Simple questions. Simple answers. Complex questions. Flow charts.

[ezrast]

My resto shaman is approaching 80, and I'm wondering about spec for heroics/raids. Seems like the PvE resto spec is mostly cookie cutter, the only options being that you get to pick 2 of Elemental Weapons, Healing Focus, and Healing Way (I will spec out of Healing Grace). Once I'm geared I think Elemental Weapons will get cut because it's a pretty trivial effect, but in the meantime I figure 45 SP is 45 SP and I pretty much never cast HW anyway so I'd leave out healing way. I'll be running with lots of randoms most likely, so I intend to keep Healing Focus in case of bad tanks. Anything I'm not thinking of? Does it even really matter?

Also, I just respecced my secondary from PvE enhance to battleground resto, but I couldn't find any guides for that (all the PvP guides are for arena) so I pretty much just guessed at a spec. Seems to work pretty well so far, but am I leaving out anything important? Also, what do I do with my last two points after maxing Thundering Strikes? Guardian Totems? Nature's Blessing?

[K9]

For PvE 0/16/55 is really the best way to go imo. My shaman.

Assuming 10 points in Enhance for Ancestral knowledge and Thundering Strikes as a baseline, as you go down the resto tree you'll hit 38 points like so. Here you are better off taking Healing Way because frankly sources of pushback are uncommon at level 80 in PvE; and since the changes to pushback it is much much less of an issue. Healing Wave isn't a spell you will use lots, but unlike GHeal for priests it is a spell you will use sometimes. If nothing else having an extra 25% on Healing Wave for when you pop it with nature's swiftness is helpful, and there will be times when you want the extra throughput and can use tidal waves for the cast speed increase. If you get to T10 gear levels then healing wave becomes quite fun. With over 1K haste and the T10 2-set healing waves come down to nearly a 1s cast after riptide, which is some evil HPS, and you can support that level of healing for periods with T9+ level gear.

After filling out the Resto tree you should have 6 points left. Your options are improved shields, elemental weapons and healing focus. Personally I prefer the former two since I don't find pushback to be a noticable problem, but you can move points around between any of thosee three talents and healing way (they are all three point talents and you'll have 9 points to spend on them) and most outcomes will be comparably effective.

No ideas for PvP though sorry, Disc priest is for pvp for me.

[Rasix]

My shaman.  Built specifically for 5 mans.   Mostly I just sit back, pop an earth shield on the tank and riptide the retard DPS that manage to stand it something  (or the ever present tap-tap-tapiity warlock).  Gear is kind crappy (haven't played him for a month, since my tank friend disappeared), but he's never had a problem.  Only wipe was when I fell off a bridge.  

edit: Just to add, I hated healing on the shaman early on, but it's just so easy and surprisingly flexible. Perfect 5man healer.

[Selby]

My Shammy.  Healed all the way through Saurfang in ICC-10 without issue.  I prefer the no push-back vs. the extra healing on my Earthliving weapon, but that's just me.  Heals heroics like it's no one's business and does just fine in all raids.  I spam chain heal a bit to get the speed buff, then use the quick cast time for big heals on the tank (done both tanking and raid healing without issue).

[Sheepherder]

edit: Just to add, I hated healing on the shaman early on, but it's just so easy and surprisingly flexible. Perfect 5man healer.

Yes, it's a little touch and go before you start getting serious gear, but afterwards your mana regen and chain-healbombing is ridiculous.

[Dren]

Joining the wagon on shaman healing.  I have one too for heroics and it is really nice.  We have several for raiding that top the healing charts easy peasy.  They really are all about the gear.  I turned that corner probably 2-3 months ago.  Now, no issues.  I have even healed bad groups at hHoR.

[Minvaren]

Ran Oculus for the first time yesterday.  I totally understand why people ditch/hate it, but it was novel at least.

Two questions:

1] First ring with all of the trash - all the little whelps are casters and are a PITA to round up for the slaughter.  Warrior tanking suggestions?  Multiple spread-out casters seem to be a weak spot for Warriors.

2] Drake madness on the final boss : I've read that 1 red/3 bronze/1 green seems to be common - is this the recommended "no headaches" config in randoms?

[Evildrider]

2] Drake madness on the final boss : I've read that 1 red/3 bronze/1 green seems to be common - is this the recommended "no headaches" config in randoms?

Pretty much, you can get away with just 2 bronze, but you really need that time stop.

[Lantyssa]

1] First ring with all of the trash - all the little whelps are casters and are a PITA to round up for the slaughter.  Warrior tanking suggestions?  Multiple spread-out casters seem to be a weak spot for Warriors.

The whelps are pretty weak.  Tag what you can, but your DPS should be able to handle a few on them and burn them down fairly quickly.  Focus on the dragonkin then clean up the whelps.

[Selby]

1] First ring with all of the trash

To reiterate, the whelps are non-elites and DPS should be able to handle them after they've pulled aggro from them.  Concentrate on the elites in the pack and get them down first.  It does require some thought from your DPS and healer to get through it, but not too much.  It's just a general annoyance more than anything.

[Minvaren]

Thanks!  My original strat was to focus on the 3-4 elites, but the healer was complaining about getting hit.  I was figuring he'd prefer the whelps on him to the elites, but I thought I'd ask, as I am addicted to the heals.

Upgraded the legs to 232 tonight, set bonus ftw.  The stat boosts on 200+ level stuff are freaking nuts.

[Selby]

While true, the DPS needs to be focusing on the whelps since they have like 12k health and die quickly.  Technically it's their fault ;-)

[K9]

2] Drake madness on the final boss : I've read that 1 red/3 bronze/1 green seems to be common - is this the recommended "no headaches" config in randoms?

You can do almost any setup of drakes now and win. 5 amber works well, 4 ruby and 1 emerald is good too.

[Sheepherder]

Re: Whelps.

HANDLE IT!

Seriously, if your healer is bitching tell them to man up, they're fucking non-elite whelps.

[apocrypha]

As a healer, if I get 5 whelps on me that are being ignored by the tank then I can keep myself alive. That's it.

If said tank has run halfway round the start area and pulled 3 packs of elites in the meantime then they're gonna die, tough shit. Come get these whelps off me or prep for release.

[Wolf]

whelps have like 20k health, a dps can burn this down in seconds and there are generally three of us around :)

[Dren]

Holy Paly - no issue really.  If you are worried, Beacon yourself and heal the tank.
Druid - HoT up and Barkskin
Shaman - get in the middle of everything and aoe heal with some Riptide
Priests - get in the middle of everything and Holy Nova w/ a shield up

There is nothing in that trash that will cleave or one shot you so stand on the tank and allow him/her to pull everything off you.

*Edit:  Yes, I heal with all 4 of those classes in heroic randoms.

[Xanthippe]

What effects in particular do I need to turn down so my computer doesn't choke in 25 mans, but I can still see what I'm standing in?

[bhodi]

You can turn EVERYTHING down, just make sure the "Projected Textures" box remains checked.

[Wolf]

just a note - particle whatever (density?) really helps on Sindragosa bombs.

[ezrast]

5 amber works well

Wait, seriously? The time I got Ruby/Emerald Void we were all on Vent, the group leader meticulously gave all of us super-specific instructions, and we still wiped probably 15 times. I'm pretty sure this was before drakes scaled with gear - are the fights really that much easier now, or were we doing it wrong?

[K9]

They are just that much easier

[apocrypha]

Yeah you gotta have a paper bag over your head to fuck up the Malygos fight now. Did Ruby Void today on my pally, without even realising we were doing it. I was wondering why keeping them healed was a bit harder than normal.

[Rasix]

Easy way to get Emerald Void is to just dismount at the chest area and heal from there.

[Kageh]

Ran Oculus for the first time yesterday.  I totally understand why people ditch/hate it, but it was novel at least.

Two questions:

1] First ring with all of the trash - all the little whelps are casters and are a PITA to round up for the slaughter.  Warrior tanking suggestions?  Multiple spread-out casters seem to be a weak spot for Warriors.

Yes, they are a weak spot. From my warrior tank perspective: I use the TC glyph for the extra 2 yards range, and it helps a lot with groups like those. Try rounding them up and position yourself so that the initial Shockwave hits as many as possible. Use Cleave (might want to look at the glyph for hitting a third target) and move a bit around between them, shield slamming and devastating as they are available. Not much more we can do sadly. On heroic difficulty, the mobs in Oculus drop very fast. Practice moving and smacking, you will need that for groups of similar composition later on - most notably the 2 caster groups after Ick in PoS, and the spectrals in the HoR main room.

[Nebu]

For you hunters: I've been playing my hunter a lot more lately and find that, using marksman spec, that I burn through mana at a pretty alarming rate.  My toon is geared almost entirely in WG and honor gear for pvp, so I don't have any tricks to keep my mana pool up.  I think my GS is about 3400 and I have like 22k hp and 10k power wearing resiliance gear.  

Any suggestions?  If I do a daily in this gear I can burn through my mana bar in about 2-3 mobs using serpent sting, chimera shot, arcane shot, kill shot

Let me modify the question:  Will switching to survival or BM spec allow me to maintain a more consistent level of dps by decreasing the time needed to drink?  I have no interest in doing anything but heroic 5-mans.  I want to be the most efficient dps that I can.  While marks seems great for spike dps in pvp, it may suffer from downtime in cases where you're always on the move. 

[Minvaren]

Yes, they are a weak spot. From my warrior tank perspective...

Already have the two glyphs you mentioned.  Got some practice in playing "tag" with casters in FoS and PoS last night - as long as they watch the targets I mark, we're good, but there were a couple of "oh hell" moments when they didn't (WTB Glyph of Commanding Shout plz).  Thanks again for the advice. 

[Musashi]

For you hunters: I've been playing my hunter a lot more lately and find that, using marksman spec, that I burn through mana at a pretty alarming rate.  My toon is geared almost entirely in WG and honor gear for pvp, so I don't have any tricks to keep my mana pool up.  I think my GS is about 3400 and I have like 22k hp and 10k power wearing resiliance gear.  

Any suggestions?  If I do a daily in this gear I can burn through my mana bar in about 2-3 mobs using serpent sting, chimera shot, arcane shot, kill shot

Let me modify the question:  Will switching to survival or BM spec allow me to maintain a more consistent level of dps by decreasing the time needed to drink?  I have no interest in doing anything but heroic 5-mans.  I want to be the most efficient dps that I can.  While marks seems great for spike dps in pvp, it may suffer from downtime in cases where you're always on the move. 

Well one problem is trying to PvE in Resilience gear.  A lot of a hunter's int gets chopped out of the budged for PvP stuff. 

Honestly the best spec for DPS is Marksman.  I'm pretty sure it's the more mana efficient than Survival, as you're pretty much spamming Steady vs. interrupting your rotation every time Lock and Load procs.  I don't know if you're using Viper as much as you can in between pulls, but it helps a ton.  In that gear, you're just going to be out of mana unless you switch to Beast Mastery.  And then your DPS will be dogshit.  But dogshit is still good enough for heroics.  Another Marksman tip is make sure you use Rapid Fire for gaining mana back - assuming you have that talent - which you should.  If you've used it and you still need mana, you can pop your readiness and use it again.  I guess if you have a Marksman PvP build, you might not have that talent.

If that's the case, I highly recommend you have separate PvE and PvP builds if you plan on doing both.  If you want, use my hunter for talent reference.  Both my Marks and Survival are pretty much cookie cutter PvE.  You may need to decide on a couple points in Focused Aim if you're short on hit, which I am not anymore.

[WindupAtheist]

Yeah, I had separate PVE and PVP builds with my paladin. Both retribution, and I wore my PVP gear for both. I think last time I checked I was doing like 3k DPS, which ain't shit but was still way better than the average DPS puggy.

[Musashi]

Yea, my Pally doesn't have nearly the mana issues my Huntard does.  All going away with Cataclysm, thankfully.

[Ingmar]

Hm, my hunter isn't 80 yet, so grain of salt and all that, but I find that with prudent use of aspect of the viper I don't have to drink really.

[pants]

For you hunters: I've been playing my hunter a lot more lately and find that, using marksman spec, that I burn through mana at a pretty alarming rate.  My toon is geared almost entirely in WG and honor gear for pvp, so I don't have any tricks to keep my mana pool up.  I think my GS is about 3400 and I have like 22k hp and 10k power wearing resiliance gear.  

Kinda disagree with Mushashi - I find SV is better for mana due to it having replenishment.  It also is generally better DPS at lower gear levels, especially if you have a sub-ilvl232 weapon.  MM comes into better DPS once you start getting all 232 and higher gear.

But I do agree with not pveing in pvp gear - work on your T9 gear.  2 piece T9 is fantastic, and getting extra int will help.  10K mana is pretty low - I run at 14K unbuffed (albeit in ICC 10 man gear).

If the mob(s) has a mana bar, don't be afraid to put viper sting on em - that'll get your mana back fast without hurting your dps.

Use aspect of the viper between fights - I have viper/dragonhawk macroed and swap between them between pulls.

If you're not scared of theorycrafting a bit, check out either the hunter DPS spreadsheet from EJ or its online equivalent for a good place to play with gear and specs and see what will theoretically work best.

[Jeff Kelly]

I am still a bit confused about Raid Healing.

As a priest I usually am holy specced for group heal in Raids. In fights with a lot of group damage I still struggle to keep everyone alive.

Examples: The newly buffed ship fight in ICC, Festerguts poison cloud, the trash before festergut and rotface, the AoE of the new archavon's chamber boss etc.

I have read most guides including the elitist jerks one, am currently at 5300 Gearscore (nearly green for ICC 25) and I still feel like I am struggeling and not pulling my weight as I should. In a three healer configuration I am usually last in heal/s and total heal even when paired with similarly geared healers.

My setup is healbot mostly and x-perl for raid and group frames.

The recommended rota for group damage according the the EJ forum is PoH, CoH, 1 or two Flash Heals and then PoH and CoH again. Then rest until the next burst phase.

I have several issues with that.

1. PoH only targets a group takes long to cast (even with haste and serendipidy up) and doesn't add much more health than a flash heal, it's usually only wortwhile to start with if I have three stacks of serendipidy up (which is recommenden by EJ).

2. CoH is a bit of a gamble because of the target selection and the limited range also the amount healed is not more than flash heal.

Rest of the rota is pretty straightforward.

Even if I time the start of the rota perfectly some times what I initially heal is not enough to stop someone from dying, especially cloth weares since the next damage wave starts before the rota is finished. Shielding as holy is seldom an option because of GCD and the cooldown on PW:S. Flash healing everybody takes to much time and burns my mana too fast.

At last night's festergut attempt I had a really hard time keeping everybody alive through the first waves.

So simply put, how do you approach healing fights with a serious amount of continuous group damage? What could I do differently to up my game?

[Selby]

So simply put, how do you approach healing fights with a serious amount of continuous group damage? What could I do differently to up my game?

As a raiding priest with "not the best" gear, I'll offer what I can.  I've healed through Rotface with ease.  Simply put, renew and shields are your friend.  The entire raid should have weakened souls at all times.  PoH I like, but that 2.5s cast time kills it from being an effective heal if people are going down quick (it's good to pre-cast for things like Decimate or Pungent Blight, things you KNOW will cause massive damage after a certain period of time).  I spam Flash Heal quite a bit, because with decent haste you can get the cast time down to ~1.2s or so, which is a very quick heal.  Some use Binding Heal, but I rarely use it and haven't had any encounters where I feel I *need* it.  While I am disc, none of the abilities I mentioned are exclusive to it like Penance (which I use when up for big heals).

[Jeff Kelly]

The strategy will not work as holy (my secondary spec is disc so I know the differences at least a little bit)

PW:S in Holy Spec has a cooldown of 4 seconds (as opposed to the disc version being on the GCD which is 1s with enough haste) and uses 23% of base mana (or about 900 mana in my case)

You simply cannot shield fast enough and even if you could you'd eat through your mana pool fast.

Problem is the initial damage plus everything which comes next. Decimate for example some party members are below 10% health after Decimate (especially cloth wearers) even a tiny amount of damage before PoH hits will kill them.