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Priest builds

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::* A priest may prefer to use [[Glyph of Prayer of Healing]] or [[Glyph of Dispel Magic]] to suit their personal healing style.
::* A priest may prefer to use [[Glyph of Prayer of Healing]] or [[Glyph of Dispel Magic]] to suit their personal healing style.
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:[http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#bVcbuhhVRIcffRtMxxc:mAbMzV '''3.1 Disc Raid Healing Build''' (56/15/0)] [Current as of 3.1.1A] (Bandages of Antonidas)
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:[http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#bVcbuhhVRIcffRtMxxc:mAbMzV '''3.1 Disc Raid Healing Build''' (56/15/0)] [Current as of 3.1.1A] (Bandages of Antonidas) Don't use this build. He specs in smite and disc priests don't cast gheals or heals.
::I built this spec based around what I thought would get me the most out of healing as Discipline. In the Disc tree, I took all talents that improve buffs and increase healing and crit chance, as well as mana regeneration. In the Holy tree, I've taken a couple points in the Improved Renew talent for a stronger instant-cast, non-channelled heal. Inspiration in the Holy tree is also taken given the extreme likelihood that you will crit on a heal and thus grant your target even more damage mitigation. Taking the Holy Spec talent is a no-brainer for a Disc healer.
::I built this spec based around what I thought would get me the most out of healing as Discipline. In the Disc tree, I took all talents that improve buffs and increase healing and crit chance, as well as mana regeneration. In the Holy tree, I've taken a couple points in the Improved Renew talent for a stronger instant-cast, non-channelled heal. Inspiration in the Holy tree is also taken given the extreme likelihood that you will crit on a heal and thus grant your target even more damage mitigation. Taking the Holy Spec talent is a no-brainer for a Disc healer.

Revision as of 00:10, June 3, 2009

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Contents

Disclaimer

As with all examples of talent builds or point distributions, the optimum build depends largely on your playstyle (PvP, soloing, raiding, etc., or a specific combination of spells you like to use) as well as gear, party members, and other factors. The builds listed below are not for everyone, nor are they always the best. They are at worst, opinions, and are usually subjective.

Leveling builds

If you intend to level your priest mainly through solo questing, a shadow build produces high damage, good survivability and has the least amount of down time between 'kills'. If you intend to level your priest through instances, a holy or discipline build is the way to go (you should then read Leveling a Holy Priest). Levelling as discipline can give you good survivability with strong shields, and increased stamina, intellect, haste and healing through talents. Each build has it's advantages, although Holy and Shadow priests 'dip in' to Discipline for the Meditation talent.

It should be noted that some players have found healing as Shadow possible at lower levels, but the healing capabilities are compromised with no talents to improve healing.

Every spec has a few 'essential talents' in every tree. Here is a quick list of some:

Example Shadow Levelling Spec

A recommendation for how the talents might be placed as you level up:

This spec utilizes a dominantly shadow spec with a few points in disc to gain the advantage of Improved Inner Fire, and Meditation. It's advisable to put most of your points in the Shadow tree first, then flesh out the Discipline tree. A strong spell rotation for single targets using this spec: Vampiric Touch, Shadow Word: Pain, Vampiric Embrace, Mind Blast, and Mind Flay. Psychic Scream, Power Word: Shield, and Dispersion are used periodically to reduce the amount of incoming damage.

Example Hybrid Levelling Spec

A recommendation for how the talents might be placed as you level up:

A hybrid spec, going into the shadow tree for Spirit Tap and Mind Flay, then further upgrades in the disc/holy trees as far as Surge of Light or Power Infusion, whichever tree the player decides to flesh out first. This build will give decent damage, regen and survivability. The fact that it's mainly holy/disc makes it a viable healing spec too.

PvE

A breakdown of each tree:

  • Discipline: Discipline priests are healers and damage mitigators. They are not built to be adept as the main raid healer due to lack of AoE heal spells, but fantastic tank healers. A good Disc healer will never top the healing charts - because if they time their moves and mitigate damage correctly, they'll never need to.
  • Holy: Holy priests have strong AoE healing spells and high heal output, and make ideal raid healers as well as having talents for tank healing. Holy priests are the all-rounders of healing classes and can easily adapt to different situations.
  • Shadow: Shadow Priests are the damage dealers of the priest class, and can take on a shadow form to improve their shadow damage even further at the sacrifice of holy (healing) spells. They have powerful DoTs and an array of buffs they can provide for a group or raid.

Image:Disc_Spec_RoundIcon.png Discipline builds

Tips on playing Discipline
You should prioritse your stats when making gear choices as follows-
  • SP > Crit > Int > Mp5/Spirit
Once you reach 25-30% holy crit unbuffed, your stat priorities will change to haste instead of crit. Disc priests will be hard pressed to run out of mana with all their damage mitigation, so spirit and MP5 are low priority.
Rotations:
While there isn't a set-in-stone "rotation", using spells in a certain order does benefit the disc healer.
Grace will proc whenever you use Penance or 3x Flash Heals on a target for a 9% increased healing effectiveness. Possibility to proc Divine Aegis (damage absorber) on each blast from Penance or Flash heal.
Prayer of Mending has a chance to proc Divine Aegis on any party member it jumps to if it gives them a critical heal.
Borrowed Time allows you pull out a very fast Greater Heal or Prayer of Healing to help a tank or raid recover from heavy damage.
Suggested Major Glyphs:
3.1 Disc Raid Healing Build (56/15/0) [Current as of 3.1.1A] (Bandages of Antonidas) Don't use this build. He specs in smite and disc priests don't cast gheals or heals.
I built this spec based around what I thought would get me the most out of healing as Discipline. In the Disc tree, I took all talents that improve buffs and increase healing and crit chance, as well as mana regeneration. In the Holy tree, I've taken a couple points in the Improved Renew talent for a stronger instant-cast, non-channelled heal. Inspiration in the Holy tree is also taken given the extreme likelihood that you will crit on a heal and thus grant your target even more damage mitigation. Taking the Holy Spec talent is a no-brainer for a Disc healer.
Raid Healer Build (57/14/0) [Current as of 3.1.1A]
This is a standard Discipline healer build with the inclusion of Desperate Prayer. Although Divine Fury is not talented, don't leave Greater Heal out completely, as Borrowed Time will cut the casting time down.

Image:PrHoly Spec RoundIcon.png Holy builds

Suggested Major Glyphs:
Cookie-Cutter Guardian Spirit/Circle of Healing Build (14/57/0) [Current as of 3.1.1A]
A build commonly referred to as the standard for Guardian Spirit/Circle of Healing builds, it specializes in healing up raid-wide damage while also having adequate tools to deal with incoming personal or tank burst. This build is great for fights with a lot of AoE damage, and most holy builds vary little from this mainframe.
Utility Guardian Spirit/Circle of Healing Build (14/57/0) [Current as of 3.1.1A]
Similar to the cookie-cutter build, with alternative talents Body and Soul and Lightwell for situational utility.
Hybrid Healing Disc/Holy Spirit-Crit Build (37/34/0) [Current as of 3.1.1A]
This build is based around high amounts of Spirit and Crit. This can be difficult to achieve as you commonly will not find Spirit and Crit together on the same item. However if you can manage your 5 second out of casting time and synch it with procs of Holy Concentration, Surge of Light, and proper use of Inner Focus you can easily keep your mana high for when things get rough. Another thing about this build is that it is very flexable. You can easily move many talent points around and still achieve a very powerful raiding build.

Image:Shad Spec RoundIcon.png Shadow builds

Suggested Major Glyphs:
Maximum DPS Shadow Raiding Build (14/0/57) [Current as of 3.1.1A]

This build has every single possible talent that increases DPS and also has 2/2 Improved Vampiric Embrace for decent self and party healing that can help a lot in harder bossfights. If VE healing is not seeming useful the two points can be moved into Focused Mind for slightly better mana efficiency.

Focused Mind Raiding Shadow Spec (14/0/57) [Current as of 3.1.1A]

This build is every similar to the one above, but it sacrifices 10% range from Shadow Reach and 2/2 Improved Vampiric Embrace in order to gain mana efficiency from 3/3 Focused Mind (priest talent). ~Indianman of Frostmane~

Shadow Solo PVE Build (14/0/57) [Current as of 3.1.1A]

Excellent build for solo play. This build has maximum DPS with mana efficieny. Also Psychic Horror will help immensly against weapon classes.

PvP builds

Cookie-Cutter Disc PvP/Arena Build (57/14/0) [Current as of 3.1.1A]
This build is based on high Survivability, with great mana regeneration. Great for PvP and Arena.
Shadow/Disc Hybrid Build (PvP) (38/0/33) [Current as of 3.1.1A]
Defensive DPS spec, the priest can mitigate incoming damage with Shadowform as well as being able to protect themself and others with powerful Shields.
Shadow Cookie-Cutter PvP Build (17/0/54) [Current as of 3.1.1A]
Typical talents taken for a shadow damage PvP priest, going into discipline as far as Improved Mana Burn.

External links

Retrieved from "http://www.wowwiki.com/Priest_builds"