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TBC
Advice on leveling spec
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Post by
370231
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
ToughDuck
Go shadow. High damage, high mana regen, low downtime.
Post by
karlusdavius
Shadow is still the best leveling spec. Try and get hierlooms.
Each point you gain each level with shadow improves damage, therefor each point you gain makes the leveling process easier
Post by
Sinespe
This
gives up-to-date advice on how to level a priest. "Shadow" is not the be-all and end-all answer. Those who say that it is have not levelled a priest in the modern climate, nor have any concept of which numbers are bigger than which other numbers.
"High damage" is not true, compared to Holy before you get Vampiric Touch at level 50. "High regen" is not true; at least, not any higher than you can get as Holy until level 50 (And, indeed, with Surge of Light giving
free spells
, Holy wins). "Low Downtime" is only true past level 50, or if you are part of the
small percentage
of people
able and
willing
to waste 100 Emblems on two trinkets -- furthermore, since the premise is already estabilshed that Shadow does not give any more regen than Holy does, levelling as Holy with heirlooms is superior to levelling as Shadow with heirlooms, so the point is utterly moot.
The "talents improving damage" are not a benefit -- they are a requirement because they boost lacklustre base damage to slightly-less-lacklustre base damage. Holy Fire and Smite give more DPS and DPM benefits without even needing the talents to improve their damage -- but talents there are, and a very nice re-vamped-in-3.1
Glyph
.
@OP: It is no use asking "old priests" what they know. If they've not levelled a priest with the
new
patch changes, they won't have a clue what they're talking about. Fortunately for you, sir, I have levelled a priest very recently, and probably will level even more priests when major changes present themselves -- primarily to ensure that my data is accurate and practical, not hypothetical and worthless.
Post by
karlusdavius
Those who say that it is have not levelled a priest in the modern climate, nor have any concept of which numbers are bigger than which other numbers.
And you have proof of this yes? You 100% know that i have no concept of the numbers a priest can put out while leveling in 3.1? Gosh i wanna be just like you!
urthermore, since the premise is already estabilshed that Shadow does not give any more regen than Holy does, levelling as Holy with heirlooms is superior to levelling as Shadow with heirlooms, so the point is utterly moot.
I would love to see where your getting this info from. Considering the majority of spells in the shadow tree increase damage, decrease mana amounts and improve critical strike chance/amounts. where is holy's equivalent to this? your point just became
moot
It is no use asking "old priests" what they know. If they've not levelled a priest with the new patch changes, they won't have a clue what they're talking about. Fortunately for you, sir, I have levelled a priest very recently, and probably will level even more priests when major changes present themselves -- primarily to ensure that my data is accurate and practical, not hypothetical and worthless.
as have i. and im still in the process of leveling him. Old priests are knowledgeable about the class. They can adjust there information and know whats best. New priests, it seems, think they are god's gift to the world and talk utter BS. Your information is good, but your people skills are pathetic.
Shadow still has more throughput and less downtime than holy or disc. The cast times of all your offensive spells are long and, subsequently, increase your grinding time. Shadow still has the highest DPM spell in the game, Mind Flay, which can now crit. Mind flay's damage is increased with out DoT, SHadow Word: Pain, making the glyph of smite moot or lackluster
Shadow's damage will always be superior to holy or disc. It doesn't matter how you put it, each talent point improve your DPS and efficiency.
heirlooms are not a waste, chances are if your making an alt, you have already gotten most things from badges and will probably have an abundance of them stashed. One trinket is good enough but the shoulders are paramount. If you dont have badges, Chances you have you have Keeper Stones. Go to winter grasp and get the shoulders from there
Its up to the OP what he decided, but 90% of players still say that shadow is still the best way to level a priest. DO it and see for yourself. You can always respec.
Post by
370231
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
325233
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
Sinespe
Here
.
I compared Smite to Mind Flay, with certain
reasonable
assumptions made to make certain calculations possible (10% base crit chance, 20 spellpower throughout, 100 spirit throughout), assuming also that both Smite and SW: P (+20% Smite damage and +10% Mind Flay damage respectively) had been glyphed
First, DPS and DPM calculations were made. The DPM value is not actual DPM, because I don't have the actual base mana values for all races and all levels of priest. However, it is the coefficient -- just the calculation with the "Base mana" removed. It acts as a scale. Then, these results were tabulated, and multiplied together to give an indication of "usefulness", in terms of DPS
and
DPM. The graph is the result of the multiplication.
Results
:
From the graph, we see that they scale almost the same as each other in terms of "Usefulness".
But what does it not tell us? Well, two points stick out like a sore thumb, and they're linked
The extortionate cost of Mind Blast vs the tiny cost of Holy Fire in terms of DPM
The fact that, to get 10% bonus damage on Mind Flay, you have to cast SW: P -- another very inefficient spell for the damage it grants.
Holy Fire is the Opener for Holy levelling. It is a very cheap, very hard-hitting spell, and the debuff it leaves is a
natural
way to get the +20% Smite damage. SW: P, on the other hand, is a very expensive, not-very-hard-hitting spell. You have to use it, though, to get the extra damage on Mind Flay. If I were to include 1/3 of the mana cost of SW: P onto the mana cost of Mind Flay (assuming a mob dies after three mind flays, thus making SW: P as much use), its DPM would shoot down even further.
In short, the uncomplicated graph shows that, if anything, Shadow is
equal
with Holy for levelling. That, however, is only true as far as comparing one spell with another goes. If you delve any deeper, you'll find that Holy out-does Shadow until Vampiric Touch comes along.
Post by
Marbarcy
I was actually leveling my priest (painfully) as shadow. I believe I will change over to the holy spec as recommended by Coalesce. Thank you Coalesce for the spec and Valandilv for the conclusive numbers to shove me into holy. Great job!=)
Post by
300483
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
Post by
septimusIV
Go holy at the beginning. I am level 30 with some blue gear from BFD and Razorfen Kraul and I rock! I hardly have to drink and I kill mobs nice and smooth. I am not sure higher levels, since this is my first priest.
Of course I have spirit tap.
Post by
166244
This post was from a user who has deleted their account.
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