1. In my experience up to LoY/LDoN as a shaman, I found that I COULD heal quite effectively and the downtime wasn't too significant with canni and a mount as long as people (with exception of the tank) weren't wanting a full suit of buffs.
As a shaman solo healer at low levels you cannot replace a cleric as a main healer, you can substitute in one's absence but a well twinked tank is going to be a hard time to keep at full health without oom'ing on inefficient heals.
Clerics should be and are the best healers in the game. Druids obviously enjoy the kiting BS that made me never want to play one, and shammies get to kite if they really want to or root-rot. Clerics don't quite have the luxury, and are much more group dependent - which should and does give them the edge over other healers.
If I could pick a healer class to heal my tank, it would have to be a cleric hands down.
a) For the fact that they have the better/more mana efficient heals.
b) Too many uninterested druids/shamans out there who don't WANT to heal or aren't used to doing it, and do a half baked job of it.
Power to the clerics
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