Enhancement Shaman Guide for MoP - Patch 5.4

[Butser]

Hey Street,

When will you update the guide to 5.4?
I'm kinda curious about ur thoughts for the specific fights in SoO.

[Axon14]

Is enhacnement viable this patch? I'm mostly just looking to decide how to gear my alt shaman. Ele or enhance?

[sarasun]

Is enhacnement viable this patch? I'm mostly just looking to decide how to gear my alt shaman. Ele or enhance?

Viable? Yes. Optimal? Neither Enhancement or Elemental is optimal. Ranged > Melee and ele gears up resto easier.

You can easily find a group as Elemental Shaman. Enhancement less so.

That being said, if you prefer enhancement's playstyle, go enhancement.

[wordup]

Is enhacnement viable this patch? I'm mostly just looking to decide how to gear my alt shaman. Ele or enhance?

Enhancement is very gear restrictive, you will see huge spikes in damage with the new SoO gear, but before that, your damage will seem very low, and as such getting said SoO gear becomes difficult.

If you do have the gear, Enhancement can compete to some extent with the right conditions, if you don't, you look awful.

[Emophia]

Are you really supposed to always use flame shock instead of earth shock whenever you have unleash flame up, irregardless of how long you have left on the dot? Cuz with the new 2 piece UF is up so much I only get a couple earth shocks on per encounter it feels like.

[Nitwit]

Are you really supposed to always use flame shock instead of earth shock whenever you have unleash flame up, irregardless of how long you have left on the dot? Cuz with the new 2 piece UF is up so much I only get a couple earth shocks on per encounter it feels like.

SimC will cast flame shock if:

1. It is not ticking
-or-
2. It is ticking, unleash flame is up, and you do not have 2p t16
-or-
3. It is ticking, unleash flame is up, you do have 2p t16, and <10s remains on the current flame shock

[Emophia]

SimC will cast flame shock if:

1. It is not ticking
-or-
2. It is ticking, unleash flame is up, and you do not have 2p t16
-or-
3. It is ticking, unleash flame is up, you do have 2p t16, and <10s remains on the current flame shock

I see, thanks. It just feels wierd never hitting my number 3 keybind, maybe I should switch them.

[Lavindar]

I see, thanks. It just feels wierd never hitting my number 3 keybind, maybe I should switch them.

I think if there is at least 2 targets we should use fire nova instead, and only cast flame shock if the dot has less than 6 seconds, is this right?

[wordup]

I think if there is at least 2 targets we should use fire nova instead, and only cast flame shock if the dot has less than 6 seconds, is this right?

With spare globals, I can see that being a net increase, as long as obviously both novas contact the opposite target.

[Butser]

Does something change when we have t16 4 set? since it will reset lava lash on flame shock ticks? or is it still the same rotation?

[jayinjersey]

I'd say it would be the same.

I've seen people say the single target proc rate isn't amazing.


I can't say for certain though...my main (my Enhance Shaman) is the only toon that is forbidden to have any tier

[sarasun]

I'd say it would be the same.

I've seen people say the single target proc rate isn't amazing.


I can't say for certain though...my main (my Enhance Shaman) is the only toon that is forbidden to have any tier

It procs once every 20 flame shock ticks on average. Assuming it ticks every 2.5s (3s before haste), it's what, once every 50s. Pretty underwhelming 4-set tbh.

As for Tier, I feel your pain. Our raid hasn't seen a protector token yet. Not one. LFR hasn't been better and I was lucky to get a chest token from Flex. Still with no 2-set, pretty sad considering how good it is.

[jayinjersey]

my warrior alt from one flex and one celestial + coin now has 3 piece...

Still can't get a weapon...so apparently its in the code to screw with machines from my IP.


maybe I should play at my buddies house....he get TF weapons off bonus rolls

[sarasun]

my warrior alt from one flex and one celestial + coin now has 3 piece...

Still can't get a weapon...so apparently its in the code to screw with machines from my IP.


maybe I should play at my buddies house....he get TF weapons off bonus rolls

I'm still wearing a dagger, feel your pain... (had a 502 before the 561 dagger...)

[Butser]

It procs once every 20 flame shock ticks on average. Assuming it ticks every 2.5s (3s before haste), it's what, once every 50s. Pretty underwhelming 4-set tbh.

Have to say on Garrosh phase 1 it procs ALOT. I used it on CD and it felt better then having those gaps in our rotation.

[Feesh]

Hi, I just switched from elemental to enhancement and had a few questions I couldn't seem to find an answer to.
1. If all major abilities are on cooldown, is it better to hardcast lightning bolt (assuming they'll still be on cooldown when the cast goes off) or just auto attack?
2. Upon getting a weapon upgrade, is it better to place the highest damage weapon in the offhand for lava lash.
3. How dependent is enhancement on weapon upgrades, I play a windwalker and the impact of a weapon on dps seems absurdly high, is it the same with enhancement?
Thanks in advance.

[jayinjersey]

1) Yes. If everything is on CD and nothing needs to be refreshed...you can hard cast LB.
2) Ya know I heard that rumor for awhile about best damage in off-hand a few years back...but IMHE I've always gotten better results with it in the main hand.
3) And yes...its about the same as all the other melees (War, Rogue, WW) we are weapon dependent....Let me put it this way: due to horrible RNG, I was running around with 2 522 Strength Axes until about 2 weeks before 5.4 dropped...the dps variance between 2 502 Agility ones was high enough to cover the loss of Agility. My buddy who is a SMF Warrior hated me for running around with them...he said the Agility Gems in the bonus slots were sacrilegious

[miffy23]

Hi, I just switched from elemental to enhancement and had a few questions I couldn't seem to find an answer to.
1. If all major abilities are on cooldown, is it better to hardcast lightning bolt (assuming they'll still be on cooldown when the cast goes off) or just auto attack?
2. Upon getting a weapon upgrade, is it better to place the highest damage weapon in the offhand for lava lash.
3. How dependent is enhancement on weapon upgrades, I play a windwalker and the impact of a weapon on dps seems absurdly high, is it the same with enhancement?
Thanks in advance.

1) I would advise to only hardcast at 3-4 Maelstrom in a pause, when performing your rotation to the T you should only have a breather of less than 2 seconds every so often, and often you are delaying your next core ability by hardcasting. Below 3-4 Maelstrom it is almost never worth it over autohits. Also, NEVER hardcast LB during Ascendance, if you don't know this yet, get the full autohit swings out of your Ascendance uptime.
2) Afaik that hasn't been the case since TBC, but i'll look into that myself. By default I would always upgrade the mainhand.
3) Very, like any melee. As jayinjersey said, a big weapon DPS upgrade Str weapon is even superior to a slightly lower DPS agility weapon. Use Sim rankings to be sure. As a rule of thumb, I'd say any weapon that is a full tier upgrade, such as 496 -> 522 is a huge upgrade regardless of str/agi. When it's a tigher upgrade such as 522-528 stick to lower weapon dps/higher agi setup.

[Aviators]

Pretty disappointed with the 4 set, i thought it would proc all the time and there would atleast be some sort spellflash for it.

[jayinjersey]

Whoa...no flash of the LL showing it came off?

That sucks....well glad I have WeakAuras, assuming I ever see tier gear...