World of Warcraft - The Good and the Dark Side of Playing a Priest
The most common mistaken thought that online gamers usually have is that in the World of Warcraft, the highly successful MMORPG from Blizzard-Activision, the priest class is the healing class.
This, naturally, is only partly true.
Priests are healers, yes. But as is usually the case, they are required to do damage.
Nihilum, the game's highest ranked guild which proudly operate in the European servers, once said the popular declaration: "in our raids, our pallies heal, our shammies heal and our priests are damage dealers." If a respected guild like Nihilum compels their priests to be DPSers, then by Arthas' frozen nostrils you can bet that the entire WoW community will follow suit.
Priests have the choice to heal or to be a damage dealer. But priests are no longer the best healbots in the game since the release of the Burning Crusade expansion. Tree form druids have more efficient HOTs (heals over time) compared to priests. Holy paladins are greater single target healers compared to priests. And restoration-specced shammies are more desired multi-target healers compared to priests.
As healers, priests can be considered as jacks of all trades and masters of none. They have fast heals, serviceable heals over time, and multi-target heals, but they're easily not as efficient with these as the other character types.
So, if they're no longer the main healbots in the game, what should priests be doing come tailend content in 25 man raids? Two purposes actually.
First, as we have discussed before, priests are required to unleash some heavy damage. Focusing on shadow talents is best for this, what with several direct damage spells from the dark arts.
Number two, priests are stars for one critical function: mana batteries. Priests have skills that increase the mana regeneration of spell casters in the same party. This is the rationale that explains why priests are grouped_placed in the same group with spell casters - particularly healers - in 25 man raids.
Priests are one of the best in soloing to level 70. Until level 40, priests rely on wands as their main damage dealing weapon. But by level 40, most priests focus on shadow just to get shadow form, the essential deal maker for the class. Shadow form grants tremendouamazing increase in the shadow damage dealt by priests.
Shadow priests are highly effective killers. It will take a shadow priest approximately 25% of the time it will take a warrior to kill a specific monster.
Whether they heal or they do damage, priests are a fantastic class that will vindicate your decision to roll one.
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