WoW Classic Tips & Tricks - Dungeon Healing

Hey dudes - Silvite Soltis here. And today I'm proud to be starting a bit of a mini-series...

Recently, a viewer over on my YouTube channel commented on my Healy Priest Tips & Tricks video, asking why I didn't make a guide for people who don't want to raid, but rather focus on dungeons as their meta. And so, after thinking a bit about it, I decided that yeah, I probably should.

So, here you go - some general tips and tricks for healing Classic dungeons! I hope you enjoy! If you do, add yourself to my mailing list below so that you don't miss any other guides, tips, or other content in the future. There's lots still to come, and I'm sure you don't want to miss out. But yeah, with that out of the way, let's get right into the guide:

Before Dungeon

Pre-Dungeon Tip #1 - Get and Set Up Proper Addons 

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No matter what level you are when you decide to start healing dungeons, it's usually a good idea to pick up some of the standard addons that healers use before jumping in. These include, but are not limited to:
Decursive - Notifies you about debuffs you can remove and let's you remove them with just a click.
DeadlyBossMods - Gives useful warnings, notifications, and timers for boss encounters.
ThreatClassic2 - Tells threat levels on the current target, which is useful for knowing who might pull aggro.
Healbot Classic - Allows combinations of clicks to cast certain healing spells on your party.

After installing them, play around with them to get a feel for how they work, and check the settings via the in-game menu. All of these are widely used by healers as far as I'm aware, but personally I dislike the last one. So, instead of HealBot, you can...

Pre-Dungeon Tip #2 - Set Up Mouseover Macros (and update them regularly)

As I mentioned in my previous healing guide, I much prefer the use of mouseover macros to healing addons, as they allow me to simply use the standard party and raidframes. What's more, they're really easy to tweak once you get macros for all of your main spells set up, so it really makes maintenance easy - you never have to worry about errors or updates!

If you're not familiar, a mouseover macro is basically a macro that allows you to cast a spell on whatever your mouse cursor is hovering over. This means that you can allow your cursor to simply hover around the party frames and easily cast a spell on whoever is taking damage without actually targeting them. It might seem minor, but the tiniest bit of time saved from not having to click on them to target them first can mean the difference between life and death.

Here's the standard macro again - copy and paste it, and adjust for whatever spells you want to make macros for:

/cast [@mouseover,exists]Spell(Rank x)

Pre-Dungeon Tip #3 - Prioritize +Healing Gear 

Though primarily focused on endgame dungeoneering, healers should generally try to get as much +healing on their gear as possible before heading into dungeons. In the modern era of Classic WoW, fights don't last as long as they used to - especially when you have Tier 2 geared players smashing through Strat Live for Righteous Orbs and whatnot. As such, having lots of intellect or spirit doesn't really do a whole lot unless you're running with super low-level or badly geared players. So, while it's good to have a balance of stats and +healing in raiding, for dungeons you can pretty much go all-in with the 'of Healing' greens.

Pre-Dungeon Tip #4 - Take Enough Water and Mana Potions

Major Mana Potion

As a healer, you should always be prepared before heading to a dungeon. That means bringing 3-4 stacks of water and 5-10 mana potions to every dungeon run you do. Ideally, you won't need to use all of these, but it's good to be ready for anything.

Also, as a bonus tip, remember to open the non-trap crates if running Stratholme, as they often have mana potions and Morning Glory Dew for you to stock up on!

Pre-Dungeon Tip #5 - Set Up or Join the Ideal Group

This is arguably the most important tip for you to consider before heading into a dungeon. Keeping your role in mind, try to join or set up the ideal group. If you're a shaman healer, consider groups with an extra melee dps to make good use of Windfury and Chain Heal. If you're a druid, remember to have a priest, shaman, or paladin in party so that you have a rezzer. And no matter what healer you're playing, try to get a mage so that you have that sweet, sweet conjured water!

Look, if you're a holy paladin and you join a group with 3 paladins and a hunter, you can probably still clear any dungeon in classic - hell there was just a 40-shaman MC clear! However, it might take longer than you'd like, and you may end up wishing you'd joined the warrior, 3 mage spellcleave group instead.

In the Dungeon

Dungeon Tip #1 - Drink After Every Pack or Two 

Drinky Drinky!

Alright, so you're in the dungeon! One of the most important things that you should do, especially if you're a fresh healer, is to drink after every trash pack or two. Unless you're sitting close to full mana, you should always be prepared for a bad situation to arise in the next pack - a wandering patrol, a bad multishot, or fear into the next group.

This is the reason you'll want to make sure to have plenty of water in your bags before you start - whether from a mage, or a friendly vendor NPC.

Dungeon Tip #2 - Use Power Word: Shield or HoT Spells (If Possible)

Rejuvenation and Regrowth are great!

Next up is a pretty obvious one for most veteran healers, but if you're fresh to healing dungeons you might not be aware of the great utility of these types of spells. Power Word: Shield is a priest spell that absorbs incoming damage, and it can really be useful for preventing a big spike of damage on your tank. I cast this on the tank right before a boss fight if he has a decent amount of rage to build threat, but it can also be used to save your casters spamming AoE spells, or yourself.

HoT (Heal Over Time) spells such as Renew, Rejuvenation, and Regrowth are also great spells for smoothing out the damage your tank or dps is taking. These spells are great for pulsing damage on the whole party - like Baron Rivendare and Lord Alexi Barov in Stratholme Undead and Scholomance, respectively - but in general it's a good idea to keep them up on the tank at all times regardless.

However, NEVER put HoTs up on the tank right before a boss fight though! If he or she has an unlucky streak of misses or taunt resists, you'll definitely pull aggro, which all too often will result in a horrible horrible wipe.

And that leads me to my next tip...

Dungeon Tip #3 - Dump Aggro Often (If Possible)

I mentioned this in a previous guide, but it's worth repeating - keep fade (or bubble, if you're a paladin) handy! Since pulling aggro as a healer can be so devastating for your group, you should really avoid it at all costs if you can. If you have an aggro dump ability, use it! However, if you don't have one and still manage to pull aggro on an enemy target, do everyone a favor and run TO the tank! Trust me, he'll appreciate the gesture!

Dungeon Tip #4 - Fast Heals for Emergencies

Flash Heal, Rank 7

Sometimes, the tank goes down a lot faster than you expect. In these situations, it's vital that you heal them up as fast as you can. Flash Heal or Lesser Healing Wave, while expensive, can be the difference between life and death of your party members. And if you've brought some mana pots like I told you to in that earlier tip, you should have a bit of a backup in case you do end up going OOM.

Just for a quick rundown, here are the fast heals that each class has:
Priests - Flash Heal
Paladins - Flash of Light
Druids - Swiftmend (a deep resto talent)
Shamans - Lesser Healing Wave

Finally, for emergencies, use the highest rank you have initially, then swap back to other heals or lower ranks as things calm down.

Dungeon Tip #5 - Decurse/Dispel!

Decursive

This is where that addon Decursive comes in handy. Keep an eye, and an ear, out for the notifications when the pop up. By default, a red box means left click and a blue box means right click. There's also a pink box that might show up (alt+left click, if I recall correctly), but this can be altered in the addon menu.

While dispelling or decursing, try to be mindful of which debuffs get applied repeatedly, as there's often little point in removing them early into a trash pull only to have it reapplied 4 more times and run you OOM. However, anytime a debuff that reduces healing taken appears on the tank, you should remove it if you can.

Effective dispelling takes practice, so start as soon as possible and get a feel for the debuffs of each dungeon you're in.

Dungeon Tip #6 - Clarify the Bosses Before Engaging

Finally, the most overlooked bit of advice that I can offer to not only healers, but everyone doing a dungeon (for the first time, especially) - don't be afraid to ask questions! If you aren't quite sure what a boss does, ask. The good thing about Classic, as opposed to BFA nowadays, is that people are much more willing to help and explain things in order to ensure the group's success. So, if you are foggy, or just straight up don't know a boss, make sure to find out what is going to happen so you can prepare!

This really can make all the difference on a boss fight, and will help you clear the dungeon with ease!

After the Dungeon

Post-Dungeon Tip #1 - Note the Good Players

So, now that the dungeon is done, there are two things that you, the healer, should make sure to do. First and foremost, note down and add the good players (if any) to your friend's list - especially the tanks! Though you might not group with them anytime soon, or even talk with them often depending on how social you are, it can give you a good list of players you'll enjoy playing with in the future. What's more, you'll have people you CAN ask back to groups later too. So yeah, it's just like that loading screen tip says: 

"If you enjoyed playing with someone, put them on your friends list!"

Post-Dungeon Tip #2 - Reflect on Your Performance

What was good? What could be improved?

Finally, as a healer, it's important to always think about how you did in your dungeon runs. Were there any wipes? If so, was it your fault, or did you do everything you could? Could you have saved mana during that one fight by casting a lower rank heal? These questions and more can help you to grow as a healer, so try to think about what you did well, and what you could improve next time. Also, ask the other party members for honest feedback if you're not sure! Though most of the time they'll probably just say "you did great" or "awesome heals" (at least, that's what they say to me), occasionally you can get some great commentary and tips from the people you run with. So, consider their input as well!

And then, start looking for the next dungeon!

Final Thoughts

So, there you go - just a few tips for how to make your dungeon healing experience a bit more manageable in WoW Classic. Overall, it's not all that hard to figure out, but if you're a newbie to healing in general, I think my advice will help. And though I'm confident in my abilities and advice as a healer, I'd love to know what you think - is there anything I missed or that you think I got wrong? What are YOUR tips for healing dungeons in Classic? Let me know by leaving a comment down below!

Anyway, that's it for today. If you liked this guide, or found it useful, then add yourself to my mailing list below so you get updated about more content like this in the future. Follow me over on Twitter for updates as well, and consider checking out my videos over on YouTube too! Finally, if there's any particular Classic or TBC content or guides that you'd like to see in the future, let me know by leaving a comment down below as well, as I love getting ideas like this one from readers like you! In any case, thanks for reading, have an awesome day, and as always...

Take it easy!

Healing Fury Tanks: A Simplified Guide

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here. And I'm back with another simplified guide for all of you healers out there.

Does your guild still struggle with threat? Do warlocks constantly pull Broodlord Lashlayer into the ranged group? Is your tank an iron juggernaut that hits like a wet noodle? Well, there's a solution for these issues that you might have heard of: dual-wield fury tanking.

Why Dual-Wield Fury Tank?

Basically, a warrior that foregoes the shield for an offhand weapon will generate a ton more threat, as he's hitting more often and getting hit a lot harder. This, however, makes the healers' work a lot harder, so it could cause a host of other problems. Luckily, having experienced this shift in my guild, I've learned a few tricks that can make healing these berserkers a lot easier for your team.

Before getting into it, though, remember to follow my blog by adding yourself to my mailing list below, so you know when I write more guides and other content like this. There's a lot more coming as we blaze through AQ and Naxx, and I'm sure you'll want to stay informed. But anyway, without further ado, let's get right into the tips...

Tip #1 - Healing Team and Assignments

First off is the absolute most important thing to keep in mind as your guild works toward having a dual-wield fury tank - the healing team and their assignments. In the current iteration of Classic, we're seeing an increase in the "less healers is more" mindset. And while this can have its benefits in terms of overall dps, it can be detrimental to raid survivability. So, what can be done?

First off, you need to ensure you've got balance in your healing team - around 5 priests, 5 paladins/shamans, and 2-3 druids. Your healers need to be transparent about their specs, +healing, preferred healing styles, and gear. Then, once your team knows who's got what, you have to start setting up healing assignments.

Recently, it seems that there are lots of healers relying on addons such as HealCommsClassic to basically remove the need for healing assignments. And while these addons are wonderful for helping healers avoid wasting mana on overhealing, they can cause confusion about who is healing whom. As such, it's important to have healing assignments arranged for fights, and even trash packs, where your guild plans to use a DW Fury tank.

About two months ago, I took on the job of doing healing assignments for my guild  - Exodus on Mankrik-US. And through careful consideration and lots of discussion with guild leadership, we found that having 7-8 of our healers focused on spamming the tank during boss fights, with only 3-4 other healers focusing on raid heals, was the ideal way in which to make sure the MT was always topped off - no matter how many hits he was taking. If you are doing these assignments, make sure to set up a few priests and shamans (if Horde) to keep the 25% armor buff up on the tank at all times, as it can make or break him. Your highest +healing druid should constantly keep HoTs up on the tank as well, and you should assign one priest with high +healing and improved renew to keep that HoT up on the tank at all times as well. Finally, make sure you have at least one priest (preferably not the renew priest) to keep an eye on Power Word: Shield - as this bubble can be used in an emergency to save your tank, or to reduce incoming damage like Firemaw's Shadowflame ability. Personally, I keep this job for myself, as I'm deep-discipline, baby!

Tip #2 - Use Fast Heals

Now that you've got a healing team assembled and assignments sorted, it's time for the actual healing. DW Fury tanks take a lot more damage than their shield-bearing counterparts, and generally have a bit less health as well. As such, it's important that they are constantly getting healed up to full. In order to do this, those who are assigned to tank heals MUST NEVER stop healing. That means using the fastest heals you have available as often as you can.

First and foremost, know if you have a specific job as a healer - the renew priest, the HoT druid, etc. Then, find a rank of the fastest heal that you can spam constantly for a good 90 seconds straight without going out of mana. For me, it's Flash Heal Rank 2, but you can also alternate to a higher rank for emergency situations if needed (FH R7 for me). Druids are at a bit of a loss here, as they only have Healing Touch, but priests, paladins, and shamans can all work together to make sure the tank is constantly getting a heal of 500 every 0.2 seconds or so.

Ideally, mana shouldn't be much of an issue, as the tank should be able to generate so much threat that DPS can go ham on the boss. However, if mana does become a problem, you should make sure to have pots, innervate assignments, and more at the ready. Even Superior Mana Potions can make a difference!

Tip #3 - Target of Target (and Mouseover Macros)

Alright, the third tip is a bit of a simple one, but important nonetheless. Sometimes when a tank is running DW Fury, he'll just get completely roflstomped. And while this hopefully won't happen too often, it's important to be able to continue healing the next target(s) as fast as possible. For that reason, it's important to make sure you target the boss and keep Target of Target enabled so that you can quickly swap to the new tank (or warlock, whichever is 2nd on threat).

It's also very helpful, in this situation, to make sure you're using mouseover macros like the one I mentioned in my previous "Healy Priest Tips and Tricks" guide:

/cast [@mouseover,exists]Flash Heal(Rank 2)

If you keep your mouse cursor hovering over the enemy's target like I do, you can keep spamming whoever is taking the damage at all times. Keep in mind that for fights like Vaelestrasz (where the target changes occasionally) spamming heals on the Target of Target might result in some random healing of a rogue or mage, but it's still better than risking a loss of your 2nd tank immediately after the first. So...yeah.

Tip #4 - Communication!

Finally, my last tip is one that should be very clear to anyone raiding in an MMORPG like WoW Classic: Communicate! Talk with your tanks about when you think they NEED to have a shield, or when they might be able to swap to their offhand weapon. Odds are if you speak with them, you'll get a good idea about when they take the most damage, when threat isn't a huge issue, and more.

Currently, Blackwing Lair is the most challenging raiding content available in Classic. And while typical dragon fights like Firemaw and Nefarian can be DW tanked fairly easily, others like Chromaggus are definitely more suited for the Sword-and-Board tanks. In any case, and especially going forward, discuss your tanking and healing strategies together as a guild to decide on the best approach for you. Communication will take you very far.

Final Thoughts

Thanks for taking the time to read this guide, and good luck healing your fury tank. In my opinion, dual-wield tanking is one of the most interesting new methods of fighting these old bosses that I've seen in my many years of playing this game. It adds a new level of complexity to the encounter, while also making it finish much faster, if done correctly. And really, that's what the new meta seems to be all about. In any case, I hope you found this guide useful or interesting. If you liked it, or have any feedback for me, let me know by leaving a comment down below. If you'd like to see more content like this in the future, add yourself to my mailing list as well, or subscribe to my YouTube channel if you prefer video content instead. In any case, thanks for reading, have an awesome day, and catch you next time!

Take it easy!

Top 5 - Overlooked Healer Items

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here with another top 5 post for you!

Over the past couple of months of raiding and getting back into my regular content creation, I've been looking over a lot of items in WoW Classic. And though there are a ton of great items that everyone knows about, thanks to the prevalence of Best-in-Slot lists, I've also noticed that there are many items that get forgotten - despite being nearly as good as other items!

So today, that's what we're going to take a look at - my Top 5 Overlooked Healer Items in WoW Classic. Just to be clear, I'm mostly focusing on pre-raid items that rarely (if ever) get mentioned and that can be more easily obtained than the pre-raid BiS counterparts. I'll also try to only mention a slot once, as to make this top 5 more informative for healers looking for particular slots. Finally, I'm only including items that ALL healers can utilize, so expect a bit of cloth to be mentioned. But anyway, with those disclaimers out of the way, let's get right into it!

#5 - Archlight Talisman (Neck)

Alright so, as healers we all know that we're probably going to run Strat Undead about a million times to try and get some great items. However, if you have terrible luck like a couple of my guildmates, you may never see the Animated Chain Necklace drop. So, what can you do?

Well, luckily, there's a quest reward that is completely RNG free and has decent stats for healers: the Archlight Talisman from the Battle of Darrowshire quest chain.

Now, I know that it doesn't compare at all to the awesome necklace from Strat, but let's face it - RNGeesus hates some people. And though it has no +healing on it, the stats it does have could be the difference between life and death in some fights. Sure, you have to get a raid together to finish the final portion of the quest chain, but again, it's a guaranteed reward that you can get for free even before you hit 60 if desired.

But if you ARE dead set on running Strat a couple hundred times for your neck, there are a few more underrated items you should definitely keep an eye out for...

#4 - Dungeon Set Pieces (Bracers, Belts, Legs, and Boots)

At number 4, we've got a three-for: the dungeon set bracers, belts, and legs. Since healers are constantly going to want to run Strat Undead for their Animated Chain Necklace, Robes of the Exalted, and other amazing items, they may come across these items along the way. Though the bracers and belts are random trash drops, and only a few of them even drop in Strat Undead, they are BoE and can usually be found on the auction house for fairly cheap. The best ones for healers are definitely the clothy ones - Dreadmist, Magister's, and Devout - due to their balance of intellect, stamina, and spirit. However, the other sets may be useful depending on your class.



When it comes to the legs, however, the odds of getting something decent are definitely in your favor here. Baron Rivendare always drops one of the nine set legs, so depending on your healer, you could potentially get a decent pair of pants in just a few runs while trying to scoop up your BiS neck and robes. Of course, the Devout Skirt isn't anywhere near as popular as Senior Designer's Pantaloons, or good for that matter, but if you need pants or pure stats, the dungeon legs are a pretty safe bet.

#3 - Green 'Of Healing' Items (Especially Wands/Offhands)

Dragon Finger of Healing is AWESOME!

Next up on this list is the often overlooked, highly underrated green 'of Healing' items. Though I'm not personally a big fan of having a giant +healing number with no stats, these items can be invaluable when you just can't get a drop. And for some slots - like the priest wand - they are just downright Best in Slot for a long time.

When I was nearly 60, I bought a bunch of these items and had them ready in my bank for when I made the swap over to healing. And though I didn't end up needing all of them, they provided a much-needed backup plan for slots when gear just didn't want to drop in dungeons. What's more, I actually continued using a Mystical Orb of Healing (+31 Healing) until I got Benediction only a couple of weeks ago. And still use my Dragon Finger of Healing (+18 Healing) even now going into Blackwing Lair.

So, keep an eye on the auction house for these when they pop up. You might just be able to fill an elusive slot with a good chunk of +heals!

#2 - Eye of the Beast (Trinket)

Alrighty, in the number 2 slot we've got the trinket that all casters should most definitely have if they plan on raiding at all in Classic - the all-too-common, but often overlooked, Eye of the Beast trinket from the Horde Onyxia attunement quest, and the Alliance quest General Drakkisath's Demise.

In the world of min-maxing that we are currently playing in, most healers opt for trinkets with healing or spell power such as the Dire Maul trinkets, Second Wind, Burst of Knowledge, or Briarwood Reed. However, since this item is both guaranteed (as it's a quest reward) AND provides a solid 2% spell crit for damaging and healing spells, it shouldn't be underestimated.  I can't count the number of times that a quick Power Word: Shield and Flash Heal crit combo has saved my tanks from utter annihilation.

Sure, more +healing is always great, but critical heals are also badass, in my opinion. And that's why this awesome trinket is up here at number 2.

#1 - Dreamweave Set (Head, Gloves, Chest)

The Dreamweave Set is, without a doubt, the most commonly overlooked bunch of healer items in Classic, despite it actually being fantastic for healers and caster dps alike. These three items - the Circlet, Gloves, and Vest - are all cloth (meaning all healers can use them), have 18 or more spell damage and healing, and can be equipped as early as level 40 (the helm, 45). The mats to craft them are all relatively cheap, and you can typically find them on the auction house for anywhere from 3-10 gold per piece, depending on your server's economy. Really, they're just awesome items that healers should definitely consider picking up as they approach level 60.



Look, in a perfect world, healers will all get a Cassandra's Grace, Hands of the Exalted Herald, and Robes of the Exalted before stepping into Molten Core and Onyxia's Lair. Unfortunately, the world isn't perfect. And while there are tons of other pieces of loot that healers could obtain instead of those Pre-Raid BiS items once they reach level 60, the fact of the matter is that these three items remain really solid up until raid gear is obtained. Personally, I'm still using the Circlet and Gloves to this day, 3 months after crafting them in the first place. They're cheap, easy to craft, and just all-around wonderful items for healers to use.



And that's why I had to place them here, at number 1...

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it: my top 5 overlooked healer items in WoW Classic. Though none of these items are quite as good as their BiS counterparts, I can definitely say that they're still quite good and can provide you healers with a nice alternative to no-lifing in dungeons before stepping into raids. Of course, if you want to be the best of the best, like no one ever was, you can do that, but with BWL just around the corner, it's only going to get easier to get into MC and Ony to collect those sweet sweet purples. So...why not just get some decent gear instead?

Anway, that's it for today. If you liked this list, or have any other pre-raid healer items that you think I should've included here, let me know by leaving a comment down below. I read every one. If you'd like to see more content like this in the future, add yourself to my mailing list down below, or follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates. Check out my videos over on YouTube, if you prefer video content over written words, and be sure to subscribe while you're at it!

Thanks again for reading. Have an awesome day, and as always...

Take it easy!

Classic Holy Priest Tips and Tricks!

Hey dudes. Silvite Soltis here. And today, I've got a new type of post for you!

Over the past few months, I've been enjoying the hell out of my main class, the priest. And while it seems that everything that can be learned in this game has already been figured out, I've also noticed that a lot of people make things harder than they need to be. So, in this post, I thought I'd share a few tips about playing a healing priest that you might not be aware of.

Let's get started, shall we?

Tip #1 - Mouseover Macros

In the world of addons and clicky keybinds, it seems that many people forget that mouseover macros exist. These types of macros, which can be written for any spell you want to cast in Classic, allow you to simply mouse over a target taking damage and press the appropriate keybind: no addon required!

The mouseover macro is as follows:

/cast [@mouseover,exists]Spell

This is good for raids, dungeons, or even PVP. Best of all, you can choose which ranks of spells are cast by simply adding it in parentheses:

/cast [@mouseover,exists]Spell(Rank x)

Note that there's no spaces between the brackets or parentheses!

So, a rank 4 Heal spell would look like this:

/cast [@mouseover,exists]Heal(Rank 4)

All in all, it takes a bit of setting up, but by making these macros for all of your main spells (Renew, Heal, Greater Heal, Flash Heal, Power Word: Shield), you can save yourself a headache of setting and remembering a bunch of weird Shift-CTRL-Left type combinations used by many healing addons. It's pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

Tip #2 - Downranking - Which ranks for what?

So, everyone knows about Downranking at this point, but one of the hardest things for many priests seems to be figuring out exactly which ranks to use. So, to keep it simple...

• Heal (Rank 2) for low, consistent damage.
• Heal (Rank 4) to keep the tank up.
• Flash Heal (Rank 4) for bursty raid healing.
• Flash Heal (Rank 7) for those "Oh shit" moments in tank healing.
• Renew (Rank 6) for raid healing (rarely used)
• Renew (Rank 9) for tank healing (if you're specced for Imp Renew)
• Power Word: Shield (Rank 10) for tanks OR other damage prevention (because if you need to prevent it, it's probably a lot).
• Greater Heal (Rank 4) for when the tank needs a HUGE heal. Use Inner Focus first to save mana (if needed)!!!

Make some mouseover macros for each of these and bind them to your preferred keys. Easy-peasy. Also, you can play with different ranks based on your mana pool and +healing, but these ones have been the ones I've found most consistently effective throughout my gearing process.

Tip #3 - Go for Power Infusion (if your guild doesn't have a PI priest yet)

In the current era of min-maxing everything, many priests go deep holy in order to be the best healers they can possibly be. But there's another super-viable healing spec that can really benefit your raid that you should consider if you haven't already: the Power Infusion spec!

Power Infusion is an insanely powerful buff for casters and healers alike. Boosting damage and healing by 20% for 15 seconds can really give your raid the edge it needs in MC, BWL, and beyond. Your casters will love you, and you can be sure that you'll keep your raid spot so long as you are the sole proprietor of this amazing buff. Sure, your healing won't be as strong, but with enough other deep-holy priests, that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

For good measure, here's the mouseover macro that I currently use when casting Power Infusion. Feel free to copy+paste it into a macro for yourself:

/cast [@mouseover,exists]Power Infusion
/run SendChatMessage(format("Power Infusion on %s!!!",select(1,UnitName("mouseover"))),"WHISPER",nil,select(1,UnitName("mouseover")));

Enjoy being an even more valued member of your raid team!

Tip #4 - Pre-Raid BiS Is NOT Always Best!

Again in this age of min-maxing, it seems that everything is constantly "all about that BiS". And while pre-raid best in slot items are undoubtedly very powerful, people seem to forget a very important aspect of best in SLOT - it's the best item for a slot, not always the best combination of gear to have overall.

A couple of weeks ago, I happened to pick up the Robes of Prophecy, a big downgrade compared with my Robes of the Exalted from Strat Undead. My healing went down by 46 from that swap alone. The stats, however, more than made up for it. I was able to heal for longer without going out of mana, looked cooler, and am one piece closer to my 5piece bonus.

Many Pre-Raid BiS items, like Gloves of the Exalted Herald or The Hammer of Grace, are simply big pools of +healing. In my experience, however, a balance of the high stam/int/spirit set pieces and high +healing items is vastly superior overall simply due to the sustained healing that results. So mix and match pieces. Keep some of those high-stat items and swap as needed!

Tip #5 - Keep Fade Handy (so you don't need to spec for reduced threat)

I can't count the times I've seen a priest in a raid get healing aggro from a Lava Giant when a tank mysteriously dies and gets eaten alive. The ones that don't are typically specced into the reduced threat talent in the discipline tree, sacrificing things like improved Power Word: Shield or stun resistance. There's a better way, priests: keep Fade handy!

I'm sure this is common sense to many of you, but sometimes common knowledge isn't all that common. So, just a reminder that we have an awesome threat reduction tool at our disposal! Use it!

Personally, I always keep it bound to my 'Q' key, just in case! ;)

Tip #6 - Flash Heal is Your Friend

Ok, last tip for today! We all know that mana conservation is important and that Heal ranks 2 and 4 are among the most efficient heals we can use. However, as many of the fights in Classic, at least in Molten Core, end fairly quickly, you should definitely make use of Flash Heal to keep people up.

This is something that I only recently realized myself - as I was always trying to keep my mana sustained throughout fights. As my guild improved its speed in downing bosses, though, I noticed that I could typically heal better, and obviously faster, by using Flash Heal. Sure, it somewhat snipes the other healers, but it ensures that those who need heals get them in time. And it looks a lot better on parses, so...yeah.

Obviously keep an eye on your mana pool, but don't be afraid to use a few quick Flash Heals to recover from bursty damage!

Conclusion

So, there you have it: 6 tips for playing your holy priest that you might not have though about. Obviously, there's a lot more you could do if you're willing to research all the nit and gritty, but I think these are some of the more important ones that all healy priests can make use of. As always, if you have any tips for playing this magnificent class, feel free to leave a comment down below, as we can always learn from each other. I'm by no means perfect at the class, and love learning new things as I play this fun, 15 year old video game.

But yeah, that's it for today. If you liked these tips or found them useful, feel free to add yourself to my mailing list down below for more posts like this in the future. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates on content, and check out my videos over on YouTube if you prefer that form of content, as I turn all of my posts into videos shortly after writing them here. Thanks for reading, have an awesome day, and as always...

Take it easy!