WoW Classic 19 Twink Shaman Guide

Similar to Druid twinks, the Shaman is one of the most unique and interesting classes in terms of play style and the diversity of their abilities.  Shaman’s can literally fill in any role, except stealth. They are decent melee combatants, able to both provide damage and Tanking. They are competent healers, especially with a player that knows what they are doing and they can arguably go toe to toe with some of the better caster classes for raw damage.

Where Shamans excel though, is in their own versatility and adaptability.  Even if you spec and gear for a certain role, nothing is stopping you from filling in for someone if the chips are down, or the main healer just needs a break for a minute.  As stated, Shaman can Tank, they can Heal, they can deal damage both close up and at a distance and they can do all of these things as good, or arguably better, than certain other classes.

In a lot of ways, they are sort of the best class to start as, while also being the worst, because mastering a Shaman is an undertaking.  If you can learn all of the ins and outs of the class, however, you’ll be a sight to see – in and out of the battlegrounds.

Contents

• Races:  Which races can play as Shaman and which race is the best for a Twink?
• Professions:  Which Professions compliment a Twink Shaman of level 19?
• Spells and Abilities:  What spells and abilities are available to a Shaman of level 19 and how can they be best employed?
• Talents:  What Talent specs are best for a Twink Shaman at level 19?
• Gear:  What is the Best in Slot (BiS) equipment for a level 19 Shaman and where can it be found?
• Enchantments:  Which enchantments are the best for a PvP Shaman at level 19?
• Buffs:  Which consumables and party buffs are the most useful for a level 19 Twink Shaman?

Races

The choice of race, for any class really, is a difficult and important one.  Fortunately, Shaman are limited in the races that they can choose, which makes the decision simpler.  They are also limited to Horde only races, further simplifying the choice. What follows is a list of all of the Shaman playable races in World of Warcraft (WoW) and the racial traits most pertinent to playing a Twink Shaman in particular.

Orc:  Axe Specialization and Blood Fury are great for melee centric Shaman, or those that want to tank, while Hardiness is awesome for anyone who doesn’t like being stunned…which is kind of everyone.

Tauren:  Endurance is one of those traits that just works great for everyone, but that is particularly useful for a specific group.  Namely those that are planning on taking a lot of damage, like Tanks. No character was ever the worse for having some Nature Resistance and War Stomp is both great for Tanks trying to Crowd Control (CC) some enemies in melee, or for anyone trying to escape anyone else.

Trolls:  There are really only two racial traits that Trolls possess that are of particular interest to any Shaman, as Beast Slaying has a negligible benefit at best in PvP, only being useful against Hunter pets and Druids in Bear form.   The first is Berserking, which is great for Tanks and melee damage dealers, increasing their attack speed quite a bit for a short time.  The second is Regeneration, which is really a boon to any class at all, but is of particular use to Healers, who can use it, along with some choice Elixirs to mitigate their own health an focus on their allies.

Professions

Not at all a small aspect of any character, Professions are of particular importance to a Twink of any class at all.  The good news here, like with your racial choice, is that the decision is simplified a bit for you. There is one profession that all Twinks should consider a must have if they wish to be successful in the Battlegrounds (BG) or in the Arena.  Engineering. Get it. Get it early. Raise it fast. You won’t regret it.

Your choice of second Profession is still very important too, just not as definite.  Of the remaining professions to choose from, some are good, some are great and some are pointless.  What follows is a list of all of the Professions important to a level 19 Twink Shaman and why they should choose those Professions.

• Engineering:  As stated, Engineering is not only your best first choice for a profession, it’s pretty much a necessity.  You don’t know it yet, but you want the Big Bronze Bomb, Heavy Dynamite and Explosive Sheep. They offer a bonus, yet mild CC effect, while also mitigating your damage output when you are low on, or out of Mana.  Useful and unique items, like the Minor Recombobulator can also be had.  Allowing you to counter a Mage’s polymorph and aid an ally.
  Green Tinted Goggles, is probably the best item you can get for your head slot before you finally get your hands on that Luck Ol’ Hat of Nate’s and it is also only acquirable through Engineering.
• Enchanting:  Especially if your Twink is funded by another character, a great choice for your second profession is Enchanting.  Disenchanting  greens that are not useful is the best way to acquire Enchanting materials, which do much better on the AH than the items themselves, usually.  You can also trade the mats to a higher level character that also knows enchanting, in exchange for them getting you the higher level enchants you’re going to need for your own gear.
• Alchemy:  There are a number of consumables that you, as a Twink, are going to want to have and Alchemy is the best way to get them.  This is, of course, as long as your herbs and reagents are supplied to you. If not, you might want to avoid this profession entirely.
• Other Professions:  Herbalism and Skinning should be avoided entirely and  Mining should only be taken if you are hoping to compliment your Engineering and take some pressure off of your benefactor character.  Blacksmithing and Tailoring are of no use to a Shaman at all, really and thus should also be avoided.  Finally, Leatherworking  might not be a bad choice, provided you have a leather supplier, but if not, you might want to try another profession.

Secondary Skills

• Cooking:  The advantages, for any Twink, of doing your own cooking are pretty easy to see.  Twinking is all about squeezing every possible buff or boon out of any situation and player cooked food offers the Well Fed buff.  Of the six cooking recipes that offer this buff, Recipe: Curiously Tasty Omelet is the cheapest and easiest to acquire.  It can be purchased from Nerrist at the Grom’ gol Outpost and Kendor Kabonka in Stormwind.
  There is one decided advantage to not spending any time on cooking.  It’s very popular amongst player, but most of them don’t always have the ingredients to raise it quickly.  You could make solid gold by selling meats, fish and other cooking ingredients that you acquire on the AH. This is a great way to mitigate the cost of gear and other expenses.
• First Aid:  You can cast healing spells, so it might seem like a waste of time to raise your first aid, but consider this:  Picking up copies of  Expert First Aid – Under Wraps, Manual: Heavy Silk Bandage and Manual: Mageweave Bandage, will allow you to craft and use Mageweave Bandages.  If you craft enough of these to raise your First Aid skill to 225, you can then use Heavy Runecloth Bandages if they are provided for you by someone who can craft them.  Heavy Runecloth Bandages at level 19, can heal just about any character to full inside of a few seconds.  This is a great advantage, if you are low on health and need to reserve your mana, or if you are out of mana and an ally is close to death.  Think on it.
• The one, and likely only, reason to take up fishing in earnest is the Lucky Fishing Hat given to you by Nat Paggle at the end of his really hard fishing quest.  You need need the hat for your BiS head slot, so you need to raise your fishing up fast.  Always craft or purchase the Aquadynamic Fish Attractor and Bright Baubles from vendors that have them available.  Also make sure to pick up the Strong Fishing Pole.

To be fair, Fishing is also a great way to earn some gold.  If, as suggested above, you decide to forgo Cooking and sell all of what you catch on the AH, you might find yourself a rich Shaman.

Spells and Abilities

Shaman haven’t got the number of abilities that other classes have at this level, but their more about quality over quantity anyway.  Playing a Shaman, at this level at least, is all about versatility and utility. Pick your role, if you like and stick with it. Shaman tend to work better when they have a niche, but keep your options open and never let yourself feel trapped in that role.  Don’t be afraid to switch things up, especially in a pinch. You might find that with a quick weapon/shield change, you can switch from Tanking to healing, or ranged damage and vice versa.

Below is a list of all of the abilities and spells available to a Shaman of level 19 that are pertinent to Twinking and PvP in general.  They break down most easily into three basic groups, especially at this level: Totems, support spells and damage spells.

Totems

• Earthbind Totem:  This totem is a slight, but decent CC device that can keep a group of enemies slowed, keeping them away from more vulnerable Party members – or keeping them from escaping your wrath.
• Searing Totem:  The one and only Searing Totem!  This little guy is like a 30 second Warlock’s Imp, only not as obnoxious.  It shoots your foes with fire and draws their fire away from you and your fellows.
• Strength of Earth Totem:  If you are a Tank, or other melee fighter, other melee classes will love you for this one, as it raises the strength of all allies near you.  Even if you yourself aren’t a close range character, think about getting close and dropping one of these down for those that are. They’ll appreciate it.
• Fire Nova Totem:  This one’s like a cool little time bomb.  Throw it down when you’re in close and everything is chaotic.  You’ll be sure to do the maximum amount of damage then.
• Stoneskin Totem:  Anything that mitigates damage to both you and your allies is a good thing.  That being said, 7 damage isn’t a lot, especially when it’s only melee damage.  Still, it’s not nothing, so if you feel your party needs armor, use it.
• Tremor Totem:  This may just be your most useful totem and is amongst your most useful spells.  Being able to shake off CC is extremely valuable in PvP, so doing so for your entire party is Priceless.

Damage Spells

• Earth Shock:  Earth shock may just be the most useful combat spell in WoW.  It does a sizable amount of burst damage instantly, has a 6 second cooldown and disrupts spell casting.  Also, not that it matters in PvP, but it causes a high level of threat. Just an awesome spell.
• Lightning Bolt:  The undeniable workhorse of the caster Shaman.  A decent amount of damage, especially for the Mana cost, but nothing to write home about.
• Lightning Shield:  One of the more unique Shaman spells, Lightning shield is none the less very useful in any combat situation.  For starters, it allows you to retaliate against any attacker while continuing to engage with your primary target.  Players often forget what this spell does, even though they can clearly see it active. So they often continue to damage a Shielded Shaman, leading them inexorably to their doom.
• Rockbiter Weapon:  While usually used mostly in PvE, this spell is still quite useful against other players.  Because the more flashy imbue described below does more damage with slower weapons, you’ll want to use this when you are Tanking, or otherwise using a one handed weapon.
• Flame Shock:  The lightning’s on fire!  Flame Shock is easily your most damaging spell.  It’s also an instant with a 6 second cooldown. You’re going to want to use this one a lot, but remember that you have other abilities with more utility.  Heh, that rhymed.
• Flametongue Weapon:  Another awesome weapon imbue – remember that these stack, not only with your weapons given elemental abilities, but also with any enchantments you’ve placed on it.  So you can wind up with a weapon that does a significant amount of damage if you get the right enchantment. This imbue does more damage with slow weapons, so use it mainly when you are engaging in melee with a two handed weapon.

Support Spells

• Ancestral Spirit:  The mana cost for this one is the highest of the resurrect spells that can be cast at this level, but still, you can bring your friends back from the dead!  Pretty cool, right? Also, it has no cooldown, so you can resurrect the whole party if you are the last one standing. Which is often the case with Shaman.
• Purge:  Yet another of the Shaman’s unique and useful spells.  Negating an opponent’s advantage is almost as important as providing one to your allies.  Keep this in mind, especially with respect to Mages and Arcane Intellect.
• Cure Poison:  Really useful to counteract the poisons of Rogues and the Stings of Hunters.  Keep in on your toolbar at all times, because you will need it right when you least expect to.
• Healing Wave:  At this level, Shaman pretty much only have this one healing spell.  Fortunately, it’s a pretty good one! Because this is at Rank 4, you’ll likely want to toolbar multiple versions, especially if you’re expecting to heal more than just a bit.  Healing Wave does cost more than other spells cast by other classes at this level, but you can cast it in the same breath as you canst Flametongue Weapon, or a Tremor Totem. This is why playing a Shaman is cool.

Talents

Shaman have a whole lot of flexibility with respect to their talents.  Depending on the role you want to focus on in your group, or going solo, you’ll likely want a talent spec that compliments your play style. What follows is a list of different talent specs for each given roll that a Shaman can fill, along with some suggested alternatives for each.

Tank

The most important thing to max out for a Shaman Tank is Shield Specialization.  The added defense will enable you to hold your own with the likes of the Warrior and Paladin.  Then max out Improved Lightning Shield, as it’s passive retaliation is something your foes will always fall for.  The last two points should go either into Guardian Totems, Ancestral Knowledge or Improved Healing Wave, your choice.

Melee Damage

This one is simple.  Max out Ancestral Knowledge and then Thundering Strikes.  It’s the best way to maximize your melee damage with talents.

Caster Damage

A few options here.  Start off by maxing out Convection, or Concussion and from there go to Earth’s Grasp to increase the efficacy of your Earthbind Totem.  Finish off with Call of Flame to get that last bit of extra damage, or pop the last three points into either Convection, or Concussion, whichever you didn’t max out.  Alternatively, you could go for a more straight forward simplistic build and just max out Convection and Concussion.

Healing

Another pretty simple choice.  First, max out Improved Healing Wave and then either also max out Tidal Focus, or alternatively, put two points there and max out Ancestral Healing for a pretty good buff chance.

Honestly, there are just a lot of ways to go with a Shaman and you should always be looking for the method that best suits your play style.  Better yet, come up with your own method, by trying out the Talent Calculator and creating your own unique spec!

BiS Gear

Like some other classes, the Shaman’s BiS gear is sometimes a bit difficult to acquire in its entirety.  There are more than a few world drops that could take days or weeks of farming to get. It is for this reason that it is important that you check the AH often, to see if the gear that you need is available for purchase.  It might cost a bit of gold, but it’s better than grinding for a week with nothing to show for it. May the luck of the Seven Pillars for Gulu be with you at all times.

• Head
  • What:  Lucky Fishing Hat
  • Where:  Rare Fish – Keefer’s Angelfish
• Neck
  • What:  Scout’s Medallion
  • Where:  Sold By – Kelm Hargunth (Requires Honored with WSG)
• Shoulders
  • What:  Talbar Mantle
  • Where:  Glowing Shard (starts quest) From Mutanus the Devourer In Wailing Caverns
• Cloak
  • What:  Engineer’s Cloak
  • Where:  Quest – Gerenzo Wrenchwhistle
• Chest
  • What:  Blackened Defias Armor
  • Where: Edwin Van Cleef, Deadmines 20%
• Bracers
  • What:  Wrangler’s Wristbands (of the Eagle)
  • Where:  World Drop – Swiftmane 1.724%
• Gloves
  • What:  Scouting Gloves (of the Eagle)
  • Where:  World Drop – Swiftmane 1.724%
• Belt
  • What:  Deviate Scale Belt
  • Where:  Leatherworking
• Legs
  • What:  Scouting Trousers  (of the Eagle)
  • Where:  Thunderstomp 1.613 %
• Boots
  • What:  Nat Pagle’s Extreme Anglin’ Boots
  • Where:  Rare Fish – Brownell’s Blue Striped Racer
• Ring One
  • What:  Advisor’s Ring
  • Where:  Sold By – Kelm Hargunth (Requires Honored with WSG)
• Ring Two
  • What:  Seal of Sylvanas
  • Where:  Arugal Must Die
• Trinket One
  • What:  Insignia of the Horde
  • Where:  Sergeant Ba’sha
• Trinket Two
  • What:  Arena Grand Master
  • Where:  Arena Grandmaster
• Main Hand
  • What:  Evocator’s Blade
  • Where:  World Drop:  Skittering Crustacean, Blackfathom Deeps 0.1%
• Off-Hand
  • What:  Arctic Buckler / Furbolg Medicine Pouch
  • Where:  Blackfathom Villainy / Gorn One Eye (Requires Honored with Timbermaw Hold)
• Two Handed
  • What:  Twisted Chanter’s Staff
  • Where:  Pridewing Patriarch, Stonetalon Mountains 0.0045%

* This weapon may be preferable for Shaman who wish to focus on melee damage, as it’s natural enchantment stacks with both the Shaman’s Flametongue Weapon spell as well as other enchantments, making it a particularly potent choice.

Enchantments

Just like any other Twink character, a Shaman gains a lot of important benefits from enchantments.  Some enchantments more than others, but having every slot that can carry at least a decent enchantment is going to go a long way to help with your performance in PvP.  These will be somewhat difficult to acquire, some almost impossible, to be fair, so make sure to either have an enchanter yourself, or make a friend that is one, or you will be paying dearly for all of these.  What follows is a list of the most appropriate enchantments for a level 19 Twink Shaman. Some slots have more than one entry and so are ultimately up to your own personal preference or spec choice.

• Head:  Lesser Arcanum of Constitution/ Arcanum of Focus
• Shoulders:   Fortitude of the Scourge/ Power of the Scourge/Zandalar Signet of Mojo
• Cloak:  Formula: Enchant Cloak – Greater Resistance/Formula: Enchant Cloak – Superior Defense
• Chest:  Enchant Chest – Greater Stats
• Bracers:  Enchant Bracer – Superior Stamina
• Gloves:  Formula: Enchant Gloves – Healing Power
• Legs:  Arcanum of Focus / Lesser Arcanum of Constitution
• Boots:  Enchant Boots – Minor Speed
• Weapon:  Formula: Enchant Weapon – Mighty Intellect / Formula: Enchant Weapon – Healing Power / Formula: Enchant Weapon – Fiery Weapon/ Enchant Weapon – Spell Power
• Shield:  Formula: Enchant Shield – Greater Stamina

Buffs

At level 19, there are quite a few extra tinctures, balms and other magical num nums that can be acquired and used.  Most are only useful to some, but to you, almost all of them are useful in some way.  Some may only be good for a certain, or specific situation, some might be good whenever you can get them.  Either way, you’ll want to make sure to get your hands on all of these consumables, whenever you can.

Elixirs

A lot of great buffing to be had here, just remember that you can only have one Battle and one Guardian Elixir active at a time.

• Elixir of Giant Growth:  This one could be a fun one to throw down just after you activate Lightning Shield, just for the wow factor.  It makes you huge and makes you strong.
• Minor Magic Resistance Potion:  Use this if you plan to fight a lot of different caster types.  While the Shaman might have the most diverse kaleidoscope of magical light, other classes have plenty of magical lasers, so watch out.
• Elixir of Wisdom:  Not of use if there is a Mage in the group, but if not then the small bonus to intellect that it offers goes a long way at this level.
• Elixir of Minor Fortitude:  No one alive was ever hurt by more health.  No one dead, either, frankly.
• Strong Troll’s Blood Potion:  Try using this in a group situation instead of healing yourself overmuch.  It’ll give you a bigger mana pool with which to aid your allies.
• Elixir of Defense:  Great when you need to Tank or Off-Tank.  Keep it in your back pocket, just in case.

Potions

• Healing Potion:  Everybody runs out of mana at some point, when you do, don’t be unable to heal thyself.  Have one of these on hand.
• Lesser Mana Potion:  Speaking of running out of Mana, keep one of these on hand too.
• Minor Rejuvenation Potion:  These are uniquely suited to a versatile, hybrid class of caster…or a mage without a healer.  Either way, it’ll work really well for you.
• Swiftness Potion:  A burst of speed in a combat situation?  That wouldn’t be helpful at all. Not sure why you brought it up, frankly.

Scrolls

• Scroll of Agility:  Use this if you are planning on doing melee damage with a two handed weapon.  You will do more of it.
• Scroll of Protection II:  Don’t use with the Elixir of Defense, but if you don’t have one of those, it’s pretty great.
• Scroll of Stamina:  More health and durability is always a good thing.  This is probably the best universal scroll buff.
• Scroll of Strength:  Great for when you’re doing any kind of Tanking, or just when you want a little bit of extra damage.
• Scroll of Intellect:  Don’t use if there’s a mage in the Party, but if there isn’t this is really useful
• Scroll of Spirit II:  There aren’t very many Spirit Buffs at this level.  This is one of the better ones.

Team Buffs

You’re going to benefit from any class buff, really.  So make sure you get the one that fits what role you’re filling.  Arcane Intellect if you’re doing a lot of caster damage, or healing and Power Word: Fortitude for everything else.  Mark of the Wild doesn’t cancel out either of the others, so if you’ve got a Druid in your party, ask them for this.

Other Consumables

• Rumsey Rum Black Label:  Enjoy the extra Stamina from this, but uh…don’t drink and cast…no wait – totally do that, never mind.
• Curiously Tasty Omelet:  This is, as stated previously, the easiest and best Well Fed buff to acquire.  So enjoy your omelet.

You have now learned all that this guide can teach you about how to play the best level 19 Twink Shaman.  Now, walk the path laid out for you and seek out your friends…that they may taste your wrath and the wrath of the elements!  Have fun!