Turning up Fade for Priests
by Mike Schramm 
Feb 27th 2007 at 10:43AM
Though this idea was put forth before yesterday's tease of a mystery buff, I still think it's a good one. A lot of priests are supporting the idea that when Blizzard looks at fixing Priest spells, Fade should be front and center.Currently, Fade is meant solely as a PvE spell-- the only thing it does is within the priest's party, so it's useless both solo and in PvP. But Maxx of Jubei'Thos suggests buffing it to make it more viable across the board. Some players say it should, like Feign Death, "untarget" priests who activate it, but Blizzard says that's a no-no because it confuses players without indicating what's happening. Maxx's idea is even better-- make Fade cause magic and physical attacks against the priest to miss 50% of the time (kind of like a Rogue's Evasion).
For people who think that overpowers Fade too much, Maxx has a solution: Fade would also give a debuff. Either it would make the priest miss 50% of the time as well, or it could do something like an anti-shadowform-- nothing but healing spells while Fade is activated. I think it's an interesting idea, and it's worth a look by the devs at least-- Fade is useless in everything but PvE right now, and tweaking it a bit wouldn't hurt. A few priests, however, say there are too many problems already to be messing around with Fade, and I agree with that as well. Neth, fortunately, goes right down the middle-- she likes the Fade idea (and is passing it to the devs), and realizes there are issues with, say, Circle of Healing.
Especially with all the +healing to be found in Outland, Fade is losing its utility. It shouldn't be the first priority, but making it more useful would help the Priest class all around.
Filed under: Priest, Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, Buffs
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
cheesebanana Feb 27th 2007 10:55AM
Yeh lets make feint viable in PvP as well.
QQ'ing priests.
Kludama Feb 27th 2007 11:05AM
QQ'ing priests? Dude holy priests are one of the most underpowered right now. Not damage wise but healing. Its sad that a class that is made to heal is getting beat out by other classes that don't need to place nearly as many talent points toward healing as priests do and priests are still beat healing. Something needs to change for the priests.
Ragbar Feb 27th 2007 11:07AM
"Fade is useless in everything but PvP right now"
Wait, what? I belong to a hardcore PvP guild with some great players, and I have yet to find or hear of a use for Fade in PvP =/
Dahlaine Feb 27th 2007 11:13AM
Why in god’s name haven’t they added a static buff to lightwell? There are like at least 5 good options for a 5-10 minute buff upon clicking of lightwell. Such as:
-health/5 effected by +healing
-Healing done to the target increased by +80(or around there)
-reduces physical dmg taken by 75 per hit
etc. etc.
At least make it as good as the cooking buffs
Synapse Feb 27th 2007 11:41AM
Night Elf priests have an ability called Elune's Grace that increases their dodge chance by 10% for 15 seconds. If they do decide to change fade they'll more than likely have to change the night elf priest racial too. Currently I don't know a whole lot of night elf priests who even has Elune's Grace on their toolbar. Although personally I do pop it in PvP when I see a rogue coming. Even so, Elune's Grace is no substitute for Fear Ward or even Desperate Prayer.
jevans Feb 28th 2007 11:50AM
I think it would be cool if fade was used in the same way as vanish for rouges. You would disengage from combat and stealth for a few seconds. It would work great used in combination with PS(fear).
Todd Feb 27th 2007 11:29AM
With all the changes being made since the expansion, many classes (including Priest) are being neutered, aside from say... the Warlock. Hopefully some major changes are in the works to make the Priest's primary profession, of being a support class with all the healing prowess, will be buffed up. If not, then it looks like non-healing specific classes will still outrank the Priest.
Maedhras Feb 27th 2007 11:43AM
Good idea!
While we're at it, let's make Unending Breath a DoT, Track Giants an instant nuke, taunt should be an I Win button for warriors in PvP, exorcise should hack undead player's account and ban them, soothe animal should make a server explode and detect magic should melt the Internetz.
Every class has skills that are useless except in very special scenarios. Get over it.
MattRossi Feb 27th 2007 11:45AM
1 - Feint is much better than Fade. Also, you have vanish. Priests don't. When a priest generates aggro by healing your stupid rogue ass, not by over-stabbing something but by keeping you alive, the only aggro dump he or she has is Fade. It hasn't scaled well at all.
Quite honestly, what do rogues have to bitch about in PvP? Nothing. You have problems in PvE, and some of those problems are stuff like cleaves that priests have to work to keep you alive through.
As a warrior, I'd support Fade being a permanent aggro dump instead of the temporary one it is. For PvP I wouldn't know how to fix it.
MattRossi Feb 27th 2007 11:48AM
7 - Come on. Fade being buffed is nothing like those scenarios you indicated.
Where does all this hate for priests come from? I've never played a priest, I'm primarily a warrior, but maybe that's why I like them. A talented and skilled priest can kill me in PvP, sure, and quite often too, but that doesn't mean a tweak to Fade would make them gods. Hell, if we're so worried about PvP overpoweredness, we should be nerfing rogues and warlocks and mages.
Why not just let the priests have a little love? Their main PvE role is keeping you alive so you can get your gear.
Rose Feb 27th 2007 10:35PM
No thanks. I already cancelled my account. Until they fix this class in a meaningful way, find another healer.
Thousands of other priests are doing the same thing. Vote with your wallet, the only real vote that counts!
Zuuler Feb 27th 2007 12:01PM
Warlocks have had their fair share of nerfs too, just most of them undocumented.
HOw about an easy fix, say, overall threat reduction to all healing spells for all priests? Or an ability like warlocks soulshatter which lets them dump aggro by 50%. Or maybe we should let them wear plate armor so they can keep up with the paladins.
min Feb 27th 2007 12:07PM
As a die-hard priest, I would like some love. With two HUGE nerfs coming in 2.0.10 (VE can no longer crit heal, and a 20 sec cooldown added to PoM) we are struggling that much more. This is not even counting the fact that the ability to downrank heals to conserve mana has been effectively eliminated.
I am 41 points deep into Holy which all but kills my ability to solo. I am a healing machine, but a druid in Tree of Life outheals me consistently.
Additionally, druids also have not one but TWO talents to stack their mp5 (Intensity: +15% mana regen while casting, Dreamstate: +10% of Intellect as mana regen while casting). Not to mention they have TWO HoT spells AND Swiftmend.
Meanwhile priests have Circle of Healing (Circle of LOLing) and Lightwell (LOLwell)... Need I say more?
We're not asking for BUFFS. We're asking to be the number one healers. That's why I rolled a priest, to heal. In the end-game this benefits ALL OF YOU so that we can keep you alive.
Work with us here, don't tell us to stop whining. Healing is crucial.
Acariquara Feb 27th 2007 12:06PM
9. We ARE nerfing Warlocks. And Mages. Rogues, OTOH...
Twinny Feb 27th 2007 12:07PM
warlocks avoided the nerf? lol!
we have taken the nerf bat in the ear like the slags we are for the last few content patches...
nerfing dots,
erfing felguards,
nerfing imps,
nerfing demonic tactics,
nerfing IMP IMP.
warlocks have taken a backwards pounding lately.
Krianna Feb 27th 2007 12:17PM
Seems to me that a lot of the folks who hate on priests depend on us the most-- you know, the ones who, in PUGs, charge forward right after you drained your mana healing them the FIRST time? Then whine that you didn't manage to a) keep them alive when you have no mana and b) keep you alive after you poured all your mana into healing them.
Most annoying example, new to the horde, is the "tanking paladin" who forgets he *can* heal and fails to listen to "out of mana". The next time a class that can heal dies with a full bar of mana, I'm going to have a nice, long chat.
If I'm ever foolish enough to agree to go in a PUG again, that is.
Todd Feb 27th 2007 12:25PM
@Maedhras
Heh, the Perception racial ability for humans is completely and utterly useless. Lasts 20 seconds, cooldown 3 minutes. Allows a for increased stealth detection. This isn't even worth the trouble in the early levels. At later levels there are potions that do this better and longer. This ability isn't even situational.
yuyevon Feb 27th 2007 12:27PM
that is a ridiculous comment.
there are many MANY talents that are only pve viable.
Kaylek Feb 27th 2007 12:29PM
Well, PoM should be a 5-10 second cooldown max, but that obviously isn't the point here.
When any class sees a nerf to something they start pulling out random PVE abilities and ask for PVP viability. I agree that fade should probably remove target, PVP is about confusion and the player who can keep up is the player who wins. It doesn't give a visible clue? What about the shine and fadedness? That's as good as any visual clue, and hunters have a couple ways of jinxing you into targeting their pet, so that's a stupid excuse to say they "don't want to confuse players."
If they don't want to confuse players without any indication of what's happening or why, they wouldn't be applying these 2.0.10 stealth nerfs or the pointless nerfs to priests. I call shenanigans and demand consistancy.
Steelhinge Feb 27th 2007 12:31PM
Before the expansion, my 60 disc/holy Priest was routinely being outhealed by hybrids. I remember once when someone in the guild said we couldn't do any 5-man's since there were no healers online! He meant there were no Druids or Shammies online. When i asked, he said Priests were only good for large raids, for buffs, debuffs, and BACKUP HEALS!
Then when the expansion came out, since i didn't take 2 weeks off, the guild left her in the dust. I tried to solo in the Outlands, but had a hard time killing one boar, let alone multiple mobs. Then insult to injury, she was kicked from the guild for not leveling fast enough.
So i parked her Undead butt in UC where she has become my AH mule. I send her cloth and let her buy and enchant things while the Troll Hunter quests and grinds to 70 and the BE Rogue levels and works on JC.
You sacrific so much to level and maintain a holy Priest, essentially becoming a group-only character. It is both thankless and expensive. The reward for that sacrific should be at least some small margin of excellence in the ability to heal. But such is not the case, which makes her not worth playing. So i no longer care how bad Blizzard nerfs the Priests.