World of Warcraft: Forever · class guide
Holy Priest: PvP
How Holy Priest fights other players in the open world: where it ranks on the PvP tier lists, and why.
Forecast. Rated from the client data and our research, before anyone has played it at this level on this build. Where the data stops, the write-up says what it assumed. Rated as of , build 1.60.1.70450.
Battlegrounds are not rated yet; builds, matchups and battleground roles are being written for this spec. Honor, ranks, gear and the battlegrounds themselves are on PvP in World of Warcraft: Forever.
Verdict
- At 60
- Ranked 26 of 28 on Open-World PvP
Strong heals,
Spirit of Redemption and the best Priest sustain, but almost no damage and only one Scream to control with. - While leveling
- Ranked 24 of 28 on Open-World PvP Leveling
Strong heals from the start and the best sustain, but no burst, Scream as the only control and a wand to open with.
- Battlegrounds
- Not rated yet.
Profile
The rubric the lists score on, 1 to 5 on each line, with the weight each line carries. The class’s other specs are shown at 60 for comparison.
| Criterion | Weight | At 60 | While leveling | Discipline | Shadow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burst and kill pressure | 25 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Survival and escapes | 20 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| Control | 15 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Fighting outnumbered | 15 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Choosing the fight | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Sustain between fights | 10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Group fights | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Weighted score | 2.55 | 2.40 | 3.00 | 3.70 |
Strengths and weaknesses
At 60
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
 Spell Warding and  Twilight Focus | Almost no burst |
| Spirit of Redemption |  Psychic Scream is the only control |
Greater Heal,  Prayer of Mending and  Lightwell | No stealth or speed |
| Strongest Priest sustain | No immunity |
 Holy Nova heals and damages | Wand needs 0.5 s standing still |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP
Holy kills slowly with 
Smite, 
Holy Fire and Holy Nova, which is instant, hits an area and also heals. 
Inner Focus into a Smite chain is its only burst. Psychic Scream is its only control, and it has no slow, stun or interrupt of its own.
Spell Warding takes 10% off spell damage, Twilight Focus avoids 70% of pushback, and Spirit of Redemption lets it keep casting for 15 s after dying. Greater Heal, Prayer of Mending, Lightwell and 
Blessed Recovery let it outlast two attackers, but it has no kill threat. It has no stealth or speed and opens with the wand. 
Spiritual Guidance and Lightwell give it the strongest sustain, and group heals and 
Dispel Magic help a group.
It is not C because it cannot kill a player and has only Psychic Scream for control, so it cannot start a fight on its own terms. 2.55 is 0.20 short of C.
While leveling
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
 Lesser Heal from 1,  Renew at 8,  Heal at 16 | No burst tools |
| Spell Warding and Twilight Focus | Psychic Scream is the only control |
| Blessed Recovery and Spiritual Guidance | Wand opener |
| Dispel Magic at 18 | Weak against two |
| Holy Nova at 20 | Slow kills |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP Leveling
Holy has no burst tools: Smite and Holy Fire, with Holy Nova at 20. Psychic Scream at 14 is its only control.
Renew at 8, Heal at 16, 
Flash Heal at 20, Spell Warding at about 18 to 22 and Twilight Focus at about 25 to 29 keep it alive, and Blessed Recovery, then Spiritual Guidance, give it the best sustain. Holy Nova hurts but is weak against two attackers. It opens with the wand. Dispel Magic at 18 and group heals are its group tools, while Greater Heal and Lightwell wait until 40.
It is not C because it has no burst, one control tool and no engage, and it cannot end a fight against even one attacker. 2.40 is 0.35 short of C.
Leveling timeline
The level each of Holy’s PvP tools arrives. A talent shows at the earliest level a point can reach it; the Talented Legacy perk brings talents 5 levels sooner.
- Level 6
Power Word: Shield - Level 10
Desperate Prayer - Level 14 Psychic Scream
- Level 18 Dispel Magic
- Level 20
Fear Ward - Level 24
Mana Burn - Level 30
Mind Control - Level 40 Prayer of Mending (talent)
Races
The Priest’s races as Races PvP ranks them, best first.
Alliance
Human: 
Will to Survive is the only full stun break in the game, and 
Ruthless and 
Perception add steady crit and stealth detection.
Dwarf: 
Stoneform is the strongest defensive racial of any race, and the widest class choice helps, but burst and mobility are the weakest.
Night Elf: 
Shadowmeld, extra stealth and speed give the joint best mobility of any race, and 
Elune's Light is a crit burst, but it breaks nothing.
Gnome: 
Escape Artist breaks roots and slows and its burst racial adds +10% damage, but Gnome lacks defense, mobility and class choice.
Horde
Undead: 
Will of the Forsaken breaks fear and charm and 
Touch of the Grave drains in combat, but it has the weakest burst and no mobility.
Troll: 
Berserking is a burst for seven classes, but Troll has no control break or mobility and 
Rapid Regeneration works out of combat.
What we don’t know yet
At 60
Rated on assumptions:
- The level-60 build, including Greater Heal and Lightwell at 40, is projected from client data. Nothing past the beta cap of 30 has been played.
- How Spirit of Redemption behaves in PvP is untested.
- Diminishing returns on Forever stuns, incapacitates and fears are not documented.
What would move it: Holy Nova or Smite scaling measured high enough to threaten a player, or play at 60 showing Spirit of Redemption deciding fights.
While leveling
Rated on assumptions:
- Spell Warding at about 18 to 22, Twilight Focus at about 25 to 29, and Greater Heal and Lightwell at 40 are projected from the own tree. Levels 31 to 60 are projected; nobody has played past the beta cap of 30.
What would move it: Play past 30 showing Greater Heal and Lightwell at 40 changing its fights, or a damage talent that gives it a kill.