WoW Wrath Classic: Elemental Shaman PvE Guide (WotLK) (2024)

Table of Contents

Shaman PvE Specialization Guides

Elemental Shaman Basics

Elemental Shamans in Wrath of the Lich King get some much-needed improvements to the overall play style of the class. From better mana efficiency to some new skills added into the rotation, it's an exciting time to harness the elements by raining fire and lightning on your opponents. In this guide, we'll go over everything you need to know to maximize your potential in WoW Classic: WotLK.

Elemental Shamans are a ranged spell casting class using lightning and fire as their primary sources of damage. They have fairly decent burst and sustained damage, they can also do good Area of Effect damage if they place their fire totem optimally to incorporate Fire Nova.

They still provide much of the same utility that all Shamans provide with their Totems and can offer some healing if needed; better than Enhancement, but nowhere near as effective as Restoration.

As discussed in our Shaman Class guide, choosing the right Race to play as a Shaman comes down to preference. Most players with the Elemental Specialization choose Troll as their race for the Haste buff Berserking.

Talents For Elemental Shaman in WotLK

The following image shows the best talents to choose to maximize your DPS in PvE content. Talents that are highlighted can be changed depending on group composition.

Variations

• Ancestral Knowledge: 3 points can be taken out of this and placed into Enhancing Totems if your Raid does not have another Shaman with it or a Death Knight with Horn of Winter.
• Elemental Warding: Putting points into this talent instead of Unrelenting Storm or Convection will favor survivability over mana efficiency.

Best Glyphs For Elemental Shaman in Wrath Classic

Major Glyphs

All the major glyphs used in this build are flat damage increases. In PvE, there isn't a need to use any of the other ones. One case is to use Glyph of Thunder for a strictly AoE build for more frequent uses of Thunderstorm, but it is not generally necessary.

• Glyph of Lightning Bolt provides a flat damage increase to Lightning Bolt.
• Glyph of Lava makes Lava Burst now scale better with better gear.
• Glyph of Totem of Wrath provides more Spell Power. Note that if you aren't asked to drop this totem for your group, at least drop it for the buff and switch to the other totem.

Minor Glyphs

Minor Glyphs actually provide a not insignificant effect to Elemental Shamans.

• Glyph of Thunderstorm not only does it give 2% more mana back when using Thunderstorm, but it's also necessary for PvE encounters so that enemies can be gathered. There are very rare cases where it's useful to not have it glyphed to help control ads instead of killing them.
• Glyph of Water Shield provides an extra charge that helps to reduce the number of times the buff needs to be refreshed.
• Glyph of Renewed Life removes the reagent requirement for Reincarnation and is useful in raids to make sure you never run out at those clutch moments.

Stat Priority For Elemental Shaman

Following the Stat Allocation order below will ensure optimal damage output for Elemental Shamans.

1. 17% Spell Hit Rating cap
2. Spell Power
3. Haste Rating
4. Critical Strike Rating
5. Intellect
6. Mp5

Hit Rating

Hit Rating is the most important stat for end-game raiding. There are 4 thresholds that players should be aware of:

• Level 83 (Boss) requires 17%
• Level 82 requires 6%
• Level 81 requires 5%
• Level 80 requires 4%

The goal for Elemental Shamans is to reach 14% Hit Rating as they receive 3% from the talent Elemental Precision. It can be further reduced via the following methods.

• 3% hit rating from Misery or Improved Faerie Fire from Shadow Priests and Balance Druids, respectively.
• 1% hit rating from Draenei racial passive Heroic Presence.

The next most important stat is Spell Power, maximize this as much as possible. That is followed by aiming for around 1000 Haste Rating. And finally, looking for Critical Strike Rating, Intellect, or Mp5 on gear in that order if it is available.

Skill Rotation For WotLK Elemental Shaman

Before the fight begins make sure that you have Flametongue Weapon imbued on the Main-Hand weapon, Water Shield has 4 stacks, and that the correct Totems for your group are placed. Keep track of these buffs and refresh them throughout the fight if they have ended or the group has moved away from your totems.

• Earth: Strength of Earth Totem
• Water: Mana Spring Totem
• Air: Wrath of Air Totem
  • or Windfury Totem if in a melee-heavy raid and there isn't a Death Knight with Improved Icy Talons
• Fire: Totem of Wrath

These are just the basic ones that you and most groups will want to have. There are so many different totems and situations where these can change depending on the encounter or your group's composition.

Once you have the above all set you can follow the priority in this order:

Single-target

1. Elemental Mastery
2. Flame Shock (and maintain the debuff on the target)
3. Lava Burst (preferably on a target with Flame Shock)
4. Thunderstorm (to recover mana)
5. Lightning Bolt
6. Frost Shock (if the Flame Shock debuff is on target)

Multi-target

1. Fire Elemental Totem (if on cooldown use Magma Totem instead)
2. Thunderstorm
3. Fire Nova
4. Elemental Mastery
5. Chain Lightning
6. Single-target priorities as listed above

Consumables For Raids

• Flask:
  1. Flask of the Frost Wyrm
  2. ​​​Alternatives: Spellpower Elixir, Elixir of Mighty Thoughts​
• Food Buff:
  1. Fish Feast, Tender Shoveltusk Steak, Firecracker Salmon
  2. Alternatives: Great Feast, Dalaran Clam Chowder, Shoveltusk Steak, Smoked Salmon
• Potions:
  1. Runic Mana Potion
  2. Alternatives: Potion of Speed, Potion of Wild Magic
• Scrolls: Scroll of Intellect VIII

Best Gems For Elemental Shaman

The gems that Elemental Shamans will want to prioritize are in the table below. Depending on your stat requirements socket gems following the stat priority explained previously. Spell Power should always go in a Red Slot. Hit Rating and Haste for Yellow Slots. And in order to activate a Meta Gem use a Glowing or Royal prefix Gem for the Blue Slot

Elemental Shamans that have Jewelcrafting (350) should use 3 Runed Dragon's Eye when possible.

Blacksmithing (400) provides two additional sockets with Socket Bracer and Socket Gloves as well.

Best Enchants For Elemental Shaman

The Enchants that require a specific profession should always take precedent over the above, they are as follows:

Best In Slot (BiS) Gear Pre-Raid For Elemental Shaman WotLK

Main Hand Slot

Off Hand Slot

Relic Slot

Head Slot

Neck Slot

Shoulder Slot

Back Slot

Chest Slot

Wrist Slot

Hands Slot

Waist Slot

Legs Slot

Feet Slot

Rings

Trinkets