Enhancement Shaman Guide - The War Within 11.0.2

Before we start our WoW The War Within Enhancement Shaman guide, let us tell you the good news about this specialization: in The War Within expansion, Enhancement Shaman is much more playable in Mythic+ Keys (which is the most popular end-game content, whether you like it or not) than it was in Shadowlands.

 

Enhancement Shaman’s Pros and Cons

Enhancement Shaman provides players with a versatile toolkit for various situations. However, as with any other class in the game, Enhancement Shaman has its own pros and cons:

Enhancement Shaman Gameplay Overview

As in previous expansions, in WoW The War Within Enhancement is a melee specialization that combines both Physical attacks and Elemental spells into a fast-paced combat style. It places a heavy emphasis on effects that amplify the strength of different abilities. Now, however, this specialization has a lot more playable builds than before. BLOG20

The gameplay revolves around three main pillars:

1. Managing ability cooldowns;
2. Monitoring Maelstrom Weapon stacks;
3. Reacting to procs.

As an Enhancement player, you will need to closely follow one of your rotations, the one which is better suited for certain situations than others. While being great against single-targets and in funnel or cleave situations, you can adapt to large target counts as well (while not being as cool AoE-wise as, say, Unholy Death Knight). Additionally, Ench Sham has a solid utility toolkit for M+ Dungeons and can provide other melee players in our party with a damage-increasing boost through Windfury Totem, which is actually very significant, so you better always keep an eye on who you have in your group and change your talents accordingly. Believe us, classes like Rogues, Warriors, and DPS Paladins will be more than grateful for your Windfury Totem.

 

Enhancement Shaman Basics

Enhancement gameplay involves multiple mechanics that often happen simultaneously, resulting in a fast-paced gameplay experience that requires both planning and lightning-fast decision-making. There are three essential things you need to constantly keep in mind if you want to enjoy Enhancement Shaman gameplay:

• Maelstrom Weapon stacks management. This is crucial for your performance, as it enables our strongest abilities to become instant-cast. (These include Elemental Blast, Lava Burst, Lightning Bolt, and Chain Lightning.) Properly generating this resource and preventing waste by not exceeding 10 stacks is key to executing Enhancement properly.
• While Maelstrom Weapon management takes priority, keeping your rotational abilities on cooldown as much as possible is also important, as it often provides the best means of generating stacks. This step was previously the most crucial loop and remains an integral part of the rotation, requiring you to plan ahead and adapt mid-flow to account for potential gaps.
• The final component is reacting to procs, which causes the rotation to fluctuate. It is crucial to keep up with powerful procs such as Ascendance and Hot Hand windows to maximize their potential, which is a core aspect of any build that utilizes them.

Enhancement Shaman Mechanics Explained

In this section, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of the tools available to the Enhancement specialization. Here, you will find a description of all the spells, passives, and talents available for the specialization with some useful tips about core aspects of Enhancement Shaman gameplay. This information can also serve as a glossary to reference things mentioned throughout this article. Even experienced players will find this helpful, given the complexity of Ench Shaman gameplay.

If you're leveling as Enhancement, you may not have access to all the abilities and passives listed here until you reach higher levels. However, our The War Within Leveling Guide can help you determine what to aim for and when you'll unlock certain key tools.

Resources

Enhancement Shaman operates differently from most other specs because this spec does not rely on a primary resource bar. Instead, Maelstrom Weapon stacks serve as a pseudo-resource, providing power to many potent spells and enabling instant casting. Furthermore, you can even consider rotational ability cooldowns as a resource since they often contribute to generating these stacks without incurring any cost, thereby adding an extra layer to the gameplay experience, similar to builder-spender specializations.

Aside from Maelstrom Weapon stacks, you also have Mana at your disposal, which you can use to cast various utility spells like Healing Surge and Purge. To make casting these spells more efficient, utilizing Macros and Addons can be highly advantageous, especially in PVP.

Regardless of the talents you select, these abilities comprise the fundamental components of the specialization, arranged in alphabetical order.

• Ancestral Spirit - Revives a fallen ally within a 40-yard range by expending 4% of your Mana, though it requires 10 seconds to cast and cannot be used during combat.
• Astral Recall - With a cooldown of 10 minutes and a casting time of 10 seconds, this ability transports you to your existing Hearthstone location. It is important to note that it doesn't share a cooldown with your standard Hearthstone, so it is pretty handy.
• Bloodlust / Heroism - This ability raises Haste by 30% for a duration of 40 seconds for all party and raid members within a 100-yard radius, at the cost of 21.5% Mana. However, it results in the Sated/Exhaustion debuff affecting all affected allies, barring them from experiencing similar effects (such as Time Warp, Primal Rage, Fury of the Aspects) for the next 10 minutes.
• Dual Wield - This feature permits the usage of one-handed weapons in both hands. All your primary melee attacks like Stormstrike, Ice Strike, and Lava Lash require you to have one-handed weapons equipped.
• Earthbind Totem - This ability enables you to deploy a totem with a 40-yard effective range radius, which hinders the movement speed of adjacent enemies within 10 yards by 50% for 5 seconds. The duration of this effect renews as long as the enemies remain within the specified area. The totem persists for 20 seconds and has a cooldown of 30 seconds.
• Far Sight - By using this ability, you can alter your in-game camera perspective to a specific location, and maintain it for one minute. Additionally, you can recast it from a new viewpoint to move it even further away.
• Flametongue Weapon - This ability imbues your off-hand weapon with the power of Fire, causing all your melee attacks to deal extra low Fire damage. Moreover, when your weapon is imbued, Lava Lash damage is increased by 100%. It is recommended to keep this ability active at all times.
• Flame Shock - Deals low fire damage instantly to your target and applies a moderate Fire damage DoT effect for 18 seconds, with a 6-second cooldown and a 40-yard range. Maintained in most situations, and can be refreshed automatically with the Molten Assault talent.
• Ghost Wolf - This ability enables you to transform into a wolf, granting you a 30% increase in movement speed and preventing any effects that could slow you down below 100%. However, while in this form, you will not be able to cast any abilities. This transformation is useful when you need to escape from danger or when your mobility is more crucial than dealing damage. You will use this ability all the time.
• Healing Surge - This ability allows you to heal your current target within a 40-yard range without any cooldown, but with a Mana cost of 24%. Additionally, the cast time of this ability can be decreased by Maelstrom Weapon.
• Lightning Bolt - This ability inflicts significant Nature damage to your target, within a range of 40 yards. Although it requires a 2-second cast time, it can be made instantly with the help of Maelstrom Weapon. It is primarily used as a finisher tool in single-target situations, allowing you to efficiently consume your resources.
• Lightning Shield - A self-buff that lasts for 60 minutes, causing you to deal Nature damage to enemies that strike you with melee attacks. These hits have a 50% chance to generate a stack of Maelstrom Weapon when triggered. This buff should be maintained at all times in solo content to generate additional resources. However, it is exclusive to Earth Elemental unless Elemental Orbit is taken.
• Reincarnation - Allows you to resurrect yourself with 40% maximum Health and up to 40% Mana when you die, with a 30-minute cooldown. This ignores the Battle Resurrection limit in combat and can be helpful if caught off guard. However, the long cooldown means it is often saved for emergency situations.
• Stormbringer - A proc with a 5% chance (increased by Mastery rating) that can trigger from special attacks. When activated, it resets the cooldown of Stormstrike. This can trigger from: Stormstrike, Lava Lash, Crash Lightning (active casts), Windfury Weapon, Sundering, and Ice Strike.
• Water Walking - Grants the targeted ally within 30 yards the ability to walk on water for 10 minutes. However, taking damage cancels this effect. Obviously, not the most useful ability in your arsenal.

Enhancement Shaman Talents

In this section we are going to thoroughly explain every talent in the Enhancement Shaman talent tree, so, to make it shorter and more easy to use we have decided to divide all talents into 3 categories, based on where they are in the talent tree.

Rows 1-4

Your playstyle's foundation is built by these talents, which consist of many of your fundamental abilities.

• Stormstrike - Strikes with both weapons, triggers weapon imbues, generates a high amount of Maelstrom Weapon.
• Windfury Weapon - Main-hand imbue triggers special bonus attacks on main-hand auto-attacks and ability hits.
• Lava Lash - Deals moderate Fire damage, increased by 100% if Flametongue Weapon is imbued on your off-hand weapon.
• Forceful Winds - Grants a cycling buff that increases Windfury Weapon damage stacking up to 5, but does not refresh itself.
• Improved Maelstrom Weapon - Maelstrom Weapon stacks increase the damage of affected spells by 10/20% per stack consumed.
• Molten Assault - Reduces the cooldown of Lava Lash by 3/6 seconds, and casts against a target affected by Flame Shock reapplies the effect and spreads it to 2/4 nearby enemies.
• Unruly Winds - Windfury Weapon procs trigger a third attack.
• Raging Maelstrom - Increases the maximum number of Maelstrom Weapon stacks to 10 and increases the damage dealt by spells that consume the effect by an additional 5% per stack.
• Ice Strike - Deals moderate Frost damage with your main-hand weapon and increases the damage of your next Frost Shock by 100%.
• Hailstorm - Maelstrom Weapon spending abilities give Hailstorm stacks that increase the damage of your next Frost Shock cast and cause it to hit an additional target per stack.
• Fire Nova - Causes all active Flame Shock stacks on your enemies to erupt, dealing Fire damage to up to 6 nearby enemies.

To advance to the next section of the talent tree, you will need to spend at least 8 out of 13 points available in this section. Thus, most builds will include many of these abilities. While every talent in this section (except Stormstrike) is technically optional, the following talents are highly recommended due to their versatility and essential role in all Enhancement Shaman builds:

1. Lava Lash;
2. Improved Maelstrom Weapon (2 points);
3. Raging Maelstrom;
4. Molten Assault (1 point).

After this point, your primary decision will be whether to focus your build on Physical damage effects with Stormstrike and Windfury Weapon or on the Magic side of the tree with Lava Lash and other related talents. Both options have single-target and AoE variants, so your choice here will often dictate your path down the tree based on which damage profile (either sustained or burst) you desire and personal preference.

 

Rows 5-7

The talents in this section set the general theme of your build and provide a range of tools to specialize in various damage delivery profiles.

• Elemental Blast - Inflicts massive Elemental damage on your target and grants a 10-second buff that increases either Critical Strike, Haste, or Mastery by 3% or 6%. If you have the Lava Burst talent, you gain an additional charge. This is typically used in single-target builds.
• Sundering - Deals heavy Flamestrike damage to enemies in a line in front of you and briefly disorients them.
• Overflowing Maelstrom - Allows Maelstrom Weapon spenders to consume up to 10 stacks at once instead of 5.
• Swirling Maelstrom - Makes Hailstorm, Fire Nova, and Ice Strike generate Maelstrom Weapon when used.
• Windfury Totem - Drops a totem at your feet for 2 minutes that grants party members a 20% chance of triggering an additional auto-attack, which can activate on-hit effects. This raid buff is exclusive to Enhancement and is crucial in raids or compositions with other melee classes.
• Hot Hand - Gives your auto-attacks a 5% chance to trigger an 8-second buff that reduces the cooldown of Lava Lash and increases its damage. This reactive proc is essential for Elementalist builds and provides significant throughput.
• Ashen Catalyst - Gives Flame Shock ticks a stacking buff that increases the damage of your next Lava Lash by 12% and reduces its cooldown by 0.5 seconds. This is crucial in all situations, especially funnel.
• Lashing Flames - Applies a debuff on the target for 20 seconds when Lava Lash is used, increasing the damage the target takes from your Flame Shock effect by 100%. This is the basis for the Flame Shock multi-Dot playstyle.
• Doom Winds - Adds a cooldown that significantly increases the proc chance of Windfury Weapon and increases its damage dealt by 10% for 8 seconds when used. It is on the global cooldown and causes a small main-hand strike when used.
• Storm's Wrath - Increases the Mastery stat's gains on the proc chance for Stormbringer and Windfury Weapon by 150%, improving Mastery scaling for Physical builds.
• Stormflurry - Gives Stormstrike a 25% chance to strike your target again for 40% of the damage dealt and can chain off itself. The extra hits can activate any of your weapon procs and effects.
• Stormblast - Empowered Stormstrike casts with Stormbringer deal an additional 25% damage as Nature. This adds an extra Mastery scaling component into Physical builds in single-target.
• Crash Lightning - Deals Nature damage in a 120-degree cone in front of you. If 2 or more targets are hit, you gain a buff that causes Stormstrike, Ice Strike, and Lava Lash to trigger a Nature damage splash when used. The initial casts can activate Windfury Weapon imbue, and this is your primary source of sustained AoE.
• Crashing Storms - Increases the damage of your Crash Lightning by 40% and makes your Chain Lightning jump to 2 additional targets. This talent is used in most high-target AoE situations.

This section of the talent tree offers a significant number of talents. However, you will need to allocate your points carefully, as you will likely want to spend 10-12 points above the 8-point gate and another 8-10 points below the 20-point gate, leaving only 8-12 points to spend here. This makes it crucial to pick the type of your damage profile within this part of the talent tree.

Depending on your choices made above the 8-point gate, you will likely want to continue specializing along the left or right sides of the tree:

1. For physical builds, it is recommended to specialize in abilities that have extra interactions with Stormstrike, such as Doom Winds, Stormflurry, and Storm's Wrath. Additionally, Stormblast can be picked up here to specialize in single-target damage.
2. On the other hand, Elementalists tend to take similar core talents regardless of target count, completing the right side of the tree with the Fire talents: Hot Hand, Ashen Catalyst, and Lashing Flames.

Regardless of build, Sundering and Storm's Wrath can be used to reach Elemental Blast for a powerful single-target finisher. Also, Crash Lightning and Crashing Storms can be taken to add more AoE to your toolkit. Overflowing Maelstrom is essential in most builds because of its high Maelstrom Weapon generation, which allows for the condensing of GCDs required to use the resource. Finally, Windfury Totem is a useful addition to any build, especially in raid situations, providing unique damage-increasing utility to your party.

Rows 8-10

The last rows of the talent tree determine the skills you have available for cooldowns and the type of damage your build specializes in. The talents you choose below the 20-point line are usually influenced by the decisions you made earlier in the tree.

• Elemental Assault - Provides flat Stormstrike damage and guaranteed Maelstrom Weapon generation, making it appealing for Physical builds.
• Legacy of the Frost Witch - A good end talent for Physical builds, giving another multiplier on top of other effects to increase damage dealt by Physical abilities and further increasing access to Stormstrike.
• Primordial Wave - Provides a strong finisher ability that can also be used for large damage to up to 6 targets, suitable for the Elementalist build as a mid-range burst tool, but Physical builds can also take this to pair with Doom Winds.
• Primal Maelstrom - Generates 10 Maelstrom Weapon stacks when cast, allowing it to set itself up and deliver burst damage on demand without setup.
• Splintered Elements - Leverages additional Lightning Bolts it echoes for a short but potent Haste buff, especially in multi-target situations.
• Feral Spirit - Summons two wolves for 15 seconds, and each active wolf increases Physical damage dealt by your abilities by 15% stacking multiplicatively. Generates a stack of Maelstrom Weapon every 3 seconds while active.
• Witch Doctor's Ancestry - Increases the chance to trigger Maelstrom Weapon and causes each stack generated to reduce the cooldown of Feral Spirit by 1/2 seconds, improving the frequency and uptime of the effect.
• Elemental Spirits - Specifically for the Elementalist build, replaces Physical damage bonus with wolves that buff Fire, Frost, or Nature damage chosen randomly.
• Alpha Wolf - Taken by Physical AoE builds to give each of your wolf spawns uncapped AoE damage if needed.
• Deeply Rooted Elements - Gives access to the Ascendance effect that deals massive damage when triggered and converts Stormstrike into Windstrike, which has a significantly lower cooldown, ignores armor and has a 30-yard range. Physical single-target builds will always default to this as it provides huge damage windows.
• Static Accumulation - Causes the Ascendance effect to generate 1/2 Maelstrom Weapon every second while active, giving a surge of resources when triggered.
• Thorim's Invocation - Causes Windstrike to discharge up to 5 stacks of Maelstrom Weapon to fire a Lightning Bolt/Chain Lightning, allowing you to consume excess stacks for huge burst damage.

Once you get to the last rows of the talent tree, you will have a maximum of 10 points left to allocate, and you likely have already chosen a build archetype. Therefore, your decisions will be primarily based on intuition, as most abilities in this section favor a particular damage profile or Magic school. It is nearly certain that all builds will include Feral Spirit and Witch Doctor's Ancestry, while Elementalist builds will pick Elemental Spirits and Physical builds will avoid it. However, Physical builds will always allocate at least nine points to obtain the wolves talents mentioned above, followed by choosing between completing either the Primordial Wave or Deeply Rooted Elements tracks, with 1-3 points assigned to either Legacy of the Frost Witch or Elemental Assault.

Nonetheless, it's possible to diverge from this approach depending on the demands of a specific encounter, so you will always have more or less flexibility with our talent options.

Enhancement Shaman Talents Tips

Enhancement Shamans have Chain Lightning and Maelstrom Weapon by default, with only a few additional damage-boosting talents available in the Shaman class tree that should be included in every build. These talents are:

1. Lava Burst;
2. Frost Shock;
3. Flurry;
4. Fire and Ice;
5. Nature's Fury.

It's also advisable to allocate points to Totemic Projection to move the Windfury Totem, which can be accomplished with a simple macro and will make your life much easier.

Furthermore, all builds should include a variety of defensive and mobility talents to enhance survivability and maneuverability. Defensive talents include:

• Astral Shift;
• Planes Traveler/Astral Bulwark;
• Earth Shield;
• Earth Elemental;
• Brimming with Life;
• Elemental Warding;
• Ancestral Defense.

Your mobility talents are:

• Spirit Walk/Gust of Wind;
• Wind Rush Totem;
• Spirit Wolf/Thunderous Paws;
• Go with the Flow.

While not all defensive or mobility talents are required, incorporating an appropriate number of each is recommended for optimal performance. The remaining points can be assigned based on specific utility, crowd control, or pathing requirements. However, including some of the following generally applicable utility options is strongly suggested:

• Wind Shear;
• Mana Spring;
• Capacitor Totem;
• Ancestral Guidance;
• Thunderstorm;
• Thundershock;
• Cleanse Spirit;
• Purge.

Notably, Mana Spring can provide a substantial passive boost to raid healers by providing extra mana with minimal cost and effort, making it a valuable choice in most situations.

Enhancement Shaman Builds

The following section is designed to provide you with a selection of quick and easy builds for your Enhancement Shaman, tailored to different situations. To maximize your potential, keep in mind that Enhancement Shamans currently benefit from building their entire kit around a specific type of damage, due to the strong synergies between certain abilities. As such, we have compiled two categories of builds:

1. Elementalist builds, which revolve around Lava Lash and Magic damage;
2. Physical builds, which prioritize Stormstrike and Physical damage.

Each category includes a single-target raid-focused build, as well as an equivalent AoE Mythic+ build. To try them out yourself just use the following codes:

Elementalist Raid Build

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The main objective of this Enhancement Shaman raid build is to maximize single-target damage output. However, certain talents such as Hailstorm, Primordial Wave, and Lashing Flames are also taken to provide additional free cleave damage and contribute to achieving the build’s primary goal. While the build does make some compromises for situations that require sustained area of effect damage, it excels in dealing damage to bosses. Additionally, some points in the build are flexible enough to allow for adjustments when necessary. This build takes advantage of all three elements that Elemental Spirits can trigger, ensuring high-value global cooldowns alongside Elemental Blast for frequent burst windows.

Elementalist Mythic+ Build

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The primary purpose of this build is to maintain a versatile damage profile that is suitable for Mythic+ scenarios, which require a balance between different types of damage. However, this build does compromise on Elemental Blast in favor of including Crash Lightning and Crashing Storms, which are more effective for AoE damage. This is because in situations with multiple enemies, all Maelstrom Weapon is allocated to Chain Lightning, which becomes more valuable. The gameplay loop also requires careful management of multi-DoT maintenance for Flame Shock, but it provides excellent sustained cleave damage.

The build utilizes frequent heavy bursts by combining Primordial Wave and Splintered Elements, and it can handle various target counts and perform exceptionally well in funnel damage situations. However, it may struggle slightly in uncapped area of effect damage scenarios. The class tree also includes a utility suite that is more suited to Mythic+ content. The allocation of some points in this build can be flexible, depending on the specific dungeon, affix, and composition discussed on our Mythic+ page.

Physical Raid Build

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This build focuses solely on maximizing the potential of your Physical weapon attacks and imbues in Stormstrike and Windfury Weapon. While it offers an extremely high potential for damage output, it heavily relies on random chances, particularly with the help of Deeply Rooted Elements. This build generates a significant amount of Maelstrom Weapon, which results in a high uptime on Feral Spirit. As a result, it is effortless to layer the buff over all of the cooldowns, including Doom Winds. However, the downside is that it lacks any significant cleaving or area of effect damage, making it exclusively single-target focused.

Additionally, the build's inconsistency can make it less appealing, particularly during progression. It is also hard to properly estimate the amount of damage this build is capable of unleashing.

Physical Mythic+ Build

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This build deviates significantly from the single-target Physic build by sacrificing some of the talent options in favor of incorporating some AoE options. This includes Crash Lightning, Crashing Storms, and Alpha Wolf to provide uncapped area of effect damage while capitalizing on the high Maelstrom Weapon generation and Feral Spirit uptime. Additionally, the build includes Primordial Wave to pair the Splintered Elements Haste window with Doom Winds. This enables extra casts of Crash Lightning while it is active, resulting in uncapped burst area of effect damage through the individual Windfury Weapon procs.

This Physical AoE build is slightly less effective than the Elementalist AoE build since available talent points are more limited, necessitating a trade-off in one damage area to prioritize another. However, this build can still be effective and outperform the Elementalist AoE build under the right conditions. There is also some flexibility to hybridize the build further based on the specific dungeon being run.

Enhancement Shaman PvP Talents and Tips

Enhancement Shamans have become a force to be reckoned with in The War Within PvP due to the formidable Doom Winds and Elemental Blast cooldowns. Additionally, this specialization has a very good sustained damage output, because your Windfury Weapon has received significant buffs in the latest expansion.

Enhancement Shaman can unleash plenty of devastating melee bursts while being able to control and damage his enemies from a distance. Top it up with multiple interrupts, very decent utility, and self-healing and you get your dream melee fighter.

No class in World of Warcraft is perfect, of course, so Enhancement Shaman has his own weaknesses. One of them is that the Enhancement Shaman has a very predictable burst damage profile, which can be mitigated by almost any other class if your opponent knows what he is doing. Enhancement Shaman also has limited crowd-control abilities. You will have access to only a single defensive cooldown, and your damage output is reliant on uptime.

To maximize their damage potential and survivability, Enhancement Shamans should utilize instant utility spells like Wind Shear and Capacitor Totem. This will create great opportunities for devastating bursts of damage.

In the Arena, before the gates open, it's important to have a good crowd control plan. Although Enhancement Shamans lack strong crowd control abilities, they can still use Hex and Capacitor Totem if someone is standing close to them.

If the opposing team has the ability to fear your healer, Tremor Totem can be a useful utility spell. Also, setting a focus target on the enemy team member who will likely be using crowd control spells, such as Polymorph or Fear, can help you know when to use Wind Shear and Grounding Totem to prevent the enemy from controlling your allies.

Speaking about your DPS rotation, below you will find some very basic tips on how you should deal damage as an Enhancement Shaman:

• Approach your enemy while applying Flame Shock along with Windfury Weapon (if you have the talent) and keep both of them maintained;
• Use Stormstrike to generate Maelstrom Weapon, and use it again when you have a Stormbringer proc;
• When you have 10 Maelstrom Weapon stacks, cast Elemental Blast;
• As filler abilities, use Lava Lash and, if talented, Crash Lightning;
• When you have 10 Maelstrom Weapon stacks, you can also use Lightning Bolt if your Elemental Blast is on cooldown;
• Save your Maelstrom Weapon stacks for later use with Healing Surge;
• Use Frost Shock whenever it's available, slowing down enemies never hurts;
• Take advantage of your utility spells like Healing Stream Totem, Windfury Totem, Earthbind Totem, Earthgrab Totem, or Earth Shield.

As to your burst location, it will be roughly like this:

• When attempting to defeat an enemy with a controlled enemy healer, utilize your burst damage. You can either stun the target with Capacitor Totem or have your team do it, rendering the enemy unable to move or defend themselves.
• Once you've amassed 10 stacks of Maelstrom Weapon, be sure to have Windfury Totem nearby if you have that talent. Next, use Feral Spirit, followed by Primordial Wave on the kill target. Then, use Static Field Totem on the kill target.
• Use Lava Lash with stacks of Ashen Catalyst and Hot Hand, if you have that talent. Also, use Lightning Bolt, Stormstrike, and Lava Lash until you have 10 stacks of Maelstrom Weapon. Afterwards, utilize Elemental Blast.
• If you're using Sundering, make sure to use it. If you get a Stormbringer proc, use Stormstrike immediately. Crash Lightning and Frost Shock can be used as fillers.
• It's a good idea to store your Maelstrom Weapon stacks to save for later use with Healing Surge.

Enhancement Shaman Best-In-Slot Gear

Due to the various sources of gear and limited availability of loot in The War Within, pursuing your absolute Best in Slot gear may not be entirely feasible.

Although raid drops are typically the most dependable way of obtaining high item level gear, many other items can be just as effective, if not better. To determine your own BiS gear based on what's accessible to you, refer to the Enhancement Shaman stat priority:

• Mastery > Haste > Critical Strike > Versatility.

Note, however, that Agility remains the most important stat, so it's generally worthwhile to choose higher item level gear over optimized Enhancement Shaman stats.

Raid Gear

While obtaining raid items may be more predictable than Mythic+ ones, there's typically significant competition for high-value items and only a few opportunities each week to obtain them. Don't dismiss upgrades simply because they lack ideal stats; if the item level increase is significant, it's often worth sacrificing some stats to improve overall performance. Generally, Enhancement Shamans should prioritize items with both Mastery and Haste, with a preference for Mastery for Elementalist and Haste for Physical, though ideally both stats should be present.

Please note that the list below exclusively features Raid pieces, and doesn't include potentially superior items from Mythic+ or Crafting.

Mythic+ Gear

Mythic+ Dungeons represent a greater challenge in obtaining the absolute best in slot compared to Raids. This means that achieving a perfectly geared character is unlikely, so prioritize obtaining pieces depending on your stats priority.

The list below only features Mythic+ pieces and doesn't consider potentially superior items from Raids or Crafting.

Best Trinkets for Enhancement Shaman

As an Enhancement Shaman, the recommended approach for selecting trinkets is to pair one on-use trinket (preferably with a stat boost unless it provides an exceptionally high damage effect) with one passive trinket - either a stat or damage proc. We synchronize our cooldowns with the on-use trinket, while relying on the passive effects of the other trinket, since our cooldowns are typically utilized all at once, and the lockout on double on-use trinkets restricts us from fully utilizing a second one.

Below is a ranking of trinkets for The War Within Season 1:

Enhancement Shaman Embellishments

When crafting your gear, you can use special effects called Embellishments. They can provide additional minor benefits to the item if the craft is successful. However, these effects are considered secondary and should not be the primary consideration when deciding what to craft. Generally, the slot should be the deciding factor with only a few exceptions. Since you're limited to two Embellishments, it's recommended to use one for your early crafts for free added performance. Here are some Embellishments worth considering:

• Elemental Lariat - This effect takes up one Embellishment slot and has a relatively high uptime on your chosen proc (ideally Haste or Mastery) based on the gems equipped. Most often this is your Best-in-Slot Embellishment.
• Venom-Steeped Stompers - This allows you to trade out unwanted stats (Crit or Vers) for Haste or Mastery with a fairly good uptime, and only requires one Embellishment slot. Although it doesn't come with ideal stats, it's still a good choice.
• Fang Adornments / Bronzed Grip Wrappings (weapon only) - This adds an additional single-target proc to your weapon, but can only be used on these slots. It's not amazing, but it's still added damage.
• Potion Absorption Inhibitor - This provides an extra 15 seconds on your potion, allowing it to fully overlap with Bloodlust for burn windows. More potion uptime means more value for you.
• Blue Silken Lining - This gives around 2.5x~ gems worth of extra Mastery, which is a solid extra bump to your damage output, as long as you can consistently remain above the threshold. However, this isn't always reliable (especially in raids), so your mileage may vary.
• Alchemical Flavor Pocket - Although this technically gives no combat benefit, it currently does not cost an Embellishment slot (despite being added in the same way). It helps maintain your food buff in scenarios where you may not have the time to re-use it, such as dying and ankhing, or in Mythic+ runs.

Note that the Horizon Strider's Garments set provides almost constant uptime and around 500~ Haste, but requires two Embellishments to activate, which locks you out of other early crafts. Additionally, the set has average stats and clashes with Tier. Therefore, while it may eventually be a good craft, it's not recommended for early use.

Best Primordial Stones for Enhancement Shaman

The introduction of the Onyx Annulet ring was a highly anticipated addition to the game, finally made available in the 10.0.7 patch. By incorporating different Primordial Stones into the ring, players can acquire unique and valuable effects that are otherwise unattainable. This article section provides a guide on which specific Primordial Stones are best suited for various activities, allowing players to specialize and optimize their gameplay experience.

Raids

• Desirous Blood Stone - This item is an ideal choice for extended battles, as it provides the ability to inflict additional Shadow damage and replenish health.
• Prophetic Twilight Stone - This item enables a complementary interaction between your damaging and healing Primordial Stone effects.
• Freezing Ice Stone - This item offers the opportunity to deal Frost damage and temporarily slow down an enemy.

Mythic+ Dungeons

• Desirous Blood Stone - Same as in raids this is a very good choice for long encounters, which will be more than helpful during the Tyrannical week.
• Prophetic Twilight Stone - Helps for a complementary interaction between your damaging and healing Primordial Stone effects.
• Storm Infused Stone (2-4 targets) - If Critical Strike is one of your preferred secondary stats, this item will trigger frequently.
• Pestilent Plague Stone (5+ targets) - This item enables you to deal a substantial amount of AoE damage, making it particularly useful for this type of activity.

World Content

When it comes to open-world activities such as World Quests and Invasions, there are several flexible and enjoyable options to consider. It's worth experimenting with the available Primordial Stones to find what works best for you. Here are some recommended Primordial Stones that offer both defensive and offensive benefits when socketed into your Onyx Annulet:

• Necromantic Death Stone;
• Gleaming Iron Stone;
• Shining Obsidian Stone.

Enhancement Shaman Leveling Guide

While the leveling process in The War Within has become notably easier, there are still some tips that can help you level up faster and more efficiently. One such tip is to use a particular build that allows you to swiftly clear out large groups of enemies. Below, you'll find the optimal talent setup for this specialization to aid in your leveling journey.

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Also, we strongly recommend you to keep in mind the following tips:

• To maximize your potential damage or healing output, it's best to wait until you have 5 stacks of Maelstrom Weapon before using a spell. In the meantime, use other abilities to generate more stacks.
• Remember to re-imbue your weapons with Windfury Weapon and Flametongue Weapon every hour, as they are a significant source of damage and Maelstrom Weapon generation (in the case of Windfury Weapon). The same applies to Lightning Shield, which generates a large amount of Maelstrom Weapon when you're under attack.
• Use ranged spells like Flame Shock, Purge, Wind Shear, or Maelstrom Weapon spenders to tag distant enemies and group them together before unleashing your AoE arsenal.
• If you're having trouble surviving, keep some Maelstrom Weapon stacked for emergency Healing Surge casts to keep yourself healthy.
• Now that talents can be changed anywhere as long as you're out of combat, create and save different loadouts for different situations, and switch when needed. For questing, use a build with a mix of single-target and AoE abilities. For handling dangerous elite enemies, switch to a more cooldown-focused build that includes abilities like Elemental Blast, Doom Winds, and Ascendance, along with a robust mix of defensives and healing.

If you're feeling weary of the leveling process, keep in mind the rewards that await you at level 80. At this point, you'll unlock all types of end-game content, including raiding and Mythic+. These activities provide access to the most potent armor and weapons in the game.

However, to ensure a successful completion of raids or dungeons, you'll need to team up with skillful players. If you don't have any companions to play with or want to guarantee the acquisition of desired loot, consider using our World of Warcraft Boosting available at the best market price. Our professional players will happily take on any boss or clear any dungeon you're struggling with in the blink of an eye.

How to Become a Better Enhancement Shaman in The War Within

We would like to share some tips for Enhancement Shaman in the 11.0.2 patch to help you improve your gameplay. These tips include the following:

• Learn your specialization: Take the time to understand your class's abilities and talents, and learn how to manage your resources effectively.
• Practice your rotation: Regularly practice your rotation to maximize your damage output, build muscle memory, and react more quickly to in-game situations.
• Focus on obtaining better gear: Prioritize gear with the right stats for your specialization, such as Agility, Haste, and Mastery, which can be obtained through questing, dungeons, and raids.
• Research encounters: Before participating in an encounter, research it to know what to expect and how to optimize your rotation for each specific battle.
• Communicate with your team: Communication is essential when playing in a group, coordinate with your team to use your utility abilities effectively and support each other.
• Experiment with talents and abilities: Try different talents and abilities to see what works best for your playstyle and the content you are doing.

Other Articles to Read

At SkyCoach, we strive to provide comprehensive guides for all aspects of WoW. Our blog offers a range of articles covering various classes and specializations. If you're interested in learning about other classes, check out our Blood Death Knight Guide or any other class guide in our blog. For those interested in full healing, we have the Preservation Evoker Guide available. And if, for example, you're looking to master the Retribution Paladin specialization, our Retribution Paladin Guide provides everything you need to know to complete this encounter with ease.

Conclusion

This guide offers a thorough explanation of how to play as an Enhancement Shaman. You'll discover all the necessary information about gear, talents, rotations, and playstyle to increase your damage output and excel in both PvE and PvP gameplay. By following the tips and tactics described in this guide, you can develop your skills and become a proficient player. Keep in mind that practicing and experimenting with various strategies is essential to finding what works best for you. Stay tuned, as we will continue to update this guide with any changes that may occur. Best of luck on your journey, and we'll see you in the game!

F.A.Q

Are Enhancement Shamans good in The War Within?

Yes! In The War Within Enhancement Shaman feels very solid and can be competitive in both PVP and PVE.

Is Enhancement Shaman hard to play in WoW?

Playing the game can be deemed moderately challenging since it necessitates adept timing, proficient cooldown management, and sound decision-making abilities to optimize both damage output and survivability. WoW Enhancement Shaman rotation is widely considered to be among the hardest to master, but is it not what makes this class so fun to play?

How do I maximize DPS as Enhancement Shaman?

Maximizing your DPS to achieve the best PVE performance as an Enhancement Shaman can be done through several steps, including the following:

• Gear Optimization: Ensure that you have the best possible gear, including weapons, trinkets, and other equipment that has stats that increase your DPS. Prioritize items with agility, attack power, critical strike rating, and haste rating.
• Talent Optimization: Make sure to select the best talents that optimize your damage output.
• Rotation: Your rotation is essential to maximizing your DPS. As a WoW Enhancement Shaman, you will want to prioritize using abilities that generate Maelstrom, such as Stormstrike, Lava Lash, and Crash Lightning. Additionally, make sure to use your cooldowns effectively, such as Ascendance and Feral Spirit.
• Stat Priority: The stat priority for Enhancement Shaman is Agility > Haste > Mastery > Critical Strike >Versatility. Make sure to prioritize these stats in your gear and gemming/enchanting choices.
• Consumables: Using consumables such as potions, food, and flasks can also help increase your DPS.
• Practice: Finally, practice and repetition are essential to mastering any rotation and maximizing DPS. Make sure to practice your rotation on training dummies, in dungeons, and in raids to refine your skills and maximize your damage output.