The Shaman class is an odd bird in the Warcraft universe, because every talent tree is equally viable, there is no clear “best” spec. So where does this leave the average player? The short answer is to pick the spec that best suits the style of play that you most enjoy. Hopefully this breakdown of their pros and cons can help you to choose. A tip for any spec: use water shield whenever you can.
Elemental
A focus on offensive spell casting, this is the best spec for players who want to deal devastating blasts at range. Some of the great signature moves of this spec have you casting chain lighting bolts, with the occasional guaranteed lava burst crits. Guaranteed crits being king in PvP. Elemental is my personal favorite. A solid choice for a wizard cleave (spell based damage groups.) Great burst, multi target attacks, awesome defensive powers with improved earthbind totem via the storm, earth, and fire talent. It can pin down all hostiles in the area, giving you the time you need to escape! Another nice thing about elemental is that your heals remain potent enough that as long as you are not under direct fire, you can heal yourself and others effectively, which is awesome for BGs, and offers some extended PvE flexibility. Thunderstorm offers some unique options for getting kills based on your terrain advantage, knocking people flying off a cliff at the lumber mill in Arathi Basin for example. Prone to being overwhelmed by melee targets while the Thunderstorm knockback is on cool down. Not an easy leveling specialization.
Enhancement
Enhancement is the hands-on wotlk Shaman damage dealing talent line, considered to be the premier path for quick leveling, this specialization shines in raiding melee cleaves (melee damage groups). A rather unpopular choice though for PvP, as you will find yourself among the least resilient of close quarters fighters unless you reach extreme levels of skill. Your fighting prowess is directly linked to the quality of weapons you can get your hands on. Great for augmenting other melee fighters in your group and fun fast paced action, this spec is for adrenaline junkies. Beautiful flashy moves, and the famous summoned ghost wolves give this style some serious offensive power. Forgoing the use of a shield (as you must to make this tree viable for dealing damage) leaves you quite vulnerable, making for a short lifespan in PvP, and weak to the hazards that a PvE raider would face.
Restoration
The Shaman healing line is proven effective for both raiding and player vs. player. There is no all encompassing rotation, however the other Shaman interviewed for this guide agreed that lesser and greater healing wave made up the bulk of their single target healing and that chain healing is great for raids as well as five mans. Powerful healing, on par with any other primary healing class. Chain heal offers a unique option to send the heals right where the damage is happening, which makes for a huge difference in helping your fellow raiders survive area hazards. With the aid of the add-on Vuhdo, the more basic task of healing five mans becomes exceedingly easy leading to quick badge rewards. The resto shaman lacks long term group buff ability as compared to the druid and the priest. It has less endurance than a paladin healer, and is weaker against foes with interrupt abilities than druid healers. The overall feel is a sort of middle of the road balance of power and defense, which is not always the best for survival.
A Blurb on Totem Management
There is no set rule as to what totems to use, but here are some helpful suggestions based on your talent line For elemental wrath of air is your primary totem, so you’ll want to have this one going at all times for the spell haste boost. Talents can be altered to support specific totems, so pick talents that compliment your other favorites. If used correctly, flame totems can add significant damage potential. Make use of the earth and fire bonus provided to earthbind totem. For enhancement, the primary totem management choice in Enhancement is knowing when to keep strength of earth out and when to substitute it with a glyphed stone-claw totem (which absorbs damage, and scales with strength) and stone-skin totem for additional armor to offset not having a shield. Other supporting choices are based on preference. For restoration a frequent mistake of the novice resto shaman is using mana spring totem when a paladin is using blessing of wisdom, as the two do not stack, meaning you’ve wasted a totem. Try to avoid this. Additionally, improving your healing stream totem via talents is helpful for both group healing and PvP survival while you are stunned or otherwise incapacitated.
Surviving PvP
Dipping into Enhancement deep enough for improved ghost wolf form adds a new level of PvP survival and kiting ability, so don’t overlook it. Another important tip is knowing when to heal, because as a non resto you are going to want to heal only when there is little or no pressure on you, whereas tanking through an attack is a reasonable plan if you are a dedicated healer. The final tip I can give is to not overlook the helpfulness of healing stream totem; while its bonus may seem minor, it really adds up over time.
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