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This is my guide for shamans, for PvP and PvE. In this I will attempt to prove that shamans can be a good class.

Latest Update: 2009/07/16

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1. Talent Builds
2. PvE Strategy
3. PvP Strategy

1. TALENT BUILDS

Here are a few talent builds I dug up, and a note on each one.

Off-tanking build A (by darkblast!) – Is a build which utilizes spells like frost shock to maintain aggro. Talent points are placed in mana regeneration talents and damage-dealing talents, making a “dps”-type off tank build.

Off-tanking build B (by ZodiaxDrago) – Is a build to survive, but not as much in maintaining aggro.

Enhancement build (by Bigky) – Is a typical enhancement build utilizing dual wield, wolves and lightning.

Elemental build (by shaman’swrath) – Is a typical elemental build with spell power and spells. A few points in the enhancement tree are placed for extra spell damage.

Restoration Build (by Bigky) – Is a typical raid healer build.

2. PvE STRATEGY

PvE means player vs. environment. It includes dungeons, questing, and raiding. The environment in WoW doesn’t have a strong AI, so strategies that don’t work in PvP work here.

Enhancement strategy
Questing: Lay down strength of earth totem, magma totem, windfury totem and mana stream totem, have lightning shield on, and enchant both weapons with windfury.

Get into combat with a lightning bolt, and if the opponent starts casting, use earth shock. If he is not a caster, use flame shock instead.

Once he is in melee range, use stormstrike, hit lava lash, then wait until cooldown is over and if he is not dead, repeat.

Dungeons/Raiding: Lay down the same totems as questing (unless someone else in your group has laid these down already), but change shield to water shield unless tanking.

Once the tank has established aggro, use flame shock, stormstike, lava lash and lava burst. During cooldown of these spells, simply auto attack.

If you are the tank, use lightning shield and windfury, but set up totems a little differently. Place stoneskin, mana spring, magma, and windfury totem.

Gather aggro with frost shock and chain lightning, then stormstrike and lava lash. Chain lightning is a very important move in tanking, and so is frost shock.

Elemental strategy
Questing: Place wrath of air, mana spring, stoneclaw, magma, use water shield, and enchant with flametongue.

Place flame shock on the target, then wait until stoneclaw gathers aggro. Then use lightning bolt, lava burst, thunderstorm, and, when off cooldown, flame shock.

Dungeons/Raids: Use all the same buffs as questing, except for switching stoneclaw with strength of earth. Also, if another shaman has already placed those totems, use different totems.

After the tank gathers aggro, use the same spell rotation as questing, but add in chain lightning.

If a mob breaks off the tank and onto you, ceise and desist all attacks and let the tank re-establish aggro. You can assist the tank in regaining aggro by using wind shock.

Restoration strategy
Questing: Do not quest with restoration spec. Period. End of story.

Dungeons/Raids: Place mana tide, strength of earth, flametongue, wrath of air, use water shield and enchant weapon with earthliving. If another shaman has placed these totems, pick others.

Never use long-cast spells. Always heal with the shortest casting time spells available. At the beginning of battles, place earth shield on the tank.

If you are tanking, place mana tide, stoneskin, wrath of air and magma totems, use earth shield, and enchant weapons with windfury.

Use the same technique as an enhancement shaman to tank.

The “one-man raid group”
I’ve heard stories about this, and it’s viable. Place windfury, earth elemental, healing stream and magma, then heal while the earth elemental tanks, then switch to the fire elemental dps and stoneskin, then tank until you re-alternate.

3. PvP STRATEGY

PvP means player vs. player. This includes flagged battling, dueling, arena and battlegrounds. Many say shamans are bad at PvP, but they’re not.

In PvP, you need to know the opponent’s class and assume they’re amazing at playing in PvP. Place earthbind, windfury, magma and healing stream totems, use lightning shield, and enchant with either windfury or flametongue.

Elemental strategy
Keep them at a distance. Use frost shock, chain lightning, etc. Save thunderstorm for when you’re stunned.

Enhancement strategy
If they have a pet, separate the pet from the owner then attack the player. Use stormstrike, lava lash, feral spirits, etc. Use earth shock for casters.