Levelling a holy priest?

carpenoctem

I am just wondering if there is anyone else who has levelled a priest with Holy spec? My b/f and I are currently doing one each, he's got his to 42 and mine is at 26. Admittedly, the majority of levelling has been done by doing a lot of instance runs and group questing (it's not all that hard to find someone to do slightly too high lvl quest with when you're a fully geared healer...), and we're both enchanters and making good use of high dps wands as well as gearing with lots of plus healing/dps and spirit.

But the end point is, I heard that lvling a Holy Priest was really really though and have experienced no such thing? I am funnily enough also doing much better in PVP situations than I did lvling my lock (which in fairness has been demonology specced since lvl 25 or so that might not be all that weird).

In the end I'm finding it quite nice and quick to lvl this toon, but I guess it does require you to have the time and patience to run a lot of instances and often unfairly being held responsible for a few wipes I am levelling a hunter at the same time though plus my lock still has some way to go till 70 so I'm finding it a nice break from questing!

Just seeing if anyone else has any thoughts on this and if anyone has lvled a Holy Priest, any tips as I get up in lvls?

WTF_L2P_n00b

Tip = Go Shadow

DapperGent

I think generally accepted way to level a priest is simply to go shadow all the way as group and 5 man instance healing doesn't really require a holy spec, at least until level 70 ones and heroics.

ZorbaTehZ

DapperGent wrote:

I think generally accepted way to level a priest is simply to go shadow all the way as group and 5 man instance healing doesn't really require a holy spec, at least until level 70 ones and heroics.

Truth.

WellyJ

carpenoctem wrote:

I am just wondering if there is anyone else who has levelled a priest with Holy spec? My b/f and I are currently doing one each, he's got his to 42 and mine is at 26. Admittedly, the majority of levelling has been done by doing a lot of instance runs and group questing (it's not all that hard to find someone to do slightly too high lvl quest with when you're a fully geared healer...), and we're both enchanters and making good use of high dps wands as well as gearing with lots of plus healing/dps and spirit.

But the end point is, I heard that lvling a Holy Priest was really really though and have experienced no such thing? I am funnily enough also doing much better in PVP situations than I did lvling my lock (which in fairness has been demonology specced since lvl 25 or so that might not be all that weird).

In the end I'm finding it quite nice and quick to lvl this toon, but I guess it does require you to have the time and patience to run a lot of instances and often unfairly being held responsible for a few wipes I am levelling a hunter at the same time though plus my lock still has some way to go till 70 so I'm finding it a nice break from questing!

Just seeing if anyone else has any thoughts on this and if anyone has lvled a Holy Priest, any tips as I get up in lvls?

There's simply no advantage to levelling as a holy priest,

Healing in instances will still be easy and you will solo level much faster,

Maybe if you and your boyfriend are questing together one of you could stay holy and heal the other,

But SHADOW SHADOW SHADOW tbh

carpenoctem

DapperGent wrote:

I think generally accepted way to level a priest is simply to go shadow all the way as group and 5 man instance healing doesn't really require a holy spec, at least until level 70 ones and heroics.

I accepted that as the truth too... but funnily enough neither of us have been rejected for any instance we can do because of being holy priests... so I was curious to see if I just happened to be in groups with noobs or if low lvl holy priests are actually ok...

For the moment my solution has been to lvl a shadow spec alongside my holy one just to see which one I lvl quicker

But from what I've heard paladins make better healers anyway so Im thinking shadows is the way to go and stay.

carpenoctem

WellyJ wrote:

Maybe if you and your boyfriend are questing together one of you could stay holy and heal the other,

But SHADOW SHADOW SHADOW tbh

TBH he's levelling his holy to group with my lock while I'm lvling mine for the benefit of his warrior... but I was afraid I was missing out not being shadow.

Drakar

Shadow spec means you can do more damage, shorter cooldown on fear, blackout (stuns), silence and mana regen through spirit tap and the er mana thingie that I can't remember.
Holy spec means you can heal more (depending on the scenario given vampiric embrace).

Think it's kinda obvious which is quicker for any situation you have to kill stuff in. If you are instancing all the time though holy might be more enjoyable.

Mr. CooL ICE

As others have said, go shadow!

The main advantages in instances when healing as holy specced (IMO) is the shorter cast time for heal and greater heal, aswell as reduced mana cost. I levelled my priest as shadow spec from about lvl 25 onwards (was disc/holy before that) and was easily capable of healing in instances until I hit 59 in September, when I finished all of the solo quests in my quest log. I respecced to 26/25/0 (hybrid spec, not a the best spec tbh) and found healing in the 60 dungeons to be pretty easy. I was able to gear myself up within 2 weeks and got accepted to a MC/pre-BWL guild.

After raiding constantly for 3-4 months under disc/holy, I went shadow for TBC. I actually found the lack of healing abilities to be a killer and most of my instance groups were failures (all my fault). If I had stayed shadow throughout my raiding period (guild wouldn't have been happy with me ) and leveled this way in TBC, I would have probably have been okay, but the initial step back was too difficult for me.

layke

Yeah, I did it to level 35. Then I went shadow as everyone has requested.

My leveling went up 10 fold and I found the game was much easier.

Binomate

Well I leveled holy/disc from 1-70. If I were you, I'd get spirit tap and go holy/disc.

Something like this http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=dVMhzhZfxxhfbVihZxM.

It's still fine for PvP and killing mobs, and you can heal not only heal easier in instances, but you can heal yourself in combat which is a fantastic bonus.

Drakar

Again its all down to how much time you spend soloing. If you are holy spec you are definately better in 5 man instances (if you are the primary healer). Soloing though, although you may be "fine" killing mobs as holy, it's totally no comparisson to shadow. The point is as shadow the fights are over so much faster and you end up not having to heal yourself as much. It's definately possible to spec holy for killing mobs, but it's very inefficient.

Stegiles

I currently have a 52 shadow and couldn't be happier although Vampiric Touch isn't all it cracked up to be and I have to say its the best way to level. Holy is just plain horrible unless you're a duo. My friend is holy all the way and is offended whenever I mention shadow. She and her b/f level together so she has no problem. I have respecced tons of times to Disc and Holy but each time I come crawling back to shadow. It's just natural to lvl as it and when u get to 70 think holy

toxick

have a 66 shadow priest, have ok gear, some blues/greens have 389 healing bonus, but never have a prob with healing for instaces at this level(done most instaces for that level)

just go shadow and respec at 70, what im doing and im flying up with the levels