Priest Healing PvP

[LavCat]

(Note: only some of this applies to Shadow Priests)

The Burning Crusade has altered the PvP landscape. Thanks to the new invention of Arenas, Blizzard has had to pay much, much more attention to PvP balance in accordance to Arena environments - controlled, consumable-free warzones that are direct, pure PvP bouts without the constraints of strategical objectives like in the Battlegrounds. If you think this hasn't altered the balance between the classes, you either don't PvP or you live under a rock. :)
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As always, comments/questions welcome, especially from other Priests. I keep wondering if the Lounge needs a PvP forum. :)

-Bolty

But since we don't have one: I have leveled my priest, Baguette, to 70 in the last two days. I want to get her ready for arena. For gear she has her old Field Marshal's set, supplemented with crafted items -- Unyielding set, some Frozen Shadoweave, Destruction Holo-gogs, JC rings, and after we get a few more primal mooncloth, Resolute Cape. She has always been mixed spec (Improved Mana Burn, Holy Nova, Silence and Shadow Reach). At 68 I gave her Shadowform, which was great at killing through the last half of Karazhan last night, but probably not so hot for modern PvP. When she turned 68 I did a couple of AV's with her in Shadowform. In one case a rogue kept her completely stunlocked. In another fight the rogue lost: the log showed she doged the rogue's final attack and dispatched him with a dagger stroke, just like in the old days. The rogue had the level advantage too.

In any case, Baguette wants to respec to go deeper into Discipline, 27/11/23, primarily to pick up Focused Power and Mental Agility. What she is thinking of is: Spec 1

However I am not sure two points in Improved PW:F would not be better spent in additional Silent Resolve. Comments welcome. Gear suggestions would be welcome also. How much spell hit should she try to pick up from items for Dispel to be capped? About 40? She uses Dispel a lot. Her spam macro (bound to the caps lock key) is:

/castsequence [target=mouseover, harm, nodead] [target=targettarget, harm, nodead] [] reset=6/target/combat Shadow Word: Pain, Dispel Magic

Macro ideas are welcome as well. I have never been thrilled with the published priest macros I've seen. If mana proves to be too much of an issue in arena, I would consider downranking the SW:P in the macro.


Edit: What she finally went with was very similar Spec 2

I do notice that she drinks after almost every fight in PvE. In contrast to my paladin and shaman who hardly ever need to drink. Indeed, my shaman recently finished the Sunwell dallies with drinking once.