Restoration Shaman Frequently Asked Questions — The War Within Pre-Patch
On this page, we go over several of the most frequently asked questions regarding Restoration Shaman in World of Warcraft — The War Within Pre-Patch. This will be updated as more common repeated questions surface over the course of the expansion.
- 8. How Does Earth Shield Interact with Chain Heal?
- 9. Does Chain Heal Require High Tide and Tidebringer to be Used?
- 10. Does High Tide Activate from Free Casts Made While Innervated?
- 11. What is the Best Loa for Zandalari Restoration Shamans?
- 12. Which Raid Frames Should I Use?
- 13. Can I Level as Restoration?
- 14. Are Two-Handed weapons viable?
Are Restoration Shamans Good?
Restoration Shamans are fine picks in Raids and PvP due to their high healing
and utility. They are also a good pick in Mythic+, having high utility and
a ranged interrupt, as well as strong DPS with minimal global cooldown investment
from Acid Rain,
Master of the Elements and other DPS talents.
A summary of all changes for the latest patch can be found on our Restoration Shaman introduction page. Read on for a more detailed opinion on our state for Mythic+, PvP, and Raids.
Are Restoration Shamans Good in Raids?
Yes, as they bring powerful, unique tools, such as Spirit Link Totem with
Spouting Spirits and
Ancestral Protection Totem, as well as strong
cooldown-oriented healing with
Ascendance,
Ancestral Guidance,
and
Cloudburst Totem combos, among other miscellaneous utility and a new
raid buff in
Skyfury!
Are Restoration Shamans Good in Mythic+?
Restoration Shamans are a fine class for pushing high keys, as they have good
healing, the Skyfury group buff, and the sustained damage of
Acid Rain.
They are also able to interweave DPS and healing with the reworked
Master of the Elements,
and are among the few healers who can interrupt from range and have utility talents
for all situations.
If you do wish to go ahead and try to complete higher keys as a Restoration Shaman, you can find more information on how to maximize your output on our Mythic+ page below.
Are Restoration Shamans Good in PvP?
As the most versatile healers in the game, with the Skyfury group buff,
roots, slows, strong healing output, mobility, and even a ranged interrupt, they
always have a place on PvP teams.
If you wish to try PvP as a Restoration Shaman, you can follow the advice in our spec PvP guide below.
Best Trinkets for Restoration Shamans?
Ominous Chromatic Essence from Aberrus and
Broodkeeper's Promise
from the Vault of the Incarnates are the best trinkets available in the current
patch because of their raw power and ease of use. All trinkets are detailed in our
Gear guide.
Is There a Haste Cap for Restoration Shamans?
There is no Haste cap. Its purpose is to make your rotation feel smoother and more responsive. The increased throughput comes at the cost of Mana, however.
We cover the stat priority and assess each stat in more detail on our dedicated stats page, linked below.
What is the Best Race for Restoration Shamans?
The best race for Alliance players is Dwarf ( Stoneform and
Might of the Mountain),
while Horde players should go Tauren for PvE (
Brawn) or Orc (
Hardiness)
for PvP.
You can learn more about racial benefits and other aspects of the class on the simulations page.
How Does Earth Shield Interact with Chain Heal?
Earth Shield does not increase the whole
Chain Heal by 20%
when cast on a target with it. Only the first hit is increased, and this applies
to all other interactions with Earth Shield; only its target gets the healing
increase and only while Earth Shield is active.
Does Chain Heal Require High Tide and Tidebringer to be Used?
Chain Heal casts with the
High Tide and
Tidebringer
buffs are very powerful, but Chain Heal still does a good amount of healing even
outside these windows, and you can use it whenever area healing is required, as
long as you have Mana and the targets are stacked in close proximity.
Does High Tide Activate from Free Casts Made While Innervated?
Yes! Casts done under the effects of Innervate cost 0 Mana but are
still counted towards High Tide's next activation threshold.
What is the Best Loa for Zandalari Restoration Shamans?
The Critical Strike buff provided by Embrace of Pa'ku is currently the best
choice available.
Which Raid Frames Should I Use?
Cell, VuhDo, Grid2 or ElvUI all provide strong, customizable raid frames options. Standard Blizzard frames, unfortunately, do not offer options to show the same amount of information or ways to filter out useless information.
Can I Level as Restoration?
You can, but there are no good reasons to do it. Playstyle in any of the talent builds is essentially the same as the specs they mimic but with much lower damage. If you choose to still level as Restoration, make sure you drop any and all gear with Mastery on it and try to use any trinkets with damage procs or on-use effects.
Are Two-Handed weapons viable?
While using a Shield is typically better due to the armor benefits, and certainly mandatory in PvP, in PvE you will rarely be taking damage that can be mitigated by armor, making two-handed weapons completely viable as long as they have high item level and good secondary stats or a powerful unique effect.
Changelog
- 23 Jul. 2024: Updated for The War Within pre-patch.
- 07 May 2024: Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 22 Apr. 2024: Updated for Season 4.
- 18 Mar. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 15 Jan. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
- 09 Nov. 2023: Added predicted best trinkets in Season 3.
- 06 Nov. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.
- 04 Sep. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 10 Jul. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
- 01 May 2023: Revamped Shaman viability sections, as the current condition of the spec is much better than before.
- 08 Apr. 2023: Removed Wellspring bug mention now that its been fixed.
- 20 Mar. 2023: Updated Wellspring mentions with its 10.0.7 nerfs and general text clearing.
- 24 Jan. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 21 Dec. 2022: Further updates to Chain Heal and High Tide usage.
- 11 Dec. 2022: Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 28 Nov. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 25 Oct. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
More Shaman Guides
Guides from Other Classes
This guide has been written by Seksi, member of Arctic Avengers and healing aficionado. You can find him answering questions and discussing Restoration Shaman gameplay on the Ancestral Guidance and Earthshrine Discords.
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