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#1 Jun 11 2008 at 2:00 PM Rating: Decent
I have an alt shammy that I leveled using Enhance but switched to Ele since I have a 70 feral druid and rogue and wanted a casting type PVPer...only thing is I am absolute crap...I get owned by everything around...doesn't matter what class...I have about 7 pieces of the S1 set and the rest of my gear is decent blues...also went by the 41-0-20 build but i get owned...I actually wrote this cause I got killed heads up by a level 66 hunter in an AV...any suggestions as to what I can do to make me a bit tougher? Workin on gear but obviously that isn't my only prob.
#2 Jun 12 2008 at 3:18 PM Rating: Good
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861 posts
If I had to sum up the general theme of this forum, it is: Shamans suck in 1 v 1 PvP. (Especially at end-game.) Poke around, you'll see most of the advice tends towards "stay in the back and hope no one notices you."

I don't play elemental, but I'll still put in my 2Cs -- I usually see 40-21 as the preferred elemental PvP build for NS. Insta HW or CL seems better than Totem of Wrath.
#3 Jun 12 2008 at 6:13 PM Rating: Excellent
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172 posts
Yeppers, Shammy are at the moment (and have been) a support class and PvP can present a bit of a problem on the survival front. Why? For two reasons - first being that we're still a relatively new support based class so we're weak on our own, second being because enemies that know what they're doing will immediately attempt to shut us down. Why? Because, if left alone for a short amount of time, a shammy can inflict massive damage to multiple targets.

Shammies, due to their gear, are easily identified by seasoned players. I've often approached a battle and had an enemy or two break off and charge straight at me ignoring the damage along the way. I take that as a badge of pride, not because my name carries any fear, but because to them, as a shammy, I am a walking, lightning firing howitzer and they respect me enough to divert all their efforts to killing me.

If it's helpful to you at all, Here's my play style when specc'd elemental in the BGs:

When approaching a battlegroup I take a less direct approach, away from the route the enemy is taking in, preferrably around a building (if available). Keep my water shield up at all times. Watch my range - as soon as my buttons light up I'm in position. Drop my wrath of air totem and choose a victim in the fray. I tend to choose priests (followed by mages).
Then, work a spell rotation into the group - Usually I start with two lightning bolts as not to draw too much attention to myself too early, followed with a chain lightning to watch the damage pile up - during the chain lightning cool down I can get off two more lightning bolts, then maybe an earth shock if the target is casting, then back to 2 lightning bolts, etc. Keeping this type of rotation means I'm constantly cranking out damage and spell disruptions.
BUT, It also means that someone IS eventually going to notice me.
As the 'noticer' charges, I targeting him/her, drop a frost shock to slow, and just start cranking lightning bolts. If damaged enough already, he/she will drop, if not, I will. If I do, I rez and repeat.

Using any type of method like this (and there are many discussions about on spell rotations), you'll be cranking out high damage to multiple targets steadily, which is sorta the point as you're specc'd for dps. Plus, if you're maxxed out on lightning related abilities on the talent tree, have a WoA totem down, manage to drop a critical chain lightning and the lightning mastery kicks in, woooooohoooooooooKAPOW to 3 targets at once. I've had this happen a few times at the right moment, where I've snagged 3 killing blows for a single spell.

Here's a fun thing to do as well (or I think so). If there's a confusing battle going on, your side seems to be up a bit, and the enemy is fighting to hold ground, run through the fray and drop your fire elemental totem smack dab in the middle. A fire elemental tends to be distracting to the enemy. Then run to the outskirts of the fray, turn, unload the spell rotation, enjoy the chaos.

So, I guess what it comes down to is - if you're going into the BGs for survivablity as an elemental, it's not going to happen as most shammy gear has a big bulls-eye painted on it. If you go in knowing that you're probably going to die a few times but will be causing mass destruction, you'll have a blast (no puns intended).

And remember - As a shammy, you die because they fear you. That's groovie.
#4 Jun 12 2008 at 6:16 PM Rating: Excellent
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947 posts
At the risk of kicking off another discussion, my only real advice for you is to respec for Nature's Swiftness, and actually I'd drop Lightning Overload too and sink more points into Resto. The 'Restomental' build tends to survive longer, and LO really is more of a PvE talent than anything else. If you want to stand at the back and chuck Lightning then keep it, but for staying alive you can't beat more healing ability.

Other than that... there really arent many options. In BGs you'll get the most mileage believe it or not, because a Shaman survives by not being noticed and in a big BG furball you have more chance of that. If you really want some fun, grind out as much gear as you can in BGs, stack stamina gems on it, and then try to get into a 5v5 Arena team. In 5v5 you may find a slot as a DPS spec, but it'll be a tough climb.

Once you get S3/S4 (it can happen :) ) Shamans tend to have a bit more breathing room from the increased Stamina, but until then getting owned by every class is just a fact of Shaman life :\

Quote:
I am a walking, lightning firing howitzer and they respect me enough to divert all their efforts to killing me.

With respect to you Ozone, I find this a bit of a fantasy. As a Warlock main, I didnt engage Shamans because I was remotely afraid of them, quite the opposite. I'd engage Shamans because (since I rolled one) I knew they had poor HP, poor defenses, no panic buttons and essentially no way to hurt me once my Felhunter shuts down their Nature tree.

I didnt attack Shamans because they were scary, I attacked them because for a given time investment (important in a BG) I knew I had a much higher chance of killing the Shaman than any other class. Sad but true.

Edited, Jun 12th 2008 10:20pm by Sinstralis
#5 Jun 12 2008 at 6:27 PM Rating: Good
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172 posts
Sinstralis wrote:
I'd engage Shamans because (since I rolled one) I knew they had poor HP, poor defenses, no panic buttons...
I didnt attack Shamans because they were scary, I attacked them because for a given time investment (important in a BG) I knew I had a much higher chance of killing the Shaman than any other class...

That's why I take the defensive positioning, so I can do my best at cranking out the damage until noticed.

Sinstralis wrote:
Quote:
I am a walking, lightning firing howitzer and they respect me enough to divert all their efforts to killing me.

With respect to you Ozone, I find this a bit of a fantasy.


LOL. Please don't take my justifications away from me, they're all I have. ;)

Edited, Jun 12th 2008 10:31pm by OzoneSSX
#6 Jun 12 2008 at 6:47 PM Rating: Decent
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2,396 posts
Satanius wrote:
Workin on gear but obviously that isn't my only prob.

Actually, that's about 90% of your "prob" right now.

You know how everyone always says that Warriors are the most gear-reliant class in the game? Well, that's only partially true. They're the most gear-reliant melee class in the game. Shaman are like the Warrior-version of casters. If their gear is good, they can make a good showing. If their gear is crap, they're crap. There is almost nothing you can do to make up for poor gear with playing skill like you can with certain other classes.

As Sinstralis said, Shaman have ****-poor HP, no panic-buttons, no control, highly pourous defense, and no means of escape. Their best and really only means of survival is raw HP, armor, and resilliance. Lots of resilliance. And teammates.

Expect it to be an exercise in humility and patience until you acquire the required level of gear. Until then, just try to find a crowd to get lost in.

Edited, Jun 12th 2008 10:48pm by Gaudion
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