Mistweaver Monk Mid-Expansion Retrospective - Hero Talents, Current Issues & Season 3 Wishlist

Posted 2025/05/15 at 4:42 AM by JuneMW

Mid-Expansion Retrospectives & Season 3 Wishlists

Blood DK
Frost DK
Unholy DK
Vengeance DH

Havoc DH
Balance Druid
Feral Druid
Guardian Druid
Restoration Druid
Augmentation Evoker
Devastation Evoker
Preservation Evoker
Beast Mastery Hunter
Marksmanship Hunter
Survival Hunter
Arcane Mage
Fire Mage
Frost Mage
Brewmaster Monk
Mistweaver Monk
Windwalker Monk
Holy Paladin
Protection Paladin
Retribution Paladin
Discipline Priest
Holy Priest
Shadow Priest
Assassination Rogue
Outlaw Rogue
Subtlety Rogue
Elemental Shaman
Enhancement Shaman
Restoration Shaman
Affliction Warlock
Demonology Warlock

Destruction Warlock
Arms Warrior

Fury Warrior
Protection Warrior

Our Class Writers share their expert opinions based on rigorous testing and theorycrafting in hopes of contextualizing the changes coming in future patches of the War Within. Check out all of our released articles in our Editorial Section.

Wowhead Editorials

Mistweaver Monk in The War Within So Far DragonflightincredibleThe War WithinDragonflightThe War WithinThe War WithinCoalescenceCelestial ConduitRenewing MistUnity WithinHeart of the Jade SerpentInvoke Yu'lon, the Jade SerpentJade BondSoothing BreathEnveloping MistVivifyRenewing MistZen Pulsesquare-root scalingInvigorating MistsDragonflightJadefire StompAncient ConcordanceInvoke Chi-Ji, the Red CraneAncient TeachingsJade EmpowermentRushing Wind KickRushing Wind KickRising Sun KickRising Sun KickRising MistBroodtwister Ovi'naxBlackout KickJade BondInvoke Chi-Ji, the Red CraneJade BondEnveloping MistCelestial HarmonyJade EmpowermentBlackout KickWay of the CraneAncient ConcordanceAncient TeachingsInvoke Chi-Ji, the Red CraneBlackout KickInvoke Chi-Ji, the Red CraneJadefire TeachingsInvoke Yu'lon, the Jade SerpentRushing Wind KickJade EmpowermentShaohao's LessonsextremelyAncient TeachingsRushing Wind Kick Current Isses for Mistweaver Monk Enveloping MistChi HarmonyEnveloping BreathCoalescenceMending ProliferationneedingEnveloping MistSoothing MistShadowlandsInvoke Chi-Ji, the Red CraneCelestial HarmonyEnveloping MistEnveloping MistStrength of the Black OxMisty PeaksMastery: Gust of MistsRevivalInvoke Chi-Ji, the Red CraneJadefire StompJadefire TeachingsInvigorating MistsInvoke Chi-Ji, the Red CranejustJade BondResplendent MistInvoke Chi-Ji, the Red CraneEnveloping MistInvoke Chi-Ji, the Red CraneEnveloping BreathHouse of CardsBlackout KickEnveloping Mist Mistweaver Monk Hero Talents: Conduit of the Celestials vs. Master of HarmonyCoalescence Conduit of the CelestialsUnity WithinCelestial ConduitHeart of the Jade SerpentRenewing MistStrength of the Black OxEnveloping MistTemple TrainingXuen's Guidance Master of HarmonyWay of a Thousand StrikesCoalescenceHarmonic GambitAncient TeachingsClosing Thoughts Season 3 Mistweaver Monk WishlistDragonflightRenewing MistChi HarmonyEnveloping BreathVivifydiminished-past-five-targetInvigorating MistsZen PulseRenewing MistInvigorating MistsZen PulseRushing Jade WindRenewing MistRenewing MistfewerZen PulseThunder Focus TeaDeep ClarityDragonflightAncient TeachingsNymueAmirdrassil, the Dream's HopeInvoke Yu'lon, the Jade Serpent

Comment by fillwUnfortunately, scaling for monk almost doesn’t exist (probably the formulas are really messed up), and while at the start of the season he was really good, getting higher ilvl gives him almost nothing. In addition, several nerfs have greatly lowered this class’s DPS, and as a result, also its HPS, because after the mastery nerf, playing with Jadefire Teachings is almost required. Yes, he still does top1 DPS among all healers, but he has huge problems with healing big damage.
Also, the requirement to play in melee and stay on the mob is extremely difficult in some situations when we are taking a lot of damage (avoiding or even moving away from the mob blocks our HPS…). I think monk could be reasonable again if his healing was boosted by about 10-20%, but this would only move the problem two key levels higher. I would expect that if you play with mastery, then mastery should be topping the healing, not doing only 10% of the overall HPS.Comment by SansieUnfortunately, scaling for monk almost doesn’t exist (probably the formulas are really messed up), and while at the start of the season he was really good, getting higher ilvl gives him almost nothing. In addition, several nerfs have greatly lowered this class’s DPS, and as a result, also its HPS, because after the mastery nerf, playing with Jadefire Teachings is almost required. Yes, he still does top1 DPS among all healers, but he has huge problems with healing big damage.
Also, the requirement to play in melee and stay on the mob is extremely difficult in some situations when we are taking a lot of damage (avoiding or even moving away from the mob blocks our HPS…). I think monk could be reasonable again if his healing was boosted by about 10-20%, but this would only move the problem two key levels higher. I would expect that if you play with mastery, then mastery should be topping the healing, not doing only 10% of the overall HPS.Comment by fillwUnfortunately, scaling for monk almost doesn’t exist (probably the formulas are really messed up), and while at the start of the season he was really good, getting higher ilvl gives him almost nothing. In addition, several nerfs have greatly lowered this class’s DPS, and as a result, also its HPS, because after the mastery nerf, playing with Jadefire Teachings is almost required. Yes, he still does top1 DPS among all healers, but he has huge problems with healing big damage.
Also, the requirement to play in melee and stay on the mob is extremely difficult in some situations when we are taking a lot of damage (avoiding or even moving away from the mob blocks our HPS…). I think monk could be reasonable again if his healing was boosted by about 10-20%, but this would only move the problem two key levels higher. I would expect that if you play with mastery, then mastery should be topping the healing, not doing only 10% of the overall HPS.Comment by SaintEchoThe healing amps are necessary to make us balanced in both raid and m+. If you trimmed them down and buffed the base healing we would be broken in raid. The playstyle is definitely harder than other healers in m+ needing to be in melee and pre ramping damage (or constantly ramping for rot) with a lot of min max potential. But thats what draws me to mw. Anyone saying our healing isn't good is just not playing properlyComment by PlaidiatorI think is great how you can choose to heal by fighting and get the bonus damage along with it but have to avoid damage/move around more or you can choose to be a normal caster healer and stay safe depending on the fight. So many great choices and the fantasy is awesome with all the different types of mist flowing into each other. One of my favorite healing specs!Comment by PlaggyMaybe you should get someone to write the monk overview who actually still plays the game and understands what's going on. June STILL crap talking Master of Harmony shows how blatantly out of touch they are. Top monks in keys were basically ALL running MoH while June was still out there calling it useless bugged garbage because they couldn't be bothered to play the game.

Also for the love of god don't implement those ideas. June has no idea what is good for the class, what is fun to play, or what it even currently feels like to play the class. They need to stop, or you need to stop hosting them. One or the other. Surely you can find someone else whom has at least logged in once this expansion to write these.Comment by BlairbearUnfortunately, scaling for monk almost doesn’t exist (probably the formulas are really messed up), and while at the start of the season he was really good, getting higher ilvl gives him almost nothing. In addition, several nerfs have greatly lowered this class’s DPS, and as a result, also its HPS, because after the mastery nerf, playing with Jadefire Teachings is almost required. Yes, he still does top1 DPS among all healers, but he has huge problems with healing big damage.
Also, the requirement to play in melee and stay on the mob is extremely difficult in some situations when we are taking a lot of damage (avoiding or even moving away from the mob blocks our HPS…). I think monk could be reasonable again if his healing was boosted by about 10-20%, but this would only move the problem two key levels higher. I would expect that if you play with mastery, then mastery should be topping the healing, not doing only 10% of the overall HPS.Comment by westomoprestoI just want DF MW back tbh
$%^&s so complicated now, and alternative builds essentially dont existComment by Raven1172Maybe you should get someone to write the monk overview who actually still plays the game and understands what's going on. June STILL crap talking Master of Harmony shows how blatantly out of touch they are. Top monks in keys were basically ALL running MoH while June was still out there calling it useless bugged garbage because they couldn't be bothered to play the game.

Also for the love of god don't implement those ideas. June has no idea what is good for the class, what is fun to play, or what it even currently feels like to play the class. They need to stop, or you need to stop hosting them. One or the other. Surely you can find someone else whom has at least logged in once this expansion to write these.Comment by KioskaraI couldn't agree less with a large majority of what has been said here as a career, CE Mistweaver main since Shadowlands.Comment by jaritsuMastery is hilariously overlooked as MW. I think I'm at 310% unbuffed currently, and it procs for anything around 700k to 4mil with my build. I use a build I call "oops, all gusts" in fact. Where really the point of any spell is to simply proc gusts of mists. Here's an example of a 12 mechagon I just ran:

https://imgur.com/a/Jr9kboJ

My current build (I change it around a bit) is this:
C4QACdq2zyOHcHaPcZ/HhhelgDAAAAAAAADLMDstxMzMzG2WWmthtZZ2WWmZWWYMNzYswMMDzYmlZmBMAzyMBAAAAYWmWmtZWmNLzyysNzMBBAWA

You play it similarly to a renewing mist build, but really, everything is there in service of proccing gusts. Tap renewing mists on a target, extra 1.2 mil gust. Send a vivify? 2.4mil gust. etc. Rushing wind kick sends out 2 free gusts. If things hit the fan, I press Chi Ji and either: RJW, BOK, or spinning crane. I'll get 5 or 6 5x-gust procs for up to 4mil each gust. Trivializes things.

I played a similar style last expac, where it was even more hilarious once you learned that Essence Font DOUBLED your incoming gust procs.

I also use a melee build I call stompweaving, because I'm constantly bumping stomp for like 5-20 mil in heals from the gust procs.

Gust of mists rules, it's hilariously OP and then simultaneous completely ignored.Comment by JaidalynMastery is hilariously overlooked as MW. I think I'm at 310% unbuffed currently, and it procs for anything around 700k to 4mil with my build. I use a build I call "oops, all gusts" in fact. Where really the point of any spell is to simply proc gusts of mists. Here's an example of a 12 mechagon I just ran:

https://imgur.com/a/Jr9kboJ

My current build (I change it around a bit) is this:
C4QACdq2zyOHcHaPcZ/HhhelgDAAAAAAAADLMDstxMzMzG2WWmthtZZ2WWmZWWYMNzYswMMDzYmlZmBMAzyMBAAAAYWmWmtZWmNLzyysNzMBBAWA

You play it similarly to a renewing mist build, but really, everything is there in service of proccing gusts. Tap renewing mists on a target, extra 1.2 mil gust. Send a vivify? 2.4mil gust. etc. Rushing wind kick sends out 2 free gusts. If things hit the fan, I press Chi Ji and either: RJW, BOK, or spinning crane. I'll get 5 or 6 5x-gust procs for up to 4mil each gust. Trivializes things.

I played a similar style last expac, where it was even more hilarious once you learned that Essence Font DOUBLED your incoming gust procs.

I also use a melee build I call stompweaving, because I'm constantly bumping stomp for like 5-20 mil in heals from the gust procs.

Gust of mists rules, it's hilariously OP and then simultaneous completely ignored.Comment by jaritsu

If you're DPSing non stop with that build and using Crane Style then most of that gusts healing is from RSK and BoK which is just maintenance healing similar to AT (ignoring Chi-Ji). I try out stacking mastery almost every m+ season since legion. It was alright in DF but overkill after S1. In TWW S1 it was also my top healing spell by a long shot but again it was all maintenance healing and didn't provide enough of a boost to make vivify feel good enough to quickly top someone. This is ignoring healing amps because if you're playing around the healing amps correctly then stacking mastery for m+ is overkill, you'd likely get equal benefit (ignoring chi-ji) with any other stat and whatever that stat is would boost the only real reason to bring a MW to a key (their damage) and it will boost their maintenence healing as well as stacked mastery would.

I was really hype about Crane Style last season so I tried stacking mastery with a full AT build. My hope was that it'd allow me to heal through say medium-ish healing requirements by just DPSing but it really didn't feel any different even though AT and Crane Style gusts were eclipsing everything else on details. It feels exactly the same to me this season, just a boost to maintenance healing but we just don't need it. Now how godly stacking mastery makes Chi-Ji is a different story but you don't need too much to make Chi-Ji great. I'd argue that getting the 20% haste talent is at least equal but perhaps even a bigger boost for chi-ji than 2x Resplendent Mists.

I'm guessing you're playing some ranged build though but even still I just don't think mastery provides that much more value than something else. For example, if you still need 2+ vivifys to get someone that's low to a safe HP then it doesn't change anything. If you need enveloping mist and/or chi harmony on a target for vivify to top them then it's using the same buttons and amount of gcds to get the same result you would if you weren't stacking mastery.

I think SL with the AT legendary was the peak of stacking mastery because you'd always have EF out so you never had to use TFT on EF to quickly heal burst damage. But it felt so good to stack haste and mastery in Legion/BFA then I think crit/mastery in SL because of fallen order CDR. I swear it made MW the greatest #$%^ty pug group healer to ever exist. It was always far and above the best m+ stat but after legion it stopped getting recommended until S1 DF because it didn't boost our pathetic damage. Nowadays though it's just not that great outside of chi-ji, doesn't often enough save you any GCDs, and it can't bail you out of a tough situation anymore.

Edit: I just noticed that you linked the build. It's definitely a build. Assuming my math is right then you channeled soothing mist for almost 6 minutes in the key, and that's assuming that the statue is down at all times so it could be longer. 180 casts of enveloping mist too. I think it's overkill if you're relying on amps anyway. Just my opinion.https://imgur.com/a/xzElFqkComment by PlaggyI dont get why people ignore the glaring problems, just because this amp ridden spec is working in some way.
The fact that Revival can heal for between 1,5 and 5 Million depending on your amps is hillarious, cause its a ^&*!ing groupwide emergency spell and it should not rely on people having amps when you need it. Cause there will be situations were one does not have any amp cause of bad luck and then Revival just does nothing to him while it tops everybody else...thats not how a healer and such a major CD should be designed at all...
And no, the fact that its fun to play MW is not an argument against prunning of amps...
You can ask literally any of the high end M+ players and most of them will agree on it. Cause you need reliability on Keys and not a !@#$ load of amps
At least Chi Harmony, Mending Proliferation and the amp portion of Aspect of Harmony just have to go. And maybe even Breath... Either replace it with simpler versions or just get rid of them and buff baseline spells accordingly. The playstyle would not even change, but it would make it more streamlined and less dependand on randomly spreading amps...Comment by ValestriToo Many Healing Amplifying Effects?

I don't agree. This is why I love and have played Mistweaver forever.
The ability to choose whether you wanna funnel the tank with all the talents that allow you to do that is great.

I love using Soothing Mist, and if that's not enough, I add Enveloping Mist, if that's not enough I use Vivify, if that's not enough, I add a talented Renewing Mist that doesn't leave target for 8 sec, and increase healing.
And if all of these are not enough, I have extra healing on targets I heal with soothing Mist.

I love this whole playstyle contra spamming Flash Heal.

Don't you @#$n dare go on a crusading rampage to get this ruined for me.
Stay in your own lane, and play the other healers.

Mistweaver is the best it has ever been.