Levitate

Levitate is a level 28 priest utility spell that allows the target to levitate, reducing the rate of fall and allowing on-foot travel over water and water-like surfaces. Levitate cannot be cast upon mounted targets, and mounting will cancel the effect, as will any damage.

Although not obviously the most useful of spells, players have found a wide variety of uses for Levitate, be it in combat, for traveling or simply for entertainment.

General tips

 * Unlike the mage spell Slow Fall (ability), riding is not possible while levitating.
 * in areas where flying is prohibited, such as battlegrounds, Levitate can be used to cross great distances by launching oneself off of a cliff or edge. Although casting Levitate will dismount mounted players, as the movement speed of a falling character is determined by his speed when he begins to fall, by casting Levitate immediately after riding (as opposed to running) off of a cliff or edge, the total distance traveled by the falling player can be increased proportionately, allowing the priest to reach more distant destinations, or simply providing a greater lead on his pursuers.
 * In situations where mounting is not possible (such as while in combat, or indoor areas) the Body and Soul and Angelic Feather talents can be used to provide a similar benefit to users of Levitate. As with mounted players, increased movement speed will increase the distance traveled proportionately (in this case up to 160% run speed). Other speed buffs can of course be used to similar effect.
 * Although instant-cast, like all spells players may notice a slight delay between casting Levitate and it taking effect, due to server lag. In situations where timing is critical, players must be careful to take this into account.
 * Priests can still cast instant-cast spells while falling. This can be particularly useful when levitating down in battlegrounds such as Arathi Basin. Levitating priests can sometimes cast several offensive or defensive spells in the time it takes for them to reach the ground.
 * Players can cast Levitate mid-fall. This allows priests to jump from high edges without hesitation or preparation, provided they subsequently cast Levitate in time. As any damage will cancel levitation, speedy mid-fall casting can be more reliable than preemptive casting when escaping attackers, especially when the global cooldown is taken into account. Additionally, by waiting until the last moment to cast Levitate, players can save time that levitating would otherwise take floating slowly to the ground.
 * Players can also cancel Levitate mid-fall. This can save time spent waiting to land, especially once the remaining fall distance is not of concern. Be advised however that the priest may fall the remaining distance rather more rapidly than would normally be the case.
 * As with the mage spell Slow Fall (ability), while Levitate is mostly self-cast, it is possible to levitate an entire group of players, allowing for some novel tactics. However, compared to Slow Fall's 30 second duration, the 10 minute duration of Levitate makes group levitation (especially long distance) much more achievable.
 * If being used to negate fall damage while falling from a great height, the reduced fall speed will increase the horizontal distance traveled and the landing place will be quite far from the cliff. This effect can be minimized by casting the spell mid-fall.
 * Conversely, this extended horizontal distance can be used to reach places that normally a player would be unable to get to. This may not be particularly practical, but it can lead to some interesting locations.
 * Be aware that losing the Levitate buff (such as when taking damage) will cause the levitating character to drop back to earth. This drop will break any spells or abilities being cast or channeled at that time.
 * In situations where flying is prohibited (such as battlegrounds) Levitate allows travel across bodies of water at full run speed, as opposed to the usually slower swim speed. Body and Soul and Angelic Feather allow an even greater advantage.
 * When flight is not an option (such as in Tol Barad Peninsula) Levitation can be useful for gathering underwater herbs. Levitate allows you to traverse the water much more quickly than swimming (especially with Inner Will) and swimming will not remove the buff. Simply direct your character down into the water in order to gather the herbs, and return to the surface afterwards.
 * Allows the priest to fish in the middle of larger bodies of water.
 * Allows the priest to eat and drink on water.

PvP uses

 * Levitate is a wonderful way to escape from other players by running to the nearest cliff or body of water. This strategy is particularly effective when escaping gankers on PvP servers. However, it is possible for attackers to cancel your Levitate buff by dispelling it or simply by causing damage to you. Luckily it is possible to re-cast Levitate while falling; when afflicted by DoTs it is recommended to wait until the last minute before re-casting.
 * Levitate can be used to prevent fall damage from being punted (suffering knockback) over an edge by other players.
 * Using Levitate, it is possible to launch an aerial attack upon players on flying mounts mid-air (on PvP servers). By positioning oneself above the target, Levitate provides opportunity to cast several instant-cast spells in the time taken to fall past him. Any attempt at retaliation by the target will dismount him, causing him to fall.
 * In situations where flying is prohibited (such as battlegrounds) Levitate allows full run speed (as opposed to swim speed) while traversing bodies of water. This can allow the priest to reach locations more quickly, and can also be used to pursue shaman (using Water Walking), death knights (using Path of Frost) and druids (in their aquatic form). If your target is swimming at the unbuffed swim speed, you will be able to catch up to them. Speed buffs such as Inner Will and Angelic Feather can be useful when pursuing players in this way.
 * When Levitating players, don't forget to re-cast it should they take damage.

Specific locations

 * Arathi Basin:
 * The Lumber Mill (LM): The cliffs at the LM present an excellent opportunity for using Levitate. This can serve one of two functions: To escape, saving the priest's life; or to allow rapid travel to the Blacksmith (BS). This latter option can be especially useful when the BS is need of assistance, allowing the priest (and potentially his allies) to arrive more quickly, and without the possibility of interception by opposing players. This maneuver is best attempted from riding (as described above); unmounted players will not usually be able to reach the BS itself. If mounting is not possible (such as when already in combat) the attempt is best made from the optimum edge of the cliffs with an aim to land either upon the ramp leading up from the lake (nearer the Stables) or the bridge (nearer the Farm); making use of speed boosts (such as Body and Soul or Angelic Feather, see above) will make unmounted attempts far more effective. With a little practice (and careful aiming) this can be used to great effect.
 * It is also possible when levitating from the LM, to land in the tree by the BS. For healers and ranged DPS this may be quite useful, as players may be unaware of your presence, and melee classes will be unable to reach you. Much of the BS is still within range from this position.
 * Failing to optimize your levitation can also lead to landing just left of the tree, below the main body of the BS. In order to ascend from this spot follow the curve of the hill to the left. However, it is possible to heal and attack most targets from this position, and the priest may be partly protected from retaliation due to the lower elevation and partly obscured vision of this spot.
 * The Gold Mine (GM): Priests traveling the road above the GM can of course use Levitate to escape their attackers. An even greater use is to launch a rescue (or surprise attack) operation from above, saving vital seconds normally spent reaching the GM by foot (or the sizable amount of health lost jumping directly down). When levitating down into battle, the priest has ample opportunity to cast mid-fall, potentially saving lives and turning the tide of a battle.
 * The Lake: By using the riding technique described above, priests can travel much more quickly from the BS to the Farm (or other locations). When traveling from certain locations (particularly the Stables), Levitate can also be used to cross the central lake and access the BS more quickly.
 * Twin Peaks:
 * The water entrance to the Horde base offers an excellent opportunity for the use of Levitate. Levitating players can traverse the water at full run speed, while their opponents (unless using similar abilities) will have to swim, allowing the player to gain a significant lead on their pursuers, or to rapidly catch up to their target. Levitating players with run-speed buffs will gain an even greater lead.
 * Horde flag carriers returning to their base (or Alliance players seeking to intercept returning Horde flag carriers) can also use Levitate to cross the water around the eastern side of the base, saving the time normally spent traversing it. This can be particularly effective in preventing pursuit by opposing players, who, unless using similar buffs, will have to either swim or go around the water.
 * When riding down from the mid-field Horde graveyard, priests heading toward the Alliance base can levitate most of the way across the river that crosses the battleground, avoiding the slower swim that is normally necessary, although re-mounting will probably be required once the other side is reached.
 * When simply crossing the river, it may still be faster to levitate than swim. This is most significant when attempting to reach a target just on the other side of the river (as no time needs to be spent re-mounting after crossing) and allows the priest to reach their target slightly faster. This is best performed by self-casting Levitate at the peak of a mounted leap across the river.
 * Levitate can be used while traversing the cliffs and drops near the Alliance base, preventing fall damage, easing travel and providing opportunities to escape pursuers, or at least force them to take fall damage themselves. This is particularly useful when cast upon your team's flag carrier, allowing them to take the most direct route home without taking damage.
 * Levitate can be used in Eye of the Storm at the start of the battle in order to save the health normally lost jumping down from the start area. Used in conjunction with the riding technique described above, this can allow the priest to outstrip most if not all of the players riding mounts and to arrive with full health.
 * Levitate can be used to negate effects used by certain bosses, such as fall damage from being lifted into the air or certain ground-based AoE effects . Certain ground hazards such as fire may also be avoidable using Levitate.

Trivia

 * In the Stonecore dungeon priests can use Levitate to protect players from the Quake ability of Crystalspawn Giants. This effect may be a reference to the Float spell from the Final Fantasy series, which made party members immune to the Quake spell in the game.