Discipline Priest, Pvp Basics For Cataclysm

At the beginning of the Cataclysm expansion for World of Warcraft, discipline priests were non-existent due to their lack of survivability and low healing potential. Now, as we get close to patch 4.1, you will see discipline priests well represented in battlegrounds and arena competition. Played properly, a priest can be nearly impossible to defeat while assisting others in battle. If you are new and just leveled your priest to 85 or perhaps have an alt priest, here are a few basic suggestions to keep in mind while striving to be that dominant healer in pvp that makes your opponent cringe at the mere sight of you!

Understanding your strengths plays an important role in making good decisions when it comes to survivability which is your main role as a pvp player. Keep yourself and others alive. Discipline priests have the ability to cast shields, heal over time, and direct heal, all which are primary strengths. In addition, the ability to dispel magical debuffs and disease to the aligning faction and remove buffs from the opposing faction can turn the tide in any combat. No enemy is safe from a priest that can effectively use Mass Dispel which can remove the strongest of defensive spells from the opposing faction, while removing harmful debuffs all at the same time within a 15 yard radius.

Perhaps understanding the weaknesses of your priest grants more insight to your situation and may help you improve your decision making. Although priests have several options with healing, damage, and dispels, the cost of it all is mana. Every time you cast a spell you must consider your mana usage. Intellect dictates the size of your mana pool as well as spell power being the most important stat for a discipline priest. Second would be resilience which reduces the amount of damage you take depending on the amount of resilience you have. Spirit benefits you for mana regeneration which also is a significant weakness since pvp gear leave little room to gain a sufficient amount to be effective. Then again, every little bit helps.

Knowing other classes strengths and weaknesses is just as important as knowing the ins and outs of your priest. With all the different classes and special racial abilities, it will take a bit of time to gain this knowledge. What I find particularly useful are add-ons which help me see the different spells and cool downs of my character, my teammates, and the opposing players. This information is vital for almost any pvp situation.

Now that you understand your characters capabilities and every other class in World of Warcraft, will all this information make you that dominate player you desire? Not exactly! As the game itself has evolved, the players have evolved along with it. Response time is faster than ever. If you don’t have a good set of keybinds and macros available to you, get it and practice. Keybinds allow you to bind your spells to your keyboard, gaming pad, or gaming mouse to avoid time spent on clicking. If you’re still clicking away at you spells with your mouse, you will see immediately how keybinds will improve your response time. Macros are a combination of spells and/or commands put all into one key. You can imagine how convenient that can be in a tight situation where the faster response time is the deciding factor between a win or loss.

Something I’ve learned even before I started playing World of Warcraft, the thrill of winning is much sweeter than the bitterness of defeat! Following these basic suggestions, keep up with class changes, and understanding your opponent, will put you on the winning path. Execute your moves as fast as possible thru practice, keybinds and macros. You may even get to the point where you play like a pro!