This is just a copy past from another response on the ‘Holy paladin now and S2’ thread.
From everything I have heard and seen, the spec is probably in need on some changes either for S2 or going forward in TWW:
Spot healing buffs were seriously needed and good since its kind of part of our identity historically but virtue nerfs are mostly to keep the raid HPS meters in check/balanced.
1. separate beacon transfer between M+ and Raid. Divine tool + Virtue used to top everyone just like Disc priest can do with proper setup, same with Rdruid, MW sheilun’s gift, etc but its no longer the case due to this, hurting our already mediocre AOE healing (specially since we lost a lot of healing in AC LS). This way we can buff WoG and HS but dont have to worry about Hpal overperforming in Raid by a huge margin/we dont have to delete devo aura/Mastery.
To me thats one step to improve the spec. Alternative would be to differentiate raid/m+ as some Hpals here has suggested builds since its basically the same, so we can balance them separately, but this requires more work on re design which isnt likely after the rework we got in S1.
Hpal has been facing SERIOUS balance issues ever since the S2 rework (or even before). Raid HPS may be in check, but the spec feels terrible in 5-man in comparison to most of its peers.
2. An ACTUAL mana system: since other than BoW we dont have ways to properly manage mana, and holy shock its too expensive currently for what it does. Our way to manage mana is just stop pressing buttons.
Refund on enemies is a good step forward but not enough imo, same with Virtue mana buffs, since how to we handle big burst AOE events? Virtue. That’s all we got.
If we go OOM, most of the time is not even mismanaging, its just how the spec is currently designed to work. Ellesmere has talked times and times again about this design issue and nobody likes to wait for the healer to drink in M+ (some wont even wait…)
3. DPS buffs: to Holy Shock and SotR. Those abilities barely do anything in our overall and Hpal is already one of the weakest healers in DPS, specially after AC LS nerfs.
Fixes:
- Add a cap for LotM absorb and remove absorb on overhealing.
Additional changes as a Wishlist:
- Holy Infusion back since spenders are still kinda weak, so we can have less globals between strong spot heals. This way the spec doesnt feel as punishing (as you would note by like 10 posts on how hpal sucks on this same forums).
- Switch positions between Power of the silver hand and Relentless Inquisitor or give us back the 4% haste we lost with the class tree redesign (which is honestly, a problem for another day…)
- Lastly, honestly, just get rid of casts or rework them, nobody likes waiting like 1 min for a Holy Light cast that will probably be too late, and FoL has no place currently in our kit, either its too weak and a loss of dps, or too strong that trivializes Spenders.
- Rework LoD, since it hasnt been good for like 3 or 4 seasons (or more) now outside of Raid, or make it a raid talent and gives us a node choice for m+ with another and better option suited for 5 man.
- Redesign Mastery. Seriously, why our mastery is still this bad considering this isn’t S2 DF anymore and its useless because Beacon Of Faith hasn’t been taken since then? How this mastery has survived 2 full reworks its beyond me.