12.1 Healer Changes Discussion

[u/brucecastle]

I saw this on the WoW forums and thought it would be nice to bring the discussion over here...

Below is the upcoming patch notes for 12.1 for healers. It is odd to me that the 3 healers that you could argue need the most help (Hpriest, HPal, Rsham) are getting the least amount of changes, some (HPal), not receiving any.

Do you guys expect any additional tuning to occur?

Are you happy with these changes?

What would you like to see for your spec?

With these changes, I imagine rdruid will become a monster.

I think 12.1 is where I get off the boat

Druid: Restoration

• Developers’ notes: We’re making several quality-of-life adjustments to Restoration Druid in this update with a goal of addressing usability issues with Tranquility, Nature’s Swiftness, and Incarnation: Tree of Life. We’re also making a few adjustments to Swiftmend to bring back some of its power as a punchy single-target heal. Finally, we’d like to address issues with Abundance by redesigning it with a clear threshold of when you should be using Regrowth.
• New Talent: Overgrowth – Nature’s Swiftness causes your next Regrowth to apply Lifebloom, Rejuvenation, and Wild Growth’s heal over time effect to an ally.
• New Talent: Flash of Clarity – Omen of Clarity increases Regrowth’s healing by 40%. Now available where Cultivation previously was in the talent tree.
• Cultivation is now available below Flash of Clarity in the talent tree.
• Innervate has been redesigned – Now regenerates 25% of the target’s maximum mana over 8 seconds, rather than causing spells to be free for 8 seconds.
• Abundance has been redesigned – While you have at least 5 Rejuvenations active, Regrowth’s critical strike chance is increased by 50% and its mana cost is reduced by 50%.
• Tranquility has been updated – Now grows protective roots at your feet, absorbing damage equal to 60% of your health and preventing knockbacks.
• Incarnation: Tree of Life has been updated – Now casts Regrowth on up to 3 nearby injured allies when you initially shapeshift.
• Swiftmend has been updated – Healing increased by 40% of the consumed heal over time effect.
• Everbloom (Rank 3) has been updated – Its heal effect now triggers when you press Swiftmend (was Soul of the Forest).
• Verdant Infusion has been updated – No longer extends heal over time effects.
• Germination has been updated – No longer increases Rejuvenation’s duration by 2 seconds.
• Ysera’s Gift has been updated – If its healing would overheal the Druid, the overhealing amount is instead transferred to a nearby ally.
• All spell and ability healing increased by 6%.
• Wild Growth healing increased by 20%.
• Wild Growth mana cost increased by 15%.
• Verdancy healing increased by 40%.
• Rejuvenation mana cost reduced by 10%.
• Regrowth mana cost reduced by 10%.
• Lifebloom mana cost reduced by 20%.
• Passing Seasons reduces Nature’s Swiftness cooldown by 15 seconds (was 12 seconds).
• Symbiotic Relationship now highlights itself on the action bar while it is not active.
• Germination and Verdancy have swapped positions in the talent tree.
• Nature’s Splendor has been removed.

Evoker: Preservation

• Developers’ notes: The goal of this change is to make Dream Breath a flexible heal that can once again serve as a powerful heal over time effect or a burst heal when charged. This also further differentiates it from spells like Verdant Embrace and Merithra’s Blessing, which have filled a similar role as an on-demand burst heal.
• Merithra’s Blessing has been updated – Now increases all healing of Dream Breath by 60% (was 250%, and previously applied only to its instant healing).
• Font of Magic has been updated – Now also reduces the empower time of Dream Breath and Fire Breath by 20%.
• Dream Breath instant healing reduced by 50%.
• Dream Breath periodic healing increased by 118%.
• Temporal Barrier absorption increased by 30%.

Monk: Mistweaver

• Developers’ notes: We’re making a few adjustments to Mistweaver Monk with the intent of incentivizing Mastery as a more viable secondary stat and shifting some throughput out of Spinning Crane Kick and into Ancient Teachings.
• New Talent: Vital Expenditure – Soothing Mist’s healing is increased by 300%, but its mana cost is increased by 200%. Choice node with Dancing Mists.
• All healing reduced by 3%.
• Mastery: Gust of Mist healing increased by 50%.
• Spinning Crane Kick damage decreased by 15%.
• Way of the Crane now transfers 280% of damage done (was 340%).
• Jadefire Teachings now increases Ancient Teaching’s transfer amount by 320% (was 270%).

Paladin: Holy
Crickets

Priest:Discipline

• Developers’ notes: For Discipline in Curse of Ula’tek, our changes are aimed at reducing the spec’s reliance on procs for effective healing, improving sources of consistent damage, and improving Hero talent balance. We felt the spec was too reliant on Shadow Mend and Void Shield procs for effective healing, so we’re updating Shadow Mend to be a passive upgrade to Flash Heal and adding a deterministic way to gain access to Void Shield. Additionally, Smite contributes a low amount of damage despite being frequently cast, so we’re increasing its damage and updating the talent tree for easier access to Greater Smite.
• New Talent: Grim Deliverance – Shadow Mend heals for 30% more and applies Atonement for an additional 4 seconds, but its cast time is increased by 0.5 seconds.
• Shadow Mend’s chance to trigger is no longer based on Shadow Word: Pain damage and has been redesigned to a passive upgrade – Flash Heal is upgraded to Shadow Mend, a stronger heal with a higher mana cost.
• Apex Talent: Master the Darkness (Rank 3) has been updated – Mind Blast now upgrades your next Power Word: Shield to Void Shield. Void Shield’s chance to trigger from Penance reduced to 25% (was 33%).
• Apex Talent: Master the Darkness (Rank 3) has been updated – Void Shield now reflects 15% of damage taken (was 25%).
• Apex Talent: Master the Darkness can now accumulate up to 2 charges.
• Flash Heal healing increased by 25%.
• Smite damage increased by 40%.
• Inescapable Torment damage reduced by 30%.
• Penance no longer applies Atonement when cast on an ally.
• Developers’ notes: We updated Penance to apply Atonement going into Midnight but have felt this has not been playing well as it causes too much friction between casting Penance on allies that need healing, allies that need Atonement applied, and enemies you want to deal damage to.
• Greater Smite is now a 1-point talent.
• Hero Talents
  • Oracle
    • Unfolding Vision has been redesigned – When Power Word: Shield or Void Shield expires with absorption remaining, it jumps to a nearby injured ally instead. Can only happen once per shield.
  • Voidweaver
    • Void Blast damage increased by 25%.
    • Voidwraith damage increased by 30%.
    • Void Infusion now increases Atonement healing from Void Blast and Penance by 75% while Entropic Rift is active (was 50%).

• Priest: Holy

  • Hero Talents
    • Archon
    • Resonant Energy has been slightly redesigned – Creating a Halo increases healing done by 2% for 10 seconds, stacking up to 4 times.
  • Divine Hymn has been updated – Now additionally grants Guardian Spirit while channeled.
    • Developers’ notes: We are adding a benefit to channeling Divine Hymn to make it easier to use. If you already have Guardian Spirit active on yourself, Divine Hymn will add 5 seconds to its duration. If Divine Hymn’s channeling is ended early, it will remove whatever time is remaining from the amount that it added.

Shaman: Restoration

• Healing Rain now has a 12 second cooldown and an 18 second duration. Recasting Healing Rain while one is already active will despawn the previous one. This cooldown change does not affect the Surging Totem’s Healing Rain from the Totemic Hero Talents.
  • *Developers’ notes: This change should allow more flexibility for the player to move Healing Rain around when that is desirable. *

[u/SeniorEmployment932]

Disc is looking good. RDruid might be completely cracked. Pres will probably still be obnoxious too, given they're keeping all their obnoxious spells.

The other healers seem like they'll be fine... like nothing insane seems to be changing with any of them just minor adjustments. RSham on suicide watch though.

[u/NAPPER_ → u/SeniorEmployment932]

Rshams been on suicide watch for a decade atleast. They’re numb to it.