Multiboxing Priests

[Maxion]

They are forcing 31 points in the tree, but I think you may be able to skip the actual 31 point talent if you put the points elsewhere, though in most cases you'll want it if you're already that far in the tree.

[Owltoid]

I can't imagine skipping the 31 point talent if forced to go 31 points.

On a fun note, this morning I was doing my Grizzly Hills daily with my priests (lvl 73-74). With a few mobs on me, an 80 warrior decided to try and gank. I don't think he was exceptionally well geared, and looked prot spec, but all my priests survived and he gave me +1 horde units killed These priests have incredible survivability. I guess with them going holy spec they will have even more... I'm going to miss reflective shields.

[Firstcow]

I can't imagine skipping the 31 point talent if forced to go 31 points.

On a fun note, this morning I was doing my Grizzly Hills daily with my priests (lvl 73-74). With a few mobs on me, an 80 warrior decided to try and gang. I don't think he was exceptionally well geared, and looked prot spec, but all my priests survived and he gave me +1 horde units killed These priests have incredible survivability. I guess with them going holy spec they will have even more... I'm going to miss reflective shields.

I just hope you will have enough killing power against high resil targets at 80, otherwise it becomes a mana issue. They will harrass you until you run OOM and then they will kill you.

[Owltoid]

Mana definitely seems to be the biggest enemy to this team (that and fear). I think I'm ok with that, though. I've been searching for a high survivability, medium damage team for awhile, and I finally found one. They will be able to hold a node in BGs pretty well, I'm guessing.

With 5 priests, that's 10 DoTs, purges, and decent burst damage. Should be able to take out high resil targets. I'm guessing they'd do well against single healing teams (I'm only thinking BGs with them, but I still think in terms of going against a team of 5), but a double healing or triple healing team will give them problems.

Who knows... archangel may solve the mana problems, and if every other holy nova is mana free then they may be ok.

[Owltoid]

The priests are 77 now, and I've learned a ton about the team. Here's a collection of random thoughts:

-This team is not dead for Cata. The 0.5 GCD for holy nova, along with every other one being mana free, is going to be powerful.

-Removing the party only restriction for holy nova is going to make AV extremely fun. I can imagine a mass of alliance huddling around my priests as we move like one blob of death. I can see this getting nerfed

-Fear is a problem with this team, though I'm getting better at it. I used to have my 'dispel other' set up as a moving round robin (can explain in more detail if requested) which didn't work that well. Now that I have it set up where Thatuglyguy always dispels Whichuglyguy, and Whichuglyguy always dispels Otheruglyguy, the breaking of fear is working well. However, they do get fairly spread apart in that short amount of time, and while they are seperated they are at risk (not in range of other holy novas)

-Since my toons are having fun being in the high part of the bracket, I'm not in any rush to get them to 80. I will likely stop questing altogether on the priests, and only use them for WG and PvP during the weekends. In the meantime, I am leveling up my shaman team

-I am seriously considering using a shaman as my fifth member. I think with the Cataclysm changes, I will have more than enough healing and I'd prefer to have an extra protection against fear, automatic removal of poisons and disease, and the use of thunderstorm. I have thought about all classes that I could use as a fifth, and after playing this team for a good number of hours, it seems clear to me that fear is my biggest weakness (though not nearly as bad as my moonkin team).

-Still need to figure out how to kill hunters. They don't take me down, but they waste so much of my mana that it's very inefficent to go against them. This probably boils down to me needing to improve my single target healing

-I don't think the mastery system is going to help this team at all in Cataclysm. I rarely use direct heals and will not benefit from applied HoT that it leaves on the target. I'm hoping that if it's the case where the mastery system does not help then reforging will allow me to change the stats into something I could use, like more spellpower (I'm still unclear on the new stat system and reforging).

-I love assaulting mine in AB. Jumping off the edge, surprising the defenders, holy novaing to heal the massive fall damage and put me at 100% health, profit. It's nowhere near as fun as my moonkins defending LM with stealth and staggered typhoons or shamans and thunderstorm, but it's a good time.

[Fat Tire]

-I am seriously considering using a shaman as my fifth member. I think with the Cataclysm changes, I will have more than enough healing and I'd prefer to have an extra protection against fear, automatic removal of poisons and disease, and the use of thunderstorm. I have thought about all classes that I could use as a fifth, and after playing this team for a good number of hours, it seems clear to me that fear is my biggest weakness (though not nearly as bad as my moonkin team).

That totem will no longer exist in any form in cata.

[Owltoid]

That totem will no longer exist in any form in cata.

Hmm, thanks for the info. I know there are quite a few shaman experts on this forum so it would be good to know any additional thoughts on the synergy. The removal of that totem isn't huge for this team since priests can remove poisons and diseases, but it was going to be nice to have it passive.

[Maxion]

-I love assaulting mine in AB. Jumping off the edge, surprising the defenders, holy novaing to heal the massive fall damage and put me at 100% health, profit. It's nowhere near as fun as my moonkins defending LM with stealth and staggered typhoons or shamans and thunderstorm, but it's a good time.

You REALLY should use levitate for that.

[Owltoid]

You REALLY should use levitate for that.

Hmmm, good point. I should get the minor glyph to remove reagants. I've never, ever, used that spell, and my first toon (at Vanilla release) was one of the priests I'm playing.