Here’s a list of abilities that I could use by my Mage versus those used by my Shaman or Druid. I’m omitting abilities that obviously wouldn’t be used during an encounter like long term buffs and other utility spells not intended for encounters. Damage spells are listed with a (D), healing spells with an (H), and utility spells with a (U).
Frost Mage Kit
Arcane Explosion (D)
Cone of Cold (D)
Counterspell (U)
Fireblast (D)
Frost Nova (D)
Frost Bolt (D)
Ice Nova (D)
Invisibility (U)
Mirror Image (D)
Polymorph (U)
Rune of Power (U)
Slow Fall (U)
Spellsteal (U)
Time Warp (U)
Remove Curse (U)
Ring of Frost (U)
Blizzard (D)
Frozen Orb (D)
Flurry (D)
Ice Barrier (U)
Icy Veins (U)
Ice Bock (U)
Ice Floes (U)
Blink (U)
Freeze - Pet (U)
(D) 10, (H) 0, (U) 15 - Total Abilities 25
Restoration Shaman Kit
Ancestral Guidance (U)
Astral Shift (U)
Blood Lust (U)
Capacitor Totem (U)
Chain Heal (H)
Chain Lightening (D)
Earth Elemental (D)
Earth Shield (U)
Earthbind Totem (U)
Flame Shock (D)
Frost Shock (D)
Ghostwolf (U)
Healing Stream Totem (H)
Healing Surge (H)
Hex (U)
Lava Burst (D)
Lightening Bolt (D)
Lightening Shield (U)
Primal Strike (D)
Purge (U)
Spiritwalker’s Grace (U)
Tremor Totem (U)
Water Shield (U)
Wind Shear (U)
Healing Rain (H)
Healing Tide Totem (H)
Healing Wave (H)
Manatide Totem (U)
Purify Spirit (U)
Riptide (H)
Spirit Link Totem (H)
(D) 7, (H) 8, (U) 16 - Total Abilities 31
I feel like the Resto Druid numbers a bit deceptive due to the way multiple forms work. You’re not going to be using every spell at once.
I would probably also file things like Innervate and Ironbark under healing, not utility. A good Resto Druid should be looking for opportunities to say, Ironbark the tank for a tank buster in order to keep them healthy. That’s very in spirit with healing.
I’d also call Main utility since while yes it does damage, the reason you use it is to stun something. I’d probably also file Nature’s Vigil under damage as well.
It’s a “kit” list. Just like I’m not going to be dealing damage or healing all the time either. At issue is the concept of “using the full kit”. I have used all of these abilities during one fight or another.
Anything that does not directly deal damage or heal was categorized as utility. Similarly, anything that primary deals damage or primarily heals, even if they provide healing or deal damage, were categorized respectively.
It provides damage mitigation. In the context of this discussion I feel it’s better categorized as Utility, because it provides some utility outside of direct damage or direct healing. This is to mitigate the argument that damage spells provide “support” in that the healer doesn’t need to heal if the enemy is dead. which I think is just being unnecessarily pedantic.
Alright. So in the spirit of using one’s whole kit, what are we learning from this exercise? Are there some abilities there that you think shouldn’t be used?
As in some specs are better at going off-role than others? Well yes, different classes are different and classes like Mage, which do not have a healing spec, tend to have less off-role healing available to them than hybrid specs which have both healing and damage specs. They make up for that lost utility by having utility in other areas. In Mage’s case, Arcane Intellect and Time Warp are pretty significant and they have significantly more rooting/CCing abilities than the hybrid classes you listed.
So different classes are different with different strengths that they bring to the party. Some classes have more abilities than others. That’s not necessarily a bad thing and I don’t think any of the classes you listed are in danger of falling out of the meta completely any time soon. Every class was brought to world first and every class has shown up with at least one spec in MDI.
What I’m at odds with is the never ending back seat driving by some Players (primarily DPS players). And when it’s rightfully pointed out that DPS doesn’t have nearly the same number of responsibilities as anyone playing a healer spec, they moan on and on about how they do so much more than Healers.
Its not. What it does highlight, however, is how some classes aren’t required to context shift. Mages, for example, only ever, with a laser like focus, have to concentrate on dealing damage. They never have to take their eyes off the prize and with the exception of Remove Curse, have to pay attention to anything but themselves.