World of Warcraft: Comprehensive Healer Tier List for Patch 11.0 Featuring Hero Talents

Where would we be without healers in World of Warcraft? Vital life-givers and poison removers, finding a good healer is arguably the most crucial part of a successful dungeon run, so we’ve created a tier list to guide you in making the best choice.

The War Within is set to debut as the latest expansion in WoW’s long and storied history, bringing significant changes to class gameplay. Hero Talents now offer additional buildcrafting for your character, adding another layer to your chosen spec.

Moreover, numerous changes to existing talents, abilities, and stats have substantially altered the meta heading into Patch 11.0.

WoW: The War Within Healer Spec Tier List

Our class tier list is divided into three distinct tiers, determined by each class’s effectiveness in Mythic+ and dungeons generally. While the order may shift somewhat in a raid context, the analysis remains relevant and should help with your overall decision.

Tier	Class/Spec
S	Holy Paladin
A	Restoration Druid, Restoration Shaman, Preservation Evoker, Discipline Priest
B	Mistweaver Monk, Holy Priest

Our Tiers Explained

When deciding which spec to place in each tier, we utilized the following criteria:

S: The best of the best, excelling in both single-target and AoE HPS while offering great utility beyond direct healing abilities.
A: Excellent choices that fit well in a Mythic+ environment, although their toolkits may not be as varied as the top tier.
B: Capable of substantial healing in dungeons but typically either more specialized or less effective overall.

S-Tier

Holy Paladin

Dragonflight was an expansion marked by fluctuating performance for the Paladin healing spec, but recent updates have significantly improved it. The changes to Holy in The War Within are mostly positive, making it the top choice for group content due to its versatile toolkit and exceptional utility.

Although recent nerfs have reduced its overall HPS output, Holy Paladin remains highly competitive. The emphasis on Avenging Wrath provides a crucial boost to healing and damage, and it has streamlined gameplay to enhance performance.

Holy Shock is frequently utilized, supported by the tier set bonus, which enhances healing and shortens cooldowns, making it a reliable choice alongside single-target heals like Flash of Light. Notably, Holy Paladin continues to deliver the highest outgoing damage of any healer spec, making it advantageous in fights with stringent DPS requirements.

Essential utilities like Divine Shield, Lay on Hands, and Blessing of Protection have solidified Holy Paladin’s top-tier status. It also performs well in raid settings, although specs like Restoration Druid are close contenders.

When it comes to Hero Talents, Herald of the Sun stands out for Holy Paladin, primarily thanks to Sun’s Avatar, allowing the Paladin to heal party members significantly while using Avenging Wrath.

A-Tier

Restoration Druid

A Druid in WoW: The War Within — Blizzard Entertainment

Restoration Druid holds its ground in the A-Tier, albeit with a high skill ceiling and complex build priorities. Despite being more challenging to master, it boasts the potential to be one of the most versatile and effective healers in various settings.

Its primary strength lies in AoE healing and party-wide utility, with Wild Growth being a top-tier large-scale heal currently, enhanced by set bonuses. These bonuses also benefit single-target options like Swiftmend and Regrowth, providing flexibility for every situation.

Another advantage is the class’s customization based on utility requirements. Players can select between options like Mass Entanglement/Ursol’s Vortex for crowd control, and Incapacitating Roar/Mighty Bash for interrupts or stuns. This versatility makes it a well-rounded choice suitable for all PvE activities.

Currently, Resto Druids only focus on one Hero Talent tree since the other is largely ineffective. Keeper of the Grove is full of healing buffs but could benefit from some defensive adjustments.

Restoration Shaman

Pandaren Shaman with Totems in Zandalar — Activision-Blizzard

Restoration Shaman emerges as a solid option for players seeking a unique healing experience. While its non-traditional healing approach may not suit everyone, it is rewarding to master and fits well in most group compositions.

Despite some earlier frustrations regarding class development, major overhauls during the beta phase improved Resto Shaman significantly. The Farseer and Totemic Hero Talent trees enhance the spec in logical and effective ways.

Healing Wave, Chain Heal, and Healing Surge work well under current conditions, with the Tidal Wave bonus reinforcing their effectiveness. Spirit Link Totem still provides crucial support, although the class could improve by adding shorter cooldown damage reduction options.

While Outgoing damage is sufficient for most group compositions, it may not be a top choice for aspiring healers, but Restoration Shaman is now a respectable option in the evolving meta.

Choosing between Totemic or Farseer Hero Talents essentially means selecting between raid scenarios and Mythic dungeons. Totemic is typically the better option for raids, while Farseer is effective for Mythic dungeons, allowing for greater DPS windows.

Mistweaver Monk

Monk WoW class (Hero Talents) — Blizzard Entertainment

Mistweaver Monk uniquely combines effective healing with versatility. Despite facing several changes during The War Within’s beta, the spec has emerged in good shape.

However, the removal of Essence Font has limited quick group healing options and some utility choices are lacking. Still, Mistweaver can be an excellent all-around support due to the Mystic Touch debuff, which boosts group damage.

For Hero Talents, Conduit of the Celestials is the strongest choice, though it adds extra cooldowns to an already intricate rotation. Master of Harmony is less impactful, primarily benefiting self-heals and HoTs.

B-Tier

Preservation Evoker

Warcraft: War Within Evoker (Hero Talents guide) — Blizzard Entertainment

While Augmentation Evoker captivates players, Preservation offers intuitive features that stand out. However, its weaknesses hinder its ranking. Specifically, Preservation lacks range in its healing abilities, which may become problematic in Season 1 of The War Within.

Despite this, Preservation benefits from decent baseline output for HPS and DPS, making it a reliable choice, although it struggles to claim a prominent spot in the meta for challenging activities and high Mythic+ keys.

Preservation Evoker has access to two solid Hero Talent trees, with Chronowarden being the current standout, enhancing Living Flame and providing useful passives. Flameshaper offers a different approach but lacks synergy.

Holy Priest

Holy Priest is challenging to rank due to its extreme strengths and weaknesses. It excels in powerful single-target heals but can falter in mob-dense encounters or fights requiring considerable control.

On a positive note, both tier set bonuses promise to enhance the spec. The 2-piece bonus improves the Serendipity talent, while the 4-piece bonus provides an automatic chance for certain heals to be recast.

However, the lack of interrupt options and limited crowd control can hinder its effectiveness in high-pressure situations. Mobility issues make it less favorable when compared to Holy Paladins.

Regrettably, both Hero Talent trees are somewhat uninspiring, with Oracle being the better option due to its defensive buffs.

Discipline Priest

Void Elves priest class race WoW — Blizzard Entertainment

The Discipline Priest spec has experienced fluctuations in its performance during The War Within’s beta, yet has potential for those dedicated to mastering it. While it has traditionally offered high HPS and outgoing damage, current factors diminish its effectiveness.

Despite possessing solid utilities for group support, the lack of durability and mobility, coupled with no interrupt, can pose challenges in complex encounters. Those less experienced in healing may find Holy to be a more accessible choice.

Discipline can choose between Voidweaver and Oracle Hero Talents, with Voidweaver currently outperforming the other for enhancing HPS.

That concludes our breakdown of the healing specs in The War Within. For players interested in DPS, there are comprehensive tier lists available for each spec, including Hero Talent choices.