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Resto Shaman Arena Strategy Guide
shaman arena guideRestoration Shaman Arena Specs:
* Resto/Enhancement
This spec is the most popular spec for Resto Shaman right now. It provides a lot of healing output and is a pretty solid spec that will work for every team set up.
* Resto/Toughness
This is the spec I use on my shaman when I play with tanking class like DK’s. It’s good for playing against teams where you are getting focused the majority of the games. It has less healing output but more survivability, it is a good spec for 5s where you can drop in a global.
Restoration Shaman Glyphs:
Glyph of Stoneclaw Totem- This is one of the new glyphs put out last patch, it is probably the best for any specs of shaman in PvP.
Glyph of Lesser Healing Wave- With so many talents to improve Earth Shield it will usually be up on the target they are killing, this helps for healing through the burst.
Glyph of Earth Shield- Having this glyph along with all the other improved Earth Shield talents will really make Earth Shield amazing.
Restoration Shaman Gear:
MP5 vs Crit- This is one of the biggest debates and it basically comes down to playstyle. From tests, the difference is that MP5 gear will end up being more mana and the crit gear will be more healing per second. Depending on what comps you play generally the increased healing output will be more effective in arena. From my experience, the MP5 is more beneficial in 2s but the crit helps out a lot in 3s and 5s. Again, it’s all personal preference but my gear is currently set up for all crit.
2 piece 3 piece- Depending on what comp setup you run you usually wont need this. Although 1.5 second less cooldown on grounding is rarely life saving, the reduced cooldown is probably better this season with the resiliance buff on gear. Unless you are planning on playing a double healer comp or something you are expecting to get focused almost every game, getting 5 piece of one set is definatly better this season.
Shaman Macros:
Focus Shocks -
#showtooltip Wind Shock
/cast [target=focus] Wind Shock
This is the only macro I use on my shaman. You can also use a Nature’s Swiftness macro (below) but they don’t always work perfectly. Focus shocking allows you to interrupt a healer or prevent CC’s without changing target from healing or DPSing.
Nature’s Swiftness Healing Wave (with Tidal Force)-
#showtooltip Nature’s Swiftness
/cast Tidal Force
/cast Nature’s Swiftness
/stopcasting
/cast Healing Wave
Simple macro, just uses all your cooldowns with healing wave.
Shaman Arena Strategy
2v2 (healer/dps)- This bracket requires a lot of work from a Shaman. At the start of the game, set your focus shock on a healer or someone that will try to CC a lot. At the start, try to get purges on the kill target and coordinate your Hex to try to force a trinket early on and make them blow defensive cooldowns. After they have blown enough cooldowns, work with your partner and coordinate heroism with a Hex or any other CC. At this point, cast a Lava Burst or get some offensive purges in to try to get a kill attempt. If this fails, they will usually have no defensive cooldowns for the next hex and since shamans don’t have a lot of long cooldowns its pretty easy to set up another kill attempt. During kill attempts, make sure to save Shock cooldown for interrupts on a heal or more importantly for a CC on your partner. Between bursts or during periods of down time always try to get drinks in. I usually use about 5-10 water each game just to make sure I never go oom. If you are ever in combat but aren’t healing spam water shield for the 100 mana each time it’s cast.
2v2 (double dps)- This set up is a lot harder for shaman because they are vulnerable to CC. Open with a Heroism and stay out of line of sight to avoid CC’s. Coordinate with your partner when they are using their cooldowns so that you don’t overlap trinket with something like shield wall or deterence. Other then that, fake cast when counterspell is off cooldown and they usually use it the first heal.
3v3- A lot of shaman misplay this bracket and I feel that people think the shaman class is weak because of it. In 3v3 your priority is to heal. Stay back, play defensive during the games and don’t even worry about going to shock the heals because usually it will put you in a bad position to get switched on. Stay back, interrupts CC’s and wait till your are going for a kill and have the other team playing defensive to play aggressively. If you get switched on, have your teammates control the other team and land as much CC on them as they can until you can get back behind a pillar and out of line of sight. Usually using heroism early works better because it allows you to play offensive earlier. Most Shaman 3v3 teams are burst comps anyway so heroism can usually kill something.
5v5- This bracket is the most populated by Shaman because Heroism is the most powerful buff in the game for 5v5. In this bracket you are there for your heals and heroism. Running in and shocking will usually result in you getting switched to and dieing in under 5 seconds. Stay back, heal and dispel fears with tremor (better then shocking because it starts DR in case you get feared and can’t tremor). Keep Earth Shield on the target they are focusing and stay back far enough you won’t get CC’d.
Credits: zuggaming
shaman arena guideRestoration Shaman Arena Specs:
* Resto/Enhancement
This spec is the most popular spec for Resto Shaman right now. It provides a lot of healing output and is a pretty solid spec that will work for every team set up.
* Resto/Toughness
This is the spec I use on my shaman when I play with tanking class like DK’s. It’s good for playing against teams where you are getting focused the majority of the games. It has less healing output but more survivability, it is a good spec for 5s where you can drop in a global.
Restoration Shaman Glyphs:
Glyph of Stoneclaw Totem- This is one of the new glyphs put out last patch, it is probably the best for any specs of shaman in PvP.
Glyph of Lesser Healing Wave- With so many talents to improve Earth Shield it will usually be up on the target they are killing, this helps for healing through the burst.
Glyph of Earth Shield- Having this glyph along with all the other improved Earth Shield talents will really make Earth Shield amazing.
Restoration Shaman Gear:
MP5 vs Crit- This is one of the biggest debates and it basically comes down to playstyle. From tests, the difference is that MP5 gear will end up being more mana and the crit gear will be more healing per second. Depending on what comps you play generally the increased healing output will be more effective in arena. From my experience, the MP5 is more beneficial in 2s but the crit helps out a lot in 3s and 5s. Again, it’s all personal preference but my gear is currently set up for all crit.
2 piece 3 piece- Depending on what comp setup you run you usually wont need this. Although 1.5 second less cooldown on grounding is rarely life saving, the reduced cooldown is probably better this season with the resiliance buff on gear. Unless you are planning on playing a double healer comp or something you are expecting to get focused almost every game, getting 5 piece of one set is definatly better this season.
Shaman Macros:
Focus Shocks -
#showtooltip Wind Shock
/cast [target=focus] Wind Shock
This is the only macro I use on my shaman. You can also use a Nature’s Swiftness macro (below) but they don’t always work perfectly. Focus shocking allows you to interrupt a healer or prevent CC’s without changing target from healing or DPSing.
Nature’s Swiftness Healing Wave (with Tidal Force)-
#showtooltip Nature’s Swiftness
/cast Tidal Force
/cast Nature’s Swiftness
/stopcasting
/cast Healing Wave
Simple macro, just uses all your cooldowns with healing wave.
Shaman Arena Strategy
2v2 (healer/dps)- This bracket requires a lot of work from a Shaman. At the start of the game, set your focus shock on a healer or someone that will try to CC a lot. At the start, try to get purges on the kill target and coordinate your Hex to try to force a trinket early on and make them blow defensive cooldowns. After they have blown enough cooldowns, work with your partner and coordinate heroism with a Hex or any other CC. At this point, cast a Lava Burst or get some offensive purges in to try to get a kill attempt. If this fails, they will usually have no defensive cooldowns for the next hex and since shamans don’t have a lot of long cooldowns its pretty easy to set up another kill attempt. During kill attempts, make sure to save Shock cooldown for interrupts on a heal or more importantly for a CC on your partner. Between bursts or during periods of down time always try to get drinks in. I usually use about 5-10 water each game just to make sure I never go oom. If you are ever in combat but aren’t healing spam water shield for the 100 mana each time it’s cast.
2v2 (double dps)- This set up is a lot harder for shaman because they are vulnerable to CC. Open with a Heroism and stay out of line of sight to avoid CC’s. Coordinate with your partner when they are using their cooldowns so that you don’t overlap trinket with something like shield wall or deterence. Other then that, fake cast when counterspell is off cooldown and they usually use it the first heal.
3v3- A lot of shaman misplay this bracket and I feel that people think the shaman class is weak because of it. In 3v3 your priority is to heal. Stay back, play defensive during the games and don’t even worry about going to shock the heals because usually it will put you in a bad position to get switched on. Stay back, interrupts CC’s and wait till your are going for a kill and have the other team playing defensive to play aggressively. If you get switched on, have your teammates control the other team and land as much CC on them as they can until you can get back behind a pillar and out of line of sight. Usually using heroism early works better because it allows you to play offensive earlier. Most Shaman 3v3 teams are burst comps anyway so heroism can usually kill something.
5v5- This bracket is the most populated by Shaman because Heroism is the most powerful buff in the game for 5v5. In this bracket you are there for your heals and heroism. Running in and shocking will usually result in you getting switched to and dieing in under 5 seconds. Stay back, heal and dispel fears with tremor (better then shocking because it starts DR in case you get feared and can’t tremor). Keep Earth Shield on the target they are focusing and stay back far enough you won’t get CC’d.
Credits: zuggaming