PRIEST
Class Field Guide, WoW: Forever
Class Verdict
The classic race-spell priest identity is back: every race heals and smites differently. Discipline gets Penance and a real Smite build, Holy gets Prayer of Mending, Shadow gets hit scaling.
Lead spec
Holy for raids, Shadow for DPS
Holy with Prayer of Mending and Litany of Light is a complete healer; Shadow is the solo and DPS pick with raw hit scaling.
Biggest change
Smite Priest is viable
Improved Smite, Penance damage into Holy Fire targets and 18% holy hit make the damage healer real.
New combo
Gnome Priest
Gnomes bring Confounding Flash (AoE disorient) and Contingency Plan (an emergency heal proc below 35% health).
Baseline wins
Three classic talents for free
Shadow Word: Death, Devouring Plague and Fear Ward are baseline for every priest now.
What Forever Changed
The headline deltas from the beta deep dive.
| Change | What it means |
|---|---|
| Baseline trio | Shadow Word: Death, Devouring Plague and Fear Ward are baseline: utility every spec enjoys. |
| Race spells are back | Undead: Dark Sacrifice (a 15 s life tap). Dwarf: Chastise root plus Desperate Prayer instant heal. Human: Divine Grace removes Weakened Soul and heals. Night Elf: Starshards plus a buffed Elune Grace. Gnome: Confounding Flash and Contingency Plan. Troll: Hex of Weakness (minus 20% healing) and Shadowguard. |
| Disc: Penance at 21 pts | A real damage-and-heal button; Power Infusion stays. |
| Disc: Renewed Hope (new, 21 pts) | Cheap heals shrink the Weakened Soul duration, enabling faster follow-up shields. |
| Disc: Divine Spirit removed | The old 30 min spirit buff is gone from the tree. |
| Holy: Prayer of Mending capstone | The smart heal bounce arrives as the capstone. |
| Holy: Litany of Light (new) | Casting a different spell than your last heal refunds 5% of its base mana cost: variety pays. |
| Holy: Binding Heal + longer Spirit of Redemption | Both modern staples land; Searing Light procs free Holy Novas. |
| Shadow: Shadow Focus reworked | Raw hit chance instead of resist reduction. |
| Shadow: Improved Mind Flay trade | Plus 5 yards and 20% damage, but the slow drops from 50% to 20%: a PvE deal. |
| Shadow: mobility of the kit | Blackout (10% stun chance) is now tied to Psychic Scream cooldown reduction; Silence is freed from that requirement; Devouring Plague can jump to nearby targets. |
| Racial synergy | Undead and Human look strongest for PvE; Dwarf and Gnome kits shine in PvP. |
Data: public beta coverage (Oct 13 to Oct 16 sources). Numbers can shift until launch on Nov 4; we re-verify against live tooltips.
The Three Specs
Three real identities with the race-spell twist on top.
| Spec | Identity | Verdict in beta |
|---|---|---|
| Discipline | Penance shields plus the viable Smite damage build | The flexibility spec: shield support or hybrid damage healer. |
| Holy | Prayer of Mending, Binding Heal, Litany of Light mana flow | The raid healer; more interesting than classic ever managed. |
| Shadow | Hit-scaled shadow damage with swiss army utility | The solo and DPS pick; Mind Flay trade suits raids. |
How It Plays
| Content | What the class does for you |
|---|---|
| Leveling | Shadow with Fear Ward and Devouring Plague baseline kills the classic priest downtime problem. |
| Dungeons | Disc shields plus Penance; Litany of Light keeps long pulls mana positive. |
| PvP | Fear Ward plus race spells (gnome disorient, dwarf root) make priests slippery; Shadow burst with Blackout procs. |
| Raids | Holy and Disc both raid ready; Shadow brings hit-scaled DPS plus curse utility. |
Data: public beta coverage (Oct 13 to Oct 16 sources). Numbers can shift until launch on Nov 4; we re-verify against live tooltips.
Talent Build
The Holy raid core, in cap order. Discipline twist adds Penance, Divine Aegis and Twin Disciplines for the active shield style; Shadow twist is below.
| Talent | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Improved Renew | 3/3 | The heal that is always moving; make it tick harder. |
| Holy Specialization | 5/5 | Holy spell crit: feeds Spirit of Redemption and crit builds. |
| Improved Healing | 3/3 | Cheaper heals: the priest mana engine. |
| Spirit of Redemption | 1/1 | The death insurance that sometimes saves the raid. |
| Spiritual Guidance | 5/5 | Spirit becomes spell damage and healing: the scaling spine. |
| Prayer of Mending | 1/1 | The bouncing raid heal: cast it on cooldown in group damage. |
| Binding Heal | 1/1 | Heal you and the damaged ally in one cast. |
| Litany of Light | new | The Forever mana efficiency line for Holy. |
| Improved Smite line | flex | Smite Priest is viable: hit capped holy damage with Power in Light. |
Rotation & Opener
The priest rotation is coverage: nobody dips, nobody overheals.
| Step | What |
|---|---|
| Pre-pull | Power Word: Fortitude on everyone, Fear Ward on the tank (baseline now), Divine Spirit where spirit matters. |
| HoT layer | Renew rolling on the tank and the raid damage magnet. |
| Shield discipline | Power Word: Shield on the about-to-die, not on the about-to-be-fine. |
| Main heals | Flash of Light for speed, Greater Heal for spikes, Binding Heal when you are hit too. |
| Raid heals | Prayer of Mending on cooldown, Prayer of Healing for stacked group damage. |
| Shadow twist | Shadow Word: Pain, Vampiric Embrace, Mind Blast, Mind Flay: hit cap first. |
| Smite twist | Holy Fire then Smite spam with Power in Light: the melee healer fantasy. |
| Mana truth | Spirit tap windows and mana potions on cooldown; the priest bar is a rhythm. |
Professions
Cloth healer by trade: tailoring and alchemy are the natural picks.
| Pick | Why |
|---|---|
| Tailoring + Enchanting | Craft your own cloth BiS, disenchant dungeon greens for mats. |
| Herbalism + Alchemy | Free mana potions and elixirs; the priest drinks on rotation. |
| Engineering alt | PvP priests love grenades; the discipline of throwing while healing. |
| First Aid | Mandatory but redundant for a healer: still level it for the free between-fight healing. |
| Cooking | Spirit and mana per 5 food: Nightfin Soup is the raid dinner. |
Consumables
The priest consumable list is the mana list plus a small healing power stack.
| Item | When |
|---|---|
| Major Mana Potion | On cooldown in raids; the rotation resource. |
| Demonic Runes | Raid trash mana: stock them, spend them, love them. |
| Mageblood Potion | Mana regeneration for the long pulls. |
| Elixir of the Sages | Intellect plus spirit: the priest elixir. |
| Superior Mana Oil | Weapon oil for mana per 5; coat it before every raid. |
| Nightfin Soup | Mana per 5 from Cooking. |
| Heavy Runecloth Bandages | You heal others; bandage yourself between pulls. |
PvP Notes
The priest is the fear machine and the unkillable shield turtle.
| Topic | Notes |
|---|---|
| Spec | Discipline with Penance and shields for battlegrounds; Shadow for open world kills. |
| Fear game | Psychic Scream on the melee train; Fear Ward baseline means you fear more than you are feared. |
| Shield loop | Power Word: Shield, renew, flash: outlast the burst, then turn it around. |
| Shadow kill | SW:P, Devouring Plague, Mind Blast, Mind Flay; drain them while they panic. |
| Race synergy | Dwarf: Desperate Prayer plus Stoneform safety. Gnome: Escape Artist keeps melee trains off the tiny frame. Undead: Will of the Forsaken protects your fear windows. Troll: Berserking speeds every cast. |
Gear Path
Healing power and mana per 5 for Holy; spell hit and shadow damage for Shadow; intellect always.
| Priority | Notes |
|---|---|
| Healing power | Scales every direct heal and renew tick: the Holy headline. |
| Mana per 5 | The priest engine: more casts, less drinking. |
| Spirit | Feeds Spiritual Guidance scaling and Spirit Tap windows. |
| Shadow stats | Spell hit to the cap first, then shadow damage; Vampiric Embrace converts it to raid healing. |
| Pre-raid highlights | Frozen Shadoweave tailor pieces for Shadow, dungeon blues with mp5 and healing for Holy, the Royal Seal trinket. |
Dungeon Jobs
The priest is the dungeon's safety net and its crowd control insurance.
| Job | How |
|---|---|
| Main healing | Renew, shield, flash; the tank health bar is your home address. |
| Shackle duty | Shackle Undead the marked skeleton; refresh it before it breaks, not after. |
| Mana drinking | Call drinks early: the priest dictates the dungeon pace. |
| Dispel duty | Dispel Magic and Abolish Disease: one button, endless gratitude. |
| Fear Ward | Baseline now: pre-ward the tank before fear-heavy bosses. |
Elite & Group Quests
The priest solos elites slowly or makes groups unkillable; both are wins.
| Situation | Plan |
|---|---|
| Solo elite | Shield, SW:P, fear, drain: the elite dies to patience, not burst. |
| Group quests | You are the reason the group survives its own optimism; shield the tank first. |
| Fear discipline | Fear pulls extra mobs: shackle or die, choose before the pull. |
Raid Jobs
Barrow Deeps 10, Hyjal Summit 20, Onyxia 40: the priest roster carries the raid's safety net.
| Duty | How |
|---|---|
| Fortitude buff | Power Word: Fortitude on everyone; refresh early, every raid. |
| Healing assignments | Tank heal or raid heal: know your seat before the pull. |
| Prayer of Mending | On cooldown into group damage; it heals while it bounces. |
| Dispel rota | Magic and disease windows assigned; a missed dispel is a wipe story. |
| Fear Ward duty | Baseline: pre-ward the tank and the feared healers on fear bosses. |
Roadmap
Level 1 to raid ready, tick by tick.
| Done | Phase |
|---|---|
| 1 to 9: Smite and SW:P spam; shield before, heal after. | |
| 10 to 19: Spirit Tap early: leveling mana solved; Deadmines heal seat. | |
| 20 to 29: heal seat in every dungeon; instant invite class confirmed. | |
| 30 to 39: mount at 40 funded by heal tips; respec decision: Holy or Shadow. | |
| 40 to 49: ZF, BRD, Strat circuits; shackle discipline sharpened. | |
| 50 to 59: UBRS and Scholo; tailor BiS push; Litany of Light build online. | |
| 60: Onyxia and MC attunements; healing assignments ready for night one. |
Pre-Launch Checklist
Name reservation opens Oct 27; launch is Nov 4 at midnight Belgian time.
| Done | Item |
|---|---|
| Reserve the priest name on Oct 27 (first hour). | |
| Decide race now: dwarf for Desperate Prayer, gnome for Escape Artist, undead for Will of the Forsaken plus Devouring Plague, troll for Berserking casts. | |
| Leveling route printed: dwarf Dun Morogh; gnome Dun Morogh; undead Tirisfal; troll Durotar. | |
| Keybinds: shield, renew, flash on the heal cluster; dispel on a fat key. | |
| Addon list decided (heal bot or clique style, debuff tracker); test the first evening. | |
| Race spell plan: which race spell do you weave into rotation; write it down. | |
| Guild or friend group locked; priests are the first invite in every roster. | |
| Launch night plan: level 10 before sleep, first heal seat by level 18. |
Beta data from public coverage (Oct 13 to Oct 16). Numbers can shift until launch on Nov 4; we re-verify against live tooltips.
PRIEST
Klas-Veldgids, WoW: Forever
Klas-Oordeel
De classic race-spell-priest-identiteit is terug: elke race healt en smitet anders. Discipline krijgt Penance en een echte Smite-build, Holy krijgt Prayer of Mending, Shadow krijgt hit-scaling.
Lead spec
Holy voor raids, Shadow voor DPS
Holy met Prayer of Mending en Litany of Light is een complete healer; Shadow is de solo- en DPS-pick met raw hit-scaling.
Grootste wijziging
Smite Priest is levensvatbaar
Improved Smite, Penance-schade op Holy Fire-targets en 18% holy hit maken de damage-healer echt.
Nieuw combo
Gnome Priest
Gnomes brengen Confounding Flash (AoE-disorient) en Contingency Plan (een noodheal-proc onder 35% health).
Baseline-winst
Drie classic talents gratis
Shadow Word: Death, Devouring Plague en Fear Ward zijn nu baseline voor elke priest.
Wat Forever Verandert
De belangrijkste deltas uit de beta-deepdive.
| Wijziging | Wat het betekent |
|---|---|
| Baseline-trio | Shadow Word: Death, Devouring Plague en Fear Ward zijn baseline: utility voor elke spec. |
| Race-spells zijn terug | Undead: Dark Sacrifice (een 15 s life tap). Dwarf: Chastise-root plus Desperate Prayer-instant-heal. Human: Divine Grace verwijdert Weakened Soul en healt. Night Elf: Starshards plus een gebuffde Elune Grace. Gnome: Confounding Flash en Contingency Plan. Troll: Hex of Weakship (minus 20% healing) en Shadowguard. |
| Disc: Penance op 21 pts | Een echte schade-en-heal-knop; Power Infusion blijft. |
| Disc: Renewed Hope (nieuw, 21 pts) | Goedkope heals verkorten de Weakened Soul-duur, zodat sneller een nieuw schild kan. |
| Disc: Divine Spirit verwijderd | De oude 30 min-spirit-buff is uit de boom. |
| Holy: Prayer of Mending-capstone | De slimme heal-bounce is de capstone. |
| Holy: Litany of Light (nieuw) | Een andere spell dan je vorige heal geeft 5% van de basis-mana terug: afwisseling loont. |
| Holy: Binding Heal + langere Spirit of Redemption | Beide moderne basics zijn er; Searing Light procct gratis Holy Novas. |
| Shadow: Shadow Focus opnieuw | Raw hit-kans i.p.v. resist-reductie. |
| Shadow: Improved Mind Flay-ruil | Plus 5 yards en 20% schade, maar de slow zakt van 50% naar 20%: een PvE-deal. |
| Shadow: kit-mobiliteit | Blackout (10% stun-kans) zit nu aan Psychic Scream-CDR vast; Silence is daarvan bevrijd; Devouring Plague kan naar targets in de buurt springen. |
| Racial-synergie | Undead en Human ogen het sterkst voor PvE; Dwarf- en Gnome-kits stralen in PvP. |
Data: publieke beta-coverage (13 tot 16 okt). Nummers kunnen schuiven tot launch op 4 nov; we checken tegen live tooltips.
De Drie Specs
Drie échte identiteiten met de race-spell-twist erbovenop.
| Spec | Identiteit | Oordeel in de beta |
|---|---|---|
| Discipline | Penance-schilden plus de levensvatbare Smite-damage-build | De flex-spec: schild-support of hybride damage-healer. |
| Holy | Prayer of Mending, Binding Heal, Litany of Light-mana-flow | De raidhealer; interessanter dan classic ooit bereikte. |
| Shadow | Hit-geschaalde shadow-schade met zwitsers zakmes-utility | De solo- en DPS-pick; de Mind Flay-ruil past bij raids. |
Zo Speelt Het
| Content | Wat de klas voor je doet |
|---|---|
| Levelen | Shadow met Fear Ward en Devouring Plague als baseline doodt het classic priest-downtime-probleem. |
| Dungeons | Disc-schilden plus Penance; Litany of Light houdt lange pulls mana-positief. |
| PvP | Fear Ward plus race-spells (gnome-disorient, dwarf-root) maken priests glibberig; Shadow-burst met Blackout-procs. |
| Raids | Holy en Disc zijn beide raid-klaar; Shadow brengt hit-geschaalde DPS plus curse-utility. |
Data: publieke beta-coverage (13 tot 16 okt). Nummers kunnen schuiven tot launch op 4 nov; we checken tegen live tooltips.
Talent Build
De Holy raid-kern, in cap-volgorde. Discipline-twist voegt Penance, Divine Aegis en Twin Disciplines toe voor de actieve shield-stijl; Shadow-twist staat hieronder.
| Talent | Punten | Waarom |
|---|---|---|
| Improved Renew | 3/3 | De heal die altijd beweegt; maak hem harder tickend. |
| Holy Specialization | 5/5 | Holy spell-crit: voedt Spirit of Redemption en crit-builds. |
| Improved Healing | 3/3 | Goedkopere heals: de priest-mana-motor. |
| Spirit of Redemption | 1/1 | De doodverzekering die soms de raid redt. |
| Spiritual Guidance | 5/5 | Spirit wordt spell damage en healing: de schalende ruggengraat. |
| Prayer of Mending | 1/1 | De stuitende raid-heal: cast op cooldown bij groepsschade. |
| Binding Heal | 1/1 | Heal jou en de gewonde bondgenoot in één cast. |
| Litany of Light | nieuw | De Forever mana-efficiëntielijn voor Holy. |
| Improved Smite-lijn | flex | Smite-Priest is viable: hit-gecapped holy-schade met Power in Light. |
Rotatie & Opener
De priest-rotatie is dekking: niemand zakt, niemand overhealt.
| Stap | Wat |
|---|---|
| Pre-pull | Power Word: Fortitude op iedereen, Fear Ward op de tank (nu baseline), Divine Spirit waar spirit telt. |
| HoT-laag | Renew rullend op de tank en de raid-schademagneet. |
| Shield-discipline | Power Word: Shield op de bijna-dode, niet op de bijna-prima. |
| Main-heals | Flash of Light voor snelheid, Greater Heal voor spikes, Binding Heal als jij ook geraakt wordt. |
| Raid-heals | Prayer of Mending op cooldown, Prayer of Healing voor gestapelde groepsschade. |
| Shadow-twist | Shadow Word: Pain, Vampiric Embrace, Mind Blast, Mind Flay: eerst hit-cap. |
| Smite-twist | Holy Fire daarna Smite-spam met Power in Light: de melee-healer-fantasie. |
| Mana-waarheid | Spirit Tap-vensters en mana-potions op cooldown; de priest-balk is een ritme. |
Professions
Cloth-healer van beroep: tailoring en alchemy zijn de natuurlijke picks.
| Pick | Waarom |
|---|---|
| Tailoring + Enchanting | Craft je eigen cloth-BiS, disenchant dungeon-greens voor mats. |
| Herbalism + Alchemy | Gratis mana-potions en elixirs; de priest drinkt op rotatie. |
| Engineering-alt | PvP-priests houden van grenades; de discipline van gooien terwijl je healt. |
| First Aid | Verplicht maar overbodig voor een healer: level hem toch voor gratis tussendoor-healing. |
| Cooking | Spirit- en mana per 5-food: Nightfin Soup is het raid-diner. |
Consumables
De priest-consumables-lijst is de mana-lijst plus een kleine healing-power-stapel.
| Item | Wanneer |
|---|---|
| Major Mana Potion | Op cooldown in raids; de rotatie-resource. |
| Demonic Runes | Raid-trash-mana: stock, spendeer, bemind. |
| Mageblood Potion | Mana-regeneratie voor de lange pulls. |
| Elixir of the Sages | Intellect plus spirit: de priest-elixir. |
| Superior Mana Oil | Wapen-olie voor mana per 5; insmeren vóór elke raid. |
| Nightfin Soup | Mana per 5 uit Cooking. |
| Heavy Runecloth-verbanden | Jij healt anderen; verband jezelf tussen pulls door. |
PvP-Notities
De priest is de fear-machine en de onkillbare schild-schildpad.
| Onderwerp | Notities |
|---|---|
| Spec | Discipline met Penance en schilden voor battlegrounds; Shadow voor open-wereld-kills. |
| Fear-spel | Psychic Scream op de melee-trein; Fear Ward als baseline betekent dat jij meer fear't dan gevraad wordt. |
| Shield-lus | Power Word: Shield, renew, flash: overleef de burst, draai hem dan om. |
| Shadow-kill | SW:P, Devouring Plague, Mind Blast, Mind Flay; drain ze terwijl ze panieken. |
| Race-synergie | Dwarf: Desperate Prayer plus Stoneform-veiligheid. Gnome: Escape Artist houdt melee-treinen van het kleine frame. Undead: Will of the Forsaken beschermt je fear-vensters. Troll: Berserking versnelt elke cast. |
Gear-Route
Healing power en mana per 5 voor Holy; spell hit en shadow damage voor Shadow; intellect altijd.
| Prioriteit | Notities |
|---|---|
| Healing power | Schaalt elke directe heal en renew-tick: de Holy-headline. |
| Mana per 5 | De priest-motor: meer casts, minder drinken. |
| Spirit | Voedt Spiritual Guidance-scaling en Spirit Tap-vensters. |
| Shadow-stats | Eerst spell hit naar de cap, daarna shadow damage; Vampiric Embrace zet het om naar raid-healing. |
| Pre-raid-highlights | Frozen Shadoweave-tailor-stukken voor Shadow, dungeon-blues met mp5 en healing voor Holy, de Royal Seal-trinket. |
Dungeon-Taken
De priest is het vangnet van de dungeon en de crowdcontrol-verzekering.
| Taak | Hoe |
|---|---|
| Main-healing | Renew, schild, flash; de tank-health-balk is je thuisadres. |
| Shackle-plicht | Shackle Undead het gemarkeerde skelet; refresh vóórdat hij breekt, niet erna. |
| Mana-drinken | Bel drinks vroeg in: de priest dicteert het dungeon-tempo. |
| Dispel-plicht | Dispel Magic en Abolish Disease: één knop, eindeloze dankbaarheid. |
| Fear Ward | Nu baseline: pre-ward de tank vóór fear-zware bosses. |
Elite- & Groepsquests
De priest soles elites langzaam of maakt groepen onkillbaar; beide zijn winst.
| Situatie | Plan |
|---|---|
| Solo elite | Schild, SW:P, fear, drain: de elite sterft aan geduld, niet aan burst. |
| Groepsquests | Jij bent de reden dat de groep zijn eigen optimisme overleeft; schild eerst de tank. |
| Fear-discipline | Fear pullet extra mobs: shackle of sterf, kies vóór de pull. |
Raid-Taken
Barrow Deeps 10, Hyjal Summit 20, Onyxia 40: het priest-rooster draagt het vangnet van de raid.
| Plicht | Hoe |
|---|---|
| Fortitude-buff | Power Word: Fortitude op iedereen; refresh vroeg, elke raid. |
| Healing-toewijzingen | Tank-heal of raid-heal: ken je stoel vóór de pull. |
| Prayer of Mending | Op cooldown in groepsschade; hij healt terwijl hij stuitert. |
| Dispel-rota | Magic- en disease-vensters toegewezen; een gemiste dispel is een wipe-verhaal. |
| Fear Ward-plicht | Baseline: pre-ward de tank en de gevraade healers op fear-bosses. |
Roadmap
Level 1 tot raid-klaar, tik voor tik.
| Klaar | Fase |
|---|---|
| 1 tot 9: Smite- en SW:P-spam; schild eerst, heal daarna. | |
| 10 tot 19: Spirit Tap vroeg: leveling-mana opgelost; Deadmines-heal-stoel. | |
| 20 tot 29: heal-stoel in elke dungeon; instant-invite-klas bevestigd. | |
| 30 tot 39: mount op 40 gefinancierd door heal-tips; respec-beslissing: Holy of Shadow. | |
| 40 tot 49: ZF-, BRD-, Strat-circuits; shackle-discipline gescherpt. | |
| 50 tot 59: UBRS en Scholo; tailor-BiS-push; Litany of Light-build online. | |
| 60: Onyxia- en MC-attunements; healing-toewijzingen klaar voor nacht één. |
Pre-Launch-Checklist
Naamreservering opent 27 okt; launch is 4 nov om middernacht Belgische tijd.
| Klaar | Item |
|---|---|
| Reserveer de priest-naam op 27 okt (eerste uur). | |
| Bepaal ras nu: dwarf voor Desperate Prayer, gnome voor Escape Artist, undead voor Will of the Forsaken plus Devouring Plague, troll voor Berserking-casts. | |
| Levelroute uitgeprint: dwarf Dun Morogh; gnome Dun Morogh; undead Tirisfal; troll Durotar. | |
| Keybinds: schild, renew, flash op het heal-cluster; dispel op een vette key. | |
| Addon-lijst beslist (heal bot of clique-stijl, debuff-tracker); test de eerste avond. | |
| Race-spell-plan: welke race-spell weef je in de rotatie; schrijf het op. | |
| Guild of vriendengroep vast; priests zijn de eerste invite in elk rooster. | |
| Launch-nacht-plan: level 10 vóór het slapen, eerste heal-stoel op level 18. |
Beta-data uit publieke dekking (13 tot 16 okt). Nummers kunnen schuiven tot launch op 4 nov; we herverifiëren tegen live tooltips.