The End of S6 and LolProtHoly

Yesterday WoW arena players were greeted with two rather large pronouncements by GCHitler:
1) Arena season 6 is due to end in two weeks on August 25; and
2) The paladin prot/holy spec is going to be given the recent lolret treatment.

Before I talk (and QQ) about #2, I just want to take a minute to reflect on how much fun I had in S6.  For me, this was my most successful season ever and not coincidentally the most fun.  It's too bad it's finally concluding but like all good things it must come to an eventual end.  The only question I had since my last post was: was earning shoulders a fluke or am I really that skilled? Well, patch 3.2 hit live and suddenly my skill shot up to new heights.  I want to state upfront this was 100% due to my diligent improvement at arena and not the sick buffs holyprot got in 3.2.

After earning my shoulders two weeks ago, we went 10-1 up to 2163 last week.  Comps that used to give me serious challenges got wrecked without too much difficulty.  With the removal of the 2's bracket (and lolret/lolholy/lolprotholy nerfs) this is likely my last chance to lord it over priest/rogue, mage/rogue and priest/mage, those filthy, filthy ******.  So I definitely want to enjoy it while it lasts.  I also remember when lolret comps (esp. lolret/rogue) were extremely dangerous.  Now I can ignore the lolret as if he were a noncombat pet because, well, they essentially are noncombat pets now.  And my decision this season to stick with holy looks positively prescient.  Basically I have two weeks to see how high we can go. According to AJ I'm well within duelist range already - dare I aim for higher?


A potential FURIOUS DUELIST with his lolret noncombat pet.

The Rise and Fall of LolProtHoly
It's a measure of just how awful deep holy is for PVP that in S5 many pallies went holy/ret and then, after that was gutted, they chose prot/holy for S6.  Deep holy, despite being godawful in 2's, received more nerfs in 3.2 while prot/holy got buffed.  Ah, but you say, 2's doesn't matter anymore!  And that's true, but then that begs the question: why nerf prot/holy since its primary dominance is also in 2's?  The most obvious answer is that Kalgan's mage/rogue team that he plays with his girlfriend got rolled one too many times by a prot/holy paladin, leading to the following conversation:
Kalgan's GF : WTF!?! Hon, that healer pally didn't die inside of a counterspell like the rest! Nerf plox!
Kalgan : Yeah, that was total bs.  Still, 2's won't matter next season so who cares.
Kalgan's GF (eyes narrowed) : Unless you no longer want to do 2's with me, in bed or arena, I suggest you think again.
Kalgan (frantic) : Hey, hey! No need to get nasty!  Lemme call G-dawg.
*Kalgan picks up the phone*
Kalgan : What up, G-dawg! Remember when you said prot/holy was a creative use of game mechanics? Well, we, er, I decided you were wrong. Please give prot/holy the lolret treatment.
GCHitler (with great deference) :  Your word is as law, milord. It shall be done. Shall I hotfix in the nerfs?
Kalgan (whispering furtively ): Nah, it's only for 2's.  Just don't tell She Who Must Not Be Named.
GCHitler : I shall see to it personally, milord.

As for me, my favorite spec was and remains holy/ret, even after the nerfs.  It was such a great balance between offense and defense - it felt like playing a priest, frankly.  Prot/holy is similar, but I think it's closer to playing a druid in that you're not killable and you don't go out of mana under normal circumstances (in 2's).  The prot buffs in 3.2 really put the spec over the top though.  I dueled a variety of classes/specs and most couldn't get me below 90% health.  A Naxx 25 geared rogue died with me at 90% and I never cast a heal.  I dueled a furious shoulders geared lolret and just stood there and he never got through sacred shield/holy shield.  For the first (and last) time I felt like I had solid defense as a non-druid, non-priest healer (no offense shaman).

Deep holy will be in big trouble again next patch, alas.  Even in 2's you can tunnelvision blow up that healer faster than any other.  A deep holy paladin in 2's is pretty much autowin for us (and everyone else) at this point.  Even if he survives the damage output, he's mana burning himself every time he holy shocks or tries to holy light through MS.  If unrelenting assault lands he goes down faster than paladin hero Zilea at ESL Germany.  It's hard to imagine any serious 3v3 team including a deep holy pally at this point - Blizzcon on 3.1 will probably be the last chance, albeit slim, for a paladin to compete for a 3v3 title.

Now if you'll excuse me I've got to get back to facerolling rogue teams while I still can.  In my next article I'd like to talk about the rise of PVP prot dps and how much fun it is to play (while it lasts).

P.S. @#$!! off, Chelsea, you wankers. Heh.

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