Pre-Raid Priest

*Sound of trumpets*

It is here! With the help of the amazing Arceopteryx (actually, they made the list and I just edited it a tiny bit with my own opinions...) I can proudly anounce that we have a List of Gear for Pre-Raid Priests. I won't keep you waiting much longer, but please read the note at the end of this post for more clarification.

*open heavy red velvet curtains*

Head: Velen's Cowl of Conquest (T9, 50 EoT, here)

Neck: Evoker's Charm (19 EoC, here) (!)

Shoulders: Velen's Shoulderpads of Conquest (T9, 30 EoT, here)

Cloak: Cloak of the Fallen Cardinal (Pit of Saron N, Scourgelord Tyrannus)

Chest: Merlin's Robe (Craftable) (*)

Wrists: Bejeweled Wizard's Bracers (Craftable) (*)

Hands: Velen's Gloves of Conquest (T9, 30 EoT, here)

Waist: Braid of Salt and Fire (Pit of Saron H, Ick)

Legs: Velen's Leggings of Conquest (T9, 50 EoT, here)

Feet: Prelate's Snowshoes (Pit of Saron H, Scourgelord Tyrannus)

Finger: Band of the Invoker (35 EoT, here)

Finger: Oath of Empress Zoe (Halls of Reflection H, The Captain's Chest)

Trinket: Talisman of Resurgence (50 EoT, here)

Trinket: Ephemeral Snowflake (Halls of Reflection H, Marwyn)

Main Hand: Surgeon's Needle (Pit of Saron H, Forgemaster Garfrost)

Off-Hand: Shriveled Heart (Halls of Reflection H, The Captain's Chest)

Wand: Brimstone Igniter (25 EoT, here)

(!) As you can see, this item requires Emblems of Conquest, not Emblems of Triumph. It will be a pain to convert, but some believe it's worth it.

(*) The patterns drop at the Trial of the Crusader Heroic 10. It might be a bit rough to find them, or a tailor that can make them. On a positive note: you'll be able to collect a lot of Crusader Orbs while you're looking for it~ The mats for these two can also be a little tricky or expensive to assemble. But they're definitely worth it. (The only argument against that I've heard of is that it needs replacing after a while, but then all gear does, certainly at this gear level. It's called "upgrading". /end snarky comments)

Also: Arceopteryx' list had these for wrists, which are a very nice alternative if you decide not to go for the craftable.

Note: One of the reasons why there are no fixed gear lists for priests is that it is a very versatile class. Everyone has a different play-style and so a different opinion. However, that makes it very difficult for new players to learn the class, and if your brain shuts down when math lurks around, like mine, it can be a little harsh to bite through all of the theory crafting. That is why I made this list. As such, it is by no means an exclusive 'look-at-me-I-have-the-best-gear' list. It is more of a guideline. Any remarks or comments are welcome, especially if you feel you found an item that is better than what is posted here.

I will make short posts on gems and enchants in the near future.

~Ari

Power Word: Fail

For all of you who do not know yet (although I doubt I can reach anyone that hasn't noticed):

A podcast for priests. Power Word: Fail.

I think this is an awesome initiative, and if they should make this a regular event - like matt suggested - I would definitely listen to it every single time.

Is holy dead?

A few weeks ago, something big happened. I hit 80. How I got there is a whole different story. Let me just say it did not happen easily. I've been playing on and off for about (uhm... let me see...) four or five years now, and only recently I reached the level cap for the first time. My trusty tanking partner actually had to freeze his exp so he would not get there weeks, nay months, before I did. After our initial rush of victory, realisation dawned that we were now facing something completely different: Endgame. (Cue doomsey music, à la 'dun dun dunnnnnn'.) Panic seized our throats, and anguish drove us to our number one information resource, the internet, to find out more about our specs, class, gear, etc. We had done this before, to find out what gear drops where and such, but I needed something more detailed this time. I needed a fellow holy priest with more experience, to direct me to the things I should and should not do to gear up and get ready.

Initially, that is the three seconds after I first hit search on google, I felt relatively confident. Of course I would find a holy priest who blogs. Why wouldn't I? Surely, this game was widespread enough for there to be at least one other person like me. Or not?

As I clicked outdated link after outdated link, the comments I had received during my levelling came flooding back. "Holy? Why?" "Spec disc lol" and "Wth? Holy sucks" were often whispered to me, but I dismissed them at the time. I had read that holy is a difficult spec to level in, so I was not surprised others preferred not to. I considered myself lucky to have my tank and moved on. But suddenly my thoughts were wavering. There were no updated gear lists. There was no actual advice out there. Worried, I turned to my tank. What if I had made a mistake? He reassured me everything was fine, and I just had to keep looking. Thanks for those words of courage, by the way, I would have given up on it without them.

After a long search I found some blogs that are very valuable. Sadly, most 'holy blogs' seem to be on permanent hiatus, or completely called off. There are some still out there, however. And although most are dual speccing disc, there is some information to be found still.

My finds did not calm my thoughts. The world of holy priests looks like an ancient and forgotten one. Have we really become dispensible? Have we been thrown out like rags? Where are our thrones that read 'most versatile healer' and 'best raid healer'? In other words, is holy dead?

~Ari