With Forever launching on November 4, we’re looking at how each class performed during beta, how players received their changes from Classic, and how they are shaping up for the Forever launch and level 60.
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The info below was written based on our experiences during beta and feedback from our Shaman writers, Seksixeny and Wordup.
Elemental Shaman
Elemental was really fun at level 30, with the spec able to access 
Lava Burst. Sadly, the spec was 2 levels shy of getting 
Chain Lightning, meaning AoE was a struggle during beta, feeling handicapped. Another positive at 30 was the availability of 
Elemental Mastery.
Compared to other specs, Elemental felt behind the curve DPS-wise, but it was only for level 30 content, so it is too early to draw any conclusions.
One of Elemental’s biggest issues in Classic was mana. Forever helps tremendously with that by giving access to 
Mindfulness and 
Water Shield early in the resto tree. Spell cast times have also been reduced, giving the spec extra fluidity. 
Elemental Alacrity being available earlier in the tree is a nice perk as well.
For additions, Lava Burst surely takes the cake, with its combo with 
Flame Shock giving more flavor to the rotation. However, 
Fire Nova is an amazing addition, way better and more reliable to use than its old totem version, plus it is available early in the leveling experience.
For endgame, Elemental will have a very familiar look, being based on 
Lightning Bolt, Flame Shock, and Lava Burst, with Chain Lightning and Fire Nova for AoE. Elemental Mastery gives the spec a nice 3-minute cooldown to shake things up.
Enhancement Shaman
During beta, Enhancement felt fine, if not a little empty from missing spells and talents, plus dealing with mana issues. The highlight of the spec is its burst windows, which turn it into a much more engaging experience than it was in original classic.
When leveling, you won’t really feel like “Enhancement” until you unlock 
Stormstrike, around level 20-25. Mana is a concern when looking towards launch as well. Changes late in the beta cycle helped, but the spec feels very reliant on Judgment of 
Seal of Wisdom.
However, it is not all doom and gloom about mana. Back in Classic, the Enhancement mana situation was worse than in Forever. The mana improvements from 
Improved Stormstrike and Mindfulness really helped. The other highlight in Forever is the cooldown reduction on Stormstrike, which feels great.
While the situation has improved substantially, we fear that the spec might feel incomplete at 60. 
Maelstrom Weapon is pretty hollow and isolated, and it drives a wedge in the design, as it affects both Enhancement and Elemental in the way it is built right now. Enhancement may also require more stats than other specs to feel good at max level. Itemization is also a factor, with the spec almost requiring reaching certain stats to improve its gameplay, which depends on what pieces of gear will even be available at 60.
Restoration Shaman
At level 30, Resto was pretty boring to play. Most of the gameplay consisted of spamming 
Healing Wave, and that’s it. The spec only really comes online around level 40 with the unlocks of 
Chain Heal and 
Riptide, which add more rotational flavor and flexibility. Without them, the gameplay has been “drop totems, healing wave…”.
Overall, the only issue the spec may have is oversimplicity. It is clear-cut into three spells: single-target heal, AoE Heal, HoT heal. That isn’t a problem per se, but it’s worth pointing out.
The same benefits that reach Elemental are present for Resto. Early access to mana tools really helps the leveling experience. Fire Nova being available for Resto as well makes the spec have some kind of throughput for questing and even dungeons when healing isn’t necessary. The best improvement is the interaction between Chain Heal and Riptide, with the latter buffing the former by 25% without consuming it.
When reaching endgame, Resto will boil down to Healing Wave, Chain Heal, and Riptide, as mentioned earlier. However, this is an improvement from the original Classic, when Resto only used Chain Heal for most of our time at level 60. Now, there are decisions to be made, with the preference being to Chain Heal the tank while keeping Riptide on them.
Tomorrow Preview
With Forever, will Shamans find the blessing of the elements? Or will their calls be left on read? We will discover in only 6 more days.
Tomorrow: Warlock! See you then!
