Shaman Cataclysm Talent Preview

[DD1894]

Remember most of these numbers are probably just placeholders and also know that the talents can and probably will change. There have been many changes told to be thought of coming from the preview like for example range on searing totem for deep ele, LvB on maelstorm for enh, and spirit link for resto. These changes will most likely come.

Also just saying but at the moment even DW can be picked up with elemental and sstill having core talents picked up. Speculation commerce!

[Wolfie of Medivh]

http://www.war-tools.com/t68996.html?b=9zc

My very early version of the ENH tree - no icons, and I couldn't get LL and Improved DW to both link to Dual Wield so I just had it link to IDW and will just have to let it slide until then. I'll go back and clean it up with icons and other things later, and do the other two trees. But it's a start!

[aikouka]

Oh well, that basically confirms the fact that I will not be returning to my Enhancement Shaman in Cataclysm.

The difficulty and complexity of the enhance shaman to maximise DPS now involves watching maelstrom weapon as a buff and searing flames as a debuff, alongside a tight CD priority list and no wiggle room for disaster.

Continuing to play my Retribution Paladin now. Thanks Blizzard

I think it will be interesting now that you have to actually pay attention to a few more things rather than just blindly following a priority list. We'll probably have to ensure a 5/5 stack of Searing Flames before using Lava Lash and try and use it before the next Searing Totem's attack refreshes it back to 5, which won't really be that useful.

Shamans do have quite a bit to do even now, but one thing that will make life easier is there will be less fire totem refreshing... the GCDs were usually very tight when Magma Totem was involved, but now we get a little more wiggle room. With a higher CD for Lava Lash, we should yet again get more wiggle room. Also, now Static Shock does not remove orbs, which means we get even more wiggle room.

[Naposim1337]

omg didnt read part about consuming stacks form searing totem by lava lash...that sucks balls!!!

[Wolfie of Medivh]

Underwhelming

Very. I don't see the "interesting" or "less cluttered" or any of the other buzzwords that they promised for Enhance. I only see three new talents - one that makes it so we're dropping Searing instead of Magma (oh goodie, now I'll feel bad when working on AoE pulls, and I'll have to apologize more when my totem pulls another pack we didn't want!) and one that makes it so people ca'nt just wand our totems (oh horror, have to go touch it with your gray weapon to make it die?) and the speed one (I guess it's nice, if you ignore Death Knights get it trained, and can turn it on and off, and has no point cost...)

[dgg4324dvvv]

I think it will be interesting now that you have to actually pay attention to a few more things rather than just blindly following a priority list. We'll probably have to ensure a 5/5 stack of Searing Flames before using Lava Lash and try and use it before the next Searing Totem's attack refreshes it back to 5, which won't really be that useful.

Shamans do have quite a bit to do even now, but one thing that will make life easier is there will be less fire totem refreshing... the GCDs were usually very tight when Magma Totem was involved, but now we get a little more wiggle room. With a higher CD for Lava Lash, we should yet again get more wiggle room. Also, now Static Shock does not remove orbs, which means we get even more wiggle room.

wiggle room is gud

Very. I don't see the "interesting" or "less cluttered" or any of the other buzzwords that they promised for Enhance. I only see three new talents - one that makes it so we're dropping Searing instead of Magma (oh goodie, now I'll feel bad when working on AoE pulls, and I'll have to apologize more when my totem pulls another pack we didn't want!) and one that makes it so people ca'nt just wand our totems (oh horror, have to go touch it with your gray weapon to make it die?) and the speed one (I guess it's nice, if you ignore Death Knights get it trained, and can turn it on and off, and has no point cost...)

not to mention druids have a free ghost wolf without using talents on it...

[Wolfie of Medivh]

I think it will be interesting now that you have to actually pay attention to a few more things rather than just blindly following a priority list. We'll probably have to ensure a 5/5 stack of Searing Flames before using Lava Lash and try and use it before the next Searing Totem's attack refreshes it back to 5, which won't really be that useful.

Shamans do have quite a bit to do even now, but one thing that will make life easier is there will be less fire totem refreshing... the GCDs were usually very tight when Magma Totem was involved, but now we get a little more wiggle room. With a higher CD for Lava Lash, we should yet again get more wiggle room. Also, now Static Shock does not remove orbs, which means we get even more wiggle room.

Blindly follow a priority list? What class are you playing bub!?

Aside from keeping an eye on omen, keeping an eye on the ground to STHOOF, now I need to keep in mind both Searing stacks AND MW Stacks, plus my priority, plus the things every player must watch?

I'm sorry, this seems really complicated. I'm not judging yet, because we haven't played it, but right now, it feels like it's just another thing I need to set up power auras for.

[Worgoblin]

Earthquake is sexy as hell

[Cinderwild]

I get the feeling this is really far from completion considering most of the boring stat boosting talents are still here.

[Wolfie of Medivh]

I see MMO Champion made my work on that other talent builder not important. Hell, good, more free time for me.

http://www.wowtal.com/#k=dLO3O7jwU7QF6.9dw.shaman I think is going to be our build for PVE ENH shaman. Honestly, it seems damn boring to me. Am I missing what's really different? I mean I like the movement speed (minus my earlier criticism re: DKs) but it's really very similar to our current build in every way I see. Can anyone clarify what I'm not seeing here?

[Cinderwild]

If this is final, its complete bullshit. The majority of this is the same, and most enhance talents are the typical stat boosters.

I don't think this is anywhere near final, just a preview. Now, why they would give a preview for a talent spec that has very few differences, I don't know.

[Thraxxigar]

Enhance is not an easy spec to play at all. Unlike many faceroll classes that are out there, it takes skill to keep track of all of our CD's, debuffs, and priorites and still pull off solid DPS. I take pride in the fact that my spec is actually challenging to play. With that being said, I do not think this is the final talent tree for us and I think things will look a little brighter for us as Cataclysm nears. Fear not fellow Enhance Shaman

[waddlez]

I see MMO Champion made my work on that other talent builder not important. Hell, good, more free time for me.

http://www.wowtal.com/#k=dLO3O7jwU7QF6.9dw.shaman I think is going to be our build for PVE ENH shaman. Honestly, it seems damn boring to me. Am I missing what's really different? I mean I like the movement speed (minus my earlier criticism re: DKs) but it's really very similar to our current build in every way I see. Can anyone clarify what I'm not seeing here?

nah

remove all the mana crap (imp ss, shock mana reduc) and spirit weps since it isnt necessary now and lower the cd on your shocks

[Dundebuns]

No spirit link /cry

[muxx]

Only earthquake is the major change. :
Nothing much changed.

if you take earthquake as an ele dps shaman ur wasting a point...

and a lot has changed
-elemental mastery effecting LvB
-lava surge (flame shock ticks refresh CD on LvB)

those are just 2 off the top of my head and those are pretty ground breaking changes i'd say it'd up dps by atleast 2-3k than current elemental dps is atm

also btw does enhancing totems mean its going to effect totem of wrath?

edit:
build if enhancing totems effects totem of wrath
http://cata.wowhead.com/talent#hyh0qcdIedf0AuVcfk0h
if not i'll just switch it to shields
anyone come up w/ something else?

also think that they should take earthquake and give it to everyone, its not really needed by anyone as a dps increase its just something nice for trash, i just dont see myself wanting to spend a point to get something thats for trash.

[Wolfie of Medivh]

wrong

remove all the mana crap (imp ss, shock mana reduc) and spirit weps since it isnt necessary now and lower the cd on your shocks

Fair enough.

I do play with them in Wrath, only because I tend to keep my SR for the damage boost the 2 piece T10 bonus gives us, so the little bits of extra mana count to get the most out of the gear, but I can see your point.

Is this a little more to your liking:
http://www.wowtal.com/#k=dLO39-GCsHIxyo.9dw.shaman

[waddlez]

Fair enough.

I do play with them in Wrath, only because I tend to keep my SR for the damage boost the 2 piece T10 bonus gives us, so the little bits of extra mana count to get the most out of the gear, but I can see your point.

Is this a little more to your liking:
http://www.wowtal.com/#k=dLO39-GCsHIxyo.9dw.shaman

I still don't understand spirit weapons, unless you think tanks are going to have problems keeping aggro and our dump every 6seconds isn't enough

I'm actually hopping it gets dropped since it is already moved away from the necessary talents

[Danund81]

And yet again, no 2-hand specialization. GG Bliz. Well looks like it's Elemental for me come cata.

[waddlez]

And yet again, no 2-hand specialization. GG Bliz. Well looks like it's Elemental for me come cata.

they already said that 2h for enhancement is never going to happen

[aikouka]

Blindly follow a priority list? What class are you playing bub!?

Actually, in my tired stupor, I completely ignored what I was actually writing... we do blindly follow a priority list and so do pretty much all classes. The biggest difference is that Shamans have a relatively long priority list and they aren't always terribly simple... a single line in the priority list can have one or more conditions attached to it. What I meant to infer was that we will most likely have even more conditions attached to our priorities. For example, instead of Lava Lash, it might end up being Lava Lash + SF5 or Lava Lash + SF5 + UW-F (UW-F being the buff from having Flametongue on while using Unleashed Weapon).

Aside from keeping an eye on omen, keeping an eye on the ground to STHOOF, now I need to keep in mind both Searing stacks AND MW Stacks, plus my priority, plus the things every player must watch?

I understand how complicated it can be compared to others classes... I play them all. Most classes either have a short priority list or don't have a terrible amount of conditions attached. There are of course some slight changes you can make to eke a bit more DPS out of most classes that aren't as simple. But anyway, I usually watch around 9-ish cooldowns (6 or so being main abilities), Maelstrom Weapon, Lightning Shield, Maelstrom Power (best to use your Fire Elemental with this active since the FE takes an active screenshot of your attributes), totems and the HWT buff. Then I also track Stormstrike and Flame Shock on all enemies.

Yes, it ends up being a lot, but I don't honestly mind most of it.