1. #1

    Elemental PvP Survivability

    I wasn't sure whether to post this in the PvP or shammy forums, but I ended up here anyway. I started PvPing on my Shaman this season and I mean the 2s bracket is kinda crap for ele but I got to 1800+ with my Holydin. I joined a 3s team this week got about 100 or so games in and when I'm getting focused by anything (and I mean hardcore) I usually go down. I spam heal myself (~2k healing with MS up) and war stomp, grounding totem, stoneclaw bubble, try to peel. It doesn't really work most of the time. Any ideas? I know Astral Shift is supposed to help and stuff but it's not enough.

    http://eu.wowarmory.com/character-sh...ear&cn=Creamed

    Yeah I'm working on a Battlemaster's Trinket and some better gear.

    Edit: Forgot to mention the comp. I'm playing with a frost mage and a disc priest. The mage is kinda shit imo and I can't judge healers well. I think the mage should be peeling/polying more than he is. But still Enhancement get wolves and Shamanistic Rage on a one minute cooldown and Resto has Earth Shield (which I don't know if it is affected my MS). Thunderfucking to live works maybe 10% of the time and is map dependent.

    Edit2: This is their gear. If it helps at all.

    Mage http://eu.wowarmory.com/character-sh...pear&cn=Nuncio
    Priest http://eu.wowarmory.com/character-sh...spear&cn=Fatys
    Once a Hole, always a Hole.

  2. #2

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    actually ele shamans are one of the few who can take lots of spells/hits without dying with our high resi and dmg reducing talents =P just go ghostwolf and kite them around pillars. But yea arena isnt 1vs3 so you're team mates need to assist you for obvious reasons =P

  3. #3
    Mechagnome whowherewhat?'s Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Duke University
    Posts
    669

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    I can attest to the difficulty of staying alive after spending a good 3 hours last night on my threes team where we had 1 total match where i wasn't focused the entire time. In threes and 5s often the mantra of the other team seems to be "focus the shammy!" You just need to have a really good amount of synergy with your teammates, and that takes playing alot of games with them. I play ele/prot pally/holy pally so for example if the holy pally gets cycloned my prot pally friend freedoms me, i thunderstorm and gtfo! it takes alot of practice for the three of you to work together like this, and i can say that for us, getting near 1700 w/o a MS is very difficult and requires alot of coordination. Just practice practice practice (and have alot of resil <3)!

  4. #4

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    the only hard part should be rogue teams... try to just hold him off you, till he blows his vanish ... burst shortly if possible.... after his cloak is used type /win

  5. #5

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    My ele shami is clearly undergeared than yours http://eu.wowarmory.com/character-sh...n=Winfanfanfem but the point is that you need loads of resilence (i'm in 1.1k and I feel it's not just enough) just to survive a focus. Get rid of the +100spell medallion and take the +150resi one and you'll notice the big difference between them the first arena you play.

    You also need help from your teammates when there's a rogue out there and he opens you . If you play with a mage tell him to sheep the rogue asap and try to kite him ( the best way i've found to be close to beat a good rogue in a duel is kitting as hell with frost shock and wolf and lava burst without flame when you got distance)

    With 1.1k resi warriors are not a problem, and keep in mind that in 3's your team has to nuke one opponent (this includes the priest playing offensive) in the bl-hero time, otherwise you are probably dead.

    I think that's all, just rise your resillence and you'll get better results


  6. #6

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    Yeah well after some more games. I realize it's the mage hardcore failing. I shouldn't have to call his poly's, counterspells and novas.
    Once a Hole, always a Hole.

  7. #7
    Mechagnome
    15+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Endsville, the city of Devils
    Posts
    593

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    A few easy improvements anyone can make are

    1. Use your totemsets, i have one set dedicated to survivability against melee and one against casters
    melee - Earthbind for root, Wrath or Searing, Wrath air or nature resist for rogues and DKs, and Healing stream or clense for similar reasons.
    caster - Wrath, wrath, Tremor, and Healing. Dont lay grounding in this or you may fall into the habbit of clicking the set everytime u need it, keep grounding totem and stoneclaw closeby for immediate use.

    2. Macro, there are a lot of macros that will mean the diff between life and death for you and your team. Ele shaman are excellent interruptors! The ability to interrupt your focus target while still killing your current target is invaluable. Refer to the shaman FAQ for this and other macros.

    3. Alternate Survivability, ele does not play well with LoS, BUT you do have a terrible, inefficent often low power healing spell that u can LoS a ranged or tunneled melee and throw on yourself. Dont be afrade to LoS a healer if it means you will survive (dont take the rogue and the war for a party behind the pillar, they have bad intentions). Utilizing Thunderstorm to knock enemies off pillars, away to LoS, into your party or totems, all are useful.

    there are a lot of very easy things that take minimal effort but will help a lot, a friend of mine uses the Skeleton Key tank trinket for PvP (the one that gives 226 stam and like a 6k absorb shield) and while i wouldnt reccomend it he survives through some crazy stuff running flags and clearing towers. (GOD i love Thunderstorm)
    Currently writing the Shaman Manifesto. Will include QQ, e-peen blazes, nerfs, and lightning. God damn i love lightning.

  8. #8

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    I know what you mean about survivability. When we are stunned or feared, the 30% dmg reduction is great, but it seems like most of the time when we are focused, we really lack a great on demand defensive ability. I have seen thunderstorms knock people back only 3 yards on flat ground before, and although the 4k shield is nice from stoneclaw, that's not a lot of absorption in 3s or 5s when cd's are all being popped on you.

    In general, our only hope is for peels from our teammates to get us some free space to do our dmg, the earlier you are noticed you are being focused, the faster those can happen. Getting your hex off can also help, although the 45 sec cd for something that will most likely be dispelled is devastating when you need it later on.

    Getting resilience up is about all we can do to help out our situation.

  9. #9

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    With a mage/priest/ele 3s team you could deff be LOSing as the ele sham, and picking your places to burst. againts a warrior/(melee) your mage needs to be peeling as much as possible while you are rooting/TSing/GWing away.

    Note: Useful tip againts warriors: Initially they will charge you. If you root them and get distance they will generally use trinket and then intercept. At this point you can TS and FS and gain alot of distance and LOS them completely. This usualy results in them changing their target.

  10. #10
    The Patient
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Sweden
    Posts
    223

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    Quote Originally Posted by whowherewhat?
    I can attest to the difficulty of staying alive after spending a good 3 hours last night on my threes team where we had 1 total match where i wasn't focused the entire time. In threes and 5s often the mantra of the other team seems to be "focus the shammy!"
    The reason for that isn't the survivability shamans have, they have quite a bit better survivability than most specs do. The reason they're focused is to lower their damage. A shaman that is free to spam cast has so insanely overpowered damage in PvP atm.

  11. #11
    Herald of the Titans Baabinator's Avatar
    15+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Home
    Posts
    2,972

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    That's why i've stacked 1250 resilience and still aim for higher
    Scars show you the remnants and failures of the past.

    ~¡¡¡!!!AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STOP ASKING ABOUT MY AVATAR, I DON'T KNOW!!!¡¡¡~

  12. #12

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    What major glyphs should I use? Stoneclaw is a no brainer, Thunder would be 2nd, but i'm not sure about the 3rd. Anyone have suggestions? I searched MMO-Champion and Arenajunkies, couldn't find an answer.

  13. #13

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    Quote Originally Posted by Whoopzz
    What major glyphs should I use? Stoneclaw is a no brainer, Thunder would be 2nd, but i'm not sure about the 3rd. Anyone have suggestions? I searched MMO-Champion and Arenajunkies, couldn't find an answer.
    Glyph of Lava? Since your main burst ability is Lavaburst it's a nobrainer, there really isn't another option that outperforms it. I'm surprised no one said anything about it on EJ...
    Quote Originally Posted by Nangz
    GoD isn't so great for unholy
    Quote Originally Posted by HoX
    i dont understamd ???

  14. #14

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    Quote Originally Posted by Tombstone
    Glyph of Lava? Since your main burst ability is Lavaburst it's a nobrainer, there really isn't another option that outperforms it. I'm surprised no one said anything about it on EJ...
    As am I.

    I decided to try glyph of hex, that seems to be working decent for BG's. I'll make the switch once I really start arena. Thanks.


    Side question here. The lvl 245 totem that you get from badges probably isn't the best choice for arena, amirite? I'll want to pick up an arena libram since I won't be casting lightning bolt much?

  15. #15
    The Lightbringer msdos's Avatar
    15+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Las Vegas
    Posts
    3,040

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    i recently got back into PVP and noticed that 1k resil is not enough anymore, which is sad, really, knowing that i have to stack resil as ele.

    but elemental survivability isn't healing yourself, don't try to heal yourself out in the open, you will just waste time and get killed, your survivability is spamming: earthbind, stoneclaw and ghostwolf around corners, with frost shock and purge in between. healing yourself a couple times out of LoS is appropriate.

    against offensive teams you want to have your partner peel whatever target can guaranteed lock you down in a 1v1 situation - that's usually a caster. in my experience i don't have problems with melee in 1v1.

    so have your partner harrass the caster while you split the melee away from the group by kiting. wait for a window to blow an instant lavaburst combo then bloodlust after that.

  16. #16

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    Quote Originally Posted by Whoopzz
    As am I.

    I decided to try glyph of hex, that seems to be working decent for BG's. I'll make the switch once I really start arena. Thanks.


    Side question here. The lvl 245 totem that you get from badges probably isn't the best choice for arena, amirite? I'll want to pick up an arena libram since I won't be casting lightning bolt much?
    The only viable totems for Elemental in Arenas/Gs at the moment is the LvB totem, but if you don't use LvB enough in your PvP rotation you can use the stacking haste one from Frost Badges for more LBs/CLs, I find both about equal but since your burst is LvB I would use the LvB Totem.

    Also, the Hex glyph is really bad, it's so-so for BGs like you said but if you want to have sustained damage it's really bad, most people will trinket Hex immediately in a bg because the CD on it is so long.

    In the end it's about playstyle, find what works for you and roll with it.
    Quote Originally Posted by Nangz
    GoD isn't so great for unholy
    Quote Originally Posted by HoX
    i dont understamd ???

  17. #17
    Herald of the Titans Baabinator's Avatar
    15+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Home
    Posts
    2,972

    Re: Elemental PvP Survivability

    Quote Originally Posted by msdos
    i recently got back into PVP and noticed that 1k resil is not enough anymore, which is sad, really, knowing that i have to stack resil as ele.

    but elemental survivability isn't healing yourself, don't try to heal yourself out in the open, you will just waste time and get killed, your survivability is spamming: earthbind, stoneclaw and ghostwolf around corners, with frost shock and purge in between. healing yourself a couple times out of LoS is appropriate.

    against offensive teams you want to have your partner peel whatever target can guaranteed lock you down in a 1v1 situation - that's usually a caster. in my experience i don't have problems with melee in 1v1.

    so have your partner harrass the caster while you split the melee away from the group by kiting. wait for a window to blow an instant lavaburst combo then bloodlust after that.
    Dude, I very very often use my Earthbind totem to root a target and just walk back 2-3 yards to heal myself.

    It works perfectly since they won't be able to use their charge/deadly throw and what not.

    Also, in my 3v3 arena matches i'm usually the target from melees (i work with a holy paladin and an arms warrior) but i have simply no problem whatsoever to kite 2 melees, and i hold it up long enough for my warrior to kill their healer.
    Scars show you the remnants and failures of the past.

    ~¡¡¡!!!AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STOP ASKING ABOUT MY AVATAR, I DON'T KNOW!!!¡¡¡~

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •