Disc priest utterly lost

[projecthate]

While I don't have a Cata-level priest at the moment (he's still 76 because I was too bored of wrath to finish leveling) I would just like to say I completely know where you're coming from as an 85 resto druid. After nearly every pull, even with great CC and a well geared tank I need to drink because I don't have enough mana for the next pull (or I'm completely out, which is sadly more often the case). I've tried all the strategies I've heard/read about and none seem to be notably better on mana efficiency.

I appreciate a challenge, but this is ridiculous. Hopefully Blizzard will come to realize that they're probably alienating many of their healers. with such extreme changes and will scale them back.

As to the responses citing that gear levels will affect healing abilities/mana efficiencies, I believe this is wrong. Several other resto druids that have higher average item levels than me have told me that their heals cost more mana than mine and say that the costs continue to scale with increased item levels. There may be a point at which stats on the gear start scaling more than the increased mana cost, but who knows.

[tuangd]

I am having the same problem on mana issue,
but this is how I deal with it, have to pull out all the tricks

I speced into this
http://www.wowhead.com/talent#bfhzrosbfRMochMZb:qmc

- even though evangelism helps cut mana usage, but in the process you use more mana to get that stack up to 5, so until I get more mana regen
I'll just cut down evangelism

- eat spirit food, and drink spirit elixir, helps a ton

- Power Infusion yourself

- Inner focus and use Greater Heal, will most likely crit and buy you more time to heal

- Barrier(glyped) + Pain Sup in tight situation (if you can, PI yourself, Inner focus and GH galore)

- Hymm of Hope before using your shadowfiend to get more mana back

- I know mana potion is sky rocket high price right now but 10K mana is not something to look over, use it if you can.

- run normal to gear yourself up if you can, running heroics in green is kinda painful

finally you will in the end feel better when you have more gears.

hope it helps

[MidgetMage55]

After playing with it a bit i settled in to a good cycle. The key component in this is using CC when possible as it helps quite a bit.

General tank healing I throw shield, PoM (always try to keep on CD as stated above) and I'm specced in to Strength of soul. Soon as my shield lands I cast heal on the tank. Takes some time off weakened soul. Twice if able to and it kills weakened soul all together. Then as PoM and Shield are starting to become opposites i will toss in Heal where i can to kill the debuff. Penance as needed. Inspiration from holy will help as well if your crit is high enough.

I find i use Inner focus and Power infusion much more regularly. It helps. Heavy Aoe battles are still the hardest. Well placed Barrier and IF with PoH (guaranteed divine aegis) usually does the trick though if the tank likes to move a lot it can mess that up.

Average fight using this i use up to maybe 20% mana. Though with leap of faith i can lower that since its usually silly ranged DPS not being willing to move and hoping I'll just "heal through it" that jacks that number up.

I plan to try the Smite/archangel/atonement combo later this week when im feeling frisky and will report back my take on it.

[Marthisdil]

Originally Posted by projecthate I appreciate a challenge, but this is ridiculous. Hopefully Blizzard will come to realize that they're probably alienating many of their healers. with such extreme changes and will scale them back.

Healers had it too easy the past few years. Any healer that doesn't admit that, well, I dunno what to tell ya.

Cata is a challenge for everyone - aggro is harder to keep up, healing is harder to keep up. The game is more enjoyable knowing that you have a chance to die if you don't play BETTER than you have before.

If you don't like the challenge, then perhaps you need to quit playing WoW now and find another game. WOTLK became a joke, Blizzard saw this, decided to make it hard again to force people to pay attention, play better, etc, and so it is what it is.

[Seerah]

Not a priest, but... I feel like I have to conjure water again. Before Cata, I stopped bothering since I never needed it... Yeah, we'll have to stop to drink, but it gives groups breathing time, catch up time, looting time...

As Marth said, WotLK was too easy. Before, you used to have to stop to drink every few pulls.

[Duugu]

- Skip any Smite talents/activities. They are a waste of time/hps/mana.
- Act proactive with low mana costs - not reactive with high mana costs. Start casting Heal even if the tank is in a good shape and abort the spell if necessary.
- They want you to use Heal - so USE IT. Use PW:S and then Renew + permanant Heal/GH.
- Throw in a Penance if needed (don't use it on cooldown ... it's a waste of mana).
- Use FH as a panic spell only.
- If the group is taking damage (!) use PoM on cooldown + Renew. Don't use PoM if only your tank is taking damag ... it's a waste of mana.
- Use PoH as a panic spell only.

[Xrystal]

Originally Posted by Seerah Not a priest, but... I feel like I have to conjure water again. Before Cata, I stopped bothering since I never needed it... Yeah, we'll have to stop to drink, but it gives groups breathing time, catch up time, looting time... As Marth said, WotLK was too easy. Before, you used to have to stop to drink every few pulls.

Oh my I remember that Seerah .. oh I killed a few mobs .. oh, no mana .. drink up time rofl.

CCd mobs = less damage = less mana use . Tie that into juggling which spells to use when and utilise as many of your procced freebies as possible. Believe me it helps.

[Astrocanis]

Originally Posted by Marthisdil Healers had it too easy the past few years. Any healer that doesn't admit that, well, I dunno what to tell ya. Cata is a challenge for everyone - aggro is harder to keep up, healing is harder to keep up. The game is more enjoyable knowing that you have a chance to die if you don't play BETTER than you have before. If you don't like the challenge, then perhaps you need to quit playing WoW now and find another game. WOTLK became a joke, Blizzard saw this, decided to make it hard again to force people to pay attention, play better, etc, and so it is what it is.

Agreed. But, while tanking became a little harder, healing became a LOT harder. And, to my recollection, there were a lot of very bad tanks in LK. I don't see that stopping much. I see there being fewer tanks. [edit] Sorry - that wasn't very clear. I see a lot fewer tanks because only two types will continue: those that are so dense that they really don't get it that they aren't good at tanking and those who are very stubborn.

As to healing - I have 5 of them. And I've pretty much stopped. I healed all through Vanilla, BC, LK but I am simply not enjoying the regression progression (pardon me there). I don't mind watching my mana. I object to the tools I'm forced to use. GC, in his almost infinite wisdom (and stellar ability to make George Orwell look like a piker) has given us "hard choices" by essentially removing all choice. That bugs the daylights out of me.

So, unless I can figure out how to have fun healing again, I'm done with it. The community is just fine without me, I won't be missed. Although my guild still isn't raiding because, you guessed it, we don't have the healers. My tank, close friend and officer in the guild keeps calling me asking me to level my healers. Not motivated to. I am not captivated by the new areas, I think the linearity of the quests will make leveling alts even less desirable and, in general, I don't care much for the quality and bugginess of the quests.

I'll just level a ton of alts to 60, I guess. The lowbie quests, at least, are relatively interesting.

[Psychoholic]

I just started again on a new account and my priest is level 65. I was leveling only through dungeons.

On level 15-25, I was oom after every 4-5 pull. I didn't have to drink anymore at lvl 30+. Now, when i join hellfire ramparts, I don't have to do more than shield the tank and smite away. And I don't run room through the whole instance.
It couldn't be easier right now.
Does it really get that hard at 85?

[Dawn]

As I said, in this topic before. Proper stats on gear and item level will make things easier. A freshly 85 might struggle though. Less so, if you level'ed up through dungeons (and therefore are in full blue gear when hitting 85), though.