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Smite spec in CataFollow

#1 Jul 06 2010 at 4:18 AM Rating: Good
I got into the beta, and I rolled a goblin priest so I could figure out whether or not the smite spec will still be an option. My intended spec is this, putting the first 3 points in spirit tap, and then going over to the holy tree for searing light and divine fury, then filling out the disc tree and going back to the holy tree after that. I like that Searing Light is now a first tier talent, which makes things a lot easier. I was just curious what you priest experts think of my build.
#2 Jul 06 2010 at 4:35 AM Rating: Good
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I'd go Spirit tap > 0/11/3 > 22/11/3 and then fill out Holy for Chakra and CoH.

Edit: I'm at 25/51/0 for a final build right now.
I think that once you get higher in level/if you do instances spirit tap isn't worth it anymore and this build provides a lot of dps (for smitespec) and a lot of instant or 0.5 sec cast heals.
I also didn't take SoL as it only applies to smites and holy nova now and it's a dps decrease.
Plus I don't think the mana efficiency is needed, if it is you can take a point out of Body and Soul and Holy Concentration for it.

Edited, Jul 6th 2010 12:43pm by Aethien
#3 Jul 06 2010 at 7:04 AM Rating: Good
Very nice.

I want to do some playing around with spirit tap as a compliment to holy nova spam (as apposed to equipping mana trinkets). It's not like I can't spare a few points to play a bit. I'll be curious to see exactly where, for an 80, it still can have effect. It certainly will kick back in full steam when we start leveling to 85. This could be fun.

When I experiment, other priests whisper me about which talents I should choose.... Oh noes, he doesn't know how to cookie cut...
#4 Jul 06 2010 at 7:48 AM Rating: Good
I've come up with two possibilities. This is the Holy based one, and this the Disc based one.

The thing for Holy is that stuff like Body and Soul, Spell Warding and Thriving Light are kind of dependent on how they design encounters. The same goes for Holy Concentration - putting both points in is a waste in current raiding, but that might change as we see new encounters and spell priorities.
I'm also not sure how useful PW:Barrier will be, so some points in the Holy build could be shifted into that. It might just become the next Lightwell, though.

For the Disc build, I'm not sure about Focused Power, or where to put these two talent points. But again, it's too early to tell. I'm a bit surprised we're keeping Mass Dispel, though. Not that I mind.

Generally, going over it like this, I think I actually prefer the Holy tree. Many more exciting talents in there this time around! I'll definitely give it a try, and hope they make Disc a bit more interesting again.
#5 Jul 06 2010 at 8:24 AM Rating: Good
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Chakra is 15% more smite damage, that's just too good to miss out on if you ask me.
#6 Jul 06 2010 at 8:59 AM Rating: Good
Part of why I think Holy looks awesome.


I'm just getting a feeling that it's hard to spend more than the minimum required points to get Penance in any PvE Disc spec. There's so much more mediocrity in there now...
#7 Jul 06 2010 at 10:10 AM Rating: Excellent
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I like your spec. If the talent trees stay more-or-less the same, I'll probably do something similar. Doubt I'll bother with Spirit Tap since I will most likely level to 85 with my husband anyway, so mine will be something along the lines of this, with some stuff moving around here and there according to my whim. I'd like to fill in Spell Warding/Blessed Recovery, but the change to Twin Disciplines makes it a must-have for any Disc build in my view.


Edit: Atonement still makes me feel all warm and tingly inside.

Edited, Jul 6th 2010 12:11pm by teacake
#8 Jul 06 2010 at 10:46 AM Rating: Decent
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I'm just getting a feeling that it's hard to spend more than the minimum required points to get Penance in any PvE Disc spec. There's so much more mediocrity in there now...

Where did you get this idea? You drop Focused Will, you still take everything else including the new talents. The disc tree looks pretty much the same as right now in a disc build. My main problem is the holy tree, where I'm suddenly forced to choose between Holy Focus, Empowered Healing, Imp. Renew, Healing Prayers and Holy Reach.
#9 Jul 06 2010 at 2:33 PM Rating: Good
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The PvE Disc tree for Cata is as of now very tight. You get 51 points as they are removing Imp FH.

So unless they change more stuff around Disc for PvE will have a lot of points to play with in Holy. At that point you kind of have to decide how Smitey you want your spec to be and assign points in Holy after accordingly.
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#10 Jul 06 2010 at 3:56 PM Rating: Good
Is Chakra really that useful though, since you have to spam 3 healing spells first to get the Chakra state? Now if you could spam Smite to get the Chakra state, I could see how it would be a great talent.

At lower levels it seems to be really difficult to get into randoms thus far. Granted I'm only level 18, but you'd think with the vast amounts of people rolling goblins and troll druids, that there'd be more demand for them.
#11 Jul 06 2010 at 4:18 PM Rating: Good
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Quote:
Is Chakra really that useful though, since you have to spam 3 healing spells first to get the Chakra state? Now if you could spam Smite to get the Chakra state, I could see how it would be a great talent.

Nah, Blizz needs to update the tooltip. You get a buff to Smite when you cast three Smites, period.
#12 Jul 06 2010 at 5:13 PM Rating: Good
Horsemouth wrote:
The PvE Disc tree for Cata is as of now very tight. You get 51 points as they are removing Imp FH.

So unless they change more stuff around Disc for PvE will have a lot of points to play with in Holy. At that point you kind of have to decide how Smitey you want your spec to be and assign points in Holy after accordingly.


This. I'd spend 6 less points in Disc, and with the extra five levels that means two more tiers in Holy I can spec into.

And even with the 51 I spend it doesn't feel like all of them are that great. A lot like what the first three tiers of Holy feel like if you don't spec into GHeal (or Smite Spec). I've been helping out a priest today who wanted a Holy spec focused on Serendipity applied to PoH. There's not enough interesting/relevant talents for that.


I feel the same about that Disc tree for Cataclysm.
#13 Jul 06 2010 at 6:01 PM Rating: Good
Mozared wrote:
Quote:
Is Chakra really that useful though, since you have to spam 3 healing spells first to get the Chakra state? Now if you could spam Smite to get the Chakra state, I could see how it would be a great talent.

Nah, Blizz needs to update the tooltip. You get a buff to Smite when you cast three Smites, period.


Well that's good to hear. I thought it was kind of weird that the other three would activate it but not Smite.
#14 Jul 13 2010 at 9:58 PM Rating: Good
I guess the new talent trees insist I be a smite priest, whether I want to or not....

I'll have to give holy a look as well.
#15 Jul 14 2010 at 6:28 AM Rating: Excellent
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The Honorable dadanox wrote:
I guess the new talent trees insist I be a smite priest, whether I want to or not....

I'll have to give holy a look as well.


Hm, I dunno. At first I thought, what did they just do, turn Disc back into the PVP/Solo spec but make it not viable for raiding anymore? But once I played with it I saw there are builds that pretty much avoid the Smite talents altogether that seem like they'd heal essentially how Disc heals now.

Something like that build will suit me great for five mans and goofing off. But what do you and the other raiders think?

Yay, because Aspiration is still in there and I can't wait to try it out.Smiley: clap

If these stay similar, Disc is going to be a lot of fun for me. My primary spec will be something like this and I think I'll have a blast.

Love how they put Searing Light just out of Disc's reach, huh? They did say they'd be doing that but it hurts. Smiley: wink

I know it doesn't fit the new mold, but I'll miss Improved Fort. I hope Fort is just that much stronger by default now.

Why, WHY, is Lightwell still there, UNCHANGED?

I wonder if B&S (which I was really hoping they'd move to Disc where it belongs) will be more popular in a Holy PVE build now. That speed boost combined with Life Grip might be really situationally useful. Otherwise I guess Holy builds will be basically Twin Disciplines and maybe Mental Agility, then pretty much whatever you can grab except Lightwell from the Holy Tree. Gheal talents will have to make a comeback as they say we'll have to put it on our toolbars now.

I'm sad that Desperate Prayer is Holy's level 10 talent gift, because it means that as Disc I can never have it again. Smiley: frown
#16 Jul 14 2010 at 7:59 AM Rating: Good
Did you notice that spirit tap will give you back 15% of your total mana and increase your regen by 30%. That's huge. It could take smite and holy nova to a whole new level while leveling.

Edited, Jul 14th 2010 10:04am by dadanox
#17 Jul 14 2010 at 9:02 AM Rating: Good
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Only for the last 15 levels, because until then you're locked into a tree.
#18 Jul 14 2010 at 9:40 AM Rating: Excellent
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His Excellency Aethien wrote:
Only for the last 15 levels, because until then you're locked into a tree.


Yeah, it's weird, I kind of thought they'd make Spirit Tap one of Shadow's core abilities or whatever you call them. The first thing I thought of when they said the thing about 31 straight in one tree was that it would be hard on priests who don't want to level Shadow not to be able to have Spirit Tap.

But since Meditation is a bonus for the other two trees, it still wouldn't be bad to level from 10 as a healer.
#19 Jul 14 2010 at 5:12 PM Rating: Good
Actually Searing Light is completely gone now. Which I think is kind of weird, and I'll be leaving them feedback to say, "Give it to Disc already!." I'm still going to stick with Disc for leveling my goblin, at least for a while and see how it goes. Having Penance as a dps spell right off is going to be interesting, that's for sure.
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