Noob Disc Help?

[Gorfang-feathermoon]

So I’m typically a tank or dps, but figured I wanted to give healing a fair shake, and most of the healing specs are boring from a “class fantasy” perspective.
Unfortunately for me, the two I seem to like the idea of the most (Druid and Disc) are the two types I’m least good at ^_^;; (Proactive vs Reactive).

So I’m looking for noob tips!

In my, admittedly limited, experience, I’m noticing that Disc has trouble dealing with quick burst damage - the DPS healing doesn’t keep up with the incoming damage very well.
Is the answer to that really just to essentially blow all your CDs and spam smite? That seems… spastic? There’s gotta be a more efficient way to handle high incoming damage… right?

The other thing I notice is that I hate putting PW:S up - it feels like every GCD spent shielding to apply Atonement is a GCD that I’m not healing (since the shield is so flimsy). When you need to throw out, say, 3 shields, how do you keep up with your tank healing?

FYI, I play mostly pug content.

Thanks!

[Aryys-stormrage (Aryys)]

Eventually, you will get used to putting atonement up before the damage comes out. Once atonement is up on the targets that need healed, the rotation is-
Schism(if taken)->Solace(if taken)->Penance->Smite, and then back around once the other skills are off CD.

You will Shadowmend if a target is in danger of dying and needs to be brought to safe levels, but generally you will not be spamming it. Depth of Shadows is a really good trait that gives your Shadowmend more bang for its buck as well, try to have at least one of those.

[Shaejr-shadowmoon (Shaejr)]

Getting a lot of haste gear helps. It just makes thing cast off faster. Bad part is that it comes with only higher iLVL gear.

If your tank is squishy and is also a pug. You should remember all the time you tank on encountering big AoE burst and save cd for moments like those.

Always shield tank and start your rotation before a pull. Applying dot to all harm target is very important in healing. Use mouse over macro for shield/atonement. Then switch back to focus attack on main tank target. If tank fall low do not hesitate to use rapture with shield. Use Pain Suppression on tank when it’s a big AoE pull or one of those oops pug moments. If there are too many oops pug moments, then be prepare for a lot of grief or just leave. Just tell them straight out that your iLVL gears are not high enough for people to not play mechanics correctly and they should find a new healer.

[Aeterna-shadow-council (Aeterna)]

I ASSUME you mean in dungeons, since you’re only 331? Then for one thing, your talents are off. I would suggest Power Word: Solace over Mindbender. It’s more consistent healing, and scales well with other talents. From there, you have the choice of two “builds”: an offensive build and a defensive build.

Offensive is Schism and Sins of the Many. This is an atonement centered build that focuses on doing a lot of damage (and atonement healing), but is very proactive and punishing if you slip.

The defensive build is Twist of Fate and Shadow Covenant. It lends itself more towards direct and reactive healing, and thus is usually more intuitive for new Discs. The defensive build has better tools for catching up if you fall behind. The offensive build helps you avoid falling behind, but if you do (common if you’re very reactive), you have less tools to catch back up.

Shadow Mend is an essential dungeon tool, especially if you are using the defensive build. It is your go-to if someone needs more than incidental healing (and the Depth of the Shadow trait on azerite gear helps even more). If more than 2 people need immediate and strong healing and don’t have atonement, skip individual shielding and use Power Word: Radiance. Ideally, you should have a few atonements up before big damage arrives. The tank should ALWAYS have atonement, and you can keep one or two others up on whoever’s taking incidental damage.

The key to Disc really is playing proactively. You should be mentally looking ahead to what may happen. You say you’ve played a tank, so you may already know which are dangerous trash packs that tend to go wrong or damage everyone. When you approach those as a healer, set up as soon as combat starts. Go in with 2 or 3 shields up already, set up Shadow Word: Pain on several enemies, and as soon as damage starts ramping, cover the whole group (either individually if there’s only 1 or 2 without, or with Radiance if there’s more) and go ham. A CD will also help a lot. Shadowfiend for a big boost in damage (and thus healing), or Rapture and put fat shields on everyone.

If you’ve got heavy tank healing needed simultaneously with incidental group damage, Radiance the group and Shadow Mend that tank. The tank and 2 others taking heavy damage? You can Pain Suppression the tank and Shadow Mend all of them, or Barrier and Shadow Mend, or Rapture and alternate shields between the tank and the others. EVERYONE’S taking high damage? Radiance, Shadowfiend, Shadow Mend anyone below 50%, then dps. Or Barrier - Radiance - dps, or Rapture - shield everyone - dps, or just Radiance - alternate Shadow Mend and dps. Toss in a Shadow Covenant if you’ve talented for it and everyone’s got atonement.

I certainly hope you’re using mouseovers of some kind, because they’re pretty much mandatory to pull this off. I’d also aim for Haste on both rings if you can. It helps a lot in that “feeling like I’m falling behind” feeling.

[Resherin-tichondrius (Resherin)]

Personally I’ve been running the talents: schism + shadow covenant together which helps a lot with healing high burst damage. If you’re group takes a chunk of burst damage then do this: Shadow Covenant, Radiance, Schism, Divine Star, Solace (so you can move), Smite spam or Penance if you have to move then Shadow Covenant again when it’s back up. If you absolutely have to keep moving during high burst damage then pop Rapture and spam shields while moving and solace/Divine Star in between then clean it up with same thing from above. Make sure you apply at least 1 to 2 shadow word pains before all of this and keep them up as much as you can. 90% of the time your opener should be atonement on tank and shadow word pain spam as many targets as you can before beginning atonement and dps rotation. Apply Pain suppression on tank during all of this if he’s taking a lot of damage too that way you can hold off on shadowmending spamming him until the group is up. If the group is about to take massive AoE damage such as on Temple of Sethralis first boss then use a Barrier and then get your rotation in or start off with rapture if your barrier isn’t up to prevent as much damage as possible. Another trick to keeping a tank up is just rapture spamming him because most tanks have a way of healing themselves and you can completely mitigate all incoming damage on him by spamming the overpowered rapture shield on him over and over until he heals himself. Rotate your cd’s properly don’t ever use them all at once you want them evenly spaced out so you have a way of recovering if needed. Shadow mend in between if you have to and apply atonement shield on people that are taking damage while keeping it on tank at all times and then just go to town on your dps rotation easy day as disc priest. Also this is for mythic + healing not raid healing which is kinda different. It’s also not bad to have to drop a barrier down just for the tank, I do this all the time for reaping just to make sure he and the group is guaranteed to survive when I have low mana.