WP melee question

[Rydiak]

I've also played around with different melee healing and hybrid builds.

Basically you have 2 options:

1) salvation/grace:
Spec salvation (group hot, absorb shield) and grace (better melee heals tactic, sigmars shield, maybe even wounds buff). You can run with 1h+book, willpower/cast-healer equip and swap between casted heals and your melee heal (Sigmars Radiance). Because you are hybrid spec, either heal is super-strong, but you can heal non-stop. Once you run out of RF, use the melee heal instead. Once you run out of AP, use the casted heals instead. No viable target near? Spam casted heals. "Divine Assault" is useless in this build because you have very low strength and use no damage-increasing tactics.
Biggest problem of that spec: You have to be at the frontline (or at least close to it), but you lack aoe detaunt.

I am having a HUGE amount of success with a build very similar to this in pug SCs and ORvR, though for premade SCs I'd still recommend the traditional Salvation/Wrath build with AoE detaunt for most players. My only difference to you, Snoxx, is I wear traditional Grace gear (3 piece Dom, 3 piece Merc, Genesis) but I add 3 piece Beastlord and slot Discipline and pot Willpower, but do NOT slot Divine Fury nor Fanaticism. You can add more Beastlord if you like for the Willpower bonus (and the Parry Strikethrough is nice for landing Sigmar's Radiance), though I prefer the higher Strength.

Individually, your melee heals will be less than full Grace and your casted heals less than full Salvation, but you keep Pious Restoration and Healing Hands constantly rolling while you hit stuff in melee range (stay with the melee train, but a couple steps behind) and output MORE total healing. In situations too dangerous for melee range you spam cast Touch of the Divine and keep your RF topped off with Smite. Use Divine Light for pushes (if you've specced for it), and keep Divine Mend on cooldown when not in melee range.

I cannot imagine going back to traditional Grace/Wrath after running this build. There is never a situation where you feel completely useless, and my healing output is always top. As stated though, there is added danger in going into melee range as a priority target (healer), and the build shines best in the presence of other melee teammates. Spec your Renown into Parry, Deft Defender, Futile Strikes/Initiative, and Wounds. You can also spec into Strength, though I'd say there is a minimum amount of tankiness you want to reach first before speccing offense.

Hybrid Grace

[Snoxx]

I played a spec very similar to the one you describe, and yes it was a big success in pug SCs. But once you face a proper premade, you die a quick and sudden death.

With my regular grace/wrath build I can survive most of these attacks thanks to aoe detaunt. I try to keep the enemy pain train detaunted at all times, so my groupmates have time to react and save me once I get focused.

What I didn't like about the salvation/grace hybrid build was the mobility issues. You have to stop moving once you cast heals (TotD and Divine Mend). This makes it really difficult to follow your assist train around. With a traditional grace/wrath spec I can keep moving all the time. This fits my playstyle better. I have more success playing grace/wrath.

I even tried running a grace/wrath spec using the dps versions of 1h+book. Ability damage is lower, but the difference isn't too bad. What becomes really, really low is the autoattack damage, but since my main goal is maximizing healing output and survival, this is a non-issue. Anyway, I can't run the autoattack tactic because the aoe detaunt tactic is more important, so I end up with: Divine Fury, Fanaticism, Grace of Sigmar, Intimidating Repent.

Using 1h+book as a melee WP has two benefits. First, managing your RF pool becomes much easier, you have more RF for Divine Assault and Sigmars Shield. Second, the enemy team will never, ever disarm you. You get silenced all the time (and wont even notice it), giving you permanent immunity against disarm. *g*

[Rydiak]

It's a very solid pug build, that's for sure.

https://i.imgur.com/qQ6gAFN.jpg