Best Races for Priests in Cataclysm

Cataclysm is here, and we’re asking the same questions: what new alt should I roll?

If you’re rolling a new disc priest and need to know how racial bonuses will benefit you, look no further!

(Racial Traits from Wowpedia.org; thanks as always, guys!)

HORDE

• Blood Elf
  • Racial Traits
    • Arcane Torrent : Activate to silence all enemies within 8 yards for 2 seconds. In addition, you gain 15 Focus, 15 Energy, 15 Runic Power or 6% Mana. 2 min. cooldown.
    • Arcane Affinity : 10 point skill bonus to Enchanting (note, this also raises the cap by 10 at each level of enchanting).
    • Magic Resistance : Reduces the chance you will be hit by spells by 2%.
  • Assessment
    • Excellent. Arcane Torrent serves as an additional mana return ability, to be used in rotation with Shadowfiend, Hymn of Hope, and mana potions. to me, that’s a game-changing racial, and the best in the game for disc priests. Enchanting is a great choice of profession for priests as well, so go us.

• Forsaken (aka Undead)
  • Racial Traits
    • Will of the Forsaken : Removes any Charm, Fear and Sleep effect. 2 minute cooldown.
    • Cannibalize : When activated, regenerates 7% of total health and mana every 2 seconds for 10 seconds. Only works on Humanoid or Undead corpses within 5 yards. Any movement, action, or damage taken while Cannibalizing will cancel the effect. (Mana aspect added in )
    • Underwater Breathing : Underwater breath lasts 233% longer than normal.
    • Shadow Resistance : Reduces the chance you will be hit by Shadow spells by 2%
  • Assessment
    • Good. Mana regen through Cannibalize is nice, but requires an actual humanoid corpse, which will be awkward in high-level instances. Will of the Forsaken is great if you’re going to PvP with your Disc Priest, but isn’t as important for the raider/leveler.

• Goblin
  • Racial Traits
    • Rocket Jump : Activates your rocket belt to jump forward. 2 minute cooldown, shared with Rocket Barrage.
    • Rocket Barrage : Launches your belt rockets at an enemy, dealing X-Y fire damage. (24-30 at level 1; 1654-2020 at level 80). 2 min. cooldown shared with Rocket Jump.
    • Time is Money : Cash in on a 1% increase to attack and casting speed.
    • Best Deals Anywhere : Always receive the best discount regardless of faction standing.
    • Pack Hobgoblin : Calls in your friend, Gobber, allowing you bank access for 1 min. 30 minute cooldown.
    • Better Living Through Chemistry : Alchemy skill increased by 15.
  • Assessment
    • Mediocre. Time Is Money is a decent haste bonus, and Best Deals Anywhere is nice for everyone! The bonus to Alchemy is solid, but only if you’re taking the Alchemy/Herbalist route for professions (a solid priest choice). Overall the bonus to haste is not that big of a game-changer, and the other talents are too non-priest-specific to make it our recommendation pro-goblin. On the other hand, a goblin priest would look fantastic in Tier 10 gear and their hair choices are fabulous.

• Tauren
  • Racial Traits
    • War Stomp : Activate to stun opponents – Stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yards for 2 seconds. 2 minute cooldown.
    • Endurance : Base health increased by 5%.
    • Cultivation : Adds a 15 point skill bonus to Herbalism as well as increases the speed you can gather herbs. (Note, this also raises the cap by 15 at each level of herbalism). Faster gathering speed added in .
    • Nature Resistance : Reduces the chance you will be hit by Nature spells by 2%.
  • Assessment
    • Poor. The only marginally useful trait would be the Herbalism bonus for an Alchemy/Herbalism-trained priest; the rest are not useful to priests in the least.
• Troll
  • Racial Traits
    • Berserking : Activate to increase attack and casting speed by 20% for 10 seconds. 3 minute cooldown.
    • Regeneration : Increase health regeneration bonus by 10%. Also allows 10% of normal health regen during combat.
    • Beast Slaying : 5% damage bonus when fighting against Beasts.
    • Throwing Specialization : Increases chance to critically hit with Throwing Weapon by 1%.
    • Bow Specialization : Increase Bow critical strike chance by 1%.
    • Da Voodoo Shuffle : Reduces the duration of all movement impairing effects by 15%. Trolls be flippin’ out mon!
  • Assessment
    • Mediocre. In theory, you won’t need health regeneration as you’ll be protected from direct hits by your friendly local tank, but if mana management is as restrictive as promised, a small personal health regen bonus may be welcome. Berserking offers haste increase similar to goblins’ Time Is Money, but the other bonuses are not priest-specific.

ALLIANCE

• Draenei
  • Racial Traits
    • Gift of the Naaru : Heals the target of X damage over 15sec. The amount healed is increased based on the caster’s Spell Power or Attack Power, whichever is higher. 3 minute cooldown.
    • Heroic Presence : Increases chance to hit with all spells and attacks by 1%. No longer affects nearby allies as of .
    • Gemcutting : 10 point skill bonus to Jewelcrafting (note, this also raises the cap by 10 at each level of jewelcrafting).
    • Shadow Resistance : Reduces the chance you will be hit by Shadow spells by 2%.
  • Assessment
    • Poor. Gift of the Naaru is a decent self-healing spell when the mana chips are down, but really- Binding Heal would be even better. Heroic Presence doesn’t help you, as healing spells on friendly targets always hit. But you already knew that, right? And you don’t have any hit on your gear, RIGHT?

• Dwarf
  • Racial Trait
    • Stoneform : Activate to remove poison, disease, and bleed effects; +10% Armor; Lasts 8 seconds. 2 minute cooldown.
    • Gun Specialization : increases chance to critically hit with Guns by 1%.
    • Mace Specialization : Increases expertise with maces and two-handed maces by 3.
    • Frost Resistance : Reduces the chance you will be hit by Frost spells by 2%.
    • Explorer : You find additional fragments when looting archaeological finds and you can survey faster than normal archaeologists. 
  • Assessment
    • Mediocre. None of these are useful to disc priests. But dwarf priests! Will wonders never cease? Hard lobbying by the pro-dwarf community made me rethink my original ‘Poor’ rating of dwarves; the high mana cost of Remove Disease and other cleansing abilities in Cataclysm renders their Stoneform pretty valuable (even if they can’t cast it on others). I think that’s worth a bump up to the next level. Now stop biting my kneecaps.

• Gnome
  • Racial Traits
    • Escape Artist : Escape the effects of any immobilization or movement speed reduction effect. Instant cast. 1.45 min cooldown.
    • Expansive Mind : Increase mana pool by 5%. Change to mana pool from Intellect occurred with .
    • Arcane Resistance : Reduces the chance you will be hit by Arcane spells by 2%.
    • Engineering Specialist : 15 point skill bonus to Engineering (note, this also raises the cap by 15 at each level of Engineering).
    • Shortblade Specialization : Expertise with Daggers and One-Handed Swords increased by 3. 
  • Assessment
    • Mediocre. The only thing we care about here is the mana pool increase by 5%. It’s a nice little bonus, and- while not being the best in the game- is certainly nothing to sneeze at.

• Human
  • Racial Traits
    • Every Man for Himself : Removes all movement impairing effects and all effects which cause loss of control of your character. This effect shares a cooldown with other similar effects, 3 minute cooldown.
    • Diplomacy : Reputation gains increased by 10%.
    • The Human Spirit : Increase spirit by 3%.
    • Mace Specialization : Increases expertise with maces and two-handed maces by 3.
    • Sword Specialization : Increases expertise with swords and two-handed swords by 3.
  • Assessment
    • Good. The Human Spirit is the only real bonus we get here, but the extreme emphasis on mana regen in Cataclysm bumps the human race from Mediocre to Good in my book.

• Night Elf
  • Racial Traits
    • Shadowmeld : Activate to slip into the shadows, reducing the chance for enemies to detect your presence. Lasts until cancelled or upon moving. Any threatis restored versus enemies still in combat upon cancellation of this effect, 2 minute cooldown.
    • Quickness : Reduces the chance that melee and ranged attackers will hit you by 2%.
    • Wisp Spirit : Transform into a wisp upon death, increasing speed by 75%.
    • Elusivesness: Reduces the chance enemies have to detect you while Shadowmelded and increases your speed while stealthed by 5%. Faster stealthed speed added in 
    • Nature Resistance : Reduces the chance you will be hit by Nature spells by 2%.
  • Assessment
    • Mediocre. I play a nelf priest myself, despite the lack of decent racials. The one bonus of nelf priestness is the excellent Shadowmeld, with which you can (with luck) hide in the shadows during a group wipe and rez everyone without the run.
• Worgen
  • Racial Traits
    • Darkflight : Activates your true form, increasing movement speed by 40% for 10 sec. 3 minute cooldown.
    • Viciousness : Increases critical strike chance by 1%.
    • Aberration : Increases your resistance to harmful Nature and Shadow effects by 1.
    • Flayer : Skinning skill increased by 15 and allows you to skin 0.5 seconds faster.
    • Two Forms : Turn into your currently inactive form. 1.5 sec cooldown.
    • Running Wild : Drop to all fours to run as fast as a wild animal. Serves as the worgen “mount”.
  • Assessment
    • Mediocre. The only thing that salvages worgen from poor priest racials is the small increase in Critical Strike… Bbut you know that’s not going to stop us from rolling the baddest priest on the shape-shifting block.