So I'm currently level 73, and up until now dual specced as Enhancement for solo play and Resto for groups. Enhancement was shreding everything up and was great, but even so I was just bored with it and really wanted to give Elemental a chance. So I bit the bullet today after finally saving some decent gear from quest rewards and the instances I've ran and respecced.
My first question comes from rotation. Right now I basically just spam lightning bolts, throw in a shock and things tend to die. I throw in a Thunderstorm for the little bit of mana as well when it's ready, and of course I keep Water Shield up for the mana. Is that pretty much what I'm supposed to be doing as an Elemental while leveling? It seems quick and efficient but any tips from pros would be appreciated.
Second question would be related to glyphs. I only get two majors right now until I hit 80, I'm using Flametongue for the 2% spell crit and the Flame Shock so the periodic damage can crit. I'm pleased with the Flametongue but I'm not sure if the Flame Shock is the best thing to be using, especially for leveling. I thought maybe the one that reduces Thunderstorm cooldown by 10 seconds from 45 to 35, but that seemed mediocre also. Should I get the glyph that reduced the global cooldown on Shocks so I can spam them more often?
Third question, which maybe should have been my second, is what weapon enchant to use. As I said before I'm using Flametongue, since I destroy things pretty quick before they get to me that'd be best I imagine right? Not WF or something like that.
My next question is relating to talent builds. This is the build I'm using right now. Mana doesn't really seem to be much of a problem so I didn't bother with the 5 points to lower the cost 10%. There's a couple talents that only seemed worth taking once I hit 75 and get Lava Burst, so I'll likely respec a bit when I hit 75. I'm mostly confused about something like Improved Fire Nova Totem and Call of Flame.
Lastly, I've been told by a number of people that Elemental Shamans don't perform well DPS wise in raids. I was under the belief that the Shaman class was designed that were never top DPS, which makes sense since we have so many other uses. But in raids how do Elemental Shamans perform vs other classes, and I'm more curious how Elemental Shamans perform against their melee Enhancement counterparts?
Sorry for all the questions, I'm just excited to be playing what feels like a whole new class to me since I've been Enhancement so long. Thanks ahead of time for any responses.
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Elemental really is great, especially in Wrath leveling content. I did Elemental 70-80 when Wrath came out and was so very pleased. Things died extremely quickly and quests got torn down in my wake, I can give you some tips and such.
What I did was I pulled with Lightning Bolt, then went LB, CL and then ES. Probably dead. If not, another LB. So it went LB, LB, CL, ES, possibly LB. Things died too quickly to make FlS worth it. And back when I levelled the glyph of FlS wasn't good since it was for LvB, and things died too fast for the bonus 6 seconds. I don't think I would take the glyph of FlS now, doesn't seem very useful. Yes, keep WS up.
Something really awesome you can do is take Improved Fire Nova, and when targets are stunned, they don't get knocked back by TS. Grab a big group > Fira Nova > (While waiting do a CL and then maybe a LHW if you need) > TS when stunned > CL will be back up soon, use it > Magma Totem > ES the stragglers and LB, CL whenever up. Also works with Warstomp. I'd take the glyph of TS these days because simply of the free damage, very good free AoE damage, you gain mana.
I'd do TS and Flametongue probably, or the 30% more mana from Water Shield with TS.
Always Flametongue. Don't really melee much...only if it's really close to dead.
Suggestions:
- 0/3 Elemental Devastation
- 3/3 Call of Flame
- 0/5 Reverberation
- 2/2 Improved Fire Nova Totem
Otherwise looks good, and yes, do respec at 75 when you get LvB to pick up the appropriate talent.
Elemental can do just fine, just as good as any other class really. Just in end-game, top-end, etc., hard core people, yes another class may pull ahead like Warlock or something, but it's not hugely worse off - nobody will deny you a group.
Quote:
My first question comes from rotation. Right now I basically just spam lightning bolts, throw in a shock and things tend to die. I throw in a Thunderstorm for the little bit of mana as well when it's ready, and of course I keep Water Shield up for the mana. Is that pretty much what I'm supposed to be doing as an Elemental while leveling? It seems quick and efficient but any tips from pros would be appreciated.
What I did was I pulled with Lightning Bolt, then went LB, CL and then ES. Probably dead. If not, another LB. So it went LB, LB, CL, ES, possibly LB. Things died too quickly to make FlS worth it. And back when I levelled the glyph of FlS wasn't good since it was for LvB, and things died too fast for the bonus 6 seconds. I don't think I would take the glyph of FlS now, doesn't seem very useful. Yes, keep WS up.
Something really awesome you can do is take Improved Fire Nova, and when targets are stunned, they don't get knocked back by TS. Grab a big group > Fira Nova > (While waiting do a CL and then maybe a LHW if you need) > TS when stunned > CL will be back up soon, use it > Magma Totem > ES the stragglers and LB, CL whenever up. Also works with Warstomp. I'd take the glyph of TS these days because simply of the free damage, very good free AoE damage, you gain mana.
Quote:
Second question would be related to glyphs. I only get two majors right now until I hit 80, I'm using Flametongue for the 2% spell crit and the Flame Shock so the periodic damage can crit. I'm pleased with the Flametongue but I'm not sure if the Flame Shock is the best thing to be using, especially for leveling. I thought maybe the one that reduces Thunderstorm cooldown by 10 seconds from 45 to 35, but that seemed mediocre also. Should I get the glyph that reduced the global cooldown on Shocks so I can spam them more often?
I'd do TS and Flametongue probably, or the 30% more mana from Water Shield with TS.
Quote:
Third question, which maybe should have been my second, is what weapon enchant to use. As I said before I'm using Flametongue, since I destroy things pretty quick before they get to me that'd be best I imagine right? Not WF or something like that.
Always Flametongue. Don't really melee much...only if it's really close to dead.
Quote:
My next question is relating to talent builds. This is the build I'm using right now. Mana doesn't really seem to be much of a problem so I didn't bother with the 5 points to lower the cost 10%. There's a couple talents that only seemed worth taking once I hit 75 and get Lava Burst, so I'll likely respec a bit when I hit 75. I'm mostly confused about something like Improved Fire Nova Totem and Call of Flame.
Suggestions:
- 0/3 Elemental Devastation
- 3/3 Call of Flame
- 0/5 Reverberation
- 2/2 Improved Fire Nova Totem
Otherwise looks good, and yes, do respec at 75 when you get LvB to pick up the appropriate talent.
Quote:
Lastly, I've been told by a number of people that Elemental Shamans don't perform well DPS wise in raids. I was under the belief that the Shaman class was designed that were never top DPS, which makes sense since we have so many other uses. But in raids how do Elemental Shamans perform vs other classes, and I'm more curious how Elemental Shamans perform against their melee Enhancement counterparts?
Elemental can do just fine, just as good as any other class really. Just in end-game, top-end, etc., hard core people, yes another class may pull ahead like Warlock or something, but it's not hugely worse off - nobody will deny you a group.
I have been levelling elemental from the start (now 72) and loving every minute of it. Lightning overload tends to make me giggle a lot when it procs a few times in a row as it makes you look like a machine gun. Makes me sad that once I hit 75 I won't see it as often but from what I am told LvB hits like a truck and it will be something else for me to sit and giggle at.
Elemental can do just fine, just as good as any other class really. Just in end-game, top-end, etc., hard core people, yes another class may pull ahead like Warlock or something, but it's not hugely worse off - nobody will deny you a group.
As Cestin said the pure DPS classes will/should be top of the damage meters but you won't be a million miles away. A shaman in our guild performs well and is usually near the top end of damage done/DPS. The buffs that an Elemental Shaman brings to the raid help increase the DPS of the whole raid so the gap between the damage done by an Elemental Shaman and the pure DPS classes is insignificant to the extra damage done overall.
Edited, Nov 12th 2009 4:37am by KevMc
Edited, Nov 12th 2009 4:50am by KevMc
CestinShaman wrote:
Viseziox wrote:
Lastly, I've been told by a number of people that Elemental Shamans don't perform well DPS wise in raids. I was under the belief that the Shaman class was designed that were never top DPS, which makes sense since we have so many other uses. But in raids how do Elemental Shamans perform vs other classes, and I'm more curious how Elemental Shamans perform against their melee Enhancement counterparts?
Elemental can do just fine, just as good as any other class really. Just in end-game, top-end, etc., hard core people, yes another class may pull ahead like Warlock or something, but it's not hugely worse off - nobody will deny you a group.
As Cestin said the pure DPS classes will/should be top of the damage meters but you won't be a million miles away. A shaman in our guild performs well and is usually near the top end of damage done/DPS. The buffs that an Elemental Shaman brings to the raid help increase the DPS of the whole raid so the gap between the damage done by an Elemental Shaman and the pure DPS classes is insignificant to the extra damage done overall.
Edited, Nov 12th 2009 4:37am by KevMc
Edited, Nov 12th 2009 4:50am by KevMc
I love Lightning Overload and especially the way it works with Chain Lightning. Getting an Overload proc on your second or third Chain Lightning bounce causes you to launch another Chain Lightning with that target as the primary target.
I did some testing on the training dummies and at one point I had lightning strikes all over my screen. Couldn't help but yell out "UNLIMITED... POWER!"
Oh, I almost forgot why I was here originally.
I've been wondering about Elemental rotations in instances. Currently I just LB spam everything with CL on multiple mobs. At these levels (64), though, classes like Paladins and Death Knights just rip through things so I feel more like a backup healer and buffer (which is great, by the way).
What do you guys do on AOE pulls? Do you run in close for a Magma Totem? You'd have to sacrifice Totem of Wrath for it, though. Is the CL glyph worth anything or does the fourth bounce hit for so little it's not worth it?
I'm used to playing caster classes with AOE capabilities (Mages with Blizzard, Warlocks with Rain of Fire, Druids with Hurricane) and it seems Shaman weren't really designed for 4+ pulls.
Edited, Nov 18th 2009 9:10am by Mazra
I did some testing on the training dummies and at one point I had lightning strikes all over my screen. Couldn't help but yell out "UNLIMITED... POWER!"
Oh, I almost forgot why I was here originally.
I've been wondering about Elemental rotations in instances. Currently I just LB spam everything with CL on multiple mobs. At these levels (64), though, classes like Paladins and Death Knights just rip through things so I feel more like a backup healer and buffer (which is great, by the way).
What do you guys do on AOE pulls? Do you run in close for a Magma Totem? You'd have to sacrifice Totem of Wrath for it, though. Is the CL glyph worth anything or does the fourth bounce hit for so little it's not worth it?
I'm used to playing caster classes with AOE capabilities (Mages with Blizzard, Warlocks with Rain of Fire, Druids with Hurricane) and it seems Shaman weren't really designed for 4+ pulls.
Edited, Nov 18th 2009 9:10am by Mazra
Please "talk up" if your comprehension white-shifts. I will use simple-happy language-words to help you understand.
Mazra wrote:
What do you guys do on AOE pulls?
I just reached 80 on Monday and I have been wondering about this too. I ran a couple of heroics last night and just started with chain lightning then flame shock, lava burst, rinse and repeat refreshing flame shock if needed with lightning bolt being my filler (not applicable at your level due to LvB coming at 75) so I guess it may be best for you to chain lightning and then lightning bolt until chain lightning is back up again. Don't take that as being right because I never ran any instances pre-80 (except for "healing" normal UK with a well geared tank and earth shield done most of the work) but I assume the talents that you have picked up are boosting those two spells more than anything else.
Quote:
Is the CL glyph worth anything or does the fourth bounce hit for so little it's not worth it?
For end game it is pretty useless as it adds nothing to your damage on single target but while levelling and having fun in dungeons I can't see using it as hurting anyone.
Oh and by the way Mazra....LvB to put it in druidic terms is the equivalent of getting mangle (everlasting ****** was your quote right?). The guaranteed crit when flame shock is up is win :-D
Edited, Nov 18th 2009 4:57am by KevMc
I've been hit with Lava Burst enough times in PvP encounters to be excited about getting it soon. And yeah, that was my quote, I believe. 
Seems like the ideal pull for an Elemental Shaman would be three mobs since more don't add extra DPS and fewer reduces the damage output of CL.
Makes it pretty hard to get lucky pulls, yet, every Elemental Shaman I've run with have been pumping out considerable damage. I can't wait to get up there myself.
Seems like the ideal pull for an Elemental Shaman would be three mobs since more don't add extra DPS and fewer reduces the damage output of CL.
Makes it pretty hard to get lucky pulls, yet, every Elemental Shaman I've run with have been pumping out considerable damage. I can't wait to get up there myself.
Please "talk up" if your comprehension white-shifts. I will use simple-happy language-words to help you understand.
Since there are many good replies here I'll just say, in a raid situation, I can usually pull off around 3200 dps... in my resto gear... with only 70-80 something hit. I'm sure if I had more hit and more elemental gear, it'd be much, much higher.
AoE just...sucks for us. There isn't much rotation for it. In Heroics? CL. That's all I did. It's on a short CD with the talent, so I just CL'd as often as I could with Shocks and a LB or two mixed in. Heroic trash dies too quickly for a totem to be worth it, run up, plant it, run back.
For raid AoE, totems are nice, but you can't always get up there. Whirlwinds you cannot live through, etc.
The next patch with Icecrown Citadel is supposed to fix up Shaman AoE though, with the change to Fire Nova. You put the totem down and cast Fire Nova from yourself, when you want to. There's a glyph and talent for CD reduction. A great buff overall.
For raid AoE, totems are nice, but you can't always get up there. Whirlwinds you cannot live through, etc.
The next patch with Icecrown Citadel is supposed to fix up Shaman AoE though, with the change to Fire Nova. You put the totem down and cast Fire Nova from yourself, when you want to. There's a glyph and talent for CD reduction. A great buff overall.
Just want to add that I've done a bit of instancing with my Shaman and AOE isn't as bad as I'd feared. I don't bother with Nova or Magma totems, I just CL as much as possible and thanks to Overload, I get lightning strikes all over the place. It's fun when CL procs Overloard on the third jump, because the Overload CL is then fired on the third target as the main target, meaning it jumps an additional three targets. It was awesome.
Please "talk up" if your comprehension white-shifts. I will use simple-happy language-words to help you understand.
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