Maximizing Healing Synergy with Other Healers (Part 1)

**note: This article was originally written as an application sample for WoW.com's priest column. I'm posting it here because I took the time to write it and I think it's quite helpful.

Among the healing classes, the Priest has the unique ability, when dual specced, to be the most flexible healer in WoW. Possessing strong single target and AoE healing spells, a Priest can link up with any other healer to properly cover any healing need in a raid. In this article, I would like to examine the core spells and play styles of our fellow healing brethren and provide some insight on how to best synergize with these classes as Discipline, Holy, and dual-specced Holy/Disc. This article will be released in several parts reviewing each class. Today will focus around the Holy Paladin. Please keep in mind, however, that the information covered in this article is a general guide based on my own experience playing with and playing as all of the healing classes. It is possible that the healers you encounter will not play to the paradigms laid out in this guide, and since these are not the end-all methods to play each class, please be respectful when dealing with other players who may not subscribe to them. Now, without further delay...

Paladin

The Holy Paladin has gone through many revisions to improve the breadth of their healing arsenal, but they remain first and foremost a main tank healer. Their ability to sustain continuous big heals through Holy Light, as well as mirroring their healing to a second target with Beacon of Light, makes them very strong and very powerful healers. Their strong healing is, however, balance with the comparatively mediocre group and raid heals.

As Holy...

As a Holy Priest, you will fill in the raid healing gap left by the Paladin. You should focus most of your attention covering incidental and environmental damage. Should you find yourself with a free moment, tossing some flash heals on the tank will allow you to maintain serendipity stacks while also, and more importantly, providing the tank with the valuable damage reduction from the Inspiration buff. Power Word: Shield and renew on the tank will also help smooth out damage intake on the tank, but don't forget that it is as much the Paladin's responsibility to maintain healing on the tank as it is yours to help when you can, so make sure not to neglect your primary focus as a raid healer.

As Disc...

A Discipline Priest/Holy Paladin combo will provide your group or raid with the most powerful tanking healing team in the game. The Holy Paladin's naturally high HPS is augmented well by the Discipline Priest's impressive prevention and mitigation abilities. For two tank encounters (Such as Gormok the Impale in To(G)C) you will find it best to each choose one tank as your primary healing target while providing each other with secondary healing. Spells such as Renew, Prayer of Mending, and Power Word: Shield will help ease the healing on your secondary target. Try to avoid using Flash Heal or Penance on your secondary healing target, however, as these spells will apply Grace to the other tank, clearing them from your primary target, temporarily reducing your healing throughput on your main target (do note that a living tank is always preferable to a dead one, so don't get locked into the mentality that it is bad to lose Grace stacks on your target).

Dual-Specced...

Much of your spec choice will come down to the makeup of the rest of your healing team and the size of your raid while healing, but this is especially true when healing alongside a Paladin. If you are in a 25 player raid, ideally you will have a proper balance of healing classes. Assuming this is the case, you will most likely provide your raid the largest benefit by utilizing your Discipline spec. While Shaman and Druids can easily provide raid healers, no other class boasts the strong mitigation tools and shields provided by the discipline priest. Your role in a 10 player raid will vary greatly based on whether or not you are running three healers. In a normal mode instance, a single Paladin will likely be able to provide most if not all of the necessary healing to a tank (and depending on fight mechanics, tanks). Although strong Power Word: Shields will be missed, your largest contribution to your raid will likely come with you using a Holy spec. Powerful group heals will be an asset on most encounters, and your strong Renew HoT will help augment the Paladin's tank healing without requiring a heavy investment in cast time on your part.

Check back in the coming weeks for the continuation of this series.