HealerTwink $

My Disc Priest has reached the time in her career where she's just about out grown her BOA gear. Last night, she reached level 78. In every other expansion, the last two expansions (58, 68), she seamlessly jumped into the next expansion dungeons. Cataclysm changed that and she'll be stuck leveling the final two in the Wrath dungeons.

Up until last night, I had been trying to figure out what she was going to wear upon hitting 80. I was even thinking that I should invest in the Priest tier-10 gear available in Dalaran. See 5 of my pieces of gear have stuck around since level 15 and I haven't really thought about what to wear.

1. Chest
2. Shoulders (quit wearing those about 2 levels ago)
3. Main hand
4. Trinket 1
5. Trinket 2

Now, last night, I did a search and amidst the Wrath BOE (ilevel 160 - 180) gear, I spotted a ilevel 300 item that I could use. Yes! Cataclysm gear that my level 78 Disc could use. (Can I start go to Hyjal??) Run over to Orgrimmar, wander around the cata quest givers. Nothing. Checking forums, you need to be level 80 to start questing in Hyjal or Vashjir. :-|

Ok, how about this. Take Elk, out to Vashjir and start killing things. Grab every BOE piece of cloth gear and forward it to my priest. Should be really easy. Nice demo warlock AOE and everyone would be 4-7 levels lower than him. Unfortunately, after a quick peek at Wowhead it appears that my list of available upgrades is (really) short. There is the only the Mismantle series, which looks to contain one of everything, but the average drop rate, looks to be less than 1%.

So? Buy the best deals off the AH, but leave the actual gear acquisition until 80 when I can start, erk, questing with her. I guess that is a good thing, because she needs the rep. Looking back at her Wrath rep score card:

it is pretty dismal. The only group that really LOVES her is the goblins and that's because she championed them in the last few dungeons. Goblin Trike in PVP FTW! (Orgrimmar now, she wants the vendor discounts.) No BOA shoulders, means I can enchant them. So, I am really going to need to get the Therazane rep to get the Cata shoulder enchants. Guild doesn't want a healer that didn't enchant those shoulders.

At approximately 3 hours or 3 dungeons a level, she is quickly approaching the level 80 threshold. Bank alt to possible raid healer. Whew! It's been quite a bit of change for this once despised toon. IMHO, the BOA gear was an excellent investment and this toon's savior. Sure there are a lot of dungeon drops that I could have grabbed along the way, but the advantage of not having to (or being able to) enchant the gear has saved me tons of gold. I've still had to deal with all the non-boa items (head, neck, pants, trinkets) and that alone has cost me plenty.

(Ran a long dungeon chain before this post dropped. Went from high 78 to high level 79.)

end of dungeon chain

turn 2 quests from ZF, then explore zone

Got 82% of 79 completed in 74 minutes.

65 levels with no world questing, grinding or worrying about flight points. Just me and 4 other people running dungeons randomly, but not heroically. (It's the healer queue, so it makes up for dealing with PUGS.) It's been a blast and a great class learning experience. Personally, I think this is the BEST way to level a healer; i.e. healing in a group situations. If all goes well this weekend, she'll be leveling in Hyjal by next week.