Top Leveling Specs For Shaman

There are more ways than ever to level in Cataclysm. It’s now viable to quest in just about every spec, and you can also use the Random Dungeon Finder and Random Battleground tools to your benefit, as well. In this series, we’ll take a look at three styles of play and specs that could be used for them. As always, your mileage may vary.

Continued in our leveling series, the Shaman:

This guide is only intended to provide a general overview of the potential Shaman Leveling Specs as of Patch 4.2. For a more comprehensive guide including options for all styles of play, the best glyph choices, and rotation help, check out Edge: The first ever talent, glyph, and rotation adviser.

Enhancement

Leveling Type: Questing

Heirlooms: Venerable Mass of McGowan x2, Swift Hand of Justice x2, Champion Deathdealer’s Mail set

Build: 3/36/2 http://www.wowhead.com/talent#hhZfIGMsMhRGo0b:ka0aorz0m

Enhancement is one of the best solo leveling specs simply because it is nearly impossible to die as an Enhancement Shaman unless you pull way too many mobs or do not react quickly enough. Maelstrom procs afford you instant heals, instant Ghost Wolf lets you get away fast, Spirit Wolves provide passive healing, and Shamanistic Rage is a great damage reducer on a short cooldown.

When leveling on your own, your biggest decision will be how to use your Maelstrom procs. If you are hovering at or below 50% HP, use it on a Greater Healing Wave. All other times use it on Lightning Bolt or Chain Lightning depending on how many mobs you have. Drop Strength of Earth, Healing Stream, Windfury, and Searing Totems under normal circumstances. Use Stoneclaw for the absorb (glyphed) if you’re fighting something tough. Enchant mainhand Windfury Weapon, offhand Flametongue Weapon. Keep Lightning Shield (glyphed!) up. Unleash Elements and Stormstrike on cooldown, Lava Lash once Searing Flames reaches 5, Flame Shock, Lightning Bolt with Maelstrom x5, and Earth Shock if Flame Shock is already up. Always take advantage of Wind Shear and interrupt casts, especially heals.

Elemental

Leveling Type: Dungeon

Heirlooms: Dignified Headmaster’s Charge OR Devout Aurastone Hammer, Discerning Eye of the Beast x2, Mystical Chain set OR Tattered Dreadmist Cloth set

Build: 37/2/2 http://www.wowhead.com/talent#hGGGGRfkzGobZb:0roasczVM

Enhancement does great damage in dungeons, but it also has the problem of causing a lot of threat with very little to compensate unless you use the Stonebiter Weapon enchant. Elemental is a more paced playstyle, and you can support your group with ease while putting out great damage. Elemental also has the edge over AE damage, which is the biggest part of dungeon-clearing while leveling, since most tanks will pull large groups, and pull them quickly.

Stoneskin or Strength of Earth depending on group, Flametongue, Wrath of Air, and Mana Stream if you have no mana regen buff, otherwise Healing Stream (glyphed) for resists. Flametongue Weapon is your only real choice as DPS. Lightning Shield always unless for some reason you’re starved for mana. Keep Flame Shock up at all times. When it’s up on 3 targets you can start using Fire Nova for AE. Lava Burst on cooldown, Earth Shock when you have 9 charges of Lightning Shield, and Lightning Bolt all other times. With the glyph you can now Lightning Bolt on the move, so take advantage of that!

Elemental has another advantage in that, if played smartly, you can queue as an effective healer up until about 60 or so. You’ll need to gear differently (try to find some spirit) and use Water Shield and Earthliving, but you can heal well enough to keep groups alive until Outlands.

Restoration

Leveling Type: Battlegrounds

Heirlooms: Grand Staff of Jordan OR Blessed Hammer of Grace, Discerning Eye of the Beast x1, Inherited Insignia of the Horde/Alliance x1, Aged Pauldrons of the Five Thunders, Mystic Chain set

Build: 3/7/31 http://www.wowhead.com/talent#hhZbhMZfGbMsdbosd:dbMarkM0m

You may have noticed a trend here: All of the classes that have healing specs are being suggested in that spec for BGs. This isn’t a fluke by any means. DPS are a dime a dozen in battlegrounds. Healers turn the tide of battle like no other role, and learning to heal effectively in a battleground really hones your awareness and skill.

Shaman have a number of tools at their disposal that can be devastating to opponents. In addition to your heals, you’ve got totems with different effects, Purge, Wind Shear, Hex, and Ghost Wolf to escape quickly. This build includes Ancestral Swiftness so that you can do that just a bit quicker. Strategy wise, you want to stay at a node or follow a flag carrier. Keep Earth Shield on yourself if you’re being focused, otherwise Mana Shield. Use Stoneskin or Stoneclaw, Healing Stream, Flametongue, and Wrath of Air as basic totems. Keep action bar buttons for the following and use them situationally: Tremor, Grounding, Earthbind, Earth Elemental, and Fire Elemental. Glyphed, your Grounding reflects spells so save it for mages readying their Pyroblasts and have a chuckle.

Keep Riptide up at all times. Healing Surge is a good quick heal, but Healing Wave is a staple. You can also glyph this to heal yourself. Use GHW with Nature’s Swiftness. Healing Rain for AE. Chain Heal for clumped groups. Always Cleanse, as it also heals. Hex when you’re getting beat on. Try to keep enemy healers on focus and interrupt heals with Wind Shear, and hotkey Purge – it’s underused but very, very powerful.