I don't know if I mentioned it, but I moved back to Skywall at the beginning of Wrath. I really did not like playing on a PvP server.
So I'm guildless, and have been trying to PuG as Retribution. I've done a couple of heroics, but it's quite hard to get groups as DPS. There's a significant healer shortage. It's driving me closer and closer to Holy. I don't really want to, but going Holy just makes so much sense.
I'm at the point where I really need to decide on what to do. Logging in and sitting in LFG for hours while doing dailies is very boring.
I went holy as soon as I hit 80 due to a healer shortage in the guild. Accompanying the healer shortage has been a tank shortage, so most of the time I'll just pug a group. It's crazy how quickly I can get into a heroic if I want to. I'm always thrilled to find a group with a druid tank or no melee DPS, as that means I can roll on offspec gear since my holy set is already pretty strong. IMO, go holy for a week or two and stock up on badges.
ReplyDeleteI've been holy since Molten Core days. Leveled all through BC and made it into Hyjal/BT before the end. Leveled holy to 80 in Wrath and am loving the new toys we have to play with.
ReplyDeleteThere are some tricky fights, but we are still the kings of single target healing. Naxxramas is a hoot and you'll be very pleased with how valuable to your groups you can be.
Final tips? Get Kings and the crit talent in ret. See Rocklaw on Malfurion for my spec. rocklawthepally.wordpress.com
I play a death knight and usually tank. Occasionally I DPS. Either way I usually have no problems finding a group. Nor do I have problems taking ret paladins. I've taken many on my hero runs, and most are good.
ReplyDeleteMakes more sense now that they have a CC, although on my runs we don't CC very often it helps once in awhile when we get a pat.
But I'm in a 15/15 guild, so that may have something to do with it.
Healers are near impossible to find if you are trying to pug it. Seems everyone went DPS to level and never looked back.
ReplyDeleteConsider respeccing holy for a weekend or two.
ReplyDeleteYou might even get to meet raiding guilds who are short on healer =P.
On 25mans only 1 Ret pally is really needed unless both do crazy amount of dmg and gets close enough to the hunters/mages.
I understand what you say about no liking to play on a PvP server. I just want to do my quests in peace, I don't really have the competitive/bloodthirsty personality that makes me relish getting in a fight with someone else.
ReplyDeleteI had the same problem (DPS vs healing) on my shaman. He leveled as DPS, and he "feels like" DPS to me, but it was just so hard to get groups as DPS. I eventually specced him healing, and enjoy healing now and then, but I find that I play him less now that he's a healer. It feels like he's only good for dungeons, feels like he's not good for questing.
I don't know if it's my guild tag, my reputation, people who recognize the awesomeness of Replenishment, or just people who take anyone, but I have had no issues getting into groups as retribution. LFG or trade chat have worked...
ReplyDeleteRohan, sounds like you need to join a guild ASAP if I'm reading the atmosphere on Skywall correctly.
Malfurion tends to be a little bit looser as far as pug'ing goes, I guess...
I thought you were still in the Sammies (I didn't realize you'd moved to PvP for a while ^^). Hopefully you'll find a new guild soon.
ReplyDeleteMy guild often ends up asking for dps for some reason. We had two "tanks" dps-ing in 5-mans last night because we had too many.
go holy, but make the stipulation you're only healing heroics if you get to roll on ret gear...they'll get over it and let you come. It's either that or they don't run it all. The ball is in your court : ) Of course...this could backfire and you could end up having to agree to let the ret pally in the group roll on holy stuff, which you know would just go to waste cause they guy's only doing it to spite you.
ReplyDeleteI completly HATE PvP realms.
ReplyDeleteTheres better things I can be doing than fighting a 12 yr old all the time.
I have seriously contemplated leaving the PvP realm I'm on for PvE, I just like my guildies too much, but leveling there is total pain.
ReplyDeleteI would go Holy if you PuG, you can go bout half way down the Ret tree for soloing and still heal pretty well. With all these DK's running around heals seem to be at a premium.
Why dont you just rejoin ExCommunicated, Those Who Must Be Kept or even...*gasp* Rebirth?
ReplyDeleteI am on Skywall too. I am spec'ed as prot and it is IMPOSSIBLE to find a PuG (unless I give in and walk some lowbies through nexus... fun)
ReplyDeleteTo make things worse, my guild has an overabundance of tanks as well.
There is a massive healer shortage on this server (and my guild). This makes Holy tempting, yet I really don't see how I will ever get to be a better tank (gear aside) by throwing FoL on DKs all day.
Bummer.
I have been a healer throughout TBC, and respecced to Retribution for leveling. I am very close to dinging 80 now, and will respecc beack to Holy then, but during leveling, I always offered to heal nonetheless in both guild runs and PUGs and always had my Black Temple healing gear on me for that. The hardest I had to heal was Oculus at level 77 against a level 78 tank, but it was fun and we did it (it just took two hours because no one of us had been in the instance before ^^).
ReplyDeleteSo, Retri is still viable for healing none-endgame. What I also discovered is that the easisest way to do lots of instances was to simply ask "up for more?" after a successful run, and most of the time people wanted to continue. Since it often were guildies I didn't put them on the friends list, but I would have if I was guildless at the time.
Additionally I have to add that I am looking forward to dual speccing for this very reason, be Retri for fun and solo play, and Holy for raiding and guild needs.
Just try and get onto peoples friends list as Retri, but offr to heal, don't disenchant healing gear you get. It can still be fun, especially in bigger raids. And since I saw you are actively looking for a guild on the new server, you might be lucky after all without all this!
Actually this is hilarious to me! On Zangarmarsh believe it or not... we have a DPS and Healer shortage! I have a 73 Pally that I want to Ret-Tank and now Im questioning that. When I log on all I see is "Looking for 2 DPS pst me" or "Are there no Healers on?" reply "All the good ones are already progressing". Its crazy. Tanking request are all but null and void as they are the ones trying to put togather these groups.
ReplyDelete