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We have some brand new Resto Shaman healing info this morning in the Healer Watercooler.
Healing Wave has been removed as part of the low-throughput, low-mana-cost heals that have been removed from most classes. Greater Healing Wave has been renamed as Healing Wave.
Because Shamans don’t really have an instant cast heal like other classes do, other than Riptide, Shamans did not get hit with an instant cast heal removal like all the other classes did.
Shaman Higher Efficiency: Healing Wave, Riptide, Healing Rain
Shaman Higher Throughput: Healing Surge, Chain Heal
With absorbs being nerfed in Warlords, this should help Shamans see their hps go up once again, especially when there is more than one absorb healing class in the raid.
Additionally, we’re toning down the power of absorbs in general. When they get too strong, absorption effects are often used in place of direct healing instead of as a way to supplement it. We will, of course, take these changes into account when tuning specializations that rely heavily on absorbs, such as Discipline Priests.
Watcher has tweeted that they feel Shaman’s healing is too much smart healing and does acknowledge the fact Shamans do have fewer instants than the other healing classes..
Shaman has far fewer instant heals than most. And yes, between CH, HR, and HST, too much of a Shaman’s throughput is smart atm.
Smart heals have always been a huge part of the Resto Shaman toolkit, with spells such as Healing Rain, Healing Tide Totem, Healing Stream Totem and Chain Heal (within range). And unfortunately, it looks like that will be changing for Shamans, and the question included “pruning”, so there is a chance Shamans could see another whole redesign yet again.
Smart heals are changing, does that mean you will be changing or pruning abilities like healing stream/tide and healing rain?
It’s safe to say that we’re changing all smart heals. (Celestalon)
