Season of Discovery Shaman Guide: Mastering the Multifaceted Class

Updated 28/12/23.

 

Welcome, fellow adventurers, to our comprehensive season of discovery Shaman guide. In this guide, we’ll be delving into every nook and cranny of the Shaman class, a unique class in the WoW realm that can adapt to all four roles – Tank, Healer, melee DPS, and range DPS. With the introduction of runes in WoW Season of Discovery (SoD), Shamans have gained the ability to tank, adding a new dimension to this already versatile class.

 

In this guide, we’ll shed light on the pros and cons of playing as a Shaman in SoD, leveling tips, optimizing the use of runes, and much more. So gear up, and let’s get started!

 

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Shaman PROs and CONs

 

 

Shamans in Season of Discovery are like a Swiss army knife, capable of adapting to any role you desire. This versatility can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Let’s take a look at some strengths and weaknesses of this class:

 

Pros:

 

High Burst Damage: Elemental and Enhancement Shamans can pack quite a punch, especially in PvP.

 

Excellent Utility: With their totems and abilities like Windfury Totem and Tremor Totem, Shamans are utility maestros.

 

Great Healing and Support: Enhancement Shamans offer on-demand healing while Shaman Healers excel in area healing with Chain Heal and Healing Rain.

 

Strong Group Support: Shamans provide formidable group support through a variety of totems.

 

Flexibility in DPS and Tanking: Shaman Tanks offer flexible DPS options and impressive AoE damage, while DPS Shamans exhibit strong cleave with abilities like Molten Blast.

 

Cons:

 

Mana Issues: Elemental and Enhancement Shamans tend to struggle with mana, which can affect sustained damage and overall DPS output.

 

Low Sustained Damage: Both Elemental and Enhancement Shamans can face challenges due to low sustained damage.

 

Weak Single-Target Healing: Shaman Healers may struggle with single-target healing due to long cast times and poor mana efficiency.

 

Survivability Concerns: Shaman Healers have low survivability, only slightly mitigated by Reincarnation. Shaman Tanks lack defensive cooldowns.

 

Reliance on Specific Mechanics: Shaman Tanks heavily rely on blocking for mana and cannot parry in Phase 1, while Enhancement Shamans are sometimes forced into healing roles.

 

These strengths and weaknesses can vary depending on individual play styles. However, they represent the general consensus of the WoW community.

 

A Look at Shaman Gameplay in SoD

 

Before you start your journey as a Shaman in WoW SoD, it’s crucial to decide on your role, as the gameplay varies significantly for each. Regardless of your choice of Shaman runes, understanding your objectives is paramount.

 

Elemental Shaman DPS

 

As an Elemental Shaman DPS, position yourself at a safe distance from enemy attacks or environmental hazards. Focus on executing your damage rotation and casting utility spells as required.

 

Enhancement Shaman DPS

 

For Enhancement Shaman DPS, ensure to use totems like Strength of Earth Totem and Searing Totem. Maintain the Flame Shock Damage over Time (DoT) for Lava Burst crits. Depending on mana availability, use Frost Shock or Earth Shock and melee with weapons imbued with Rockbiter Weapon, being mindful of the threat it generates.

 

Shaman Healers

 

Shaman Healers should concentrate on casting healing spells like Healing Rain, Healing Wave, and Lesser Healing Wave. Utilize the Rune system for additional powers like Ancestral Guidance and Earth Shield. Be aware of the limitations of gear slots for these runes. Shaman Healers excel in area healing and bring strong utility with totems, though they have weaker single-target healing and lower survivability.

 

Shaman Tanks

 

Shaman Tanks should consistently keep Flame Shock active and use Molten Blast routinely. Frost Shocks and apt totems should be used tactically. The key is to balance offensive spells and totem utility to maintain control and support the group effectively.

 

Best Races for Shamans in SoD

 

The choice of race is critical for Shamans, especially considering the passives offered by different races. Here’s a table highlighting the best race for each Shaman role in SoD.

 

Shaman Best Race in WoW Season of Discovery

 

The race you choose can significantly impact how well you play as a Shaman. Let’s take a look at the best races for each role:

 

Role	Best Race	Passives	Why Best for Role
Elemental Shaman DPS	Troll (PvE), Orc (PvP)	Troll: Berserking, Orc: Hardiness	Troll’s Berserking increases cast speed, crucial for PvE. Orc’s Hardiness is ideal for PvP with increased stun resistance.
Enhancement Shaman DPS	Orc	Blood Fury, Axe Specialization	Blood Fury boosts attack power for PvE; Axe Specialization adds weapon skill, enhancing overall DPS.
Shaman Healer	Troll (PvE), Orc (PvP)	Troll: Berserking, Orc: Hardiness	Troll’s Berserking increases casting speed for quick healing in PvE. Orc’s Hardiness offers stun resistance, beneficial in PvP.
Shaman Tank	Troll, Orc, Tauren	Troll: Berserking, Beast Slaying, Orc: Axe Specialization, Blood Fury, Tauren: Endurance, War Stomp	Troll’s Berserking for DPS; Orc’s Axe Specialization for weapon skill; Tauren’s Endurance for health; and War Stomp for AoE control.

 

This table presents the best Shaman race in WoW SoD, highlighting their unique racial passives and the advantages they bring to the respective roles in PvE and PvP scenarios.

 

Shaman Stat Priority

 

Stat Priorities are a bit different for each role.

 

Elemental Shaman DPS Stat Priority

 

Spell Hit

 

Spell Damage

 

Spell Crit

 

MP5

 

Intellect

 

Spell Penetration

 

Stamina

 

Enhancement Shaman DPS Stat Priority

 

Weapon Skill

 

Crit

 

Hit

 

Strength

 

Agility

 

Intellect

 

Stamina

 

Shaman Healer Stat Priority

 

MP5

 

Intellect

 

Healing Power

 

Spell Crit

 

Shaman Tank Stat Priority

 

Agility

 

Strength

 

Stamina

 

Intellect

 

Armor

 

Hit Rating

 

Shaman Best Runes

 

Your best Shaman Season of Discovery runes will depend on the role that you choose to pursue. Let’s take a look at the best runes for tanks and DPS.

Best Runes for Elemental Shaman DPS – Phase 1

 

Overload Rune — Increases damage significantly, a must-have for Elemental Shamans.

 

Lava Burst Rune — Always crits with Flame Shock on the target, becoming a core part of the DPS rotation.

 

Shamanistic Rage Rune — Great for Mana management and reducing damage taken, also benefits the party.

 

Best Runes for Enhancement Shaman DPS – Phase 1

 

Dual Wield Specialization Rune — Enables dual wielding, increasing hit chance with spells and melee attacks, and makes Stormstrike hit with both weapons.

 

Lava Burst Rune — Deals substantial damage and always crits if Flame Shock is on the target.

 

Molten Blast Rune — Useful for cleave and AoE, but be cautious of the high threat it generates.

 

Shamanistic Rage Rune — Reduces damage taken and regenerates mana, scaling with Attack Power.

 

Best Runes for Shaman Healer – Phase 1

 

Overload Rune — Affects Healing Wave, ideal for single-target healing in early dungeons.

 

Healing Rain Rune — Excellent for stacked area healing in sustained damage situations.

 

Water Shield Rune — Critical for Mana management, allowing longer healing durations.

 

Earth Shield Rune — Provides instant cast healing and pushback reduction, useful in PvP and for Tank Warlocks.

 

Best Runes for Shaman Tank – Phase 1

 

Shield Mastery Rune — Increases Block chance and value, provides Armor buff and regenerates mana upon blocking.

 

Way of Earth Rune — Enhances tank stance with increased threat, health, damage reduction and turns Earth Shock into a taunt.

 

Molten Blast Rune — High threat AoE nuke vital for maintaining aggro, especially on trash mobs.

 

These rune selections are tailored to optimize the performance of Shamans in their respective roles, enhancing their abilities and effectiveness in both PvE and PvP scenarios in WoW Season of Discovery.

 

Shaman Leveling Guide in WoW Season of Discovery

 

Leveling a Shaman in WoW Season of Discovery can be a breeze or a challenge, depending on your chosen role. Here are some tips for each role:

 

Shaman Tank Leveling Tips:

 

Always keep a Weapon Enchant active for optimal performance.

 

Complete Totem Quests early for access to essential abilities.

 

Utilize Earthbind Totem and Searing Totem for effective kiting.

 

Use lower-rank heals to conserve mana.

 

Place Totems strategically to maximize their utility and conserve mana.

 

Leverage Ghost Wolf for increased mobility, especially with Improved Ghost Wolf.

 

Elemental Shaman DPS Leveling Tips:

 

Use bandages to save Mana for more critical situations.

 

Be efficient with Mana usage, avoiding unnecessary expenditure on high-cost abilities.

 

Utilize slows like Earthbind Totem to minimize damage taken and control fleeing enemies.

 

Stoneclaw Totem can serve as a distraction or emergency escape tool.

 

Enhancement Shaman DPS Leveling Tips:

 

Apply Damage over Time effects and use shocks for utility.

 

Heal frequently using Rapid Regeneration and bandages.

 

Utilize Ghost Wolf for faster movement outdoors.

 

Shaman Healer Leveling Tips:

 

Always level in a group, as solo play is inefficient for Restoration Shamans.

 

Focus on dungeons for consistent group play and faster leveling.

 

Be Mana efficient, using the most effective single-target heals to maintain a good pulling rate.

 

These general tips cater to the unique aspects of each Shaman role, ensuring an effective and enjoyable leveling experience. However, considering the complexity of the Shaman class and its utilities, you might want to consider using GladiatorBoost’s season of discovery powerleveling services. This service will allow professional players to level up your Shaman, saving you from the time-consuming process of doing it yourself.

 

Best Shaman Builds Season of Discovery

 

There are many roles for Shamans, and therefore many best Shaman builds for WoW SoD, but we’ll start this list with the most interesting one – the Tank.

 

Best Shaman Tank Build

 

This default Tank Shaman build focuses on key defensive talents like Shield Specialization for mana sustainability through Shield Mastery and Anticipation for avoidance. It includes Thundering Strikes for a threat boost, enhancing Crit Chance with weapon attacks, and is a prerequisite for Flurry. With Flurry, you get a 10% attack speed increase, and it can proc any critical hit, making it effective during big pulls with Molten Blast.

 

Best Shaman Healer Build

 

In Phase 1, the focus for Restoration Shamans is on selecting the most readily available talents like Improved Healing Wave, Ancestral Healing, and Totemic Mastery. While none of these talents are transformative individually, they collectively establish a solid foundation for the Shaman’s build.

 

Best Shaman Melee DPS Build

 

In the Enhancement Shaman talent tree, options are limited. Five points are allocated to Shield Specialization merely to access the next tier, though Ancestral Knowledge can be chosen for a slight mana increase. Thundering Strikes are essential for increasing crit chance, thereby boosting damage and Flurry uptime.

 

Best Shaman Ranged DPS Build

 

At level 25, these talents are the most effective for increasing damage. Although the impact of each individual talent may not be substantial, they are preferable over more defensive or less impactful alternatives available at this level.

 

Shaman Rotation

 

Your WoW Shaman rotation in Season of Discovery will vary based on your chosen role.

 

Shaman Tank Rotation:

 

Keep Flame Shock running at all times.

 

Cast Molten Blast on cooldown for maximum damage.

 

Drop appropriate Totems based on the situation.

 

Use Frost Shock if all targets have Flame Shock.

 

Rebuff Lightning Shield when needed.

 

Shaman Healer Rotation:

 

Deploy utility totems as needed: Strength of Earth Totem, Healing Stream Totem, Frost Resistance Totem.

 

Use Healing Rain on a group of injured players for area healing.

 

Cast Healing Wave on highly damaged targets, or Lesser Healing Wave for faster healing.

 

Enhancement Shaman DPS Rotation:

 

Place Strength of Earth Totem and Searing Totem. Use Fire Nova Totem for AoE or if mana permits.

 

Maintain Flame Shock DoT on the boss at all times.

 

Use Frost Shock or Earth Shock based on mana availability.

 

Cast Lava Burst (or Molten Blast with the rune) on cooldown.

 

Continue auto-attacking throughout.

 

Elemental Shaman DPS Rotation:

 

Deploy utility totems as needed: Searing Totem, Strength of Earth Totem, Healing Stream Totem.

 

Cast Flame Shock and refresh it upon expiration.

 

Use Lava Burst when Flame Shock is active on the target.

 

Cast Lightning Bolt as the primary spell or when mana is low.

 

These rotations provide a structured approach to each Shaman role, ensuring effective ability usage for tanking, healing, and DPS in various group scenarios.

 

Shaman Best Professions in WoW Season of Discovery

 

Choosing the Shaman best professions in WoW SoD can significantly impact your class effectiveness in various roles, whether you’re tanking, healing, or dealing damage.

 

Engineering (Tank, Healer, Elemental DPS) — Essential for Classic WoW,

 

Herbalism (Healer) — Ideal for gold making and independent consumable farming, especially for items like Black Lotus.

 

Leatherworking (Enhancement DPS) — Allows crafting of specific items like Void-Touched Leather Gloves, making it a valuable profession for gear enhancement.

 

Shaman Best Consumables

 

As for the best Shaman consumables, most roles share some items.

 

Consumables:

 

Free Action Potion (Tank, Healer, Elemental DPS) – Invaluable against bosses and enemies with stuns.

 

Strong Troll’s Blood Potion (Tank, Healer) – Provides health regeneration, benefiting both tanks and healers.

 

Elixir of Fortitude (Tank, Healer) – Increases your health pool, making it useful for tanking and healing roles.

 

Elixir of Defense (Tank) – Boosts your armor, reducing damage taken from boss melee attacks.

 

Swiftness Potion (Tank, Healer, Elemental DPS) – Useful for repositioning or engaging effectively in all roles.

 

Greater Healing Potion (Tank, Healer, Elemental DPS) – An emergency heal option that’s handy for everyone.

 

Elixir of Firepower (Tank, Enhancement DPS) – Enhances Fire damage, benefiting both tanks and Enhancement DPS.

 

Elixir of Lesser Agility (Tank) – Agility is a favored stat for tanks, providing additional benefits.

 

Iron Grenade (Tank) – Provides extra threat, potential AoE interrupt, and can be used while moving. A must-have for tanks.

 

Solid Dynamite (Tank) – Offers higher damage compared to Iron Grenade, ideal when you don’t need mobility or stun.

 

Mana Potion (Healer, Enhancement DPS, Elemental DPS) – Useful for mana recovery, ensuring healers and spellcasters can continue casting.

 

These consumables cater to the various roles of Shamans, providing essential benefits to tanks, healers, and DPS shamans in both elemental and enhancement specializations.

 

Conclusion

 

The Shaman class, with its ability to adapt and excel in any role, is truly a one-of-a-kind experience in WoW. With this season of discovery Shaman guide, you’re now equipped with all the knowledge to master this versatile class in WoW SoD.

 

As more content phases roll out, this and other class guides will be updated. So stay tuned for more updates!

 

F.A.Q.

 

What are The Best runes for Shaman in WoW Season of Discovery?

Best runes depend on what spec or role you’ve taken. For instance, for Shaman Tanks, the best runes are Shield Mastery Rune, Way of Earth Rune, and Molten Blast Rune.

 

How To Level Shaman in WoW Season of Discovery?

Leveling a Shaman in WoW Season of Discovery depends on your chosen role. For instance, Elemental Shamans need to manage a multitude of cooldowns, while Enhancement Shamans need to figure out the order of buffs.

 

Are Shamans Good in WoW Season of Discovery?

Yes, Shamans are a versatile class that can adapt to any role and excel at it. They have many abilities and are among the best classes in the game.

 

Is Shaman Hard to Play in WoW Season of Discovery?

Shamans can be difficult to level if you’re playing a non-damage-dealing role like a healer or a tank. But even then, you have some great attacking abilities. At the end of the day, it all comes down to your chosen role.

 

What is The Best Profession For Shaman in WoW Season of Discovery?

Most roles will benefit from Engineering, but Herbalism and Leatherworking are best for Healers and Melee (Enhancement spec) DPS respectively.

 

Are Shamans Good in PvE WoW Season of Discovery?

Shamans are extremely good at PvE and group content since they are essentially a multi-role class. During Phase 1, their potential may be limited due to the level cap and some other restrictions, but in the future, Shamans will be one of the strongest classes in the game!

 

How do I Maximize DPS as a Shaman in WoW Season of Discovery?

To maximize DPS, you need to pick one of two DPS roles – ranged Elemental DPS or melee Enhancement DPS. From there, you need to learn your rotation. Elemental Shamans need to manage a multitude of cooldowns, while Enhancement Shamans need to figure out the order of buffs.