[ELE] What is the best opening?

[DarkeVF]

Im relatively new to playing elemental shaman. So was wondering what kind of opening you guys use to optimize dps.
I use Primal Elementalist so no Elemental blast for me.


I usually go like this:
(1) Pre-pot
(2) Fire Elemental Totem
(3) Flame Shock
(4) Lava Burst
(5) Macro:
- Racial(Orc)
- Use Trinkets
- Ascendance
- Lava Burst
(6) Spamming Lava Burst


Is there another way to do better dps?

[DanielBrems]

Seems about right - depending on race/spec choice (don't want to use two of the following at the same time during ascendance, to avoid haste-capping on LvB: Berserking, BL, Elemental Mastery), of course.

You should "pre-cast" a Lightning Bolt - or, if you're specced into it, an Elemental Blast - just after the prepot. It's free damage.
You might also want to consider moving Fire Elemental Totem to *after* you cast Flame Shock - maybe it starts attacking faster, then. Dunno.
You should also save the (4) - Lava Burst for after you've popped your CDs.
Also missing Stormlash; should be used just before your first Lava Burst.

This is what I would suggest:
(start with Searing Totem up, might get a single cast off before you pop FET)
Pre-pot
LB/EB
Flame Shock
FET
Stormlash
Trinket
Elemental Mastery OR Bloodlust OR Berserking*
Lava Burst
Ascendance
Lava Burst
etc.

*If you have both Berserking and Elemental Mastery, use Berserking first and save EM for when Berserking runs out - should have 5 seconds of Ascendance left at that point. Don't ever pop these at the same time, as you'll go below 1 second cast on LvB.

EDIT: There's basically three points at which you can use FET; right after the pot and before your pre-casted LB/EB (this will give you higher burst DPS-wise, not necessarily in the longer run though), between LB/EB and FS (this is better than the first option assuming you're 40 yards from the boss), or you can use it as I suggested in my opening above.

[hokaido]

well my opening is a bit different since i have zen alchemist stone so i wait for proc until i use all my cds (usually procs in 4-5sec from start so still have prepot for full duration of ascendance). but also depends whether you have any proc trinket + what race/spec you use
for me it generally is:
Prepot
Elemental Blast
Flame Shock
Fire Ele
Lava Burst
and then it depends on did my proc trinket proc (only counts int/haste/mastery procs, crit doesnt matter)?
if no then -> cast LB and wait for proc
if yes ->
Stormlash
Any on use trinket you have+Racial if troll/orc+Ascendance
Lava Burst spam

[Ventuz123]

So if i am correct the FET takes a snapshot of your procs etc when used which improve it damage right? Wouldnt it benefit more to use it after trink procs, lightweave embroidery etc have procced?

[Recom]

It's not a snapshot anymore, it's dynamic.

[Teslaspule]

You should also save the (4) - Lava Burst for after you've popped your CDs.

Nope, since Ascendance Removes the Lava Burst CD you gain more from it if Lava Burst actually is on CD.

And you'll start your burn phase with Clear Casting up if you do it this way.

[Kwiqshter]

So if i am correct the FET takes a snapshot of your procs etc when used which improve it damage right? Wouldnt it benefit more to use it after trink procs, lightweave embroidery etc have procced?

It still is beneficial to use FET with trinket procs, however the bonus from the trinket procs will no longer stay with the FET as someone else mentioned.

It's also not a good idea to use FET before damaging something as it will sit there until it has something to assist.

The opener hokaido posted was pretty spot on:

1. Pre-pot
2. Pre-cast Elemental Blast
3. Flame Shock
4. Fire totem (FET unless it's being saved for a burn)
5. Lava Burst
6. Stormlash if it's not being saved for something within the 5min CD
7. Ascendance (by now your trinkets should have been proc'd hopefully. if not, you can delay this a few seconds until they proc)

Feel free to stack on use trinkets and racials with Ascendance. However, don't stack haste CDs with it. If LvB goes below a 1s cast it's not worth wasting additional haste CDs on it.

[Recom]

Considering we have a banner during the first 10 sec my opening is as follows :

1. Pre-pot
2. Spiritwalker's Grace (with 4pT13 resto for the bonus haste) + swap back to MoP stuff
3. FET
4. FS
5. LvB
6. Ascendace
7. spam LvB till Ascendance fades
8. Stormlash
9. resume normal rotation

The goal is to maximize the benefit from the banner. I drop FET 1 sec before pull, FS when the tank dives in .

Note : I don't precast EB because I'm using the 4PT13 which makes LvB 1 second cast so EB would be useful only if it gives a mastery buff so only 1/3 of the time. Not worth the trouble IMO

[DanielBrems]

Considering we have a banner during the first 10 sec my opening is as follows :

1. Pre-pot
2. Spiritwalker's Grace (with 4pT13 resto for the bonus haste) + swap back to MoP stuff
3. FET
4. FS
5. LvB
6. Ascendace
7. spam LvB till Ascendance fades
8. Stormlash
9. resume normal rotation

The goal is to maximize the benefit from the banner. I drop FET 1 sec before pull, FS when the tank dives in .

Note : I don't precast EB because I'm using the 4PT13 which makes LvB 1 second cast so EB would be useful only if it gives a mastery buff so only 1/3 of the time. Not worth the trouble IMO

Extra, free damage if pre-cast.

[Undefetter]

Nope, since Ascendance Removes the Lava Burst CD you gain more from it if Lava Burst actually is on CD.

You should do the first Lava Burst after your CDs EXCEPT Ascendance. All Ascendance does is give you more Lava Bursts, that first Lava Burst is part of it. No reason not to include it, all your doing is delaying your CDs by 1.5 (minus haste) seconds.

My opening is generally :

[Optional - If I'm using 4pt13 Bonus] Spiritwalker's Grace
[Optional - If I'm using 4pt13 Bonus] Macro to go back to proper DPS gear
Pre-pot at 1 second to pull
Pre-Cast Lightning Bolt [Optional - If I have it] OR Elemental Blast
Flame Shock
Fire Elemental
[Optional - If I'm using Stormlash Totem First] Stormlash Totem
[Optional - If I need to move to a position and am not using 4pt13] Spiritwalker's Grace
Lava Burst
Engineering Gloves + Racial [Optional - If I have it] + Elemental Mastery
Ascendance

If I'm not using Stormlash First I pop it immediately after Ascendance ends.

[mashanu]

I don't use Stormlash until later in the fight, we have our other shaman pop his. Here's my most basic opener:

1. Make sure my 4pT13 is equipped. At 2 seconds before pull use the following macro:

/cast Spiritwalker's Grace
/equipset Elemental (my proper gear)
/use Potion of the Jade Serpent

2. At 1 second to pull cast Elemental Blast
3. Flame Shock
4. Lava Burst
5. Fire Elemental
6. Ascendance with macro:

/cast Ascendance
/use Flashfrozen Resin Globule

7. Spam LvB
8. Elemental Blast once LvB is on cooldown
9. Commence normal rotation

[Earris]

may it be a good idea to use a Unleash Elements before the flameshock and after precast elemental blast to get the first flame shock dot a bit more powerful and get another chance to maybe proc trinkets before you apply the dot

[Johnny-Bravo]

I like to use unleash weapon on Flame Shock.

Gives me more damage

[DanielBrems]

You should do the first Lava Burst after your CDs EXCEPT Ascendance. All Ascendance does is give you more Lava Bursts, that first Lava Burst is part of it. No reason not to include it, all your doing is delaying your CDs by 1.5 (minus haste) seconds.

My opening is generally :

[Optional - If I'm using 4pt13 Bonus] Spiritwalker's Grace
[Optional - If I'm using 4pt13 Bonus] Macro to go back to proper DPS gear
Pre-pot at 1 second to pull
Pre-Cast Lightning Bolt [Optional - If I have it] OR Elemental Blast
Flame Shock
Fire Elemental
[Optional - If I'm using Stormlash Totem First] Stormlash Totem
[Optional - If I need to move to a position and am not using 4pt13] Spiritwalker's Grace
Lava Burst
Engineering Gloves + Racial [Optional - If I have it] + Elemental Mastery
Ascendance

If I'm not using Stormlash First I pop it immediately after Ascendance ends.

Doesn't that contradict what you just said, though? Shouldn't you pop gloves/racial/mastery/trinket before your first Lava Burst?

[Sarac]

Im relatively new to playing elemental shaman. So was wondering what kind of opening you guys use to optimize dps.
I use Primal Elementalist so no Elemental blast for me.


I usually go like this:
(1) Pre-pot
(2) Fire Elemental Totem
(3) Flame Shock
(4) Lava Burst
(5) Macro:
- Racial(Orc)
- Use Trinkets
- Ascendance
- Lava Burst
(6) Spamming Lava Burst


Is there another way to do better dps?

I do it like this so my pet benefits the most (in raids our resto sham throws down Stormlash so I can cast another dps spell)

1. Flameshock
2. Elemental Blast
3. Lava Burst
3. Burst Macro
#showtooltip Ascendance
/use 14
/use Potion of the Jade Serpent
/cast Ascendance
/cast Elemental Mastery
/cast Lifeblood
/cast Elemental Mastery
4. Lava Burst spamm/Elemental blast when off CD
5. The second Ascendance runs out I throwdown Fire Elemental (85% off the time he still benefits from both my trinket proccs wich is +-8000 intelect + 4000 int from the pot)
6. Lava Burst, LB and fulmination depending on procccs (just the normal rotation)

The way you are doing it your Fire Elemental is missing out on 12.000 intelect...or since you prepot make that 8.000 but still. I myself find prepotting a waste for now as the first few secs off the fight I'm getting in position.

[Aids]

My opener -

1. Pre-pot
2. Elemental Blast
3. Flame shock
4. Lava Burst
5. Stormlash totem( to get 2 uses per-fight)
6. Asendance(if the burst isn't needed elsewhere) w/Spirit walker's Grace
7. Fire Elemental ( but only once atleast my trinket, jade spirit, lightweave and pre-pot are still up) *it normally only takes a few seconds*

[felix014]

Is there something i miss? because most people are using elemental blast before flame shock why? It's buffs doesnt effect flame shock at all.I'm using it before my LvB spams and if it procs mastery or haste = max benefit.It's buff is too short to waste a flame shock GCD during it imo.

[Undefetter]

Is there something i miss? because most people are using elemental blast before flame shock why? It's buffs doesnt effect flame shock at all.I'm using it before my LvB spams and if it procs mastery or haste = max benefit.It's buff is too short to waste a flame shock GCD during it imo.

You can't precast a Flame Shock, you can pre-cast Elemental Blast or Lightning Bolt, and as Elemental Blast is better than LB you pre-cast Elemental Blast. And why wouldn't the buffs affect Flame Shock? The Mastery wouldn't but the crit and haste would. After the pre-cast its normal rotation,

Flame Shock > Lava Burst > Elemental Blast

If you cast Flame Shock your next cast should be a Lava Burst. If your next cast is an Elemental Blast then your delaying Lava Burst for something worth less DPS. If you choose not to precast Elemental Blast your openner shouldn't include Elemental Blast at all.

I do it like this so my pet benefits the most (in raids our resto sham throws down Stormlash so I can cast another dps spell)

1. Flameshock
2. Elemental Blast
3. Lava Burst
3. Burst Macro
#showtooltip Ascendance
/use 14
/use Potion of the Jade Serpent
/cast Ascendance
/cast Elemental Mastery
/cast Lifeblood
/cast Elemental Mastery
4. Lava Burst spamm/Elemental blast when off CD
5. The second Ascendance runs out I throwdown Fire Elemental (85% off the time he still benefits from both my trinket proccs wich is +-8000 intelect + 4000 int from the pot)
6. Lava Burst, LB and fulmination depending on procccs (just the normal rotation)

The way you are doing it your Fire Elemental is missing out on 12.000 intelect...or since you prepot make that 8.000 but still. I myself find prepotting a waste for now as the first few secs off the fight I'm getting in position.

Fire Elemental scales dynamically with stats now. Your wasting proc uptime for him by using him later, not giving him it. You should use Fire Elemental before all your procs to make sure it gets 100% of them, and to also make sure you don't 'waste' GCDs whilst they are up putting it down.

[Dave131]

It's not a snapshot anymore, it's dynamic.

What exactyl does this statement mean? Do the FEs buffs run out when yours do?

[zenga]

1) Have searing down prior to pull
2) 1 sec prior to pull I hit this macro
#showtooltip Potion of the jade serpent
/use Potion of the Jade Serpent
/cast elemental blast
3) flame shock
4) fire elemental
5) lava burst (to have it on cd)
5) pop this macro
/cast ascendance
/cast stormlash totem
/cast Elemental Mastery
/cast Blood Fury(Racial)
/use 10
/use 13
6) go to town with lava burst spam

Our warrior knows its best to wait to pop skull banner till they see my 'stormlash up' announcement, typically 5-6s into the fight. Pots last long enough to cover the entire cycle.