W00+! 70! ... now what?
Woot! 70! The new level of endgame! If you're thinking like Mars506 and not sure what to do next, you should ask yourself one simple question:
To melt face or not to melt face?
If you always planned on being a healer for endgame, this won't be that hard of a decision for you. But if you're liking the DPS that comes with being Shadow Spec, that is also a viable raid spec to stay at.
However, this is a blog about being a healer, so I'll just go with you having decided to make some love, not some pain. For how to specialize in the pain, I direct you to the DCoE's lovely blog of Shadow Priesty-ness.
On to the love!
For a good idea on where you should get good endgame healer gear Pre-Karazhan, I recommend WoW Loot. I've used this site to map out my gear needs since before I hit 70. They give a good run down on other priestly spec's as well, and have links to where you can get all the gear they show.
From experience, you should definitely run as much as you can to get your heroic keys, since there is a sweet healing off hand you can purchase with Heroic badges. But here are some highlights:
- Get Honor Hold/Thrallmar, Cenarion Expedition, Lower City, Sha'tar, and Keepers of Time rep to Revered for your keys. At Revered, you will get access to a nice healing helm, the [Watcher's Cowl], from CE. Though while it's good stat wise... it's uglier than sin and doesn't match anything you would be wearing at the time. :P At Honor Hold, you can get a nice ring, [Ring of Convalescence], a very good healing ring. Then there's the [Lower City Prayerbook], a nice trinket from Lower City that you can get two of in case your dungeon runs aren't being kind. The Sha'tar and KoT don't really have anything at Revered other than keys, however, you are definitely going to want to get at least the Sha'tar to Exalted, for the [Gavel of Pure Light], and if you can get KoT to Exalted, the [Bindings of the Timewalker] are pretty sweet for bracers.
To get all this rep, you're going to need to run Shattered Halls (Honor Hold/Thrallmar), SteamVaults (CE), Shadow Labyrinth (LC), Black Morass/Old Hillsbrad (KoT) and Mechanar/Arcatraz/Botanica (Sha'tar). Botanica nets you the most out of rep for the Sha'tar, but also takes longer (about 1.5 hours to 2 hours). All of these are great dungeons to run in, because they have pretty good drops. Check WoW Loot for the best ones.
Now, something else to consider. If you're a tailor, and going healer, I strongly (read: gun to your head) suggest you go Primal Mooncloth. Not only can you make nifty 20 slot bags, but you get 2 Primal Mooncloths for the price of one, and the Primal Mooncloth set is a MUST HAVE as your core healing set. I will still be using this set well into Karazhan. That's how core they are.
Also, if you go Primal Mooncloth, when you get Warp Splinter in Botanica and Delilah the Doomsayer in Arcatraz to drop the Whitemend patterns, you'll crow with joy. The Whitemend set compliments the Primal Mooncloth set quite nicely. PMC takes up a chest/shoulder/belt slot, while the Whitemend is helm/pants. Very good combo. In fact, it is the combo of LOVE AND PEACE!
The only catch to the Whitemend patterns, you need a primal nether to craft them (as well as 5 primal mights and 10 Primal Mooncloth), so you'll need to get lucky with one of the last bosses in the lvl 70 instances. I've seen Murmur, the Mechanar guy and Warp Splinter in Bot all drop nethers in normal, so it is possible. But realize, if you get the Whitemend patterns... don't tell me. I will kneecap you. :P
So, I hope this answers your questions Mars506 ^.^
Time for me to go to work. XD
~Cay
Hi there. I just reached 70 recently on my priest, and was wondering what I should do next?
I'm completely in a daze as to which instances I should run to get rep for heroic keys, or even which keys I should be getting for which instances and which heroic instances drop good gear.
All help would be greatly appreciated. :)