I’ve done two of these challenge modes so far and without seeing the others I’m pretty sure the frost mage is hands-down the most over-tuned.

For instance I did the disc priest one, and although I had to tweak my talents for a quicker interrupt, I didn’t do much else.  Sure it was difficult but after maybe 5 tries I got it.

As I recall I had to tank the main boss while his wyrm was spitting at me, which meant healing myself while doing damage.  Yes, disc priets heal while damaging but managing mana was a bit of a problem.  He did a strong damage ability every so often which I could only interrupt once and had to tank the next attempt before I could break it again.  I think I also had to look out for spikes coming out of the ground and deal with some adds.  Wasn’t too bad but after the main boss died I had to also kill the wyrm and I was low on health and mana at that point.

Frost mage, good gosh.  It starts off with a paladin named Karam chasing you.  You HAVE to keep him slowed because if he gets in melee range, he either one-shots you, or he does so much damage you are going to lose.    That means keeping him chilled and slowed constantly and it’s best to NEVER snare him because he’ll start running after you if he gets too many stacks of “wasn’t kept frozen” or whatever it’s called. He also drops or creates purple circles on the ground you have to avoid because it slows you. Once he hits 34% health his brother Raest banishes Karam who heals back up (cheater) and summons slow moving adds.  If the adds hit you, you’re done. You need to put enough damage into Raest while constantly Blizzarding the adds to hopefully keep Frost Orb constantly up.

When you damage Raest enough, he goes immune (cheater!!) and Karam starts chasing you again.  While the adds are also chasing you.  While a Hand from Beyond starts slowly casting a spell that will kill you.  You have to keep Blizzard on the adds while also kiting and slowing Karam and the adds, while interrupting the first cast from the Hand and killing it before the second cast.

Good stuff.

When Karam gets low enough again, Raest joins the party (of the slow moving adds, of Karam, and the hand) by summoning a circle you HAVE TO STAND in until it disappears or a GIANT FAST MOVING MOB spawns and kills you.  So you have to kite Karam, kite the adds, keep blizzard going on CD, keep orb up constantly, deal with the hand, while standing in the circles, while also killing Raest.

I did get Raest to 12% last night though. Besides that other stuff, it meant that I had to create a special set just for haste (30%, 35% recommended), had to eat Bear Tartar to help with the kiting, had to pop hero and potions on the second phase, had to macro my counterspell specifically to the hand (because you have no idea where it’s going to spawn each time) and set up target macros for the brothers to quickly target them in all the mess.  That literally meant replacing normal spells with new functions. People also recommend specific legendaries to even get it done reliably.

Sorry but that’s over-tuned.

I’ve been thinking about this a while, but there is a huge number of healers lately.  I’ve been playing dps during the AV wargames just because so many people log on as a healer. I can play multiple roles.

Back in Cataclysm, for example, I could barely log on without being asked to heal a dungeon, or a raid, or pvp.  But these days no one seems to care I healed heroics, challenge modes, or have impressed people with my pvp healing in anything from arena, rbgs, random bgs, to world pvp.  Why is that?

Well in my opinion it’s because it’s just too easy.

For instance, I watched a monk not die to multiple players just by standing in one place and casting their protected heals in our face.  Didn’t even move, not once.  Most healers can do the same thing, but unfortunately I haven’t played anything but holy/disc this expansion.  I do have all the healers but I haven’t played most of them.

The other example of it being ‘too easy’ is that nothing works together.  A resto druid use to put Life Bloom on someone, and keep it rolling with a direct heal.  It doesn’t work like that any more, you just keep casting it when it falls.

You also use to have to keep Harmony up to boost your heals by hard casting every so often, which when keeping lifebloom up, you were doing that anyway.  Well, that’s no longer a thing either.

On top of THAT you use to only be able to use Swiftmend when Rejuv was rolling on a target.  Guess what?  That’s no longer a requirement.

For a disc priest you no longer have to bounce Prayer of Mending around, you don’t have to plump up Spirit Shell, Grace does something else entirely, you no longer have Wings.  Rapture doesn’t do what it use to, there’s no Inner Focus, no Divine Hymn, no Psyfiend, Tendrils, no Spectral Guise, no Mind Spike, Mind Sear.  You don’t have to think if you cast Penance you get Grace which gives you haste for your next spell.  You don’t have to know that Prayer of Healing applies Divine Aegis on a crit.  You basically just mash buttons and people are healed.

I think that’s a big reason why I’ve been sticking to dps.  There’s still some complexity to it. Cast Frozen Orb to get instant Blizzard to general Frost Lance procs.  Rotate frost nova with ice nova with blinks to kite people. It’s just more engaging.