Nostalrius Begins - Quality wow vanilla realm (1.12)

I am planning to roll a healer on PvE Nostalrius, but I am undecided on Shaman or Priest. I have been tanking since TBC Retail so I am looking for a change of pace. I like that the shaman has the capability of being melee and ranged dps if I get tired of healing but I played an undead priest in Vanilla (never did any high level content with it) so the priest has would have more of a nostalgic feel to it for me.

What do you guys recommend... or what do you prefer playing Shaman or Priest and why? Which would be more beneficial to a raid team and which would be the most enjoyable playing for some just coming from tanking... mostly pally tanking with a little warrior tanking mixed in.

Thanks for any input!

shaman
+ lot of available gear (cloth/leather/mail)
+ you can be healer/melee dps/ranged dps (not in raids, but you still can!=)
+ totems
+ travel form

- in raids you can play only resto

GlassGhost wrote:shaman
+ lot of available gear (cloth/leather/mail)
+ you can be healer/melee dps/ranged dps (not in raids, but you still can!=)
+ totems
+ travel form

- in raids you can play only resto

Great points. Playing only resto in raid is a non-issue. I plan to heal either way I go :-p

and, if i remember correct PvP realm census, there was more 60lvl priests than shamans

Priest pros
+best healers in general (people will disagree though)
+can level shadow and still heal dungeons
+mind control people off cliffs in AB
+Anathema/Benediction epic quest for kick ass staff
+Tailoring offers kick ass epic robes

Priest cons
+kind of slow leveling, lots of using your wand (so get good wands every 5 or 10 so levels)
+extremely slow leveling if you're not leveling as shadow
+priest have racial spells, so race can pigeon hole you (Dwarf for fear ward especially)

Shaman pros
+Chain Heal is the best raid heal especially for melee groups
+Windfury, need I say more
+Totems for utility
+Reincarnate is a built in Soulstone for wipe protection in dungeons/raids
+Collect multiple sets of gear for Resto/Enhance and if you're risque, Elemental (good luck competing with Mages/Warlocks though)
+Best looking PvP sets + Unstoppable Force and you'll be good in BGs as Enhance

Shaman cons
+Look hideous in pre-raid resto gear (you'll wear a blue dress with some leather and mail pieces, really tacky)
+Pigeon holed into one spec: Resto (maybe 1 Enhance, but very unlikely since the gear is difficult ie Nightfall and pre-raid BiS competition with Fury Warriors/Rogues/Hunters)
+Elemental is far below Mage/Warlock dps
+Enhance is really the only leveling spec since +nature damage/+sp damage is hard to come by in early levels
+Difficult to heal dungeons as Enhance since you'll go OOM quickly, so you either need to have some +Int gear or just fill DPS roles in dungeons

TwinHeadedKraken wrote:+mind control people off cliffs in AB

And off the boat to Booty Bay.
And into the Lava in Blackrock Mountain.
And any other fatal spots you can think of.

Moozer wrote:

TwinHeadedKraken wrote:+mind control people off cliffs in AB

And off the boat to Booty Bay.
And into the Lava in Blackrock Mountain.
And any other fatal spots you can think of.

1 - not on PvE realm
2 - not on PvE realm
3 - same ^

but when you play shammy you can