I want to try leveling as a priest, but all of my friends I talk to and articles I read say that leveling a priest is clunky and is hard to do solo. I don't have anyone to play with since all my friends are 80 and so soloing will be the main way I level, with hopefully some instances and PvP in between.
So I need to ask, how is soloing a priest, I was thinking Blood Elf. The Ghostlands were hard enough as a warrior so are they difficult as a priest? And as for PvP, is low level WSG next to impossible? Is Shadowform worth it at all? I want to try raids later but I have no idea how to be a healer. I know I am rambling right now, but I really want to hit 80 and feel like my time playing is worth a bit.
Any hints, tips, or thoughts are welcome. I have tried melee classes and something just doesn't click for me, and my other thought was a mage but that is for another day, thank you for listening.
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Help leveling as a priest pleaseFollow
I'll say two things;
A) You've been misled. It's not 'horrible' to level a priest. It's probably in fact 'easier' than a lot of classes due to the fact that you've got high survivability. It's very hard to actually die while soloing - that generally only happens when you overpull at the lower levels. It's probably a bit slower than a pure DPS class, that much wouldn't surprise me. That said, you can do really well in low level BGs by being a healer (which are rare in the lower brackets) and pre-80 you don't really need any addons whatsoever to heal well - which means you'll have an easy time getting into it.
B) You say you leveled a warrior. I have to point out that you probably won't want to compare your experiences on him to your priest. The thing is that warriors are SO incredibly gear dependant that out of the three I've leveled 1-20, I did average with one, completely owned with another, and sucked horribly (losing battles with one mob of similar level) with the third. If you've got decent gear, especially at the lower levels, warriors are serious powerhouses. Without decent gear, they're probably the weakest class in the game to level.
As for hints and tips, I suggest you try the sticky for specific information, and take a read through this thread. Good luck =)
A) You've been misled. It's not 'horrible' to level a priest. It's probably in fact 'easier' than a lot of classes due to the fact that you've got high survivability. It's very hard to actually die while soloing - that generally only happens when you overpull at the lower levels. It's probably a bit slower than a pure DPS class, that much wouldn't surprise me. That said, you can do really well in low level BGs by being a healer (which are rare in the lower brackets) and pre-80 you don't really need any addons whatsoever to heal well - which means you'll have an easy time getting into it.
B) You say you leveled a warrior. I have to point out that you probably won't want to compare your experiences on him to your priest. The thing is that warriors are SO incredibly gear dependant that out of the three I've leveled 1-20, I did average with one, completely owned with another, and sucked horribly (losing battles with one mob of similar level) with the third. If you've got decent gear, especially at the lower levels, warriors are serious powerhouses. Without decent gear, they're probably the weakest class in the game to level.
As for hints and tips, I suggest you try the sticky for specific information, and take a read through this thread. Good luck =)
Priests are not hard to level. They can be very efficient soloists thanks to Spirit Tap, because you will have no down time. They're also very versatile in terms of what you can do on the way up when you get sick of soloing. A priest is nearly always welcome in a battleground or dungeon, especially if you're willing to give healing a whirl.
I suggest browsing the sticky here first.
You have two options. The first is to level Shadow, which is the traditional way. It's very efficient, and yes you can have fun in battlegrounds, although how you measure up to other classes varies by bracket on your way up.
The second is to level with a Smite spec (up to Searing Light in the Holy tree, then Disc or Holy). Sometimes along the way this is even more efficient than Shadow, but taken as a whole soloing 1-80 it is almost certainly less so, depending on playstyle. The advantage of this, however, is that you can heal in the same spec and gear you're leveling in. This makes it easier if you want to do battlegrounds as you go. As a DPSer you don't really want to go in at the lower end of your bracket, but as a healer you're always useful and welcome and adored. Similarly, if you want to do dungeons to break up the leveling, it'll be easier to find a spot as a healer.
If you can't decide, I'd recommend trying both at some point.
Either way, put your first three points in Spirit Tap.
As for Eversong Woods and the Ghostlands, getting started with a new class can always be a bit rough. Unless it's a paladin, obviously. For your priest, Shield yourself (I believe you get Shield around level 8). Keep Renew ticking. Use your wand (make sure you have one) to end fights so you've got mana for the next fight. At low levels, do green quests as much as possible.
Edited, May 27th 2010 11:03pm by teacake
I suggest browsing the sticky here first.
You have two options. The first is to level Shadow, which is the traditional way. It's very efficient, and yes you can have fun in battlegrounds, although how you measure up to other classes varies by bracket on your way up.
The second is to level with a Smite spec (up to Searing Light in the Holy tree, then Disc or Holy). Sometimes along the way this is even more efficient than Shadow, but taken as a whole soloing 1-80 it is almost certainly less so, depending on playstyle. The advantage of this, however, is that you can heal in the same spec and gear you're leveling in. This makes it easier if you want to do battlegrounds as you go. As a DPSer you don't really want to go in at the lower end of your bracket, but as a healer you're always useful and welcome and adored. Similarly, if you want to do dungeons to break up the leveling, it'll be easier to find a spot as a healer.
If you can't decide, I'd recommend trying both at some point.
Either way, put your first three points in Spirit Tap.
As for Eversong Woods and the Ghostlands, getting started with a new class can always be a bit rough. Unless it's a paladin, obviously. For your priest, Shield yourself (I believe you get Shield around level 8). Keep Renew ticking. Use your wand (make sure you have one) to end fights so you've got mana for the next fight. At low levels, do green quests as much as possible.
Edited, May 27th 2010 11:03pm by teacake
Priests are seriously awesome. Leveling now days is different than when I first started. Blizzard has made the leveling experience faster and easier for everyone. Plus I leveled as pure holy. It really was choosing the hard road back then. It's different now.
Now, along with more xp for killing mobs and doing quests, you have the LFG system. This is unbelievable for leveling. Go ahead and do quests, but if you have the time, que up for a random dungeon. As a healer, you are going to be welcome into a group very quickly. Doing a random dungeon daily or more often while leveling will give you a massive XP boost. Also, you will get to practice healing as you gain more abilities, and get special bags of level appropriate loot. It's a win. It's so good in fact that I took my mage from 79 to 80 just in randoms. Questing was too slow by comparison.
Also, get some heirlooms if you have access to them, for the xp bonus.
Edited, May 28th 2010 7:23am by dadanox
Now, along with more xp for killing mobs and doing quests, you have the LFG system. This is unbelievable for leveling. Go ahead and do quests, but if you have the time, que up for a random dungeon. As a healer, you are going to be welcome into a group very quickly. Doing a random dungeon daily or more often while leveling will give you a massive XP boost. Also, you will get to practice healing as you gain more abilities, and get special bags of level appropriate loot. It's a win. It's so good in fact that I took my mage from 79 to 80 just in randoms. Questing was too slow by comparison.
Also, get some heirlooms if you have access to them, for the xp bonus.
Edited, May 28th 2010 7:23am by dadanox
Scholar
27 posts
Thank you for the advice, as for professions, I want to take mining, but as for my second, I was thinking tailoring or JC. The only thing I worry about with JC is wasting metal that could be sold on AH. I don't really need a lot of gold so its a minor setback, But is tailoring better in the long run? I'll be doing a lot of dungeons and such so I figure I can get gear from there. Any thoughts? Thanks again.
PhantasmaSoul wrote:
Thank you for the advice, as for professions, I want to take mining, but as for my second, I was thinking tailoring or JC. The only thing I worry about with JC is wasting metal that could be sold on AH. I don't really need a lot of gold so its a minor setback, But is tailoring better in the long run? I'll be doing a lot of dungeons and such so I figure I can get gear from there. Any thoughts? Thanks again.
A lot of people take a second gathering profession for the cash while leveling. You can always change to your endgame professions once you are 80. You really aren't going to make any gear that stays with you for long as you level, so that's what I would do.
If I was going to do any profession while leveling other than a gathering one, I would be doing it because I wanted to have fun with it. I wouldn't be doing it hoping I wouldn't change my mind about what buffs are needed from professions at endgame. There are changes coming to professions with Cataclysm, and that may have some bearing on future choices.
So, either gather for money, or choose something for fun. Just realize that the fun option will take away from available cash. I do Tailoring and Engineering, and have my gathering professions on alts. For me at 80, it's perfect. Someone else would chose something else. Then again, I always was in it for the fun.
I'll add that at the moment, JCing seems a pretty decent profession all-round. I levelled pretty much without using prospecting, though I had a little help from my friends in terms of lower-level mats. The thing is that at 80, not much goes into it as you'll just use it to make your own (and friends') epic gems. Which is good, because if the input is small it will not squander all your resources before Cataclysm hits.
Edited, May 30th 2010 12:21pm by Mozared
Edited, May 30th 2010 12:21pm by Mozared
I take the opposite approach of Dadanox. If I know a character is going to be a jewelcrafter or alchemist or leather worker or whatever, I don't wait until 80 to level it. I give them the corresponding gathering profession and level it as I go so I can minimize the amount of mats I have to buy or gather later. I hate running around Tirisfal Glades picking peacebloom. I'd rather do it when I'm actually level 7.
One of my priests is tailoring/enchanting and the other is alchemy/jewelcrafting. I don't think either tailoring or JC is superior for a priest. The profession bonuses have been more-or-less equalized. Crafted armor is great while leveling and when you first hit the level cap, so I would always want access to a tailor for my priest, but that doesn't mean she has to be it. An alt will do just as well.
One of my priests is tailoring/enchanting and the other is alchemy/jewelcrafting. I don't think either tailoring or JC is superior for a priest. The profession bonuses have been more-or-less equalized. Crafted armor is great while leveling and when you first hit the level cap, so I would always want access to a tailor for my priest, but that doesn't mean she has to be it. An alt will do just as well.
Been leveling my priest for a bit, and thanks to the tips I got on these forums, I've actually enjoyed it quite a bit. It is a little slower than, for instance, my mage, but you really can take a beating, which is rather cool.
Following Teacake's suggestion, I went Smythe specc until level 40, and then went Shadow Specc from then on. Now at level 63, so still a ways to go, I think it was the right way for me to level.
Leveling times are hard to compare, as with every alt I level you not only get better at it, but also heirloom gear if you have access to it makes things that extra bit easier. My /played at level 63 is little over three days, which is respectable if you take into account the fact that I favour Teacake's idea of leveling professions as I level. Pontifex is leveling herbalism, inscription and cooking. Inscription and cooking combined provide scrolls and food buffs, which I feel do help a bit in your leveling. Plus, inscription makes a lot of gold even at low levels.
Good luck fellow priest leveler!
Following Teacake's suggestion, I went Smythe specc until level 40, and then went Shadow Specc from then on. Now at level 63, so still a ways to go, I think it was the right way for me to level.
Leveling times are hard to compare, as with every alt I level you not only get better at it, but also heirloom gear if you have access to it makes things that extra bit easier. My /played at level 63 is little over three days, which is respectable if you take into account the fact that I favour Teacake's idea of leveling professions as I level. Pontifex is leveling herbalism, inscription and cooking. Inscription and cooking combined provide scrolls and food buffs, which I feel do help a bit in your leveling. Plus, inscription makes a lot of gold even at low levels.
Good luck fellow priest leveler!
Scholar
27 posts
I had a couple off questions about leveling. First, what is a good way to level, I seem to keep getting stuck when I stop to level my profession and its a bit difficult to get back into the leveling groove. Second, while I was stopped leveling my profession I made about 130 gold selling copper so I assume that I won't need much more gold to level or buy things for a while, so does that mean that the mats I do get should be used for my profession? Thank you.
I'd highly recommend downloading Jame's leveling add on for questing flow. Some people don't like being told what to do while leveling, but if you're having issues with focus it might help. I'd also recommend downloading Carbonite from WoWinterface to go along with it.
130 gold is probably a decent amount of money prior to Outlands I'd say, unless you're buying a lot of gear. After that, levels get more expensive for training and the flying mounts are a little spendy too, at least in comparison to the land mounts.
130 gold is probably a decent amount of money prior to Outlands I'd say, unless you're buying a lot of gear. After that, levels get more expensive for training and the flying mounts are a little spendy too, at least in comparison to the land mounts.
PhantasmaSoul wrote:
I had a couple off questions about leveling. First, what is a good way to level, I seem to keep getting stuck when I stop to level my profession and its a bit difficult to get back into the leveling groove. Second, while I was stopped leveling my profession I made about 130 gold selling copper so I assume that I won't need much more gold to level or buy things for a while, so does that mean that the mats I do get should be used for my profession? Thank you.
Hold on, is this the first character you're leveling to 80? If so, I want to change my answer and suggest you take mining and skinning and sell everything you gather. Leveling the profession as you go can be convenient but it costs a lot of money, both in training/mats and opportunity cost of not selling your ore, skins, or cloth. Your first character needs a big old stockpile of money for mounts, gems, enchants, alts, and all the other stuff you'll want to do later.
You won't need to spend much leveling. At lower levels it can be helpful to buy some gear at the auction house, but through your 60's and 70's you can gear through quest rewards alone, even better if you're doing dungeons on the way.
I agree that Jame's is a great guide and can help you focus on where you want to go to level. But if it's your first time through, don't rush, enjoy the ride.
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