Enhancement Shaman Overview
Enhancement Shamans in WoW specialize in close-quarters combat, using their elemental abilities to dominate enemies in melee range. As you may know, the Maelstrom resource was removed two expansions ago, and now Enhancement Shamans rely on Maelstrom Weapon stacks instead. These stacks reduce the cast time of your next damage-dealing or healing ability, adding extra versatility and power to your rotation.
Enhancement Shaman Strengths and Weaknesses
In *The War Within*, Enhancement Shaman stands out as a powerful specialization with strong overall performance. However, like any spec, it comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Understanding both will help you maximize your effectiveness in different scenarios.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| ✅ Good consistent damage. | ⛔️ Due to random procs has an unstable total damage output. |
| ✅ Good cleave with most of the damage on the main target. | ⛔️ Low survivability. |
| ✅ A wide array of utility abilities, most useful in M+ and PvP. | — |
Enhancement Shaman Changes In The War Within
While the changes in The War Within may have largely bypassed Enhancement Shamans, one significant new feature stands out — the introduction of Hero Talent Trees. Each specialization now has access to two distinct talent trees, allowing players to customize their Shaman’s playstyle even further.
- Stormbringer: focuses on Maelstrom Weaponand AoE damage, great for dungeons and large group encounters;
- Totemic: this tree aims at Totem abilities and versatility, suitable for players who like to customize their playstyle through totems.
Enhancement Shaman Hero Talents
The Stormbringer tree focuses on maximizing the potential of Maelstrom Weapon, delivering powerful, repeated bursts of damage. Abilities like Tempest and Rolling Thunder enhance Maelstrom generation and spending for efficient AoE attacks. This tree excels in situations where sustained AoE damage is needed, such as dungeons or clearing Raid trash.
The Totemic tree, on the other hand, centers around totem-based abilities. It introduces the new Surging Totem as a replacement for Windfury Totem and offers versatility for both Storm and Elementalist builds. This tree requires more strategic talent selection but offers a lot of depth for those who enjoy totem-based gameplay.
Basics of Enhancement Shaman Gameplay
When it comes to gameplay, the WoW Enhancement Shaman revolves around maintaining a consistent rotation of high-impact abilities to deliver sustained DPS with minimal downtime. Key abilities in your toolkit include Stormstrike, Lava Lash, and Lightning Bolt, which are frequently empowered by Maelstrom Weapon stacks. Your primary objective is to use these abilities off cooldown, while seamlessly incorporating other spells like Frost Shock and Fire Nova to maintain a steady flow of damage and maximize your DPS output.
Enhancement Shaman Rotation
When you’re facing a single priority target, begin with your opener and transition into the Single Target rotation for sustained damage. If there are multiple enemies or you’re dealing with group pulls, switch to the Multitarget (AoE) rotation, which emphasizes abilities that deliver area-of-effect damage for optimal results.
| Opener | Single Target Rotation | AoE Rotation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primordial Wave | Primordial Wave | Primordial Wave |
| 2 | Feral Spirit | Flame Shock | Feral Spirit |
| 3 | Lava Lash | Feral Spirit | Lava Lash |
| 4 | Elemental Blast | Lava Lash ifHot Handis active | Flame Shock |
| 5 | Ice Strike | Elemental Blast with 5+Maelstrom Weapon | Lightning Bolt with 10Maelstrom Weapon |
| 6 | Frost Shock | Lightning Bolt with 8+Maelstrom Weapon | Elemental Blast with 10Maelstrom Weapon |
| 7 | Lightning Bolt | Elemental Blast with 8+Maelstrom Weapon | Chain Lightning if at 10Maelstrom Weapon |
| 8 | Lightning Bolt if at 10Maelstrom Weapon | Lava Lash | |
| 9 | Ice Strike | Ice Strike | |
| 10 | Lava Lash | Frost Shock | |
| 11 | Frost Shock | Stormstrike | |
| 12 | Stormstrike | Elemental Blast with 5+Maelstrom Weapon | |
| 13 | Lightning Bolt with 5+Maelstrom Weapon | Chain Lightning at 5+Maelstrom Weapon | |
| 14 | Frost Shock | Flame Shock | |
| 15 | Flame Shock | Frost Shockto |
Offensive Cooldowns
| Spell | Cooldown | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Stormkeeper | 1,5 min | Empowers your next two Lightning Bolt or Chain Lightning to deal increased damage and cast instantly. |
| Fire Elemental | 2,5 min | Summons a Fire Elemental to fight by your side, boosting your Flame Shock damage and generating Maelstrom faster. |
| Earthquake | 10 sec | Slams the ground, dealing AoE damage and knocking down enemies, great for controlling large groups. |
Defensive Cooldowns
| Spell | Cooldown | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Astral Shift | 1,5 min | Reduces incoming damage by 40% for 8 seconds, providing a strong personal defense in tough situations. |
| Healing Surge | — | An instant heal that can be cast on yourself or allies, with a higher healing output if used with Maelstrom Weapon stacks. |
| Earth Shield | — | Place a shield on yourself or an ally that heals when taking damage, providing consistent, passive healing. |
Enhancement Shaman Build
Believe it or not, talents are the foundation of effective gameplay for the WoW Enhancement Shaman. While players have the freedom to customize their characters based on their preferred playstyle or specific encounters, some talent builds stand out as more versatile and effective than others.
In The War Within, talent builds now include Hero Talents, adding another layer of customization. Players can experiment with their own setups or follow community-recommended builds to boost their performance. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a selection of the most popular and reliable Enhancement Shaman builds for optimal results.
Raid Single Target
Build Code: “CcQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMzMzCmhZmZmZGmtZmlZAAAAAAAAAAgNAGzYYILwywQDWAwsMZGMLLmZmZMMzsglZmJwYZMzAAMD”
Aoe-Mythic+
Build Code: “CcQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMzMz2MzMGzMDzwsglZMAAAAAAAAAAsBwYGDDZB2GGawCAmlJDMLMmZGjZmZBLzMTWYZsMmZAAmB”
Enhancement Shaman Stats
The stat priority for WoW Enhancement Shaman is as follows:
- Agility;
- Critical Strike;
- Haste;
- Mastery;
- Versatility.
Agility is the core stat for Enhancement Shamans, as it directly boosts your attack power, enhancing the damage output of all your abilities. Next in priority is Critical Strike, which increases the likelihood of your attacks dealing extra damage—vital for maximizing burst potential. Haste is equally important as it reduces the cooldowns of your abilities and speeds up your attacks, resulting in more frequent Maelstrom Weapon procs. Mastery amplifies your elemental damage, making it essential for enhancing the effectiveness of your spells, while Versatility provides a balanced boost, increasing damage dealt and reducing damage taken.
Enhancement Shaman Leveling
If grinding and waiting in queues isn’t your style, we also offer Power Leveling services to streamline your leveling experience and help you reach max level faster with minimal effort.
Best Gear for Enhancement Shaman
Best Enhancement Shaman Trinkets
Trinkets play a crucial role in enhancing your overall performance, regardless of the content you’re tackling. Whether they are active or passive, trinkets provide unique bonuses that are not found on other gear pieces. While Raid trinkets can be powerful, they are often harder to come by and more limited. On the other hand, Dungeon Trinkets offer a broader selection and are more accessible. Our expert team can help you farm these trinkets efficiently, completing numerous dungeons quickly to secure the trinkets you need.
S Tier
Tier Set Bonuses for Enhancement Shaman
The Waves of the Forgotten Reservoir is the Enhancement Shaman Tier Set for Season 1 of The War Within. This set not only offers valuable tier bonuses to enhance your performance but also serves as a visually impressive transmog option for your WoW Enhancement Shaman, making it a great choice both for stats and style.
| 2-set | Stormstrike,Lava Lash,Ice Strike, andCrash Lightning deal 15% increased damage. |
|---|---|
| 4-set | Feral Spirit lasts 100% longer. |
Acquiring the Tier Set gear usually involves completing the Raid of the current season, which can be time-consuming due to the weekly Raid resets. If you’re aiming to collect the full set more efficiently, our pro players can help you obtain the Nerub’ar Palace Full Gear. Our team is experienced in Raid tactics and can secure the complete set for you with minimal effort on your part.
Best Crafted Gear for Enhancement Shaman
Here you can find the Crafted Gear options for your Enhancement Shaman in The War Within. Remember that crafted gear can be further enhanced with Embellishments:
- Charged Facesmasher withDarkmoon Sigil: Ascension;
- Consecrated CloakwithWrithing Armor Banding
- Any Low Lvl Item with Spark of Omens.
Best Consumables for Enhancement Shaman
New players often overlook the importance of consumables in boosting their gameplay, skipping them for Raids or Mythic+ dungeons, only to be disappointed by their low DPS results. Consumables are crucial in enhancing your performance during battles, significantly impacting your output.
Similarly, enchants play a vital role in maximizing your character’s potential. While they can be pricey, enchanting your gear is essential for optimal results. If you’re still working toward your BiS gear, opt for more affordable enchants to save resources until you secure your final pieces.
| Type | Best | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Flask | Flask of Alchemical Chaos | Flask of Tempered Swiftness |
| Combat Potion | Tempered Potion | – |
| Health Potion | Algari Healing Potion | – |
| Weapon Buff | Windfury Weapon | Flametongue Weapon |
| Augment Rune | Crystallized Augment Rune | |
| Food | The Sushi Special | Beledar’s Bounty |
| Blasphemite Gem | Culminating Blasphemite | – |
| Other Gems | Masterful Emerald | Quick Onyx |
Best Enhancement Shaman Enchants
Enhancement Shaman End-Game
Teaming up with a guild or a reliable group can greatly streamline the gearing process. It’s equally important to stay current with the latest builds and rotations, as even small changes can affect your performance. Be sure to maintain a healthy stock of consumables and adjust your talents depending on the content you’re engaging in — whether it’s pushing high Mythic+ keys or taking down challenging Raid Bosses.
