I never raided in classic (highest i got to was 52 rogue). Which is why i find myself in this question…
If my goal is to end game raid - what class for both races would give me the best shot at finding a covered spot?
Also on horde side: if the number of healing characters is evenly split between priests and shamans (example: 5 shaman, 5 priest, 2 druids) - what healing class would be better in that spot?
If you plan on playing both factions and don’t want to learn two different classes then Priest is the No.1 choice. If you want to mix it up, go Paladin on Alliance and Priest on Horde for instant pickups.
JMHO - play what YOU want to play. The “best” class is the one you are most comfortable in and enjoy playing. I’ve seen many saying that Dwarves are best on Alliance-side for priests, but I remember very well a guildmate playing a NE priest that beat everyone else at healing.
This depends on a lot of things.
Composition of the raid
Gear level of the raid
Your gear level
Whether your position is AOE heals or single target
Your skill level (can you dispel/decurse as needed)
Your MP5 (mana per 5 sec)
What potions/food/buffs/scrolls you’re using
For raw healing power, it went to the priest, always. For mana efficiency, the shaman took the lead. Chain heal was simply too good. AOE heals, priest. Despite chain heal being so good, if memory serves, it hit a max of 3 people. Priests could hit 5 or all within range.
You also have to recall that the mindset needs to change for classic raiding. You’re going to need 40 people. It will be more about total over all contribution vice who healed the most. You might be assigned to a well geared group that doesn’t need as much healing.
Personally, I think the shaman is the best healer class. I don’t say that solely on their healing abilities because there are better. But, in leveling you feel like a shaman. The quests to collect your totems will take you throughout the world.
Unlike the Retail game, as a Classic shaman, you will learn abilities that nobody else has. You have a tool for just about any situation. And the better you get at weaving your totems, more possibilities open up to you.
Anyways, I am sure everyone will tell you something different but a shaman feels different to the other healers.
Shaman are really good healers. Once they get geared spamming rank 1 chain heal is absolutely godlike. The fact you get to be a good healer AND buff your group? well people will want you, trust me.
Is the fact that there are a multitude of shamans (currently looks like more than priests) a potential issue?
My biggest concern is too much competition.
Druid is the only healer that people tend to skimp on spots for. Going Shaman or Priest means about the same shot at finding a raid spot.
Being a healer you’ll already be in pretty decent demand for raids too.
Both Shaman and Priest are good healers. Shaman excels at multi-target healing thanks to Chain Heal while Priests are just good all around. Shamans also get a lot of buffs and utility from totems.
Raids will definitely want plenty of both Shamans and Priests. Even a Druid healer honestly shouldn’t have that hard a time finding a raid, especially since it’s looking like Druid will be the least played healer.
It was one of the attractive aspects of the class. However, I found, while leveling my shaman in classic, that the Jack-of-all-trades aspect hurt my grouping. People didn’t really understand the class if they didn’t play it (general population) and so they expected the high dps they saw in youtube videos or massive heals that the average shaman couldn’t do without really specific gear.
I love the class and the storylines and the quests. It really made the class feel special and provided a really good look at the spirituality of the Tauren. As a matter of fact, the quests I went on made me question why the Tauren aligned with the Horde. The peaceful, contemplative nature of the shaman quests really didn’t match the rest of the Horde mindset.
IT IS I MOLAY THE PALADIN OF HARD TRUTHS
Classic is going to be on 1.12 balance forever
Priest is OP in 1.12, thus you will be OP forever
Druid is a hilariously broken bottom tier spec, completely unplayable
Don’t listen to the these hippies telling you to play whatever you want. You guna put in 200+ hours to be middle of the road forever while priests rock your socks of for nothing???
Play paladin.
Usually that shouldn’t be the case, but you never know. However being “too good” in your role is a good thing. The worst thing that can happen is you join another guild right?
In reality unless it’s Method or something, no one is going to say Oh I’m sorry we have TOO MANY Resto Shaman
How many of them will be raiding? Competition? Maybe. That’s what guilds are for though.
And then they figured out that shaman is a terrible class that is broken in 1.12, the end. “It’s really good you know, like if you’re good, it’s good. I mean, if you’re good you could just go be even better with hpriest but why not be the best of a bad class?”
Guild name! Oldschool Raiders
You want to be a holy priest or really really good warrior tank for a solid raid spot.
Seeing as it appears you WANT to heal ( which i’d get counseling for I were you ) i’d recommend Holy priest all the way. Ignore pally or shaman for a primary healer spot or you will have difficulty finding a priority raid spot.
Well i reserved the name Lightrot for an undead priest… so that’s an option lol
It really does make you wonder about the Tauren. I guess it just comes down to their loyalty. The orcs helped them when they needed it.
Leveling a shaman does make you look at Azeroth differently. There is a peacefulness in the way the a shaman sees the world. But when forced to fight, a shaman can be a fierce opponent.
I mained a frost(mostly) mage through MC ZG and BWL. I leveled a shadow priest before TBC but never raided with it.
How likely will it be to be allowed to raid as a shadow priest as someone who is usually on the periphery of guild politics? I mean sure the main tank’s or guild masters girlfriend might get to play whatever spec she wants and still get a raid spot but will some random?
I also enjoy playing tank classes solo but probably don’t have the activity level required for main tank so doubt warrior is a good idea.
Don’t count on it. You really don’t want to raid as a shadow priest either. It requires a respec from pvp spec and is kinda bleah. You have to be within 20 yards for mind flay so all the melee nonsense is gonna hit you too usually.
Better to play as disc/holy variants in raids and join a dkp guild or something to grab your shadow gear that way.
Where ever a need for a tremor totem is a shaman will be there.
The rest priest stamina/shadow/spirit buffs are desired.