Priest Builds

Specs and roles

Tiers come from the beta tier list. The talent tables show only what Icy Veins and Wowhead agree on; each spec says where they differ.

B* for Holy: Noobtoboss and gamer-guides call it a strong raid healer. B* for Shadow: RankedBoost puts it in A.

Discipline: healer

Discipline is the best healer of the beta: shields and Penance, which heals an ally or hits an enemy. Penance needs 20 points in the tree. At level 30 the trainer has Prayer of Healing and Divine Spirit, the Priest’s second group buff (Wowhead).

This is what Icy Veins and Wowhead share. Both take Meditation, which keeps part of your mana regeneration going while casting, and Mental Strength, but with a different number of points. The main difference is Penance: Wowhead takes it at level 30 already, while Icy Veins takes it only with the five points of the Legacy Talented perk and spends 5 of its 21 points on Spirit Tap from the Shadow tree. The embedded build in the Wowhead guide shows only 15 points, so its layout was checked against the text.

1. 1
   Before the pull

   Power Word: Shield on the tank. Not on a Warrior or Druid: the shield can starve them of Rage (Wowhead; this may change on the beta).

2. 2
   Renew

   Keep it on the tank.

3. 3
   Heal

   Your main heal.

4. 4
   Flash Heal

   Only in a dangerous moment: it is expensive.

5. 5
   Prayer of Healing

   When the whole group is hurt.

6. 6
   A quiet moment

   Wand the enemies while your mana comes back.

Holy: healer

Holy comes into its own by 60: Prayer of Mending is the last talent of the tree and needs 31 points. At level 30 the trainer has Prayer of Healing: in Forever it reaches allies within 40 yards of the target instead of 30. Binding Heal (15 points in the tree) heals the target and you with one spell (Wowhead).

This is what Icy Veins and Wowhead share; after that their paths split. Wowhead takes all 21 points down the Holy tree to Spirit of Redemption: Holy Specialization to 5, Inspiration 3, Holy Reach 2 and Binding Heal. Icy Veins builds for leveling: Wand Specialization 2, Spirit Tap 5 and Twilight Focus 3, so damage interrupts your casts less often. With Legacy points, Icy Veins drops the wand points for group healing and takes Spiritual Guidance, Wowhead takes Litany of Light: mana back for switching between heals.

1. 1
   Renew

   Keep it on the tank.

2. 2
   Heal

   Your main heal.

3. 3
   Flash Heal

   When an ally is about to die.

4. 4
   Binding Heal

   When both you and the tank are hurt.

5. 5
   Prayer of Healing

   Only when most of the group is low: a 3-second cast that costs a lot of mana.

6. 6
   Holy Nova

   When Searing Light procs and nobody is in danger (Icy Veins).

Shadow: damage

Shadowform only unlocks at level 40, so at 30 your damage comes from Shadow Word: Pain, Mind Blast and your wand. Vampiric Embrace heals the group from your Shadow damage for 30 seconds and triggers Spirit Tap, your main source of mana. Spirit Tap only triggers on a kill, so land the killing blows yourself (Wowhead).

This is what Icy Veins and Wowhead share; Wowhead’s Improved Mind Flay points come from its text, since the guide’s embedded build shows only 14 points. They differ: Icy Veins takes Improved Mind Blast 4, Shadow Reach and Dark Inspiration 3, Wowhead takes Shadow Focus 5 and Shadow Weaving 3. With Legacy points both take Devouring Contagion 2: a cheaper Devouring Plague that jumps to nearby enemies when the target dies.

1. 1
   Before the pull

   Power Word: Fortitude, Inner Fire, Power Word: Shield.

2. 2
   Mind Blast

   To open the fight.

3. 3
   Shadow Word: Pain

   Then Devouring Plague if you have the mana.

4. 4
   Mind Flay

   Only with spare mana: it resets the five-second regeneration timer.

5. 5
   Wand

   To finish the target.

6. 6
   Group of enemies

   Shadow Word: Pain on every enemy.

Questions

See also

PriestWhich class to pick, comparedPriest levelingShadow, wand and talents by levelBest raceWhich race is stronger for your classTier listStrong classes and specs by beta data