Blizzard Reads Kestrel’s Aerie (Priest Changes for 3.1)
February 5, 2009 by Matticus
Filed under All Stories
I don’t have much time. I’m rushing a quick post before I head to school (Delivering a 10 minute presentation on Forensic sciences). I’ll publish a post later with my thoughts on it. I am absolutely creaming my pants right now. When I alerted Wyn, she was virtually speechless as well. In case you haven’t seen them, here they are on WoW Insider. I wanted to point your attention to something though. Last year, I had the opportunity to do an interview with Kestrel (of his self titled Aerie). In it, he asked me what I thought the 51 point talent would be.
Turns out I was wrong. It would end up being Penance. But look at the recent blue posts for Priests!
Well, well, well. Will you look at that! A talent named Power Word: Barrier that’s a shield effect! I’m predicting it’s going to be replacing the spot where Diving Spirit is. But Kestrel my man, this is proof that Blizzard reads your blog, eh?
I'm Matticus and I play a Dwarf Priest. My home is in Conquest, a raiding Guild that I have founded. Every week, I log 12 hours raiding on Ner'Zhul.
Wynthea is the Troll Priest with the best Mohawk on Firetree. Currently, I raid 4 nights a week in a hardcore guild. I started playing WoW in May 2005, and raiding end-game in May 2007. My guild is currently working through 25-man WotLK content. I've tried playing other classes, but Priests are my passion. I am extremely fond of Dwarves.... especially with Ketchup. 
My name is Sydera and I like to heal things--think Florence Nightingale with foliage. I play a night elf druid on Ner'Zhul, and I raid 12 hours a week. As a guild officer for Conquest, I coordinate healing and recruit new raiders. I started playing WoW in Fall 2005, and it was love at first click. Before I discovered the joys of Broccoli-stalk healing, I raided as a holy paladin, and I now have alts in all healing classes. I have to say, though, bark beats poofy dresses and heavy plate in my book.
Pretty sweet for you priests. I myself am nervously awaiting the paladin news….
Here’s hoping that Wild Growth will be adjusted along with CoH!
So I tried to follow the link to your interview with Kestrel, and I got a “bandwidth exceeded” error.
I think you broke the Aerie, Matt.
I just about spit my tea out all over my monitor. Combining healing stream and mana spring totems? Combining disease and poison cleanse totems? Oh I’m a VERY happy resto shaman!
As if my 4 hop chain heal + improved Earthliving didn’t give me disgusting raid healing already…now there’s going to be an auto-HoT on everyone in range because of my mana/healing totem that’s always down? Hah! Love it!
*does the happy Z dance*
-Z
I don’t think they’d put the PW: Barrier there, but rather a bit deeper in the tree. otherwise you could, conceivably take holy enough for COH then Disc enough for the barrier.
@Khaeli Yes but you wouldn’t get as good mana regening or the really meaty talents from going deep in either tree. Disc gets juicier the deeper you go in the tree, and while deep holy doesn’t make me skip with joy the talents make it effecient. (I am disc biased can we tell?)
I’m interested to see the numbers they put up for CoH will they make it an instant PoH by increasing the value healed?
Pookies last blog post..Back!
@ Zorash
You and me both bud! I feel like a kid in a candy shop with those changes
the all seeing eye that is blizz, casts its gaze upon you kestrel!!! be affraid, be very affraid!
In terms of the blue post, without a doubt the best patch notes ive read for years! Its about time we had some serious loving, and i certainly wasnt disapointed.
Cavallas last blog post..Healing Meters FTL!!!!
WoW Insider broke Kestrel’s blog. I can’t get in anymore because of all the freaking traffic he’s been getting. Good call, though!
krizzlybears last blog post..Team America Theory
@Lodur Abso-frikken-lutely!
The only thing that would make me happier is to re-vamp totems all together.
I know it’s blasphemy to say “no totems”, but how about totems that swirl around us like our elemental shields and have to be rebuffed every 5 minutes ala the DK’s Horn of Winter? That way the effect would center on us, and continue to be mobile, but range limited to those within 30 yds of the shaman. Heck, for that matter we could make them short duration buffs that DON’T have a range limitation (other than things like tremor, cleanse totems, etc)
Totems were made stationary and with 5 health because they were amazingly powerful buffs, at the time of creation. They were easy to kill, had to be managed carefully by the shaman, etc. Well, those limitations are still in place, except now many other classes have buffs that are at least on par with, and in some cases directly override our totem buffs (DKs, I’m looking at you..).
So why not revamp the way totems work? I still love the idea, and the system of having short-duration, situational buffs at my disposal. You could really leave almost all of the effects the same, just make them MOBILE for the love of Pete, so I don’t have to cast them all at the beginning of every fight (which I don’t, for almost all trash fights, because it’s not worth the GCDs to put all 4 up to have the fight last 20 seconds…another limitation DK buffs don’t have to deal with), and so they aren’t useless in fights like Grob where most of the raid is constantly out of range.
If I could raid buff with my “totem” buffs that lasted for 3-5 minutes, then re-up them during a fight to everyone that’s in range…that’d be so amazing, and honestly not overpowered, I don’t think. They’d still have a range limitation just like any other spell, it would only affect those in range at the time of casting, etc.
Heck, even if they centered on me, like I mentioned before, so people had to stay in range of ME to get the totem buffs, but I could move around…that’d be a huge step in the right direction.
That’s not even touching the subject of a PROC (effectively) with 100% chance of firing replacing WF completely. Wouldn’t the equivalent be something like Chain heal having a 100% chance to proc WoA for the raid? Wouldn’t EVERYONE scream that was overpowered? That’s what DKs are doing with our once top of the line WF buff.
Anyway, I digress…
Not crying, just commenting.
I <3 my shammie, but would love to see the class continue to evolve and progress. These changes make me do the happy Z dance, and I hope to see more movement in this direction in the future.
-Z
@Zorash you should find your way over to http://www.plusheal.com I started a thread asking about stuff like this over there few days ago in the shaman section
Kest’s blog still down lol Gotta love those breaking news links.
I used to be an IDS holy priest and long ago switched over to CoH holy. I always missed my DS buff.
My significant other sent me these priest patch notes and I had to ask him if they were in fact true. Told him I might, um…”blow my cooldown” right there. I haven’t been so excited about changes, well, ever.
I get to stay CoH and get my DS buff back? PoH affects out of party? CoH heals MORE? I can reduce my GH and PoH casts by using FH (which I use freuqently) or BH? Yeah…I’m so excited I might have a heart attack.
Blizzard, and about a thousand other people read my blog. Today, at least. Thanks (I think) for the linkage, Matt.
To those of you who had trouble getting in, I feel your pain: I was locked out as well. And the irony is, the screen you get says, right at the top, “unmetered bandwidth.” WTF?
Soooo…chances are very high my host is getting fired. Blame Blizzard.
Kestrels last blog post..Bloggers Helping Bloggers: A True Story
Kestrel: Nothing like an unscheduled stress test eh?
@Lodur – I’m a frequent lurker at plusheal. Love it!
I guess I should register and start contributing too, huh?
-Z
/sadface
No buff for WG, nothing actually at all for Resto druids! The adjustment to Replenish still doesn’t make it viable. How can this be, on a day of positive class changes?
Sorry to break it to you but Resto druids are fine though they may be 2nd worst healer in PvP
Yea syd, resto didn’t get anything too exciting. I’m still not taking replenish – or revivification or whatever they are calling it now. It will most likely become essential when they nerf our mana regen in 3.1 but other than that its pretty useless as a high end talent point.
I find it extremely funny that instead of making raid content tougher in 3.1 they are making it harder for healers (and even caster dps) to adjust for it. ** I’m assuming you saw the post that they are nerfing mana regen. **
And I’m not too happy about having to adjust my stats because Blizz is deciding to change the way they work. But enough QQ. Grats to the priests that are getting all those sexy buffs.
=] Trainable DS… Prayer of your whole party is covered by a zomfgbig shield… Targetable Prayer of Healing… Cheaper Holy Nova… self-cast penance… Pardon me while I go pretend to River Dance with happiness
Myssidias last blog post..lol-Sarth 1 Drake
ehm, matt when will you post your thoughts about the forensic sciences?
i visit the blog because of the high quality posts made by staff, but i’d love to hear your thoughts about the forensics
@Mekagojira: Hey, cut me some slack. 3 hours of sleep
Hey Sydera, I kind of like Wild Growth getting the Replenish effect. It’s a buff that doesn’t cost anything (well, points in in the talent) but it makes a very lame talent somewhat useful now.
Also, what changes would you guys like to see for resto druids? More efficiency/more healing output/more Oh Shit! buttons/more fun stuff?
I’ll make a post about this, but I want to see the following three things:
1. A revision to deep resto–every talent except for Wild Growth must go and be replaced with something that makes sense.
2. Some kind of talent tree synergy for crit or haste, which don’t currently affect our hots (if you have GOTEM talented, which I do).
3. Updated and customizable druid forms. I’m waiting for my seasonal leaf colors. In fact, I dislike the tree model–make me prettier! There are beautiful trees in nature and art. We are not one.
haha, syd, i hear ya… holy pallies didn’t get anything either really as most of us don’t spec kings. however out of all the healing classes i think shammies probably needed buffed the most. i’m af fat white-haired dwarf, though, so your third point is entirely lost on me. =D