never be retold, but we're shadow priests, dammit. We're going to do this thing right: through epic-scale face melting.
Spiritual Guidance: Spells we forget
This Sunday, Dawn Moore has called a temporary truce with Fox Van Allen so the two of them can take Spiritual Guidance on a group trip to Disneyland. They almost made it through the entire Space Mountain line without a fight on what was better, healing or damage. Later, Fox got a stomach ache and dispersed while riding the tea cups, and Dawn had to go back to the hotel to lie down before the Hannah Montana concert. Once upon a time, an off-tank coughed. At the time, the off-tank was zoned into Trial of the Crusader and thoroughly engaged in a battle against Anub'arak. His raid was just transitioning out of the first phase 2, and he was moving to his position to pick up adds. Unfortunately, as the off-tank coughed, he shifted ever so slightly, causing a poorly placed cup of cherry Kool Aid to upturn. Not a second later, the off-tank's raid was audience to a colorful soliloquy about a different type of penetrating cold. As the above events transpired, a disco priestess noticed that she had suddenly acquired threat from a newly spawned bug add. She strafed momentarily before hitting the key for her Fade spell and in doing so, saved herself from unknown peril. The bug, having lost its focus, immediately turned its attention to another priest in the raid named Calvin. Calvin, it turned out, was specced holy. Before things could get worse, the off-tank managed to pull himself together and resumed his tanking duties; he taunted the large bug and the panic in the raid subsided. Surprisingly, the battle continued without incident, and in the end the nerubian king was slain.
Spiritual Guidance: Troubleshooting your DPS
Spiritual Guidance is a fickle mistress. By the light of day, it hits the outlet malls with Dawn Moore, gets Oreo McFlurries and has light-hearted discussions about last night's episode of Glee. By night, though -- Wednesday nights in particular -- it Shadowcrawls on back to Fox Van Allen for some wild flaying and searing. When you break it down, everyone likes a bad boy. Fact: According to World of Logs, the top shadow priest DPS on a regular 10-man Lord Marrowgar kill was just over 13,000 DPS. Feel inferior? How about this, then: The top shadow priest DPS on a 25-man heroic Blood-Queen Lana'thel kill is about 27,600. I can't say for sure whether or not that's before the 20% buff went live, but when you're doing over 27k, who cares about that extra 5%? I don't want you losing sleep comparing yourself to those fine players. For the most part, these numbers are a result of near-perfect gameplay, top-notch gear and sacrificing no fewer than eight mohawked gnome babies to the random number generating gods. Still, with all those gnome corpses piled in the corner of your room, you've gotta ask: "Why isn't my DPS as good as everyone else's?" To those who expect one quick, simple answer, I suggest the following possible things you could be doing wrong: Dude, your "6" key is totally broken. You still have your fishing pole equipped, genius. The eighth gnome is merely wounded, not dead. If those suggestions are somehow less than helpful, you might want to follow me after the break to look at some of the real reasons why you might be lagging behind and a few things you can do to turn things around.
Spiritual Guidance: A priest's guide to tanks
It was just another Sunday when Fox Van Allen woke to the mid morning sun on his face. He sat up groggily and looked around his quiet apartment. A moment passed before he realized something was wrong -- it wasn't here. "Not again ..." he muttered, his brows pressed in frustration. It must have gone back to her again. "Dawn Moore ..." he sneered while pulling himself out of bed. He didn't know what it saw in her. "Priest healing ... Bah! Who would want to do that?" Still, Fox sighed, his doubts gnawing at him. Why was Spiritual Guidance so fickle? I love tanks. Likewise, there have been many tanks who have loved me. There is nothing more beautiful than the love between a tank and a healer. It's actually a little known fact that every great love song ever written was written about a tank and healer. Every little thing she does is magic? Totally sung by a tank. Don't leave me this way: sung by a healer. Still don't believe me? Check out Heroes by David Bowie; it was actually originally written as a tank x healer duet. Just look at the lyrics: "And you, you can be mean, And I, I'll drink all the time." See? So, if you want to find your great tank love, if you want a tank that knows how and when to blow each and every one of his cooldowns to maximize every lasting second of your epic encounters together, then you are going to have to rise up and meet him. You need to be the healer his healer could heal like (if she stopped playing hybrid-spec player classes.) Luckily, you're already a priest, the most alluring of healing classes, but don't think that's enough. You need to be more than just some healer who heals him -- you need to understand him. That is today's goal.
