Shaman is Horde-only in Vanilla. You fight in melee with a weapon buff, drop totems that buff your group or hurt the enemy, and can heal at 60. Leveling is forgiving: you heal yourself, and you can self-resurrect after a death.
Leveling: enhancement
Put your points into Enhancement. You hit things with a two-hander while a weapon enchant does extra damage.
- Rockbiter Weapon early for threat and steady damage, then Windfury Weapon once you have it, which gives bursts of extra swings.
- Drop Searing Totem on the pull for free ranged damage, or Stoneclaw Totem to soak a hit if a second mob joins.
- Lightning Bolt and Flame Shock fill in at range and finish runners. You heal yourself with Healing Wave between fights, so downtime is short.
Totems
Each totem does a different job: damage, healing, buffs, or cutting an enemy cast. For example, drop Grounding Totem to eat an enemy spell, or swap Searing Totem for Stoneclaw when you need the pet to soak a hit.
- Earth: Stoneskin lowers the damage you take, Strength of Earth adds melee attack power.
- Fire: Searing Totem shoots one target, Magma Totem burns a pack standing around it.
- Water: Healing Stream trickles healing, Mana Spring refills casters’ mana.
- Air: Grace of Air adds agility, Windfury Totem gives melee bursts of extra swings, Grounding Totem eats one enemy spell.
You get each totem from a class quest as you level. Do the quests as they appear.
At 60
Shamans raid mostly as Restoration healers, with Chain Heal, which bounces between injured players. A melee group keeps your Windfury Totem all fight, a caster group keeps Mana Spring. Enhancement raids as melee that buffs its group’s swings with Windfury Totem, and Elemental hits hard in PvP and takes a few raid spots. Reincarnation also lets you self-res after a wipe, which speeds up raid recovery.