Shamans - Cata's newest OP class

[Mystiik]

If any of you have been following the updates with new talents, then you have seen how Shamans are becoming the "favorite" of this expansion.

With the cool new spell called "Healing Rain", this adds a new element to Resto Shaman PvP. They become very flexible in terms of LoS issues, bursting, and utility inside the arena.

Earthquake is a unique AoE ability that knocks down targets within the range of the spell. Although it's channeled, it is the best AoE of any class because it's 30% chance to "knock the target down", which would be a stun.

"Spiritwalker's Grace" is the biggest buff to this class by far, out of any class/spec we have seen. With the ability to move while casting spells, Resto Shamans can freely dps and heal at the same time. However, enhancement shamans will be most benefited by this because of their ability to cast in between their rotation in pvp and pve.

Leave opinions on what you think about these new spells shamans receive in Cataclysm

[Senos]

I think you need to learn a bit more about shamans before posting next time.

[Exitiumlol]

I think you need to learn a bit more about shamans before posting next time.

This

[Siton]

I think you need to learn a bit more about shamans before posting next time.

This guy has it, though i have high anticipations for shaman PvP in cata.

[Exitiumlol]

Shamans are getting some love for Cata, but so are all the other classes... + Spiritwalker's Grace could arguably be useless in some situations... I swear I read something about Shammys no longer being able to cure poison, so enjoy moving and casting at 30% movement speed :P If I imagined that last point, my bad

[Entalpia]

Sometimes I want to laugh when people cry that Ele shamans (mostly them and resto0 will be OP with Spiritwalker's grace, knowing my life first moment I will use it someone will stun me from their macro, or other abilities making it useless for me... of course I know that its not allways going to happen, but believe me the more powerful tool you get the more people are prepared that you are going to use it... I have to agree that the Healing rain is quite interesting HoT, but we don't have to worry about it because soon there will be so many pala/priest/druids crying that they will remove it before Cata. And Earthquake ?? hmm i wonder how it will work with Spiritwalker's grace, casting channelled aoe and running around... hmm

[Zarleck]

OP? Not likely.
Closer to being balanced? Likely.

Healing Rain will likely be great if you know how to use it. Most people will probably not know how to use it, though.
Earthquake is a 1,5 second cast, THEN a channeled cast, making it very vulnerable to interrupts.
Spiritwalker's Grace can be extremely useful, but it can also be extremely useless, since it's likely still possible to just CC the shaman through the duration of the spell.

[wtftruck]

Shaman's will still be extremely vulnerable to cc, so like the people above said, that shit is useless when ur stunned/frozen/rooted/feared/slowed/ etc.

[Pheno]

Lasts 10 seconds on a 2 minute cooldown...It's a nice tool, but it's not OP. Not even close. Especially when it only really helps 2 specs and those 2 specs aren't exactly OP by any stretch of the imagination as it stands now.

[Sir Slack A Lot]

Must suck if you are walking around with Spiritwalker's Grace, casting a heal, Spiritwalker's Grace gets dispelled, the cast instantly gets cancelled coz you were walking and your arena partner dies coz of the missed heal

[Zarghol]

I think I'll make my shaman resto for Cata BGs, seems like they're going to be fun to play as healers ^^

[XemnasXD]

I think you need to learn a bit more about shamans before posting next time.

mhmmm

[Zarios]

enhancement shamans will be most benefited by this because of their ability to cast in between their rotation in pvp and pve.

Yeah no, only time we will be using it for running and healing. Or our target is out of range and we're trying to burst them down with SPELL DAMAGE, it wont help enh at all tbh(LOSing). Should be on the target 24/7, and we wont be running and casting.. We will be building our maelstrom up for the instant. Only time I see it being used is they're far away and I have enough time, being focused and running and healing(Even If I'm running, it's called stuns and interrupt).

Thought that whole sentence made no sense.

[wake-up]

Especially when it only really helps 2 specs and those 2 specs aren't exactly OP by any stretch of the imagination as it stands now.

Really? Elemental shamans not OP by any stretch of the imagination? They're the top DPS spec in 5v5 and one of the top 3 in 3v3, and almost inarguably the highest burst class in the game.

Resto shamans aren't OP, but they're hardly bad. Just comp-dependent (wiz cleaves).

The class as a whole is doing quite well...SK Gaming's top 100 has them at #1 in 3v3 and #2 in 5v5.

[aether99]

tell you what OP, when they do something for enhancement ill bite, but resto? ha, haha, hahaha

[Pheno]

Really? Elemental shamans not OP by any stretch of the imagination? They're the top DPS spec in 5v5 and one of the top 3 in 3v3, and almost inarguably the highest burst class in the game.

Resto shamans aren't OP, but they're hardly bad. Just comp-dependent (wiz cleaves).

The class as a whole is doing quite well...SK Gaming's top 100 has them at #1 in 3v3 and #2 in 5v5.

When you can pay a random ele Shaman to carry your toon up to 2200 rating (ie. like ret pallies) then I'll agree they're OP.

[TheDeceived]

Shaman's will still be extremely vulnerable to cc, so like the people above said, that shit is useless when ur stunned/frozen/rooted/feared/slowed/ etc.

Enhance shamans already have Sham Rage, and hopefully restos will be getting Spirit Link that could be usable when stunned for a "shield wall" type effect (may have to be glyphed to be used while stunned etc).

Ele shamans will still struggle to counter classes with a heavy amount of interupts (mage, rogue).

[Garrim]

Lets look at the shaman and a caster because you say wizcleave owns.

Shaman caster spiritwalkers grace (possible counters: Silence, Fear, Stun, Interrupt, Root, Cyclone, Poly, and Hex). Good news for the shaman, it's on a two minute CD! Glad those abilities from other classes to jack with it is on a much shorter CD...wait umm..crap.

Now let's look at priest 5% haste buff (shamans get this too but then they can't use grounding totem or nature resist totem) they also get a sta buff (shaman get a armor buff but then can't root/tremor/str buff)

Shaman can give SP buff, thats about it.

Poison cleansing is being removed (the totem) so we can either drop MP5, crappy hot or fire resist (and we know how useful that is...wait only really against 2 classes =/)

So let's take a priest and mage. Mage is like blink, wall of frost, frost trap, hero+sprint, and with a priest there you get life grip. You'll never touch that mage in melee while grouped with a priest.

Let's look at shaman utility. We offer armor....hurray? Umm more SP (that isn't bad), hero (well they don't stack so meh) and the ability to hex on a 40 sec CD. If the mage gets caught in melee (I don't see that happening too often) the shaman can heal thru it. That's it. If they trinket hex, hey mage, I'll heal you but don't expect any utility. Wile a priest could be like fear...oh he used trinket, LIFE GRIP. Druids will cyclone spam and paladins can be like BoF. Trust me as a shaman I don't see them being top healers, great casters possibly, but not so great at healing.

Oh I almost forgot, priests will be able to cast peneance while moving and a resto druid basically does nothing but cast while moving since their hots are so great and instant. Oh hey mage I can help you sprint (bear form cast AoE group sprint buff) shift out. Oh paladins get a pet that will help them heal if they are holy. Hrmm....I can't heal while moving but my pet will do it for me as I get to a safe spot.

Shamans...AoE 2 sec cast in a 5 yard radius (I think it was 5 yards). Don't post until you really examined all the healers.

[Ofmanv]

Healing Rain and Earthquake are PvE oriented spells. Players don't line up in neat little boxes for aoe damage/heals in pvp.

Spiritwalker's grace is highly overrated imo. A shaman's not going to get far while snared and they can't cast while in ghostwolf.

[Stormhusk]

well its obviously a druid/shammy expansion... just think bout it

classic is when everything was getting warmed up

BC was locks, fit the theme of demons, sorcery

wotlk is dks pals, lich king, scorge and crusade

cata is sham n druids, elements, nature, changing, destruction...it just fits it

Mystiik forget these haters n trolls your right shammies are the main class of this expansion along with druids by there side, hunters n mages are gonna be the back up of sham n druids in cata, watch and see then everyone is gonna cry at the beginning like in BC with locks and in wotlk with dks n pals..its just a cycle thats how it works, noobs cry blizz listens asap. welcome to warcraft!