3.2, Time to dust off my shaman

[Ofmanv]

I can't wait to see these 3.2 changes pan out for shaman viability

- Wind shock no longer on the same cooldown as other shocks

- Ghost wolf allows the shaman to move at at least 100% run speed regardless of snares

- 4 totems dropped in 1 GCD

I really like synergy of the first two. A shaman can frost shock their opponent thats on them, then go ghost wolf to kite them and the frost shock doesn't cost them a cooldown on their interrupt.

These changes might even finally bring resto shamans up to the tier of disc priests and resto druids.

[gherkin]

Earthshock wtfowning melee.

[Npshaman]

Insta hex! insta hex! >

[Swizzle]

I can't wait to see these 3.2 changes pan out for shaman viability

- Wind shock no longer on the same cooldown as other shocks

- Ghost wolf allows the shaman to move at at least 100% run speed regardless of snares

- 4 totems dropped in 1 GCD

I really like synergy of the first two. A shaman can frost shock their opponent thats on them, then go ghost wolf to kite them and the frost shock doesn't cost them a cooldown on their interrupt.

These changes might even finally bring resto shamans up to the tier of disc priests and resto druids.

they won't, but it's definitely a step in the right direction. why do i say it won't? resto shammies still have the smallest healing throughput due to the general lack of healing abilities the class has (i.e. riptide, lesser healing, healing, and chain heal), and lack of instant (read lack as in underwhelming quantity, not inability to instant heal) heals or HoTs. also, in the way of shields, shammies are far behind priests and palis in this regard. don't get me wrong, this is a good buff to shammies, but sad to say you guys are still miles behind what the other healing classes have, no offense.

[Jerazznor]

they won't, but it's definitely a step in the right direction. why do i say it won't? resto shammies still have the smallest healing throughput due to the general lack of healing abilities the class has (i.e. riptide, lesser healing, healing, and chain heal), and lack of instant (read lack as in underwhelming quantity, not inability to instant heal) heals or HoTs. also, in the way of shields, shammies are far behind priests and palis in this regard. don't get me wrong, this is a good buff to shammies, but sad to say you guys are still miles behind what the other healing classes have, no offense.

Frost Shock + freedom wolf = GG melee.

Grounding + Wind Shock = GG casters.

Shamans look pretty good.

[Ofmanv]

they won't, but it's definitely a step in the right direction. why do i say it won't? resto shammies still have the smallest healing throughput due to the general lack of healing abilities the class has (i.e. riptide, lesser healing, healing, and chain heal), and lack of instant (read lack as in underwhelming quantity, not inability to instant heal) heals or HoTs. also, in the way of shields, shammies are far behind priests and palis in this regard. don't get me wrong, this is a good buff to shammies, but sad to say you guys are still miles behind what the other healing classes have, no offense.

I think you're underestimating the scope of these changes.

Think back to pre 3.1 . Paladins were far and away the best healers in arenas. 3.1 had a couple nerfs to holy paladins but it wasn't anything huge, definately nothing bigger than these shaman changes. But it was enough that post 3.1 paladins were de-throned and disc priests/resto druids took their place.

Lack of instants is a weakness of shamans, but that didn't keep paladins from dominating pre 3.1. Hell, with the ghost wolf change, shamans are more mobile than paladins ever were.

[darix]

just ben testing the ptr and i LOVE the changes. definatly gunna be speccing into healing way with the glyph that heals me for 20% of the heal and withh AA proccing its about a 20k heal all up off a 1.72 sec cast after riptide. ghost wolf is now awesome can kite warriors and rouges easy as. and with the resil change i can finally tank anything with water sheild up

Only thing i want now is a glyph that reduces the hot from Riptide to 6 secs so we dont keep overiding it

[Swizzle]

Frost Shock + freedom wolf = GG melee.

Grounding + Wind Shock = GG casters.

Shamans look pretty good.

1. intercept, charge, repentance, HoJ, death grip, blind, cheap shot, heroic throw, feral leap, shadow step

2. totem stomping macros (they will still exist)

Lack of instants is a weakness of shamans, but that didn't keep paladins from dominating pre 3.1. Hell, with the ghost wolf change, shamans are more mobile than paladins ever were.

palis had bubble coupled with defensive cleanse, sacred shield, and holy shock (which constituted a majority of their healing in arena due to the low CD), all things shaman still don't have and probably never will.

[Jerazznor]

1. intercept, charge, repentance, HoJ, death grip, blind, cheap shot, heroic throw, feral leap, shadow step

2. totem stomping macros (they will still exist)

1. That is basically a list of gap closers that can be negated with a simple earthbind totem while continuing to run around as freedom wolf.

2. So that means warlocks only (the only caster with a pet) will be OK. But what about all of the other casters who are going to have to deal with a much stronger shaman?

[Swizzle]

1. That is basically a list of gap closers that can be negated with a simple earthbind totem while continuing to run around as freedom wolf.

2. So that means warlocks only (the only caster with a pet) will be OK. But what about all of the other casters who are going to have to deal with a much stronger shaman?

ice lance. nuff said

also, the things i listed are all on use abilities that require very little prep time and can be done the second you go ghost wolf. now you're saying that you have to drop an earthbind while being beaten on, frost shock them, and THEN run away in ghost wolf. that doesn't as simple as you originally made it out to be.

[Exorte]

ice lance. nuff said

also, the things i listed are all on use abilities that require very little prep time and can be done the second you go ghost wolf. now you're saying that you have to drop an earthbind while being beaten on, frost shock them, and THEN run away in ghost wolf. that doesn't as simple as you originally made it out to be.

4 totem in one GCD
One ice lance in one GCD

[Garrim]

Shaman will be viable. Frost shock, ghost wolf, you'll out run any melee on you. If a DK does DG, stay in.....ghost wolf! Problem solved! Wait he'll use CoI.....how to counter.....say in Ghost WOLF! Why? You can never run slower then 100% movement speed. Intercept from a warrior you say....hrmmm just keep running. Most classes have 1 or 2 gap closers, time ur frost shock correctly with instant Ghost Wolf and you're good.

[danightryder]

i honestly see that being nerfed just like they did to warriors

[Swizzle]

Shaman will be viable. Frost shock, ghost wolf, you'll out run any melee on you. If a DK does DG, stay in.....ghost wolf! Problem solved! Wait he'll use CoI.....how to counter.....say in Ghost WOLF! Why? You can never run slower then 100% movement speed. Intercept from a warrior you say....hrmmm just keep running. Most classes have 1 or 2 gap closers, time ur frost shock correctly with instant Ghost Wolf and you're good.

you can't keep running from a stun...

[astreios]

Shamans look pretty good.

I lol´d

[danightryder]

i kinda agree shamans will be harder vs melee. But more so warriors instead of dks or rogues.

[Jerazznor]

ice lance. nuff said

also, the things i listed are all on use abilities that require very little prep time and can be done the second you go ghost wolf. now you're saying that you have to drop an earthbind while being beaten on, frost shock them, and THEN run away in ghost wolf. that doesn't as simple as you originally made it out to be.

I am going to disregard your ice lance comment, because that was just stupid.

About the gap closers, notice the ~20+ second CD on all of them? Notice how they require LoS. Try to kill a shaman in your 3 second intercept stun, because 2 seconds later he is going to be out of range with his freedom wolf.

Pillar + EB totem + freedom wolf alone will put an end to the melee dominance. Go go caster cleaves with BL!

[Swizzle]

I am going to disregard your ice lance comment, because that was just stupid.

About the gap closers, notice the ~20+ second CD on all of them? Notice how they require LoS. Try to kill a shaman in your 3 second intercept stun, because 2 seconds later he is going to be out of range with his freedom wolf.

Pillar + EB totem + freedom wolf alone will put an end to the melee dominance. Go go caster cleaves with BL!

and just how much healing are you getting out while in ghost wolf? how many peels are you offering? do you have increased armor in wolf form like a druid does? can you keep HoTs rolling while in wolf? do you have a shield to put on your partner/s?

even with the new "bar", totems are still a joke for everyone that isn't the shammy. if you think my ice lance comment is stupid, then i'll regard the rest of your comments as such too. you think that any mage/lock is actually going to unload their full burst onto it? no. locks will toss a curse, and mages will ice lance. gg my friend. no matter what buffs you get, shaman will never be druids or priests. i do agree you need buffs, but they won't make you the be all end all arena healer. only way that would happen is if blizzard broke the other healers first.

[Jerazznor]

and just how much healing are you getting out while in ghost wolf? how many peels are you offering? do you have increased armor in wolf form like a druid does? can you keep HoTs rolling while in wolf? do you have a shield to put on your partner/s?

even with the new "bar", totems are still a joke for everyone that isn't the shammy. if you think my ice lance comment is stupid, then i'll regard the rest of your comments as such too. you think that any mage/lock is actually going to unload their full burst onto it? no. locks will toss a curse, and mages will ice lance. gg my friend. no matter what buffs you get, shaman will never be druids or priests. i do agree you need buffs, but they won't make you the be all end all arena healer. only way that would happen is if blizzard broke the other healers first.

How much healing do you need to do when you aren't taking any damage? It isn't like these melee are going to be on you consistently when you have freedom wolf. Drop and EB totem around a pillar and Frost Shock if necessary, then just lolkite them. A riptide and maybe a LHW whenever they use their gap closer is really all you need.

Ice Lance destroys 1 totem per GCD.
4 Totems can be placed in 1 GCD.

Ice Lancing totems will be a big waste of time considering the shaman can place them 4 times as fast as you can kill them. Assuming you aren't doing this to purposely drain their mana.

What made druids OP in S2-4? Good mana regen, ability to run away pretty much at will, and good CC.
Shamans may not have the mana regen of druids, but they will have just as much if not more ability to kite, especially around pillars where EB totem will wreck melee, and good CC and control through Hex and Shocks. All of this + great offensive abilities with LvB and bloodlust will certainly make shamans competitive with, and most likely better than, druids and priests.

[Swizzle]

How much healing do you need to do when you aren't taking any damage? It isn't like these melee are going to be on you consistently when you have freedom wolf. Drop and EB totem around a pillar and Frost Shock if necessary, then just lolkite them. A riptide and maybe a LHW whenever they use their gap closer is really all you need.

Ice Lance destroys 1 totem per GCD.
4 Totems can be placed in 1 GCD.

Ice Lancing totems will be a big waste of time considering the shaman can place them 4 times as fast as you can kill them. Assuming you aren't doing this to purposely drain their mana.

What made druids OP in S2-4? Good mana regen, ability to run away pretty much at will, and good CC.
Shamans may not have the mana regen of druids, but they will have just as much if not more ability to kite, especially around pillars where EB totem will wreck melee, and good CC and control through Hex and Shocks. All of this + great offensive abilities with LvB and bloodlust will certainly make shamans competitive with, and most likely better than, druids and priests.

again, how much healing are you putting out? it's not like arena is 1v1, it will focus on 3v3 now, and you're leaving your partners open to "lolkite" as you put it around a pillar, knowing full well you have no HoTs or shields to keep them alive while you kite.
if you actually waste the mana to summon all 4 totems when i destroy 1-2, then i win and you lose. let me put it this way. i ice lance your grounding and cleansing totem, my rogue beats on you, you waste mana to drop all 4 again, i ice lance grounding (even though it has a CD, let's pretend it doesn't) and cleansing, and you waste mana again, all the while the rogue is beating on you and the priest is healing/mana burning. who is going to win this fight?

mind you, melee, other than ret palis who are not speccd into the ignite-esque talent, have DoTs (poisons, bleeds, etc.)

initial point being, while you're off being GOD MODE KITER EXTRAORDINAIRE, you have little to no healing through put. this fact alone will keep shaman from ever being the top arena healers. class mechanics ftw.