Enhancement Shaman Frequently Asked Questions — Dragonflight 10.0.7
On this page, we go over several of the most frequently asked questions regarding Enhancement Shaman in World of Warcraft — Battle for Azeroth Dragonflight 10.0.7. This will be updated as more common repeated questions surface over the course of the expansion.
- 1. Should I Worry About Maelstrom Weapon Waste?
- 2. Should I Put My Highest Item Level Weapon in the Off-Hand?
- 3. Should I Be Using Earth Elemental as a DPS Cooldown?
- 4. Should I "Hard Cast" Lightning Bolt / Elemental Blast?
- 5. Should I Play Around Elemental Spirits?
- 6. Should I Use Crash Lightning in Single Target?
- 7. What Target Count do I Switch to Chain Lightning?
Should I Worry About Maelstrom Weapon Waste?
Yes. You should be making sure that you do not overcap the
Maelstrom Weapon effect by going above 10 stacks. You should
aim to consume it at around 8 stacks, allowing room for procs
to happen and pool slightly without hitting the upper limit. Do
not rush to cast it as soon as you hit 5 stacks, however, as that
will often interfere with other ability cooldowns.
Should I Put My Highest Item Level Weapon in the Off-Hand?
This remains a firm no. Too much of our damage is still sourced from
our Main Hand, and Lava Lash does not do enough, even with
supporting talents, to make this a good choice.
Should I Be Using Earth Elemental as a DPS Cooldown?
Generally speaking, this a no. Assuming it has full uptime on a target and can live the entire duration, the amount of damage will be a marginal increase over an alternative cooldown. However, it is also prone to dying, poor AI, or disrupting a group with its taunt. It is much more beneficial to save it as a survival tool thanks to much additional health.
Should I "Hard Cast" Lightning Bolt / Elemental Blast?
Never. This resets the swing timer if used without at least 5
stacks of Maelstrom Weapon so should never be done as it costs
more than it is worth.
Should I Play Around Elemental Spirits?
Depending on your build, yes. Most of this will involve pooling
Elemental Blast charges to deal significant damage during your
Elemental Spirits windows, as
Elemental Blast benefits from
every type of elemental spirit. There are also some minor considerations
to consider burning off effects such as
Hailstorm or abilities
like
Sundering with the appropriate wolf if it is about to
expire, but otherwise, do not overthink it.
Should I Use Crash Lightning in Single Target?
If it is included in your talent build, yes. It should be used as a low-priority filler that should be used whenever nothing else is available.
What Target Count do I Switch to Chain Lightning?
If taking Elemental Blast, 3 or more, otherwise whenever a second
target is present.
Do I Press Lava Burst?
In any situation where you do not take Elemental Blast (which
replaces
Lava Burst), this is used as an on-cooldown single-target
spender.
Do I Lose the Cooldown Reduction from Witch Doctor's Ancestry if I am Maelstrom Capped?
No. The generation is always given regardless of how much is wasted due to overcapping. However, you should still try to avoid wasting any whenever possible.
How Good is Windfury Totem?
In any situation where there are other melee that scale well with bonus auto-attacks, this is worth taking. A general rule of thumb is if more than one Warrior or Rogue is present in any group, this is a locked-in choice, but you can check how powerful it is for all specs here:
What Piece of Gear is Better?
The answer to this question in any context will always be to simulate it. This is because what is an upgrade for you may not be an upgrade for someone else. In other words, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all answer, even when talking about 2 completely identical comparisons from you to another person. Everything in your gear affects everything else.
This applies to gear, set bonuses, trinkets, and, in certain circumstances, talents.
The only exception to this rule is when a specific fight dictates a certain set of optimal talents and gear pieces that enhance their strength. If you are curious about what kind of setup to go for a specific fight, WarcraftLogs.com's rankings and statistics are a good place to see what others are doing.
We have a guide on how to sim yourself here:
How much Haste, Mastery, or other secondary stats should I have?
For Enhancement, there is no strict "amount" or breakpoint of any stat you are required to reach, nor are there any points at which a stat stops being desirable. In most cases, your specific secondary is less important than the volume. This is, however, another case of a situation in which a simulation done to check your ideal gear pieces and stat values will provide you invaluable information.
Which Race is best for Enhancement Shaman?
Currently, races are fairly even from top to bottom, and the choice you make will likely result in a minimal difference. Current simulations to demonstrate how low the impact is are as follows:
Changelog
- 20 Mar. 2023: Updated for Patch 10.0.7 with link to Windfury Values.
- 24 Jan. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 11 Dec. 2022: Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 28 Nov. 2022: Reviewed for Dragonflight launch.
- 25 Oct. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
More Shaman Guides
Guides from Other Classes
This guide has been written by Wordup, a frequent theorycrafter involved in a number of class communities. He is also an experienced player who has been in the world top 100 since the days of Sunwell, currently raiding in Echoes. You can also follow him on Twitter.
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