WotLK Disc vs Holy Play Style

[HiFives]

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone could briefly summarize the differences between Disc and Holy regarding their style of play and healing. Which spec would you prefer or recommend when PVE healing for reasons that don't have to do with charts? I was thinking about making a disc, but I've read that disc play style a lot of times will just be spamming shields onto people, which is something I know I wouldn't enjoy so I'm wondering if that's a valid concern with disc. I also have no idea how holy priest plays so any insight on that or how they function in a party/raid would be really helpful.

Thank you.

EDIT: For WOTLK (Icecrown)

[Mercy]

Discipline is about damage prevention. Power Word: Shield spam mostly. Can use Penance and Flash Heal to heal to great effect, but that is usually a secondary priority and is only done when healing a 10-man raid or a dungeon.

Holy is a versatile spec. A lot of people play the "Renew spam" spec in high-end (think ICC heroic raiding) large-sized raid content. Outside of that, the spec is strong at spot-healing (using Flash Heal to heal people in a pinch) and strong burst and consistent group healing (Prayer of Healing, Circle of Healing and Prayer of Mending). The spec is also capable of tank healing with Greater Heal and keeping a Renew active on the tank, but it doesn't stand up well against Holy Paladin tank healing. It is generally classified as a group healer, much like the Resto Druid is, but it is not quite the same niche. Druids heal over time, while Priests can group heal in large chunks. Well-geared Resto Druids can usually handle most cases of burst damage on a group, but this is a niche that the Holy Priest fills a bit better. Unlike the Resto Druid, however, the Holy Priest can fill nearly any healer niche, though it is not necessarily the best at them.

The Holy Priest is the definitive "purist/traditional healer" spec. It has significantly more going on than a Discipline Priest does. If you're looking for complexity and versatility, then the Holy Priest is the better of the two specs. Holy also generally dominates a Discipline Priest in overall output until Discipline gains access to the strongest parts of its gear options (ICC+).

My recommendation is that you should consider Discipline once you gain access to high Trial of the Crusader gear or ICC gear, but stick to Holy until that point. Holy is still strong beyond that point too, so if you prefer it, then play it.

[HiFives]

Thank you for your response, exactly the info I was looking for.