If you are planning on joining the World of Warcraft Classic adventure make sure to check out our other related Guides below:
And Starter builds/Leveling Guides for all other character classes: |
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Rogue Leveling Guide | Hunter Leveling Guide |
Druid Leveling Guide | Priest Leveling Guide |
Mage Leveling Guide | Paladin Leveling Guide |
Warrior Leveling Guide | Warlock Leveling Guide |
Or if you are done with the leveling process make sure to check our Best WoW Classic Builds for level 60 characters! |
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Shaman Class Overview
Shamans are Horde-only Class of Seers and Warriors that use the power of the elements to destroy their enemies and heal their allies. They are very versatile and can assume the role of a Healer, DPS, or even a Tank (especially at lower levels). Restoration Shamans possess a very rare, in Classic at least, AoE Heal ability in a form of the Chain Heal, which makes them a very desired Raid Healers. Elemental Shamans, while not the best as End-Game DPSs, can pull their weight in Raids. Enhancement Shamans, although not viable for Raiding, are very strong in PvP and have an ability to One-Shot their enemies with lucky Windfury procs.
Shamans are very capable Solo and Duo levelers, but their rather low mana pool slows them down a bit by forcing downtimes. They have access to the Ghost Wolf ability (from level 20) that gives them mobility advantage over most other Classes and their ability to Heal allows them to keep going until they inevitably run out of mana. While rather weak against multiple enemies at once, they are also perfectly capable of soloing level-appropriate Elites. Shamans are strong In Open World PvP as well and have the ability to kite enemies like no other class by using Frost Shock ability and interrupt spell casting every 6 seconds (or 5s with 5/5 Reverberation Talent) with their Earth Shock.
This guide will aid you and your Shaman on your journey to level 60; it will help you choose a Race, present you with an optimal leveling Talent build, point you towards Dungeons and Quests that award worthwhile Ranged Weapons, provide some tips & tricks, and more.
Shaman's Strengths and Weaknesses
Pros | Cons |
Great Utility thanks to various Totems and Shocks | Lack of Hard CC options |
Great Mobility | Lack of strong AoE options |
Versatile; can Heal and Deal Damage. Also somewhat capable as an off-Tank | Can run out of mana very quickly and mana optimization requires a lot of management |
Can Kite enemies easily thanks to Earthbind Totem and Frost Shock | Complicated class with a high skill ceiling and a lot of abilities for many different situations (requires a lot of key binds and even more practice) |
Has access to the best interrupt spell in the game - Earth Shock | |
Can solo level-appropriate Elites | |
One shotting stuff with Windfury procs is hilarious |
Statistics Priority
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Leveling stat priority: Agility ⇒ Strength⇒ Stamina ⇒ Intellect ⇒ Spirit Note: Items with "Of the Tiger" Suffix are great for Shamans, as they provide both Agility and Strength. "Of the Monkey" (Stamina and Agility) and "Of the Bear" (Stamina and Strength) are strong second choices and you should Need on those, while in a group, as well. |
The Best Shaman Races
As most of you know, Shaman is an Horde-only Class in WoW Classic (Alliance got access to the Class in The Burning Crusade Expansion, with the introduction of Draenei, who were the only Alliance race allowed to become Shamans until the implementation of Allied Races in BfA). Out of four Classic Horde Races, only Undead can't become a Shaman.
Note: Please remember that a good Player will make all races work well, and a bad player will not get any better thanks to a Race choice. In other words - pick your Race as you please, because after all, Fun is the most important aspect of the Game.
Shaman Race Choice |
PvE Enhancement |
Orc's Blood Fury combined with his Axe Specialization provides the highest DPS boost out of the three Races, making him a clear winner for PvE Enhancement. Troll's Berserking secures him a second place, but Tauren deserves some consideration if you'd like to try Tanking as a Shaman. Recommended choice: Orc Note: Enhancement Shamans are not considered a viable Raiding spec in Classic World of Warcraft, so you might be better off choosing a Race that suits End-Game Restoration/Elemental PvE/PvP builds better. |
PvE Elemental |
Casting Speed Boost provided by Troll's Berserking increases Burst Damage potential by a bit, while Racials of other two Races do not have a real impact on Elemental's DPS. Tauren is a second-best choice thanks to his increased survivability provided by that 5% bonus Health and the War Stomp, but Orc's Stun Resistance should not be overlooked either. Recommended choice: Troll |
PvE Restoration |
Bonus Casting Speed provided by Troll's Berserking can be the difference between a wipe and a close call successful attempt. Orcs and Taurens do not have any Racial Abilities that would impact Restoration Shamans directly, but Tauren might be a slightly better choice than an Orc because of the utility provided by the War Stomp. Recommended choice: Troll |
PvP DPS/Healing |
Just like for most other Horde Classes, Orc's 25% chance to resist Stuns proves to be the go-to Racial for PvP, moreover, his other two Racials supplement Enhancement builds very well. Tauren's War Stomp is a great PvP ability, useful both for Healers and Damage Dealers, and the 5% Health bonus is always nice to have, but they're nowhere near as impactful as Orc's Racials in PvP. Troll deserves some consideration if you want to play as a PvP Healer, but Berserking will be generally less impactful than Stun resistance or AoE Stun. Recommended choice: Orc (especially for Enhancement builds) |
Talent Build and Talent Allocation Order
Optimal Talent allocation is essential for smooth leveling. Here, we will describe the most optimal leveling spec and lead you through the Talent Trees level-by-level.
Talent allocation for early levels (10-19) For the first bunch of levels, you will want to go up the Elemental Tree, as early Elemental Talents give the highest power boost at the start:
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After reaching Level 20, you should visit a Class Trainer and reset your Talent Points. |
Talent allocation for Levels 20-59
At this point, it is time to switch back to the Elemental Tree:
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After reaching Level 60, you should visit a Class Trainer, reset your Talent Points and spec into an End-Game Build. |
Two-Handed Weapon Progression
Slow, Two-Handed Weapons are the best choice for leveling Enchancment as they work very well with his Weapon buffs and later with Stormstrike. A good weapon upgrade can shave off seconds out of your kill times, largely increasing your exp/hour, especially when grinding (you might even consider altering your leveling route and focus on mob-grinding, for some time, after you get your hands on a potent new weapon). Below, we present you a shortlist of Two-Handed Weapons that you should try and get during your leveling journey.
Note1: For the first bunch of levels only Two-Handed Weapons you can use are Staves, as Enhancement Shamans can't buy other Two-Handed weapon skills from Trainers and get a special Talent instead. If you follow our Talent progression, you will unlock the ability to use Two-Handed Axes and Maces at level 22, but you can get the Talent as soon as you reach level 20 (we recommend doing this only if you have a level 20 Weapon upgrade already).
Note2: Listed Weapons are not organized in a strict order and you don't have to go for every single one of them. The list is meant to be a raw guideline for Paladin's Weapon progression.
Note3: There are a lot more Two-Handed Weapons than those described. We have mentioned just the easy-to-get and quite essential upgrades. BoE items were excluded from the list, as there is a lot of RNG involved in getting them.
Shaman Two-Handed Weapon Progression |
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Walking Stick |
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Quarter Staff |
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Wind Rider Staff |
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Crescent Staff |
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Rod of the Sleepwalker |
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Corpsemaker |
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Silver Spade |
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Ravager |
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Will of the Mountain Giant |
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Beastslayer |
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Sarah's Guide |
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Force of Magma |
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Dreadforge Retaliator |
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Rotations
Your rotation will greatly depend on your level and will get gradually more complex as you progress through content and get access to more tools.
Let us look at basic DPS rotations for different level ranges:
Very Early Levels (1-10) |
At the beginning of your journey, your rotation will change rapidly as you will gain access to new abilities very quickly. You should try to implement every new ability to your rotation. Before Combat Starts:
Basic Rotation: Stoneskin Totem* ⇒ Lightning Bolt ⇒ Weapon Swing** ⇒ Earth Shock*** ⇒ Weapon Swings until Target is dead (take advantage of the 5-second rule and natural mana regeneration) * From Level 4 onwards (this Totem is often underestimated, but is actually great, especially at low levels, and can save you A LOT of Health)
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Medium Levels (11-39) |
Before Combat Starts:
Basic Rotation: Stoneskin Totem* ⇒ Searing Totem ⇒ Flame Shock** ⇒ Weapon Swings until Target is dead *This starts to lose value at higher levels, so you might try to use Earthbind Totem and kite enemies between your Weapon swings to save some more Health instead.
Note: If you need to run away or build some distance to Heal yourself, use Frost Shock/Earthbind Totem to slow your Enemy down and strafe away after going into Ghost Wolf form. |
Higher Level Rotation (40-59) |
Before Combat Starts:
Basic Rotation: Stoneskin Totem* ⇒ Searing Totem ⇒ Flame Shock ⇒ Weapon Swing ⇒ Stormstrike ⇒ Weapon Swing *Very optional at this point
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Professions
First Aid |
As a Shaman, you have access to Healing Spells but still, you should strongly consider leveling up First Aid, as it will help with your Sustain and reduce your downtimes by quite a bit. Bandaging up after a fight instead of using a Spell to heal yourself will allow you to maintain your mana regeneration and take advantage of the 5-second rule. Bandages can also be used during a fight, in a combination with CC, to give you the second wind in a prolonged engagement (you will get Health from Baandaging up and some mana from your natural regen). |
+ Leatherworking + Skinning |
This combination will enable you to craft yourself some Gear as you progress through Levels. As a Shaman, you will unlock the ability to wear Mail Armor at level 40, and if you level LW high enough, it will smooth out your armor type upgrading process, giving you that armor edge earlier. The main problem with Leatherworking is the fact that it does not provide as much profit as other Crafting professions do (except Engineering). However, if you level up quickly and get an opportunity to farm some Devilsaur Leathers, this combination might turn out to be the most profitable out there (Devilsaur Set, crafted by Tribal Leatherworkers, is the pre-Raid Bis for a few Classes and the demand for it will be very high during the Server's first few months)*. *Just keep in mind that Devilsaurs will be highly contested and Skinning even one of them might be very difficult. Skinning is the best gathering profession for quick levelers as it does not require you to go out of your way and provides some steady influx of money. |
+ Herbalism + Alchemy |
This is a solid choice for Shamans, as they strongly benefit from potions and elixirs. Alchemy provides a wide range of consumables that will aid you during leveling and will become a great source of Gold in later stages of the game. The main source of Alchemist's income comes from selling large quantities of Flasks, Potions, and Elixirs. Most of them do not require too many rare or expensive ingredients, which makes Alchemy one of the top Gold-making Professions. *Gathering Herbs is more time-consuming than farming Leather and does not award any experience, so power-levelers will be better off with LW+Skinning, or even Skinning+a second gathering profession. Note1: Herbalism is necessary here as it will provide you with materials for Alchemy. Note2: Many Alchemy ingredients come from Fishing (Oily Blackmouth, Firefin Snapper, and others), so leveling it up as an Alchemist might be a good idea. |
If you want to know more about all professions available in WoW Classic, please check out our WoW Classic Professions Guide. |
Tips and Tricks for Shaman leveling
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END NOTE Leveling process in the Classic World of Warcraft is different from leveling in the current game versions. This Guide should help you to prepare yourself for that legendary Vanilla Experience and allow you to progress through levels 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. |
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