Holy Priest Guide — Class Guides · WoW Burning Crusade

Pure healing: stronger and cheaper heals and group healing.

A cloth-wearing healer who also deals Shadow damage. Priests heal single targets and groups, shield allies with Power Word: Shield and fight with Shadow Word: Pain and Mind Blast. More about the priest

Class: Priest
Roles: Healer
Used for: Raids and dungeons
Top talent: Circle of Healing
Popular builds: 2
Version: WoW Burning Crusade

How to play

Holy is the group healer of The Burning Crusade: Circle of Healing instantly heals several hurt players near your target, Prayer of Mending jumps between players, Prayer of Healing heals a whole party, and Empowered Healing makes Greater Heal and Flash Heal stronger. Holy Concentration makes some heals free.

Raid healing as Holy: Prayer of Mending whenever ready, Circle of Healing on hurt groups, Renew on players taking steady damage, and Greater Heal on tanks when assigned. Spirit is strong thanks to Spiritual Guidance.

Surge of Light makes Smite and Flash Heal free after a crit, and Lightwell drops a well other players can click for heals.

At a glance

Single-target healing
Group healing
Survivability
Utility for the group
Solo play and leveling
Ease of play

Rated 1 to 5 against the other specs in WoW Burning Crusade.

Rotation and priorities

1Prayer of Mending whenever it is ready.
2Circle of Healing on the most hurt group.
3Prayer of Healing when a whole party is low.
4Renew on targets with steady damage.
5Greater Heal on tanks; Flash Heal for emergencies; Binding Heal when you're hurt too.
6Shadowfiend when mana is low.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

The best area healing in TBC.
Prayer of Mending and Circle of Healing heal while you move.
Spirit of Redemption keeps you healing after death.

Weaknesses

Very fragile against players.
Low damage solo.
Less suited to heavy single-target damage than a paladin.

Stats and gear

Stat priority

Most valuable first. Bars compare each stat with the best one; a cap in the note means the stat drops off once you reach it.

1
+Healing
2
Spirit+Healing through Spiritual Guidance
3
Intellect
4
Mana per 5 sec
5
Spell haste
6
Critical strike

What to look for

+Healing first; Spirit is worth more to Holy than to any other healer.
Mana per 5 seconds for long fights.
Tailoring's healing sets are strong pre-raid choices.

Items worth chasing

Eye of GruulCheaper heals from a healing trinket proc.
Essence of the Martyr+Healing on use.
Memento of TyrandeMana returns while you cast.

Builds

Each bar splits the build's talent points by tree.

Discipline
Holy
Shadow

Circle of Healing Raider
HealerPvE
2041
20/41/0
Raid Holy: Circle of Healing heals the most injured group instantly, while Empowered Healing and Spiritual Guidance boost the big heals.
- Spirit of Redemption 1/1
- Spiritual Healing 5/5
- Holy Concentration 2/3
- Empowered Healing 5/5
- Circle of Healing 1/1
Open in the talent calculator Theorycrafting Talent order by level
Divine Spirit Choirmaster
HealerPvE
2338
23/38/0
Holy with deeper Discipline: Improved Divine Spirit raises spell power for the raid, while Spirit of Redemption and Spiritual Healing remain.
- Divine Spirit 1/1
- Spirit of Redemption 1/1
- Spiritual Healing 5/5
- Holy Concentration 2/3
- Empowered Healing 3/5
Open in the talent calculator Theorycrafting Talent order by level

Key talents

Circle of Healing · top talent, up to 1
Heals friendly target and that target's party members within 15 yards of the target for 250 to 274.
Divine Fury · tier 2, up to 5
Reduces the casting time of your Smite, Holy Fire, Heal and Greater Heal spells by 0.5 sec.
Inspiration · tier 3, up to 3
Increases your target's armor by 25% for 15 sec after getting a critical effect from your Flash Heal, Heal, Greater Heal, Binding Heal, Prayer of Healing, or Circle of Healing spell.
Holy Reach · tier 4, up to 2
Increases the range of your Smite and Holy Fire spells and the radius of your Prayer of Healing, Holy Nova and Circle of Healing spells by 20%.
Healing Prayers · tier 5, up to 2
Reduces the mana cost of your Prayer of Healing and Prayer of Mending spell by 20%.
Spirit of Redemption · tier 5, up to 1
Increases total Spirit by 5% and upon death, the priest becomes the Spirit of Redemption for 15 sec. The Spirit of Redemption cannot move, attack, be attacked or targeted by any spells or effects. While in this form the priest can cast any healing spell free of cost. When the effect ends, the priest dies.
Spiritual Guidance · tier 5, up to 5
Increases spell damage and healing by up to 25% of your total Spirit.
Spiritual Healing · tier 6, up to 5
Increases the amount healed by your healing spells by 10%.
Holy Concentration · tier 7, up to 3
Gives you a 6% chance to enter a Clearcasting state after casting any Flash Heal, Binding Heal, or Greater Heal spell. The Clearcasting state reduces the mana cost of your next Flash Heal, Binding Heal, or Greater Heal spell by 100%.
Empowered Healing · tier 8, up to 5
Your Greater Heal spell gains an additional 20% and your Flash Heal and Binding Heal gain an additional 10% of your bonus healing effects.

Holy abilities by level

When each ability arrives: trained abilities at the level a trainer first teaches them, talent abilities (gold frame) at the first level the talent can be taken.