tBC Shamans

[Jonny]

What will you specc, and in what direction do you think blizzard is leading the shaman? heal? damage? tanking?

discuss

[auren]

i'll be going more for group support but with the power of elementals burst dps, something around 38/0/23. its hard to tell where blizzard is taking shamans since we havent seen the content, but i really believe we are becoming an offensive hybrid - whether thats melee or nuking is all a matter of preference - with limited healing(compared to priests and druids) and strong totem buffs.

[Drekor]

Probably be going 0/23/38
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent-bc=GZxVbdVMoZVcet0xsx0b

It's similar to my current build just with 10 more points thrown in resto, really liking the change to chain heal so hopefully it works out nicely. I basically play my shaman as a survivable healer with totems for support. Come BC that may change with paladins around and I may move to a more melee role but I'm not counting on it.

[Soruss]

http://www.wowhead.com/?talent-bc=hEczxc0qboZZVcbt0xsx

Strong heals with some back up boom from elemental.

[Rickert]

Any Info yet how Weapon Enchants will work with dual wield? Will you enchant your mainhand weapon, both weapons or can you even enchant both weapons differently? Last could be pretty overpowered, while first one would be gimped.

Thinking about a more offensive support build, less healing more dd support.

[Apotheosis]

I agree, Shaman healing potential is falling behind that of Druids, Priests and Paladins, and they're gaining no defensive utility (save the 41 point resto talent). They are, however, gaining higher damage potential (Enhancement looks like sustained DPS for PvE, and Elemental looks bursty for PvP) and more offensive utility (pets, +damage totem, +spell crit totem, Bloodlust).

[auren]

I agree, Shaman healing potential is falling behind that of Druids, Priests and Paladins, and they're gaining no defensive utility (save the 41 point resto talent). They are, however, gaining higher damage potential (Enhancement looks like sustained DPS for PvE, and Elemental looks bursty for PvP) and more offensive utility (pets, +damage totem, +spell crit totem, Bloodlust).

yeah thats the thing, with raiding now there are usually 15 designated healers, when the xpac comes, with an even balance of 3 shamans 3 pallies, 3 druids and 3 priests, thats nearly half the raid healing, which i believe is entirely too much- therefore, shamans will likely be needed to dps and do special functions such as totem dropping and whatnot

[Apotheosis]

I expect something along the lines of 1 Shaman Melee assisting, 1 Shaman Caster assisting, and 1 healing. I expect 3 Priests healing, and possilbly 2 Druids healing and 1 concentrating on various support. I'd expect 1 Paladin healing, 1 tanking and 1 healing/various support. These are just gut responses to the released talents so far.

[Drekor]

Any Info yet how Weapon Enchants will work with dual wield? Will you enchant your mainhand weapon, both weapons or can you even enchant both weapons differently? Last could be pretty overpowered, while first one would be gimped.

Thinking about a more offensive support build, less healing more dd support.
Heh question of the year, currently the game supports both OH and MH enchanting. You can go try it with a rogue or warrior just start beating on one of those blasted land mob that goes invulnerable. Drop a WF totem and have the other guy switch hands every refresh of the totem, and you can have WF on both hands.

I've also heard, keep in mine that's "heard" not tested first hand that you can buff both hands in alpha as long as the weapon can be placed in your MH to be enchanted then moved back to your OH.

I'd guess though that they will either not allow OH enchanting or reduce OH enchants effect by 50%, either would still make it more powerful than 2h for a full enhance shaman.

[Ralrra]

In the current alpha from what I hear enhance effects appear to have not been given any thought. IE you can windfury both weapons, but when your off-hand procs, it uses the mainhand for the extra hits. This allows you to have an uber fast, low dps weapon in the off-hand (IE Julie's or similar) and put out insane dps with a slow hard-hitting mainhand.

[Apotheosis]

Which is why it's called Alpha!

That'll get changed. I personally expect the weapon enchants to remain MH only.

[Scorpicore]

I expect something along the lines of 1 Shaman Melee assisting, 1 Shaman Caster assisting, and 1 healing. I expect 3 Priests healing, and possilbly 2 Druids healing and 1 concentrating on various support. I'd expect 1 Paladin healing, 1 tanking and 1 healing/various support. These are just gut responses to the released talents so far.

one priest will be more support than healing, probably keeping up improved shadow weaving and misery for a 10% damage increase for all spell schools except shadow

[Drekor]

Eh the shadow weaving and misery can be done with rank1 SW:P can it not?

[Molakar]

Of course, but you still need to be shadowspecced.

[Drekor]

http://www.wowhead.com/?talent-bc=bxMGuI0tbzyZZVMgz0x0o

Hrmmm still a support ish build, Depends on the group though I'd rather be more like this:
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent-bc=bxMGuIMtbzEofVzI

But the group I'm looking at is mostly melee oriented so the improved SW isn't particularly useful. If your running a caster group in the arena then it may be but then you'll likely have a full shadow priest anyways in addition the a disc priest.