Midnight Buffs: Holy Priest, Paladin, Resto Shaman Update
Midnight Buffs: Holy Priest, Paladin, Resto Shaman Update – Get practical tips, fresh ideas and expert insights from Wowcarry. Read the full article now.
By:
John Langan
Class Changes in the Latest PTR Patch
The recent PTR patch brought significant changes to several healing classes, including Holy Paladin, Restoration Shaman, and Holy Priest. These alterations aim to adjust the healing output and provide a more balanced gameplay experience.
Holy Paladin Adjustments
Holy Paladins experienced a substantial reworking in terms of their heal distribution. While the overall healing was reduced by 12%, several direct healing spells saw considerable buffs:
- Increased Healing Spells:
- Word of Glory: +25%
- Eternal Flame: +35%
- Dawn Light: +50%
- Sun's Avatar: +100%
- Reduced Incidental Healing:
- Hammer and Anvil: -50%
- Beacon of the Savior’s Absorb: -50%
Despite these changes, Paladins still heavily rely on spells like Holy Light to meet high healing demands, which can be mana-intensive. This might make achieving high levels of healing output challenging without running out of mana quickly.
Restoration Shaman Updates
Restoration Shamans also saw changes primarily aimed at making their healing more consistent. The adjustments involved reining in random elements and enhancing control over healing spells.
- Nature's Swiftness now synergizes with Stormtream Totem, providing more control during crucial moments.
- The chance for Stormstream Totem to proc from Riptide was reduced from 10% to 6%, with a 10% boost over Healing Stream Totem.
- Primal Catalyst and Healing Wave saw notable tweaks to align with these goals.
The emphasis on directed healing effects suggests a shift from splash healing to more controlled healing outputs.
Holy Priest Enhancements
Recognizing that Holy Priests have been lagging compared to other healers, several changes were made:
- Healing Spells Increased by 12%:
- Flash Heal
- Prayer of Healing
- Serenity
- Sanctify
- Renew
- Archon and Benediction Talents:
- Benediction ranks now increase cosmic ripple healing by 15% and 30%.
- Changes in Empowered Surges to control the power level and consistency of healing.
While these changes aim to balance direct healing spells and hero talents, they also address the excessive power that some talents previously held.
Comparative Overview
| Class | Notable Increases | Notable Reductions |
|---|---|---|
| Holy Paladin | Word of Glory, Eternal Flame | Beacon of the Savior, Splash Healing |
| Resto Shaman | Healing Rain, Chain Heal | Stormtream Totem |
| Holy Priest | Flash Heal, Serenity, Benediction | Cosmic Ripple, Archon Talents |
These changes represent a strategic effort to refine the roles and effectiveness of each healing specialization, aiming for a more engaging and balanced gameplay experience.
Holy Priest Adjustments and Expectations
The recent tuning adjustments bring attention to the Holy Priest's Prayer of Healing, which seems to be increasingly effective in comparison to Flash Heal. However, the overall impact of Prayer of Healing is still questionable, and its potential integration into builds remains a topic of interest. A notable build includes using prayer of healing talents alongside the ultimate serenity build in five-man content. This combination allows for moderate AOE healing, coupled with ultimate serenity's cleave effect, which can extend the benefits of Renew to the entire party. When combined with the Lasting Words talent and Renewed Faith passive, this setup boosts overall healing effectiveness by 10%.
- Ultimate Serenity Build: Provides cleave healing to four additional party members.
- Renew Application: Extends Renew effects to all allies, enhancing group healing potential.
- Renewed Faith: Offers a consistent 10% healing buff to the party.
The concern lies in whether the Prayer of Healing will become more impactful as a core talent in these builds. Initial impressions suggest positive changes, but further testing will determine the final outcome. The focus now turns towards the upcoming raid testing to evaluate how the Holy Priest stands against other healing specializations.
Current Healing Landscape
The overall performance of healing classes in raids and mythic dungeons is currently under scrutiny, with key players such as Preservation and Druids showing strong capabilities. Here's a brief overview of the healing landscape at present:
- Healing Specializations: Preservation excels in raids; Druids are dominant in mythic dungeons.
- Upcoming Evaluations: Raid testing will further clarify the standings and may prompt additional tuning adjustments.
These evaluations will guide any necessary changes, ensuring each class's distinct role within both raid and dungeon settings is maintained. The community anticipates further updates, as developers gather data and react accordingly to balance the healing ecosystem effectively.