By: Antarius

1. What is a Shaman.
Shamans, in World of Warcraft, are a hybrid class of melee and spellcaster. If there is a class role in World of Warcraft, then the Shaman is capable of it. The title Jack-of-all trades, master of none applies to both Druids and Shaman. However, where a Druid shapeshifts into different forms - Bears to tank, cats to do damage, natural form to heal/nuke, Shamans have the ability to do all of this equally well at the same time. Shamans may not be able to tank as well as a druid in bear form, or heal as well as a druid not shapeshifted, but they can do both at the same time. Generally though, in a group, the role of a Shaman is going to be that of a supplemental Healer. When the Priest dies, the Shaman will still be there to rez, if the Priest runs out of Mana, the Shaman will be there to continue healing. When not healing the Shaman is a vital front line combatant in groups. They have the ability to reduce the amount of damage coming in or increase the damage of the group, prevent people from being sleeped, and interrupting spellcasters, all while doing in theredecent damage themselves. All of this while not being paper thin cloth wearers like Priests or Mages. If a Shaman gains aggro from healing or nuking too much, they have enough hitpoints and Armor to take some beating. While you wouldn't want a Shaman to tank for a group in a High-End Instance, it certainly lets them stay alive a bit longer when things go bad.

2. Picking the Race
Shaman are limited to the Horde, until the expansion in 11/06, and can be either Orc, Troll, Tauren, or Dreinei. Each race has specific strengths, especially now that Racial Traits are in-game.

Orcs have Battle Rage, the ability to raise their strength, thereby increasing their damage. This comes at a penalty to their hitpoints, use with caution. They also have an Axe Proficiency, essentially this allows the Shaman to swing an axe as if they were 1 level higher than they are. Their stun resistance, while not much could mean the difference between life and death.

Tauren have extra hitpoints keeping them alive longer and the addition of war-stomp to further stop a spellcaster from casting (in addition to their shock of earth spell). Their Nature resistance will help against the multitude of spells directed at them from natural sources, mostly druid and Shaman spells.

Trolls also have nice racial abilities, Berserking will allow them to cast their spells faster (and melee faster) when they need it the most, when they are lowest in hitpoints. Their Health Regeration will help keep them topped off from the hits here and there they are bound to receive. Beast slaying will help against the large number of beasts in the game. Even in areas with many humanoid and elemental monsters a few beasts are sure to abound.

Stat wise, all races start out similiarly. Tauren having 2 more strength will maybe give them 1 extra damage per hit, and Trolls with 2 extra spirit perhaps a tiny bit faster health and mana regen. However, these differences are so small, they really don't need to be considered when selecting your race.

3. Armor
Shaman start out with the ability to wear leather equipment. Usually you will want to stick with leather, although there are rare exceptions when the stat boosts of a piece of cloth gear is much better than any other leather peices available that cloth actually becomes worthy of wearing. However, please don't mistake this as an invitation to roll against cloth wearers. They can ONLY wear cloth. Please be considerate. Shamans additionally gain the ability to wear Mail starting at level 40. This helps fortify them compared to the rogues and druids of the world, but don't start thinking you're going to tank the same as a Warrior or Paladin.

4. Spell Lineup
 Shaman spells are arranged into 3 categories; Enhancement, Restoration, and Elemental Combat. Enhancement spells are what help the Melee in your group, including yourself, hit harder or take less damage per fight, this also includes some utility spells such as Ghost Wolf which enables you to run faster while outdoors. Restoration is your healing powers, which also include mana regeneration abilities and rezzes. Elemental combat, comprises your damage abilities, ranging from lightning bolts to magma totems.

Specifically of note, in enhancement abilities is your lightning shield and weapon buffs. The lightning shield is generally unresistable, and extremely mana efficient. Additionally, it lasts for 10 minutes, Definatly something to have hotkeyed to be casting all the time. The weapon buffs, such as Rockbiter or Flametongue are also amazingly mana efficient in terms of how much extra damage you do per point of mana. Rockbiter has the added benefit(sometimes hinderance) of grabbing alot of aggro. On top of a class that is quite capable of doing good dps with melee and spells combined, the extra aggro can really help keep mobs off the lesser equipped priests and warlocks.

Restoration spells are fairly basic, there is a fast heal for small amounts of damage, and a slower heal that heals significant amounts. Throughout most of your "Shamanistic" life you will be healing the same as a priest 5-6 levels lower than you. Sometimes you gotta make sacrifices to wear tougher armor. In addition to healing, Shaman have the abilities to cure both poisons and diseases.

Elemental combat is one of the greatest strengths of the Shaman's spell lineup. In addition to our lightning spells, both regular and chain lightning, Shamans come with the Shock Line of spells, they may not be terribly mana efficient, but they are instant cast. Earth shock can instantly interrupt a spell caster and additionally prevent that person from casting any different spell in that same school for an additional 2 seconds. This is great for those annoying caster mobs that like to stand back in the distance and just chain nuke. Flame Shock is just pure unadulterated good damage. Our Ice Shock is a second way to snare in order to prevent a fleeing enemy. Having a second source of snare will undoubtedly save the lives of your group many times over during the duration of your gameplay.

5. Totems
Speaking of totems, the totem is what seperates Shaman from every other casting class in WoW. Totem spells are unique in that instead of simply casting a spell, the Shaman will lay down a totem which will set off the effect. There are 4 totems. Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. In order to use a totem spell, you must first have the appropriate totem. The Earth Category includes the strength buffs and the dmg reduction type spells. Fire includes damaging abilities, from a fire nova type big explosion to a constant barrage of lower damaging fireballs. Water totems are the healing and regenerative type. While Air totems have effects such as absorbing magical spells, allowing extra swings to process or raising your party's agility. The one thing in common to all totems is that if used properly they can be very mana efficient.

(9)Totems are obtained via various quests; Call of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air respectively. Once you have completed the quest to obtain that totem, you are then free to use any totem spell utilizing that particular totem. For example, once you get the Water Totem you are able to use all the water totem abilities like Healing Stream, Mana Stream, and Fire resistance. You will have to carry these 4 totems around in your inventory, however, they never "run out" or "have to be recharged".

6. Talents
Talent Points for the Shaman class fall into 3 areas, similiar to their spell lines. They can focus on their enhancement abilities, further enhancing their tanking and melee damage dealing abilities. Restoration, to help them heal much better, for example when you are the only healer in an instance. And Elemental Combat, which improves your spell damage capabilities. Ultimately where you spend your points will make a difference in how you can play your character. A fully restoration specced character could very well function as a sole healer in a lot of grouping situations. A Fully Enhancement based Shaman would be able to tank most non "uber" monsters, and with the proper equipment, can dish out good consistent melee damage. However, if one were to specialize in doing additional magical damage, the additional burst damage would be noticable. While there is no "correct" way for playing a Shaman, assigning your talent points to the things you enjoy the most about your Shaman will help you enjoy your character fully.

7. Solo Play.
Against lower or equal leveled single opponents, a Shaman is fearsome to behold. Pulling with 2 lightnings can often leave a mob at close to 66% Health before it even reaches you (depending on levels of course). Open up with Melee, while your totems are layed out around you, along with your lightning shield and you've already done another significant chunk to the enemy's health. lay down a Flame Shock, and as your shocks refreshes the mob will be running or already close to it, at which point you can cast a frost shock to stop it dead in it's tracks.

8. Group Play
Here, you will have much more freedom on how to plan your actions, If your group is low on melee, you can get in there and duke it out much like solo play. However if your group is low on healers you have the ability to stay back and watch peoples health, being careful to watch to prevent runners. This is where your totems really shine, while it is beneficial to raise your own strength for a small amount of mana. When you raise the strength of every melee and pet in your party you have greatly multiplied how much damage is being done to the mobs.

9. Weapons
Shaman begin the game with the ability to use either 1 hand maces (and a shield) or a staff. Through the various Weapons Masters, Shaman can also train daggers, axes, and fist weapons (Not currently very many of these in the game). Additionally through a point in the third teir of enhancement, Shaman can learn 2-handed axes and maces. Sometimes you will find a 2h axe or mace that's much nicer than a Staff. This will enable you to do the extra dps that you should be doing if you aren't holding a shield. However, if you are taking a beating, A shield can help block a decent portion of the damage you are taking. While it isn't going to make you into a warrior, it can help mitigate a small amount of the damage, and that could make a difference in a close fight. However, doing extra damage can also end a fight a little bit quicker as well.

10. A note for those who enjoy PVP
Shaman have many abilities that definatly help out in a pvp environment. Keeping your buddies alive longer will help keep you alive longer. Ghost Wolf With 2 talent points invested gives you a 1 second cast 40% movement buff. Not only will this help get you out of tight spots, both PVE and PVP, but also allow you to chase down those runners. Purge is another great spell, stripping away the buffs of your enemies can really make a difference, especially in close fights. Priest Stamina Buffs alone can add hundreds of Hitpoints. You can, in effect, cause hundreds of points of damage instantly. Shaman are not "paper thin", they have the ability to take a little bit of a beating. While this won't let you stand toe to toe against a rogue and just stand there. It will allow you time to get the heck out of dodge. Finally, the windfury weapon proc, which causes "spotty" damage in pve, is the perfect weapon in pvp, where you need all your damage to go ALL AT ONCE, or they'll simply be able to retreat and get healed. While you may have to wait a bit for it to proc, this can also lull the enemy into thinking they aren't taking much of a beating, and then WHAM they go from 40% health to instantly dead when you proc and cast an instant shock spell at the same time.