The Healbot

[Concillian]

I would like to add to this great writeup some information on SOLO-ing with a build like this, with the caveat that I've only played up to 32 so far.

I've found that as holy spec I can deal with tough situations solo BETTER than an equivalent level shadow priest. In learning these solo tactics, I also do a much better job in instances now that I'm well practiced in them. Rather than getting flustered and panicing, I will adopt my soloing tactics when I pull aggro.

Many of the tactics are similar to those Bolty described, mana efficiency and spirit are important (when solo PvE). Your overall stamina isn't too critical, as most of your health comes from your mana pool.

Staves are great for instances, but they are too slow for this method of soloing. I generally use a dagger if I can get one of appropriate level for a reasonable price, a fast mace (<2.0 speed) otherwise. A good wand is VERY important here. The rest is INT/SPI with some STAM to give a decent size HP pool (usually around 1/2 mana pool or so with PW:F up)

Renew + melee is the basic tactic here. Renew will heal you faster than mobs will damage you if you have the talent points spent in Imp. Renew and Spi. Healing. I've played holy priests through the early levels both ways (putting points in Disc first and putting points in holy first), and I've found going holy first to be a LOT more helpful solo.

Melee tactic: attack with your dagger and anticipate the attack, when the attack animation just barely starts, hit your wand key (I remapped it to 'z', since there is little need for drawing/sheathing weapons that I've found). The wand animation will override the melee animation but you will do melee damage and wand damage both. This adds damage during the wand cooldown time.

Using this tactic you can end a fight with normal mobs with 100% health and >90% mana. I am generally not concerned with runners, as I can easily take another mob right away... it saves me having to run off and aggro another, he does it for me while I am regenerating my last few percent of mana.

I've had shadow preists say that PW:S is the only thing that makes soloing possible, but in reality I almost never cast PW:S when solo. If you take Holy Talents down to Improved Flash heal, you can get heals off VERY reliably even when being attacked by 3 enemies, and I've taken on groups of 4-5 greens without using Psychic Scream just by having such an insane pool of mana (and therefore health.)

Battles take time, but that works to your advanatage with spirit. And the downtime you have is virtually none. Don't let anyone tell you a holy priest can't solo well, it can solo incredibly well. A shadow priest didn't believe I could solo an equal level elite without using fear, and demanded to be shown. I swear if I could see his expression through the monitor his mouth would have been wide open.

About the only offensive spell I cast is SW:P. Remember what Bolty said about mana efficiency? Well 3 health per mana will generally enable more damage than 1.x damage per mana. Especially when you can use the time you would be casting damage spells to regen even more mana, which makes heal mana that much more effective.

Again the keys are:
good 1H weapon
good wand
INT/SPI with some STA
Burst casting so your SPI can work
slow and steady

I really didn't expect this from a holy/disc priest, but there are times when I'm playing my warlock or rogue and get into soloing situations that get me thinking "man this would be easier with my priest"