World of Warcraft Class Roles: Healing

WoW Healer Classes: Healing, Minimizing Aggro and Conserving Mana

Apr 23, 2009

Standing out of harm's way while the tanks and DPS classes do the dirty work, the healers in WoW do their part by keeping their allies alive during the heat of battle.

In the World of Warcraft, the healer’s main responsibility is keeping the tanks alive, allowing the rest of the party to fulfill their role.

Aside from making sure the party survives combat, healers must constantly watch their mana pool and ensure that they are able to cast the right spell at the right time. All of the healing classes in WoW have their own play styles, skills and abilities. Most of the healing classes have beneficial spells to aid their party as well, even the ability to raise the dead.

WoW Priest – The Ultimate Healing Class

The Priest in World of Warcraft is the strongest healing class, and Priests are always in demand throughout their WoW career. Using spells such as Renew, Flash Heal and Holy Nova, the priest is quite capable of keeping their party alive and fighting.

Should one of the party members fall during the course of combat, the Priest may raise them after combat using Resurrection. While by no means the only capable healers in WoW, Priests are easily the strongest.

World of Warcraft Druid – Healing With the Power of Nature

While technically a hybrid class, the Druid in WoW is nearly as capable as the Priest when it comes to healing. Using direct heals such as Healing Touch, healing over time (HoT) spells like Rejuvenation, and their own hybrid healing spell Regrowth, Druids are more than capable of keeping their parties alive.

Especially so should they choose to spec in the Restoration tree. Druids also boast the only resurrection spell which can be cast in combat, Rebirth, gained at level 20.

WoW Hybrid Healers: The Shaman and the Paladin

While not as single-minded as the Priest or as efficient as the Druid with their healing powers, the healing powers of the Shaman and the Paladin are quite useful to any group. Often filling the role of back up or emergency healers, these hybrid classes are always welcome in World of Warcraft for their healing and buffing skills.

Shamans in WoW have several useful healing abilities including Healing Stream Totem, Healing Wave, and Cure Poison. Their totems also offer various other beneficial effects to their party such as increased armor (Stoneskin Totem), increased strength (Strength of Earth Totem), and mana regeneration (Mana Spring Totem). Shamans also have the ability to raise the dead with Ancestral Spirit, gained at level 12.

Paladins in World of Warcraft also have the ability to heal and protect their allies using spells such as Holy Light, Lay on Hands, and Purify. In addition to their healing spells, Paladins can aid their group with auras and blessings.

The Paladin’s auras and blessings offer a variety of benefits such as increased armor (Devotion Aura), increased attack power (Blessing of Might), and mana regeneration (Blessing of Wisdom). Paladins, like all of the healing classes in WoW have the ability to resurrect using Redemption gained at level 12.

The copyright of the article World of Warcraft Class Roles: Healing in Online Games is owned by Kevin Hickson. Permission to republish World of Warcraft Class Roles: Healing in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Jul 10, 2009 11:27 PM

Guest :

After replying to your article on tanking I came here. I feel this one is also misleading. You simply cannot put one class above others in healing, tanking, or DPS. Speaking as a long time WOW player, it just isn't true. One's ability to tank, heal, or DPS comes from their own personal skill at the game. A paladin can absolutely out heal a similarly geared priest. Paladin, Shaman, Priest, and Druid ALL heal to the same potential. Also, a healers job is to keep EVERYONE alive, not just tanks. Some enemies do "area of effect" damage where players other than the tank gets hit regardless of who has threat. Sorry for ripping on your posts. I think if you talk with experienced players, they will disagree with this post and your tanking post.

Aug 31, 2009 5:17 PM

Guest :

Every class has their ups and downs. Priests are no exception to this rule. They can't stealth or spam HoTs and run off like druids, they don't have as much armour as paladins nor do they have bubble, and they don't have ennervate either. Gah, there are a millions things to say!

They're clothies. If they're undergeared, they die (faster than the others =.=") and wouldn't get a chance to heal at all.

They have no counter against rogues (except for talismans, which I doubt any PvE-only priests have at the time.
This is from a priest from a PvP server with much ganking.