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The Best PvE Elemental Shaman Build for WoW Classic

The Best PvE Elemental Shaman Build for WoW Classic

An in-depth Guide for Elemental Shaman in WoW Classic which is based on his best DPS Specialization

Elemental Shaman PvE DPS Build
Odealo's Pocket Guide

Shaman

You can find all our Pocket Guides for other WoW Classic Classes builds right here: Best WoW Classic Builds

If you have just started leveling your Shaman, you may want to check out our Shaman leveling Guide first

Changelog
  • Added Phase 2 BiS Equipment
  • Added Phase 3 BiS Equipment
  • Reviewed Talent Builds, Consumables, and Rotations

 

Overview

As a hybrid class, Shamans combine the traits of DPSers, Healers and, to a lesser extent, Tanks. Thanks to this, they are among the most universal characters in WoW Classic. Elemental Shamans take full advantage of what their Class provides which makes them arguably the best Support DPS specialization in the game. For one, they can equip shields and mail, leather or cloth armor, which makes them flexible when it comes to equipment. On top of that, they can deploy a Class-specific themed group of ground-based buffs called Totems. With these, they can provide various powerful damage-increasing buffs (Windfury Totem, Grace of Air Totem, and Strength of Earth Totem), assist their group by providing very strong utility (Poison Cleansing Totem, Tremor Totem),  or help with group's sustain and longevity (Stoneskin Totem, Windwall Totem, Mana Spring Totem). Moreover, they have: the best interrupt in the game in the form of the Earth Shock (its cooldown is just 6 seconds which is the shortest of all interrupts), an ability to Purge Targets which removes magic effects from them, and the Frost Shock which is infamous for being able to perma-slow a Target (Frost Shock's slow effect is longer than its cooldown). On top of that, they have powerful PvE DPS-oriented tools, like Elemental Mastery and Elemental Focus, that let them deal sustained Damage and burst down their Targets quickly if needed.

Thanks to the utility that they provide, every group will benefit from having an Elemental Shaman in it. This fact combined with Shaman's versatility makes Elementals an inherent part of almost every Horde Raid.

 Pros  Cons
 Very versatile; can DPS and Heal effectively  Can experience sustain problems during longer engagements
 Great group utility  Low mobility while indoors
 Great support tools in the form of Totems, Shocks, and cleansing abilities  Rather squishy, despite the Mail armor
 High ranged burst Damage  Totem Twisting is very mana intensive (increasing group's effectivenes comes at the cost of Elemental's own performance)
 There are Totems for pretty much every possible situation  


The Best Race Choice

Note: Here, we will point you only towards the best PvE Elemental Shaman Race. If you'd like to know more about other race picks, please check our WoW Classic Beginners Guide, where we dive deep into all available Shaman races.

Horde
Horde		 Out of the three Horde races that can choose the path of a Shaman, Troll is the only one with a Racial that directly affects Elemental's PvE gameplay. His Berserking provides a 10-second long casting speed buff based on caster's current health once every 3 minutes. This will give you just 10% haste most of the time, which is not that great, but in back-to-the-wall situations, the buff can reach a whopping 30%, which will increase your DPS considerably. Moreover, while usually rather minor, the buff pairs well with Elemental's other Cooldowns which adds to already considerable Burst Damage potential of the spec.

 

The Best Professions Choice

There is only one profession that makes a real impact in Raids and it is Engineering. It gives you access to powerful explosives that increase your AoE and Single-Target DPS. Thrown explosives have a decent range, so you can use them effectively while sticking with Ranged groups of your Raid and providing them with Totem buffs. The fact that Engineering is also considered the best PvP profession is an added benefit to its power in the PvE environment. Alchemy is the second interesting option. It will let you brew a lot of much-needed Consumables and when paired with Herbalism, allow you to make a nice profit on the Auction House (this is a less competitive option as most of the Consumables that come from Alchemy can be bought from other players rather cheaply).

At the start, you should pick Mining to supplement your Engineering Skill, you can always switch it to another profession of your liking later on. If you've decided to go for Alchemy, Herbalism is the natural second profession pick - we recommend you stick with it for as long as you actively use Alchemy.

Note: If you want to know more about all available professions and secondary skills, please check our detailed WoW Classic Professions Guide.

Statistics Priority

  1. Spell Penetration - Allows your spells to bypass some of the Target's Spell Resistance. This statistic allows you to deal more damage against Nature-resistant Bosses and has no effect against Bosses that have 0 Natur Resistance. Spell Penetration becomes very relevant for Elemental Shamans during the AQ phase, as there are very many Nature-resistant bosses in AQ 40.
  1. Spell Hit Chance -  Increases your chance to hit with all your offensive Spells. You need a total of 16% Hit Rating. Getting Hit-Capped should be one of your priorities while gearing up for Raids. 3% is provided by Nature's Guidance Talent, so you'll need 13% from Gear.
  1. Spell Critical Chance - Gives you a chance to do additional (Critical) Damage with your offensive Spells. This statistic has a lot of value for Shamans thanks to the Elemental Fury Talent that increases the Critical Damage bonus to 100% (from 50%).
  1. Spell Damage - Increases your Damage done with Spells. The damage bonus from Spell Damage is calculated differently for different Spells and their Ranks, but in general, this stat is the best for increasing your DPS.
  1. Mp5 (Mana per 5 seconds) - Regenerates X mana every 5 seconds. This effect continues while casting, which makes it much better than Spirit when it comes to the provided sustain.
  1. Intellect - Increases your total Mana Pool and provides you with additional Spell Critical Chance (59,2 Int = 1% Spell Critical Strike Chance).

Statistic Priority for an Elemental Shaman:

Spell Penetration (for Nature-resistant Bosses only) ⇒ Spell Hit Cap  = Spell Critical Chance ⇒ Spell Damage ⇒ Mp5 ⇒ Intellect

 

The Best Talent Builds

Proper Talent allocation is essential for maximizing Damage output. Here, we will describe the most optimal spec and lead you through the Talent Trees level-by-level to explain some choices.

There are two distinct paths Elemental Shaman can take when it comes to Talent Builds:

  • Elemental Mastery Shaman PvE DPS Build - Standard Elemental Shaman PvE Build, designed for sustained Damage and survivability during Boss encounters. The signature Talent of the build, Elemental Mastery, increases your flexibility in early Raid tiers by allowing you to cast a hard-hitting free offensive spell or a healing spell that is guaranteed to crit. On top of that, the build takes care of your defenses by securing Elemental Warding that makes you more resistant to Nature, Frost, and Fire Damage, and makes gameplay more forgiving thanks to the Improved Reincarnation. In later phases of the game, after acquiring high enough Critical Chance from gear, swapping Elemental Mastery for Nature's Swiftness can be beneficial for build's overall performance.
  • Nature's Swiftness PvE/PvP Hybrid Shaman Build - Build that sacrifices some Damage potential in exchange for the flexibility provided by Nature's Swiftness Talent. It also forgoes some PvE-oriented Talents in favor of tools useful in PvP. The build retains the ability to deal sustained Damage and support group members with Totems. Moreover, Nature's Swiftness raises the skill ceiling by enabling instant spell casts during emergencies (instant Healing Wave can be life-saving). Some of the Talents can be juggled around to make the build more specialized in PvP (forgoing Totemic Focus in favor of Ancestral Healing and Reverberation) or PvE (swapping Eye of the Storm for Call of Flame, for example).

Elemental Mastery Shaman PvE DPS Build
Talent allocation for Elemental Mastery Shaman PvE DPS Build

Elemental Tree:

  • 5/5 Convection - Mana savings are always nice, especially when they concern your most used spells.
  • 5/5 Concussion - 5% more Damage from your main spells. This Talent affects both Single-Target and Multi-Target DPS.
  • 3/3 Elemental Warding - Makes you more resistant to the most common schools of magic. Fire resistance is great for Molten Core, Onyxia's Lair, and Blackwing Lair, while Nature Resistance is required for AQ 40.
  • 3/3 Call of Flame - Makes your offensive Fire Totems more efficient by rising their damage.
  • 1/1 Elemental Focus - With this Talent, all your spell casts have a 10% chance to proc Clearcasting, which is one of the most powerful effects in Classic. This allows you to save a lot of Mana and alters your Rotation by introducing some randomness (you will cast Chain Lightning instead of Lightning Bolt when this procs for increased DPS).
  • 5/5 Call of Thunder - Your standard Critical Chance-increasing Talent, but with an interesting twist. The 5th point gives you an additional 2% Critical Chance instead of the more common 1% (this was later changed to 1% in patch 2.4.0), but in Classic, Elemental Shamans can take advantage of this 1 additional percent of Crit Chance. The Talent affects Chain Lightning and Lightning Bolt.
  • 2/2 Storm Reach - 6 yards of additional range on Chain Lightning and Lightning Bolt. It gives you more wiggling room when it comes to positioning during encounters.
  • 1/1 Elemental Fury - Doubles Critical Damage bonus of your Fire Totems and Nature, Frost and Fire spells (these spells will now deal 200% Damage instead of standard 150% Damage with Crits). 
  • 5/5 Lightning Mastery - Increases the pace of your rotation by reducing cast times of your Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning by 1 sec.
  • 1/1 Elemental Mastery - Offensive Cooldown that makes your next Spell free raises its Critical Strike chance to 100%. Try not to use this ability during Clearcasting procs to maximize your mana savings.

Restoration Tree:

  • 5/5 Tidal Focus - Makes you more efficient at off-healing by reducing the mana cost of your healing spells by 5%.
  • 2/2 Improved Reincarnation - Cutts 1/3 of your Reincarnation's Cooldown and increases the amount of Health and Mana you reincarnate with, making it more reliable in the PvE setting.
  • 4/5 Totemic Focus - 20% mana cost reduction on all your Totems allows you to do some Totem Twisting to provide your group with maximum benefits of Grace of Air and Windfury Totems.
  • 3/3 Nature's Guidance - As a DPS Caster, you need 16% Hit Chance to reach the Cap. With this Talent, you need 3% less from your Gear which makes achieving the Cap more manageable.
  • 1/1 Totemic Mastery - Increases the area of influence of your Totems that affect friendlies to 30 yards; this makes your support Totems much more effective by allowing them to affect allies that are further away.
  • 5/5 Tidal Mastery.

Nature's Swiftness PvE/PvP Hybrid Shaman Build
Talent allocation for Nature's Swiftness PvE/PvP Hybrid Shaman Build

Elemental Tree:

  • 5/5 Convection. 
  • 5/5 Concussion. 
  • 3/3 Elemental Warding. 
  • 1/1 Elemental Focus. 
  • 5/5 Call of Thunder. 
  • 3/3 Eye of the Storm - Very strong PvP-oriented Talent. It makes you immune to pushback for 6 seconds after becoming a victim of a melee or ranged Critical Strike. This Talent allows you to quickly recover by reliably casting a Healing spell or to finish off your opponent. 6 seconds is enough for at least 2 spell casts.
  • 2/2 Storm Reach. 
  • 1/1 Elemental Fury. 
  • 5/5 Lightning Mastery. 

Restoration Tree:

  • 5/5 Tidal Focus. 
  • 2/2 Improved Reincarnation. 
  • 4/5 Totemic Focus. 
  • 3/3 Nature's Guidance. 
  • 1/1 Totemic Mastery. 
  • 5/5 Tidal Mastery.
  • 1/1 Nature's Swiftness - Makes your next Nature Spell an instant cast. This works with Healing Spells as well as with Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning, which makes it very flexible in both PvP and PvE environments. This will allow you to keep a critically injured teammate or yourself alive by quickly casting a Healing Wave or enable you to deal very high Burst Damage by casting instant Chain Lightning followed by an Earth Shock.

 

Where to get Pre-Raid/Raid BiS Gear

In order to maximize your DPS, you should aim to assemble the best possible Gear. This applies to both Pre-Raid and each of the Raid Tiers/Phases.

Note: The list will be updated with new items concurrently with the introduction of new Raids/Phases, so remember to visit this page after a new Raid opens for an update on what current best Elemental Shaman items in each slot are.

The Best Elemental Shaman Items
Weapon (Main Hand)
  • Pre-Raid - Witchblade (Drop from Darkmaster Gandling, Scholomance)
  • Phase 1 - Aurastone Hammer (Drop from Garr, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - Aurastone Hammer / Fang of the Mystics (Drop from Azuregos, Azshara World Boss) / High Warlord's Spellblade (Rank 14 PvP Reward) 
  • Phase 3 - High Warlord's Spellblade / Claw of Chromaggus (Drop from Chromaggus, Blackwing Lair) / Lok'amir il Romathis (Drop from Nefarian, Blackwing Lair) 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Off-Hand
  • Pre-Raid - Spirit of Aquamentas (Quest Reward from "It's Dangerous to Go Alone", Un'Goro Crater)
  • Phase 1 - Fire Runed Grimoire (Drop from multiple Bosses, Molten Core) / Spirit of Aquamentas
  • Phase 2 - Therazane's Touch (Alterac Valley Reputation Reward - Exalted) 
  • Phase 3 - Therazane's Touch / Master Dragonslayer's Orb (Quest Reward from "The Lord of Blackrock", Blackwing Lair) 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Weapon (Two-Hand)
  • Pre-Raid - Trindlehaven Staff (Drop from Overlord Wyrmthalak, Lower Blackrock Spire)
  • Phase 1 - Staff of Dominance (Drop from Golemagg the Incinerator, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - Amberseal Keeper (Drop from Lord Kazzak, Blasted Lands World Boss) / Ironbark Staff (Arathi Basin Reputation Reward - Exalted) / High Warlord's War Staff (Rank 14 PvP Reward) 
  • Phase 3 - Ironbark Staff / High Warlord's War Staff / Staff of the Shadow Flame (Drop from Nefarian, Blackwing Lair)
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Trinket 1
  • Pre-Raid - Eye of the Beast  (Quest Reward from "HordeFor the Horde!", Upper Blackrock Spire)
  • Phase 1 - Eye of the Beast / Briarwood Reed
  • Phase 2 - Eye of the Beast / Briarwood Reed 
  • Phase 3 - Neltharion's Tear (Drop from Nefarian, Blackwing Lair) 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Trinket 2
  • Pre-Raid - Briarwood Reed (Drop from Jed Runewatcher, Upper Blackrock Spire)
  • Phase 1 - Talisman of Ephemeral Power (drop from Baron Geddon, Gaar, Golemagg the Incinerator, and Magmadar, Molten Core) / Briarwood Reed / Eye of the Beast
  • Phase 2 - Talisman of Ephemeral Power
  • Phase 3 - Talisman of Ephemeral Power 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Neck
  • Pre-Raid - Star of Mystaria (Drop from Balnazzar, Stratcholme)
  • Phase 1 - Choker of the Fire Lord (drop from Ragnaros, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - Choker of the Fire Lord 
  • Phase 3 - Choker of the Fire Lord 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Ring 1
  • Pre-Raid - Eye of Orgrimmar (Quest Reward from "HordeThe Princess Saved?", Blackrock Depths)
  • Phase 1 - Ring of Spell Power (drop from Shazzrah, Lucifron, Gehennas, and Sulfuron Harbinger, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - Ring of Spell Power
  • Phase 3 - Ring of Spell Power / Band of Forced Concentration  (Drop from Ebonroc, Blackwing Lair) 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Ring 2
  • Pre-Raid - Maiden's Circle (BoE World Drop; can be purchased on AH)
  • Phase 1 - Ring of Spell Power (drop from Shazzrah, Lucifron, Gehennas, and Sulfuron Harbinger, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - Ring of Spell Power 
  • Phase 3 - Ring of Spell Power / Band of Forced Concentration 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Head
  • Pre-Raid - Cap of the Scarlet Savant (Quest reward from "Cap of the Scarlet Savant", Stratcholme; Quest is obtainable in Winterspring)
  • Phase 1 - Cap of the Scarlet Savant / Helmet of Ten Storms (Drop from Onyxia, Onyxia's Lair) 
  • Phase 2 - Helmet of Ten Storms / Infernal Headcage (Drop from Lord Kazzak, Blasted Lands World Boss) 
  • Phase 3 - Mish'undare, Circlet of the Mind Flayer (Drop from Nefarian, Blackwing Lair) 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Chest
  • Pre-Raid -  Alanna's Embrace (Drop from Ras Frostwhisper, Scholomance) / Robes of the Royal Crown (Drop from Emperor Dagran Thaurissan, Blackrock Depths)
  • Phase 1 - Robe of Volatile Power (drop from Lucifron, Shazzrah, Sulfuron Harbinger, and Gehennas, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - Robe of Volatile Power 
  • Phase 3 - Robe of Volatile Power / Breastplate of Ten Storms (Drop from Nefarian, Blackwing Lair) 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Legs
  • Pre-Raid - Skyshroud Leggings (drop from Highlord Omokk, Lower Blackrock Spire)
  • Phase 1 - Legplates of Ten Storms (Drop from Ragnaros, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - Legplates of Ten Storms / General's Mail Leggings (Rank 12 PvP Reward) 
  • Phase 3 - Legplates of Ten Storms / General's Mail Leggings / Flarecore Leggings (Created by Tailoring, Recipe can be acquired from Thorium Brotherhood after reaching Revered rep.) 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Gloves
  • Pre-Raid - Hands of Power (drop from Quartermaster Zigris, Lower Blackrock Spire)
  • Phase 1 - Earthfury Gauntlets (Drop from Gehennas, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - Earthfury Gauntlets 
  • Phase 3 - Gauntlets of Ten Storms (Drop from Firemaw, Flamegor, and Chromaggus, Blackwing Lair) 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Boots
  • Pre-Raid - Omnicast Boots (drop from Golem Lord Ardelmach, Blackrock Depths) / Verdant Footpads (Drop from Stonespine, Stratcholme)
  • Phase 1 - Verdant Footpads / Omnicast Boots
  • Phase 2 - General's Mail Boots (Rank 12 PvP Reward) / Snowblind Shoes (Drop from Azuregos, Azshara World Boss) 
  • Phase 3 - Snowblind Shoes / Greaves of Ten Storms (Drop from Broodlord Lashlayer, Blackwing Lair) 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Shoulders
  • Pre-Raid - Burial Shawl  (Drop from multiple Bosses, Scholomance)
  • Phase 1 - Deep Earth Spaulders (Drop from multiple Bosses, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - Deep Earth Spaulders / Warlord's Mail Spaulders (Rank 13 PvP Reward) 
  • Phase 3 - Deep Earth Spaulders / Mantle of the Blackwing Cabal (Drop from Razorgore the Untamed, Blackwing Lair) 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Wrists
  • Pre-Raid - Pyremail Wristguards of Nature's Wrath (drop from Lord Incendius, Blackrock Depths; note: The item has a Random Enchantment)
  • Phase 1 - Pyremail Wristguards of Nature's Wrath
  • Phase 2 - Dryad's Wrist Bindings Warsong Gulch Reputation Reward - Exalted) 
  • Phase 3 - Bracers of Arcane Accuracy (Drop from Broodlord Lashlayer, Blackwing Lair) 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Belt
  • Pre-Raid - Ban'thok Sash (drop from Ok'thor the Breaker, Blackrock Depths)
  • Phase 1 - Mana Igniting Cord (drop from Golemagg the Incinerator, Garr, Baron Geddon, and Magmadar, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - Mana Igniting Cord / Flayed Doomguard Belt (Drop from Lord Kazzak, Blasted Lands World Boss) 
  • Phase 3 - Firemaw's Clutch (Drop from Firemaw, Blackwing Lair) 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Back
  • Pre-Raid - Spiritescaper Cape (Drop from High Interrogator Gersthan, Blackrock depths)
  • Phase 1 - Sapphiron Drape (drop from Onyxia, Onyxia's Lair)
  • Phase 2 - Sapphiron Drape 
  • Phase 3 - Sapphiron Drape / Cloak of the Brood Lord (Drop from Nefarian, Blackwing Lair) 
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA

 

The Best Enchants and Consumables

Proper enchants and consumables will greatly increase your Damage output and Sustain. While getting enchants is a one-time-deal, farming consumables might be a real chore, but it is worth it as numbers clearly show.

The Best Enchants
Weapon (1H) Enchant Weapon - Spell Power (+ 30 Spell Damage) / Enchant Weapon - Healing Power (+55 Healing); for a Weapon dedicated for Healing
Weapon (TH) Enchant Weapon - Spell Power (+ 30 Spell Damage) / Enchant Weapon - Healing Power (+55 Healing); for a Weapon dedicated for Healing
Shield Enchant Shield - Greater Stamina (+7 Stamina)
Head Lesser Arcanum of Voracity (+8 Intellect, available from Libram of Voracity Quest in Burning Steppes)
Chest Enchant Chest - Greater Stats (+4 to all stats)
Legs Lesser Arcanum of Voracity (+8 Intellect, available from Libram of Voracity Quest in Burning Steppes)
Hands Enchant Gloves - Riding Skill (Minor Raiding Speed Increase)
Feet Enchant Boots - Minor Speed (+8% Run Speed)
Shoulders Chromatic Mantle of the Dawn (+5 to all Resistances)
Wrists Enchant Bracer - Mana Regeneration (+4 Mana per 5 seconds)
Back Enchant Cloak - Greater Resistance  (+5 to all Resistances)

The Best Consumables
Flask of Supreme Power
Flask of Supreme Power		 +150 Spell Power for 2 hours; effect persists through death. Created by Alchemy. The recipe can be dropped from Ras Frostwhisper, Scholomance. 
Major Mana Potion
Major Mana Potion		 Restores 1350 to 2250 Mana. Created by Alchemy. Recipe drops from various high-level mobs, elites, and Bosses.
Greater Arcane Elixir
Greater Arcane Elixir		 +35 Spell Damage for 1 hour. Created by Alchemy. The recipe can be dropped from Fireguard Destroyers in Blackrock Depths and Scareshield Raiders in Blackrock Spire.
Demonic Rune
Demonic Rune		 Restores 1356 mana at the cost of 862 life. Drop from Demons in Azshara, Felwood, and Blasted Lands (Satyrs and Fel Guards).
Major Healthstone
Major Healthstone		 Instantly restores 1200 Health. Created by Warlocks.
Cerebral Cortex Compound
Cerebral Cortex Compound		 +25 Intellect for 1 hour. Obtained from "Infallible Mind" repeatable Quest, Blasted Lands.
Nightfin Soup
Nightfin Soup		 It provides 8 mana per 5 seconds for 10 minutes. Created by Cooking.
Mageblood Potion
Mageblood Potion		 +12 Mp5 for 1 hour. Created by Alchemy. The recipe can be bought from Rin'wosho the Trader, located in north Stranglethorn Vale. Good choice if you are experiencing Sustain problems.
Wizard Oil
Wizard Oil		 +24 Spell Damage. Created by Enchanting. This is applied to a Weapon.

 

Rotations

As a Support Class, Elemental Shaman follows a priority list instead of a standard Rotation. Spells that allow Shaman to deal with emergencies and encounter-specific mechanics are higher on the list as resolving them should be his top priority.

Note: To fight with Sustain problems, you will be often forced to downrank* your spells. Moreover, if you are using a spell only for its effect (Earth Shock as an interrupt, for example), you should always cast its Rank 1.

Downranking* - method of conserving Mana by using lower ranks of spells. Using this method is sometimes necessary to not run out of mana before combat ends. You should calculate how much mana different Ranks of your spells consume per minute (when used in rotation) and use them accordingly in order to preserve resources (the longer the fight, the lower the Rank of used Spells).

Please use the following Priority List in Single-Target engagements:

  1. Lesser Healing Wave to save teammates that are on very low Health
 Lesser Healing Wave
  1. Dispell negative effects
 Cure Disease / Cure Poison / Purge
  1. Manage your Totem Buffs
 Windfury Totem / Grace of Air Totem
  1. Earth Shock to execute low health Targets
 Earth Shock
  1. Chain Lightning with Clearcasting procs
 Clearcasting ⇒ Chain Lightning
  1. Lightning Bolt as the main source of Damage - Downrank if needed
 Lightning Bolt
Please use the following Sequence while in the Multi-Target (3+) engagement:
  1. Lesser Healing Wave to save teammates that are on very low Health
 Lesser Healing Wave
  1. Dispell negative effects
 Cure Disease / Cure Poison / Purge
  1. Manage your Totem Buffs
 Windfury Totem / Grace of Air Totem
  1. Earth Shock to execute low health Targets
 Earth Shock
  1. Chain Lightning with Clearcasting procs
 Clearcasting ⇒ Chain Lightning
  1. Fire Nova Totem on Cooldown
 Fire Nova Totem
  1. Magma Totem
 Magma Totem
  1. Chain Lightning as the main source of Damage - Downrank if needed
 Chain Lightning

 

Tips and Tricks for aspiring Elemental Shaman Raiders

  1. If you want to deal more damage, lessen your sustain problems, and stand out from your Raid competition, Stack Consumables. Spending some additional Gold or a few extra hours grinding might secure you a spot in a Raid, as Raid leaders prefer dedicated and well-prepared players.
  1. Time your Totem usage. Totems that dispell harmful effects (Disease Cleansing Totem, Poison Cleansing Totem, Tremor Totem) trigger once every 5 seconds, starting immediately after being placed; they should be dropped as close to 5 seconds before the harmful effect comes to play as possible (but always before the 5-second mark). This will ensure that harmful effects are dispelled immediately after they come into play.
  1. Downrank your Spells.  As mentioned in the previous paragraph, Downranking is the key to your success as an Elemental Shaman as it allows you to preserve your resources for when you actually need them.
  1. Learn and use the Totem Twisting technique if your mana level allows it. Keep your Grace of Air/Tranquil Air Totem Active and swap it with Windfury Totem for a second once every 10 seconds - Cast Windfury Totem immediately followed by Grace/Tranquil to maximize your group's damage output during burst phases.
  1. Always try to improve. Get an addon that tracks your performance and try to optimize your equipment and rotation.

 

END NOTE

This Guide should help you to prepare yourself for that legendary Vanilla  Raiding Experience and allow you to progress through Raid Tiers efficiently and with a good amount of fun.

We hope that you have found this guide useful and informative.  If we have missed a piece of information that is important to you, please let us know! 

Please do note that this is an early version of our guide, and we will be happy to receive constructive criticism, that will help us improve it, so leave your suggestions in the comments section below.

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Blizzard Entertainment Inc.

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