Choosing the right talents as a Priest: Holy Edition [PvP]

[Hawtydaboss]

Greetings,in this topic you will find all the information you need to spec your Holy Priest properly.



You start the journey by reaching Level 15 and unlocking your first Talent Tree Tier.

• Void Tendrils : Summons Shadowy tendrils out of the ground, rooting up to 5 enemy targets within 8 yards of the caster for 20 seconds. Killing the tendril will cancel the effect.

Spoiler:

After casting the spell if there are any enemies within 8 yards of the Priest,you root up to 5 enemies.Keep in mind that if there aren't any players in the radius the spell will be put on cooldown and you'll waste it.You'll almost never use this spell in PvP since you got two better choices.

• Psyfiend : Summons a Psyfiend that stands in place for 10 seconds. The Psyfiend casts a Psychic Terror on a nearby enemy within 20 yards every 2 sec, preferring anything attacking the Priest.Psychic Terror causes enemies to flee for 30 seconds. Damage caused may interrupt the effect.

Spoiler:

You use this talent in most of the situations.What it does is,you cast the spell on the ground and you summon a Psyfiend which casts a single target Psychic Terror(Similar to Psychic Scream,but single target)every 2 seconds to a random player or NPC which turns the chosen enemy into fear for 8 seconds.Positioning the Psyfiend properly gives you great advantage since you can use it while the target you want to fear is not in line of sight.


Here's an example.

• Dominate Mind : Controls a mind up to level 93 for 30 seconds. Does not work versus Mechanical beings.

Spoiler:

The same old Mind Control now called Dominate Mind.Does exactly the same,you cast the spell and take control of the enemy you targeted.The cast time is way faster,so it's even more viable than before.You take this spell when you either play Battlegrounds to throw people off Arathi Basin or Eye of the Storm or when you play arenas with a class that works perfectly with it(Hunter/Mage mainly).

Reaching Level 30

• Body and Soul : When you cast Power Word: Shield or Leap of Faith, you increase the target's movement speed by 60% for 4 seconds.

Spoiler:

Description says it all,casting Power Word;Shield or Leap of Faith increases the movement speed of your target by 60% for 4 seconds.You don't shield much as a holy priest,so you don't really pick that.

• Angelic Feather : Place a feather at the target location. If allies walk through it, they gain 80% increased movement speed for 6 seconds.Only 3 feathers can be placed at one time. Accumulates an additional charge once every 10 sec. Maximum 3 charges.

Spoiler:

This is the talent you pick the most.You put a feather on the ground which leads to 80% increased movement speed after walking through it.You either pre-use the feathers somewhere by your preference and lately take them or you use it on your or your target's location in order to receive the movement speed bonus.There is a smart trick that you can make use of this spell by using it on your location then cast Spectral Guise which makes you go in Stealth and this helps you kite people or travel faster through map,change pillars,run in for putting Crowd Control on enemies such as Feather>Spectral Guise>Run in>Psychic Scream combo.

• Phantasm : When you Fade, you remove all movement impairing effects from yourself, and your movement speed is unhindered for 5 seconds.

Spoiler:

Description says it all.You use Fade you get all roots/slows removed and 5 seconds freedom(Immune to slows for 5 seconds).This is mostly only used when you're against 2 Melees that you need to escape from(Hunter/Rogue,DK/Warrior,Feral/Warrior/DK,etc)you can combine it with Glyph of Fade also,works pretty well.

Reaching Level 45

• From Darkness,Comes Light : You have a 15% chance when you Smite or cast a healing spell to cause your next Flash Heal to be instant cast and have no mana cost. Limit 2 charges.

Spoiler:

Description explains everything.You choose this talent in any situation no matter what.

• Mindbender : Creates a Mindbender to attack the target. Caster receives 1.75% mana when the Mindbender attacks. Lasts 15 seconds.Replaces Shadowfiend.

Spoiler:

Enhanced version of Shadowfiend.It's not as good as From Darkness,Comes Light,so in this case you never choose that in PvP.

• Solace and Insanity : Strike an enemy with the power of the heavens, dealing X Amount Holy damage and an additional X amount Holy damage over until cancelled and restoring 1% of maximum mana.
  
  Damage dealt by Power Word: Solace will instantly heal a nearby low health friendly target within 40 yards from the enemy target for 100% of the damage dealt (50% when healing the Priest).

Spoiler:

Enhanced version of Holy Fire.Works only in PvE,you never pick it in PvP.

Reaching Level 60

• Desperate Prayer : Instantly heals the caster for 30% of their total health.

Spoiler:

It's all clear what it does.You don't pick it.Why?I've tested it a lot of times and you most likely need this against burst comps that you'll need to top yourself easier.What made me not pick that anymore is that 90% of the time i die without even using it due to dying in a stunlock.What i replace it with is Angelic Bulwark It has less cooldown and what it actually does better than Desperate is that you get huge absorb and most likely you won't have problems topping yourself while being out of any CC and when you're being CC chained by stuns and silences,you'll receive the absorb just in time and basically helps you survive easier.

• Spectral Guise : Your shadow blurs into the darkness, leaving your true form behind. As a shadow you are stealthed, but remain in combat. Lasts 6 seconds or until your true form is hit by 3 direct attacks.

Spoiler:

You use it and you go in Stealth for 6 seconds.I recommend using Power Word:Shield before casting it if possible if you want to remain in stealth for the full duration.It's good to shield yourself when you're going for Fears to avoid getting popped out and getting blank silence or CC'd before landing the fear.On the other hand you use the spell to avoid CC on you.Example: Druid casts Cyclone on you>You cast Spectral Guise therefore you go in stealth and he cannot land it on you.Choose this talent for the reasons given above and mostly against Double Casters/Caster+Healer/Hunter+Healer too.There is a smart trick to counter other priests' Psyfiend.When he casts it near or next to you and it focuses you,just use Spectral Guise and the Psyfiend will continue casting it to the full cast time and then get interrupted since you're already in Stealth.

• Angelic Bulwark : Anytime a damaging attack brings you below 30% health, you gain an absorption shield equal to 20% of your total health lasting for 20 seconds.This effect cannot occur more than once every 90 sec.

Spoiler:

Simple,you get automatically shielded when you're brought down to 30% based on 20% of your health.Mostly used against comps that you have trouble surviving against.(Double DPS,Warrior teams,DK teams,etc)You can simply check Spectral Guise's Spoiler to see against which setups you use it,so you'll know the rest of the setups you will need to pick Angelic Bulwark.

Reaching Level 75

• Twist of Fate : After damaging or healing a target below 35% health, you deal 15% increased damage and healing for 10 seconds.

Spoiler:

That's the only talent you pick as a Holy.Low health healing boost helps a lot,especially @Criticals.Damage boost leads to 50-70k Shadow word:Death crits.

• Power Infusion : Infuses the Priest with power, increasing spell haste by 20%, all damage by 5%, and reducing the mana cost of all spells by 20%. Lasts 20 seconds.

Spoiler:

Known as PI that Discipline Priests used to have in older expansions,now available for Holy and Shadow as well.Not really in any use,i've tested in in some setups,doesn't make any difference,i personally feel negative difference in replacing Twist of Fate with this.

• Divine Insight : When you cast Greater Heal or Prayer of Healing, there is a 40% chance your next Prayer of Mending will not trigger its cooldown, and will jump to each target instantly.

Spoiler:

Completely useless.It can be op in some ways like getting procced in a row since you can use the 2/5 PvP set bonus with it,but it doesn't really feel helpful since you lose Twist of Fate and it doesn't bring any real advantage.

Reaching Level 90

• Cascade : Launches a Holy bolt at the target that grows in power as it travels, which causes up to X damage to an enemy, or up to X healing to an ally.This effect can bounce from allies to other allies, or from enemies to other enemies. Each time it bounces it will split into 2 bolts, preferring farther away targets, and never hitting the same target twice. Cascade can bounce up to 4 times.

Spoiler:

It's useless in PvP,it does low healing and damage and it has 10 seconds higher cooldown than Divine Star in addition to that.You never pick that.

• Divine Star : Fires a Divine Star in front of you, traveling 24 yds, causing X Divine damage to all enemies and X healing to all allies within 4 yds of its path.After reaching its destination it will return to you, also dealing damage and healing to all targets in its path.

Spoiler:

The best talent in this tier you can pick as a Holy Priest.You can cast it while your Holy school is locked (Interrupted on healing spells)and also it works like a shuriken,it heals you instantly at first forward bounce then it goes back to you and heals you once again.

• Halo : Creates a ring of Holy energy around you that quickly expands and grows in power, up to 30 yds away. Deals up to X Holy damage to enemies, and up to X healing to allies, with the greatest effect at 25 yds.

Spoiler:

The worst talent in this tier.40 seconds cooldown plus 40k mana is way too much.Not in any use at all.

That's the most important information you need to properly spec your Holy Priest.

If you have any questions regarding this topic,you can ask here.

Kind regards,
Noddcrack.

Priest PvP Glyph Guide 5.4.8
Priest PvP Talent Tiers Guide 5.4.8