The release of World of Warcraft’s latest expansion, Shadowlands, has invigorated the game in a variety of ways. Many classes have seen the reintroduction of past abilities, and the time to kill has decreased significantly in contrast to previous expansions. In a time where DPS classes are soaring, is there really much to say about healers., There sure is!

Many players are preemptively spooked by the fact that healing is a focus intensive job, built on the foundation of mechanical understanding of certain fights, and also on the premise of strategic mana utilization. Playing a healer can be quite anxiety-inducing, something which is typically offset by that extreme sense of accomplishment when seeing those juicy green numbers, knowing you played a key role in progressing your team’s Mythic+ keystone, or that you kept your mates up long enough for them to grind that Gladiator rating.

As a healer, it goes without saying that your chief duty is to heal and keep up your allies. You may however also find yourself having some other responsibilities. Both in PvP and PvE, players will often be affected by harmful magical effects like debuffs, poisons, curses, DoTs, and diseases, all of which you may need to actively or cautiously cleanse depending on the situation. In PvP, healers also need to chain CC with their partners for maximum damage potential.

Now that we got you all hyped up for playing a healer in Shadowlands, lets help you select just the perfect spec for your playstyle. Keep in mind, each of these classes is unique in their own way, so we’ll try to categorize them based on their proficiency in both PvP and PvE, as well as other miscellaneous factors including mobility and utility toolkits.

5. Restoration Shaman

Spec Intro and Overview:

Restoration Shamans call upon the power of the elements to heal their allies with a seemingly infinite arsenal of water spells and totem abilities. This spec excels primarily in situations where allies are stacked together (as is often the case in Raids and sometimes Mythic+), while also performing quite admirably in almost any PvP scenario.

As a Restoration Shaman, you are somewhat encumbered by long cast times which should be minimized by stacking the [Tidal Waves] proc through [Riptide] or [Chain Heal]. You’ll have a mixed bag of single-target and multi-target healing spells available to you, so playing a Restoration Shaman efficiently requires relatively more skill than for example a Holy Paladin.

In Rated Arenas, always cast [Earth Shield] and [Unleash Life] on heavily targeted allies, using [Healing Wave] as a filler spell for decent, non-emergency single-target healing, and [Healing Surge] should your partner(s) not have any defensives available. 

When fighting cleave or DoT comps, prioritize [Chain Heal] instead, while always remembering to spam [Riptide] off-cooldown for those delicious [Tidal Waves] procs. It’s also important to always use your [Healing Stream Totem] for moderate and passive healing. On the other hand, PvE encounters present you with great opportunities to capitalize on powerful AoE healing spells like [Healing Rain], [Wellspring], and [Downpour].

Why Restoration Shaman?

• We got so caught up in the diverse healing available to Restoration Shamans that we almost forgot about the immense utility of their totemic abilities! Totemslike [Grounding Totem] and [Earthen Wall Totem] can absorb various enemy spells while also reducing overall damage taken, whereas the infamous [Spirit Link Totem] is so often the difference between life and death that I am always flabbergasted by its overpoweredness. This is especially true in case enemy Shamans are specced into Necrolord, given the 40% damage absorb of [Fleshcraft] and the healing capabilities of [Primordial Wave], ensuring that killing a Restoration Shaman is no easy feat.
• In terms of CC, [Earthgrab Totem] can root your foes in place, [Earthbind Totem] afflicts them with an annoying slow, and of course, [Capacitor Totem] can even completely stun them for three seconds. In conjunction with the often spammable [Hex], it comes as no surprise that Restoration Shamans are quite a great choice for PvP situations in Shadowlands. Let’s not forget about the mind-bending insanity that is [Ascendance], an ability that effectively transforms you into a Poseidon-like creature and duplicates all the healing you do, distributing it evenly amongst all allies within 20 yards.
• Reiterating our attention back to the PvE department, it’s important to note that Restoration Shamans can provide your party with a plethora of essential buffs. For example, Restoration Shamans are the only healing spec in the game which can lust, whilst also having the ability to battle rez using [Ancestral Protection Totem]. The Kyrian [Vesper Totem], which causes your next 3 healing spells to heal up to 6 allies near the totem, will further increase your healing throughput.
• After all this flattery, you may be asking yourself why the Restoration Shaman only ranks 5th in our list? Well, that’s primarily because of the high skill level required to play them adequately, as well as their considerable immobility in the face of adversity. The long cast times outside of [Tidal Waves] procs, and the susceptibility of allies being unable to stack in cases like RBGs or sometimes Mythic+, also render their healing slightly weaker than other healing specs.

How to Build:

• Covenant: Kyrian (PvE) or Necrolord (PvP)
• Legendary: [Earthen Harmony] (Mythic+), or [Primal Tide Core] (Raiding) or [Deeptremor Stone] (PvP)
• Stat Priority: PvE (Versatility > Crit > Haste > Mastery) PvP (Versatility > Mastery > Crit > Haste)

https://murlok.io/shaman/restoration/mm+

4. Mistweaver Monk

Spec Intro and Overview:

Mistweaver Monks tap into Chi energy to unravel restorative mists which they use to aid their allies. They are typically considered to be a hybrid between HoT and direct healing spell. If left to channel [Soothing Mists], Mistweaver Monks have potentially the strongest single-target healing with spells like [Enveloping Mists], and [Vivify] popping in big numbers and also invoking the[Gust of Mist] mastery. The latter two spells combine particularly well together.

As a Mistweaver, your rotation can be quite flexible. [Focus Thunder Tea] should always be used off-cooldown to enhance one of your healing abilities, with [Revival] being left solely for emergency raid-wide healing. Primarily, you’ll want to maintain your [Renewing Mist] HoT on a minimum of two targets (it will also jump on two additional targets if they are injured), while passively channeling [Soothing Mist] for moderate healing on single-targets. Cast one [Enveloping Mist] in order to add another HoT and increase the effectiveness of your other healing spells by 40%, at which point you may continue channeling [Soothing Mist]. [Vivify] is more of an emergency healing spell, whereas [Essence Font] should be used in AoE situations. Do note however that channeling [Soothing Mists] is the only way for you to get insta-casts off of your other healing spells.

Mistweaver Monks are particularly renowned for their strong mobility. Abilities like [Roll], [Tiger’s Lust], and [Transcendence] will do a good job at keeping some opponents off your back, giving you enough time to restabilize and begin channeling [Soothing Mists] for those insta-casts.

Why Mistweaver Monk?

• If you’re someone like me, then you must absolutely love the heal-while-doing-damage concept that some of the classes in WoW possess. Amongst these cultured rejuvenators resides the ‘Fistweaver’ Monk.
• Fistweaving is essentially the name for Monks whose primary healing output stems from damaging abilities like [Rising Sun Kick], [Tiger Palm], and [Blackout Kick]. In order to effectively play a Fistweaver Monk, you will need to equip the [Ancient Teachings of the Monastery] legendary, which causes your next [Essence Font] to grant you a buff for 15 seconds. The buff enables your  [Rising Sun Kick], [Tiger Palm], and [Blackout Kick] to heal for 250% of the damage done, ensuring that you can sometimes keep allies healed without necessarily casting a single healing spell.
•  In conjunction with the [Rising Mist] and [Invoke Chi-Ji the Red Crane] talents, Fistweaver Monks can do some insane healing, especially in cases where they may be allowed to free cast, such as Mythic+ or Raid encounters. It is safe to say that with the minimum 10% damage increase to their abilities in Patch 9.1, Fistweaver Monks have become much more prominent in both PvP and PvE.
• In case you do not like this concept, you may also focus your attention on traditional spell healing, using the [Clouded Focus] legendary which both increases your overall healing throughput and reduces your average mana consumption.
• Whatever way you decide to heal, know that Mistweaver Monks have one of the most powerful healing abilities in the entire game, [Revival]. This ability will heal your ENTIRE party for a huge portion of their health, simultaneously cleansing them of any diseases, poisons, or curses.
• Although Mistweavers perform significantly well in PvE and in Rated Battlegrounds, they are considered to be the weakest healers in Rated Arenas, primarily because of their susceptibility to run out of mana and their incapability to insta-heal allies for substantial portions without actively channeling [Soothing Mist]. Defensive abilities like [Life Cocoon], [Transcendence], [Fortifying Brew], and [Diffuse Magic] will keep you up for some time, but usually not enough to outperform against other healers.

How to Build:

Covenant: PvE (Venthyr) or PvP (Necrolord)

Legendary: [Ancient Teachings of the Monastery] or [Clouded Focus] PvE [Clouded Focus] PvP

Stat Priority: PvE (Crit > Versatility > Haste > Mastery) PvP (Versatility > Mastery > Haste > Crit)

https://murlok.io/monk/mistweaver/mm+

3. Holy Paladin

Spec Intro and Overview:

Holy Paladins invoke the power of the light to heal and bless their allies with a variety of different spells. Paladins use mana as a general resource, and Holy Power as a spender resource. Unlike most other healers in the game, Holy Paladins specialize primarily in single-target healing through spells like [Holy Light], [Holy Shock], [Flash of Light], and [Word of Glory], whilst also possessing excellent utility in the form of [Blessing of Protection], [Blessing of Freedom], and [Blessing of Sacrifice]. Considering their use of plate armor and the variety of defensive abilities available to them, it is no surprise that Holy Paladins are extremely durable.

The rotation is relatively simple. You want to ensure that you upkeep your [Beacon of Light] on a specific target (usually a tank or prioritized ally), whilst using [Holy Shock] to generate the [Infusion of Light] proc, which will then increase the healing output of [Holy Light] or [Flash of Light] on the target. Pretty simple huh?

 In multi-target situations, you will do practically the same rotation with the exception of casting [Light of Dawn] in front of your teammates. The [Resplendent Light] conduit, which enables your [Holy Light] to heal up to 5 additional targets for a base of 4% of its healing, is certainly a nice AoE addition.

Should the need for high-efficiency healing arise, Holy Paladins may cast [Avenging Wrath] in order to increase their overall healing, damage, as well as crit chance, by a whopping 20%. Keep in mind, this spell is on a 3-minute cooldown and although speccing into [Awakening] may significantly increase its use-per-minute, the base cooldown should be used very cautiously.

Why Holy Paladin?

• Whether you want to roll over your enemies whilst basking in the sun, or if you just really enjoy the class setup, Holy Paladins are definitely a great choice for healing in Shadowlands. This is especially true for Mythic+ dungeons, where Holy Paladins have consistently ranked as the top performing healers according to WoWmeta.
• Ironically, the reason they are so well liked is not because of their healing, but because of their surprisingly outstanding damage output in dungeon encounters. The signature Venthyr ability for [Ashen Hallow], will deal large amounts of damage and healing in a huge radius for a minimum of 30 seconds, whilst also enhancing your [Hammer of Wrath] to do 100% more damage. Should you have the [Light’s Hammer], [Awakening], and [Seraphim] talents, do not be surprised if you see yourself competing with your DPS friends, such is the power of the Holy Paladin. These clerics of the light do however fall off significantly in terms of raids.
• Even if you’re a PvP’er, playing a Holy Paladin is no disappointment. Personally speaking, the two healers I hope to avoid the most in Rated Arenas are Restoration Druids and Holy Paladins, simply because both are such a pain to kill. In case of the latter, my Windwalker Monk cannot do anything against [Divine Shield] or [Blessing of Protection] which literally render my enemies invulnerable for a certain period of time, thereby wasting both my burst and my precious time!
• Perhaps their only weakness is their mobility, with [Divine Steed] the only recognizable spell which can get them out of tricky situations.  They can also reduce movement impairing effects on their allies with [Blessing of Freedom,] as well potentially saving them from certain death using [Blessing of Sacrifice] which transfers some of their damage taken over to you. In PvP, most top Holy Paladins select the Kyrian covenant in order to maximize their damage and healing throughput with [Divine Toll].
• Although Holy Paladins may not rank top in either PvP or PvE, they are a superb choice for anyone who wishes to main healing in Shadowlands. Juggernauts of durability with top single-target healing, a really cool class fantasy, and considerable utility for both raids and battlegrounds, the Holy Paladin ranks 3rd in today’s list of best healers.

How to Build:

Covenant: Venthyr (PvE) or Kyrian (PvP)

Legendary: [The Mad Paragon] (PvE) or [Shock Barrier] (PvP)

Stat Priority: PvP (Versatility > Crit > Haste > Mastery) PvE (Haste > Versatility > Crit > Mastery)

2. Discipline Priest

Spec Intro and Overview:

Perhaps THE class that brought about the inception of healing-while-doing-damage concept, the Discipline Priest ranks 2nd in today’s list of top healers in Shadowlands. These zealous cloth-wearers fall in between Shadow and Holy Priests, essentially picking up traits from each spec in order to produce substantial amounts of healing primarily through the passive ability [Atonement]. In this sense, Discipline Priests are very similar to Fistweaver Monks.

The Discipline rotation revolves around upkeeping [Atonement] through spells like [Power Word: Shield], [Power Word: Radiance], and [Shadow Mend], all of which trigger [Atonement] thereby allowing you to heal for 50% of your overall damage done. During these short windows, you’ll want to spam [Smite] and [Shadow Word: Pain] on your enemies, while paying attention to your party frames in case immediate heals are needed. In the latter cases, you should use [Penance] and [Shadow Mend] for single-target healing, and [Power Word: Radiance] for multi-target healing.

We should note however that Discipline Priests specialize primarily in damage absorption as opposed to their direct healing, Holy Priest counterparts. Strong cooldown abilities like [Power Word: Barrier], [Pain Suppression], and [Rapture] will help you form massive shields on allies, ensuring their protection even in situations where you are stunlocked and therefore unable to directly heal 

Discipline Priests are particularly strong in the CC department. They may fear enemies with [Psychic Scream], knock back and slow them with [Shining Force] as well as [Mind Control] them off the edge of maps or to certain corridors where they will be far from allies.

Despite their highly entertaining playstyle, strong absorption specialization, good single-target and AoE healing, the Discipline Priest is nevertheless hindered by a lack of mobility spells. The only two that can enhance their movement are shared on the same talent row, with [Body and Soul] typically winning out against [Angelic Feather].

Why Discipline Priest?

• In contrast to Mistweaver Monks, who need a specific legendary and certain buffs to properly Fistweave, Discipline Priests are the gods of healing-while-damaging. There is just something so entertaining and satisfying about healing allies through smiting enemies, that we can’t put it into words.
• The spec does however play somewhat differently depending upon the content that you’re after. For example, PvE situations will have you spec into Kyrian to further entrench [Atonement] healing through [Boon of the Ascended] and the [Spheres’ Harmony] legendary, whereas the psychedelic [Mindgames] ability of the Venthyr Covenant excels primarily in PvP. You should definitely decide which type of content you intend to prioritize prior to making your Discipline Priest, seeing as it is somewhat difficult in the game’s current state to change covenants, although such annoyances will be eliminated in the upcoming patch.
• In either case, you will want to maximize [Atonement] by applying it to as many allies as possible before letting loose with your DPS abilities. Use your cooldowns only in situations when they are absolutely necessary, since you will not get to use them too often. In raids for example, always [Power Word: Radiance] and [Shadow Mend] prior to heavy boss mechanics in order to pump your damage and therefore overall healing. As a Discipline Priest, your [Power Infusion] and [Power Word: Fortitude] will make you an absolute must pick for any type of content, therefore rest assured even if you aren’t such a great player.
• The reintroduction of [Thoughtsteal] in Shadowlands, has added an extra OOMPH factor to the class. When cast on specific targets like say a Mage for example, you can potentially steal their [Ice Block] ability, basically sentencing them to their death.
• Finally, we must acknowledge that the Discipline Priest gameplay may not fit everyone’s playstyle. Some people prefer traditional caster healing, without the mental stress of also focusing on damage output, and we cannot blame you! Discipline Priests can fall off significantly in cases where DPS are pulling massive numbers. This is because mobs can die quicker than the time required for you to successfully activate the [Atonement] buff.
• Whether you enjoy its insane playstyle, or if you just really like the absorb-focused healing, Discipline Priests are nevertheless an excellent healing choice for Shadowlands, outranked solely by the Restoration Druid.

How to Build:

Covenant: Kyrian (PvE) or Venthyr (PvP)

Legendary: [Sphere’s Harmony] (PvE) or [Sephuz’s Proclamation] (PvP)

Stat Priority: PvE (Haste > Crit > Versatility > Mastery) PvP (Versatility > Haste > Mastery > Crit

https://murlok.io/priest/discipline/mm

1. Restoration Druid

Spec Intro and Overview:

Restoration Druids channel the will of the forest to rejuvenate their allies with a plethora of Heal over Time (HoT) spells. Similar to their DPS and Tanking counterparts, Restoration Druids have the ability to shapeshift into various different forms [Tree Form], [Cat Form], [Moonkin Form], [Bear Form], [Travel Form], ensuring exceptional mobility as well as a diverse spell-kit which is useful in practically every situation in the game.

Although Restoration Druids require a significant amount of setup and upkeep in order to maximize their healing throughput (similar to a Warlock’s DPS system), they are nevertheless crucial for any raid or BG. This is primarily due to their strong single-target and multi-target healing, emanating from spells like [Rejuvenation], [Swiftmend], [Wild Growth], and [Regrowth].

The primary rotation is quite simple. Apply [Rejuvenation] on one or a couple of targets, focus [Lifebloom] on your tank, use [Wild Growth] for group-wide healing of up to 6 targets, as well as [Efflorescence] on an area where a majority of your group is standing, and finish by applying [Swiftmend] in situations where dramatic healing is necessary. [Regrowth] is your main filler spell which heals for a moderate amount at a somewhat inexpensive cost. [Omen of Clarity] is a passive buff that makes your next [Regrowth] free and insta-cast, so use it every time it pops up.

 In cases where party or raid groups are suffering from tremendous amounts of damage, Restoration Druids may also pop their burst healing, with enhancing abilities like [Tree Form] and the symbolic [Tranquility] combining effectively to avoid cases of certain death.

Why Restoration Druids?

• Put simply, Restoration Druids are our personal favorites when it comes to healing in Shadowlands. The spec is so variable and fun to play that you can do just about anything with it. The class fantasy is also incredibly satisfying. I mean… who wouldn’t want to revitalize their allies using nature power and efflorescent spells.
• If you’re a PvP oriented player, we cannot over-recommend Resto Druids. According to wowmeta.com Restoration Druids are currently the best-ranked healer for Rated 2s, while ranking third for both Rated 3s and Rated Battlegrounds. This is quite understandable when considering their unparalleled mobility, extreme durability, as well as burst healing through spells like [Swiftmend] and the Night Fae Covenant ability [Convoke the Spirits]. 
• Should you decide to equip the [Verdant Infusion] legendary, your healing throughput will increase further considering that [Swiftmend] no longer consumes a HoT, instead extending the duration of all of HoTs on the target by an additional 10 seconds. 
• Restoration Druids are also kings of CC, with abilities like [Mighty Bash], [Disorienting Roar], [Ursol’s Vortex], [Entangling Roots], [Cyclone], giving you the upper hand in almost every team fight situation. All in all, let’s just say that with the right amount of gear and skill, you will vanquish almost any arena team, depending of course upon your team cohesion and overall class synergy (for maximum PvP performance, we recommend Restoration Druids to pair up with Arms Warriors).
• These strengths do not go unrecognized in PvE either, with Restoration Druids currently ranking 2nd best in Mythic Sanctum of Domination progression raids. The rotation remains practically the same, ensuring that you upkeep your HoTs on as many targets as possible, whilst simultaneously using [Wild Growth] during [Soul of the Forest] procs. Due to their exceptional mobility, Restoration Druids will never have to worry about avoiding telegraphed spells either, rendering them almost invincible in the face of all types of adversity.
• It is primarily because of their extremely engaging and fun playstyle, as well as their unmatchable versatility, that we can safely rank Restoration Druids as the single best healer for both PvP and PvE in Shadowlands.

How to Build:

Covenant: PvE (Kyrian) PvP (Night Fae)

Legendary: PvE [Verdant Infusion] or [Celestial Spirits] PvP [Verdant Infusion]

Stat Priority: PvE (Haste > Versatility > Crit > Mastery) PvP (Versatility > Haste > Mastery > Crit)

https://murlok.io/druid/restoration/mm+

So there you have it ladies and gents! We hope that we were of some help in guiding you towards making that top healer spot your own. Whether you damage your way while doing it, or if you just want to heal traditionally, you’re going to be making a lot of people very happy and proud. Go out there and show them how it’s done, Mortal.

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