Healer Tier List in The War Within
World of Warcraft (WoW) has introduced significant changes to healer performance in the latest expansion, The War Within (TWW). New Hero Talents, tier set bonuses, and class tweaks have changed the healer meta, therefore some specs are stronger and more fit than others for both Mythic+ dungeons and raids. Focusing on their strengths and shortcomings across many kinds of content in the game, this healer tier list breaks out the greatest healing classes and specializations in TWW.
Through heavy damage stages in the game, cooldown management, and guaranteeing that every group can advance through challenging confrontations, healers are really vital for maintaining their teams alive. This guide will assist you to select the finest healer for your playstyle in The War Within, whether your guild in Nerub-ar Palace or you are seeking for the best healer to handle high-level Mythic+ keys.
S-Tier: The Best Healers in The War Within
S-Tier healers in Patch 11.1 Season 2 are the best of the best due to their healing output, utility and flexibility in Mythic+ and raids. Discipline Priests shine because of high DPS and preemptive damage mitigation, while Mistweaver Monks bring huges healing and unparalleled mobility. These specs are the most reliable and top performing healers this season regardless of group.
Discipline Priest
Discipline Priests have damage and healing (Atonement healing) and Pain Suppression and Power Word: Barrier damage reduction tools. This dual role of doing damage while healing makes them invaluable in high level Mythic+ keys and difficult raid fights. They also have Power Infusion to boost an ally’s DPS during burn phases.
Strengths:
- Raid utility (damage reduction cooldowns).
- High personal DPS through Atonement.
- Single-target and spot-healing bursts.
Drawbacks:
- Low mobility and few personal defensive options.
- Requires good encounter knowledge to shield and buff before damage hits.
Mistweaver Monk
Mistweaver’s Season 2 buffs and tier set synergies have made them godly. They have tons of group healing and can do meaningful melee or ranged DPS through fistweaving talents. Their mobility is top tier and can handle movement heavy fights with ease.
Strengths:
- Huge group healing (Essence Font, Revival).
- Excellent mobility (Roll, Tiger’s Lust, Transcendence).
- Strong melee DPS through fistweaving (can heal while doing damage).
Drawbacks:
- No raid-wide damage reduction cooldown.
- Must stay in melee range for optimal fistweaving, which can be risky in some fights.
If you want the best healer with no weaknesses Discipline Priest or Mistweaver Monk should be your top choice. They have the most healing, utility and damage output.
A-Tier: Strong Choices with Minor Drawbacks
A-Tier healers in Season 2 are solid and versatile but have minor weaknesses. Preservation Evoker is amazing at burst healing but has short healing range, while Restoration Druid is great at sustained healing and mobility but lacks strong burst mitigation. Holy Priest is a pure throughput healer with great cooldowns and is perfect for raid healing but struggles in high movement fights.
Preservation Evoker
Although Preservation Evokers received some nerfs this season, they still have great burst healing (e.g. Spiritbloom, Dream Breath) and raid utility (Zephyr, Time Spiral). Their 30 yard range can be a problem, but skilled Evokers shine in small group and raid content as long as teammates stay in range.
Strengths:
- Massive AoE healing.
- Above average damage for a healer.
- Unique movement and damage reduction spells.
Minor Drawbacks:
- 30 range for most heals.
- Requires positioning awareness.
Restoration Druid
A rework in Season 2 improved Restoration Druid’s consistent HoT-based healing, mana efficiency and flexibility. Resto Druids are great at handling spread damage and have great mobility and crowd control. While they lack a big raid-wide damage reduction cooldown, their sustained healing and raid utility make them a top pick.
Strengths:
- High throughput (HoTs like Rejuvenation, Lifebloom).
- Great mobility and instant-cast options (good for movement heavy fights).
- Has Battle Resurrection (Rebirth) and Mark of the Wild.
Minor Drawbacks:
- No major group damage reduction (e.g., Barrier, Aura Mastery).
- Requires HoTs to be pre-applied for optimal burst healing.
Holy Priest
Holy Priests are pure healers with simple mechanics, big raid cooldowns (Holy Word: Salvation) and great triage healing. They are the pick in progression raids for pure throughput and a “cheat death” this season (Restitution). Their Mythic+ utility is okay, but lower mobility can hurt them.
Strengths:
- Extremely high burst/spot healing.
- Symbol of Hope to restore mana/shorten defensive cooldowns.
- Straightforward rotation suitable for newer healers or stable raid compositions.
Minor Drawbacks:
- Limited mobility (mostly relies on Angelic Feather).
- Less utility in Mythic+ compared to some other healers (no interrupt or stun).
A-Tier healers are still powerful and viable for all content, but require more effort or specific team setups to match the impact of S-Tier healers. If you like a more reactive or sustained healing playstyle, these are good options.
B-Tier: Situationally Strong Healers
B-Tier healers are viable in all content, but require specific scenarios or extra effort. Holy Paladin has great utility and decent damage but struggles with overall HPS. Restoration Shaman has amazing raid utility but falls behind in raw healing throughput and DPS compared to other specs.
Holy Paladin
Holy Paladins have top-tier utility (Devotion Aura, Blessings, in-combat interrupt) and can do respectable burst damage while healing in melee. But they are currently behind in overall healing output. Their strengths shine in shorter, high-impact fights or Mythic+ where damage reduction and single-target healing can do the trick.
Strengths:
- Big damage reduction (Aura Mastery).
- Great party support (multiple Blessings, immunities).
- Above average damage via melee and Holy Shock buffs.
Weaknesses:
- Lower sustained HPS in prolonged encounters.
- Mana-hungry if forced to use expensive spells repeatedly.
- Mediocre mobility (limited to short bursts with Divine Steed).
Restoration Shaman
Resto Shaman’s totems and unique raid utilities (Spirit Link Totem, Healing Tide Totem, Mana Tide Totem) are invaluable. However, they currently struggle with raw throughput and DPS compared to other healers. Despite that, strong interrupts (Wind Shear) and exceptional crowd control keep them relevant in Mythic+.
Strengths:
- Tremendous utility via totems (damage reduction, mana regen, movement, etc.).
- Bloodlust/Heroism capability if the group lacks it.
- Highly effective at healing clumped groups.
Weaknesses:
- Below-average sustained healing and DPS output.
- Relatively immobile; many key spells require stationary casting.
- Can be mana-intensive in extended fights.
B-Tier healers can still succeed, but they are less forgiving and often require optimal team compositions to reach their full potential. They may struggle in high-end Mythic+ keys or progression raids without additional support.
How to Choose the Best Healer for WoW: The War Within
Choosing the best healer for you depends on your playstyle, group composition and content type. If you like a proactive, DPS-heavy healer, Discipline Priest is the way to go. If you want high mobility and reactive healing, Mistweaver Monk or Restoration Druid are good options. Utility-heavy players will enjoy Holy Paladin or Restoration Shaman, while Holy Priest and Preservation Evoker are for those who prefer burst healing and cooldown management. Here are the key factors:
Encounter Type and Group Needs
- Mythic+ groups often value damage contribution and crowd control; healers like Discipline Priest, Preservation Evoker or Mistweaver Monk will do well.
- Raids may require more emphasis on raid-wide cooldowns, AoE healing or damage mitigation (e.g., Holy Priest’s Salvation, Disc Priest’s Barrier, Shaman’s Spirit Link Totem).
Playstyle and Comfort
- Like a proactive, damage-oriented approach? Discipline Priest is for you.
- Love mobility and fluid healing rotation? Try Mistweaver Monk or Restoration Druid.
- Want external tools and group support? Holy Paladin or Restoration Shaman bring the most utility.
Utility and Crowd Control
Do you need interrupts, stuns, mass dispels or unique buffs? Holy Paladins can interrupt, Resto Shamans have crowd control and Holy/Disc Priests can Mass Dispel multiple debuffs.
Personal DPS Contribution
In higher Mythic+ keys, every bit counts. Discipline Priest and Mistweaver Monk are good choices if you want to weave in DPS without sacrificing healing. Evokers also have solid DPS bursts with their empowered spells.
No healer is bad, but some fit better than others. If you want raw power, S-Tier is the safe choice, while A-Tier and B-Tier require more strategy to shine.
Healer Tier List WoW Guide
Below is a quick-reference table summarizing the key points of each healer in TWW Season 2:
Spec | Throughput | Utility | Mobility | Damage | Complexity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Discipline Priest | High | High (Damage Reduc.) | Low | High | High (preemptive) |
Mistweaver Monk | High | Moderate | Very High | Moderate-High | Moderate |
Preservation Evoker | High (Burst) | High (Unique Spells) | High (Hover) | Moderate-High | Moderate |
Restoration Druid | High (Sustained) | Moderate | Very High | Moderate | Moderate |
Holy Priest | Very High | Moderate | Low | Moderate | Low (straightforward) |
Holy Paladin | Moderate | Very High | Moderate | Moderate-High | High (melee-based) |
Restoration Shaman | Moderate | Very High | Low | Low-Moderate | Moderate |
Every healer is viable, but some offer more performance with less effort. S-Tier healers excel due to raw healing, damage and utility, while A-Tier and B-Tier require better positioning, cooldown management or specific group setups to reach their full potential.
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