Advice on group composition and roles

[vikemosabe]

Hey all, I've been a member for a while and have found many useful pieces of info on here.

I have some specific questions I'd like some input on.

My setup as now is 80 pally tank/healer dual spec
72 fire mage
72 demo/dest warlock
72 druid tank/boomkin dual spec
72 priest holy/disc hybrid/shadow dual spec

Obviously I'm still leveling 4 of my guys.

I play mostly on a laptop and it struggles at times with so I've been running all 4 72 as dps spec until I come to a hard quest involving an elite and then I switch my druid to bear and my priest to heals.

When I do play all 5 it's pally tank, priest heals, and the other dps.

My questions is many-fold.

I'd like suggestions as to whether or not to keep this class makeup.
I'm planning on doing heroics and 3xcloth gear might suck.
I have a hunter at 61 that could catch up which would use mail.
I can also bring up something new from 1 cuz of RAF.
I can also make a dk to add in anywhere.

My question is if I should change classes at all, specifically should I add in a shaman.
If I do add something, which class should I replace?

Lastly, do you feel that this class makeup and spec combination is getting about as much utility and buffs as I realistically can?

I have imp fort and all that in my priest, paladin is geared with t7 and 25 man naxx random stuff.
Would adding in another class be better buffs or dps?

Keep in mind I'm only gonna box 5.
Also, could I achieve better synergy of macros with a different combo?

I know this is pretty much wall o' text so I appreciate anyone who reads it all and takes the time to respond.

Thanks.

[vikemosabe]

Another question, I knew there was something I was forgetting.

Which role do you typically use as your main view?

So far, I have used my tank as main in any instance runs and just watch the unit frames for any thing I need to know.
I use x-perl and so I have health, mana, spell, and that stuff all viewable from tank screen.

I use ftl setup for questing with just my 4 guys.

Do you all typically control the toon you consider your main, no matter the role?
Or do you find it better or easier to see the whole picture as a different role than tank?

Any suggestions are welcome.

[nodoze]

I am often a Wall-O-Texter so I don't mind... I am not the most experienced MBer but I have always done my main tank (even when pet tanking) as the main window and have the 4 smaller windows on one side of it in a column. To date I have had a tank with 4 pet classes (including the tank) and a healer.

[Coltimar]

Class makeup is fine. You don't need a dedicated healer until you start heroics and maybe not then. I strongly suggest having your tank as your main window since most of the action goes on there. Your priest will be the simplest to heal with but any healing class can work.

With my group I went disc on my priest for two reasons. 1) I couldn't get a shadow sequence that could keep pace with the rest of my team and 2) I could do decent dps and keep the tank going with Shields, Renew and the occassional CoH or Holy Nova.

[Greythan]

I'm pally/priest for my tank/healer.

Pally is main window always. Its just easiest with her being the only melee.

Priest is spec'd holy for the AE. I actually glyphed Holy Nova and can simply spam it when stuff gets hairy. Takes me a long time to go oom. (I've been 80 for a while though and somewhat geared.)

Its a nice tank/healer setup.

[Fef]

The tank is always the main windows except for one group : My healing druid + 4 hunters group is controlled through the druid. Mouseover heals are really nice, I wish I could use them in every group ...

For the rest, since you already have the complexity of a 5-classes group, you might indeed try to have as much variety as possible in what characters wear. Farming 4 of something (like mail for the Shamans in my PVE group) is not really fun.

I could imagine a plate tank, a priest healer, and elemental shamans + hunter + balance druid for DPS. Then you have as little overlap as possible in terms of gear.

[vikemosabe]

Thanks for the replies everyone.
I've been taking a break from this group to bring up another team of 4x shaman and 1 pally tank.
I'm looking forward to seeing how that goes.

[Greythan]

I'm mouseover healing with my priest from my tank window using Healbot and regional mouse broadcasting with IS.

Getting use to it and liking it a lot.

[Diwa]

4x shaman and 1 pally tank is the most recommended setup. With regards to your previous team I don't see any problem even though most of your DPS are clothy. As long as you have a well equipped tank and healer you'll be fine.