Shaman Tank Guide & Best Runes – Phase 4 Season of Discovery (SoD)

Welcome to the SoD Phase 4 Shaman Tank Guide!

This guide focuses exclusively on the Shaman Tank build, 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 finally granted shamans a long-forgotten dream, the ability to become tanks! Shamans now have a plethora of passive effects and new abilities that allow them to fulfill the role of a tank, providing new and exciting gameplay for any who wish to try this specific play style.

Talents

Runes

• Helm: Mental Dexterity/Burn
• Cloak: Feral Spirit
• Chest: Shield Mastery
• Wrist: Overcharged
• Hands: Molten Blast
• Waist: Maelstrom Weapon
• Legs: Way of Earth
• Feet: Spirit of the Alpha
• Ring: Axe Specialization/Mace Specialization
• Ring: Defense Specialization

Stat Priority

1. Hit Chance
2. Spell Damage
3. Stamina
4. Agility
5. Intellect
6. Strength
7. Armor

Rotations & Abilities

Single-Target Rotation

1. Maintain Rockbiter Weapon
2. Cast Lightning Shield and maintain it
3. Prioritize casting Feral Spirit at the beginning of the encounter
4. Place Totems as soon as you position yourself
5. Prioritize using Searing Totem for Threat Generation
6. Prioritize using Stoneskin Totem if you have the T1 6-item set bonus
7. Cast Flame Shock on cooldown and upkeep it 100% of the time
8. Cast Molten Blast on cooldown and every Flame Shock refresh
9. Cast Stormstrike on cooldown
   • Cast Stormstrike to upkeep Mental Dexterity
10. Cast Lightning Bolt every time you reach 5 stacks of Maelstrom Weapon
11. Cast Earth Shock
    • Cast Earth Shock to taunt targets in melee range
    • Cast Earth Shock on cooldown as long as you don’t need to taunt a target

AoE Rotation

1. Maintain Rockbiter Weapon
2. Cast Molten Blast on cooldown and every Flame Shock refresh
3. Cast Flame Shock on as many targets as possible
   • Swap to the Burn rune for packs of AoE Trash Mobs that have at least 5 targets
   • Swap back to Mental Dexterity for Boss Fights that feature Cleave scenarios (2-4 targets)
4. Cast Magma Totem
5. Cast Chain Lightning every time you reach 5 stacks of Maelstrom Weapon

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 Shaman Tank powerful equipment that would help in any dangerous situation.

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.

Skinning

Skinning is a viable alternative for both 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 is a pick between Troll and Tauren depending on your preferences. Trolls bring Berserking which can be potentially very strong for Threat Generation and DPS if you manage to activate the 30% bonus while Tauren brings Endurance which is a solid and reliable HP stat boost passive effect. Orc is the worst choice for Shaman Tanks as it can only benefit from Hardiness and Axe Specialization since Blood Fury‘s double-edged effect is far too dangerous for tanks.

Orc

• Blood Fury, Command, Hardiness, Axe Specialization

Tauren

• Nature Resistance, Endurance, Cultivation, War Stomp

Troll

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