Holy Priest Healer Guide & Best Runes – Phase 4 Season of Discovery (SoD)

Welcome to the SoD Phase 4 Holy Priest Healer Guide!

This guide focuses exclusively on the Discipline specialization, exploring key components such as Runes, Talent Trees, Stat Priorities, Rotations & Abilities, Best Professions, BiS (Best in Slot) items, and Race Choices. The new Rune System introduced in the Season of Discovery has further empowered the Holy Priests, granting many effects that enhance the overall already strong playstyle they possessed. As the community would say, the “Holy Priest Dominance” in WoW Classic carries on.

Talents

• Standard Build
• Off-DPS Build

Runes

• Helm: Divine Aegis
• Cloak: Soul Warding
• Chest: Serendipity
• Wrist: Surge of Light/Power Word: Barrier
• Hands: Circle of Healing/Penance
• Waist: Empowered Renew/Renewed Hope
• Legs: Prayer of Mending
• Feet: Pain Suppression/Spirit of the Redeemer/Void Plague
• Ring: Shadow Specialization
• Ring: Holy Specialization

Stat Priority

• Spell Healing
• Intellect
• MP5
• Spirit
• Critical Strike Chance
• Spell Damage
• Stamina

Rotations & Spell Priorities

Holy Priest Healers have two specific things to keep in mind, their healing/utility spells priorities and their Off-DPS rotation for when they have any downtime. Depending on the runes you choose, you can specialize in either AoE or Single-Target healing, with Circle of Healing being suited for AoE Healing and Penance for Single-Target healing and Off-DPS.

Healing/Utility Spells Priorities

1. If you choose the Pain Suppression rune
   • Prioritize Pain Suppression for heavy Burst Damage moments
2. If you choose the Spirit of the Redeemer rune
   • Prioritize Spirit of the Redeemer for heavy Burst Damage moments
   • Use Spirit of the Redeemer for critical situations where you are out of Mana
3. If you choose the Power Word: Barrier rune
   • Prioritize Power Word: Barrier for moments of heavy AoE damage
4. If you choose the Circle of Healing rune
   • Cast Circle of Healing only for situations in which one of the raid’s groups is entirely damaged
   • Avoid casting Circle of Healing when less than 3 members of a group are damaged
5. If you choose the Penance rune
   • Cast Penance on cooldown when a Single Target requires heavy healing
6. Cast Power Word: Shield on allies that are going to receive damage as much as possible
7. Cast Prayer of Mending on cooldown
8. Cast Renew as often as possible for minor injuries
9. Cast Prayer of Healing for heavy AoE injuries
10. Cast Greater Heal for heavy Single-Target injuries
11. Cast Flash Heal to minor injuries and trigger Serendipity

Off-DPS Rotation

1. Cast Shadow Word: Pain
2. If you choose the Void Plague rune
   • Cast Void Plague & Upkeep it
3. If you choose the Penance rune
   • Cast Penance on cooldown if none of your allies require heavy healing in that specific moment
4. Cast Smite if no allies require healing and Penance is on cooldown.

Best Professions

Tailoring

Tailoring is by far the best profession that Healer Priest can utilize It allows you to craft the new Season of Discovery epic gear pieces and provides you with a consistent way of generating gold.

Engineering

Engineering has long been seen as one of the best professions for PvE, bringing many gadgets, bombs, and specialized items. Furthermore, Engineering grants new special recipes in the Season of Discovery which can significantly enhance your overall performance.

Enchanting

Enchanting is yet another one of the best professions that a Healer Priest can use, providing a powerful synergy with Tailoring, adding beneficial stats to equipment, and even disenchanting gear pieces into magical essences. Enchanting is also viewed as one of the best gold generation tools in the game besides the bonuses it offers and the access to the specific Season of Discovery enchanting sigils.

Best Races

For Alliance, the best race is Dwarf due to Stoneform and Fear Ward. Sadly, since Dwarf is by far the strongest option, the other two races are much more of an aesthetic option. For the Horde, the best possible option is Troll with Berserking and Shadowguard. Undead is also a decent option but Troll is the vastly superior option due to Berserking.

Human

The Human Spirit, Sword Specialization, Mace Specialization, Perception, Diplomacy, Feedback, Desperate Prayer

Dwarf

• Stoneform, Frost Resistance, Gun Specialization, Find Treasure, Fear Ward, Desperate Prayer

Night Elf

• Nature Resistance, Quickness, Shadowmeld, Wisp Spirit, Elune’s Grace, Starshards

Undead

Will of the Forsaken, Shadow Resistance, Cannibalize, Underwater Breathing, Devouring Plague, Touch of Weakness

Troll

• Berserking, Beast Slaying, Regeneration, Bow Specialization, Throwing Specialization, Regeneration, Shadowguard, Hex of Weakness