Hello, everyone, and welcome, It’s Librarian Husky! Today we have some exciting news—there have been Clash changes announced for the Mythic week. Now bear with me, as I’m a bit sick, but let’s go ahead and dive into these updates.

Healer Performance in Raid

Let’s talk about the healer performance in raids and why Blizzard chose to nerf and buff certain specs. As you can see, this is the list of changes set for September 17th, the release date for Mythic raids and Mythic BL.

Buffs and Nerfs to Healers

Certain healers are receiving buffs, while others are getting nerfs. But before we dive into the list of changes, let’s explore the reasoning behind them. Blizzard is looking at the data they gathered from heroic and normal raiding weeks to make these decisions.

Analyzing Raid Data

What you’re seeing now is real play data from Nara Palace, looking at both heroic raids at the 75th and 90th percentiles. For those playing their healer at a relatively okay level, HPS numbers may resemble this.

The Importance of HPS

Keep in mind, HPS isn’t the sole defining factor of what makes a healer great, as things like damage reduction are not included here. Additionally, heroic raids often involve 30-man groups, which is quite different from the 20-man groups in Mythic raids.

Large Group Performance

Some healers perform significantly better in larger groups, so it’s essential to consider the differences between heroic and Mythic raiding scenarios when evaluating healer performance.

Performance of Healers in Smaller Groups

In smaller groups, healers like the Holy Priest may perform differently. Another factor to consider is that many healers or classes might not yet have their full tier set, and these sets are not created equally. Certain tier sets are better suited for specific specs, shifting the balance between them.

HPS Tier Lists and Bugs

The current HPS tier list for healers should be taken with a pinch of salt. Some class-defining bugs, particularly affecting specs like the Holy Priest, still exist. For example, Holy Priests seem to be performing well, thanks to powerful cooldowns like Salvation, Divine Hymn, and Arcane Halo.

Impact of Class Bugs

A specific bug with Arcane Halo, which is supposed to reduce healing beyond six targets, is not functioning correctly. This bug is allowing the Holy Priest’s Halo to perform far better than intended, skewing healing results. If Blizzard fixes this, we could see Holy Priest fall in performance.

Differences Between Heroic and Mythic Raiding

Another factor to keep in mind is the raid size. Heroic raids often involve 30-man groups, while Mythic raids are limited to 20-man groups. This difference in raid size will impact healer performance, and the bug fixes may significantly alter the rankings of certain healers in Mythic raids.

Potential Risks of Changes

Things could go downhill quickly if Blizzard doesn’t handle certain bug fixes carefully. If they adjust bugs for specific healers, they should also compensate for their healing abilities, as some bugs are game-changing. Blizzard is clearly using data to determine buffs and nerfs, as seen in the changes to Holy Paladins, Resto Druids, and others.

Blizzard’s Use of Data

It’s evident Blizzard is using charts and data to guide their decisions on healer buffs and nerfs. For instance, the bottom healers are getting buffs, while top healers are getting nerfs. However, this data can be misleading depending on the content you’re playing, which could impact the outcome of these changes.

Class Changes Overview

Let’s discuss the class changes, starting with Restoration Druid. They are receiving an 8% healing increase across the board, the largest healing buff in this patch. Players who experienced Resto Druid in beta could predict this, given the constant roller coaster of buffs and nerfs the spec has faced.

Balancing Issues with Resto Druid

Blizzard has struggled to balance Resto Druids since losing their Dragonflight tier set. While the 8% healing buff is significant, it may still not be enough to bring Resto Druids in line with other healers in high-end raiding content, as they currently lag far behind in performance.

Restoration Druid’s Utility in Mythic Raids

Restoration Druids are primarily HPS healers in a Mythic 20-man raid. They offer utility like Mark of the Wild and Stampeding Roar, though other specs and classes can provide similar abilities. While they have a battle rez, it’s not enough to set them apart from other classes. Right now, their HPS isn’t impressive, and the 8% healing increase might not be enough to make them essential in a Mythic raiding group.

Impact of Healing Buff on Mythic Players

If you’re a player pushing Mythic content as a Restoration Druid, you’ll likely appreciate the 8% healing increase. Additionally, balance druid spells like Wrath, Starfire, and Star Surge have all been buffed by 20%, indicating Blizzard’s intent to make ranged DPS more competitive. These changes are significant but may not be game-changing for Resto Druids in high-end progression.

Restoration Druids in Mythic+ Content

For those focusing on Mythic+ progression, these buffs may be more exciting. The additional healing and damage increases could make a noticeable difference in performance. It’s worth noting that there is a major update expected around the 20th anniversary, likely releasing towards the end of October, which may bring more adjustments.

Upcoming Talent Changes for Restoration Druid

It’s not confirmed yet, so don’t take my word for it, but some talents, like Forest Flow, will consume Clearcasting to cause Regrowth to also cast Nourish on a nearby injured ally at 60% effectiveness, prioritizing those with your heal-over-time effects. This echoes your Dragonflight tier set, and it seems Blizzard is bringing back some of that power since they couldn’t fully balance it before. We’ll have to see how these changes are tuned.

Restoration Druid in Mythic BL

If you’re a Restoration Druid looking at Mythic BL, the upcoming HPS increases and changes in the next patch seem promising. The upcoming sizable patch should introduce positive updates for your spec. Now, let’s look at the changes for other healers, starting with Evoker.

Evoker Changes

Evoker only saw one change—Disintegrate damage increased by 10%. This buff will likely affect all Evoker specs, including Preservation. Preservation didn’t receive any other changes as it’s performing well in its current state, and many players, including myself, have been enjoying it for a while.

Preservation Evoker Talent Builds

In terms of Preservation Evoker talent builds, some top HPS logs are using talents like Chrono Warden and Flame Shaper, both showing strong results. I’m not certain what the optimal talent build will be for Mythic raiding, but both of these setups seem viable right now.

Variations in Preservation Evoker Builds

You can observe various build variations, which is very interesting as Preservation Evoker is currently putting up strong numbers. Now, let’s shift focus to Mistweaver Monks. They’ve received buffs, and I believe most Mistweavers will be pleased with these updates. Healing has been increased by 2%, Tiger Palm damage by 15%, and Rising Sun Kick damage by 15% as well.

Healing and Damage Buffs for Mistweaver Monk

Most healer changes also include damage buffs, which is a positive development. Blizzard seems cautious about increasing damage for healers who heal through damage, concerned about the impact this could have on their overall healing output. For Mistweavers using Ancient Teachings, these changes are a welcome bonus, and many players will likely enjoy this cherry on top.

Fun and Viability of Mistweaver Monk

Personally, I’ve had a lot of fun with Mistweaver Monk in Mythic content. Healing through damage feels engaging and is quite enjoyable. It’s a fun healer to play, and these changes make the spec even more viable. However, there has been some drama surrounding Mistweavers and bugs affecting certain talents.

Issues with Mistweaver Monk Talents

Many Mistweaver Monks have noticed low healing when using Jade Bond. This issue may stem from players having used the Jade Bond conduit from Shadowlands, which has carried over and caused problems with healing output. This bug is just one of many affecting different classes at the moment.

Impact of Shadowlands Conduits on Current Talents

It sounds wild, but the fact that Shadowlands conduits can affect your current talent performance is quite surprising. This discovery may lead other classes to double-check their conduits to see if they interact with current abilities. If you’re running certain talents, make sure to verify your Shadowlands conduits to maximize your healing output.

Nerfs to Holy Paladin

Now, let’s discuss the only healer receiving nerfs—Holy Paladin. All healing has been reduced by 6%. As I showed in the heroic HPS chart, Holy Paladin is performing well, and Blizzard seems to be paying attention to that. Along with this, there are buffs to damage abilities like Judgment (increased by 60%), Crusader Strike (increased by 60%), and Hammer of Wrath (increased by 20%).

Adjustments to Avenging Crusader

You may notice that Avenging Crusader’s healing transfer amount has been reduced to 260% from 420%, alongside the healing nerf. However, I wouldn’t worry too much, as Blizzard is clearly focusing on buffing Holy Paladin’s damage. They’re boosting Judgment, Crusader Strike, and other abilities that interact with Avenging Crusader, likely to offset the healing nerfs. We’ll have to wait and see how these changes affect the overall performance.

Intention Behind Holy Paladin Changes

The intention behind the changes to Holy Paladin seems clear, and I wouldn’t be overly concerned about the Avenging Crusader adjustments. We’ll be able to confirm the effects 100% after the reset. Additionally, Holy Prism’s single-target damage has been increased by 100%, and its area-of-effect damage by 50%. These damage increases should be a welcome change, particularly in Mythic+ content where many Holy Paladins felt their damage was lacking compared to the effort required.

Holy Paladin’s Performance and Future Viability

It’s clear that Holy Paladin is being nerfed because of its strong performance in heroic week, but certain talents like Light of the Martyr also have tricky interactions with HPS. Despite this, the sky isn’t falling for Holy Paladins. I still believe they’ll be a desirable healer, particularly in Mythic raiding. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these nerfs, and whether they worry you about Holy Paladin’s future.

Concerns About Healer Nerfs

When I saw the Holy Paladin nerfs, I became concerned that Blizzard might take the approach of nerfing all the well-performing healers instead of buffing the ones that need it. However, now let’s talk about Restoration Shaman changes, the last class on our list.

Damage Buffs for Restoration Shaman

There are no healing nerfs or buffs for Restoration Shaman, but they have received damage buffs. Lava Burst, Lightning Bolt, and Chain Lightning damage have all been increased by 12%. I haven’t double-checked this recently, but Blizzard has changed how Lava Surge procs work when spreading Flame Shocks for a while now. Whether this is intended or a bug remains unclear, but these damage buffs are welcome nonetheless.

Changes and Their Impact

As someone who mains Restoration Shaman, I’m enjoying these buffs. However, I encourage players to take HPS tier lists with a pinch of salt. Blizzard tends to nerf the top HPS healers and buff the bottom ones, but these numbers often reflect heroic content in large 30-man groups. Mythic raiding, with its smaller groups and missing tier sets, could result in significant performance fluctuations.

Looking Forward to Mythic Raiding

With Mythic raiding on the horizon, it’s important to remember that changes in performance are likely once smaller raid sizes come into play and players have their tier sets. Holy Paladin received nerfs, Restoration Druid got buffs, but we’ll see how these changes play out in Mythic content. As a Restoration Druid and Shaman player, I’m excited about the upcoming 20th-anniversary patch and the HPS increases that are on the way.

Testing New Talents for Restoration Druid

I’m eager to test some of these talents, or rather, those brought over from Dragonflight, and see how Restoration Druid performs in raid content. Several healers, like Holy Priest and Preservation Evoker, didn’t receive many changes. Preservation Evoker had minor tweaks, while Restoration Shaman got damage buffs, which are always welcome. Any improvement is appreciated, especially considering the current state of the game.

Concerns About Holy Priest Performance

I’m concerned about Holy Priest’s performance, particularly due to some major bugs affecting them right now. Holy Priests generally perform better in 30-man raids than in 20-man groups, so it will be interesting to see how Blizzard handles the current Halo interaction and any potential hotfixes. The outcome of these fixes could greatly affect Holy Priest in Mythic raiding.

Discipline Priest Performance

I’m pleasantly surprised by how well Discipline Priest is performing. Historically, Discipline Priests tend to struggle when new raids or expansions are released, as many players are unfamiliar with ramp timing and button usage. Despite these challenges, Discipline Priest is currently doing well, which is a positive sign for the spec’s viability in larger raid groups.

Discipline Priest Performance in Mythic Raids

I’m really looking forward to seeing how Discipline Priest performs in Mythic 20-man raid groups. If they’re doing well right now, I believe Discipline Priest could be a top contender. However, it depends on the player, as it’s a relatively difficult healing class to master. You need to optimize your ramps effectively, but Discipline Priest is in a good position overall.

Predictions for Healers in Mythic Raiding

We’ve already discussed Mistweaver Monk getting buffs, and now let’s talk about predictions. It’s a bit of a meme because Blizzard decided to rework half the classes for the 20th-anniversary patch. Restoration Shaman and Preservation Evoker have been strong since beta and remain relatively untouched, meaning they’ll likely still be in a good position for Mythic raiding.

Healers with Utility in Mythic Raids

In Mythic raiding, I think there will be a wide variety of healing classes. Healers that provide more than just HPS—like those offering damage reduction or other utility—will thrive. If a healer can provide solid healing while contributing something extra, it’s a win-win situation for the raid team.

Upcoming Anniversary Patch and Its Impact

I’m curious to know how you feel about the upcoming 20th-anniversary patch, which is expected to impact the meta significantly. It’s going to be interesting to see how these changes shape the healing meta. Let me know your thoughts on the changes and predictions for the patch!

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