Table of Contents:
I. Class Overview
II. Races
III. Professions
IV. Offensive Gear / Spec
V. FCing Gear / Spec
VI. Tips and Tricks
Class Overview:
The Shaman is an extremely unique class, with gameplay that differs extraordinarily from other classes. While leather wearers, they can use a shield, allowing for more survivability than your average caster. The class is built off of several key components that work harmoniously together to create a near unstoppable force.
The first of them are the Shock Spells. The Shock Spells share a 6 second cooldown with each other, and thankfully Wind Shock (renamed Wind Shear, your new key interrupt) was removed from this cooldown. Earth Shock and Flame Shock are the ones available at 19, and each has its own use. You will primarily be using Flame Shock to apply a 16 second DoT, which will prevent bandaging, and keep rogues out of stealth. Idealistically, you will be using Earth Shock for damage between applications of the FS debuff.
Next is Gost Wolf. The introduction of this skill changed the 19 bracket completely. Ghost Wolf is an instant cast (talented) spell that increases your movement speed by 40%. While under the effects of GW, you can never be slowed below 100% movement speed. Also, you cannot be sapped by a rogue. If you are not currently healing or dealing damage (as long as you are outside) you should be in GW form. The only downsides to this ability are that it can be dispelled, and you can be hibernated / scare beast-ed.
Wind Shear is your next component. It is, plain and simple, the only ranged interrupt in the 19 bracket (excluding the Bat hunter pet). Be careful not to mash it when it is on CD and someone is casting, because 9 times out of 10 they will be watching your cooldown and you will be fakecasted.
Purge. Offensively dispels buffs. For god's sake, use it.
Last, but certainly not least, are your Totems. There are four types of totems, Air, Water, Fire, and Earth, the latter two being the ones available to you. Only one totem of each type can be active at one time. The totems you will be using most often are:
Fire:
Searing Totem- Does periodic damage to single targets around you
Earth:
Earthbind Totem- AoE, 50% slow- Dispellable
Tremor Totem- AoE, removes Fear on ticks, ticks every 3 seconds. ONLY AFFECTS PARTY MEMBERS!
Stoneclaw Totem- Taunts pets, induces a stun on players who aren't paying attention, bubbles you and your other totems.
Once put down, they cannot be moved except by recasting the totem into a new place. When you cast your totems, each element will fall in the same place relative to you.
[Earth] [Fire]
*****You
It is possible to stack them, one on top of the other, situations where this can be useful will be described later.
II. Races
Horde:
Troll:
Trolls, in my opinion, are not the best race for a shaman, plain and simple. The haste may be useful if you intend to focus exclusively on healing, but will not help with damage much, as most of your casts are instants with long cooldowns.
Racials:
Berserking
Activate to increase attack and casting speed by 20% for 10 seconds. 3 minute cooldown. - Not extremely useful
Regeneration
Increase health regeneration bonus by 10%. Also allows 10% of normal health regenerate during combat. - Again, not very useful
Beast Slaying
5% damage bonus to Beasts. - Almost insignificant use against other Shaman FCs (in Ghost Wolf) and Druid FCs
Throwing Weapon Specialization
Increase Throwing Weapon crit chance by 1%. - Useless
Bow Specialization
Increase Bow crit chance by 1%. - Useless
Da Voodoo Shuffle
Reduces the duration of all movement impairing effects by 15%. Trolls be flippin' out mon! - Useful to some extent, but since Ghost wolf will never allow you to be below 100% movement speed, it is not used to its full potential.
Orc:
In my opinion, the second best race for a shaman. The racial is excellent for burst damage.
Racials:
Blood Fury - instant - 2 min cooldown
Increases attack power by (Level*4)+2 and your spell power by (Level*2)+3. Lasts 15 seconds. - 15 seconds of 41 extra spellpower. I like it.
Hardiness - passive
Duration of Stun effects reduced by an additional 15%. - Useful to a small degree, but there are really only 3 stuns in this bracket (HoJ, Charge, and Stoneclaw)
Command - passive
Damage dealt by Death Knight, Hunter and Warlock pets increased by 5%. - Useless
Axe Specialization - passive
Expertise with Axes, Two-Handed Axes and Fist Weapons increased by 5. - Useless
Tauren:
The tauren is the best pick. Although, between Tauren and Orc, it often comes down to personal preference.
Racials:
War Stomp - active - 0.5 sec cast - 2 min cooldown
Stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yards for 2 seconds. - AoE stun and another interrupt. Very useful.
Endurance - passive
Base Health increased by 5%. - Who would say no to 5% extra base health?
Cultivation - passive
Herbalism skill increased by 15. - Eh..
Nature Resistance - passive
Reduces the chance you will be hit by Nature spells by 2%. - Very useful against other shaman, and against druids. This effects Roots and Earthbind totem as well as other damage spells.
Alliance
Draenei:
Your only choice as an ally, but at least the racials are excellent.
Racials:
Gift of the Naaru
Activate to heal your target for 35 + 15 per level over 15 sec - 40 yd range - instant cast - 3 min cooldown. The amount healed is increased based on the caster's Spell Power or Attack Power, whichever is highest. - Quite an OP heal, depending on your spell power / attack power
Heroic Presence
Increases chance to hit by 1% for you and all party members within 30 yards. (Now applicable to all classes). - 1% hit you don't need to gear for
Gemcutting
5 point skill bonus to Jewelcrafting (note, this also raises the cap by 5 at each level of jewelcrafting). - Eh..
Shadow Resistance
Reduces chance to be hit by Shadow spells by 2%. - Very good, shadow damage and binary spells are very prominent in WSG at 19.
After you have made your choice of a race, its time to level and gear! Just remember to do your totem quests (my 80 shaman didn't have Air and Water totems until the mid 70s. Don't forget to do your quests like I did!)
III. Professions
Engineering- 8 stamina head slot, Bombs, Dynamite. Dynamite is bonus damage, Bombs are an AoE stun, and the 8 stam will hold you until your fishing hat.
My Rating: 8/10- While useful, many people decide to drop it after they obtain their Hat.
Herbalism- 700 health, non-dispellable HoT. Scales with Health.
My Rating: 10/10- Get it.
Skinning- 9 Crit rating, averages to about 3% crit.
My Rating: 6/10- It helps, but there are better options.
Mining- 7 stamina. Free health pretty much
My Rating: 6/10- Its really a tossup, if you think you need it, go for it.
Alchemy- Mixology, 50% increased effect from elixirs you can make, gives you a free 5 hit rating (for when you use elixirs of minor accuracy)
My Rating: 5/10- The extra hit is unnecessary, but can be useful for a little bonus spellpower if you use those elixirs.
Jewelcrafting- Stone Statues that heal you over time
My Rating: 4/10- They share a cooldown with warlock health stones, and are not entirely useful. If you want to try it out, go for it.
