Shaman Class Overview

Shamans are able to choose from 3 specializations: Elemental, Enhancement, and Restoration.

• Elemental is a caster-DPS specialization that deals damage through spells such as Lightning Bolt and has caster support totems such as Totem of Wrath.
• Enhancement is a melee-DPS specialization that deals damage through auto-attacks and melee abilities such as Stormstrike while dual wielding. It provides physical support totems such as Grace of Air Totem.
• Restoration is a healer specialization that heals allies through spells such as Chain Heal and provides general support totems such as Healing Stream Totem.

Shamans are the best support class in TBC. All three Shaman specializations have a raiding spot and perform well in 5v5 Arena. Between Bloodlust and the multiple spell and physical support totems, all groups benefit greatly from having multiple Shamans.

You should use Rockbiter Weapon until you unlock Windfury Weapon at level 30, at which point you will be using it on all of your weapons, including when dual-wielding.

Windfury Weapon has a 3 second internal cooldown, and procs off of your attacks, which include the extra Stormstrike hits. This means that, ideally, you will want to use Stormstrike when outside the Windfury internal cooldown period to maximize its chances of happening!

Even though they have a few abilities that cause extra threat and can use shields, Shamans lack a taunt ability and are not very durable against bosses, so we would not recommend you to try tanking anything higher than normal dungeons.

In TBC Classic Shamans can be Draenei if you are playing Alliance or Orc, Troll, and Tauren if you are Horde.

If you are playing in the Alliance faction, you can only be Draenei who are a weak race for personal DPS, but do bring a valuable spell hit aura racial. In the Horde, Orcs are the best for PvP and Enhancement and Trolls are the best for PvE Restoration and Elemental.

Leatherworking is always a strong profession that provides you with some unique armor, Enchanting also always has great value due to the ring enchants. Blacksmithing enables some great weapons but only for Enhancement. Engineering provides area of effect damage consumables. Finally, Tailoring and Alchemy are good gold makers but do not have much in terms of useful, long lasting, gear.

While every class has some kind of class-specific questlines, Shamans need to earn their four elemental totems through questing, and cannot use any totems of an elemental they have not quested for beforehand.

Earth, Fire, Water, and Air are the elements you will pursue across Azeroth. We have every single step of the way detailed for you in our Shaman Questing guide below:

Shamans are relatively easy class to gear, especially when performing caster or healer roles, as Spell Damage or Spell Healing Mail armor is only used by Shamans and Paladins.

Enhancement Shamans might have a harder time, as their physical damage loot is also often used by Hunters, Rogues, Warriors, Retribution Paladins, and Feral Druids.

Shamans are able to wear Cloth and Leather, and can also learn how to use Mail armor at the class trainer after reaching Level 40.

Shamans already know, or can learn, how to use staves, daggers, one-handed and two-handed maces, one-handed and two-handed axes, and fist weapons.

You can learn more about weapons for Shamans in our specialized guide below:

Using addons and macros can simplify your life in Azeroth immensely. We have multiple recommendations for both categories in our Shaman Addons and Shaman Macros guides linked below:

If the rest of the page caught your attention, make sure to check out our in-depth guides for leveling a Shaman and how to get on your feet running as a fresh Level 58 boosted character in the links below!

• Shaman Leveling Guide
• Elemental Shaman Leveling Guide
• Elemental Shaman Level 58 Guide
• Enhancement Shaman Leveling Guide
• Enhancement Shaman Level 58 Boost Guide
• Restoration Shaman Leveling Guide
• Restoration Shaman Level 58 Boost Guide

You might also want to check out our full class guides, which teach you how to play your class at the new Level 70 cap!

• Restoration Shaman Guide
• Elemental Shaman Guide
• Enhancement Shaman Guide