So, with the change to Holy Nova, I’m curious as to which of these two people consider to be better to run in a priest deck at the moment. I’m probably going to try building a highlander priest list in standard after AoO launch next week, and I’m not sure that the list has room to run both, in addition to other board clear/removal options.
On the one hand, Holy Nova will always only damage enemy minions, and provides extra healing, both for your board and for your face. This gives it good flexibility and that small bit of extra life can potentially mean the difference between surviving another turn against aggro, or just immediately losing. However, 4 mana is a bit late to have a 2 damage AoE clear against aggressive decks, who tend to start curving into bigger minions by that time.
Breath on the other hand can be played a turn earlier, when it might still be relevant, but might damage your own minions if you’re not holding a dragon, and doesn’t provide any healing to you or your minions. Additionally, even by turn 3 you might have many enemy minions out of range of a 2 damage AoE effect, which makes the fact that it comes down a turn before Holy Nova potentially irrelevant.
It seems the type of priest decks that work these days don’t really play many minions before turn 5, so I don’t think the “might damage your own minions” aspect is terribly important. If you’re going to do the quest holy Nova seems more useful.
Also though, remember it is going to be quite a bit more difficult to run a Highlander deck in standard with only 4 expacs.
I play breath in a deck that doesn’t have dragons. I’ve never had an issues with it. It’s also 3 cost as compared to 5. I don’t see myself ever using nova as long as breath is in standard.
I’ve always found 2 damage AoEs to be a little awkward - the right answer may, in fact, be neither.
Speaking from a Wild perspective:
1 damage clears tokens, 2/1s, Lackeys, Loot-Hoarder type draw minions, and is enough to pop divine shields.
3 damage clears 1/3s, most Pirates, almost all Murlocs that haven’t received a health buff, and most cards around the 2-3 mana mark that aren’t health-leaning vanilla minions.
2 damage is at an awkward stage where it’s overkill against tokens and just shy of bopping a sensitive minion like a Mech Warper, Southsea Captain, clearing a board of Quartermastered recruits, or bopping a Murloc Warleader. There are even some 1 drops which aren’t cleared. Conversely, it tends to be overkill versus tokens; the best targets I’ve seen for 2 damage were Shaman totems. There just aren’t a lot of 2 health minions I’d pay 3-4 mana to kill unless it was a Sorceror’s Apprentice.
Breath of the Infinite might be better for a Priest who does not expect to have a board like a Rezz Priest, but Holy Nova may help existing minions trade better such as with a Tempo Priest of some kind – perhaps, ironically, a Dragon Priest.
Ultimately it all comes down to your board states, how often is Holy Nova healing your board vs Breath damaging your board vs how often do you not have a board?