Restoration Shaman Healing Gear and Best in Slot — Shadowlands Pre-Patch 9.0.1

Welcome to our Gearing Page for Restoration Shaman, where we will cover everything you need to know about equipping your character correctly.

If you have a new piece of gear that you need gems and enchants advice for, you can find everything you need on our dedicated page below.

While this is mostly applicable to DPS classes, Restoration Shamans do have a DPS simulation profile, which you can use in order to optimize your gear for DPS. Learn more about how to optimize your damage rotation below.

For Healing, we recommend analyzing your performance in past encounters, instead. Tools such as WoW Analyzer are capable of giving you an accurate stat weight and tips on how to improve based on your logs.

You can find more details on how to make the most out of these tools in the specialized page below.

With the Shadowlands pre-patch, Corruption is no longer available and was removed from all items. All sources for Corruptions were also removed.

There is a new item introduced in 8.3 that allows you to add a socket to an item that did not already have one: Gouged Eye of N'Zoth. For more information on how to obtain it, please go to our Horrific Visions Hub.

The Mechagon rings, which can now be obtained at a much higher item level than before due to the introduction of Operation Mechagon Mythic+, are potentially the best rings you can get in the game due to their special effects, which use no stat budget and are very powerful!

Try to look out for these especially:

• Logic Loop of Division from HK-8 Aerial Oppression Unit in Operation: Mechagon
• Rebooting Bit Band from Machinist's Garden in Operation: Mechagon

The following is a draft ranking of trinkets, aimed at use in a raid environment. These rankings are formulated with all trinkets at the same item level. Due to how close in value most trinkets in each tier are, generally it is the higher item level that will decide which one is optimal. To simplify things, you can consider each trinket tier to be worth 5 extra item levels compared to the tier immediately under it.

The ranking system is as follows:

1. S Tier: the strongest and most generally useful trinkets; these are always good choices.
2. A Tier: these trinkets are slightly weaker than the S Tier traits, but are still solid choices.
3. B Tier: a below-average trinket that should be picked only in the absence of an S or A Tier trinket.
4. C Tier: a weak trinket that provides very little healing output or other utility and should be avoided if possible.

Any trinket not listed in one of the above tiers provides no increase in healing output, or significant utility, though some may increase damage dealt, with the notable exception of Pocket-Sized Computation Device, Mechagon's customizable trinket, whose power varies depending on what it has socketed.

While most healing-oriented punchcards are good but not great, Cyclotronic Blast is notable in the sense that it is easily obtainable (revered with Mechagon's allied faction: Rustbolt Resistance) and allows you to regenerate some Mana while dealing significant damage from range with its effect. A great trinket for the Igneous Potential-minded Shamans out there, although its low item level in the 8.3 patch makes it irrelevant in a best in slot list. If you can get it, use Psyche Shredder for damage-dealing purposes in 8.3!

Also relevant is the set created by wearing both Void-Twisted Titanshard and Vita-Charged Titanshard. While each of these trinkets individually is mediocre at best, their set power makes them very strong, as long as you can assemble it.

• Forbidden Obsidian Claw (Maut)
• Manifesto of Madness (N'Zoth the Corruptor)
• Humming Black Dragonscale (Wrathion, the Black Emperor)
• Peerless Alchemist Stone (Alchemy)
• Vita-Charged Titanshard (Ra-den the Despoiled)

• Deferred Sentence (The Queen's Court, The Eternal Palace)
• Azshara's Font of Power (Queen Azshara, The Eternal Palace)
• Luminous Jellyweed (Blackwater Behemoth, The Eternal Palace)
• Dread Gladiator's Insignia (PvP)
• Void-Twisted Titanshard (Ra-den the Despoiled)

• Conch of Dark Whispers (Vol'zith the Whisperer, Shrine of the Storm)
• Zoatroid Egg Sac (Orgozoa, The Eternal Palace)
• Za'qul's Portal Key (Za'qul, Harbinger of Ny'alotha, The Eternal Palace)
• Dread Gladiator's Medallion (PvP)
• Vita-Charged Titanshard (Ra-den the Despoiled)
• Revitalizing Voodoo Totem (Vol'kaal, Atal'Dazar)

• Fangs of Intertwined Essence (Avatar of Sethraliss, Temple of Sethraliss)
• Lady Waycrest's Music Box (Lord and Lady Waycrest, Waycrest Manor)
• Ignition Mage's Fuse (Knight Captain Valyri, Tol Dagor)
• Balefire Branch (Soulbound Goliath, Waycrest Manor)
• Dread Gladiator's Badge (PvP)
• Dread Gladiator's Emblem (PvP)
• Oozing Coagulum (Il'gynoth, Corruption Reborn)

Below are the recommended items and bosses from which they drop in Battle for Azeroth dungeon system. Keep in mind that higher item level drops are always preferable to the listed items if you get lucky enough to get them! Feel free to mix and match this gear with the raid best in slot gear from the next section of the guide.

Slot	Item	Source
Helm	Sethraliss' Fanged Helm	Avatar of Sethraliss in Temple of Sethraliss
Shoulders	Crashguard Spaulders	Mogul Razdunk in The MOTHERLODE!!
Cloak	Sporecaller's Shroud	Sporecaller Zancha in The Underrot
Chest	Circuit-Linked Chainmail	King Mechagon in Operation: Mechagon
Wrists	Bindings of Enraged Earth	Azerokk in The MOTHERLODE!!
Gloves	Blood Tick Crushers	Cragmaw the Infested in The Underrot
Belt	Mekgineer's Utility Belt	Gunker in Operation: Mechagon
Legs	Nettle-Scarred Greaves	Heartsbane Triad in Waycrest Manor
Boots	Gnawed Iron Fetters	Jes Howlis in Tol Dagor
Ring #1	Logic Loop of Division	HK-8 Aerial Oppression Unit in Operation: Mechagon
Ring #2	Rebooting Bit Band	Machinist's Garden in Operation: Mechagon
Trinket #1	Conch of Dark Whispers	Vol'zith the Whisperer in Shrine of the Storm
Trinket #2	Revitalizing Voodoo Totem	Vol'kaal in Atal'Dazar
Weapon	Leaxa's Thought-Piercer	Elder Leaxa in The Underrot
Shield	Bulwark of Brimming Potential	Galvazzt in Temple of Sethraliss

Below are the recommended items from each boss in Ny'alotha, accounting for balanced stats and recommended Azerite traits. This list does not take into account gear from sources other than the raid. There might be better pieces of gear available from other instances, especially with the potential for titanforging. Bonus roll advice is also included in the table below.

Slot	Item	Source
Helm	Helm of Actualized Visions	Carapace of N'Zoth in Ny'alotha
Shoulders	Pauldrons of Ill Portent	Maut in Ny'alotha
Cloak	Ashjra'kamas, Shroud of Resolve	Legendary Cloak quest line
Chest	Last Vestige of Neltharion	N'Zoth the Corruptor in Ny'alotha
Wrists	Bracers of Manifest Apathy	Il'gynoth, Corruption Reborn in Ny'alotha
Gloves	Ego-Annihilating Grips	Shad'har the Insatiable in Ny'alotha
Belt	Watcher's Scheming Girdle	Carapace of N'Zoth in Ny'alotha
Legs	Greaves of Forbidden Magics	Maut in Ny'alotha
Boots	Greaves of the Twilight Drake	Vexiona in Ny'alotha
Ring #1	Ring of Collective Consciousness	The Hivemind in Ny'alotha
Ring #2	Ring of Cosmic Potential	N'Zoth the Corruptor in Ny'alotha
Trinket #1	Forbidden Obsidian Claw	Maut in Ny'alotha
Trinket #2	Manifesto of Madness	N'Zoth the Corruptor in Ny'alotha
Weapon	Mar'kowa, the Mindpiercer	Drest'agath in Ny'alotha
Shield	Precipice of Oblivion	Il'gynoth, Corruption Reborn in Ny'alotha

Due to its powerful special effect (as seen here, and here), Anu-Azshara, Staff of the Eternal, if you have it, is still worth using over items up to 15 item levels above the item level you have it at.

There are three main paths to gear your characters in Battle for Azeroth:

• World Content (crafting, reputations, emissaries, world quests, world bosses, world PvP)
• Instanced PvE Content (dungeons, raids, warfronts, and islands)
• Instanced PvP Content (battlegrounds and arenas)

You are free to pursue any, or all, of these paths. The more content you do in the game, the faster your gearing up will be, but we recommend that you focus on the types of content you enjoy the most, letting gear come as a by-product of having fun!

Also, keep in mind that you should generally be using your highest item level gear, including Azerite gear. If you have an intellect two-hander that is of higher item level than your one-hand + shield combination, use the two-hander, otherwise use the shield for an increase in survivability against physical damage. If you have several Azerite pieces at the same level and / or are unsure on which traits to pick, check out our Azerite traits page.

Crafting wise, as a Restoration Shaman, you can level up to two professions. These allow you to create gear that can be upgraded up to Mythic raid item level.

The benefits of each profession are:

• Alchemy allows you to craft a stat-increasing trinket.
• Jewelcrafting allows you to craft a ring with a guaranteed socket.
• Engineering allows you to craft an Azerite helm.
• Leatherworking allows you to craft leggings and gloves.

World quest rewards scale with your item level, up to Heroic dungeon item level. While these items are not very powerful, world quests are relatively low effort and can be completed quickly. On top of that, trinkets from world quests are generally strong, so if you manage to get one at a high item level, you are likely to wear it for a good while.

Keep an eye out for Emissary caches, as these can award Heroic raid item level Azerite pieces if your own item level is high enough. Such pieces will be massive upgrades for most players and can be obtained effortlessly, once unlocked.

Finally, Nazjatar introduces Benthic Gear, which is obtained from doing activities in the zone and scales from 385 to 425 item level, making it great for new and solo focused characters. While there are no notable Benthic powers for healing, Igneous Potential users can use Vim's Scalecrusher Belt, Waveblade Farseer's Bindings, Poen's Deepsea Gloves and Akana's Reefstrider Soles to increase their damage potential.

Since Benthic pieces randomly roll sockets / Leech, it can also be useful to buy them until you get one, or both, of these desirable rolls, at which time you can upgrade them to 425 item level and have a solid item.

Dungeons require a party of 5 players and can usually be completed within about 30 minutes of starting, depending on the dungeon. Because they are available at a wide range of difficulty settings, with scaling rewards, you can use them to gear up while leveling, and continue all the way up to Heroic raid item level when finishing high Mythic+ dungeons. You should aim to complete at least one high level Mythic+ dungeon every week, in order to get the best reward possible from your weekly chest, which can go up to Mythic raid item level.

Raids require a group of 10+ players, depending on the difficulty setting chosen, and can take a varying amount of time to complete, depending on your group's gear and experience with the encounters. Like dungeons, there are multiple difficulty settings, ranging from the automated Raid Finder tool, up to 20-man Mythic raiding, which drops the best gear in the game, but also requires the most coordination and time commitment. When raiding, you can only receive loot from your first kill of a given boss on each difficulty every weekly reset.

Warfronts are a relatively short and easy way to gear up, as they can be queued for in your faction's capital city, and award one Heroic raid item level piece of gear, once per activation cycle. These can be completed as many times as you wish, awarding a random Raid Finder item level piece of gear after each win.

While Island Expeditions are not meant to be farmed for loot, they are very important for power leveling your Heart of Azeroth, thus allowing you to use your Azerite Armor to its maximum potential.

Battlegrounds come in various types and sizes and provide a quick solo queue PvP experience or, in the case of Rated Battlegrounds, a 10 versus 10 challenging / rewarding experience that can award gear which scales up to slightly above Heroic raid item level, based on your rating. A weekly brawl is also usually available.

Arenas are fast paced 2v2 / 3v3 death-matches against other teams with a similar rating to yours, with gear up to slightly above Heroic raid item level being randomly awarded at the end of each match. Due to their great amount of utility (especially Wind Shear and Purge), Restoration Shamans are one of the best healers to play in arenas.

By participating in one (or both) types of content, you gather both Honor and Conquest Points, which unlock various rewards. These are purely cosmetic in the case of Honor, but scale up to mythic raid item level for the weekly Conquest rewards: the War Chest and weekly 500-Conquest cap.