09-22-2005, 03:30 AM
So as I'm raising my Shaman, Mana Tide Totem (and Purification which will be scooped up along with it) keeps looking sexier and sexier, while Parry and Toughness look homelier and homelier.
So I'm torn between two specs: 30/21 (thus getting Parry and Toughness, while losing Purification and Mana Tide) and 20/31 (vice-versa.) In both PvP and PvE, I tend to assume the role of melee healbot/totembot, so both Purification (+10% to healing spell healing) and Mana Tide (water totem, restores 240 MP every three seconds for twelve seconds for a total of 960 MP restored) would seem useful: Purification for the obvious benefit to healing (particularly Lesser Healing Wave, bringing it up to 915-1020 from 832-928) and Mana Tide to prevent wipes in PvE settings. Part of my decision is hinging on how effective Mana Tide would be in a PvP setting, primarily Warsong or Arathi (since I tend to stay out of the fray in AV, preferring to spend time in the mines and caves rather than the zergfest outside.) While the restoration of 960 MP to all nearby friendlies would be very powerful, it's a totem, and it has a painful five minute cooldown. Anyone with a brain would promptly scrap it the second it popped up, which means it would be hard to find a place for it besides a momentary recharge before storming the flagroom or a defended node.
Parry and Toughness, on the other hand, would improve my ability to defend myself from melee combatants (and make me a more efficient flagrunner.)
If I go 30/21, I can see myself choosing physical stats (e.g. STR, AGI, melee crit, etc) over mental stats (e.g. INT, SPI, spell crit) and vice-versa if I go 20/31.
Additionally, I have a decision to make versus Ancestral Healing (+25% to target's Armor for 15 seconds after receiving a critical heal) and Totemic Focus (all totem costs -10% MP.) If I go the Mana Tide route, I'll likely scoop up Ancestral Healing, since I'll probably have higher spell crits (from items and stats), whereas Totemic Focus sounds better for the Parry route, since I'll probably find more reason to make use of the more mana-intensive totems like Fire Nova and Magma Totem.
So I'm torn between two specs: 30/21 (thus getting Parry and Toughness, while losing Purification and Mana Tide) and 20/31 (vice-versa.) In both PvP and PvE, I tend to assume the role of melee healbot/totembot, so both Purification (+10% to healing spell healing) and Mana Tide (water totem, restores 240 MP every three seconds for twelve seconds for a total of 960 MP restored) would seem useful: Purification for the obvious benefit to healing (particularly Lesser Healing Wave, bringing it up to 915-1020 from 832-928) and Mana Tide to prevent wipes in PvE settings. Part of my decision is hinging on how effective Mana Tide would be in a PvP setting, primarily Warsong or Arathi (since I tend to stay out of the fray in AV, preferring to spend time in the mines and caves rather than the zergfest outside.) While the restoration of 960 MP to all nearby friendlies would be very powerful, it's a totem, and it has a painful five minute cooldown. Anyone with a brain would promptly scrap it the second it popped up, which means it would be hard to find a place for it besides a momentary recharge before storming the flagroom or a defended node.
Parry and Toughness, on the other hand, would improve my ability to defend myself from melee combatants (and make me a more efficient flagrunner.)
If I go 30/21, I can see myself choosing physical stats (e.g. STR, AGI, melee crit, etc) over mental stats (e.g. INT, SPI, spell crit) and vice-versa if I go 20/31.
Additionally, I have a decision to make versus Ancestral Healing (+25% to target's Armor for 15 seconds after receiving a critical heal) and Totemic Focus (all totem costs -10% MP.) If I go the Mana Tide route, I'll likely scoop up Ancestral Healing, since I'll probably have higher spell crits (from items and stats), whereas Totemic Focus sounds better for the Parry route, since I'll probably find more reason to make use of the more mana-intensive totems like Fire Nova and Magma Totem.
ArrayPaladins were not meant to sit in the back of the raid staring at health bars all day, spamming heals and listening to eight different classes whine about buffs.[/quote]
The original Heavy Metal Cowâ¢. USDA inspected, FDA approved.
The original Heavy Metal Cowâ¢. USDA inspected, FDA approved.