Elemental vs Enhancement

[xkrissi 0]

Which has a higher single target dps atm? Noxxic dps ranking says enhancement is top 3 highest dps but the highest ilv shamans in guilds such as Method all go elemental, but some people say enhancement is really stronk :/

[Nemo 27]

Enhancement might have slightly higher theoretical dps, but it's a moot point. The difference is minimal in practise.

I think most people play elemental because it's easier to offspec resto. In a lot of guilds versatility is the key to a spot on the raidteam.

Usually you'll do better at whatever spec you enjoy the most. Play what you find more enjoyable :)

[Stoove 347]

One thing to note is that Noxxic's DPS rankings are pretty unrealistic. I know this because one of the owners of this site (and contributors to SimCraft) was talking about it - the sims that they run to determine DPS vary wildly in quality between classes and specs. Don't trust them.

Overall I'd really just say play what you feel is closest to your style. I prefer Enhancement, but it's certainly more difficult to obtain a raid ready set as your offspec.

[kitsu 55]

enhance have huge burst potential but their rotation is very busy and requires a bit of skill. i personally dont like it. elemental rotation is pretty straightforward and easy to learn, but they are hugely gear dependant and tuned for the massive haste gain from teh Legendary Meta.

i too recommend playing a class based on how much fun you have. you are going to have to log on to a toon a lot if you want to get anywhere near raiding dps charts.

if you arent particularly attached to any class and just want to be invited to a raid, raise a healer or a tank. if you have a lot of toons and want to join a team, just demonstrate your raid awareness and offer to make a toon your main based on that group's token distribution or utility needs. (usually meaning - level a warlock/engineer)

[denisbeaudoin22 1]

One thing to note is that Noxxic's DPS rankings are pretty unrealistic. I know this because one of the owners of this site (and contributors to SimCraft) was talking about it - the sims that they run to determine DPS vary wildly in quality between classes and specs. Don't trust them.

what would be a good site as a pure reference? for more realistic numbers

[Stoove 347]

There aren't any that sim it. Try raidbots for a good idea of actual performance.

[Rimedur 0]

I play enhancement myself. we are 2 shaman´s in our 10 man group, we are around the same ilvl, im higher on the damage done list then the elemental on singel target, but elemental is much higher then enhance on fight´s with more target´s cause of the chain lightning and lava stream (think it´s the right name) so it really depends on the fights what spec is best :) 

[Tarazet 144]

This whole expansion has favored having more ranged DPS and generally no more than 1 melee (even 2 is stretching on Iron Qon), so that's probably why you see more Elementals. Enhance is a great spec, but the Rogue and Warrior have unique raid utility, so given a limited number of slots, that's what they're going to take.

[Stoove 347]

I sometimes Enhancement Offspec for our raid team, and one of our regular members is an Elemental player. Since I'm something like 20 ilvls below him, I'd say I keep up reasonably. The difference is very small, except on AoE fights when Elemental goes balls-out apeshit and destroys everything. Play whichever spec is coolest for you :)

[HollyC 9]

As someone who raids very little, I can say that I greatly prefer enhancement as far as killing speed in questing, dailies, and perhaps a number of scenarios as well (though I haven't tried heroic scenarios yet; why is another story I've gone into on previous posts, so if you're curious, just look up my posting history and you'll find it).

 

Enhancement may take some more of a beating against multiple trash mobs since elemental has definite advantages in AoE. Good gear and proper use of buffs, elixirs, food etc will help a lot.

 

And as has been said already on this thread, raid guilds that are looking for solid progression will want as many ranged dps as possible, and versatility. Elemental shamans usually don't need a second gear set when they're specced restoration-- I've never really played a healer shaman myself, but I know that they put forth solid healing and have often been called, "annoyingly difficult to kill." (That quote is probably a PVP statement, but I think it would apply in PVE as well.) Even a DPS shaman will be expected to contribute SOME healing via Healing Rain, Healing Stream totems, the occasional Chain Heal on a Maelstrom Weapon proc, etc. I've been working hard to remember to do this when taking part in Galleon/Sha of Anger kills.

[Stoove 347]

It's worth noting that Enhancement does have a lot of utility too. Most importantly is the utility of Maelstrom Weapon; you get insta-cast heals! This has saved me several times. We also get an extra sprint function, which is truly awesome.

[Happa 0]

I play Enhancement with two other Elemental shamans fairly equally geared in my guild. I trounce them on DPS at the start of every single fight and typically stay ahead of them until the end. They can pull ahead very easily when there are adds, though, especially in a fight like Horidon where there's too much moving around to effectively use Enhancement AoE. 

 

But in reality, we're talking about hundreds of damage per second differences in most fights. It doesn't seem to matter a whole lot. Enhancement is the spec I stick with because of its utility and healing flexibility. I haven't been happier with with any other spec since Enhancement got the ability to throw down free, and fairly powerful Healing Rains or Chain Heals.