Prot Pally + 4 Disc Priests
Long time boxer/db lurker...thought I'd post some of my results so far with this team comp. No RAF with this group, so leveling is with heirlooms only. They are currently lvl 60.
Some background on me: I've been playing WoW since the beginning of BC. I started dual boxing (2) shortly thereafter, and went up to a 5 box sometime during WotLK (with the primary goal of beating all dungeon heroics in normal dungeon gear, something I eventually accomplished :cool:).
Something I really miss about that era was all of the crazy hybrid specs that existed back then (Feral druids, for instance, could tank and DPS using the same spec, though you had to switch gear due to the ol' defense stat and the requirement to be uncrittable). I don't necessarily disagree with the current direction of the game in this regard, but still enjoy the endless pursuit of interesting synergies.
Disc priests are one of the few remaining classes that (kinda sorta theoretically :confused:) can heal while DPSing these days.
Sadly, Atonement was nerfed at the beginning of WoD (if you didn't get the chance to try it before the nerf, the smart + passive healing was utterly amazing for boxers). I was curious just how badly the nerf would hurt this comp, and needed a break from my war/3x hunter/priest team anyway (which is a solid team, but wanted to try something different).
Themewise, I am really enjoying the 'Crusaders of the Light' feel of the team - so many yellow glowy spell effects, shields and such :)
Anyway, while the nerf did hurt, I'm finding 4 disc priests still have a ton to offer. Some takeaways from my setup:
1) 4x Penance is just silly + awesome, and you barely feel the atonement nerf - it's great whether used for healing or damage. It's pretty much instant, massive overhealing when spammed 4x on the tank, and when used 4x for damage the atonement healing pretty much always heals the tank to full / nearly full. With a short 9 second cooldown, it's pretty overpowered so far.
2) While most classic dungeons are admittedly faceroll, there are a few dungeons that are actually a bit overtuned - Dire Maul is a great example. Illyanna Ravenoak and Prince Tortheldrin can both do huge burst damage, and with most teams I wipe at least once on each of them. There have been times with melee teams where I've wiped on the Prince repeatedly due to his crazy burst and partywide damage.
With my Prot Pally/4x disc team, I rolled through both of these encounters at 41 (making the bosses 3 levels higher) and between shields and group healing there was virtually no risk of wiping.
3) Pain Suppression -> tank on round robin ... lol 40% reduced damage for up to 32 seconds ...
4) Likewise, Fear Ward on round robin virtually guarantees no fearbombs work on the tank.
5) 4x Prayer of Healing can essentially can heal the entire party from almost dead to around 3/4 in 2.5 seconds.
6) Hotkeyed Sacred Shield (pally) + Power Word: Shield (priest round robin) really eases any fear of potential spiky 'alpha strikes' - I've accidentally pulled an extra group numerous times when I'm being sloppy/not paying attention, and so far haven't wiped from doing so. I'll be curious to see if Clarity of Will actually stacks as Wowhead/Google indicates...if so, WOW that'll be fun!
7) ...you get the idea...
Obviously DPS is the area of greatest concern, but it hasn't been a problem yet. I'll be keeping an eye on it as I progress through the expansions. Though, I was surprised at how strong Power Word: Solace turned out to be. Currently the group is so stupidly defensive that DPS hasn't yet been a concern - time's on my side, so to speak. I'll update this post periodically, but please feel free to add your own thoughts/experiences!
