Elemental Shaman Caster DPS Guide & Best Runes – Phase 4 Season of Discovery (SoD)

Welcome to the SoD Phase 4 Elemental Shaman Caster DPS Guide!

This guide focuses exclusively on the Elemental specialization, exploring key components such as Runes, Talent Trees, Stat Priorities, Rotations & Abilities, Best Professions, BiS (Best in Slot) items, and Race Choices. The new Rune System introduced in the Season of Discovery has granted Elemental Shaman a plethora of new passive and active effects that vastly improve its overall play style. Thanks to all those quality-of-life improvements, Elemental Shaman DPS no longer feels like a “Two-Button Spam” specialization, instead, having a far more refined identity.

Talents

Runes

• Helm: Burn
• Cloak: Storm, Earth, and Fire
• Chest: Overload
• Wrist: Rolling Thunder
• Hands: Lava Burst
• Waist: Power Surge
• Legs: Greater Ghost Wolf/Ancestral Guidance
• Feet: Spirit of the Alpha
• Ring: Nature Specialization
• Ring: Fire Specialization

Stat Priority

1. Hit Chance
2. Spell Damage
3. Critical Strike Chance
4. Intellect
5. MP5
6. Spirit
7. Stamina

Rotations & Abilities

Single-Target Rotation

1. Cast Flametongue Weapon and maintain it
2. Cast Lightning Shield and maintain it
3. Place Totems and prioritize Searing Totem, Strength of Earth Totem, Mana Spring Totem, and Grace of Air Totem/Windfury Totem
   • Reposition totems when needed with Totemic Projection
4. Prioritize using Elemental Mastery for the following situations
   • Prioritize using Elemental Mastery for Lava Burst if you can’t reapply Flame Shock in time and Lava Burst is off cooldown
   • Prioritize using Elemental Mastery for Chain Lightning if Lava Burst is on cooldown
5. Cast Flame Shock and aim to upkeep it as much as possible
6. Cast Lava Burst on cooldown
   • Don’t cast Lava Burst if your target is not afflicted by Flame Shock
7. Cast Earth Shock to unleash Lightning Shield charges created by Rolling Thunder
8. Cast Lightning Bol (Main Ability)
9. Cast Shamanistic Rage on cooldown to regenerate mana and provide replenishment for your allies

AoE Rotation

1. Cast Flametongue Weapon and maintain it
2. Cast Lightning Shield and maintain it
3. Spread Flame Shock to as many targets as possible
4. Place Fire Nova Totem on cooldown
5. Place Magma Totem after Fire Nova Totem expires
6. Cast Chain Lightning on cooldown
   • Cast Chain Lightning on every Power Surge reset
7. Cast Lava Burst on cooldown in between Chain Lightning casts

Best Professions

Leatherworking

Leatherworking is among the top professions for a class such as Shaman, providing the ability to craft Leather Armor and Mail Armor. Moreover, Leatherworking provides access to special epic recipes in the Season of Discovery, granting Elemental Shaman powerful equipment that will greatly increase overall performance.

Engineering

Being known as one of the top professions in both PvE and PvP in the Classic Era, Engineering’s reputation remains true in the Season of Discovery as well. It grants access to powerful bombs, various gadgets, and even specially crafted equipment that can be used to enhance your overall performance.

Enchanting

Enchanting allows you to imbue equipment with special effects while also allowing you to disenchant any item into magical essences. In the Season of Discovery, Enchanting grants access to powerful sigils which can be used to gain a large amount of Spell Damage.

Skinning

Skinning is a viable alternative for gold and material generation in case you pick Leatherworking. This profession is one of the easiest to grind as all you have to do is kill mobs in the world and skin their pelts.

Best Races

The Shaman Class can only be picked by the Horde faction, being available for 3 specific races. The best possible option for Elemental Shaman Caster DPS is Berserking thanks to the Casting Speed buff that it offers. Sadly, since Blood Fury only works if you pick the Mental Dexterity rune which is no longer viable, Orcs won’t bring any valuable racial effect.

Orc

• Blood Fury, Command, Hardiness, Axe Specialization

Undead

• Will of the Forsaken, Shadow Resistance, Cannibalize, Underwater Breathing

Troll

• Berserking, Beast Slaying, Bow Specialization, Throwing Specialization, Regeneration