[BFA alpha] Enhancement Talent changes

[Khrux]

One of the quality of life changes I'd like would be that Flametongue and all buff weapons didn't need you to target an enemy, so you could just apply it free of charge.

So it becomes a maintenance buff without an attack attached to it? So a direct downgrade of the current version, cool story....

Enhancement should stick to its current theme of imbuing themselves and others with magical enhancements, through direct damage attacks that apply short term buffs to self and party. There is plenty of melee classes in the game for you to play if you don't like that concept, but this is what we are currently and we're hella strong at last. I want as little changes as possible to the spec because right now we deliver, the only thing enhancement needs is more durability in the form of defensive CDs to stay mythic progress viable**

**but the days of Rogues/Mages filling every raid slot on progress for soaks is soon over

[Razaron]

So it becomes a maintenance buff without an attack attached to it? So a direct downgrade of the current version, cool story....

If you didn’t need a target it would allow you to prep situations in advance, I also never said it shouldn’t deal any direct damage. Blizzard could use there magic so if you did have a target it would deal some direct damage, if not it applies the buff.

But this is just focusing on flametongue, frostbrand prep would be very hand in pvp situations.

Perhaps we should just move back to Flame shock and Frost shock as they would be a direct upgrade to what we have now.

[Tholl]

One of the quality of life changes I'd like would be that Flametongue and all buff weapons didn't need you to target an enemy, so you could just apply it free of charge.

This right here would be awesome. Would save a couple GCD's at pull and also look cool.

[Unholyground]

Did they remove lightning crash yet? The shaman rotation is so bloated in its most optimal state. They need to trim some more of the bloat fat.

[Jotaux]

I hope they make hailstorm viable. I loved how enhance worked at the start of Legion.

[Deleted]

I know it's early alpha but based on recent bfa talents, I think we're going to be just fine in bfa (unless blizzard pulls some crazy shit out of their butts). There are couple of interesting talents too, atm. Feral Lunge and Doomwinds for baseline abilities please.

[WoWGoneBad]

One of the quality of life changes I'd like would be that Flametongue and all buff weapons didn't need you to target an enemy, so you could just apply it free of charge.

So it becomes a maintenance buff without an attack attached to it? So a direct downgrade of the current version, cool story....

Actually when the Shaman class first started this was EXACTLY how Flame-tongue and Frost-tongue worked. They were buffs you applied to your weapons like Rogues and poisons. I myself preferred it this way as it provided that Magical aspect just like the Totems were more maintenance than the stats sticks they are now.

I cannot stand the shaman class as it is now with so many abilities stripped and backed into specific specs. All this homogenization of the class just ruined the feel for me.

I want my Pre-Cata shaman back.........

[Darleth]

Actually when the Shaman class first started this was EXACTLY how Flame-tongue and Frost-tongue worked. They were buffs you applied to your weapons like Rogues and poisons. I myself preferred it this way as it provided that Magical aspect just like the Totems were more maintenance than the stats sticks they are now.

I cannot stand the shaman class as it is now with so many abilities stripped and backed into specific specs. All this homogenization of the class just ruined the feel for me.

I want my Pre-Cata shaman back.........

Just that weapon imbues were pretty much... lame maintenance buffs that you press once every hour. The only "cool" thing that those buffs had going was when Unleash Elements was introduced in cata, where every buff granted you additional effects, and let me tell you how often I used those other buffs in raids: never. Slowing? You used earthbind totem for that and it was AoE compared to frost brands ranged slow, rockbiter taunt? Well, there are other classes that could taunt too and actually do it more effectively (just remembering off the top of my head Paragons Warmaster Blackhorn kill, where Verdisha on his warrior taunted the boss because the tank died and began kiting it with heroic leap and def cds).
The reason why flametongue cant be used without an target is simply that its a spell that deals direct damage. Totems for Resto are more cooldown based (besides healing stream totem which you just use on CD all the time afaik) and for elementals its just another maintenance buff they need to drop down every few minutes. So not a lot has changed there. And please, dont start with "but searing totem and magma totem did things"... they were literally a half assed version of a ST or AoE dot that you HAD TO use in said situations.
Also you cant use frostbrand outside of an fight, since it costs 20 maelstrom and that likely wont go away, as it is a slow. Other classes have to use ressources too to slow, be it via mana or something else.

We are also getting a bit of utility back via tremor totem for example.

[Khrux]

I cannot stand the shaman class as it is now with so many abilities stripped and backed into specific specs. All this homogenization of the class just ruined the feel for me.

I want my Pre-Cata shaman back.........

Turning flametongue or frostbrand back into weapon imbues just makes them rogue poisons, as you mentioned. That's homogenisation too, at least now they are tied to an offensive rotational ability so it matters when you use the skill to maximise pandemic effects and you are punished for letting them drop off in combat and have choices to make of when to refresh it so you don't need to during major cooldown moments or long stormstrike resets etc.

We should avoid going back to a place where you put up 1hr self buffs and drop a totem every 3mins. That is the dullest of dull and puts way too much power into passive effects, so that your own stats/gear/rotation mean alot less. This is terrible design, our power should come from us directly and our ability to execute a rotation and maintain buffs/debuffs in combat situations is the reward.

[Skildar]

What we need are talents that are more impactful on our gameplay and rotation.

[Phaty]

the new lightning shield and elemental spirits changes are nice, 30 sec of 100% SS dmg buff

[Xorzor]

Elemental Spirits, Forceful Winds, and the new Lightning Shield sound great. I'm not too sure on the new Landslide change though; any thoughts?

Totem Mastery seems out of place for a mobile melee-DPS spec. Just my opinion.

Otherwise, looking good for BfA. Still happily waiting for the day I can race-change to a Mag'har Orc.

[Deleted]

Elemental Spirits, Forceful Winds, and the new Lightning Shield sound great. I'm not too sure on the new Landslide change though; any thoughts?

Totem Mastery seems out of place for a mobile melee-DPS spec. Just my opinion.

Otherwise, looking good for BfA. Still happily waiting for the day I can race-change to a Mag'har Orc.

I'm happy the 10% dmg of Landslide is gone and replaced by a more interesting mechanic because it's like with Lone Wolf at the MM hunters, mathematically it was way too hard that an other talent is recommended on the row so it basically was one decision less (unlike with one specific legendary or so).

[Coffeh]

Enhancement is looking very solid. Too bad history says they'll screw it up before release.

[sebax313]

Enhancement is looking very solid. Too bad history says they'll screw it up before release.

yeah (( **|

[Simplejakk]

Did they remove lightning crash yet? The shaman rotation is so bloated in its most optimal state. They need to trim some more of the bloat fat.

If you want a simpler rotation, play a Warrior or Demon Hunter. Having an abundance of abilities is what being a Shaman is all about.

[Razaron]

Looks like Elemental Spirits might be more useful now they've added a -30 secs on the CD of it. Still, it'll be interesting to see if it can compete with Spike and Ascendance.

Loving the windfury boosts, to me thats what Enhancement is all about.

[Mister Cheese]

Still no defensive cooldowns or talents that reduce damage taken as baseline. 30, 45, and 60 are a mess. We're glass cannons and need this. Why is enhancement getting totem mastery? Another press a button and forget about it for a minute. I thought blizzard got rid of totems for that reason in the first place. Lightning shield is in a line with 2 offensive talents. Nobody is going to take it. Earth shield is another problem. It doesn't work like it does now in PVP. Where it reduces damage taken per stack. It desperately needs to do that to be a viable defensive talent. Spirit wolf talent also needs to give those 20% benefits immediately. Not after 4 seconds. 20% is a huge damage reduction.



This is what the talents should look like. Just to fix the way the lineup should be.

[Razaron]

Still no defensive cooldowns or talents that reduce damage taken as baseline. 30, 45, and 60 are a mess. We're glass cannons and need this. Why is enhancement getting totem mastery? Another press a button and forget about it for a minute. I thought blizzard got rid of totems for that reason in the first place. Lightning shield is in a line with 2 offensive talents. Nobody is going to take it. Earth shield is another problem. It doesn't work like it does now in PVP. Where it reduces damage taken per stack. It desperately needs to do that to be a viable defensive talent. Spirit wolf talent also needs to give those 20% benefits immediately. Not after 4 seconds. 20% is a huge damage reduction.



This is what the talents should look like. Just to fix the way the lineup should be.

You realise Lightning Shield got changed in the last patch?

[QTface]

Leveling enchancement on the alpha right now and they are SUPER squishy still. Compared to ret, all rogue specs, druid, monk (the ones I've tried) they feel like they are in cloth. Their heal is still terrible, when ret paladins heal is a lot better. Earth shield sucks bad. I use it for testing right now but if it stays how it is, I won't take it.

I really like the shaman playstyle, but man oh man, they fall over still when anything even looks at them.