Mythic+ Healer Rankings: A Tier List for The War Within (Patch 11.0.5 / Season 1)

Last updated Today at 11:57 by Petko 6 comments

From the weakest to the strongest specialization, each provide unique character distinction and add value toward shaping the seasonal "meta" of Mythic+. The Healer specialization rankings provided for The War Within's Season 1 of Mythic+ are based on the pure healing strength and group-added-value such as utility, survivability, mobility, damage and self-sustain.

This list will be updated as new tuning and class changes come out over the course of the season.

1.

About the Tier List

This tier list is NOT FINAL; it will change and will be updated as often as necessary prior and during The War Within Mythic+ Season 1. There are often moments of tier set and class tuning, as well as talent changes and secondary stat scaling that will impact the placement of the specs.

I am Petko, a competitive Mythic+ player, known to be pushing the boundaries of High Mythic+ with several World first and Europe first rankings among past seasons on multiple classes. I have worked hard on preparing for Season 1 of The War Within, spending numerous hours per day examining each and every spec in a dungeon environment on Beta. This Tier list will continue to be updated as much as it requires over the course of The War Within and it will also focus on what the "meta" will look like as it stabilizes. Along the way, this Tier list will also be supported by various professional Mythic+ players with high credibility in the community, theorycrafters across all specializations, and my own empirical evidence.

To begin with, this Tier list will exclusively focus on the first Season of Mythic+ in The War Within. There will be no Warcraft Logs rankings added nor simulation data for the majority of the classes and specs. As a result, this Tier list will be solely based on empirical evidence of the current state of the classes' performance in Mythic+ from my own point of view and the point of view of the group of players testing those classes who are among the best representatives of the specs in the community. Moreover, this Tier list will take into consideration every impactful class change and tier set tuning before and after the start of the season.

It is important to note that opinions might vary and that is completely okay, but remember to be respectful when providing feedback as the sole purpose of this tier list is to help the WoW community with their choice of main or alt each season.

This tier list is entirely based on healer performance in Mythic+. The factors that are considered are HPS and DPS output, external cooldowns, utility, durability, and mobility.

2.

Healer Tier List for Season 1 of Mythic+ in The War Within

Below, you can find the full rankings for Healers slots in Season 1 of The War Within in Mythic+. We encourage you to further read and understand why some classes are placed lower or higher than expected, with several factors taken into consideration.

S
Discipline Priest Discipline Priest

Discipline Priest received no relevant changes in the upcoming patch, leading to the second part of Season 1. With the most recent Discipline Priest buffs to Atonement Icon Atonement, their Mythic+ performance will rapidly be improved, as having strong healing output was previously one of the weakest points for them. On top of this, they will retain their strong external utility packages in the The War Within. They currently have the strongest damage output across all healing specs, which is one of the major factors why they are considered "the best" healing choice (not including the OP Power Infusion Icon Power Infusion).

A
Restoration Shaman Restoration Shaman

Restoration Shaman received a few quality of life changes, which will help with the mana retention, leading to the second half of the first season. Their healing has become much more efficient, with several options for topping up health bars swiftly while dealing damage, stronger spot-heal options, and better defensive/group-wide utility. If you are an avid Restoration Shaman fan, this will be the expansion to get back to it as it currently ranks as one of the best healers in the Season 1.

B
Mistweaver Monk Mistweaver Monk

Mistweaver Monk received quite a few changes in the upcoming patch, leading to improvement in their Mythic+ performance for the second half of Season 1. Mistweaver's current HPS profile is amazing as it can easily tackle any given encounter in Mythic+ while contributing to the team with its great damage profile (yes, most of your damage still requires you to be in melee). All of this combined plays well with the strong utility package they offer, not only contributing to mob control but also being a "peel" for your tank in dangerous situations (Ring of Peace Icon Ring of Peace).

Restoration Druid Restoration Druid

Restoration Druid'specs healing output has been continiously improving (due to numerous buffs) and is no longer a weak spot for them. In addition, they have great damage profile. Their defensives have gotten better while keeping your incredible party-wide utility unchanged. With all of that combined, we believe the spec has climbed out of the B-tier and promote to A-tier rankings.

Preservation Evoker Preservation Evoker

Preservation Evoker received little to no changes in the upcoming patch. They still have the shortest offensive and defensive ability range among all healers, which is a massive issue. Their performance, more specifically their damage and healing output, has been absolutely incredible, and will continue to be so in the second half of the season. Overall, they do not stand out as the best healing option for Mythic+ simply because of how hard it is to make them work in a pug environment. The group awareness must be present for them to understand how your healing profile works so you can unlock your full potential.

Holy Paladin Holy Paladin

Holy Paladin received their fair share of changes which will make them better than they were in the previous patch. There are no new changes for their Mythic+ toolkit, but everyone knows that Holy Paladin has one of the best party-wide utilities, strong defensiveness (even an immunity), and excellent mob control. Overall, we expect them to continue be a solid choice for a healer going into the second half of Season 1.

C
Holy Priest Holy Priest

Unfortunately for Holy Priest, they have barely seen any changes in the upcoming patch. They maintain their decent DPS and HPS profiles but continue to face the same limitations - low mobility and insufficient mob control. Additionally, they are one of the few healing specializations lacking an interrupt spell, which makes their mob-control one of the weakest, compared to the rest of the healing specs. However, it is noteworthy that this specialization is considered one of the easier healing options due to its reactive healing capabilities, which are adept at addressing any form of incoming or sustained HPS challenges, complemented by robust spot-healing.

2.1.

DPS and Tank Class Rankings

If you are interested in our other rankings for Mythic+ in Season 1 of The War Within, please click the links below.

3.

Full Healer Class Rankings

3.1.

S-Tier

3.2.

Discipline Priest

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Pain Suppression Icon Pain Suppression External-defensive cooldown applied to a chosen target for 40% effectiveness.
Core Power Word: Barrier Icon Power Word: Barrier Summons a barrier reducing the damage taken by all allies within the area with 20%.
Core Rapture Icon Rapture -
Core Power Infusion Icon Power Infusion You must always have Twins of the Sun Priestess Icon Twins of the Sun Priestess talented.
Core Power Word: Fortitude Icon Power Word: Fortitude A raid-wide 5% Stamina buff.
Core Psychic Scream Icon Psychic Scream AoE disturb effect.
Core Mind Soothe Icon Mind Soothe It reduces the range at which the target/s will attack you. Incredibly useful for trash mob skips. It can be used on multiple enemies.
Core Mass Dispel Icon Mass Dispel Incredible useful where Mass Dispelling is needed.
Optional Vampiric Embrace Icon Vampiric Embrace Extra off-healing.
Optional Dominate Mind Icon Dominate Mind Mindcontrols an enemy, allowing you to simultaneously execute your rotation while having full control over them and their abilities.
Optional Shackle Undead Icon Shackle Undead Crowd-controls a undead target for 50 sec.
Optional Purify Disease Icon Purify Disease On top of Dispel Magic Icon Dispel Magic you will be able to further bolster it by allowing the spell to remove 1 DiseaseDisease on a friendly target.
3.3.

A-Tier

3.4.

Restoration Shaman

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Skyfury Icon Skyfury -
Core Bloodlust Icon Bloodlust -
Core Earth Elemental Icon Earth Elemental A powerful elemental summon that helps you survive. It can also tank non-boss-enemies for you.
Core Spirit Link Totem Icon Spirit Link Totem Reduces damage taken to your party/raid within 10 yards of the totem by 10% and every 1 their health is redistributed evenly.
Optional Ancestral Vigor Icon Ancestral Vigor Allows for some of your core abilities to temporary increase your health by 10% for 10 sec.
Optional Earthen Wall Totem Icon Earthen Wall Totem Have a choice between a protective totem or a totem that allows you to reincarnate upon death and provides a temporary 10% increased health.
Optional Mana Tide Totem Icon Mana Tide Totem Increases Mana Regeneration to the whole party for a short time.
Optional Wind Rush Totem Icon Wind Rush Totem On-demand extra movement speed which can be further bolstered by Jet Stream Icon Jet Stream - removing all snares on all targets interaction with Wind Rush Totem Icon Wind Rush Totem (its like a massive Blessing of Freedom Icon Blessing of Freedom).
Optional Ancestral Guidance Icon Ancestral Guidance Provides extra off-healing to your party.
Optional Cleanse Spirit Icon Cleanse Spirit Removes all CurseCurse effects from a friendly target.
Optional Purge Icon Purge Removing 1 beneficial Magic effect from an enemy.
Optional Thunderstorm Icon Thunderstorm AoE disturb effect that can either knock away or knock up (Thundershock Icon Thundershock).
Optional Poison Cleansing Totem Icon Poison Cleansing Totem Removes all poison effects on a nearby party member each 1.5 sec for 6 sec.
Optional Elemental Resistance Icon Elemental Resistance Small group-wide school of magic damage reduction.
3.5.

B-Tier

3.6.

Mistweaver Monk

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Mystic Touch Icon Mystic Touch 5% extra Physical damage for your raid.
Core Life Cocoon Icon Life Cocoon Apply a large absorb shield to a friendly target.
Core Revival Icon Revival Removes all Magical, PoisonPoison and DiseaseDisease effects on the entire party.
Core Leg Sweep Icon Leg Sweep 3 sec stun effect.
Optional Tiger's Lust Icon Tiger's Lust Removes all roots and snares.
Optional Ring of Peace Icon Ring of Peace It can be used to help your tank kite and as a AoE disturb effect.
Optional Detox Icon Detox Removes all PoisonPoison and DiseaseDisease effects from the target.
Optional Paralysis Icon Paralysis Single-target disturb effect.
3.7.

Restoration Druid

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Mark of the Wild Icon Mark of the Wild Increasing the Versatility of your raid/party by 3%.
Core Ironbark Icon Ironbark Short-external damage-reduction cooldown.
Optional Nature's Vigil Icon Nature's Vigil Extra off-healing.
Optional Innervate Icon Innervate Allowing 1 friendly healer to cast spells without spending mana for 8 sec.
Optional Stampeding Roar Icon Stampeding Roar Increasing the movement speed to all raid members by 60% for 8 sec.
Optional Remove Corruption Icon Remove Corruption Removes all CurseCurse and PoisonPoison effects from a friendly target.
Optional Soothe Icon Soothe Dispelling all Enrage Effects from an enemy target.
Optional Incapacitating Roar Icon Incapacitating Roar / Mighty Bash Icon Mighty Bash You have the choice between AoE disturb effect or a single-target stun.
Optional Typhoon Icon Typhoon Aoe knockback.
Optional Mass Entanglement Icon Mass Entanglement / Ursol's Vortex Icon Ursol's Vortex You have the choice between AoE root effect or AoE wind-of-vortex, pulling all the mobs to one location.
3.8.

Preservation Evoker

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Blessing of the Bronze Icon Blessing of the Bronze -
Core Tail Swipe Icon Tail Swipe AoE disturb effect that knocks up enemies.
Core Expunge Icon Expunge Removing all PoisonPoison effects from an ally.
Core Rewind Icon Rewind Rewinds 33% of damage taken in the last 5 sec by all allies.
Optional Sleep Walk Icon Sleep Walk Single-target crowd-control effect that forces the enemy to move towards you.
Optional Source of Magic Icon Source of Magic Can be further bolstered by Potent Mana Icon Potent Mana
Optional Oppressing Roar Icon Oppressing Roar Increasing the duration of all crowd-control effects on the affected enemies by 50%. You can further talent into Overawe Icon Overawe, removing 1 Enrage effect from each enemy (AoE Enrage Removal).
Optional Spatial Paradox Icon Spatial Paradox It enables your Healer of choice to move freely while casting and increasing the range of most spells by 100% for 11 sec.
Optional Zephyr Icon Zephyr Area-of-effect damage reduction (party only).
Optional Cauterizing Flame Icon Cauterizing Flame BleedBleed removal
Optional Rescue Icon Rescue You can further bolster it with Twin Guardian Icon Twin Guardian talent for extra durability.
3.9.

Holy Paladin

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Devotion Aura Icon Devotion Aura Permanent 3% group/raid-wide damage reduction aura.
Core Lay on Hands Icon Lay on Hands Heals a member of your party/raid to full health.
Core Intercession Icon Intercession Combat-resurrection
Optional Blessing of Sacrifice Icon Blessing of Sacrifice Helps a single member of your raid in a critical situation. This can be further improved by talenting Sacrifice of the Just Icon Sacrifice of the Just.
Optional Blessing of Protection Icon Blessing of Protection Physical immunity, which can help you with some boss encounters.
Optional Blessing of Freedom Icon Blessing of Freedom Immunity to movement impairing effects.
Optional Cleanse Toxins Icon Cleanse Toxins Removes all PoisonPoison and DiseaseDisease effects from the target.
Optional Turn Evil Icon Turn Evil Be able to fear any Undead, Aberration or Demon is an additional form of crowd control.
3.10.

C-Tier

3.11.

Holy Priest

Utility Package
Functionality Spells Notes
Core Guardian Spirit Icon Guardian Spirit Provides a "Cheat-Death" to a chosen player.
Core Holy Word: Chastise Icon Holy Word: Chastise Single-targe disturb effect.
Core Symbol of Hope Icon Symbol of Hope Replenishes Mana and helps restore defensive cooldowns.
Core Power Infusion Icon Power Infusion You must always have Twins of the Sun Priestess Icon Twins of the Sun Priestess talented.
Core Power Word: Fortitude Icon Power Word: Fortitude A raid-wide 5% Stamina buff.
Core Mind Soothe Icon Mind Soothe It reduces the range at which the target/s will attack you. Incredibly useful for trash mob skips. It can be used on multiple enemies.
Core Mass Dispel Icon Mass Dispel Incredible useful where Mass Dispelling is needed.
Optional Dominate Mind Icon Dominate Mind Mindcontrols an enemy, allowing you to simultaneously execute your rotation while having full control over them and their abilities.
Optional Shackle Undead Icon Shackle Undead Crowd-controls a undead target for 50 sec.
Optional Purify Disease Icon Purify Disease On top of Dispel Magic Icon Dispel Magic you will be able to further bolster it by allowing the spell to remove 1 DiseaseDisease on a friendly target.
4.

Changelog

  • 02 Dec. 2024: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfix.
  • 14 Nov. 2024: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfix.
  • 28 Oct. 2024: Upgaded based on the most recent class changes.
  • 20 Oct. 2024: Reviewed and update for 11.0.5 Patch.
  • 09 Oct. 2024: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfix.
  • 15 Sep. 2024: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfix.
  • 01 Sep. 2024: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfix.
  • 21 Aug. 2024: Fully Updated for Season 1 of The War Within.
  • 02 Jun. 2024: Reviewed and updated based on the most recent class changes.
  • 07 May 2024: Reviewed and update dfor 10.2.7 Patch.
  • 22 Apr. 2024: Reviewed and updated for Season 4.
  • 25 Mar. 2024: Reviewed and updated for 10.2.6 Patch.
  • 12 Mar. 2024: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfixes.
  • 28 Jan. 2024: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfix.
  • 15 Jan. 2024: Reviewed and updated for 10.2.5 Patch.
  • 18 Dec. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfix.
  • 12 Dec. 2023: Minor class ranking adjustments.
  • 04 Dec. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfix.
  • 12 Nov. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfix.
  • 05 Nov. 2023: Reviewed and Updated for 10.2. Patch.
  • 04 Sep. 2023: Reviewed and Updated for 10.1.7 Patch.
  • 22 Aug. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfix.
  • 09 Aug. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfix.
  • 25 Jul. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the most recent class hotfix.
  • 13 Jul. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the 10.1.5 Patch.
  • 10 Jul. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the 10.1.5 Patch.
  • 27 Jun. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the most recent hotfixes.
  • 06 Jun. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the most recent hotfix.
  • 23 May 2023: Further Adjustments based on the most recent Patch.
  • 01 May 2023: Fully Updated for Season 2 of Dragonflight.
  • 21 Mar. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the upcoming 10.0.7 Patch.
  • 14 Feb. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the most recent Patch.
  • 25 Jan. 2023: Further Adjustments based on the upcoming 10.0.5 Patch.
  • 21 Dec. 2022: Further Adjustments based on the latest class changes.
  • 18 Nov. 2022: Updated with the initial iteration for Season 1 of Dragonflight.
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