tence
Legend
this is not a QQ post, i have no issues with vets. i blame blizzard
paladins at low level lost so much, blizz robbed so much. stuff that should be baseline was made spec specific. some classes are lucky, were blizz will say consecration should only be X-spec, every mage spec has FROST NOVA. or they will take frost armor, still give it to each mage spec renamed/tooltip but still the same, basicly fake pruning.
as a 20 ret, having to go thru GCDs between 3 abilities that have 12 sec CD, 10 sec CD, 6 sec CD, then left with auto attacks, there is little hope when getting range kite spammed by bal/res druids, res shams, arc mage, hunters...no chance. i tried Prot (was good years back) but no luck there, tried holy using LFD to get max vers gear, that made a difference, but still easily globaled. arc mage is back to where they were back in CATA/MOP with a near no GCD between the back and forth cycle of arc bar and arc mis.
even F2P vs F2P, my pal any spec is helpless vs fury wars, res/bal, arc mage, disco, res shams. bubble offers a death delay, and LOH that was lol...moved to 55, is gone. F2P holy pal heals are too slow, so weak other classes cut thru like butter.
i notice that some do really good as holy, but that has a lot to do with the slither/fang set bonuses that were never deactivated or squished. the +18 int. +3 haste is huge these days after 6 years of squishes, as a F2P the way the loot system works in LFD, the only WC piece i would get is the gloves that can drop for anyone. the vets with the WC set, enchants, eng helm, alch flask +11 stats in BG, i can see really helps holy. that being said, many are usually in a minimade and that goes for Vet rets enhanted, who have told me they don't pug...i read that as they have to be with a good team...carried to some degree
it's really hard to roll F2P pals into BGs, i try usually for one daily win to get box then shelf it, same with warlock too, but then go mage, hunter, disco for repeat BGs, that being said i do not even bother with my F2p rogue, that class also robbed, mostly a open and get kited to death
I'm completely with you that paladins have gotten the short end of the stick in recent expansions, but I disagree that they can't do well even as ftp. I rarely roll mini/premades and usually pug as I find it more challenging/I have no friends, and find I am easily able to keep up with other heals. I've had success with ftp sets/restrictions as well, since the numbers arent THAT far off honestly. I can still get a set with about 1.3ish cast speed and prob about 480ish flash of light hits. This can absolutely still work!
Even as vet, ret struggles against kiting/ranged classes. The key to ret is knowing when to engage and when to hold back.
Unfortunately prot is garbage, especially since they took away that shield ability thingy from interrupting spells. Rip
I think even ftp pally can do well and compete with other healers, it just takes good positioning, awareness, and knowing how to fake cast well to succeed.
Once I can get some runs through WC I can start to play some bgs with full ftp sets and start showing what numbers people can expect.