Outside of Divine Guardian (whose awesomeness I can't dispute) I'm not sure Pally utility is all that special anymore. I mean, yes, the Hand spells (Freedom, Protection, Salvation, and Sacrifice) are very useful, but I could probably count on one hand the number of times they've been useful in a raid. Auras? Almost entirely replicated by other classes, mainly Shamans.

No argument about having to shift out of Bear form to use your utility spells being uncool, though.

@Hal

You must not play a paladin. I use my Hand spells ALL the time. As a Healer, I throw Protection on the tank to mitigate the damage from a Mangle, as well as use it on a healer who is getting mauled by adds (such as in Magmaw and Maloriak) if the tank's having trouble rounding them up. As a Tank, I use it on antsy melee DPS if they're not listening to my "Watch your threat" orders, and on healers if a pull goes bad.

Hand of Sacrifice is probably the first button I hit when tanks start getting roughed up, usually followed by Divine Protection. The damage reduction is equal to their middle cooldown. I'll throw it on another tank when I'm not tanking anything, for example...on the tank currently tanking Halfus when he and I are swapping threat because of Mortal Strike. If a healer's getting roughed up by something (like the Eagle Boss in ZA), I'll throw it on them and pop a CD, even as DPS.

Hand of Salvation is less useful, but has its moments. I use it in tank switch moments when I'm pulling off the other tank.

Hand of Freedom is useful whenever you're slowed by something. It doesn't happen much in this tier, but I used it all the time in ICC. (Rotface goo tank and Sindragosa tank come to mind)

Utility doesn't just mean Hand spells either. As a Healer, I've gotten into the pattern of Taunting Chimeron and popping Divine Protection just before he goes into the burn phase so that I am the first one to die, and people who can do actual damage to the boss will live longer. Other healers can't do that. Lay on Hands is fantastic for clutch moments, no matter your spec.

Pallies have a buttload of utility that other classes don't. I feel so naked and helpless when I heal on my Shaman or tank on my Warrior.

Absolutely, Jolly. Innervate is a great utility? Really?

I'd willingly sacrifice Innervate for a silence.

In current content, hand of freedom is great if you get waterlogged on Ascendant Council, and if you're on Nezir in Council of Winds. Also, on Al'Akir, if you need to run across an ice patch due to the knockback or a squall line.

In Wrath, Innervate was great for my bear. When the healer was low between pulls, I'd innervate and we'd get back to stuff much quicker than having to pause.

I lost interest in bear for cata and went resto instead, so can't speak to now. I don't think it does as much as it used to, so even that in-between-pulls wouldn't do much I think.

I should say "as a protection paladin" then. I'll hit Hand of Freedom if I'm getting rooted, but with the others, I'm typically too busy to worry about using the other buttons. It's just generally too much to find the offending parties on the screen in order to hit them with the right spell.

meh, is my answer.

Yes sure the Q and A was pretty pants, but who expected it not to be?

AS far as bear utility, it kicks arse. You can Bres, you can innvervate (which is being changed to be semi-useful for feral to chuck on others) and you can cc and so on, you just have to time it well. Even on most boss fights you can still manage to get off a Bres even whilst tanking if you time it well with boss swings and tell your healers you are shifting for a second of two. Its not ideal, but I generally find a time to do it without a problem.

Also, I LOVE being able to shift to kitty form and dps when not needed to actively tank. We are the ONLY truely hybrid talent spec, embrace it.

Do i think things need to be fixed? sure, but the sky is not falling, we are perfectly viable. A ranged silence would be nice, but I manage to live without it.

Innervate WAS great utility, back in Wrath. Then Blizzard nerfed the amount of mana it would return for Bears and Cats, such that it isn't worth shifting out and casting even if the healer is completely OOM--the extra damage you'd take would cost the healer more mana than you would be giving them. 5k? Really? I have heals that cost more mana than that.

@ Sharlatan Jun 15th 2011 7:51AM

"AS far as bear utility, it kicks arse. You can Bres,..."
So we have one move that is covered by half of the tanking group.

"...you can innvervate..."
Um HELL to the no. An innervate is less than 5% of a healers mana pool, AND you cannot use it unless you aren't taking damage.

"...(which is being changed to be semi-useful for feral to chuck on others)..."
This is false.

"...and you can cc and so on, you just have to time it well."
Um... what? Are you saying that you want to root a melee person, and then sit there while a caster starts shooting you? Or are you implying the use of Hibernate... that token CC that works on beasts. There are very, very few beasts.

"Even on most boss fights you can still manage to get off a Bres even whilst tanking if you time it well with boss swings and tell your healers you are shifting for a second of two. Its not ideal, but I generally find a time to do it without a problem."
You will get 1 shot if a boss hits you mid-swing. Its just.... NOT an option.

"Also, I LOVE being able to shift to kitty form and dps when not needed to actively tank. We are the ONLY truely hybrid talent spec, embrace it."
You lose Vengeance when you go cat. Its not an option. Your Savage Defense is crippled. DO NOT DO THIS EVER. EVER.

"Do i think things need to be fixed? sure, but the sky is not falling, we are perfectly viable. A ranged silence would be nice, but I manage to live without it."
No. The sky isn't falling. But that doesn't mean you have any idea what you are talking about.



One of the largest issues facing the bear community (and WoW as a whole) is the lack of knowledge people actually have when they either complain or defend something. Bears are the weakest tanking class. Why? Resources, threat, rotations, savage defense scaling, hygiene issues because they are unable to close their mouths...

(You have no idea what my dental bill was after tanking Rotface)