Elemental Shaman WotLK Guide
Elemental Shaman DPS guide for WotLK 3.3.5a: rotation, cooldowns, the 57/14/0 talent build, glyphs, stat priority and BiS gear for ICC and Ruby Sanctum.
The Elemental Shaman is a ranged caster with one big job in the raid: keep Totem of Wrath up. It gives the whole group a spell bonus, and on most gearing raids it is the reason a raid wants an Elemental Shaman even when the meters say another class does more. It also brings a strong damage rotation of its own, and Bloodlust or Heroism for the whole group.
This guide covers the rotation, the cooldowns and totems, the talents and glyphs we run, the stats to reach and the mistakes that cost the most. It is written for Icecrown Citadel 25 and Ruby Sanctum on 3.3.5a. The short overview is in the class guide.
1.How the Elemental Shaman plays
The rotation is short. Lightning Bolt is your main damage spell, because it gets the most from your spell power. You press Lava Burst every time it is ready, and you keep Flame Shock on the target, because the damage over time makes Lava Burst a guaranteed critical hit. Between those buttons, you cast Lightning Bolt.
The other half of the spec is the totems. Keep Totem of Wrath up all the time, and use Call of the Elements for the rest: Strength of Earth, Flametongue, Windfury and Mana Tide. It is not a spec that spams Chain Lightning in a raid, because the threat it creates is more trouble than the damage it gives.
2.Rotation and priorities
- Flame ShockKeep it on the target. It makes your Lava Burst a guaranteed critical hit.
- Lava BurstEvery time it is ready.
- Lightning BoltYour main damage spell. It gets the most from your spell power.
- Chain LightningOnly on multi-target fights, and be careful of the threat.
- Fire NovaSituational, for trash, and it depends on the server.
Avoid the talents that are meant for PvP, such as Shamanistic Focus and Booming Echoes. Do not add shocks other than Flame Shock to your rotation. And keep in mind that the Elemental Shaman is not a strong AoE class next to other classes.
3.Cooldowns and raid utility
Elemental has a small set of cooldowns, and its most important tools are totems.
A large haste increase for the whole group. Call it with your raid leader, at a moment where everyone can use it. Horde version of Heroism.
A short burst cooldown that boosts your casting. Use it together with your other cooldowns.
Summons a Fire Elemental for a fixed time. It is on a long cooldown and on a separate global cooldown.
Gives your whole group a spell bonus. Keep it up all the time.
Knocks back nearby enemies, and gives you mana back. Learn where it helps and where it hurts.
Gives mana to the group. Use it when it helps your healers the most.
4.Talents and glyphs
Our recommended Elemental build is the 57/14/0 in the calculator, built around Thunderstorm, Totem of Wrath, Lightning Overload, Elemental Oath, Elemental Mastery and Lava Flows. The guides we read also use a 55/16/0 variant.
The major glyphs are Lava, Lightning Bolt and Totem of Wrath.
You call down a bolt of lightning, energizing you and damaging nearby enemies within 10 yards. Restores 8% mana to you and deals 551 - 629 Nature damage to all nearby enemies, knocking them back 20 yards. This spell is usable while stunned.
Summons a Totem of Wrath with 5 health at the feet of the caster. The totem increases spell power by 100 for all party and raid members, and increases the critical strike chance of all attacks by 3% against all enemies within 40 yards. Lasts 5 min.
Gives your Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning spells a 33% chance to cast a second, similar spell on the same target at no additional cost that causes half damage and no threat.
While Clearcasting from Elemental Focus is active, you deal 10% more spell damage. In addition, party and raid members within 100 yards receive a 5% bonus to their spell critical strike chance.
When activated, your next Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning or Lava Burst spell becomes an instant cast spell. In addition, you gain 15% spell haste for 15 sec. Elemental Mastery shares a cooldown with Nature's Swiftness.
Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Lava Burst spell by an additional 24%, and when your Flame Shock is dispelled your spell casting speed is increased by 30% for 6 sec.
Your Lava Burst spell gains an additional 10% of your spellpower.
Increases the damage dealt by Lightning Bolt by 4%.
When you cast Totem of Wrath, you gain 30% of the totem's bonus spell power for 5 min.
5.Stats, gems and gear
Your main stats are intellect and spell power, and hit is very important, so you reach the hit cap first. After that, haste and critical strike depend on your gear, and the numbers in the caps section show the targets.
The best items are in the BiS list below. An Elemental Shaman who keeps the totems up and does not miss is worth more than the last few hundred points of damage.
- Hit
- Spell Power
- Haste
- Critical Strike
~368 rating (342 with Draenei)
Typical raid setup value — exact requirement shifts with your specific talent build.
Enhancement gets the most from it — Blood Fury scales both attack power and spell power, and Axe Specialization gives +5 expertise if you run axes (common for Enh). Elemental and Restoration prefer Troll for Berserking haste.
Gift of the Naaru for Restoration, and Heroic Presence hands the raid +1% hit — useful from an Elemental or Enhancement shaman.
Royal Scepter of Terenas II
Bulwark of Smouldering Steel
Bizuri's Totem of Shattered Ice
Phylactery of the Nameless Lich
Charred Twilight Scale
Sanctified Frost Witch's Helm
Sanctified Frost Witch's Hauberk
6.Common mistakes
• Letting Totem of Wrath fall down, or forgetting to replace it after a wipe.
• Not keeping Flame Shock up, and losing the guaranteed Lava Burst critical hit.
• Spamming Chain Lightning and pulling threat in a raid.
• Taking PvP talents like Shamanistic Focus and Booming Echoes.
• Missing the hit cap.
7.On the bosses
Elemental Shamans are strong on single targets and on fights with a lot of movement. A few notes:
Keep your totems out and away from the adds, and use your damage on the target the raid leader gives you.
Stay mobile, and keep the totems where the group will stand.
Drop your totems in the right place before the air phases, and plan your Bloodlust for the ground phase.
Follow the raid leader's plan for your realm and your target. See the Ruby Sanctum guide.
8.Questions people ask
Yes. Even when the meters say otherwise, the Totem of Wrath and Bloodlust make it a very useful class for the group.
Only on multi-target fights, and be careful of threat.
Yes. It makes your Lava Burst a guaranteed critical hit.
Lava, Lightning Bolt and Totem of Wrath.