Which spec to level
Level Enhancement. Warcraft Tavern, Mobalytics and Icy Veins agree here, and Mobalytics (Oct 24) and Icy Veins (Oct 17) have almost the same talent order up to level 30. Weapon strikes barely cost mana, and Stormstrike from level 25 provides the main damage.
Elemental works, but Tavern writes about a lack of mana and unstable procs. Restoration is slow for solo: Tavern advises waiting for dual specialization at level 40.
| Spec | When to take it | Downside |
|---|---|---|
| Enhancement | Solo and dungeons, the whole way to 60 | Mana before level 30, depends on the weapon |
| Elemental | Fans of ranged combat | Mana runs out fast |
| Restoration | As a second specialization from 40 | Slow solo |
Talents by level
Icy Veins order for Enhancement (updated Oct 17). Levels 31–60 are closed on the beta: this is the source’s plan, and we will check it on live after Nov 4.
| Levels | Talent | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 10–14 | Thundering Strikes | 5 |
| 15–17 | Mental Dexterity | 3 |
| 18–19 | Improved Ghost Wolf | 2 |
| 20 | Shamanistic Focus | 1 |
| 21–23 | Elemental Weapons | 3 |
| 24 | Anticipation | 1 |
| 25 | Stormstrike | 1 |
| 26–29 | Flurry | 4 |
| 30–31 | Improved Stormstrike | 2 |
| 32 | Spirit Weapons | 1 |
| 33–37 | Tidal Focus | 5 |
| 38–40 | Mindfulness | 3 |
| 41–42 | Improved Healing Wave | 2 |
| 43 | Water Shield | 1 |
| 44 | Flurry | 5/5 |
| 45–46 | Mental Quickness | 2 |
| 47–51 | Maelstrom Weapon | 5 |
| 52 | Rage of the Farseer | 1 |
| 53–57 | Convection | 5 |
| 58–60 | Elemental Devastation | 3 |
TipGhost Wolf appears only at level 20. Mobalytics advises taking Improved Lightning Shield 2/2 before 20 and respeccing at 20: on the beta that cost 1 silver, at launch it will be 1 gold. The Legacy Talented perk gives talents up to 5 levels earlier.
Abilities and trainer
| Level | What to take | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockbiter Weapon, Lightning Bolt | A weapon enchant, pulling enemies |
| 4 | Earth Shock; the earth totem quest | Damage and an interrupt |
| 8 | Lightning Shield, Stoneclaw Totem | Damage to attackers, distracting enemies |
| 10 | Flame Shock, Flametongue Weapon, Strength of Earth Totem; the fire totem quest (Searing Totem) | The core Enhancement set |
| 12 | Fire Nova | Area damage from the fire totem |
| 20 | Ghost Wolf, Frost Shock, Totemic Recall, Call of the Elements; the water totem quest | +40% speed, a slow, totems all at once |
| 22 | Totemic Projection | Reposition totems |
| 26 | Mana Spring Totem, Magma Totem | Mana, area damage |
| 28 | Flametongue Totem | A fire totem for the group |
| 30 | Windfury Weapon; the air totem quest | The main Enhancement enchant |
| 32 | Windfury Totem | A totem for the group |
| 40 | Riding, dual specialization | — |
- 1Before the fight
Lightning Shield, an enchant on the weapon: Rockbiter Weapon or Flametongue Weapon, and from 30 Windfury Weapon.
- 2Opening
Flame Shock or rank 1 Lightning Bolt if you need to pull the enemy.
- 3In the fight
Stormstrike on cooldown, then Earth Shock right away while the strike’s debuff is on the enemy. Totems only against elites.
- 4Mana
all spells at the start of the fight, then hit with the weapon: mana regenerates after 5 seconds without casting. Healing is Healing Wave.
Against 3+ enemies, Fire Nova is the most mana-efficient spell, and Magma Totem only if the enemies will live 15+ seconds (Mobalytics). In Forever, totem buffs affect the whole raid. Earth Shock interrupts dangerous spells.
Solo, duo, group
Always carry water: before level 30, mana runs out fast. With the Stormstrike talent, look for the slowest two-handed weapon. Open two-handed maces and axes at the weapon trainer as early as possible (Icy Veins).
Totems strengthen your partner too: Strength of Earth Totem for melee, Mana Spring Totem for a caster. Healing Wave between fights covers the pair’s healing.
A group needs a Shaman for the totems: Windfury Totem from level 32, Mana Spring Totem, Tremor Totem against fear.
Stats and gear
Per Mobalytics: Strength (2 attack power) > Intellect (1 attack power with the talent, spell crit, mana) > Agility. A Shaman’s spell power is weak on the beta: coefficients are three times lower than for other classes. The weapon is the slowest two-hander with the highest damage.
Camp (Mobalytics): the best objects for Enhancement are Mana Well (Alchemy), Lodestone (Mining), Fish Bowl (Fishing), Sharpening Wheel (Blacksmithing) and the stool (Skinning, +2% crit). The Leatherworking tent gives 5% rested. Class pairings are in the professions guide.
How Forever differs from Classic
| What | In Forever |
|---|---|
| Alliance | A Dwarf can be a Shaman. |
| Ghost Wolf | +40% run speed. With the Improved Ghost Wolf talent it is instant, usable indoors and in combat. |
| Stormstrike | 8 sec cooldown (it was 12), no longer the top of the tree. |
| Totems | Call of the Elements places up to 4 totems at once, Totemic Projection moves them. Buffs affect the whole raid. |
| Fire Nova | Triggers around your fire totem. |
| New talents | Maelstrom Weapon, Rage of the Farseer: a personal version of Bloodlust, 3 min cooldown. |
| Astral Recall | A second hearthstone with a 15 min cooldown. |
| Dual specialization | From level 40. |
Questions
Which Shaman spec should I level in WoW Forever?
Enhancement: Warcraft Tavern, Mobalytics and Icy Veins recommend it.
Why do I run out of mana?
Enhancement before level 30 spends a lot of mana on shocks and totems. Cast spells at the start of the fight, set totems only against strong enemies, and carry water.
When does Ghost Wolf appear?
At level 20. With the Improved Ghost Wolf talent it is instant and works indoors.
Where do I get totems?
From class quests: the earth totem at level 4, fire at 10, water at 20, air at 30.
Can a Shaman tank?
Mobalytics gives tips for a shield tank, and the new Spirit Weapons talent gives parry and threat. How reliable such a tank is will become clear after launch.
