Alpha Shaman talents out~
So far I think the Shaman has received the cleverest and most elegant update of all the classes today. You may be wowed by Rogue and balance druid changes, but this really is the Creme de la Creme.
Everything Shaman have asked for came. I saw another post where someone believe it or not was complainig, all I can say is that he should simply re-roll or give up playing if he still thinks the changes are poor or un-inspiring.
Before I list the changes things of note:
Noteworthy
1. Shaman get a CC:
Yes it has cooldown, but you can hit the target while CC'd. It pacifies the target by altering it's shape then puts a speed restriction on it, The target still has control of it's motor functions only.
2. Enh and Elemental see some substantial improvements to PvP
Most notable are Improved Shamanistic Rage (beserked when under shamanistic rage)and Astral Shift (immune to damage after being critted twice), but there are more that really improve this.
3. New AoE Thunder - this is a NON-totem AoE
it knocksback 2yrds (not 200, not 20) is an Elemental only ability, but it's the extra AoE that has been desired. It may have a cooldown of 45secs, but it does great damage, restores 5% of total mana AND costs no mana. Nice, it's a nice touch to Chain lightning. This is not essential to non-elemental shaman who still have Chain lightning, Magma Totem, Fire Nova Totem and Fire Lord for AoE effects.
4. New non-nature nuke in Lava Burst;
another ability shaman, in particular elemental shaman have been crying for, and it comes, also with a guaranteed crit if flame shock is on the target, Flameshock/tongue also see some extra boosts at the base and through talents
5. New HoT capability through Earthliving and On the move Mitigation in Spirit Link:
Here blizzard out did itself, ALL shaman healing spells have a chance to heal over time, and whiles this is not controlled, it will most certainly proc on any target a shaman repeatedly heals. Nothing trivial about this either. Shaman healers are already the most viable healers at the end of TBC, only the Priest is the complete healer with hybrids having strenghts in key points and previously completely lacked one mode of healing, with only the priest having all. Now it looks that every healer is getting some proficiency in all the types of healing, however very weak ones. Druid flourish is a weak aoe healing a tiny amount and on only 5 targets, Earthliving is a hot but not one you can pull up on demand, but then Shaman do have Healing spring totem for HoT healing. Expect paladins to get a weak aoe heal , they will also get an HoT or a way for the effects of Seal of Light to work w/o requiring a hit on the target.
Spirit link is great mitigation on the move, it's instant cast, but it is an excellent skill working hand in hand with CHain heal. Can you not see a shaman sharing someone's damage amongst 2 targets than topping up with a chain heal? I do. A heal on the move is not terribly essnetial if you economise your time neither Earthliving nor Mana Spring is like a druid or priest HoT, but then only Priests are the total healers in WoW having a raid class spell in every mode of healing, the hybrids are the specialist in one specific mode of healing, AoE healing through chain and healing tide totem are what Shaman specialize in.
Earthliving Totem is a technical omission and will be added later in line with other weapon enhancing totems such as FT tot, WF tot.
Finally HW and LHW get quite the robust boost they needed to make them useable again, diversifying the Shaman healing so he's not just good for AoE healing, but retains proficiency in direct healing also.
6. Cross-School and Tree Synergy: 1 int = 1 AP (in Enh)
Something druids, in particular balance druid's have been craving for, but is completed nicely in Shaman and typified in Enhancement Shaman. 1 int = 1 AP, creates suitable synergy between melee and spell casting meaning that along with all crit and hit on gear applying to melee and spell, Eleemental when meleeing with a weapon imbue won't be dreadful, but let's be honest why would an elemental shaman melee when he can easily kite wtih Frost shock/Earthbind and now Hex, and Enhancement Shaman still uses shocks however, and Intellect more the domain of casters makes it harder. Whiles enhancement need int, they also need agi/str for attack power. Often Enh shaman were caught wearing gear meant for rogues and druids and giving up specifically designed gear with Int on them in mind.
This feature changes everything, SHOCKS got a major boost for an enh shaman who uses them alot. Int will allow more shock usage, and boost spell crit. all your melee gear crit will also apply to the shocks, but itemisation sees a firm consolidation to mail as well. No longer will you snub intellect. The changes Ancestaral Knowledge that has a massive boost and the great importance of 1 int = 1 AP means really nice mana boost, and you can off course now use the improved Lightning shield instead of having Water Shield up all the time.
Everything we asked For
Their are many more good things in the shaman changes, each addressing current issues with Shaman. What you did not see are more group buff abilities for Shaman. Some have expressed dismay at this, but they are utterly stupid for doing so. The Shaman in every spec remains in the TBC the best group/raid buffer. In each build. My guild finds it a must in TBC to go with 3 shaman min (1 in each tree), 1 shadow priest & 3 hunters, at least 2 locks and at least a mage. Every other class is expendable as long as we get Tank/Melee/Healers we not that fussy except on certain encounters where a particular build/class is required.
Shaman needed no group buffs at all, in fact it has far too many, so consequently non were given, I find it stupid that elemental shaman and enhancement shaman are complaining about Balance and Feral druid buffs earlier when balance druid's were the least desired caster dps spec in the game by some margin currently in live TBC so off course they got greater group viability and role niche which is in line with the druid philosophy.
Gratitude is Due
For me, I feel Shaman got more than we expected or asked for, every area we were short has been catered for. Those unhappy want ridiculous OP'd ness and importance. Moaning about the fact you don't have an instant heal when there is Earthshield/Spirit Link and Earthliving weapon/also Healing Stream (in 5-and 10 mans) not to mention Chain Heal makes SHaman healers the only must have healing type in 25-man raids… sorry we're not Priests, priests are still compalining that in their eyes, they are not must have's for raids like a resto shaman, and the you complain about healing on the move not being as good as a priest or druid's. Just remember that a druid can't AoE heal as effectively, and a Priest is supposed to be the next best to the specialist class.
Be grateful and don't moan about Enhancement SHaman in PvP, the changes are brilliant and more than could be asked for. Just because rogues get some really nice abilities, i.e. they gave a cheat death like ability to each rogue tree doesn't mean all the issues shaman had in pvp are nicely taken care off. What did druid's get? burst damage and infected wounds.
Finally Elemental Shaman, why envy at Shadow Priests and Balance druids? Shadow Priests actually got a reduction in their group viability with reducing the amount of mana Vampiric Touch returned and shadow weaving's spell damage boost.. they were off course more than compensated for those because their regen got an over 20% increase than previous, and the weaving simply got 15% damage go to 10% damage and 5% crit, they had their issues with PvP also addressed. Elemental shaman have always been damn vital to a group, you do realise that the Wrath was basically an elemental spell that got given to all shaman because it was so nice and resto shaman could use it. It's like the druid cyclone which was really a balance thing that went to all. If you have an elemental shaman you always take one, why envy at a Moonkin who currently no one wants, you take if he's there, you don't search for one neither do you openly advertise for one, laughable group viability that got boosted, what is there to envy? That raids will insist on having at least one moonkin? Like we do now insist on having at least 1 shadow priest and 1 elemental Shaman? So that is cause to be upset?
Implications for the Gaming Direction of WoW
If you ask me, every class is getting the most exciting bits of improvements, blizzard seriously listened to the class FAQs and Concerns and have given what each class asked for within reason. Shaman get CC, druid's get ooc Rez, warriors and rogues get AoEs? What's wow coming too !! ?? But notice that blizzard still are trying to maintain the distinctiveness. Balance druids may have serious AoE utility /role niche and every class may now have at least an AoE, but the Mage is still the most effective at it, by some gap, and casters still own the AoE market. No, Warriros and Plate users should not be getting CCs, but the rest of the dps users do, especially the casters.. however they all have some horrible restriction, only the Mage has unquestionable control with the idiot's CC, slows galore and mass CC, why would anyone complain about roots indoors anyway when the spell has always been in the game and stupidly handicapped a balance druid indoors and still remains a restricted CC, for a Shaman to do that with Hex now available is silly, Druids have always had roots. Mages remain kings of CC.
SO there you go, great changes. Priests still remain the best all-round healers, but still will not be the best at any particular type of healing. Paladins focused healing kings, Druids HoT/emergency healing kings, Shaman AoE kings, yet moaning Priests can't see that the priest is strong in ALL types of the other healings, Paladins have non-existant AOE heals and really restricted HoT in seal of Light if you can call it that. Shaman whiles having strong-ish HoT in healing stream totem, it is restricted to a group only but doubles up as an AoE heal, Druid's are the King of HoTs, but Renew is a strong single HoT in itself. Shaman maybe the King of AoEs, but weak on HoTs unlike priests, and Priests are almost as strong as Shaman on AoE healing.
Conclusion
Man, some will never be happy until all the calssess are the same. Blizzard to some extent seem to be removing distinctiveness, but a close inspection shows they are not, they making sure the ROLE'S that need certain key functions have them where they didn't have them before but have suitably restricted them where them having it freely would be overpowered, thus maintaining the classes that have been specifically known for that feature to still continue to be head and shoulders above the others. Shaman get a restricted CC, rogues a weak AoE, Priests a restricted one too, druids have a weak aoe heal and a heavily restircted one- on the other hand, it was within class concept to make Warlocks powerful aoes next to make, nor was it imbalance or overpowered at all to lift Druid's roots indoor restriction. They have one at the minimum so they can at least operate in that area, Basically the idea is simple, in 5-mans you shouldn't really care what healer/tank/ melee dps or range dps you have, as all have some basic funcitons to do the job.. especially if you are going to make instances more challenging, you don't want the deman for mages to be ridiculous because CC and AoE is needed at every turn so you must go with one in these much harder dungeons or be unable to go. Enh Shaman, Elemental shaman and Balance druids being able to CC freely indoors now means the demand for CC will be somewhat abated with now Mages, Hunters, Warlocks, Balance druids, Enh/Ele shaman able to provide. Same with AoE, 5-mans will be more intensive come WotLK, again now at least you can go wtih a Shadow Priest and Lock and not fear you don't quite have the AoE power to make it through. Neither will you say I can't go wtih resto druid because he can't OOC rez, must get pala or shaman to come. Nor in ten mans will you be forced to have to go wtih resto shamans because of the AoE heal demands as Priests/Druids/Paladins can now carry out the funciton
So it makes groups EASIER to form bringing the skills to a 10man setup or a 5-man group, in raids it makes almost no difference, you need your mages for CC and AoE cos you need the best, you need your shaman for aoe heals
