Discipline Priest Pre-Patch Guide for WotLK Classic

Discipline Priest in the pre-patch is fairly similar to the Level 80 version, getting almost all of the key talents. You will be missing out on a few percentage of crit chance mostly, while still having the exact same key playstyle.

You do not have much flexibility with your talent points as most of what you take is required. Improved Renew are the only 3 talent points you can possibly move around to Holy Specialization.

The main focus of this spec is casting Power Word: Shield as much as possible. You can do this much more easily in WotLK with the talents Soul Warding and Borrowed Time. You will be getting a large portion of your Mana generation through Rapture. Lastly you have the new spell Penance, letting us quickly heal an injured ally up.

The main focus of this build revolves around the Borrowed Time buff, which gives us a large increase to your Haste. This allows us get off multiple Power Word: Shield in quick succession. The Borrowed Time talent also has a unique interaction wherein the buff will remain active until you cast a spell. Casting other instant-cast spells such as Renew and Prayer of Mending do not consume this buff, despite what the tooltip implies. Use this to your advantage and keep this buff up as much as possible.

Glyphs are a new consumable of sorts introduced in Wrath of the Lich King. Glyphs greatly improve certain spells when you learn them, supporting and even enabling some builds. In the pre-patch of WotLK you only have access to two major glyphs, as the third slot requires Level 80 to unlock.

1. Glyph of Power Word: Shield — This is your best glyph in the game, easily beating out any other options. Be sure to grab this as soon as possible.
2. Glyph of Flash Heal — You use Flash Heal as a filler spell, so this is a decent option to help your Mana sustain.

1. Glyph of Fortitude — This helps save Mana through an entire raid night, and especially if you need to rebuff someone who died in combat.
2. Glyph of Shadow Protection — Is pretty minor, but will save us a bit of Mana throughout an entire raid night.
3. Glyph of Levitate — Is simply a quality of life feature, saving us some reagents.

You only need 74 Haste Rating in a raid environment to reach the soft haste cap during the pre-patch of WotLK.

1. Haste Rating (until soft cap)
2. Spell Power
3. Critical Strike Rating
4. Intellect
5. Spirit
6. Mana per 5
7. Haste Rating (past soft cap)

1. Penance — Penance is extremely powerful, easily healing almost anyone to full in a very quick channel. This is the best spell to use whenever you need to quickly heal someone.
2. Power Word: Shield — Casting this spell is the main priority of your spec. If you know someone will be taking damage soon, put a shield on them. If you do not have the Borrowed Time buff, prioritize this spell first unless the target would otherwise die.
3. Prayer of Mending — This spell remains extremely powerful, even getting buffed in WotLK. Be sure to use this as much as possible.
4. Renew — Remains a powerful heal-over-time. Be sure to keep this on targets you know will be taking constant damage.
5. Flash Heal — This is your main filler spell, doing moderate healing to a target quickly.
6. Binding Heal — Essentially the same as Flash Heal, but heals you as well as the target. Use this instead if you are missing health.

1. Prayer of Mending — This spell remains extremely powerful, even getting buffed in WotLK. Be sure to use this as much as possible.
2. Power Word: Shield — Casting this spell is the main priority of your spec. If you know someone will be taking damage soon, put a shield on them. If you do not have the Borrowed Time buff, prioritize this spell first unless the target would otherwise die.
3. Penance — Penance is extremely powerful, easily healing almost anyone to full in a very quick channel. This is the best spell to use whenever you need to quickly heal someone.
4. Renew — Remains a powerful heal-over-time. Be sure to keep this on targets you know will be taking constant damage.
5. Prayer of Healing — This is your only real AoE heal, but it is rather expensive and has a long cast time. Be sure to only cast it when your Borrowed Time buff is active.

Your best in slot gear does not change much from Phase 5 of TBC, but ideally you can change a few pieces of gear. Below is a list of recommended best in slot gear, as well as some easy to obtain choices.

However, for newer players especially or if you are playing on one of the Fresh Servers, the gear listed below may not be realistic to obtain for most players in only a month. If you want the most efficient start possible, we would highly recommend farming Honor in the pre-patch through battlegrounds. This will allow you to buy the full "Brutal" PvP set, which is close in power to gear from Sunwell Plateau. While not BiS, it is the closest you will get within the short time frame, and you are guaranteed to obtain it with enough farming.

Slot	Item	Source
Helm	Helm of Arcane Purity Cowl of Light's Purity Powerheal 9000 Lens	Kil'jaeden — Sunwell Plateau Kil'jaeden — Sunwell Plateau Powerheal 9000 Lens — Engineering
Neck	Brooch of Nature's Mercy Pendant of Sunfire Brooch of the Highborne Guardian's Pendant of Reprieve	Akil'zon — Zul'Aman Pendant of Sunfire — Jewelcrafting Felmyst — Sunwell Plateau 15,300 Honor
Shoulder	Shoulderpads of Knowledge's Pursuit Shawl of Wonderment Mantle of Absolution Swiftheal Mantle	Eredar Twins — Sunwell Plateau Eredar Twins — Sunwell Plateau Mother Shahraz — Black Temple Swiftheal Mantle — Tailoring
Back	Tattered Cape of Antonidas Shroud of the Highborne Cloak of Ancient Rituals	Kil'jaeden — Sunwell Plateau Illidan Stormrage — Black Temple Hex Lord Malacrass — Zul'Aman
Chest	Robes of Ghostly Hatred Robes of Faltered Light Robe of Eternal Light Gown of Spiritual Wonder	M'uru — Sunwell Plateau M'uru — Sunwell Plateau Robe of Eternal Light — Tailoring 100 Badge of Justice
Wrist	Cuffs of Absolution Swiftheal Wraps	Kalecgos — Sunwell Plateau Swiftheal Wraps — Tailoring
Hands	Handguards of the Dawn Hands of Eternal Light	Kil'jaeden — Sunwell Plateau Hands of Eternal Light — Tailoring
Waist	Belt of Absolution Belt of the Long Road	Brutallus — Sunwell Plateau Belt of the Long Road — Tailoring
Legs	Pantaloons of Calming Strife Adorned Supernal Legwraps	Kalecgos — Sunwell Plateau 100 Badge of Justice
Feet	Boots of Absolution Slippers of Dutiful Mending	Felmyst — Sunwell Plateau 75 Badge of Justice
Finger	Ring of Harmonic Beauty Ring of Flowing Life Blessed Band of Karabor Ring of Omnipotence Band of Lucent Beams	Trash Mobs — Sunwell Plateau Ring of Flowing Life — Jewelcrafting Trash Mobs — Black Temple M'uru — Sunwell Plateau Kalecgos — Sunwell Plateau
Trinket	Glimmering Naaru Sliver Redeemer's Alchemist Stone Memento of Tyrande	M'uru — Sunwell Plateau Redeemer's Alchemist Stone — Alchemy Illidan Stormrage — Black Temple
Main Hand	Golden Staff of the Sin'dorei Hammer of Sanctification Archon's Gavel	Kil'jaeden — Sunwell Plateau Kil'jaeden — Sunwell Plateau Eredar Twins — Sunwell Plateau
Off Hand	Book of Highborne Hymns Scepter of Purification	Eredar Twins — Sunwell Plateau Archimonde — Mount Hyjal
Wand	Wand of Cleansing Light Carved Witch Doctor's Stick	Trash Mobs — Sunwell Plateau 25 Badge of Justice

Your enchants mostly stay the same from TBC, not requiring much change. Check out our TBC enchants page for a list of available options.

The pre-patch changes your consumables a bit as many of the stats have changed on items. You will be looking for high Spell Power consumables. You can use any food buff that provides Spell Power and Spirit, so look for the cheapest.

• Elixir of Healing Power & Elixir of Draenic Wisdom or Flask of Supreme Power
• Blackened Basilisk
• Superior Wizard Oil
• Super Mana Potion or Destruction Potion