Two Days Out: Shamans

We’re very close. Only one more of these articles before the expansion comes out (I actually think I will do a Monk article, to be posted when I get a chance or if I can figure out how to get blogspot to put it up at a specific time.)

So, let’s talk Shamans.

The biggest, most obvious change is that we are no longer going to be plunking down all four totems as a matter of course. Strength of Earth, Wrath of Air, and all the passive buff totems are gone. Instead, we now radiate buff auras depending on our specs. You basically won’t be using most totems except when you need specific things done, the exception being that dps shamans will always have a fire totem out.

As a natural consequence, the Call of the Elements/Ancestors/Spirits spells are gone. We’re not expected to need all four totems down so often, so these spells did not have much of a use.

Otherwise, however, things are looking roughly the same, with subtle differences. Lightning and Water Shields now last an hour, and only have one charge (except for Elemental, which still builds charges to use for Fulmination.) They are no longer consumed when they go off, so the need for charges is kind of gone. Also, Shamans can now actually use fun minor glyphs, as the three anti-reagent glyphs are gone now that nothing costs reagents anymore. On that front, the Glyph of the Arctic Wolf has been replaced with the far cooler Glyph of the Spirit Wolf, turning your Ghost Wolf form into one of those spirit wolves like you get from Feral Spirit.

Talents have, of course, provided some interesting hybridization, giving dps a bit more off-healing clout. Also, the Elemental Totems now have 5-minute cooldowns, allowing greater use.

Ok, spec-by-spec time.

Elemental: Really the main thing you’re going to notice is the totem change. Elemental still plays its game of Lighting Bolt granting charges for Earth Shock’s Fulmination and Flame Shock guaranteeing crits for Lava Burst and resetting its cooldown. Lava Flows now also makes Lava Burst instant, so it should speed up the rotation a bit. I think you’ll still probably want Searing Totem when Fire Elemental Totem is on cooldown. Overall, it feels the same, but that’s ok, because Elemental had a pretty good feel in Cataclysm.

Enhancement: Again, not much to notice beyond the totem change. One great quality-of-life change (that will actually help quite a bit when going from trash mob to trash mob) is that Searing Flames is now a buff on you, rather than a debuff on the enemy. Switching targets just got a lot less painful. The other very welcome, nice change is that Fire Elemental Totem (well, the Greater Fire Elemental it summons) now also grants Searing Flames, meaning that you can actually use this very cool damage cooldown.

Restoration: Love you guys! Sorry I can’t say anything intelligent about you!

Shamans will continue to be awesome. For those of you who, like me, feel sad at the prospect of no longer having a little forest of totems surrounding you, never fear! There is now a minor glyph called Glyph of Totemic Encirclement, which spawns non-functional versions of any of your inactive totems around you. It won’t despawn actual totems, which is of course good, but it means that if you’re only using Searing Totem, for example, all of your Fire Totem’s little buddies can come out to play too.