What do we think about priests now?

I still love unexpected heals. Hard to say about the effect on enemy XP/gold since you can't see the numbers anyway.  In my experience people are still generally buying everything up to catapults all at once or in a short period of time.

I'd say they work more as intended now. Instead of going "om nom nom nom" whenever the opposition upgrades, I'm more like "crap, they've started on their creep upgrades already". Increased damage and heal actually makes them sort of useful now. Usually I don't buy them until someone can afford angels though.

Still not a tide-turner (as I think they shouldn't be), but yet another means to keep piling it on when you're ahead and can afford to start riding the creep waves. On big maps with several spawns, they also becomes a long-term threat against towers since you can't cover them all.

Say "good-bye" to Tower Farm complaints.

Good stuff, I'd say.  I've been buying priests early on, and they usually deal some good damage against towers.  I'd have to say the new angels are pretty nice, too.  A few times I've watched them chase down a badly wounded DG, and kill it.  I'd rather have the DG taken out of the game with me getting an assist than no kill at all.

They seem better now, though still nowhere near as good as buying currency 1.

Wow... I really doubt that one...

I haven't been in many games where the team always buys all the upgrades in quick succession.  Frankly, the guys who were like "who the fug just bought priests", don't complain now, so that's a win in my book.  If the changes quiet down those fellas, then I'm happy.  I think it was a good choice to make the change, but I really didn't feel the hurt on many games... just glad the hardcore peeps are happy. 

Priests seem to show up alot more often now. Especially with unclean beast. I dont think ive played a game with one yet where priests were not bought around lvl 9.

I think it will be cool if they ever allow us to upgrade individual reinforcments. Improve priests heal rate etc.

I only jumped in with the 1.1 patch one week ago, and I read a lot of stories where buying priests was actually a bad thing to do. So when the enemy bought early priests one game, I was like 'here comes breakfast!'  Then again, after slaying a few of the priests after focussing on them in particular, I was utterly disappointed in how little it mattered. So the healing they provide is very nice, the gold and XP they grant to their slayer is not grand. I think getting them early is a viable startegy now, as it should be. 

Early priests is definitely worth it now, especially on maps with neutral portal flags.  Priests have always been effective at pushing a lane, and now they no longer cause the defender to push back with epic lewtz. I feel the risk/reward scenario is much tighter.  When on the offensive, picking up priests has been a big help.

I think can safely say that Priests work as intended now. Great change, can;t believe there were so many people argueing against it.

Yep, have no problems upgrading priests early on. Although, I don't think it's as much a tide-turner. It's better used to turn up the heat.

I'll always get currency 1 immediately, but I tend to get priests once my whole team is level 10.

Try preists early, just once, they really add Ummph if you ride the wave of priest filled reinforcements to an enemy DG. Extra damage + healing can really turn the tide.

I think they are great now.   Or well, they are atleast useful, to your own team now.  As others said, if I was on a team where someone bought them I'd shout at them and explain why thats a bad idea.  Now when someone says 'I got priests', I say 'Nice, lets push some towers with em'. 

I'd say they are working pretty well now.  Don't know if its how they are intended to work, but its tons better than buying currency 1, 2, and 3 for the enemy team.

EDIT:

Make that its better tahn buying Currency AND Experience, 1, 2 and 3.

Right... because with 2 points in hammer slam after you go early priests against a tower rook, the rook is outleveling you and you have a new problem.

UB and regulus are beastly with the new priests.

Free spirits/exp if I'm playing Oak or TB, annoying as hell if I'm Rook or EB.

They've evened up the playing field when playing 2 assassins against 2 generals plenty of times for me.