Icecrown Previews - (Tauren) Steaks Seared to Perfection
September 9, 2010
There are few better feelings in World of Warcraft than watching as huge numbers fill my screen. As a Discipline Priest, I typically only see big green numbers spammed all over the place. In PvP and dire-need situations, I have had to multitask by bringing the hurt while delivering support to my groups. My only option for AoE damage was a sound mashing of Holy Nova, executed while hoping to not get cleaved by something nasty and jumping around the general vicinity of my allies.
Everything changed with Wrath of the Lich King. My mind was blown when Priests were given access to a new trainable spell available to all specs: Mind Sear. Finally, Priests have a ranged AoE that nukes everything within thirty yards of their targets. Mind Sear is an useful channeled spell that makes all Priests more useful in multiple-target situations. Shadow uses this as a staple when DPSing a cluster of enemies, and healers have the option of cooking up mobs during support downtime. The sheer awesomeness of this spell inspired me to spec Shadow for a time, much to the chagrin of those whom rely on me as a consistent and skilled healer. I was amazed at the DPS I racked up during trash pulls in groups and while nuking graveyard campers in battlegrounds. I would run around Alterac Valley and launch myself into the heated zerg scuffles instead of skirting around them. Huge numbers were exploding everywhere and making me beam with pride. It was enough to make me desire to remain Shadow -- until threatened with the wrath of my friends and guildies, that is.
The Trading Card Game grew to meet the AoE needs of Priest deck devotees by granting them access to this ability. Staying true to the channeled nature of the spell, Mind Sear deals two points of damage to each opposing hero and ally when it enters play and continues to dish out the deeps with ongoing damage. Unlike Holy Nova, this card does not have a spec requirement to play this ability, keeping Mind Sear as a baseline ability in the Trading Card Game.
Mind Sear is designed to coordinate with a Discard Priest deck. This ability will consistently award Priests for keeping their opponents empty-handed. The opponent has two (non) choices: play the freshly drawn ally and watch it die or eventually lose the card to one of your many discard abilities. The ongoing damage will help compensate for hand replenishment issues Priests have had in the past by delivering a constant stream of hurt to all opponents, making even high health targets easy prey. Get this out as quickly as possible to start stacking damage on the opposing hero and have better control over allies he or she manages to put into play.
Due to the ownage status of this card, it is sure to be a staple in Discard Priest decks. If your battlegrounds have been infested by opposing allies, try swapping a few Mind Sears into your deck to bring the pain.
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