Posted by iTZKooPA on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 - 19 Comments
Tags: healer comparision, healing, healing mace, hunter item, item discussion, legendary items, raid healing, tank healing, the Hammer of the Ancient Kings, Ulduar, ulduar loot, Val’anyr
I kid, I kid. If there is one thing in a guild that can cause drama, it is who gets the privilege - that’s what it is after all - of wielding the first copy of a Legendary item. The fact that Val’anyr is another “crafted” orange makes it that much more exclusive, thanks to the random number generator playing a roll in its creation. Now that Bornakk has explicitly laid out the details of the weapon’s proc , the discussion can begin on who “deserves” the healing mace.
Before we dive into the class breakdown, it’s important that we understand exactly how the proc works. Juggynaut laid out the basics yesterday, but one major point was glossed over, the internal cooldown. Everyone knows what a cooldown is, once used the ability/spell/proc takes x seconds to be usable again. For the HotAK, once the proc is triggered it will not be able to proc again for at least 45 seconds. This is important because to maximize the legendary’s benefit during an encounter, you need the item to proc as much as possible. It’s not that simple though, healers also need to max out the shield as much as possible.
The discussion over who can reap the most benefits from the tank-healing item already started in the comments section of Juggy’s post. Every healing class can trigger the effect relatively fast. The benefits of one class over another becomes more clear when we look at who can efficiently cause the proc, and maximize their shield.
- Druid: Sorry to all the other healers out there, but the shapeshifters seem to be the best suited class for the item. A well-played healing druid can almost guarantee that the proc will pop whenever the cooldown is completed, and add a substantial amount to his shield over the 15 second interval. As an added bonus, the druid doesn’t have to change their playstyle to do this.
- Paladin: These plated healers are fantastic single target support. On the flip side this means that their ability to get the proc off is more of a challenge. While they may miss a few procs over the course of an encounter, the class’ gigantic heals will make for a large shield, giving them the edge over holy priests.
- Holy Priest: An arsenal of various group and single target heals allows the holy priest to consistantly score the proc. Once triggered, the priest can then focus on Greater Healers to maximize the shield, or raid heal, depending on the encounter. Their abillity to adapt to either situation enables them to maximize their sheild, while remaining efficient.
- Shaman: Resto Shammies get the worst aspects of the Paladin and Holy Priest. Like the paladin, they will miss a few procs. When the shield does activate it’s unlikely that they will be able to maximize its potential absorption, the knock against holy priests. Seems that handing a shaman the Hammer of the Ancient Kings is not the best choice.
- Discipline Priest: Plan and simple, you guys got the shaft. Since Disc is based on mitigation and not actual healing - also why they fail to be ranked fairly in healing meters - the proc won’t trigger for many of the spec’s spells. A Disc priest would have to play their spec poorly to make sure the proc stayed up as much as possible.
No matter which class in your guild ends up with the item first, there is one thing to be concerned about, a change in their playstyle. Many players will have to modify the way they heal in an effort to maximize the benefits of Val’anyr. During the early learning curves it will be to the detriment of the raid. In an effort to force the proc, or to increase the size of their shield, I expect players to be spamming heals when they aren’t needed, causing mana issues for the tank’s healer. It almost makes Val’anyr a double-edged sword. Sure, it’ll increase your worth and healing, but the raid may pay as you learn the fine balance of maximizing its benefits and keeping a healthy mana pool.
In my eyes Val’anyr is best fit for a druid (sorry Juggy), but there is one other major point to consider. Perhaps a Paladin is the raid leader, GM, or just a player who never misses a raid. If that is the case, then the guild as a whole should see that toon as a more appropriate candidate. Has your guild decided where the first Val’anyr is going? Is it going to the most dedicated healer, the character who will can benefit highly, or both? If it was my decision, I’d award the most consistent and talented druid, paladin or holy priest with Val’anyr.
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By Kalgorn on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Lol. Ooh, first
By Kalgorn on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Now for my actuall opinion on this.
As i said in the last topic on this Godly Mace, im not going to hold my breath for it. My priest could certainly use it. But he’s got 46 levels to gain before he can even wield this. But one thing i’ve noticed about the way Blizz works is they give us something truely beautiful and amazing.
Then with game-play becomes adapted to how truely amazing it is, they nerf it. And nerf it. And nerf it some more. Then it’s just a normal mace with a sick model.
But ya, i agree that this mace seems to fit perfectly with the Druid. I won’t say that Druids should always get this first. There’s alot of situations to think about but in my mind if this dropped, the mace would go to the most dedicated and skilled Healers in the guild.
So, what id do if i was our guild leader, is make a list of the healers who are most deserving of this and then when it finally drops, it’d go to the first person on the list, then the second then the third and so on.
Some may disagree with that. But it’s a healing thing so it’s in the guilds best interest to give this to the best first. I mean, there’s no point letting this item slip into the hands of a Druid or Shaman or some other healing class who has no idea what they’re doing.
Ya Druids would do amazing with this, but as i have more experiance with the priest than druid, i don’t think Priests will have much problem getting the blessing to proc so long as they pay attention.
By Nublet on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
As a tree, I completely agree…. and I swear I’m not biased.
By Baek on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I posted something similar to this in Juggy’s post on the weapon and it’s proc. I have a bit of a differing view on Shaman healers. I think that it will still be very good for shamans as their chain heal (I’m assuming at this point that each jump from the chain heal can proc this as well as earth shield heals) will proc this all the time and then chain heal will shield everyone it hits. While they may not be the best to get a huge shield on the tank it will be very good and mitigating raid damage especially the melee groups. Also if it is a fast hitting boss that eats through the earth shield on top of whatever extra heals the shaman may land on the tank that shield will still stack up pretty quickly.
And in reference to druids, with their HoT’s it will take them a considerable amount of time to build the shield up rather than, say, a Holy Paladin that can get the shield up higher faster with larger heals.
Not saying it’s best to go to one class, but different encounters and different healing styles will come into play and make it useful in a multitude of ways. Really what the difference class wise I think are the other stats on it and how the rest is itemized. Yeah the proc will outweigh any spirit loss for a priest or druid (most likely) but the itemization favors the non-spirit based healers. Nonetheless, still something every healer has their eye on.
By Niimrod on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
In all seriousness - this is a pro hunter wep. That shield would be awsome for keeping my gorilladin up whilst Ni Haoing in Sholazar. Hmm, I wonder how long it would take to convince my guild of the awsomeness of it.
By Joenips on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
When we got our first shard of our first downing of Flame Leviathan we gave it to a Resto Shammy. This was because the shammy is a very good healer and is always at the raid, he is even dkp master now. My friend who is Holy Pally was supposed to be the one to get it once it dropped but he wasnt there when it dropped so he got screwed out of that one
By james on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
By Torage on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
our guilds first shard was from the asebly of iron and went to a paladin. altho i think it is because our loot council did not fully understand the proc because our druid wasent even in the running for it.
By teeters on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
:O i am offended of u’r negative veiw of shammy healers :’(
my riptide HoT is always up and most the time earthliving is as well this with the earth sheild that i always renew b4 it can run out. sure may not be as good as the druids HoTs but it is deffenitaly worth more than most players seem to think so i don’t think we will miss procs.
and like other people have said our chain heals will help migitate damage on the melle stack and spaming heals could still get it pretty high stack.
also shammys due to their totems and water sheild do not need mana regen as much as other healing classes and can easily do by without the mace giving us any.
By Gerandor on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
From the beginning i saw this as a paladin weapon.
I’m not that knowledgeable about healing so i cant say much, but i can see your point in it being good for a resto druid, as they can make it proc fast and fill up the shield stack.
But that beautiful mace would never be seen :O
By Stevo on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
HUNTARD WEPONZZ!!!
By angesh on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Huntard weapon no question
By Naqaj on Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 at 1:32 am
Had our first shard drop 2 days ago, and since we didn’t agree on how to decide who gets it beforehand, we almost ran into some guild drama about it. In the end we gave it to the raider with the best attendance, who’s most likely going to complete it first, and use it the most in raids.
Actually happens to be a Shaman
By Azurko on Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 at 8:55 am
We got our first shard of the mace on day one. After a group desision (IE The guild masters) it went to the primary guild master’s druid.
By eoL on Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Well, first of all I wanna see it in action and see sum1 actually gettin it. It will probs be mek from Ensidia( shaman ) rofl^^
By Nebyula on Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
It went to the person in my guild, who had the most dkp to bid, and who shows up for almost all raids.
Sadly, it was a resto shaman.
I’m a holy priest. QQ.
By Sean on Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
My guild’s druid is going to be getting it first.
But mainly because he’s my fellow officer, who may as well be GM the amount he puts in to the job (our GM is kinda lazy). Never misses a raid, actually, he joined a Naxx run late once, and we had wiped twice without him, he was chatting up a girl and noticed the time and legged it home.
The bonus was that he offered to pay each guild member’s repair bill for the two wipes. Most of us declined his offer mind you, but it just shows you how dedicated he is.
So that’s why he’s getting it, to be honest, he’d probably be deserving of it even if he was a disc priest.
By GK on Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Bwak. The discussion shouldn’t be as much which healer should get the mace as raid’’s situations will differ, but which class would provide the most benefit to the raid (all things being equal).
This answer is far and away Paladins, and I wouldn’t expect a non-Paladin to know it, but Judgement of Light is healing multiple times a second, will pop the proc, and we can easily max out the shield in 15 seconds. It is a pally weapon plain and simple. I even wrote a blog post about it, which I would welcome comments and critiques on.
[url]http://gesundlight.blogspot.com/2009/05/why-valanyr-is-for-paladins.html[/url]
By Kalgorn on Friday, May 8th, 2009 at 11:38 am
lol. I like it.
Guess i betta roll need on it
Everything IS a hunter weapon.