Loot simplicity is boring. Figuring the trade offs of gear is a significant part of the process of playing.

I think that the loot complexity right now is actually boring. If plate with spellpower drops, unless I want the item, it's useless. At least with mail, leather, and cloth there are multiple classes that can use a lower armor level of gear. If holy paladins used mail, they could eliminate a very specialized gear niche that only applies to one class and therefore increase drop rates of all other types of gear. I don't think there is any other gear that is usable by one and only one class/spec, everyone else has multiple options.

As a Holy Paladin you have the choice of taking any other spell piece in the game. I am not sure how you feel that you do not have options. You have the opportunity right now to use mail. You have the opportunity to use leather or cloth if you like. Frankly, I would rather not be forced out of plate because when I am running RD in order to keep healing aggro off other, less armored, healers, I enjoy not being one shotted by the mob before the tank picks them up.

In regards to the statement about gear that is only applicable to one class, I would submit Leather Spellgear with spirit. I really don't see Shammys or Pallys scrambling for it, so it is effectively only a Druid item.

I would rather not see all of the classes/specs become so homogenized that we no longer need gear differences. As they say, variety is the spice of life.

But it can go to boomkins or trees though. Leather spellpower gear is similar, but not as stark as healing plate in this regard. Spellpower plate is the only armor type that is used by one spec of one class.

More PVP nerfs. Also baseline 40 yard auras, not sure if holy will gain an 11 pt talent.

I ignore the talent when spec'ed Holy, and Ret really doesn't either since Command is only useful until from level 20-64). Prot's new 11 pointer is a 150% Divine Guardian-type talent.

I like the idea of the new Prot talent combining with Sac and Divine Guardian, especially to counter all the upcoming AoE damage. Not sure if that is better than 8% crit + run speed though.


Legendary item proc:
Val'anyr Hammer of Ancient Kings - (Passive effect) - Your healing spells have a chance to cause Blessing of Ancient Kings for 15 seconds allowing your heals to shield the target absorbing damage equal to 15% of the amount healed.

I agree, I think perhaps I was misunderstood. I think it is currently unfair for OTHER classes because of the fact that spellpower plate exists. I am perfectly willing to wear a lower tier armor gear, in fact if you check my armory you'll notice I'm wearing cloth bracers for lack of a better option (fail at plate spellpower drops). However, I think it hurts cloth, leather, and mail wearers when such a specific level of gear exists, because it lowers their chance of usable gear.

I generally distribute loot for our raids, and myself and the other paladin are pretty much geared out for our level of content (not cutting edge raiding) and it's disappointing to see all of the plate spellpower drops go to so little use. Assuming that it was removed (forcing paladins to use mail pieces) you would see a nice decrease in the amount of unusable gear.

Thank you to Sharrow for pointing out Mail +hit gear being a somewhat unique situation as well, even if mostly through Tier gear.

I really doubt the new prot 11 pointer isn't replacing Divine Guardian outright. (EDIT: MMO-Champ shows both talents still up, but is this really what we've come to? Replicating our own talents to fill up trees?) Leaving both talents up seems really redundant. If it is replacing DG, it's a pretty weird change as well though: I mean who wouldn't DS when 30% of the raid damage is redirected at them? This would just mean pressing 2 buttons and reduces the effective cooldown of the ability itself to 5min for anyone but a protection paladin not currently tanking anything dangerous and being used as a raid wide damage soak.

The changes to SS really guts the talent for anyone who used it more than as something to cast on the MT every 30s between spamming and the infusion places it squarely as more of a PvP talent than a PvE one (I loved those sub 1s HL DF + HS + HL combos!)

Yeah, with the raiding paladin running at 50% crit on his HL already, the extra crit from Infusion of Light will just turn into more overheal.

Not having done much PvP, but I'd assume in it's current state the IoL+HL synergy is quite powerful in combatting burst.

Infusion HL is mostly useful for avoiding (somewhat) interrupts and maintaining mobility. The fast heals are nice for getting Light's Grace up. It's a negative change for pvp. I'm cautiously not that worried about Shattering Throw, it has a casting time, the warrior has to drop into battle stance, you can LOS it.

I don't like the sacred shield change, but a nerf is a nerf. If we can get scaling for it with Sheath spell power (intended?) that would be a step in the right direction.

My prediction is that Divine Sacrifice is actually the new Holy 11pt talent to replace Aura Mastery. That's the only way I can make sense of it seems a poor 11pt'er for Ret or Prot IMO.

That would also enable Divine Guardian to remain in the Prot tree if anyone wants the utility.