Shaman tactics General tactics . Weapon choice . All Shamans can use staves , two - handed axes and maces ( with patch 2 . 3 ) , one - handed axes and maces , daggers , fist weapons , and shields . Most mid - and high - level Shamans carry several weapons - generally a two - handed weapon , a one - handed weapon , and a shield . Lower - level characters will generally choose one weapon set , and not carry spares . Dual Wielding Shamans will , of course , carry a second one - handed weapon . Weapon choice will change depending on the situation , and your spec . Some basic tips for selecting a weapon combination : Weapon buffs and speed . Fast weapons are recommended for non - Stormstrike / non - PvP Shamans , especially Elemental and Restoration Shamans , who should use Flametongue Weapon , as Flametongue scales much better on faster weapons . Dual - wielding Enhancement Shamans are encouraged to use slow weapons and Windfury in the main hand , and any weapon with Flametongue or Frostbrand in off - hand . At higher levels and with better weapons , it is advised to use slow weapons with Windfury on both hands ( reasons explained exhaustively here ) . Before The Burning Crusade , two - handed weapons were recommended for Enhancement Shamans , particularly in PvP . This was because Windfury would hit , and often crit , dealing a lot of damage . Immediately following a Windfury proc with Stormstrike and Earth Shock would often result in an instant kill , before the target had a chance to heal , be healed , or run . With the changes to Windfury since the release of the expansion , coupled with the much larger health pools of level 70 characters in relation to damage caused , a slow two - handed weapon will not cause enough burst damage to kill a target outright , even with a Windfury crit . However , the high burst damage is still powerful and hard to heal , and two - handed weapons are still devastating in PvP . As an alternative , enhancement Shamans may choose to wield two weapons . Dual - wield weapons should be slow ( 2 . 60 - 4 second swing ) to maximize Stormstrike and Windfury effect . Enhancement Shamans Critical Strike will activate Flurry and Unleashed Rage . Combined with moderate hit and crit ratings , these useful effects will basically always be on . Placing Windfury Weapon on the main hand weapon while placing Frostbrand Weapon on the offhand will result in bit lower damage , but the enemy - slowing Frostbrand proc is a deadly combination in PvP . Combat . Whatever weapon choice you make , make sure you have a weapon buff on at all times . If you are soloing , always keep your Lightning Shield or Water Shield active , and be prepared to reactivate it in the middle of combat , possibly repeatedly ( preferably after casting another spell , so as to not needlessly trip the 5 second rule ) . As Water Shield does not require any mana to cast , it does not affect the 5 second rule . Be aware that Lightning Shield generates extra threat , so use it with care in group situations . The standard pull for a Shaman uses Lightning Bolt s , followed by a Flame Shock ( or Earth Shock on a caster ) . Since Shocks are instant , this in effect damages the mob up to four times before it has a chance to hit back . The actual number of Lightning Bolts cast in the pull will depend on talents - Enhancement will likely cast one or two bolts before shocking ( if they bother at all - - a Stormstrike followed by a shock will do more damage and is more mana efficient ) , while Elemental Shaman may manage as many as three Lighting Bolts , due to shorter cast times and longer potential starting ranges . Elemental / Restoration . Caster Shamans may kite enemies with a combination of Lightning Bolt and Frost Shock or even Earthbind Totem . This can be expensive in terms of mana , but may enable the Shaman to down relatively high - level mobs . On normal mobs of a similar level , the Shaman may allow the mob into melee range , using a fast weapon with Flametongue Weapon , as well as Lightning Shield , to serve up some DPS between casting Lightning Bolts , and alternating Flame Shock with Earth or Frost Shock . Totems . The four elemental totem types become available by way of certain quests . These quests become available several levels below the level at which the totem spells become trainable , ensuring that a Shaman need not go out of their way to complete them immediately . Obviously , they should be completed as soon as possible , but find quests in the same area so as not to waste time . Selecting totems to maximum advantage is more art than science - sometimes , it may be most efficient not to drop any totems at all , especially when not in a party . Only one totem of each element can be used at a time , and this must be considered when choosing the combination that is most beneficial . Other factors include which party members can gain advantage from which totems , and which totems will affect your target . For example , Stoneskin Totem only affects people being attacked , whereas Strength of Earth Totem will improve all melee DPS . This makes Stoneskin useful when your casters are going to AoE , or possibly against Cleaving mobs , while Strength of Earth is likely to be better at other times . Similarly , Searing Totem will deal extra damage , but in close proximity to other mobs , it may accidentally aggro an add before you have a chance to use Totemic Call . Similarly , the AoE fire totem , Magma Totem , may break crowd control effects if placed too close to controlled mobs . It is also a good idea to consider requests from your party members , as some classes will prefer different totems based on specs . Several totems have an aggro radius , including Mana Spring Totem , Healing Stream Totem and Earthbind Totem , as well as the damage - dealing Fire totems , and Stoneclaw Totem . Elemental totems do not have an aggro radius , but the Elementals themselves do . To best manage your totems , you should watch the totem timers ( added in patch 2 . 4 ) under your party portrait . This will enable you to use Totemic Call just before they time out , giving some extra mana efficiency before replacing them . Also note that totems activate the Global Cooldown , meaning it will take at least 3 seconds to place all four totems . It is therefore advantageous to place totems before a pull . EDIT : In patch 2 . 4 , Global Cooldown on totems was reduced to 1 sec from 1 . 5 seconds , meaning four totems can now be placed in 3 seconds instead of 4 . 5 . EDIT : In patch 3 . 2 , Blizzard added a totem bar and spells such as Call of the Elements ( available at level 30 ) that allow instant , simultaneous placement of up to 4 totems . Key spells . As with all classes , some of the Shaman ' s spells are more useful than others . Some have uses that are not immediately obvious . PvE tactics . Solo PvE tactics . When soloing , totems that affect your group will , naturally , not be as cost - effective . Often , you will want to reserve mana for Lesser Healing Wave s , so might not drop totems as often . However , if you can position yourself right , within reach of multiple mobs but not within their aggro range , you can put down totems and pull each to your spot . You will almost always be more than a match for a single mob of equal , or even slightly higher , level . If you find yourself fighting more than one mob , a Stoneclaw Totem can provide the time you need to finish off one before the other destroys the totem . When fighting multiple opponents , it will be worth throwing in some extra damage spells . Nature ' s Swiftness comes in handy if you find yourself hurting while in these situations . Group PvE tactics . The Shaman can play many roles in a group , including melee , caster , and healer . They are not as strong as a specialist at any of these , but they can quickly shift gears if needed . General Advice . If there is no viable Warrior , Paladin , or Druid tank , then a Shaman can tank 5 man regular instances up to and including level 70 . It requires the building of a set of stamina / armor / defense gear , and a properly geared shaman should have at least 11k health and 10k armor before suggesting this to a group . Raid PvE tactics . Melee DPS Buffs Caster DPS Buffs Resto raiding . Shaman healers are great single - target healers and raid healers . Most raid leaders will ask a shaman healer to raid heal because of and . Stats . Restoration shamans want to stack the following stats ( in order of importance ) : Raiding talents . Some important talents include : Enhancement Raiding . Enhancement raiders bring the strongest buffs of any class / spec to a physical damage group and are often undervalued until one is seen in action . In most fights the Enhancement raider will function exactly like a Rogue with the exception that he buffs the party and has useful utility totems such as tremor totem , grounding totem , and resist totems ( which allow him to replace the holy Paladin in the main tank ' s group ) . Also the ability of a shaman to drop multiple resist totems is an invaluable asset in some fights . There are a few fights that are extremely melee unfriendly or simply require an immense amount of healing . This is where it becomes even more beneficial to have an enhancement shaman over say a 2nd Rogue as he can put on healing gear and not only become another healer but reduce the number of people in melee range without become dead weight to the party . Raiding gear . This hit rating analysis is inaccurate to the point of uselessness and should be reevaluated . Hit ratings stated assume + 9 % hit from talents ( notice that we need significantly more + hit than Rogues and Warriors due to different game mechanics ) all stats stated in table above are unbuffed . It should be noted that the amount of hit rating required to be effective in a raid setting is a hotly debated subject . An excellent guide to all things enhancement shaman , including required hit rating , can be found at . To summarize the Elitist Jerks article , hit rating is less important than attack power and crit rating because AP and crit effect all of the shaman ' s damage , while hit rating only effects regular " white " damage . This is due to the fact that a shaman ' s " yellow " damage ( WF procs and stormstrike ) are already hit capped by the + 9 % hit received from talents . Auto - attack damage generally accounts for 40 - 50 % of a shaman ' s damage output , so increasing hit rating WILL increase the total amount of damage dealt , but stacking hit rating at a loss to AP and crit is ill advised . Generally a shaman will get all the hit rating he or she needs by choosing items that have high AP / crit . It should also be noted that enhancement shamans who want to contribute steady and reliable DPS to the raid should stick to dual wield instead of 2H , which is more suited for PvP . Raiding talents . The Enhancement tree is a fairly straightforward path but here are some of the essential talents for raiding . Elemental Raiding . Elemental raiders will find themselves in a similar situation as most casters with the exception that they also need to buff the party . Elemental / resto gives a little more off - healing ability than Enhancement / resto due to gear compatibility between elemental and resto . Elemental shamans can expect to spend most of their time doing damage and buffing the party but should not be afraid to throw the odd heal out mid fight . Raiding gear . Due to the Elemental Focus talent ( your next 2 damaging spell ' s mana costs are reduced by 40 % , after you crit with a damage spell ) , spell crit has become a very important stat for elemental raiders . Elemental raiders should shoot for close to 30 % crit ( with talents ) then start focusing on spell damage and finally intellect and stamina . Make sure you are critting for at least 4 . 5k with your lighting bolt before you start to invest heavily in crit however . Stat progression : See also : Shaman Elemental Equipment Raiding talents . These talents are very important / useful for raid situations PvP Tactics . Solo PvP tactics . One good trick involves some quick mouse work . When trying to escape an opponent , autorun away from them . Then , jump , quickly rotate around in the air , Frost Shock , and rotate back before you land . This allows you to snare your opponent with no loss in forward momentum . A good way to open a fight is to cast a Lightning Bolt , then a Chain Lightning , and then a shock . This will provide high burst DPS as the slow moving Lightning Bolt will hit close to the Chain Lightning and the shock or damage other nearby enemies . Enhancement Dual Wielding can destroy cloth very quickly . A good tactic is to drop a Strength of Earth Totem and a GoA totem . Frost shock if you want to chase enemies and get massive crits from behind , Wind Shear to interrupt casting , Flame Shock to stop Rogue s stealth ing . Group PvP tactics . ( personal opinion ) Here ' s what I think a Shaman ' s role in group PvP is : 1 . Kill enemies . 2 . Heal / save allies if you can , but don ' t disregard rule # 1 . It ' s generally pretty simple to snare a Rogue that ' s chasing after a caster , or to Wind Shear a Mage while he is casting a spell at an ally . Enhancement shamans are great against casters ( Mages , Warlocks , Priests , non - Feral Druids ) and we should chop them up as quickly as possible . Wind Shear s are a killer here , but in group PvP you can ' t spam it due to its high mana cost . Grounding totem and lightning shield are awesome against these classes as they continue to work even after you have been feared / sheeped . Typically the best strategy against a Rogue , which is easily our biggest enemy for enhancement shamans , is to not fight them . If you get jumped , bail out . Shock and Ghost wolf . An even geared Rogue will destroy an even geared enhancement shaman . This might change with all the stamina gear from BC . Once the Rogue can no longer stunlock you , you can easily out DPS the Rogue . Unfortunately , a good Rogue can get you down to at least 40 % before cheap shot and kidney shot wear off . Elemental shamans are extremely useful against melee resistant ( Warriors , Paladins , Rogues , Bear Druids ) characters due to the extremely high burst DPS and because others will have difficulties against them . If they try to melee you , frost shock , earthbind , and / or warstomp and run . Your best damage is lightning bolts and you can ' t really throw them while you ' re being hit in melee . In mass melee , when you run hopefully the aggressor will switch to a closer target which will allow you to turn and devastate with your bolts . In 1v1 combat , your shocks and lightning shield should be more than enough to take them down with the exception of Paladins and Druids ; who will require you to speed DPS / focus fire in order to beat their healing / shield abilities . Rogues are actually a lot easier for elemental shamans . Lightning shield and magma totem ( or even searing totem ) can give Rogues a ton of problems due to the ability to DPS the Rogue even while stunlocked . Frost Shock can be extremely effective psychologically against your opponent . An opponent running at 50 % movement speed and being kited is going to have only one thing on their mind : Get to you , and kill you . An average opponent at this point will not be fighting nearly as well as usual , and will make mistake after mistake . Equally , using a slow weapon against a Rogue , keeping them frost shocked and only getting near enough to them to swing as your weapon becomes ready will drastically reduce their DPS . The only catch to this is dagger Rogues , who have numerous abilities to stop you in your tracks . It is best to entirely kite them using repeated frost shocks until they are at least half health . Finally , Frost Shock is the only shock to use against a hunter . Given the chance to Wing Clip you and run , they will do so immediately , and a Shaman will generally fare poorly against a Hunters ranged DPS . Raid PvP tactics . In each battleground , a Shaman can do a lot . If your group stays close to each other , totems will be an advantage . You can choose to spend your time beating face with whatever weapon you have , or you can take on a support role . Keep your mana pool in mind - - with all of the totem dropping + shocking + healing that you can do , odds are you ' re out of mana before you ' re out of health unless multiple people are beating on you . . . if you ' re out of mana , dying in Battlegrounds will bring you back with nearly full mana in under 30 seconds . Overall , a Shaman can be really helpful everywhere you want to be . About Shocks in Battleground PvP . Flame Shock - any class with stealth abilities Frost Shock - any situation where you need to slow someone Wind Shear - interruption of casters Warsong Gulch . A Shaman makes an adequate flag runner , especially when you have 2 points in Improved Ghost Wolf but Druid s are better . Remember that Ghost Wolf is a dispellable magic effect - - it can be removed from you , then you ' re left carrying the flag without being fast . You can ' t shapeshift out of restraint effects like a Druid can , so you are easily rooted or slowed . Since Patch 1 . 10 , you can rely on your trinket s while in Ghost Wolf form . This gives you more tools to use while carrying the flag , such as If you ' re engaged in melee combat while carrying the flag , don ' t forget to put on your shield for some extra damage reduction . You can support your team ' s runner by dropping Earthbind Totem s and healing . You don ' t have to worry about aggro from PvE mobs , so dropping your Searing Totem can be extra DPS . Magma Totem will break Rogue or Druid stealth usually before they can get to you . Tremor Totem can interrupt fear effects , and using Purge on Priests or other cloth mobs will remove their self buffs - - dropping someone by 54 - 70 stamina points has a noticeable , immediate impact on their survivability . Arathi Basin . Always drop Tremor Totem when defending a node - it " does not help against Rogue stuns " but it will help with fear and charm effects from Priest s and Warlock s . To help against sap , stay in Ghost Wolf form . In this form , you are considered a Beast and as such are immune . You will be vulnerable to Druid sleep and Hunter fear effects , but Tremor Totem will help defend against this . Arathi Basin means small groups of people fighting in one place - your totems can make a serious difference . Now that most totems have raidwide effects , it doesn ' t matter if the people defending with you are in the same group or not . The oft - forgotten Far Sight spell can be used to great effect , particularly from the Lumber mill , to help direct traffic . If you have 2 - 3 people defending you at that node , you can spy down to the Stables , Blacksmith , and Farm for any incoming groups or to check on the progress of your attack . Sentry Totem can also be useful , especially at Blacksmith , Farm and Mine , where you can hide in buildings . A nice little trick for elemental shamans , is to just sit by the flag at the Lumber mill . When Horde / Alliance comes to take it from you , just use Thunderstorm to send them flying off of the ledge . This usually kills them unless you aren ' t placed right . Make sure that they are by the ledge and you are away from the ledge , and the Lumber mill will be yours for the whole round . Alterac Valley . AV can be difficult for Shaman , because it ' s often a ranged zerg - fest . An Elemental Shaman can hang back and cast Chain Lightning and Lightning Bolt into big fights , but Enhancement Shaman are susceptible to AOE attacks , as well as melee assaults . Tab - selecting opponents to cast Purge can be very effective , especially effective against Paladins , and anyone relying on or Arcane Intellect . For direct damage kills , a Shaman with Nature ' s Swiftness can cast a normal Chain Lightning , pop NS , and then follow with an instant Lightning Bolt . This can be of great use in AV because you ' re almost guaranteed three targets for each Chain Lightning . Using a Shock spell will often finish off your target , should it be in range . If you ' re hanging out of the fight to heal , using Chain Heal on the melee is very mana efficient . With three targets , it ' s the most effective heal in the Shaman arsenal , and everyone in the big fight below will appreciate every little bit of healing you can add to the mix . Further , if as a Draenei shaman , you are grouped with the main tank during the Captain Galvangar fight , dropping a Tremor Totem can be invaluable , as he intermittently casts Intimidating Shout during the battle . Preventing the main tank from losing Galvangar ' s focus will save the lives of his / her healers and the higher DPS players in the room . This is especially crucial as Galvangar is usually engaged while the Enemy has no local graveyards captured , usually sending dead players all the way back to Stormpike . A fun trick for Elemental shamans who are defending / attacking DB is to use Thunderstorm on the bridge , this will knock the attacking horde / defending alliance off the bridge , usually killing them and getting you tons of kills .