Shaman Shaman is a hybrid class that specializes in offensive spellcasting , melee damage dealing , or healing . As such , the class is considered one of the most adaptable and versatile . Shaman can also provide group support in the form of stationary totems that , when placed on the ground by the shaman , either provide benefits to party members or deal damage to enemies . Overview . The shaman class was originally only available to three of the Horde races : tauren , orcs , and trolls . Designed as a counterpart to the paladin , the class was once unavailable to the Alliance . This purportedly created trouble in developing both classes since they needed to be balanced against each other . The release of " The Burning Crusade " expansion introduced shaman to the Alliance through the draenei while the Horde gained access to the blood elf paladin , thus making it possible for both classes to be developed independent of each other . Shaman have the ability to resurrect themselves once every 30 minutes using their ability . In combination with their ability to resurrect other players , this makes shaman a viable utility for wipe recovery . Originally , shaman were almost allowed a tank ing role through the old enhancement talent tree . Their lack of heavy plate armor and the various changes made to their talent trees over time phased out their tanking potential in favor of healing and damage dealing . While most shaman are capable of adequately tanking instances prior to reaching level 60 , higher level areas and instances require tanks to have stronger passive defenses and damage mitigation than shaman have , despite their versatility and healing abilities . Background . Shaman are spiritual visionaries of tribes and clans . These gifted warriors can see into the world of spirits and communicate with creatures invisible to the eyes of normal beings . They are beset by visions of the future and use their sight to guide their people through troubled times . Although shaman may seem wise and serene at first , they are formidable foes ; when angered , their wrath is as fierce as those who have a connection to Eternals or nature . History . Shamanism has existed since the sapient races first discovered the power of the elements of Earth , Air , Fire , and Water . On Draenor , now shattered Outland , the orcs were shamanistic ; on Azeroth , trolls and tauren were shamanistic . Though shamanism on Azeroth flourished , shamanism on Draenor was all but extinct by the time of the great crossing of the Horde into Azeroth via the Dark Portal . The greatest , and yet some of the most vilified , orcs were once shaman ; Zuluhed the Whacked , Ner ' zhul , and even Gul ' dan were all shaman . Kil ' jaeden distorted the shaman ' s connection with their spirits in the sacred mountain of Oshu ' gun , taking on the form of the shaman ' s ancestors to convince them that the draenei were enemies . The ensuing massacres upon several draenei hunting parties offended the spirits , who eventually denied the shaman their powers . All was set for the transition . Cut off from their elemental powers , former shaman turned to the powers of the Burning Legion , becoming warlock s . Though many tried to hang onto their roots , it was impossible . Even Drek ' Thar was sucked into the dark magics , though he later repented ; to this day has never forgiven himself for the acceptance of the demonic corruption that plagues himself and the orc race . Ner ' zhul was the warlock who created the portals from Draenor to many other worlds . The portals ripped Draenor apart , creating the ravaged land of Outland . He repented , but was dragged back into the fold by Kil ' jaeden , who promised him an endless existence of suffering and pain if he did not serve the Legion . Ner ' zhul accepted this second chance at serving the Legion and was changed into the mighty being known as the Lich King . He later inhabited the body of Arthas Menethil , his first and most powerful of the second generation of death knight s . Shamanism in the orcs was all but nonexistent until Thrall , son of the deceased Durotan and future chieftain of the Frostwolf clan , grabbed hold of the reins of Warchief of the New Horde . This ushered in a new generation of shamanism , breaking the crippling lethargy of the captive orcs while outlawing the dark magic of the Burning Legion . At the time of the internment camps , " shaman " was a derogatory term for someone who told fantastical and unbelievable stories . Shamanism is now in good repute , though , as the New Horde was led for a long time by Thrall , a shaman of great power . Races . < tabber > Playable races = The shaman class can be played by the following races : Until " The Burning Crusade " , the shaman class was exclusive to the Horde . In the Burning Crusade , draenei shaman were introduced to the Alliance . With " Cataclysm " , Alliance dwarves also learned shamanism along with the Horde ' s new addition , goblins . Each race has its own distinct advantage , no matter its class ; consequently , many players who wish to play shaman factor in advantages and abilities of the various races when starting their characters . Some prefer tauren for their racial ability . Others prefer orcs as stun effects don ' t last as long when used against them , which is helpful versus a rogue , as well as against a shadow priest ; likewise , the orcs ' racial ability can be very useful for a shaman because they get a bonus to both their melee attacks and spell damage . Both of these abilities are very useful in PvP . Still others enjoy playing trolls because of their and powers . Players looking for a boost in healing for PvE or PvP may find that the draenei ' s usable racial ability , , is an effective heal over time spell that can be cast with no mana cost . TCG images = < / tabber > Totems . Totems are unique to shaman . Prior to " " , only one of each elemental type could be used at a time . Totems of the same nature type can now be summoned together , allowing shaman to have Healing Stream Totem and Healing Tide Totem up at the same time . Elementals were tied to totems , but were changed to guardians that follow and assist the shaman . Totems ’ maximum health is always equal to a percentage of the shaman ' s maximum health . In addition , totems that need to be placed at a specific location can be directly placed using a targeting reticle . Shaman see " Totem Timers " below their character portraits . As with buffs , a simple right - click to the " Totem Timer " icon will be destroy a totem with no mana refund . Equipment . Shaman wear mail armor . It is not uncommon for many shaman to take up leatherworking as a profession because it ' s also used to craft mail armor with beneficial stats for shaman at higher levels . Shaman can use one - handed maces with shields , staves , daggers , fist weapons , one - handed axes , and two - handed axes and maces by default . There are a number of end - game gear sets for shaman . There are also sets for PvP and all these sets can be found on the Shaman sets page . End - game expectations . Totems are a major part of the end game and knowing what totems will benefit the shaman ' s group members best in different situations is all part of the strategy involved in playing a shaman . With the versatility that comes with shaman , they will always be the ones adapting to various issues their group might run into . If the party runs into an encounter which is very DPS heavy , shamans will find themselves supporting DPS , occasionally throwing in a heal if needed . The same goes for encounters that require lots of healing . Shaman ' s role in parties and raids varies depending on how they choose to specialize and equip themselves . For instance , restoration shaman get very little benefit from going melee , whereas elemental shaman can cast ranged DPS and still cast the occasional support heal and possibly main heal any 5 - man instance . Of course , it ' s also important to remember that restoration shaman can cast several damage spells for free , allowing them to supplement DPS occasionally without consuming mana better used for healing .