Dissension among the priest ranks
by Elizabeth Wachowski 
Mar 3rd 2007 at 3:48PM
Actually, only one priest, and he's sort of a tool. Pawne of Box Lunch on Dentarg says he'll never heal a shadow priest, and in fact refuses to group with them at all, which must make raids interesting. If the group he's in has a shadow priest, he makes the group kick them before he joins. As expected, all the other priests (shadow, holy and discipline) tear him apart for defying priest unity, having bad gear, not being 70, and pretty much anything else they can get their hands on. The Armory really makes making fun of people on the forums a lot easier.
The argument then descends into hilarity as the priests call him a bigot and he calls them nerds, as if arguing on a WoW forum didn't make everyone involved a nerd. Since Pawne has also posted that he doesn't like turning into a girl when he dies, I suspect he's either a clever troll or not exactly at the front of the line when brains were handed out.
I understand why some guilds don't like having all shadow priests -- you do probably need the majority of your healers to be healing specced if you want to be on the cutting edge of new content. Nevertheless, as a rogue, I love being grouped with a shadow priest, since vampiric embrace heals us when everyone else seems to have forgotten us. If I ever stop being lazy and level my blood elf priest, she'll be shadow until 70.
What do you think about shadow priests?
Filed under: Priest, Analysis / Opinion
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tolento Mar 3rd 2007 4:04PM
Shadow priests are great to have in your battleground or arena teams since they can actually defend themselves a bit. A dead priest heals no one.
Khanmora Mar 3rd 2007 4:06PM
I'm really upset with the changes to shadow priests in the next patch. My paladin's healing life was made much easier with VE and VT up but with the nerf having both up for any extended period of time will literally kill the priest when they pull a metric ton of aggro. Especially in groups with paladins who are single target healers having that back up aoe healing makes a huge difference on multiple target pulls and some boss fights.
Mats Mar 3rd 2007 5:18PM
Shadowpriest are somewhat odd to me. As a warlock, I love there shadow debuff, and shadowpriest love my CoS. However, as we both roll /Need on the same gear, we hate each other.
BTW, if you ever want to see a black morass run done to perfection. Take a Shadowpriest and two affliction warlocks along with a tank/healer.
atr Mar 3rd 2007 8:03PM
I'm a holy priest. I've always loved grouping with a shadow priest. Great off-healing, and they only drop out to heal when I'm out of mana or clearly having a tough time, and vampiric embrace is fantastic.
If I group with a second holy priest no matter what strategy we agree on we end up healing the same targets and wasting mana. I've decided I'm not doing that again unless we agree one of us actually focuses on dps, even if it is lacklustre.
Chris M Mar 3rd 2007 8:15PM
Same here, I'm holy spec'd, and hate grouping with other holy priests- not because we can't get along; but just because of the obvious waste of mana/time that goes along with two decent healers working in 'tandem'.
I don't often get to group with shadow priests Post-BC, but the few I have- are of course a blessing. DPS dealers that know how to handle their aggro and know (or have experience with) the burden of healing.
Chris
FadedReality Mar 3rd 2007 10:39PM
Personally I think writing an article about a ridiculous and massive fail of a troll is a waste of space, but that's just me. Shadow spec since level 10 and only now considering respeccing because I'm beginning to grow a fondness for being in charge of keeping everyone alive. That, and I don't care how much +healing and mp5 you've got on your gear, healing anything from Black Morass up is near impossible with 0 talent points in the holy tree.
Rich Mar 3rd 2007 10:45PM
My buddy who I always quest with is a Shadow Priest. I am a Warlock so we love working together. I don't have to worry about healing since VE procs so often and when things do get bad, he can drop out and heal. We were running with some other friends through HFR and they were yelling at him that he should respec to holy because his healing abilities were insufficent. We were 4 manning it and he was level 61 at the time. I told him if he respec'd to holy before 70, I'd drive to Mississippi and introduce him to my foot.
seansanve Mar 4th 2007 12:54AM
As a mage, I love any other damage caster in my group. For the new five-mans, I prefer to be in a group with two casters and either hunter or rogue. I have found instances to be so much faster with two damage casters in them instead of the rogue/hunter combo. Just tonight I ran Black Morass with both a Shadow and Holy spec'd priests, along with a Hunter and a Warrior. It was an awesome run and I say the more damage casters out there, the better!
chris poloncic Mar 4th 2007 3:37AM
I played a shadow priest to 62. Grouping with a healer was a lot of fun. He/she could main heal, I'd VE healed and dropped shadow when needed. I never ever had anyone heal with me in the party that complained. The VE made the healer's job cake. After the constant nerfs, I rolled a warrior. "broke" class to "broke" class.
Very very often, I ran into groups that had lower level priests who would cock block me from grouping with them because they thought I was after healing gear.
priest Mar 4th 2007 4:10AM
I am holy and always have been, for 3 priests now. I like grouping with shadow priests as the VE really helps keeping things ticking over.
Now, what I can't stand is the shadow priest who, when being beaten on, sticks on a shield and WONT drop out of shadow form to heal themselves. And, yes, I've seen that too often. So they are good to group with but I find they tend to have a negative view of healing too often - maybe that's just my bad luck?
Zka Mar 4th 2007 6:51AM
I'm sick and tired of the retards in the priest forums. That sums it up well. Shadow priests are good in raids and in 5 mans aswell. Refusing to group with one is just extremely stupid. Spirit of redemption IS VERY USEFUL. Not being able to heal because it blocks the view??? WTF? 1) Learn to zoom out 2) when you're rooted and invulerable wtf you need to see except the green bars to heal??? Learn to heal. Stop the whine PLEASE.
priest Mar 4th 2007 7:28AM
"Not being able to heal because it blocks the view" I find that very weird because I thought that most priests were like me - you "heal" the group portraits, or the CTRaid bars. You don't search the screen for the target, takes waaaay too long.
I think we have to assume this priest on the forum is a complete (sorry to use the word) noob.
Breakfats Mar 4th 2007 9:54PM
as a mage, I recently pugged Shadow Labs with 2 shadow priests, a warrior and a pally...I have to say "just awesome". Definitely one of my most memorable instance runs ever.
Gitr Mar 5th 2007 11:10AM
I am a Shadow Priest, level 63 now, and the easiest BC 5-man I had was when I ran with a Resto-specced Druid with BWL gear. I healedabout 80% of the total healing with about 90% of it wasted, but the only people the druid healed was the tank, and thankfully, me when I drew some pissed off mobs. Unlike #11, we agreed that he should heal me because I will continue to heal others as I bubbled and dished out more damage. I kind of became an OT at times.