[Arena][Shaman] Restoration Shaman Q&A

[Stige]

Got something on your mind that you would like some light shed on about Resto Shamans?
Or maybe you want to shed some light on things for other people asking questions here?

Post away!

I will try to gather all Q&A in the original post for easy viewing.

Personal I got 3 Gladiator titles myself, played Resto Shaman since S8 in WotlK and actively playing one right now (2300 with Resto Shaman/Shadow Priest/Warrior atm).
I know 2300 isn't high but when the teams you que against are all sub-2100 MMR it is very slow to gain any rating because it is -15 for each loss (KFC RNG gibbing someone) and +5 for win (Except for the few times where we actually managed to face 2300+ MMR Rank 1 teams, those were nice points)

TALENTS
A little about the possible available talents and their uses.
=== TIER 1 ===
Nature's Guardian - Good when you get hard swapped to in a stun where you can't use Stone Bulwark and don't need that extra GCD when it's passive
Stone Bulwark Totem - Best option out of the 3 in my opinion unless you have to survive retarded burst like KFC where you got very few GCDs to spare
Astral Shift - Too long CD for such a short duration reduction IMO, the other two are better options really
=== TIER 2 ===
Frozen Power - Seen a few Shamans use it but not worth it for Resto in my opinion
Earthgrab Totem - Playing against melee teams or Hunters? Good way to CC that zoo from the hunter for 5 seconds
Windwalk Totem - Playing with melee classes against Mage teams etc? Must have in that case!
=== TIER 3 ===
Call of the Elements -
Totemic Restoration - Very good if macro'd with Tremor Totem (30sec CD on Tremor this way) and you get shorter CD on Grounding aswell
Totemic Projection - Good for stunning people with Capacitor Totem and rooting people but not much use outside of that really
=== TIER 4 ===
Elemental Mastery - Lots of haste if you are left to free cast, faster heals = more heals in the same time
Ancestral Swiftness - The only real option here, 1 minute cooldown makes it very strong both for defensive and offensive use (Instant Hex every minute)
Echo of the Elements - Too much RNG to be really useful
=== TIER 5 ===
Healing Tide Totem - Obvious choice, this talent provides insane healing when used and will make your team pretty much unkillable for the duration, downside is that it is easily killed by any competent team
Ancestral Guidance - Similiar to what Ascendance does, Healing Tide Totem is superior though
Conductivity - PVE Talent
=== TIER 6 ===
Unleashed Fury - +50% Healing Done on your next heal is a LOT and will save you or your partners, pretty obvious choice I think
Primal Elementalist - Both your Elementals get some useful abilities and Channels that buff the caster, could be useful but too situational in my opinion. Earth Elemental also has a short stun.
Elemental Blast - Useless for Resto

- GLYPHS -
=== MAJOR ===
- Ghost Wolf, Hex, X
Where X = Purge, Capacitor Totem, Healing Stream Totem, Cleansing Waters

- GEMS -

- PROFESSIONS -

- QUESTIONS & ANSWERS -
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I will keep updating and filling this thread up as people come up with more questions.
Hopefully it is of some use to someone!

[Wetop]

Glyph of riptide is not a "MUST HAVE" type of glyph, especially in 2v2.

[Stige]

Glyph of riptide is not a "MUST HAVE" type of glyph, especially in 2v2.

It's very good in 2s if you want to get a drink off for example, your partner will stay up much longer without assistance with Earth Shield + Riptide when Riptide lasts 21 seconds as you dont have to refresh it so often on him.
Ofcourse if you dont drink and stay in combat constantly healing then the glyph can be a bit of a waste because it is one of (if not the most) efficient heal we have currently to "spam", keeping Riptide on CD when healing is a good idea.

Also with the Glyph Riptide takes much less haste to get an extra tick on it (Dont have numbers in my head on this atm)

[Wetop]

I do use it myself aswell, it's not like we have much better choices atm, but i have never found it gamebreaking at any moment lol... You saying "much longer" is a bit of an overstatement as it only heals extra 2 times with the glyph...

[Stige]

Well maybe "must have" is not the right term for it, like you said there just arent better options

[Stige]

Damn Shammys must be long gone or just too easy to play with

[«Huztler»™]

Resto Shamans are easy to play, very hard to master. 1 of few classes that has a very high skillcap. Also most skilled Shamans already knows this stuff. And most Shamans who wants a guide reads it at AJ, but good guide + rep

[Stige]

It's mainly meant for people who might not read AJ like you or me do There is always a person like that somewhere.

[xmodxdrx]

Resto Shamans are easy to play, very hard to master. 1 of few classes that has a very high skillcap. Also most skilled Shamans already knows this stuff. And most Shamans who wants a guide reads it at AJ, but good guide + rep

Rogue, Mages Hunter all have a higher skill cap? shamans are hard to master but no where near a class that is high skill capped.

Although im only a 2500 rated Shaman and my resi is only 3200 :s I mean i have a priest also and im at 2760 in 3s with 3k resi.

[Praesto]

Shamans are a far higher skill cap than many other classes, As a GOOD resto shaman you will have to keep shocks up, windshear, be able to switch totems on the fly, keep up riptide and earthshield and water shield, keep heals up, hex at the right time, offensively attack in 2's sometimes, purge, cleanse, and never stop moving. I have a rogue as-well and while there are lots of things to do like blind, dismantle, ... and other than that spam hemo, recoup, and backstab.. Also enhancement shamans are incredible hard to mater. You have to do almost all the above things - the healing and riptide. But also know when to pop wolves, when to purge which annihilates mana, cleanse heal, and more. I do not think a shaman is HARDER than other classes to master, more-so that it takes lots of skill to master. Time-wise mastering any class takes a very long time.

Edit: To OP: Alchemy is a very good choice of professions aswell, because it gives you an in arena useable potion that gives you +80 to any stat which would match the two sockets however outside of arena it can make plenty of money without having to farm orbs from heroics due to their BOP attribute.