Shaman PvP

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

Shamans are totem-based hybrids that heal, cast elemental spells or fight in melee. Forever adds Lava Burst and Riptide as the Elemental and Restoration capstone talents, Mental Dexterity and Rage of the Farseer for Enhancement, 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 PVP guide

Elemental is the Shaman's ranged damage spec in PvP: Lightning Bolt from range, instant shocks for burst and control, and totems that slow and protect. At level 20 your key tools are Earth Shock to interrupt, Frost Shock and Earthbind Totem to keep melee off you, and Tremor Totem against fear. The PvP build trades the dungeon build's Convection, Call of Flame and Elemental Alacrity for Elemental Warding and a faster shock cooldown from Reverberation.

Burst

Control

Staying alive

Battlegrounds

You're ranged damage and your team's interrupter. Stand behind your melee, cast Lightning Bolt at whoever they're attacking, and keep the shock cooldown free to Earth Shock an enemy healer's big heal. Defending a flag or a control point suits you: Earthbind Totem slows attackers coming onto it, Searing Totem shoots anyone in range, and Fire Nova hits everyone standing near your Fire totem. Put Tremor Totem near your healers when the enemy has Warlocks or Priests, and Stoneskin Totem when they're mostly melee. When your team chases an enemy flag carrier, Frost Shock slows them so the others can catch up. Carrying a flag yourself isn't your job at this level, since your Ghost Wolf has a cast time. Blizzard's new 15 vs 15 battleground, Darkspear Islands, mixes control points with Arathi Basin-style flag captures and defense, so all of these jobs will matter there once it opens for testing.

Open-world PvP

On the PvP ruleset you'll be attacked while questing, usually when you're low on mana or already fighting a mob. Keep Lightning Shield up while you quest, and drink to full before pulling near the other faction's quest areas. When someone opens on you, drop Earthbind Totem and put distance between you before casting; Frost Shock whoever follows, then turn and use Lightning Bolt. A Rogue can Sap you while you're out of combat, and Blizzard's notes say Sap now flags the Rogue for PvP when used on a PvP-flagged target. When you're the one attacking, start with Lightning Bolt from range on a player who's busy with a mob, then finish with your shocks. Near a contested objective, fight where the mobs aren't, because a mob hitting you pushes back your casts. If you're losing, start Ghost Wolf outdoors as soon as you have a gap, not once they're on you.

Matchups

Stats

Stamina, Spell Power, Critical Strike, Hit, Intellect, Mana per 5 sec. A dead caster does no damage, so in PvP Stamina comes first. Spell Power raises every hit, Critical Strike is the burst that finishes players (and from level 25, Call of Thunder adds more to Lightning Bolt), and Hit stops your Earth Shock interrupt and Frost Shock slow from missing. Intellect and Mana per 5 sec keep you casting through a long battleground.

PvP stat weights (ForeverDB's own, not Blizzard's; the same weights pick the Elemental PvP best in slot gear): Stamina 1.1, spell power 1, spell damage 1, hit 1, crit 1, mana per 5 sec 1, Nature Damage Done 0.6, haste 0.6, Intellect 0.5, Fire Damage Done 0.3, Spirit 0.1, armor 0.01.

Tips

Enhancement Shaman PVP guide

Enhancement is the Shaman's melee PvP spec: a big weapon, instant shocks for burst and control, and an instant Ghost Wolf to catch people and to escape them. At level 20, both points of Improved Ghost Wolf are what set the PvP build apart from the dungeon build, Shamanistic Focus makes your shocks cheap enough to use freely, and Stormstrike at 25 and Windfury Weapon at 30 are the big damage jumps.

Burst

Control

Staying alive

Battlegrounds

You're a melee attacker who can get anywhere fast. Instant Ghost Wolf takes you to a fight, a control point or an enemy flag carrier ahead of most players, and Frost Shock and Frostbrand Weapon keep a carrier slowed while your team catches up. Stay on enemy healers and casters: Earth Shock stops a heal, and Earthbind Totem at your feet keeps them from walking away. When defending, drop Stoneskin Totem for your melee, Strength of Earth Totem when several of them fight together, and Tremor Totem against fear. You're also the one to send when a point is lost or a carrier needs chasing, because you get there first. Blizzard's new 15 vs 15 battleground, Darkspear Islands, mixes control points with Arathi Basin-style flag captures and defense, so a fast Shaman who can reach any point will have plenty to do once it opens for testing.

Open-world PvP

On the PvP ruleset you're good at hunting other players: an instant Ghost Wolf closes distance and Frost Shock stops them getting away. Attack when they're fighting a mob or low on health, open with Flame Shock and melee, and save Frost Shock for when they run. When you're attacked, turn and fight a caster, since you're at your best next to them; against someone stronger, drop Earthbind Totem, then shift to Ghost Wolf and leave. Keep Lightning Shield up while questing so an ambush costs the attacker. A Rogue can Sap you while you're out of combat, and Blizzard's notes say Sap now flags the Rogue for PvP when used on a PvP-flagged target. Near a contested objective, clear the mobs around you first so the fight is only you and them. Blizzard's 1 October notes say Ghost Wolf is now more visible in well-lit areas, so don't count on wolf form to slip past anyone unseen.

Matchups

Stats

Weapon DPS, Stamina, Strength, Critical Strike, Hit, Agility, Attack Power, Intellect. A slow, hard-hitting weapon is your burst, so weapon damage comes first, with Stamina right behind it because melee players take hits. Strength and Attack Power raise every swing, and Critical Strike gives you the big hits that end fights. Hit stops your swings and Earth Shock interrupts from missing. Intellect pays for shocks and self-heals.

PvP stat weights (ForeverDB's own, not Blizzard's; the same weights pick the Enhancement PvP best in slot gear): weapon DPS 8, hit 1.1, Strength 1, Stamina 1, crit 1, haste 0.8, Agility 0.7, attack power 0.5, Attack Power Vs Humanoid 0.3, Intellect 0.3, spell power 0.1, armor 0.01.

Tips

Restoration Shaman PVP guide

Restoration is the Shaman's PvP healer. You keep your team alive with Lesser Healing Wave under pressure and Healing Wave when you have room, and your totems do much of the rest: Tremor Totem against fear, Stoneskin Totem against melee and Earthbind Totem to peel. The PvP build takes Improved Reincarnation's extra health, because healers are the first target, and Water Shield, which turns the hits you take into mana.

Burst

Control

Staying alive

Battlegrounds

You heal, and you're the enemy's first target. Stay behind your team, in range of the people you heal but out of melee reach. Your totems are a big part of what you bring: Healing Stream Totem heals everyone near it, Stoneskin Totem cuts melee and Hunter damage, and Tremor Totem stops fears. Put them down near the fight when you defend a control point or a flag, and replace them when they die, since each has only 5 health. Earth Shock an enemy healer when your team goes for a kill, and Frost Shock enemy flag carriers so your team catches them. Leave flag carrying to others at this level: your Ghost Wolf has a cast time, so you're slow to escape. Blizzard's new 15 vs 15 battleground, Darkspear Islands, mixes control points with Arathi Basin-style flag captures and defense, so there will be points where a healer with totems makes a defense hard to break once it opens for testing.

Open-world PvP

On the PvP ruleset you can outlast many attackers, but you won't kill them quickly. Keep Water Shield up while questing and heal to full before pulling near other players. If someone attacks you, put down the totem that counters them, Stoneskin Totem against melee or Tremor Totem against fear, heal through the opening with Lesser Healing Wave, and use Earthbind Totem to step out of melee; your shocks and Searing Totem are your damage. If you're losing, start Ghost Wolf as soon as you have space, outdoors only. Questing with a partner makes you far more dangerous, because your heals keep them fighting. A Rogue can Sap you while you're out of combat, and Blizzard's notes say Sap now flags the Rogue for PvP when used on a PvP-flagged target. Near a contested objective, clear the mobs around you first so you aren't healing through both.

Matchups

Stats

Stamina, Healing Power, Mana per 5 sec, Intellect, Critical Strike, Spirit. Healers are the first target in PvP, so Stamina matters more for you than anywhere else. Healing Power (or Spell Power) makes each heal bigger, which counts most when you only get one cast off. Mana per 5 sec and Intellect keep you healing through a long battleground, and Critical Strike and Spirit come after.

PvP stat weights (ForeverDB's own, not Blizzard's; the same weights pick the Restoration PvP best in slot gear): mana per 5 sec 1.6, Stamina 1.1, healing 1, spell power 1, Intellect 0.6, haste 0.6, crit 0.4, Spirit 0.2, hit 0.2, armor 0.01.

Tips

Checked against WoW Forever beta build 1.60.1.70170.

Best in slot gear at any level: Elemental PvP, Enhancement PvP, Restoration PvP

Shaman abilities