Beat Holy Priest

What they want to do

Guardian Spirit the first person who should have died, Holy Word: Chastise the melee on connect, then Holy Word: Serenity and Prayer of Mending the rest of the Solo Shuffle round. They win if you treat the cheat death as the end of the go and let Psychic Scream resolve on the partner who could peel.

Main danger

Guardian Spirit making the first kill fake, plus Holy Word: Chastise locking the melee so Psychic Scream actually lands. Holy Word: Serenity is the instant top that makes a Low-threat healer look finished if you stop hitting.

Interrupt priority

1. 1 Psychic Scream

   Kick Psychic Scream first. A free fear on the partner who could peel is a 2v1 while Guardian Spirit eats the kill. Spread, then dispel if it lands.

2. 1 Mind Control if talented

   If you see the cast, kick Mind Control instead of Psychic Scream. A mind-controlled melee is a lost round. Break line of sight if you cannot interrupt.

3. 2 Holy Word: Chastise

   Kick it if you see a cast. Instant Holy Word: Chastise cannot be interrupted — do not gap-close without a plan, and do not hold this kick while Psychic Scream is coming.

4. 3 Heal / Flash Heal / Holy Word: Serenity

   Hard casts only, and only when Psychic Scream and Holy Word: Chastise are not in play. Holy Word: Serenity is often instant — stun or silence them before they press it, or the target is full.

Watch for

• Guardian Spirit on the first kill of the round is a cheat death — keep hitting, then press offensive cooldowns again after it resolves.
• Holy Word: Chastise on the melee the moment you connect, then Psychic Scream on the partner who could peel. Spread, then dispel.
• Desperate Prayer as they leave a stun, then Holy Word: Serenity the partner. Stun them before Serenity, or that target is full.
• Prayer of Mending plus Holy Word: Sanctify overlapping so your second dump heals for nothing. Strip Prayer of Mending if you can.

Offensive cooldowns

• Prayer of Mending. The bounce ramp. Strip it if you have a magic dispel. A fresh Prayer of Mending set is why the round looks stable after Guardian Spirit.
• Holy Word: Sanctify / Circle of Healing. Area stabilize. They press this when you cleave. Do not clump to make it free. Spread after a stun.
• Heal / Flash Heal. Hard-cast topping. This is what you interrupt after Psychic Scream and Holy Word: Chastise are down. Do not spend the kick on Flash Heal while fear is coming.
• Divine Hymn. Channeled team heal. Interrupt or hard crowd-control. Do not melee the channel and assume Low threat means they cannot stall the round.
• Symbol of Hope. Cooldown refund, not a defensive. Keep hitting — they pressed this so the next Guardian Spirit comes back sooner. Finish before it returns.

Defensive cooldowns

• Guardian Spirit. Cheat death on an ally. The first kill is fake. Purge it if you can; otherwise keep hitting and press again after it resolves. Do not stop.
• Desperate Prayer. Self heal. Keep light pressure unless Guardian Spirit is also on them. This is their personal heal, not an external on a partner.
• Fade. Threat and damage drop. Do not recast instantly; they used it to step out of a stun, then Holy Word: Serenity the partner you just left. Re-target the same kill.
• Holy Word: Serenity. Instant emergency heal. You often cannot interrupt it. Stun or silence before they press, or the target is full. This is the button after Guardian Spirit.
• Divine Hymn. Channel. Interrupt or crowd-control. Sit only if Guardian Spirit is also rolling. Otherwise this is a kick, not a stop.

Crowd control

• Holy Word: Chastise
• Psychic Scream
• Mind Control if talented
• Leap of Faith

Dispels

• Guardian Spirit is a magic buff — purge it if you have a purge. If you cannot, play through and hit them again.
• Psychic Scream is magic. Dispel the fear on the partner who could peel, not a Prayer of Mending on the priest.

Mobility

Fade, Angelic Feather if talented, Leap of Faith. They are not fast. The peel is Holy Word: Chastise and Psychic Scream, not a dash. Leap of Faith yanks a partner off your stun or throws someone into the clump for Psychic Scream. Do not over-chase a Fade around a pillar.

Kill windows

• After Guardian Spirit is burned and Desperate Prayer is already used
• Holy Word: Serenity on cooldown and they are in the open without Fade
• After a wasted Holy Word: Chastise or a kicked Psychic Scream / Mind Control

When to run

Swap or sit only when Guardian Spirit is on the target and Holy Word: Chastise has the melee locked with Psychic Scream on the partner who could peel. Break line of sight on the fear. Do not stack.

When to attack

Go again after Guardian Spirit is burned and Desperate Prayer is used. Best if Holy Word: Serenity is on cooldown and they wasted Holy Word: Chastise. Finish the round — do not respect a dead Guardian Spirit.

Common tricks

• Guardian Spirit is the first kill of every round. Stopping there is how a Low-threat spec farms you.
• They Holy Word: Chastise the connecting melee, then Psychic Scream the partner who could peel. Your damage looks like it is working until nobody can hit the priest.
• Fade is not a defensive. They Fade the stun so you retarget, then Holy Word: Serenity the partner you just left. Stay on the same kill.

Common mistakes against them

• Stopping your go after Guardian Spirit cheats death.
• Kicking Flash Heal instead of Psychic Scream.
• Clumping for fear as they press Guardian Spirit.
• Waiting for an external wall that never comes, and never pressing the second go.