Cataclysm Classic Elemental Shaman Guide

Elemental has a ton of utility, including the important and rare 10% Spell Power raid buff, and is one of the most mobile ranged damage dealers with Glyph of Unleashed Lightning, making it a very flexible DPS who can also do a ton of damage with Fire Elemental Totem snapshots in more static fights.

While Elemental was often derided in the past, Cataclysm is the expansion where it really pops off, thanks to high DPS made even higher with good usage of Fire Elemental Totem snapshotting, great mobility with Glyph of Unleashed Lightning and its vast array of irreplaceable buffs, especially in 10-man groups.

Elemental also benefits from sharing most of its gear with Restoration, allowing for smooth off-spec healing and its only downside is really the lack of defensive options, which come down to Glyph of Stoneclaw Totem and little else.

Strengths

• Good mobility through Glyph of Unleashed Lightning;
• Able to burst on demand with Elemental Mastery, especially in area damage situations;
• Shared gear with Restoration allows for easy swapping between damage and healing between encounters;
• High overall damage, especially on fights where Fire Elemental Totem can be snapshotted and attack for its full duration.

Weaknesses

• Simple rotation can lead to boring gameplay;
• Not the top DPS at either single or area target;
• Low survivability and no defensive cooldowns outside Glyph of Stoneclaw Totem.

Without going too deep into detail, Orc is still the best race for Horde Elemental Shamans due to Blood Fury for even more burst and Command, which is likely to affect Fire Elemental Totem. In PvP they will also benefit from Hardiness, one of the best PvP racials in the game!

Goblin is also alright if you need extra mobility due to their Rocket Jump, and you will also get 1% extra Haste while playing one.

Alliance Shamans will now be able to be Dwarf and while Stoneform can help get rid of debuffs Shamans can no longer dispel, Draenei should generally be superior due to their free Hit from Heroic Presence and some free healing from Gift of the Naaru.

The best DPS professions in Cataclysm are Engineering, which provides more burst damage with Synapse Springs and extra mobility with Nitro Boosts, and Tailoring, which provides even more burst with Lightweave Embroidery.

Together, and once combined with trinkets and combat potions, these professions allow you to get a massive Spell Power boost at the start of a fight for Fire Elemental Totem snapshotting purposes!

Addons and Macros can greatly improve your quality of life during Cataclysm. Listed below are some of our recommendations on Addons and Macros to help get the most out of your time playing the game.