Kirise
OG
It's been a long road, 59s! BfA's zone scaling brings Northrend quests (and a couple of dungeons) into reach of 59s, plus old world gear scales up for us. In short, 59s see a lot of gear changes. Gems allow for some stat customization, but not as much as we might expect. The biggest gear choices make players decide between procs and special abilities, versus a stats boost.
The first two sections start with a short summary, then enter in-depth discussion afterward if you want to get into the details (and in some cases, the arithmetic) of why certain choices stand above others. The last sections involve interconnected concerns that offer no opportunity for summary. Shout out to @Haaveilija for extensive insight about talents and gear choices, profoundly influencing this guide. I'm always interested in suggestions for changes/additions/etc.
Let's get started!
Contents:
I. Stat Priority
II. Gear and Enchantment Options
III. Gems
IV. Talent Options
V. Playstyle Approaches
I. Stat Priority
Resto shamans see two primary stats (stamina and intellect), plus three secondary stats (crit, haste, and versatility). Our stat priority is as follows:
int > vers = haste >> crit
In other words, a point of int (or spellpower, since 1 int = 1 spellpower) is better than a point of vers or a point of haste, which in turn are both 2X better than a point of crit. Enough BiS gear comes with stamina such that health isn't a concern, or you can gem or trinket into some good options.
A point of each stat provides the following boost to healing spells (and damage reduction, as noted):
int = 0.20% to 0.17% (varies a little, depending on spell coefficients and consumables)
vers = 0.10%, and 0.05% damage reduction
haste = 0.13%
crit = 0.06% (crit is 150% in PvP, not 200%)
armor = 0.12% physical damage reduction (varies slightly on total armor, and assumes a shield)
Notice the wide range for int? Since primary stats are additive i.e. they contribute by number rather than by percentage, each extra point of INT makes slightly less of an impact than the point before it. This makes sense, as going from 200 int to 201 int is a bigger deal than going from 400 int to 401 int. However, 59s get access to a couple of serious consumables: Flask of Supreme Power and Superior Wizard Oil. Together, that's 88 extra spellpower. Gearing and consumables choices can thus push a 59 farther up the diminishing returns ladder. Even so, int will still provide more benefit than the best secondary stat.
By the time players reach 59, they have most of the toolkit for their class and spec. Playstyle choices, then, influence secondary stat choices. Shaman healers impact battles as much through their utility as through their heals, and work best as secondary healers, prioritizing battlefield tactics such as CCs, slows, and boosting teammates. While shamans will leverage healing surge for their main spell, they will spend at least as much time on instant cast spells (riptide, cleanse, various totems, etc.).
Therefore, versatility allows a shaman to capitalize on both healing throughput and damage reduction, a great benefit for a class that already carries a shield. If you plan to play a shaman as a primary healer (and spend more time casting healing surge), you'll want to prioritize haste over versatility. Crit's low returns and unpredictable nature send it to the bottom of secondary stat priority.
II. Gear and Enchantment options
Gone are the days where every 59 absolutely had to have engineering to get their desired BiS gear. Moreover, the 5% stat bonus for wearing all mail armor is in effect, so no cloth nor leather gear for us. Not to worry -- we have some great replacements!
The following list omits grandfathered gear and enchantments. Some tooltips may not show the correctly scaled stats, and "Of the Aurora" gear will not show secondary stats.
Head: Mechanized Snow Goggles (of the Aurora). Or, Plunderer's Helmet. 59s now get access to Northrend engineering, opening up the goggles as a popular choice. But daggone if that meta gem slot isn't tempting!
Neck: Talisman of the Breaker + Mark of the Ancient Priestess or Mark of the Claw or Gift of Versatility. Stats will reach higher on other necks, but a 20% reduction of one of the biggest threats to casters makes a soaring impact.
Shoulder: Aged Pauldrons of the Five Thunders + Greater Crane Wing Inscription. Still no good shoulders options outside of BoAs.
Back: Drape of Distilled Hatred + Gift of Versatility. Or, Chain Link Towel. The movement speed enchant stacks with the Minor Speed foot enchant.
Chest: Hauberk of the Arcane Wrath + Glorious Stats. Or, Dalronn's Jerkin, or Soothsayer's Harness (Alliance only). Glorious stats provides primary stats i.e. extra stam and int.
Wrist: Gwenyth's Wristguards + Superior Spellpower.
Hands: Bloodstained Ravager Gauntlets + Major Spellpower. Or, Sparkproof Gauntlets (Alliance only).
Waist: Girdle of the Gale Storm.
Legs: Kilt of Rolling Thunders + Silver Spellthread / Mystic Spellthread.
Feet: Dragon Slayer's Sabatons + Minor Speed. Run speed bonuses cap at +10% and don't benefit ghost wolf, except for this +10% speed enchant.
Rings: Earthbinder's Regenerating Band and Unsparing Band + Binding of Versatility. Or, Electrocutioner Lagnut, Bottle-Popper Ring, Emperor's Seal, Rosewine Circle, Nimblefinger Band, or a ton of green/uncommon rings of the Aurora that offer 13 stam, 8 int, and some combination of 12 stats in haste and versatility. Also, some (like myself) may prefer the Freezing Band's proc (two bands can stack proc rates).
Trinkets: So many! Noise Machine, Power of the High Chief, Recruit's Distinction of the Adaptable or Aurora (either green or blue version), Gnomish Poultryizer, (more coming).
Main Hand: Blade of Eternal Darkness + Major Spellpower or Spellpower. The only semi-worthwhile proc weapon for casters, plus it can proc from flame shock ticks.
Off Hand: Skullflame Shield + Major Intellect. Or, Mountainside Buckler, Bloodlust Buckler, or Warstrike Buckler.
III. All the Gems
Perhaps the easiest way to peruse gem options is by source. Note that some gems are unique-equipped i.e. you can only get one, though other sources may give you gems with the same stats. Any gem works in any socket, except for meta gems, which only work in meta sockets (specifically in Plunderer's Helmet).
Crafted
Nightmare Tear (6 stam, 6 int)
Tireless Skyflare Diamond
Tireless Starflare Diamond
Trenchant Earthsiege Diamond
Trenchant Earthshatter Diamond
Shielded Skyflare Diamond
Destructive Skyflare Diamond
Destructive Primal Diamond
Mystical Skyfire Diamond
Honor vendors
Master Sergeant Biggins / Brave Stonehide (requires 1 Mark of Honor, note that WoWhead says the source is no longer available, but it is indeed available in 8.0.1)
Potent Ornate Topaz
Brilliant Ornate Ruby
Hellfire Peninsula
Tracy Proudwell / Battlecryer Blackeye (requires 10 Marks of Honor Hold/Thrallmar from killing players at any of the three PvP objectives to the west of Hellfire Citadel).
Brilliant Blood Garnet
Blade's Edge Mountains
Requires a higher level character to transport you to farm Apexis Shards, and to do the event that triggers Aether-Tech Adept, then Aether-Tech Master.
Imbued Unstable Diamond
Reckless Citrine
Purified Amethyst
Most of the unique-equipped non-meta gems make for easy choices. Get the Brilliant Blood Garnet from Hellfire, the Nightmare Tear, and (if you can), and the Reckless Citrine and Purified Amethyst via the Aether-Tech Adept. The bigger question involves the several remaining slots. While crit isn't very useful for resto shamans, getting one more int via Brilliant Ornate Rubies feels underwhelming against getting 5 crit instead from Potent Ornate Topazes.
If you go with Plunderer's Helmet to get a meta gem, several interesting choices await. Given that the BiS neck significantly helps reduce silences, a stun reduction or avoidance meta gem may serve best, but it's hard to go wrong with any of them.
IV. Talents, Talents, and More Talents!
For resto shamans planning to act as a primary healer, Unleash Life will likely take top honors from the first tier, paired with Earth Shield from the second tier. Many resto shamans, however, should seriously consider Echo of the Elements to help capitalize on a resto shaman's mobility. The third tier goes to Earthgrab Totem unless you're the FC, in which case you'll want Spirit Wolf.
For PvP talents, take Gladiator's Medallion. For PvP talents, two choices stand above: Tidebringer makes the most of the 50% bonus that Chain Heal receives in instanced PvP, and Ancestral Gift can help in critical situations. Other than those, FC resto shamans in particular may opt instead for Spectral Recovery.
V. Playstyle Approaches
The 59 bracket sits in an unusual place between the middle (39, 49) and upper (60/69, 79) brackets. Classes don't gain much in the way of abilities compared to 49s, but BfA's level scaling of Outland and Northrend provides a larger gear advantage than the midbrackets typically encounter. The extra stats don't impact twink vs. twink battles, but they do exacerbate the gap with undergeared players.
This means at 59, healers really need to read the field and figure out where healing will make the most impact, and (especially for resto shamans) where the best defense is a good offense. Divide and conquer paves the way to success for us, and resto shamans bring three main tactics to execute on this strategy: kites, soaks, and burns.
Thanks to a combination of CCs and slows, plus strong survivability, resto shamans can attract and hold attention from multiple opponents. By keeping melee just out of range, a good resto shaman kites opponents while the shaman's teammates either peel for the shaman or focus on a priority target while the shaman keeps the melee occupied. We can also leverage CCs and slows as an offensive tactic. Slowing a group of retreating enemies or timing a capacitor totem to go off just before a group of opponents capture a flag can suddenly shift a battle to our favor. Develop a feel for when to create or close distance for the team.
The greater gulf of stats between twinks and nontwinks in the 59 bracket means that for non-premade battlegrounds, we can make a commensurately greater impact with our damage and healing. Multiple riptides and healing stream totems enable us to buoy several nearby teammates at once. When we soak that much damage, our teammates can keep up the pressure, or at least keep enemies at bay. Facing off against other twinks, our damage soak will likely pull them toward us, freeing our teammates to pressure enemy twinks while we absorb the brunt of the damage. If we are left alone, damage soaking can also allow us to assist teammates with considerable damage of our own.
That leads us to burns. Lava Surge procs can escalate resto shaman damage to chart-toppiong heights, so make it a priority to keep flame shock going on priority targets whenever possible. When the procs really get rolling, we can spit out instant-crit lava bursts global after global and quickly force opponent healers to mitigate the damage. The added pressure can open the door for teammates to get kills or push opponents off an objective.
Successful resto shaman play at 59 needs us to develop a sense of "tide". Flowing between our kite, soak, and burn tactics helps us shift the battle in a given situation. Also, notice the number of references to teammates? Resto shamans excel as a support class overall, and if we're not finding the team support we need on the battleground, then we are better off focusing on damage and CCs. That can feel strange for players used to healing, but the depth of the resto shaman toolkit (and the sheer strength of lava surge) makes "restomental" a very viable play option.
The first two sections start with a short summary, then enter in-depth discussion afterward if you want to get into the details (and in some cases, the arithmetic) of why certain choices stand above others. The last sections involve interconnected concerns that offer no opportunity for summary. Shout out to @Haaveilija for extensive insight about talents and gear choices, profoundly influencing this guide. I'm always interested in suggestions for changes/additions/etc.
Let's get started!
Contents:
I. Stat Priority
II. Gear and Enchantment Options
III. Gems
IV. Talent Options
V. Playstyle Approaches
I. Stat Priority
Resto shamans see two primary stats (stamina and intellect), plus three secondary stats (crit, haste, and versatility). Our stat priority is as follows:
int > vers = haste >> crit
In other words, a point of int (or spellpower, since 1 int = 1 spellpower) is better than a point of vers or a point of haste, which in turn are both 2X better than a point of crit. Enough BiS gear comes with stamina such that health isn't a concern, or you can gem or trinket into some good options.
A point of each stat provides the following boost to healing spells (and damage reduction, as noted):
int = 0.20% to 0.17% (varies a little, depending on spell coefficients and consumables)
vers = 0.10%, and 0.05% damage reduction
haste = 0.13%
crit = 0.06% (crit is 150% in PvP, not 200%)
armor = 0.12% physical damage reduction (varies slightly on total armor, and assumes a shield)
Notice the wide range for int? Since primary stats are additive i.e. they contribute by number rather than by percentage, each extra point of INT makes slightly less of an impact than the point before it. This makes sense, as going from 200 int to 201 int is a bigger deal than going from 400 int to 401 int. However, 59s get access to a couple of serious consumables: Flask of Supreme Power and Superior Wizard Oil. Together, that's 88 extra spellpower. Gearing and consumables choices can thus push a 59 farther up the diminishing returns ladder. Even so, int will still provide more benefit than the best secondary stat.
By the time players reach 59, they have most of the toolkit for their class and spec. Playstyle choices, then, influence secondary stat choices. Shaman healers impact battles as much through their utility as through their heals, and work best as secondary healers, prioritizing battlefield tactics such as CCs, slows, and boosting teammates. While shamans will leverage healing surge for their main spell, they will spend at least as much time on instant cast spells (riptide, cleanse, various totems, etc.).
Therefore, versatility allows a shaman to capitalize on both healing throughput and damage reduction, a great benefit for a class that already carries a shield. If you plan to play a shaman as a primary healer (and spend more time casting healing surge), you'll want to prioritize haste over versatility. Crit's low returns and unpredictable nature send it to the bottom of secondary stat priority.
II. Gear and Enchantment options
Gone are the days where every 59 absolutely had to have engineering to get their desired BiS gear. Moreover, the 5% stat bonus for wearing all mail armor is in effect, so no cloth nor leather gear for us. Not to worry -- we have some great replacements!
The following list omits grandfathered gear and enchantments. Some tooltips may not show the correctly scaled stats, and "Of the Aurora" gear will not show secondary stats.
Head: Mechanized Snow Goggles (of the Aurora). Or, Plunderer's Helmet. 59s now get access to Northrend engineering, opening up the goggles as a popular choice. But daggone if that meta gem slot isn't tempting!
Neck: Talisman of the Breaker + Mark of the Ancient Priestess or Mark of the Claw or Gift of Versatility. Stats will reach higher on other necks, but a 20% reduction of one of the biggest threats to casters makes a soaring impact.
Shoulder: Aged Pauldrons of the Five Thunders + Greater Crane Wing Inscription. Still no good shoulders options outside of BoAs.
Back: Drape of Distilled Hatred + Gift of Versatility. Or, Chain Link Towel. The movement speed enchant stacks with the Minor Speed foot enchant.
Chest: Hauberk of the Arcane Wrath + Glorious Stats. Or, Dalronn's Jerkin, or Soothsayer's Harness (Alliance only). Glorious stats provides primary stats i.e. extra stam and int.
Wrist: Gwenyth's Wristguards + Superior Spellpower.
Hands: Bloodstained Ravager Gauntlets + Major Spellpower. Or, Sparkproof Gauntlets (Alliance only).
Waist: Girdle of the Gale Storm.
Legs: Kilt of Rolling Thunders + Silver Spellthread / Mystic Spellthread.
Feet: Dragon Slayer's Sabatons + Minor Speed. Run speed bonuses cap at +10% and don't benefit ghost wolf, except for this +10% speed enchant.
Rings: Earthbinder's Regenerating Band and Unsparing Band + Binding of Versatility. Or, Electrocutioner Lagnut, Bottle-Popper Ring, Emperor's Seal, Rosewine Circle, Nimblefinger Band, or a ton of green/uncommon rings of the Aurora that offer 13 stam, 8 int, and some combination of 12 stats in haste and versatility. Also, some (like myself) may prefer the Freezing Band's proc (two bands can stack proc rates).
Trinkets: So many! Noise Machine, Power of the High Chief, Recruit's Distinction of the Adaptable or Aurora (either green or blue version), Gnomish Poultryizer, (more coming).
Main Hand: Blade of Eternal Darkness + Major Spellpower or Spellpower. The only semi-worthwhile proc weapon for casters, plus it can proc from flame shock ticks.
Off Hand: Skullflame Shield + Major Intellect. Or, Mountainside Buckler, Bloodlust Buckler, or Warstrike Buckler.
III. All the Gems
Perhaps the easiest way to peruse gem options is by source. Note that some gems are unique-equipped i.e. you can only get one, though other sources may give you gems with the same stats. Any gem works in any socket, except for meta gems, which only work in meta sockets (specifically in Plunderer's Helmet).
Crafted
Nightmare Tear (6 stam, 6 int)
Tireless Skyflare Diamond
Tireless Starflare Diamond
Trenchant Earthsiege Diamond
Trenchant Earthshatter Diamond
Shielded Skyflare Diamond
Destructive Skyflare Diamond
Destructive Primal Diamond
Mystical Skyfire Diamond
Honor vendors
Master Sergeant Biggins / Brave Stonehide (requires 1 Mark of Honor, note that WoWhead says the source is no longer available, but it is indeed available in 8.0.1)
Potent Ornate Topaz
Brilliant Ornate Ruby
Hellfire Peninsula
Tracy Proudwell / Battlecryer Blackeye (requires 10 Marks of Honor Hold/Thrallmar from killing players at any of the three PvP objectives to the west of Hellfire Citadel).
Brilliant Blood Garnet
Blade's Edge Mountains
Requires a higher level character to transport you to farm Apexis Shards, and to do the event that triggers Aether-Tech Adept, then Aether-Tech Master.
Imbued Unstable Diamond
Reckless Citrine
Purified Amethyst
Most of the unique-equipped non-meta gems make for easy choices. Get the Brilliant Blood Garnet from Hellfire, the Nightmare Tear, and (if you can), and the Reckless Citrine and Purified Amethyst via the Aether-Tech Adept. The bigger question involves the several remaining slots. While crit isn't very useful for resto shamans, getting one more int via Brilliant Ornate Rubies feels underwhelming against getting 5 crit instead from Potent Ornate Topazes.
If you go with Plunderer's Helmet to get a meta gem, several interesting choices await. Given that the BiS neck significantly helps reduce silences, a stun reduction or avoidance meta gem may serve best, but it's hard to go wrong with any of them.
IV. Talents, Talents, and More Talents!
For resto shamans planning to act as a primary healer, Unleash Life will likely take top honors from the first tier, paired with Earth Shield from the second tier. Many resto shamans, however, should seriously consider Echo of the Elements to help capitalize on a resto shaman's mobility. The third tier goes to Earthgrab Totem unless you're the FC, in which case you'll want Spirit Wolf.
For PvP talents, take Gladiator's Medallion. For PvP talents, two choices stand above: Tidebringer makes the most of the 50% bonus that Chain Heal receives in instanced PvP, and Ancestral Gift can help in critical situations. Other than those, FC resto shamans in particular may opt instead for Spectral Recovery.
V. Playstyle Approaches
The 59 bracket sits in an unusual place between the middle (39, 49) and upper (60/69, 79) brackets. Classes don't gain much in the way of abilities compared to 49s, but BfA's level scaling of Outland and Northrend provides a larger gear advantage than the midbrackets typically encounter. The extra stats don't impact twink vs. twink battles, but they do exacerbate the gap with undergeared players.
This means at 59, healers really need to read the field and figure out where healing will make the most impact, and (especially for resto shamans) where the best defense is a good offense. Divide and conquer paves the way to success for us, and resto shamans bring three main tactics to execute on this strategy: kites, soaks, and burns.
Thanks to a combination of CCs and slows, plus strong survivability, resto shamans can attract and hold attention from multiple opponents. By keeping melee just out of range, a good resto shaman kites opponents while the shaman's teammates either peel for the shaman or focus on a priority target while the shaman keeps the melee occupied. We can also leverage CCs and slows as an offensive tactic. Slowing a group of retreating enemies or timing a capacitor totem to go off just before a group of opponents capture a flag can suddenly shift a battle to our favor. Develop a feel for when to create or close distance for the team.
The greater gulf of stats between twinks and nontwinks in the 59 bracket means that for non-premade battlegrounds, we can make a commensurately greater impact with our damage and healing. Multiple riptides and healing stream totems enable us to buoy several nearby teammates at once. When we soak that much damage, our teammates can keep up the pressure, or at least keep enemies at bay. Facing off against other twinks, our damage soak will likely pull them toward us, freeing our teammates to pressure enemy twinks while we absorb the brunt of the damage. If we are left alone, damage soaking can also allow us to assist teammates with considerable damage of our own.
That leads us to burns. Lava Surge procs can escalate resto shaman damage to chart-toppiong heights, so make it a priority to keep flame shock going on priority targets whenever possible. When the procs really get rolling, we can spit out instant-crit lava bursts global after global and quickly force opponent healers to mitigate the damage. The added pressure can open the door for teammates to get kills or push opponents off an objective.
Successful resto shaman play at 59 needs us to develop a sense of "tide". Flowing between our kite, soak, and burn tactics helps us shift the battle in a given situation. Also, notice the number of references to teammates? Resto shamans excel as a support class overall, and if we're not finding the team support we need on the battleground, then we are better off focusing on damage and CCs. That can feel strange for players used to healing, but the depth of the resto shaman toolkit (and the sheer strength of lava surge) makes "restomental" a very viable play option.
Last edited: