Viability of Mana Tide Totem

[Treesh]

However, Purification continues to look quite nice.  On the other hand, I've been told that it's not worth it unless you're going for Mana Tide, which I'm not. 

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Having read several good posts about Improved Healing Wave vs. Tidal Focus, I've decided on Tidal Focus, despite the second build's focus on healing more than melee superiority.&nbsp; Additionally, I find myself casting LHW far more often than HW during PvP combat, which is where my Shaman will find himself far more often than not.&nbsp; The points into Improved Reincarnation are there simply so that I can promptly raise myself and continue healing our flagcarrier, or promptly raise myself and continue to defend a node until reinforcements arrive.&nbsp; It'll also have the secondary benefit of making deaths out while grinding or farming a little less inefficient.&nbsp; Given that the build will be focused on healing (and thus choosing spell crit over melee crit), I felt that a couple of points into Ancestral Healing would go a little way in making me a more effective healer.&nbsp; Additionally, I can remove a point from Totemic Focus and both points from Improved Reincarnation, depending on how useful the Armor bonus would turn out to be.
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If you are main healer (or only healer especially), purification is definitely worth it even if you aren't getting Tide (skipping Tide is a good idea). If you are mainly just back up healer or just healing yourself, it's nice but not really necessary. Ancestral Healing (even just a couple of points in it) can make a nice difference if you are around mostly physical damage. However, it doesn't really make you a more effective healer. It just makes your tanks take a little bit less damage. And I checked earlier today and it does affect hunter pets' armor now. \o/ I haven't checked to see how much of a difference Ancestral Healing and Stoneskin totem together make though.