[Theorycraft] Holy Paladin - Light of the Martyr usability

[Meowchan 1]

I've made a video guide explaining the strengths of Light of the Martyr spell, and why I think it's getting a lot of flak unjustifiably. It is referred to as a bad spell only bad Paladins use because they see big numbers on <insert damage meter addon here> that doesn't factor in the damage taken component and shows unrealistic numbers. I am here to make the case that LotM is a good spell that can be successfully used intelligently.

Here is the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTXTfVz-qmE

I use LotM liberally (6-8 times per min) in every encounter. Feel free to ask me any and all questions about it.
I also wrote a sim for Holy Paladins which calculates stat weights for different scenarios and based on your current gear, which I plan on releasing in the future. Consider this a teaser. =)

[Camapal 0]

Hi there,

I have the legendary neckpiece which provides a damage bubble to us. I recently noticed I want taking damage while using martyr, so I tried something in raid. 

I spammed martyr on everyone, showing 600k+ heals every GCD, and used holy shock on myself. Coupled with the bubble effect, I found the results suprising.

This was on H Odyn on trial. I topped the heals meter for the kill, at 340k. Additionally, I was suprised to find my mana pool at 60% at the end of the fight, instead of almost empty after flasking.

This technique definately requires further investigation.

[dRoGyG 0]

Arent you kinda late guys?

The spell is here since the legion has started and u are talking about it just now? Im using Light of martyr since the raiding started, its my 3rd most used spell. I was wondering why others dont use this spell, but its awesome.

You can save a lot of mana with using this spell and everytime u have to move and u need another instant spell instead of holy shock or light of dawn this spell is your choice.

For that Prydaz shield, normally when u dont get any dmg u will not use that shield. But when u use Martyr it use that shield first, that means it goes straight to your healing also.

Btw about healing meter in Details and others it shows like you have higher healing, but you are using your health for that spell. On logs u will se lower healing because (Light of the martyr - your health).

[Moozedude 47]

Sometimes people don't start a class or spec until later in the xpac.  I didn't start taking Holy seriously until a couple months ago (Prot 4 Lyfe).  They can ask the same questions and have the same self-discovery as others, except now all the answers to their questions are buried under a prodigious pile of forum fluff asking a whole lot of the same kinds of already asked questions and individual "fix-me's."  No reason to get insulting.  The sun has been hot since long before we were born, no reason to stop asking why.

The disadvantage of LoTM is it causes damage.  It's a spell hybrid of Holy Shock (insta heal) and Bessing of Sacrifice (transition damage from target to paladin).  The overall healing is relatively low.  However, much can be said for the benefit of moving damage from the target that is taking damage to the healer that isn't.  Obviously, we'll nuke ourselves to death in heavy raidwide damage with LoTM spam, but that's why we cast intelligently instead of having a set rotation.  LoTM isn't necessarily so much a throughput spell as it is a life-saving tool.

Prydaz gives us the option to spam it a bit when we're taking little or no damage.  When the Prydaz shield could possibly expire without being consumed, you can use LoTM to convert those wasted overheals into effective heals.  If you happen to be so unfortunate as to also have Muraad's legendary, it means you can cast LoTM after every Light of Dawn for massive single target heal that does reflect on tank and the negative is absorbed by Prydaz.  I'm not saying this playstyle is a goal, but I can say that if this is the gear you've got, it can be a fun mana-efficient combo.  I took it a step further and talented Divine Purpose and Beacon of the Lightbringer to maximize Light of Dawn and therefore empower LoTM even further.  I'm a novice healer, but I stay competitive on meters, I feel like I save lives, and I have yet to oom with this set up.

[Ancalagon 35]

I love weaving LotM into a rotation, but I only do so under very specific circumstances (and yes, I have Prydaz).

• Is only one target receiving damage?
  • If yes, then feel free to weave LotM into your rotation, but remember that the healing it provides does not transfer to your Beacon target (any version of Beacon).
• If more than one of my non-Beacon targets needs healing, is it safe to move my Beacon?
  • If no, then use LoD.
    • Only use LotM if LoD is on CD.
• Is my Prydaz shield up?
  • If yes, then I know I can spam it 3-4x in an emergency (and only if Shock is on CD).
• Is Shock on CD?
  • If yes, then use LotM for single-target damage mitigation.
• Do I have time to stop moving and cast?
• Does my target have a Beacon?
  • If yes, then use Flash, for the reduced cost.

Seeing as how it is very rare for only one of your healing targets to be receiving damage, it is generally more efficient to use a spell that will transfer to your Beacon target(s).  Yes they use more mana, but not when you weigh the amount actually being healed (and your Beacon target will refund a good portion of the cost of Flash, so using LotM as a tool to save mana doesn't make sense against a Beacon target), it really only makes sense to use LotM in situations that require heavy movement.  Spamming LotM on everyone then using Shock to heal yourself can work, but you are basically negating the point of even using beacons at all (an entire tier of talents, wasted, until you finally heal yourself and transfer some health to your Beacon).

 

I think where most people go wrong is forgetting to transfer their Beacon to where it is needed, rather than treating it like a fire-and-forget ability.  If the tank isn't taking spiky damage, and there is a lot of raid damage going around, feel free to move your Beacon and get the most bang for your buck (to targets you know are about to take consistent damage, due to mechanics).

 

TLDR;
It is always worth using spells that benefit your Beacon target over using LotM.  Even if you are single-target healing, move your Beacon and benefit from mana cost reductions.  LotM is only useful in clutch situations, where high amounts of movement keep you on your toes too often, and for situations where moving your Beacon is too risky.

Edited March 7, 2017 by Ancalagon