Shaman PvE

Rotations & Guide · PvE · PvP · Builds · Abilities · Talent Calculator · Changes vs Classic

Shamans are totem-based hybrids that heal, cast elemental spells or fight in melee. Forever adds Lava Burst for Elemental, Riptide for Restoration and quality-of-life totem tools: Call of the Elements, Call of the Ancestors and Call of the Spirits drop up to four totems in one 3 sec cast, and Totemic Recall returns them for mana.

Elemental Shaman PvE guide

At the level 20 cap Elemental is a ranged caster built on Lightning Bolt, with Flame Shock and Searing Totem for extra damage and Earth Shock as the group's interrupt. Forever's Call of the Elements puts your totems down in one cast and Totemic Recall gives back part of their mana, which matters because mana is what limits you at this level. The spec's big spells, Chain Lightning and Forever's Lava Burst, arrive at 32 and 40.

Your job in a group

In a 5-player group you're steady ranged damage and the main interrupt. Lightning Bolt does most of your damage; Flame Shock and Searing Totem add more on bosses, and Fire Nova hits every mob gathered near your Fire totem. Earth Shock is your only interrupt and its tooltip says it causes a high amount of threat, so use it to stop enemy healers and casters, not as a damage button. Your totems help the whole party: Stoneskin Totem cuts the Physical damage the tank takes, Strength of Earth Totem helps melee, and Tremor Totem frees people from Fear, Charm and Sleep. You have no crowd control that takes a mob out of the fight, but Earthbind Totem slows adds heading for the healer and Stoneclaw Totem can pull loose mobs off them for a moment. You can off-heal with Healing Wave in an emergency and bring people back with Ancestral Spirit after a wipe.

Opener

Cooldowns

Stats

Hit, Spell Power, Intellect, Critical Strike, Mana per 5 sec, Stamina. A missed Lightning Bolt wastes both the cast and the mana, so hit comes first; the dungeon build already takes Tidal Focus for 5% more. Spell Power raises every spell you cast. Intellect is a bigger mana pool, and mana is what runs out first at this level. Critical Strike and Mana per 5 sec follow, and a little Stamina keeps you alive when a mob turns on you.

Tips

Enhancement Shaman PvE guide

Enhancement is the melee Shaman: a two-handed weapon, a weapon imbue and totems that help the whole group. At the level 20 cap your damage is your weapon plus Flametongue Weapon, Searing Totem and Flame Shock, and Earth Shock gives the group a second interrupt. The big upgrades come later: Windfury Weapon at 30 and Stormstrike at 40.

Your job in a group

In a 5-player group you're melee damage from behind the mob, plus totems for everyone. Strength of Earth Totem raises the Strength of party members within 30 yards, so it's the pick when the group has other melee; Stoneskin Totem cuts the Physical damage the tank takes when the tank is struggling. Searing Totem and Fire Nova add damage, and Fire Nova hits every mob near your Fire totem on packs. Earth Shock interrupts enemy casters. Use Flametongue Weapon rather than Rockbiter Weapon in a group, because Rockbiter makes your attacks cause extra threat. You can also off-heal with Healing Wave, slow adds with Earthbind Totem, pull loose mobs onto Stoneclaw Totem and resurrect with Ancestral Spirit.

Opener

Cooldowns

Stats

Weapon DPS, Hit, Strength, Critical Strike, Agility, Attack Power, Intellect. Your weapon is most of your damage, so a slow two-hander with high damage comes first, and Flametongue Weapon adds more per swing on a slower weapon. Hit stops wasted swings against elites and bosses. Strength and Attack Power raise every swing, Critical Strike gives you the crits that Flurry builds on from level 25, and Agility helps too. A little Intellect pays for totems and shocks.

Tips

Restoration Shaman PvE guide

Restoration is the Shaman healer. At the level 20 cap you heal one target at a time with Healing Wave and Lesser Healing Wave, and Healing Stream Totem covers the rest of the group. Forever's Call of the Elements places your whole totem set in one cast and Totemic Recall refunds part of their mana afterward. Chain Heal and Forever's new Riptide don't arrive until level 40.

Your job in a group

You're the group's healer. Keep the tank alive with Healing Wave, using lower ranks for small damage to save mana, and switch to Lesser Healing Wave when health drops fast. Healing Stream Totem heals everyone within 30 yards, and Stoneskin Totem cuts the Physical damage the tank takes. Cure Poison removes poisons, Tremor Totem frees the party from Fear, Charm and Sleep, and Earth Shock can interrupt a dangerous enemy cast when nobody else can. After a wipe, Ancestral Spirit brings people back, and from 30 Reincarnation lets you get up first.

Opener

Cooldowns

Stats

Healing Power, Mana per 5 sec, Intellect, Spirit, Critical Strike, Stamina. Healing Power (or Spell Power) makes every heal bigger. Mana per 5 sec and Intellect decide how long you can keep casting, and running out of mana is what ends most fights that go wrong for a level 20 healer. Spirit helps your mana come back. Critical Strike matters little until Tidal Mastery at 25, and Stamina keeps you alive when an add turns on you.

Tips

Checked against WoW Forever beta build 1.60.1.70009.

Shaman abilities