Spiritual Guidance: Hymns get revamped
by Matt Low 
Mar 15th 2009 at 6:00PM
Every Sunday (usually), Spiritual Guidance will offer practical insight for priests of the holy profession. Your host is Matt Low, the grand poobah of World of Matticus and a founder of PlusHeal, a new healing community for all restorative classes. Hymn of Hope is back in a new way! But it's not the only Hymn to get a face lift. Divine Hymn also underwent an overhaul!
Well guys, we got our Hymn back. Thank goodness. On a side note, I gave Mimiron a shot the other day (with the Sacco fellah again). We had to 9 man the guy on Normal. There was a bug where raids were unable to invite players into their group. The healers consisted of Disc Priest (me) and a Resto Druid. Yeah, the developers weren't kidding when they said 3 healers was going to be needed for normal mode Ulduar. We barely got into phase 2 intact.
Anyway, lets get back to our new look Hymns. Last week I wrote about Hymns that would have never been seen in game. Blizzard decided to not only give back Hymn of Hope but to redesign it.
Hymn of Hope
Old version: You recite a Holy hymn of Hope, restoring 2% mana every 2 sec to all party members within 40 yards. Lasts 8 sec. The Priest must channel to keep the hymn active.
Hymn of Hope redesigned: You recite a Holy hymn, restoring hope to those in despair. Restores 3% mana to 3 nearby low mana friendly party or raid targets every 2 seconds for 8 seconds, and temporarily increases their total maximum mana by 20% for 8 seconds. After the effect expires, the mana is lost. Maximum of 12 mana restorations. The Priest must channel to maintain the spell. Cooldown increased to 6 minutes, up from 5.
My first initial reaction was that this might lead to a stacking of Priests in raids much in the same fashion that Shamans were going into Sunwell. No doubt you've read about Shaman Mana Stream totems and Paladin Blessing of Wisdoms no longer stacking. Anyway, I dismissed the Priest stacking idea pretty quickly. The channeling effect remains.
Instead of restoring the mana of 5 healers, only 3 nearby players will get the mana restoration and mana buffness.
I'm scratching my head about the mana maximum increase. Assuming I'm the one that that's casting Hymn and needs the mana boost, I won't be benefitting from the boost. Why? Because I have to channel the Hymn for 8 seconds and the mana increase lasts for 8 seconds! Oh yeah, sure the raid wide effect of Hymn of Hope is nice. But I just have to say ugh. I guess the best way to ensure that you're a recipient is to completely tank your mana pool before busting the Hymn.
However, if the other Hymn recipients are healers who are also low on mana, then Hymn of Hope 2.0 (or 3.0) might be able to buy more time for your other healers since it does extend their pool. Paladins might be hitting the 30k mana threshold with the effect on. Then again, I don't think Paladins will be the first ones getting the Hymn.
I am not happy with this change. But, I will be happy to give it a shot. Unfortunately, this version of Hymn of Hope is not yet available on the PTR. Hymn of Hope is trainable again (when you see the trainer it has the letters PH next to it which I assume to mean placeholder).
Divine Hymn
Old version: You recite a Holy hymn, causing the closest 10 enemies within 15 yards to become incapacitated for 20 sec., and heals the closest 10 friendly targets within 15 yards for 348 every sec for 6 sec. Incapacitated enemies take 40% less damage while incapacitated and for 3 sec after the incapacitation ends. Damage caused may interrupt the effect on all incapacitated targets.
Divine Hymn redesigned: You recite a Holy hymn, summoning the power of the Divine to assist you in your time of need. Heals 3 nearby lowest-health friendly party or raid targets for 4960-5208 every 2 seconds for 8 seconds, and increases healing done to them by 15% for 8 seconds. Maximum of 12 heals. The Priest must channel to maintain the spell. Cooldown increased to 6 minutes, up from 5.
I kind of like this new mechanic. In a nutshell, it's similar to Hymn of Hope but instead of restoring mana, it restores health. Old school Divine Hymn was a big PvP spell. It essentially locked down nearby enemies and stunned them for 20 seconds or so. At the same time it heals friendlies around the Priest.
The new Divine Hymn is like a big, red "heal now" button. Having 5000 health back every 2 seconds means that players can go from almost 0 to 20000 health in under 10 seconds which is the health of most players. It's a pretty big jump either way. It's not a PvP spell anymore either since the stun effect has been removed. It's just a straight up health restore. Not only that, it increases healing done to them (or healing received) by 15%.Ideally, this spell would land on tanks. But it's extremely hard to control who gets it and the fights where this spell will shine is on Patchwerk type fights where only a select few players are sustaining damage.Heh, how overpowered would it be if it included a Last Stand type effect where it increased affected target's health by 20%?
Unfortunately, I can't find this spell anywhere in my spellbook on the PTR and it doesn't seem trainable at the moment. I suspect this and the updated Hymn of Hope will come out later.
Again, something tells me that this isn't going to be the last of the Hymn changes we'll see. So what do you think of these changes as they stand?
Want to find more great tips for carrying out your Priestly duties? Spiritual Guidance has you covered with all there is to know! And don't forget to check out our other Leveling Guides as well as our Wrath Guides and Galleries!Filed under: Priest, Analysis / Opinion, News items, Classes, (Priest) Spiritual Guidance
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Maxilimus Mar 15th 2009 6:13PM
The new Hymn of Hope would be great to get on Arcane mages during their Evocation phase, as evocation returns mana based on max mana.
Kaorael Mar 15th 2009 6:28PM
As I read it, Hymn of Hope returns 3% mana every 2 seconds, but that would be 3% of the expanded mana pool, or 3.6% of the normal one. That means that even if less people are getting the effect of the hymn, those people are getting almost double the effect of the old version. Doesn't look like a bad trade to me.
ObiChad Mar 15th 2009 6:33PM
How about using shadowfiend right before the hymn since its based on a percentage of max mana?
Wouldn't this also increase the effect of replenishment for those 8 seconds?
joe Mar 15th 2009 6:36PM
Hymn of Hope doesn't 'extend your pool' with the 20% increase, it just makes the effects of this hymn and other mana regen mechanics more powerful while the hymn is channeled.
Just wanted to clarify this as there seems to be a lot of confusion on the subject.
Seamus Mar 15th 2009 7:00PM
Thank god. I dinged 80 back in December and I have never used Divine Hymn. It's a terrible spell. Granted, I don't PvP that much anymore, but I understand it shares a cooldown with Psychic Scream. In an emergency type situation, which one would you choose to cast? Divine Hymn = Mass Dispel II.
Nikkodemus Mar 15th 2009 7:00PM
Yeah, it sounds to me like the Mana Pool increase serves no direct purpose on its own... But if those targets are ALSO getting a Replenishment benefit, then they will get increased returns from Replenishment while the Hymn is active, no?
vocenoctum Mar 15th 2009 7:01PM
That makes more sense, since I was wondering how you'd get back to 120% with this spell giving you 12%...
Still, I guess it will have some utility in a raid, but it really seems sort of pointless to me, just like the current one. The old Draenei one was instant cast, and not a lot of mana, but it was a nice side-effect, sort of.
Compared to replenishment or Innervate, it just seems lacking.
Aryn Mar 15th 2009 7:21PM
Well.. thing that alot of people are forgetting.. it's a regen based on a percentage. Same trick applies if you use, as a feral druid, survival instincts + frenzied regen, you're effectively healing more due to having a larger health pool.
Replenishment and other effects are based on a percentage. For that set time frame, you're getting more mana back because your max is higher. At least, I think that's the way it's probably designed for.
But my thoughts/numbers are PROBABLY off. Probably.
Johnzim Mar 15th 2009 7:23PM
The old Divine Hymn had next to no PvP use as it was hard to pull off, shared a cooldown with Fear and had an effect which most classes who PVP have a talented/gemmed/racial resist to.
The new one is something I'll use a LOT in Wintergrasp
Ditto for the Hymn of Hope.
buenoexcellente Mar 16th 2009 1:37PM
It had no PVP application? Yeah maybe if you are terrible. Divine Hymn was amazing. I'm just going to make a list.
Druid Berserk
Tremor Totem
Forsaken Rogues
Berserker stance
Fear Ward
Mage Armor
If nothing else it would make somebody stand still for long enough to eat 4 hasted mana burns.
Yeah it was clunky, but it actually gave us CC that worked. Which is probably why it was removed.
Johnzim Mar 16th 2009 3:58PM
Tremor Totem's get melee'd, Dispel eats most of those other effects. And rogues are dealt with by my rogue instead.
It's a valid tactic for dealing with Zerking but if you'd read my post you'd see the words "next to no" rather than "NO" application.
1.5 seconds channelling? I'd rather not be standing still against a zerking warrior or druid for the benefit of knocking out my fear which I could use when they exit those stances/effects.
Against a Warrior I'd normally be tanking or kiting him and seeing if I can't set up a situation where I can burn him down if he's away from his healer.
As I said, it's not that there's NO use for it but it's so situational that it needed a helping hand.
Thanks for calling me terrible though.
Robert Mar 15th 2009 7:28PM
Um, we still benefit from Hymn of Hope. The increase on total mana basically means we regenerate 3% + (20% of 3%) mana on each tick. Sounds like a win/win to me...
ramzoor Mar 16th 2009 11:36AM
It's a lose. It DOESN'T restore the priest mana.
Bizz Mar 15th 2009 7:51PM
As i see it, divine hymn will NOT shine at patchwerk, since it is vital that non-tank melee players have low health... this spell will surely cost you a rogue or a retridin... i think this would be great for thaddius (if you dont have to switch sides of course), KT (if people chain iceblock each other) or at Malygos after we all come out of the vortex... although that might be a waste of CD
yaminokishi Mar 15th 2009 8:42PM
Uh, no, Patchwerk only targets the #2 (and #3 on heroic) players on his threat list with hateful strike. The whole jump-in-the-slime thing is nothing more than a ridiculous myth.
The Claw Mar 15th 2009 8:49PM
"..since it is vital that non-tank melee players have low health."
No it isn't. Learn how the fight mechanics work.
The only time you have any reason to care about melee player health is if you're trying to do 25-man with only one hateful soaker instead of the traditional two. For normal kills (with one soaker in 10-man or two in 25-man), melee health is 100% irrelevant.
Bizz Mar 16th 2009 6:53AM
Omg!! noes don't hit me cuz i is ignorant!
Dawn Mar 15th 2009 8:05PM
I must be the only person who likes and uses Divine Hymn. I dislike this change =/ Just cause no one uses it or figured out when to use it doesn't mean it was bad. It was a great spell for raid healing, pvp and CC.
jellyphish Mar 16th 2009 9:03AM
/agree. being a pvp whore i'm going to miss that big fat incapacitate. it may be tough to pull off (the the shared cooldown on the fear bomb sucks), but it feels ssooo good to watch an entire arena team or bg squad take a nice little nap!
Dawn Mar 16th 2009 5:14PM
My favorite divine hymn moment was actually in pve. During 10 man nax, we didn't have great kiting classes for Gluth in Construct so we had a rogue running around with crippling poison. He went down after too many stacks and then moments later a decimate happened. Everyone was panicked and I ran after the zombie chow, threw divine hymn just hoping it would work and when I saw all the zombies stop moving and all the pretty green numbers start popping up all I could think about was some guy who was like 'do you -ever- use divine hymn? Its so useless' Yes... yes I do. And it's awesome.
I use it in pvp, especially against priest teams, but I raid as disc so it's my only good aoe heal (holy nova and prayer of healing being party specific) There have been so many times where I threw it up to heal the masses in Kelthuzad or multi-drake Sarth and it saved a bunch of people who were blocked or just taking too much damage because the holy priests with CoH were dead or weren't fast enough.
If they were going to change Divine Hymn, I would have asked for the cooldown to go to 3 minutes. But too many other priests qq'd it was useless. My opinion is... most people who play this game lack the creativity to really take their class above and beyond. And now we're losing one of my favorite spells because of it.