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4th attempt at a priestFollow

#1 Mar 26 2010 at 9:34 AM Rating: Good
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Must be the time of the year, but AGAIN, I'm looking into finally being able to level a priest.

I have him decked in heirloom enchanted gear and trinkets, since I'm slowly moving my 80s to a new home ally side on a different server, I'm going Draenei, since they look cool, and I even have an awesome name for him this time around. I just know I won't make it past 25, but that's another story.

Sooooo, here goes. Does leveling disc make sense if I intend to quest or rather just go wand-master-shadow-specc until 20? Any tips appreciated, I'd really like to be able to make it this time round. I might even LFG lvl ... Disc or Holy?
#2 Mar 26 2010 at 11:04 AM Rating: Excellent
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In before Aethien comes in frothing at the mouth screeching SMITE SPEC FTW!!! Smiley: lol

You will make it to 80 this time. I'm fully confident that at the very least, we are cool enough for you to stick with your priest, just to hang out with us.

I don't know when the last time you tried a priest is, but since the end of BC when spell damage and healing became the same thing, it became a LOT easier to level a priest in any old spec you want. This is good news, because if your stumbling block before was not enjoying shadow (which, weird, but I've already adjusted to your being weird from that bit about Draenei being cool), you may find a Disc or Holy playstyle to be different enough to capture your interest. I leveled my last priest Disc (Shadow for the first one) and it was great fun because of its versatility. You can heal battlegrounds, heal instances, and solo quest in all the same gear and spec. This is something I miss when leveling alts whose efficient questing spec is melee and I need a second set of gear for healing.

If you do choose not to level as Shadow, you will use the so-called Smite spec. People define that in different ways but really all it means is you've got 2/2 Searing Light and the Smite glyph. You can do this as Disc or as Holy, depending on which style you prefer. My preference while leveling was to do this first, then straight up the Disc tree. I liked the extra bit of mana and stronger shields Disc offered while leveling. But Holy is great fun too. You will be pleasantly surprised by how much damage you can do with this spec while still being a kickass healer.

Your first 3 points go into Spirit Tap no matter what. Mix Eagle, Owl, and Whale gear until you get to Outland (with less emphasis on Stamina if you're not doing PVP). After that Spellpower - Int - Regen (MP5 for Disc, Spirit for Holy) and Stamina. You'll need the standard amount of Hit if you're doing anything offensively, and as far as Haste and Crit go, you kind of need to pick one until you get to a high enough level of gear to have meaningful amounts of both.

Hope that helps to get you started. Smiley: smile Give it some time, it's not like the pally where you just kick butt from day 1, but once you get rolling it's a whole different thing. I find my priest to be by far the most offensively capable healer I have, and that kind of balance is great fun to play.
#3 Mar 26 2010 at 12:38 PM Rating: Good
All our trees can work for leveling. I agree that Spirit Tap should definitely be your first 3 points.

However, my non-mainstream thinking follows....
Me personally, I consider instant shields to be a defining ability for a disc priest. I'd be different and the moment I got 21 talent points available, I'd respec all disc for Soul Warding. After instant shields, I could go back for spirit tap and follow what ever path I wanted.

If disc, your second defining spell is Penance, and again, I'd loose all points in my other trees to get it.

That's just what I'd do, and others probably disagree. The nice thing is that the choices you make aren't going to be game-breaking. It's playing the way you want to as you level, and having a bit of fun with it. Blizzard is moving to more flexibility with talents in Cataclysm, so people can feel free to mix it up a bit.

Edited, Mar 26th 2010 2:48pm by dadanox
#4 Mar 26 2010 at 1:17 PM Rating: Decent
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Just because I can;
Quote:
Your first 3 points go into Spirit Tap no matter what. Mix Eagle, Owl, and Whale gear until you get to Outland (with less emphasis on Stamina if you're not doing PVP). After that Spellpower - Int - Regen (MP5 for Disc, Spirit for Holy) and Stamina.

Nonononono. Not spellpower. Don't focus spellpower. You'll get plenty on your gear to get by with as a healer. Focus something fun, like int, crit or haste.
#5 Mar 26 2010 at 2:06 PM Rating: Excellent
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Mozared wrote:
Just because I can


Hee. You're just mad because I called you rude last week. Smiley: lol

I still consider spellpower to be king, always. But I can see, especially for Disc where your burst capability is already very high, the alternate point of view.

Dadanox, I did actually respec for Penance last time I leveled. Soul Warding I wouldn't do it for though, even though I agree with you that it's Disc-defining. I just don't see that many occasions while leveling that I need a shield more than once every four seconds, so desperately that I'd give up a strong smite or even spirit tap for it. If I did more instances while leveling it would probably be different.
#6 Mar 26 2010 at 2:48 PM Rating: Good
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Don't forget instances when you are leveling. With dungeon finder as a healer there is no waiting. With the quests I think I got almost a whole level with Ragefire Chasm alone.
#7 Mar 26 2010 at 3:15 PM Rating: Good
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teacake wrote:
In before Aethien comes in frothing at the mouth screeching SMITE SPEC FTW!!! Smiley: lol
No more needs to be said.
#8 Mar 26 2010 at 6:46 PM Rating: Decent
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I set my Draenei priest up for leveling as smite spec and did pretty much exactly what Teacake suggested. Spirit Tap, Holy down to Searing Light and then started down the Disc tree.

I'm at level 32 now and things are going great. Lots of offensive capability for questing or whatever and enough healing that on the rare occasions when I party up for an instance or just running with a friend or two, I can keep myself and friend(s) alive.

The additional offense when I did the respec was noticeable in that mobs that would take a while to get down began to fall very quickly.

And yes indeed, Draenei are pretty nice looking. She's 7-feet tall, can kick *** and in her Beguiler Robes she's very....beguiling. What's not to like?

I'd leave a link but it doesn't seem to be working so you'll just have to take my word for it. It's Moanalisa on Bronzebeard for the unnaturally curious.



#9 Mar 26 2010 at 8:08 PM Rating: Good
My second priest to level cap was a Draenei. She was better than my Night Elf priest, but no one is prettier than my little troll lady now. NO ONE!!

This time around, I actually respecced to full Disc at 47, from Smite Spec, because I turned out to be just chainrunning instances anyway and didn't really need Spirit Tap or better Smites or any of that jazz.

I guess it's all good. I've now leveled a priest at least most of the way in each spec, and played each spec at level cap. I want to level one in heirlooms now, though. Crazy, right?
#10 Mar 26 2010 at 9:43 PM Rating: Good
Kalivha wrote:
I want to level one in heirlooms now, though. Crazy, right?


Not at all. Now is the perfect time to do some fun projects prior to Cataclysm. Most people have some fairly nice gear for their mains by now. Take time to do what ever interests you.
#11 Mar 27 2010 at 8:47 AM Rating: Good
The Honorable dadanox wrote:
Kalivha wrote:
I want to level one in heirlooms now, though. Crazy, right?


Not at all. Now is the perfect time to do some fun projects prior to Cataclysm. Most people have some fairly nice gear for their mains by now. Take time to do what ever interests you.


Meh, my main just got Superior. I'm sort of focusing on her for the next week at least. And my shaman is pretty close to 80, too, and I feel like I'm getting the hang of that class. So I actually still have quite a bit to do.
#12 Mar 27 2010 at 2:27 PM Rating: Good
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Well, last attempt at priest began 2 months before WOTLK came out, stalled at 19, became my banker. A couple of weeks ago I tried to get him to move again, stalled at 23. He's hopeless that one for whatever reason. And now he's on the wrong server.

So new attempt was either Human, Dwarf or Draenei. Thing is Draenei DO look cooler than humans, but not as cool as dwarves, have a nice racial AND have a far better starting area than dwarves (new rolled rogue just hit 20, so I do have a very recent chapter of that one).

Going to try that specc you suggested Teacake. One step at a time, but this has to be the time I bring a priest to max level. Gogo PONTIFEX (alt's name, can't believe it wasn't taken).
#13 Mar 28 2010 at 7:01 AM Rating: Excellent
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LGarth wrote:
Human, Dwarf or Draenei


Smiley: disappointed


Welcome to the priest forums anyway, you filthy alliance scum.

Let us know how it's going. Smiley: smile
#14 Mar 28 2010 at 2:05 PM Rating: Good
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But, but ... TEACAKE, I just transferred my main and one alt to a new server, so I went alliance due to some friends being alliance. What was I to do??? XDXDXD

Anyhow, I'm taking it real easy, Pontifex is now lvl 8, still doubtful, but I AM going to persevere to 40 at least (I hope)
#15 Mar 28 2010 at 2:14 PM Rating: Good
You could make an alt on our server. Like everyone's doing.

Unless you're not EU. They should remove that restriction, really.
#16 Mar 28 2010 at 8:34 PM Rating: Excellent
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LGarth wrote:
But, but ... TEACAKE, I just transferred my main and one alt to a new server, so I went alliance due to some friends being alliance. What was I to do??? XDXDXD


Insist they faction change, obviously. Dur.
#17 Mar 28 2010 at 8:59 PM Rating: Good
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Oh, hello there Teacake.
What sort of time is it now where you are?








And obviously you should have rolled horde.
Although I guess some people need to roll alliance so I have people to gank.
#18 Mar 29 2010 at 12:36 AM Rating: Decent
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#19 Mar 29 2010 at 5:19 AM Rating: Excellent
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His Excellency Aethien wrote:
Oh, hello there Teacake.
What sort of time is it now where you are?


Right now? It's 7:19 AM and I'm supposed to be printing directions to the place I'm going this morning but somehow clicked Alla instead....
#20 Mar 29 2010 at 10:38 AM Rating: Good
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Thanks to not having played a Draenei for ages I'm enjoying myself a bit so far. Current status, Pontifex is lvl 11. I dread the 20-25 grind, which is where I've stalled my best attempts at leveling a priest. I'll know in 2 weeks I guess ...
#21 Mar 29 2010 at 6:56 PM Rating: Decent
Quote:
I guess it's all good. I've now leveled a priest at least most of the way in each spec, and played each spec at level cap. I want to level one in heirlooms now, though. Crazy, right?


I would say yes, but I've already made a new priest to lvl as disc once my holy one hits 80.
#22 Mar 31 2010 at 1:05 AM Rating: Good
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Very slow day at work for the past two days means that I've gone and put a lot of time on Pontifex. He's now sitting at level 20, which is three levels shy of my current best. Truth is, both the Draenei and Blood Elves hace great starting zones, with a pletora of quests without excessive running back and forth. Tried healing out in a random dungeon, and while it went ok, it was a little disturbing hovering at 15% mana most of the time, which is somehow what Blizzard intends to happen in Cata, going from "unlimited" mana to making mana a resource which will be harder to manage.

Got 4-5 questes left by Exodar, then I'll be done over there. I supposse it's off to Ashenvale for 1-2 levels then Tarren Mill. I'm just not at all familiar with Alliance leveling spots currently, but I think that sounds about right.
#23 Mar 31 2010 at 6:22 AM Rating: Excellent
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LGarth wrote:
Got 4-5 questes left by Exodar, then I'll be done over there. I supposse it's off to Ashenvale for 1-2 levels then Tarren Mill. I'm just not at all familiar with Alliance leveling spots currently, but I think that sounds about right.


You don't use Jame's add-on?
#24 Apr 06 2010 at 11:13 AM Rating: Excellent
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Aye, I know I probably should, but truth is for some reason even though questing is not necessarily fun sometimes, I prefer to waste a bit of time whilst retaining a hint of "freedom" whilst I level.

Anyhow, priest is now level 23, in Ashenvale. I'll have to move him soon-ish, but he can probably stay there for a level or two.

Incidentally, whatever happenned to the boat to Menethil? I hopped on one and ended up in Stormwind!!!!!

So, priest looking good, just taking it real easy to make sure I at least hit 40 on this one.
#25 Apr 06 2010 at 1:12 PM Rating: Good
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Try using Jame's if you haven't yet.
It takes you all over the world and i found it a very entertaining and relaxing way to level.
#26 Apr 06 2010 at 2:55 PM Rating: Excellent
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His Excellency Aethien wrote:
Try using Jame's if you haven't yet.
It takes you all over the world and i found it a very entertaining and relaxing way to level.


I agree. It took me a long time to pick it up, thinking it would end up feeling mindless (and like cheating) and not be engaging enough, but that hasn't been my experience at all. I've done a lot of quests using Jame's that I never would've found on my own. And with the frustration factor taken out of wandering around looking for stuff, and wondering if the drop rate really sucks this bad or if you're an idiot killing the wrong mobs, you get to enjoy the scenery more. It's like the difference between driving in traffic and getting to sit and look out the window. I wouldn't use it on my first character or the first character I leveled through an expansion, but for alts it is fabulous.

Edited, Apr 6th 2010 4:56pm by teacake
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