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HomepageWorld of WarcraftClassesDiscipline PriestEasy Mode

Discipline Priest Healing Easy Mode

Last updated on Jun 12, 2017 at 10:38 by Vlad 212 comments

Table of Contents

This page is intended for players who are new to the game or class, have no intentions of raiding Mythic difficulty, or simply want a more straightforward way to play their specialisation without being overwhelmed by the numerous subtleties and active abilities that need to be taken into consideration for optimal play.

1. The Basics of Discipline Priests

Discipline Priests rely on healing players through dealing damage (through Atonement Icon Atonement), but also has traditional heals and absorption spells. Healing through dealing damage allows them to contribute to the raid's DPS while still performing well as a healer. Discipline Priests provide the greatest burst healing in the game, and they are also able to contribute DPS to the raid.

2. Talent Choice for Discipline Priests

These are currently the best talent choices as a Discipline Priest. Note that some of the suggestions sacrifice a bit of performance for ease of use, but overall the difference is not great. Consult the detailed talents page for the complete picture.

3. Stat Choice for Discipline Priests

Currently, you will want to prioritise secondary stats as follows:

  1. Haste;
  2. Critical Strike = Mastery;
  3. Versatility.

4. Basic Playstyle for Discipline Priests

Discipline Priests rely on applying Atonement Icon Atonement and then dealing damage in order to heal through Atonement.

4.1. Atonement Rotation (DPS Priority)

The ideal rotation for dealing damage in order to generate Atonement Icon Atonement healing is as follows.

  1. Maintain Shadow Word: Pain Icon Shadow Word: Pain (or Purge the Wicked Icon Purge the Wicked, if you have taken this talent) on the target.
  2. Use Schism Icon Schism on cooldown (if you have taken this talent).
  3. Use Penance Icon Penance on cooldown.
  4. Use Power Word: Solace Icon Power Word: Solace on cooldown (if you have taken this talent).
  5. Use Smite Icon Smite as a filler.

4.2. Raid Healing

For healing damage on multiple raid members at once, your primary tool is Atonement Icon Atonement. Proactively place Atonement on the required players through the use of such spells as Plea Icon Plea, Power Word: Radiance Icon Power Word: Radiance, Power Word: Shield Icon Power Word: Shield, or Shadow Mend Icon Shadow Mend, so that when the damage starts coming in, you can already begin healing them through dealing damage.

If you must heal a rather low number of players or if the damage taken is low, then you should use Power Word: Shield Icon Power Word: Shield and Plea Icon Plea to apply and maintain Atonement on them, and, if needed, use Shadow Mend Icon Shadow Mend to prevent someone from dying. Throughout this time, you should continue to DPS.

If the number of players you have to heal or the damage received are high, then you should use the following rotation.

  1. Apply around 5 Atonement Icon Atonement buffs (using Plea Icon Plea and Power Word: Shield Icon Power Word: Shield).
  2. Use Power Word: Radiance Icon Power Word: Radiance twice about 4-5 seconds before the damage occurs.
  3. Use Evangelism Icon Evangelism.
  4. Use Icon Light's Wrath or Shadowfiend Icon Shadowfiend/Mindbender Icon Mindbender.
  5. Use Penance Icon Penance.
  6. Keep using Smite Icon Smite until Atonement Icon Atonement buffs begin to expire.

Depending on your talent choice, you will also supplement your AoE healing with Halo Icon Halo or Divine Star Icon Divine Star.

4.3. Dungeon Healing

Healing in a dungeon relies on Atonement Icon Atonement when the damage amounts are low to medium. For higher amounts of damage, you will need to make use of additional spells.

  • low to medium damage: you should maintain Atonement on the target through using Power Word: Shield Icon Power Word: Shield on cooldown and simply perform your DPS rotation. This should provide enough healing to keep the target alive. Using Power Word: Shield this way should ensure that Atonement Icon Atonement is always up on the target, but if it somehow expires, use Plea Icon Plea or Shadow Mend Icon Shadow Mend to re-apply it.
  • high damage: Atonement Icon Atonement healing will no longer suffice. In addition to casting Power Word: Shield Icon Power Word: Shield on cooldown, you should spam Shadow Mend Icon Shadow Mend.

In case of group-wide damage, you should use Power Word: Radiance Icon Power Word: Radiance to quickly apply 5 Atonement Icon Atonements.

4.4. Atonement Applicators

Plea Icon Plea is best used in situations when you are on the move or there is low or moderate damage going out. On the other hand, Shadow Mend Icon Shadow Mend can be a great way to spot heal and apply Atonement Icon Atonement in situations where you have the time to stop moving in order to cast it and when the death of the target is imminent.

You should aim to maintain around 5 Atonement Icon Atonement buffs active at any given time, as regularly applying and maintaining more will strain your Mana consumption.

5. Cooldown Usage for Discipline Priests

  • Pain Suppression Icon Pain Suppression should be used on a tank, before a damage spike. Alternatively, it can be used on a raid member who is targeted by a very damaging ability.
  • Power Word: Barrier Icon Power Word: Barrier should be used to mitigate intense AoE damage; it requires the raid to be stacked in one place. Note that the Icon Barrier for the Devoted artifact trait causes targets inside your Barrier to receive 100% extra Atonement Icon Atonement healing.
  • Shadowfiend Icon Shadowfiend should be used for additional DPS (and therefore Atonement healing) when this is needed.
  • Rapture Icon Rapture should be used when you anticipate a large amount of AoE damage. This allows you to pre-shield a large number of targets, which also serves to set up Atonement Icon Atonement on them for subsequent healing.
  • Light's Wrath Icon Light's Wrath (your Artifact ability) should be used when there is high raid damage you need to heal (provided that you have many Atonement Icon Atonement buffs active; 12+ is recommended). Alternatively, in case your raid is in dire need of extra damage, you could use it offensively.
  • Fade Icon Fade reduces the damage you take (provided you have the Icon Vestments of Discipline trait), and should be used as often as needed.

About Our Reviewer

This guide has been reviewed and approved by Mend, admin and editor at Focused Will (Discord and Blog for healing Priests). You can also follow Mend on Twitter.

⋘Introduction
Spell Summary⋙

6. ChangeLog

  • 12 Jun. 2017: Updated the page to keep it in line with the various changes made to the other parts of the guide.
  • 17 Apr. 2017: Changed the tier 5 talent recommendation to Contrition.
  • 10 Jan. 2017: Checked and confirmed for Patch 7.1.5.
  • 18 Dec. 2016: Added easy mode page.
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