Spiritwalker's Grace - A Definitive Resto Shaman 4.0 PVP Guide
Prodzlol - US - Archimonde
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Races
1.2 Gearing
1.0 Introduction
You may ask yourself, "Why play a resto shaman? Paladins have better mana efficiency, druids have better CC, so why shaman?" The answer is utility. We have interrupts, we have a form of CC (which isn't that long of a CD with the glyph), we have totems with various abilities, we have decent mana efficiency, offensive purges, defensive purges and preventative healing with earth shield, to name a few. When played correctly, a resto shaman in a BG or arena can single handedly turn the tide of a match. Throughout this guide I will give you the tools and knowledge to become a formidable opponent in any PVP setting. We'll start with controllable variables of your character.
1.1 Races
Before I start naming off the races in order of racial strength, I want to say this is purely from a min-max perspective and that if you are a good player, you will do well with any race.
Alliance: Dwarf > Dranei
Horde: Goblin > Tauren > Orc > Troll
Alliance
Dwarf
- Explorer - You find additional fragments when looting archaeological finds and you can survey faster than normal archaeologists. This is pretty useless aside from getting Tyrande's Favorite Doll quicker.
- Frost Resistance - Increases your resistance to harmful frost effects by 85. Not really all that useful, due to the fact that one offpiece can have 200+ spell pen on it.
- Gun Specialization - Your chance to critically hit with guns is increased by 1%. We can't use guns, enough said.
- Mace Specialization - Your chance to critically hit with maces is increased by 1%. If we're close enough to melee something, we are doing something wrong.
- Stoneform - (2 minute CD) Removes all poison, disease and bleed effects and increases your armor by 10% for 8 seconds. This is the reason Dwarf is the best alliance race. Absolutely phenomenal for shutting down the overpowered ferals and rogues of this season.
Dranei
- Gemcutting - Jewelcrafting skill increased by 10. Jewelcrafting is a recommended profession, but those first ten levels really aren't this big of a deal, haha.
- Gift of the Naaru - (3 minute CD) Heals for x amount over 15 seconds. The amount healed is increased by your spell power. A decent racial, but with health pools so high, this hot is only a miniscule amount of healing.
- Heroic Presence - Increases your chance to hit with all spells and attacks by 1%. 1% less hit you have to reforge for.
- Shadow Resistance - Increases your resistance to harmful shadow effects by 85. Once again, with large amounts of spellpen being so easily obtainable, this is negligible.
Horde
Goblin
- Best Deals Anywhere - Always receive the best possible gold discount, regardless of faction. Sadly, there's no discount on honor gear, so for PVP this isn't particularly useful.
- Better Living Through Chemistry - Alchemy skill increased by 15. There are better choices than alchemy for PVP professions.
- Rocket Barrage - (2 minute shared CD with Rocket Jump) Launches your belt rockets at an enemy dealing x fire damage. This is a pretty good ability, as it increases a shaman's burst damage. Be warned, this does trigger the GCD, so don't try macroing this to your flame shock.
- Rocket Jump - (2 minute shared CD with Rocket Barrage) Activates your rocket belt to jump foward. This is invaluable as a shaman. It's more or less a racial disengage, which is amazing for getting to a safe range to kite those pesky melee classes.
- Time is Money - Cash in on a 1% increase to attack and casting speed. Haste is one of most important secondary stats, as it gives you better mobility in arena. A very good racial.
Tauren
- Cultivation - Herbalism skill increased by 15 and you gather herbs faster than normal herbalists. Herbalism is not a recommended profession at all.
- Endurance - Increases base health by 5%. Having more health in PVP is always good.
- Nature Resistance - Increases your resistance to harmful nature effects by 85. Negligible due to massive spellpen on offpieces.
- War Stomp - (0.5 second cast, 2 minute CD) Stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yards for 2 seconds. Another interrupt or stun before the kill. Just has to be timed correctly when used as an interrupt since it has a cast time.
Orc
- Axe Specialization - Expertise with fist weapons, axes and two-handed axes increased by 3. Shamans can't use axes.
- Blood Fury - Increases spell power by x. Lasts 15 seconds. Spellpower scales with our heals, so this is obviously a pretty good racial. Off the GCD.
- Command - Damage dealt by pets increased by 5%. This actually increases the damage done by your searing totem, fire elemental totem and earth elemental totem. Every bit of damage counts.
- Hardiness - Duration of stun effects reduced by an additional 15%. This stacks with (Metagem) so you can further reduce stun duration. Pretty good, imo.
Troll
- Beast Slaying - Damage dealt versus beasts increased by 5%. Increases damage to shifted druids, hunter pets and shamans in ghost wolf.
- Berserking - (3 minute CD) Increases your attack and casting speed by 20% for 10 seconds. Pop this when your partners are getting low and need those quick heals. It's also off the GCD.
- Bow Specialization - Your chance to critically hit with bows is increased by 1%. We can't use bows.
- Da Voodoo Shuffle - Reduces duration of all movement impairing effects by 15%. Trolls be flippin' out mon! Helps with kiting a bit, not too game breaking.
- Throwing Specialization - Your chance to critically hit with throwing weapons is increased by 1%. We can't use throwing weapons, either.
Testing Adding Damage Reduction to PvP
Testing Adding Damage Reduction to PvP
What would you expect the AVERAGE wow player clear in a raid for a season?
MMO-Champion
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Originally Posted by Prodzlol
