Leveling a Shaman to 20

A beginner's guide to leveling a Shaman to the level 20 beta cap in WoW Forever: the new Dwarf Shaman, every ability by level, totems, shocks and weapon imbues, the Enhancement, Elemental and Restoration leveling builds, what to press, the totem quests and what Forever changed.

The Forever beta is capped at level 20, and level 30 is expected around mid-October 2026. Ability levels and tooltips in this guide come from the Forever beta client. Anything marked Classic comes from the original game's data and may be different in Forever.

The Shaman in a nutshell

A Shaman is a hybrid: the same class can fight in melee with a big weapon, cast lightning from range, or heal a group. Whichever you choose, you also place totems, small objects on the ground that help your party or hurt enemies near them, and you have shocks, instant attack spells that share one cooldown.

• Resource: Mana. Spells, shocks and totems all cost it; your weapon swings don't.
• Armor: leather and cloth, plus a shield. The Forever client teaches mail at level 40.
• Weapons: one-handed maces and axes, daggers, fist weapons and staves. Two-handed axes and maces need the Enhancement talent Two-Handed Axes and Maces. Shamans can't wield two weapons at once in Forever.
• Good at: healing yourself between fights, fitting any group role (damage or healing), interrupting enemy casters with Earth Shock, and helping a whole group with totems.
• Weak at: Mana. Shocks and totems are expensive early, so you drink often if you cast a lot. You also have no spell that takes a mob out of a fight, and no fast travel until Ghost Wolf at level 20.

Tip: New to WoW? A mob is any computer-controlled enemy, a pull is starting a fight with one, and threat (or aggro) decides which player a mob attacks. AoE (area of effect) means a spell that hits several enemies at once.

Choosing a race

Five races can be Shamans in Forever: Orc, Tauren, Troll and Windshaper Skyborne for the Horde, and Dwarf for the Alliance. Dwarf Shamans are new in Forever, and they're the only Shamans the Alliance can make. Every race has its own racial abilities, and none of them makes or breaks a Shaman, so pick the faction and race you want to play. Here is what each one brings.

Racial tooltips from the Forever client. Blizzard is still tuning racials during the beta.

The Skyborne are new in Forever and begin on Zephras Isle, their own level 1–12 starting zone (Meet the Skyborne). For every race and racial in one place, see Races, classes and racials.

Totems, shocks and weapon imbues

Totems

Totems appear at your feet and work on anyone in range of them. Each totem belongs to an element (Earth, Fire, Water or Air), and you can have one of each element down at a time: a new totem of the same element replaces the old one. Totems have little health, so enemies can knock them over.

The totems you can learn by level 20, from the Forever client's tooltips. You get your first Air totem after the cap.

Two new Forever spells at level 20 make totems much less of a chore: Call of the Elements places up to 4 totems you've picked on your Totem Bar in one cast, and Totemic Recall returns your totems and gives back 25% of the Mana each one cost. Call of the Elements takes 3 sec to cast, so use it before a fight, not in the middle of one.

Shocks

Your three shocks are instant spells with a 20 yard range, and they share one cooldown, so you get one shock every 6 seconds. Pick the one the moment needs:

• Earth Shock (level 4) deals Nature damage and interrupts a spell, locking the caster out of that school for 2 sec. It also causes a high amount of threat.
• Flame Shock (level 10) deals Fire damage at once and more over 12 sec.
• Frost Shock (level 20) deals Frost damage and slows the target by 50% for 8 sec. It costs more Mana than the others, so keep it for mobs that run away.

Weapon imbues and Lightning Shield

A Shaman enchants their own weapon with an imbue, a temporary weapon enchantment. In Forever they last 60 minutes, so you put one on and forget about it for a while.

• Rockbiter Weapon (level 1) adds melee Attack Power and extra threat. It's the solo choice.
• Flametongue Weapon (level 10) adds Fire damage to every hit, and slower weapons add more per swing. It's the group choice, because Rockbiter's extra threat can pull mobs off the tank.
• Frostbrand Weapon (level 20) gives your hits a chance to deal Frost damage and slow the target by 25% for 8 sec.
• Lightning Shield (level 8) surrounds you with 3 balls of lightning that strike whoever hits you. It lasts 10 min, so keep it up.

Your abilities, level by level

The table lists everything the Shaman trainer teaches up to level 20, straight from the Forever client. Visit your class trainer whenever you reach a new even level: new ranks hit and heal harder.

Everything a Shaman learns from the class trainer up to level 20, from the Forever client.

The ones that matter most while leveling, in the order you get them:

• Level 1: Lightning Bolt is your first damage spell and Healing Wave your first heal. Rockbiter Weapon goes on your weapon for more melee Attack Power.
• Level 4: Earth Shock is your first shock and your interrupt, and Stoneskin Totem your first totem.
• Level 6: Earthbind Totem slows enemies near it, which helps with runners and with keeping mobs from reaching you.
• Level 8: Lightning Shield strikes back at whoever hits you. Stoneclaw Totem taunts creatures within 8 yards onto itself for 15 sec, which pulls a second mob off you.
• Level 10: Flame Shock adds a burn, Searing Totem attacks your target for you, Flametongue Weapon is the group imbue, and Strength of Earth Totem raises your party's Strength. Your first talent point arrives too.
• Level 12: Fire Nova deals Fire damage to enemies within 10 yd of your active Fire totem, your only way to hit several mobs at once for now. Purge strips a magic effect from an enemy, and Ancestral Spirit brings a dead player back to life.
• Level 16: Cure Poison removes a poison.
• Level 18: Tremor Totem frees your party from Fear, Charm and Sleep.
• Level 20: a big level. Ghost Wolf turns you into a wolf that runs 40% faster, outdoors only. It has a cast time, which the Enhancement talent Improved Ghost Wolf removes. You also get Frost Shock, Frostbrand Weapon, Healing Stream Totem, the new Call of the Elements and Totemic Recall, and Lesser Healing Wave, a faster heal that gives less healing per Mana.
• After the cap: Mana Spring Totem and Magma Totem come at level 26, and Windfury Weapon, Reincarnation and Astral Recall at level 30.

Talents: which spec to level with

Your first talent point comes at level 10 and you get one more each level, so you have 11 by level 20. The three trees are Elemental (spells), Enhancement (melee) and Restoration (healing), and each opens a new row for every 5 points you put in it. ForeverDB publishes a level 20 leveling build for each on the Shaman builds page, with the reason for every point:

The published level 20 leveling builds. See the builds page for the full reasoning and the dungeon, healing and PvP versions.

For a first Shaman, Enhancement is the straightforward choice: you fight in melee with a big two-handed weapon, heal yourself between fights, and from level 20 Improved Ghost Wolf makes travel instant. Elemental suits players who like casting from range, and Restoration lets you quest and heal dungeons with one set of talents.

Watch out: The Shaman trees are still moving. Blizzard's September 24 notes swap Elemental Fury (row 3) and Elemental Alacrity (row 6), but the client's Elemental tree doesn't match that layout yet, and Rage of the Far Seer, the Enhancement talent the notes mention, isn't in the client at all. Only rank 1 of many talents has text in the client, too.

So we're moving one of the better talents for Elemental Shaman functionality, earlier in the tree, to allow them to feel like they're hitting important progression moments (something Elemental has lacked in the early levels). Blizzard, WoW Forever Beta Development Notes – Updated September 24

Blizzard's notes say that during the beta, resetting your talents costs 1 silver if you haven't changed them recently, so trying another spec is cheap. After the cap, Windfury Weapon at level 30 becomes the big Enhancement upgrade, and the Restoration build reaches Healing Way.

What to press

These are the level 20 leveling rotations from the builds page, in plain steps.

Enhancement: one enemy

1. Keep Lightning Shield up and Rockbiter Weapon on your weapon; both last a long time.
2. For a fight that will last, drop Searing Totem or Stoneskin Totem as the mob comes to you. For a quick kill, skip the totem and save the Mana.
3. Hit the mob with Flame Shock as it arrives or right after you start swinging, so the burn ticks while you fight.
4. Fight in melee. Use Earth Shock to interrupt a caster or finish a mob that runs, and Frost Shock only to slow a runner.
5. Top up with Healing Wave between fights.

Elemental: one enemy

1. Put Searing Totem down before the pull.
2. Pull with Lightning Bolt from range and keep casting while the mob runs in.
3. When it gets close, use Flame Shock so the burn ticks, then finish it with Lightning Bolt.
4. Save Earth Shock for interrupting casters and finishing runners.
5. When Elemental Focus gives you a free spell, spend it on your most expensive one.

Two or more enemies

1. If two or more mobs reach you, drop Stoneclaw Totem so they attack the totem, or Stoneskin Totem if you're in melee and taking the hits.
2. Keep a Fire totem such as Searing Totem next to the mobs and press Fire Nova whenever it's ready; it hits everything within 10 yd of the totem.
3. Put Flame Shock on the mob you're killing first and finish it before switching.
4. Tauren can add War Stomp when things go wrong.

Tip: After each fight, use Totemic Recall to get back 25% of your totems' Mana.

Tip: Lightning Bolt is Lightning Bolt rank 3, learned at level 14. On its tooltip numbers it has the same cast time as rank 4 and a little more damage per Mana, so keep it on a bar for when your Mana runs low.

Class quests up to 20

Class quests are only offered to your class. The Forever client has the Shaman quests below. In Classic's data they are all Horde quests, and the givers and places come from Classic, so Forever may have moved or changed them. There are no Dwarf entries: Dwarf Shamans are new, and how they get their class quests isn't known yet.

Shaman class quests the Forever client has, up to level 20. Levels, givers and places are Classic data.

In Classic's data the Call of Water chain continues at levels 22 and 23 with Islen Waterseer (Durotar) and Brine (The Barrens), above the beta cap, and Call of Air starts at level 30. The map links drop a pin on the Forever map at the Classic spot.

Tip: Yes, you still need totem items. The Forever client ties every totem spell to its element's totem item, which must be in your bags: Earth totems need Earth Totem (from Call of Earth), Fire totems Fire Totem (Call of Fire), Water totems Water Totem (Call of Water) and Air totems Air Totem (Call of Air). Only Totemic Recall and Totemic Projection work without one.

Speculation: How Dwarf and Skyborne Shamans get their totem items isn't known yet. The Forever client has the four items and the Classic quests, but it doesn't say who gives the quests to the new Shaman races. If a totem won't cast, check you have its item.

Gear, weapons and professions

Shamans wear leather (mail from level 40 in the Forever client) and can use a shield.

• Enhancement: the hardest-hitting two-handed weapon you can find. Axes and maces need Two-Handed Axes and Maces; a staff works without it. Flametongue Weapon adds more per swing on a slower weapon.
• Elemental and Restoration: a one-handed mace, axe or dagger with a shield, or a staff, chosen for Intellect and spell power.
• Relic slot: Forever adds Shaman totem relics, such as Windcarved Effigy (Lightning Bolt costs 5 less Mana), Firestorm Totem (totems cost 5% less Mana) and Polished Driftwood Icon (needs level 20; keeps 8% of your Mana regeneration going while you cast). Where they come from isn't known yet.
• Stats: for groups, the Shaman dungeon guide ranks weapon damage, Hit, Strength, Critical Strike, Agility, Attack Power, then Intellect for Enhancement, and Hit, Spell Power, Intellect, Critical Strike, Mana per 5 sec, then Stamina for Elemental.

The Shaman dungeon guide lists the best items for each slot at 20 and 30 and where they come from, and the gear planner lets you try combinations. At 20, Forever's new Leatherworking recipes include the Totemic and Stormrider's Leather sets, such as Totemic Leather Armor and Stormrider's Leather Armor (both need level 15). In Classic's loot tables, Smite's Mighty Hammer, a two-handed mace, drops from Mr. Smite in the Deadmines; Forever may have changed it.

Any profession works, and Professions explains them all. Shaman-friendly picks:

• Skinning and Leatherworking: make the leather armor you wear, including the Totemic and Stormrider's sets.
• Herbalism and Alchemy: Mana potions such as Minor Mana Potion (level 5) and Lesser Mana Potion (level 14) keep a Mana-hungry Shaman going.
• First Aid: bandages such as Linen Bandage heal you without spending Mana.

Groups and dungeons

Shamans fit any group role. The builds page has level 20 dungeon builds for all three trees: Enhancement for melee damage, Elemental for ranged damage and Restoration for healing. Good habits in a group:

• Totems help everyone in range: Stoneskin Totem cuts the Physical damage the tank (the player holding the mobs' attention) takes, Strength of Earth Totem helps melee players, Healing Stream Totem heals everyone nearby, and Tremor Totem frees players from Fear, Charm and Sleep. Place them where the group will fight.
• Cast Call of the Elements while the tank walks to the pack, since it takes a moment to cast.
• Earth Shock is often the group's interrupt. Its high threat makes it a poor damage button.
• Use Flametongue Weapon instead of Rockbiter Weapon, whose extra threat can pull mobs off the tank.
• Put your Fire totem where the tank will hold the pack before you press Fire Nova.
• You can heal in an emergency with Healing Wave and bring players back with Ancestral Spirit after a wipe.
• Use Totemic Recall after each pull to get Mana back.

Dungeons within reach by 20 include Ragefire Chasm, the Deadmines, Wailing Caverns and Shadowfang Keep; each page lists its level, bosses and quests. The Shaman dungeon guide goes deeper on each role, and Your first dungeon covers finding a group and what to expect.

Common beginner mistakes

• Spamming shocks. They share a cooldown and cost a lot of Mana for their damage at this level. Let your weapon or Lightning Bolt do most of the work.
• Using Rockbiter Weapon in a group. Its extra threat pulls mobs off the tank.
• Walking away from your totems. They only help within their range, so drop new ones when the fight moves.
• Forgetting Totemic Recall. It refunds 25% of your totems' Mana after a fight.
• Dropping every totem for every mob. Totems cost Mana. For a quick solo kill, one totem or none is enough.
• Healing with Lesser Healing Wave when there's no hurry. Healing Wave heals more per Mana; keep Lesser Healing Wave for emergencies.
• Pressing Fire Nova with no Fire totem near the mobs. It blasts from your Fire totem, not from you.
• Letting your imbue or Lightning Shield run out. Check both before you pull.
• Casting Elemental spells in melee range. Pull from range so you get several casts in before the mob reaches you.

What Forever changed for Shamans

• Dwarves can be Shamans, the first Alliance Shamans, and Horde Windshaper Skyborne can be Shamans too.
• Call of the Elements and Totemic Recall are new at level 20: one cast to drop your totems, one to pick them up and get Mana back.
• Fire Nova is a spell you learn at level 12 that blasts from your Fire totem. It began as a Season of Discovery ability.
• Shamans don't learn to dual wield in Forever. Two-handed axes and maces still come from an Enhancement talent.
• Many spells start lower but gain more from spell power: Lightning Bolt rank 1 went from 0.123 to 0.429 of your spell power, and Lightning Bolt rank 4 lists 52 to 60 damage instead of Classic's 83 to 95. Blizzard's September 24 notes say Lightning Bolt ranks 3 and 4 were raised so every rank is an upgrade, and the client we read may not include that yet.
• Blizzard also changed how Flametongue Totem and the air totems stack, but those come after level 20.
• Blizzard's known issues: the Cooldown Manager isn't testable for Shamans yet, and it can't track weapon imbues such as Windfury.

Totems and imbues last longer, and many totems reach further:

Rank 1 tooltips from the Forever client compared with Classic's.

The full list of Shaman differences from Classic is on the Shaman changes page, and our Shaman outlook looks ahead to levels 21 to 40.

Checked against WoW Forever beta build 1.60.1.70009.