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  1. #1
    shaman1234's Avatar Member
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    Shaman Tanking Guide

    Hello everyone I found this really interesting thread on Shaman tanking. I did not make this but it is really good.

    Unofficial Guide.
    This guide is set up to help players both new and old with some of the most common questions and
    suggestions for tanking as a Shaman.

    Guide Authors- Cherokey(Elemental Shaman)/Biggie (protection warrior)
    Guide Contributors- Cyrella, Junai, Sylvannus
    Cherokey's Shaman Tanking 101 - shadowlabs - [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PCjrVCYe0A[/ame]

    TABLE OF CONTENTS
    1.0 Basics
    2.0 Aggro Mechanics for Shaman
    3.0 Talent Specifications
    4.0 Play Strategies
    5.0 Gear Choices
    6.0 End Game Gear
    7.0 SHAMAN TANKING HALL OF FAME
    8.0 (Moved to FAQ Section, Question Video links of Shaman Tanking and 'How To' s
    9.0 Note to Blizzard Developers
    10.0 Effective Health
    11.0 Reserved
    12.0 FAQ
    14.0 List of Bosses and Instances tanked by Shaman




    1.0 Basics
    Tanking is one of the core abilities listed for Shaman on the Blizzard Website.

    WoW.com -> Info -> Classes -> Shaman

    "The old phrase "jack of all trades, master of none" is an excellent way to describe the
    Shaman; they are the only real "hybrid" class in World of Warcraft. While they do not excel at any one
    aspect of their repertoire, they function passing well when performing most tasks called upon by a
    party. Need a support healer? Looking for a secondary tank? After another damage-dealer? Have an empty slot that needs someone to support the group in general? The Shaman can provide.

    It is interesting that they list tanking on an equivalent ground with healing and dps, which
    the current design is far more pointed to.

    As an actual role in group questing, 5-man instances up to 70, and raiding, there are
    different levels of success and need that Shaman are employed for. Shaman are able to, with the right
    gear, tank quest bosses. Shaman are able to OT or MT any non-heroic 70. Shaman have been able to tank non-boss mobs in Heroics and Karazhan. Shaman have also tanked individual mobs in SSC, TK, and BT.

    Knowing when you can tank, with what gear, and under what circumstances can be vitally important to helping your group, your guild, and your raid. Many of the top Shaman tanks do it out of boredom, but others are in small guilds, or have limited people on, and have to cover this role
    because there is no one better suited than that Shaman. This guide is for both types of players.

    An excellent basic tanking guide for warriors is at
    WoW Forums -> Warrior Guide Collection -- Read This Or Die. While some of it does not apply, the basic principles are the same. I have copied liberally from it, and thank the authors and warrior community for their fine work.

    Tanking has three main areas of skill:
    1. Keeping Threat
    2. Survivability
    3. Reducing Healer mana consumption

    These three areas are covered in the following sections:
    1. Keeping Threat: 2.0 Aggro Mechanics, 4.0 Play Strategies
    2. Survivability: 3.0 Talent Specifications 5.0 Gear Choices
    3. Reducing Healer mana consumption: 3.0 Talent Specifications
    4.0 Play Strategies 5.0 Gear Choices.

    2.0 Aggro Mechanics

    Keeping threat is essentially the art of keeping the highest "threat" on each target in
    combat. Threat is a basic principle of the game that most players need to know about whether they are
    healers, DPSers or tanks. Below is a modified guide from the warrior tanking guide on threat:

    Threat
    Threat should not be looked at as an arcane, mysterious entity that can not be understood or put into
    real terms. It is based on real and understandable concepts and numbers.
    Let's say that 1 Damage is equivalent to 1 Threat. For the purposes of this game, this is the best way
    to quantify threat, as 1 Damage will produce the equivalent of 1 Threat before any modifiers come into
    play. The Shaman who is tanking will always want to make sure their threat is at a higher level than
    the Threat of their party or raid members. Following this, the Shaman can make use of specific
    abilities which maximize his or her Threat potential. This is done by the intelligent use of
    abilities, gear, threat-producing talents, and basic positioning in relation to party members.

    While 1 Damage is equivalent to 1 Threat, it takes 2 points of Healing to amount to 1 Threat. Also,
    Threat is only produced by effective healing -- overhealing produces no Threat.

    Threat does not decay in combat. It can be reduced through the use of several mechanics such as
    Knockback. However, under normal circumstances Threat will never decay.


    Pulling and Holding Aggro (100/110/130 Rule)

    Tank (Baseline) _____________________ 100%
    Melee Range Aggro Gain ______________ 110%
    Ranged Aggro Gain ___________________ 130%

    The above chart represents the balance of when a player will pull aggro from the tank. To get aggro, a
    player in melee range must exceed the total threat of the current player with aggro by 10%. If the
    player is at a range, they would have to produce 30% more threat to fully gain aggro.
    This has some important implications. First, it gives you breathing room to miss a few attacks and not
    instantly lose aggro -- that seems to be the purpose of the 10% rule. Second, it means that ranged
    classes take a heavy risk by moving into melee range with a large amount of threat built up -- the mob
    will instantly change targets to a ranged target who moves into melee. Third, this means that tank
    switching can be difficult in some cases.

    0.5.3 Threat from Stances, Talents, Buffs, and Classes
    The following chart shows multipliers to Threat values that affect the amount of Threat players
    produce.

    Ability Multipliers Percent Multiplier
    Defensive Stance / Bear Form ________ 130% (1.3) Multiplicative
    Defiance / Feral Instinct ___________ 115% (1.15) Multiplicative
    Fury / Battle Stance ________________ 80% (0. Multiplicative
    Rogue / Cat Form Druid ______________ 71% (0.71) Multiplicative
    Blessing of Salvation _______________ 70% (0.7) Multiplicative
    Tranquil Air Totem __________________ 80% (0. Multiplicative
    Druid (Subtlety) ____________________ 80% (0. Multiplicative
    Priest (Silent Resolve) _____________ 80% (0. Multiplicative
    Mage (Frost Channelling) ____________ 90% (0.9) Multiplicative
    Mage (Burning Soul) _________________ 90% (0.9) Multiplicative
    Mage (Arcane Subtlety) ______________ 60% (0.6) Multiplicative
    Shaman (Spirit Weapons)______________ 85% (.85) Multiplicative
    Shaman (Elemental Precision)_________ 90% (.90) Multiplicative
    Warlock (Destructive Reach) _________ 90% (0.9) Multiplicative
    Warlock (Imp. Drain Soul) ___________ 90% (0.9) Multiplicative



    Innate Threat
    Many Shaman abilities are built around the concept of Innate, or hidden, Threat values. What this
    means is that abilities which neither deal Damage or Healing produces Threat on the targeted creature when used. Innate Threat never replaces Threat produced from damage; in many cases, such as with Frost Shock, Earth Shock, etc... the Damage portion of the ability produces Threat in addition to the innate value.

    The following chart gives detailed Innate Threat values for abilities at Level 70:

    Earth Shock _________________________ +231 [possibly removed in earlier patch]
    Frost Shock__________________________ +800
    Purge ___________________________ +100
    Storm Strike ________________________ +200 [possibily innacurate]

    In addition, the following abilities give additional threat:
    Earthsheild _________________________ .5 x Amount Healed
    Lightning Shield ____________________ 1 x Damage from proc

    The following Totems have threat values:
    Fire Nova Totem _____________________ 2000
    Magma Totem _________________________ 1 x Damage per pulse
    Stoneclaw Totem _____________________ 2100 Threat on each taunt pulse

    0.5.5 Critical Strikes & Effective Abilities
    Critical Strikes have no unique impact on Threat. The extra Threat generated from a Critical Strike is
    strictly from the damage produced; Innate Threat is not affected.

    The Threat on abilities such as Frost Shock or Earth Shock are not affected by whether the effect is
    successful or not unless the target is fully immune to the ability. For instance, Frost Shock will
    deal 800 +Dmg Threat regardless of whether the target is slowed. Even if the target is immune to
    slowing, the ability will still gain the 800 Threat bonus since Frost Shock also causes damage -- the
    ability is at least functionally operational so the Threat is awarded.

    *Edited the title. Please refrain from using all caps in titles.- Nethaera

    [ Post edited by Cherokey ]





    70

    Cherokey
    < Inertia > Mal'Ganis
    2. Re: CHEROKEY'S GUIDE TO SHAMAN TANKING | 08/28/2007 09:17:25 AM PDT
    3.0 Talent Specification

    There are many moderate to good tanking specifications as a Shaman. Each major spec has tanking
    abilities worth gaining, which we'll review here first, before offering specs:

    Restoration:
    Uninteruptable spells, resistance to silence, a powerful passive aggro generator, and an emergency
    threat generator are all features of this talent tree. It is still the weakest of all trees for
    tanking.

    Ancestral Healing: +25% armor after crit heal. No verification that it works with Earth Sheild, but if
    it does, this a good talent to include as a resto tank.

    Totemic Focus: You will be dropping stoneclaw and other totems throughout your fight as a tank, and a
    25% reduction is amazingly good.

    Nature's Guidance: +3% to hit with melee and spells will increase your ability to hold aggro.
    Remember, for mob at lvl 73, you only need 16% chance to almost never miss with a spell.

    Restorative Totems: This is a weak talent for improved survivablity

    Mana Tide: You will burn through mana as a tank, so this is important to have if you are a Resto tank.

    Nature's Swiftness: Critical for either a big heal or Chain Lightning to keep aggro, this is almost a
    must ability for Resto Tanks.

    Focused Mind: A good ability that helps you keep aggro by casting your shocks.

    Nature's Guardian: A poor ability for tanks, as it drops your threat with that target when it procs.

    Earth Sheild: An incredible ability for tanking. 30% ignore spell interupts, creation of aggro on proc
    through heals, free heals, and can be recast during combat. This is a resto-tank's mainstay.

    Enhancement:

    Almost all Enhancement abilities are useful for generating threat, as melee damage increases.
    Enhancement also offers decent mitigation

    Sheild Specialization: Finally a use for this talent. 5% sheild block, with a top end of 25% to block
    with blocking gear is not going to be helpful, at maybe 200 damage blocked once every four melee
    attacks. This is underwhelming, but still better than increased mana for a tank. Barely.

    Guardian Totems: Very useful for reducing melee damage.

    Improved Lightning Shield: Better lightning sheild = more threat. This is a decent talent.

    Anticipation: +5% dodge is worth the points every time, for avoidance. If you are a stamina tank,
    getting to flurry may be an even better usage of points.

    Toughness: Again, finally a use for this talent. 800-1100 points of armor equates to a 7-8% reduction
    in physical damage. Given a Shaman tank with 12000 health, that's like +80 stamina. A great ability.

    Spirit Weapons: It's hard to choose between 5% avoidance to the front, with 15% reduced melee threat.
    Enhancement Shaman will probably avoid this talent, Resto Shaman will go for Earth Sheild, but for the

    Elemental Shaman, where melee damage is minimal to start, this is a great ability.

    Mental Quickness: This equates to two free shocks over a battle. Good talent, but not great.

    Stormstrike: You'll be carrying a sheild, but this is still a good threat generating ability.

    Shamanistic Rage: If you are enhancement, this is a must ability to keep the shocks coming.

    Elemental:

    Convection: 10% reduced mana on shocks is a must.
    Concussion: +5% damage = +5% threat. This is another great ability
    Earth's Graps: Good for emergencies with stoneclaw, not a great ability
    Elemental Warding: 10% vs three schools of magic is a strong talent.
    Elemental Focus: Necessary for mana recapture on shocks
    Reverberation: +20% damage and threat from Shocks. This is one of the best abilities in the Game.
    Elemental Devastation: Weak ability unless you are enhancement
    Elemental Fury: A must have, as crit damage is increased by 100%, which =s more threat.
    Unrelenting Storm: Only needed if you are running out of mana alot.
    Elemental Mastery: A very strong talent. Guaranteed crit is a great way to start off pulls.

    Elemental Sheilds: -6% crit is equivalent to being *uncrittable* by lvl 73 mobs. This means you do not
    need to have resilience gear, take eye of the storm, or have any abilities or gear that procs on you
    being critted. You don't need 490 defense either. This is a STELLAR ability for a Shaman that wants to
    tank.

    Totem of Wrath: This is a good totem for increasing aggro from shocks. You have to go deep into the
    tree for it, but it is a nice complement to your other abilities. Unfortunately, you can't take spirit
    weapons or nature's swiftness if you go this far into the tree, so it's unlikely you'll see it much.

    Shaman Tanking Builds:

    Elemental
    40/21/0 The Damage Avoidance build. Focuses on Elemental Sheilds and Spirit Weapons
    40/0/21 Standard Elemental Build. Keeps most of the Elemental abilities with Nature's Swiftness for a
    quick boost to starting aggro.

    Enhancement
    20/41/0 Elemental Damage + Melee Damage. This is the most powerful threat generating build among
    Shaman. It suffers only due to the ease at which this build can be critical hit.

    Restoration
    20/0/41 Heal Shocka
    0/5/56 Healing for Aggro

    I hvve only tried the Elemental and Healing for Aggro builds, and have found that 40/0/21 is best for
    aggro, and 40/21/0 is best for reducing healer mana usage.

    More input here is needed.

    4.0 Play Strategies

    There are four distinct phases to most tanking encounters as a Shaman:

    1) The Pull
    2) Initial Aggro Build-up
    3) Steady Tanking
    4) Switching Targets


    1) The Pull
    SINGLE MOB PULL: On the initial pull, for single mobs, LB or CL is a good choice. You don't want to
    burn your cooldown on Shocks, and while CL is slightly more damage, it is also more mana. This is
    normally followed by Frost Shock, Nature's Swiftness CL/LB (if you have that talent), and then CL or
    FS again. Enhancement Shaman will be using Earth Shock with Stormstrike when possible, to take
    advantage of the 20% increase in threat to Earth Shocks.

    THREE MOB OR LESS PULL: Start off with Chain Lightning. Follow up with Frost Shock, then try CL again until Shock Timer is up. Again, Enhancement Shaman will be using Earth Shock with Stormstrike whenpossible, to take advantage of the 20% increase in threat to Earth Shocks.

    FOUR OR MORE MOBS: Start off with Chain Lightning. Drop Stoneclaw right next to you prior to casting
    CL. Shock a 4th target, hit another Chain Lighting, and then go back to Target #4. Chain Lightning
    followed by Shock as often as you can, keeping stoneclaw up for other mobs. DO NOT ALLOW party members to AOE, as they will steal aggro.

    Make sure you have Earth Sheild or Lightning Sheild up at all times, the aggro generated per mana
    point is very good.


    2) Initial Aggro Build-up

    Once you have initial Aggro, You will fall into a steady stream of Shocking, Primarily Frost Shocking,
    followed by CL with it's short cast time. Enhancement will want to Shock, Stormstrike, and may elect
    not to CL.

    3) Steady Tanking

    Once you have a large lead in Aggro, dropping a magma, nova, or searing totem to add to DPS can really help. You'll have to renew your totems, keep your mana high, possibly taking a pot or dropping a mana stream totem or water sheilds. Most of the time you will struggle between Shocking, Sheilds, totems, and CL, with the GCD getting in the way of smooth sequences. However, once you are familiar with it, you should be able to go through a full cycle in about 6 seconds.


    4) Switching Targets

    When switching targets, you may have to mark the new target, or hit it with a Frost Shock to start off
    the tanking switch. I recommend moving up to the target and *then* shocking, to ensure you get the
    maximum threat and placing on the aggro list.

    Totem Choices:
    A standard complement of Totems for tanking would include:

    Earth: Stoneskin (primary choice for reduced damage), with tremor for fear mobs and stoneclaw used for more than 3 mob pulls.

    Fire: I like flametongue, magma, and fire nova, but it really is a matter of personal choice. Only
    flametongue adds threat, about 2%.

    Water: Healing Stream or Mana Stream (Depending upon your mana usage)

    Air: Wrath of Air (primary choice for increased shock damage) or Wall of Air (if ranged mobs like in
    SH) Grounding Totems verses spell casters are an great choice.


    Tools: I recommend Omen or KTM Threat meter for all party members to help them identify how much
    threat they can do. Please note that the innate threat of Frost Shock and Earth Shock are not included
    in their formulas.

    Other Notes:

    There are two styles of tanking with regards to mana usage for healers. Shaman are not like Warriors
    or Paladins, where they can essentially reach 102% avoidance, and not take crushing blows. Similarly,
    Druids and Shaman do not have high avoidance rates, primarily because Druids only get dodge and chance to miss (from Defense), while Shaman have no abilities to increase their base avoidance.
    Never-the-less, a high avoidance geared shaman can reach 60% avoidance with enchants, end game epics, ablities, and other items. The issue is that their mana will be so low as a result, that they will be
    unable to use their aggro abilities, unless they are enhancement.

    The other strategy, as outlined in Section 9.0, Effective Health, is to maximize armor and stamina.
    Shaman can reach 14000 armor and 17000 health, buffed, or 12k and 14k respectively, unbuffed. A shaman will still have 25-30% avoidance which is similar to that of druids, with this gear. Druids have far more armor and health than we do in equivalent gear.

    Shaman do have a few strengths in tanking. Our Aggro generation is second to none. Not even
    equivalently geared Warriors can out threat a Shaman on a single target.

    We have very good mitigation from our totems, including -90 damage from melee and -100 from ranged, as well as grounding totems to assist with spell damage.

    Shaman suffer from survivability issues, above Kara geared warriors and Druids

    Shaman Tanking Guide
  2. #2
    Unholyshaman's Avatar ★ Elder ★
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    Video doesnt work, ill check the guide later when i get home again.

  3. #3
    Subneo23's Avatar Member
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    sounds good ill have to try

  4. #4
    Noloony's Avatar Active Member
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    ive seen a shaman tank prince and nightbane, even seen a boomkin tank prinice

  5. #5
    Ciuciu_nrg's Avatar Member
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    This can easly sumed up by : rockbitter+ shield + earthshock

  6. #6
    cottle's Avatar Active Member
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    I've tanked ramps/Bf on my shammy but I can't imagine finding a Pug that would let me tank Arca, SL, SV besides kara.

  7. #7
    PBALLER325's Avatar Contributor
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    i would lol if a shammy tryed to tank for me

  8. #8
    Aradroth's Avatar Active Member
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    Originally Posted by Ciuciu_nrg View Post
    This can easly sumed up by : rockbitter+ shield + earthshock
    Im sick of people still thinking that rockbiter and earth shock generates a high amount of threat -_-

    Frost shock is now the highest threat generating spell and it says it on the tooltip. Shamans are not meant to tank so this thread is kinda pointless.

  9. #9
    jdismeuc's Avatar Contributor
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    Originally Posted by Aradroth View Post
    Im sick of people still thinking that rockbiter and earth shock generates a high amount of threat -_-

    Frost shock is now the highest threat generating spell and it says it on the tooltip. Shamans are not meant to tank so this thread is kinda pointless.
    Who cares if shamans are not ment to tank? If they can then does it really matter? I would let a priest tank if it did better than a warr/pally in the group somehow.

  10. #10
    fatmanpaddy's Avatar Member
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    yeah theres no set tanks. warlocks are the best tanks sometimes.

  11. #11
    jdismeuc's Avatar Contributor
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    like on illidan?

  12. #12
    Y060N's Avatar Banned
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    Well, it is usually fight dependent. But for a majority of fights, plate is the best armor choice. Also, they don't have that many abilities to increase their health and whatnot. On top of that, a big amount of their gear (mail) doesn't include dodge, and defense rating. So that means they will step back down into leather. Druids are viable because of their increased health and armor, but a shaman in leather isn't viable.

    Yes, good healers could have a shaman tank lower endgame, but at higher levels - no.

  13. #13
    Dorod52's Avatar Active Member
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    I'd love to know your opinion on my TBC shaman tank guide: Shaman Tank Guide - Shaman Tanking Burning Crusade

    HTML Code:
    https://www.ownedcore.com/forums/wow-classic/wow-classic-guides/938927-shaman-tank-guide-shaman-tanking-burning-crusade-post4294934.html#post4294934

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