One of the things I like most about my blog is that I have the opportunity to inform people of my playstyle and commonly-accepted best practices for the holy paladin. And I don’t have to sit down with them and go “okay, so you need to do X, Y and Z and then don’t forget about A and B and C”. I don’t have to look at their parses, don’t have to talk to them on vent, don’t even have to look at their armories unless I feel like it.
It’s nice. It’s a little distant and I get to remain sane, but I still get to help out people who genuinely seem to want to learn.
Discouraged by all the failadins out there, my current GM (for whom my adoration clearly knows no bounds) has decided to level up a paladin for the express purposes of going holy. She recognizes we can really use another holy paladin for certain fights (heroic Sindragosa, heroic Lich King, heroic Halion) and has decided to roll a paladin, level it to 80 and heal for the guild on this new paladin. She’s continuing to recruit, mind you (WTB holy paladin! And a disc priest, actually. Email me at kurn [at] apotheosis-now [dot] com for details if you’re interested.), but she’s working at the paladin.
It’s not like she doesn’t know how to heal; she’s a brilliant resto shaman. (Fadorable, I’d love to see you both in a heal-off in equal gear!) I think that she’s actually the best class to make an easy switch to a holy paladin — she’s already used to not being able to cast and run (beyond the one instant — Riptide for her, Holy Shock for us) and the gear is similar in many ways. I think she’ll make an awesome holy paladin if we don’t find a second by the time she’s raid-ready.
However, I find myself TOTALLY thrilled at the prospect of teaching my GM the ins and outs of holy paladining. Like, THRILLED. I don’t know why, but I am eagerly anticipating it. To the point where I’ve informed her I will be her pocket tank for her heroics when she hits 80. Maybe it’s because I know she’s already an awesome healer and I think she’ll pick up on the nuances quickly. Maybe it’s because I know that I can mold her into another me. Maybe it’s because I HAVE missed some of this hands-on stuff. I used to be the poor schmoe who would talk to the raiders about X, Y and Z issues, for the most part.
I think it’ll be fun to run around as a relatively geared tank. A huge bonus of this guild is that you get offspec gear for free, so I’ve been saving my Emblems of Frost and already have my 264 helm and shoulders for prot. Looking at chest and gloves next and then probably Pillars of Might and maybe the crafted boots too. So really, given my leetness as a tank (ahahahaha) and the fact that I’ll be pretty geared, I’m fairly certain I’ll be able to tank and watch for her to keep up Sacred Shield, Beacon, etc, and offer tips and tricks and still not die, even if things go south.
In other news, the character profile linked up in the sidebar has been updated since I got my 277 T10 helm. 990 haste unbuffed? Why yes, thank you, that’ll do nicely. ;)
…And, see, in my spare time when I want to heal but don’t want to pally it up, I’ve been levelling a disc priest.
If I thought there were any chance I could get levelled, raid-geared, and have any idea what I was doing in a raid before anyone else got there, I would do it.
THAT BEING SAID, on to the actual CONTENT of the post, heh… I think that there’s a certain joy in helping someone who’s already a good player, and a friend, learn the ins and outs of the class you love. I’m not the best with stats and numbers, but when my girlfriend JJ (I’ve got AJ and JJ, I really need to give one of them a better nickname…) started playing, I eagerly jumped in to help her with the stats as best I could, and rolled a tank for her to help keep her first character (who was… some sort of clothie, I can’t remember if she was a mage or a lock) alive while she figured things out. Most of the time, I’m really not the type to do that, if only because I don’t feel comfortable enough that my knowledge is accurate half the time, but with her, I knew she’d do well as a player, and I was excited to introduce her to the game.
Since your GM obviously already knows the game, the next best thing, imo, is introducing them to the joy that is your favourite class and spec. Which is, I think, probably part of why you’re so excited. And being able to mold her into another you is always a plus. ;)
Man, I keep feeling sorry for myself that I don’t live in the US region. I would’ve let you mold me into another you anytime. In fact, I think you’re already doing that through all the advice you’re giving on your blog and sometimes through email.
I must admit, I am fully convinced that you are one of the best Holy paladins I have ever seen. I think that’s part of the reason why I would be very excited to have you teach me, and why I’m always excited when I see a new blog post from you come up.
I think Apple’s right though. If you can teach somebody else about your favorite class, then it’s double the fun.
Btw, I keep looking for items with a stat called “failure avoidance” but I can’t seem to find any. I’d like to be capped, if at all possible. Any tips?
*points at Kaboom’s comment* Another reason I’m totally aiming to join Apotheosis Cata.0 – the chance to be, y’know, taught holy paladin-ing by my favourite holy paladin. :)
‘Cause, uh… you DO realise that I’m gonna be coming to you only half knowing what I’m doing, right? >.>
Stopping in to say hello again :) I’ve been slowly trying to convince Fad to come back to the game so we’ll see where that goes! Maybe you’ll get your heal off one of these days.
There is something about helping someone understand your class that is a lot of fun. I can’t quite explain it but every time someone asks me a feral druid question I remember before I would have been able to answer it and I try to give them the best information possible. There is also the fact that being asked how to play my class/spec can’t help but leave me warm and fuzzy inside.
I’ve only pretended to heal on a lvl 80 Paladin and honestly if I ever seriously make one of my own it will likely be a tank (to round off the feral druid, warrior, and DK – I see a disturbing trend across the board here…) simply because healing confuses me beyond words and while I can do it I never quite feel like I’m as effecient as I “could” be. However if I ever do want to heal on a paladin I fully intend to peruse your blog for tricks and tips!
Apple – It’s definitely fun to introduce someone to the game, if a little overwhelming at times! The last time I got to “teach” anyone anything, it was my brother on his hunter (and a little bit on his paladin). I was in Felwood with my brother and told him to pull X mob to us without pulling Y or Z mobs. He worked at it and eventually got it. It made me proud. :D
I don’t even know that a holy paladin is my favourite class/spec… It’s my preferred raiding class/spec, for sure, but my poor hunter still has a good chunk of my heart. ;)
I think that introducing my GM to the “joy” (haha) of healing on a paladin will be fun if only because I know she’ll be eager to learn. It always helps when people WANT to learn.
Kaboomski – Well, I’m pleased if I’ve been able to help you out at all. :) “Failure Avoidance”. Hm… I know I’m not capped yet. I dropped stacks on heroic Dreamwalker 10 twice last night. ;) Also, thanks, but I’m definitely not the best holy paladins. Maybe one of the more articulate, detail-oriented and longwinded ones, sure. ;)
Apple – We’ll see if I even play my paladin! haha! :)
Lefro – <3 It would be hilarious to see Fad go up against my GM in shammy healing. I think Fad might get her on cleansing and dispelling, but I think the GM might have a slight edge on throughput!
Didn't you used to heal now and again? I seem to recall us being aghast (in jest) that you were healing at one point, but I can't remember the circumstances, haha!
Being regarded as an authority, even just by a random person going "dude, how do you dps so much?!" or something, is always a pleasant feeling, that's for sure. :)
Rumors of my healing have been greatly exaggerated! I leveled 1-60 resto (yeah, I didn’t know what I was doing) and I still dabble in it on occasion. I’ll sometimes queue for a random as a healer just to stretch the old branches but heroics have gotten faceroll to the point where I throw up a Wild Growth and *maybe* a Rejuv and then see if I can’t beat any of the dps…
However to add to the madness of having leveled resto I might be going for the Insane title shortly so it all begins to make sense :P
Lefro – hahaha, I levelled the pally holy from 1-60 and 60-70, then 70-71, then was prot 71-73, then ret from 74-77, then holy ’till 80. I understand the madness. ;)