Cataclysm Classic Restoration Shaman Leveling

Restoration is not recommended for solo leveling as it is much slower at killing enemies than the other specializations. If you want to level as Restoration, we suggest playing almost entirely in dungeons as a healer. If you are interested in the fastest solo leveling experience with a caster playstyle, check out our Elemental Shaman Leveling Guide.

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Your first talent point unlocks at Level 10.

Start with Spark of Life for a general healing benefit, especially when healing yourself.

Start with Spark of Life for a general healing benefit, especially when healing yourself, and follow up with Tidal Focus.

Start with Spark of Life for a general healing benefit, especially when healing yourself, and follow up with Tidal Focus. Resurgence is also a powerful talent, although you will likely not have enough critical strike at low levels to get much benefit from it.

Start with Spark of Life for a general healing benefit, especially when healing yourself, and follow up with Tidal Focus. Resurgence is also a powerful talent, although you will likely not have enough critical strike at low levels to get much benefit from it. Continue by allocating points into Totemic Focus.

Start with Spark of Life for a general healing benefit, especially when healing yourself, and follow up with Tidal Focus. Resurgence is also a powerful talent, although you will likely not have enough critical strike at low levels to get much benefit from it. Continue by allocating points into Totemic Focus and finish the first part of your journey by grabbing Nature's Swiftness, a great emergency button.

Ancestral Healing is extremely strong in the end game, and you can pick it early on.

Ancestral Healing is extremely strong in the end game, and you can pick it early on. Take Nature's Blessing also to significantly increase your tank healing.

Ancestral Healing is extremely strong in the end game, and you can pick it early on. Take Nature's Blessing also to significantly increase your tank healing. Soothing Rains should be skipped at first while going down the tree in favor of Focused Insight as Healing Rain is only unlocked much further and DPSing in between healing is recommended while in leveling content.

Ancestral Healing is extremely strong in the end game, and you can pick it early on. Take Nature's Blessing also to significantly increase your tank healing. Soothing Rains should be skipped at first while going down the tree in favor of Focused Insight as Healing Rain is only unlocked much further and DPSing in between healing is recommended while in leveling content. Finish this part of leveling by picking up Improved Cleanse Spirit to gain a magic dispel.

Spirit Link Totem and Mana Tide Totem are significant unlocks.

Spirit Link Totem and Mana Tide Totem are significant unlocks, and Ancestral Awakening is a decent talent in small group content, although you will not have enough critical strike to make the most out of it yet.

Spirit Link Totem and Mana Tide Totem are significant unlocks, and Ancestral Awakening is a decent talent in small group content, although you will not have enough critical strike to make the most out of it yet. Finish the Restoration tree by picking up Tidal Waves for a huge increase in single target healing.

Spirit Link Totem and Mana Tide Totem are significant unlocks, and Ancestral Awakening is a decent talent in small group content, although you will not have enough critical strike to make the most out of it yet. Finish the Restoration tree by picking up Tidal Waves for a huge increase in single target healing and Soothing Rains for its Healing Stream Totem benefits.

Spirit Link Totem and Mana Tide Totem are significant unlocks, and Ancestral Awakening is a decent talent in small group content, although you will not have enough critical strike to make the most out of it yet. Finish the Restoration tree by picking up Tidal Waves for a huge increase in single target healing, Soothing Rains for its Healing Stream Totem benefits, and Riptide to activate Tidal Waves.

Elemental Weapons in the Enhancement tree is a great way to go forward.

Elemental Weapons and Improved Shields in the Enhancement tree are a great way to go forward.

Elemental Weapons and Improved Shields in the Enhancement tree are a great way to go forward. While there are many options for the final talents, we recommend taking Ancestral Swiftness for leveling for the extra movement speed and instant Ghost Wolf.

Elemental Weapons and Improved Shields in the Enhancement tree are a great way to go forward. While there are many options for the final talents, we recommend taking Ancestral Swiftness for leveling for the extra movement speed and instant Ghost Wolf. Finish your talents with Acuity for more critical strike.

Your leveling glyphs are mostly the same as your endgame glyphs. Glyphs can be a huge boost to your healing capabilities as some glyphs greatly improve the baseline power of your key abilities.

1. Glyph of Earthliving Weapon — a nice passive boost to your Earthliving Weapon imbue healing.
2. Glyph of Riptide — huge increase to Riptide healing and also drastically increases the amount of time you have to use Chain Heal on it for extra healing.
3. Glyph of Earth Shield — another passive boost, this time to your Earth Shield healing.

1. Glyph of Chain Heal — increases the smart healing done by Chain Heal while slightly reducing healing to the first target, which is often overhealing anyway.
2. Glyph of Healing Stream Totem — removes the need for using Elemental Resistance Totem by baking its power into Healing Stream Totem.
3. Glyph of Stoneclaw Totem — converts your Stoneclaw Totem into a strong personal cooldown.

1. Glyph of Water Walking — allows you to cast Water Walking without a reagent, saving gold in the process.
2. Glyph of Renewed Life — removes the reagent requirement from Reincarnation, saving some gold over time.
3. Glyph of Astral Recall — lowering the cooldown of your Astral Recall allows you to move around more frequently, especially if you have your Hearthstone at your faction's central hub and all its portals.

1. Use Healing Surge for emergency healing only;
2. Use Healing Rain if multiple allies are injured and will be able to stay inside the rain for most of its duration;
3. Use Unleash Elements with Earthliving Weapon on an injured target;
4. Use Riptide on cooldown for efficient healing and Tidal Waves;
5. Use Chain Heal to heal group damage, consuming a low duration Riptide buff if available for extra healing;
6. Use Chain Heal to heal group damage;
7. Use Greater Healing Wave (highly injured target) or Healing Wave (lightly injured target) to heal single-target damage;
8. Use Healing Wave to heal single-target damage;
9. If moving and Riptide is not available, use Flame Shock or Earth Shock to enable Focused Insight. Use it on Chain Heal if possible;
10. If moving and Riptide is not available, use Flame Shock or Earth Shock to enable Focused Insight. Use it on Chain Heal if possible;
11. Use Lava Burst (with Flame Shock on target) and Lightning Bolt or Chain Lightning to DPS.
12. Use Flame Shock and Lightning Bolt or Chain Lightning to DPS.
13. Use Flame Shock and Lightning Bolt to DPS.
14. Use Lightning Bolt to DPS.

While leveling, you will not need to use all of your spells. Many can be skipped to save gold and trained at a later date, when you have more gold available to you. We recommend to not train these spells below, and save your gold for gear, glyphs and mounts instead.

• Primal Strike
• Fire Nova
• Frost Shock
• Frostbrand Weapon
• Far Sight
• Elemental Resistance Totem (assuming usage of Glyph of Healing Stream Totem)
• Bind Elemental
• Totem of Tranquil Mind
• Rockbiter Weapon

Congratulations on hitting Level 85 in Cataclysm! Now that your leveling process is over, you can learn more about maximum level Restoration gameplay by reading our detailed guide below.