~14 MIN
Introduction
Welcome to the Shaman Tank Guide for Season of Discovery!
This comprehensive guide aims to provide a curated list of optimal talent builds and runes for the Shaman class, specifically tailored for tanking roles in PvE content such as dungeons and raids. Whether you’re gearing up for the latest content or leveling through early raids, this guide will help you navigate the best builds available.
Best Talent Builds for Shaman Tank – Phase 7
Explore the top talent builds for Shaman Tanks, specifically designed for Phase 7 content:
For those looking to maximize their PvE potential, consider these recommended builds:
Shaman: 30/21/0 Build
This build focuses on a balanced approach to tanking, utilizing key abilities from the Elemental and Enhancement trees.
– Elemental: 30 points
– Enhancement: 21 points
– Restoration: 0 points
[Check out the full talent calculator here](https://www.wowhead.com/classic/talent-calc/shaman/05033155000215-05050320050001_116tb56pw66pz76q686q296yra6q3b7c3f734).
For those interested in exploring more about Shaman abilities and dungeon strategies, delve deeper into class-specific abilities and how they can enhance your tanking performance.
Talent Order
To optimize your Shaman Tank build, follow the recommended talent order to ensure you’re maximizing your potential from the start. Choose talents that best complement your chosen playstyle and the current phase of content.
Season of Discovery Runes
– Head: Burn
– Back: Storm, Earth, and Fire
– Chest: Shield Mastery
– Wrist: Overcharged
– Hands: Lava Burst
– Waist: Maelstrom Weapon
– Legs: Way of Earth
– Feet: Spirit of the Alpha
– Ring 1: Defense Specialization
– Ring 2: Empty
Shaman Talent Build
Shaman: 20/31/0
Talent Calculator Link
Shaman Class Abilities
Required level: 60
Elemental
– 20 / 51
– 3/30/55/50/50/10/20/20/11/15/50/53/30/20/33/3
Enhancement
– 31 / 51
– 1/55/50/23/30/22/23/35/55/50/50/51/10/11/15/50/2
Restoration
– 0 / 51
– 0/30/10/30/50/50/50/20/10/10/50/50/50/50/30/3
Talent Order
Ensure your talent selection aligns with your playstyle and goals. This guide provides a comprehensive framework for optimizing your Shaman’s abilities, but always consider adapting it to suit your unique approach to gameplay.
Season of Discovery Runes
- Head: Mental Dexterity
- Back: Storm, Earth, and Fire
- Chest: Shield Mastery
- Wrist: Overcharged
- Hands: Molten Blast
- Waist: Maelstrom Weapon
- Legs: Way of Earth
- Feet: Spirit of the Alpha
- Ring 1: Defense Specialization
- Ring 2: Empty
Phase 7 Tanking Styles
In Phase 7, tanking is distinguished by two main playstyles: Ele Warden and Enhance Warden. Both approaches are effective but differ in some fundamental aspects.
Ele Warden
The Ele Warden focuses on spellcasting and area-of-effect (AOE) damage. This build makes use of Elemental Fury, Burn, and Storm, Earth, and Fire to achieve impressive results. Consistent application of Flame Shock combined with Shield Mastery ensures you maintain full mana during AOE encounters, allowing for relentless casting. The Overcharged rune enhances your damage potential, while Maelstrom Weapon allows for casting offensive Chain Lightning or defensive Lesser Healing Wave as needed.
Enhance Warden
Enhance Wardens utilize Stormstrike to maintain strong single-target threat, trading off some AOE threat. This build synergizes with Elemental talents like Elemental Devastation, leveraging the hybrid nature of the class. Molten Blast compensates for the lack of AOE, offering a reliable low cooldown option in combat. For single-target scenarios, Lava Burst remains the optimal choice.
Both builds incorporate key abilities such as Shield Specialization and Improved Lightning Shield to bolster defenses. Additional points in Anticipation can be considered for increased avoidance, although its value may be limited due to the scaling nature of Naxxramas.
Ultimately, your choice of playstyle in this phase should align with your preferred approach. Whether you favor the Elemental style or prefer utilizing Stormstrike, both options offer viable strategies for your raid experience.
Optimal Runes for Shaman Tanks – Phase 7
In the ever-evolving world of Shaman tanking, selecting the appropriate runes is crucial to maximizing your effectiveness in battle. Below, we delve into the best rune choices available in Phase 7, with an emphasis on enhancing your capabilities as a Shaman tank.
Recommended Runes for Shaman Tanks
1. **Rune of the Stoneskin Gargoyle**
This rune is invaluable for its ability to significantly boost your defense rating, which is imperative for any tank looking to minimize incoming damage. Its effectiveness in increasing survivability cannot be overstated.
2. **Rune of Spellbreaking**
A fantastic choice for any Shaman tank facing magic-wielding foes. This rune provides a solid resistance to spell damage, allowing you to mitigate the impact of harmful magical attacks.
3. **Rune of the Fallen Crusader**
Though traditionally favored by damage dealers, this rune can provide a substantial increase in both strength and self-healing, which are beneficial for maintaining threat and sustainability during prolonged encounters.
4. **Rune of Swordshattering**
When facing adversaries heavily reliant on physical attacks, this rune offers a significant boost to parry rating, enhancing your ability to avoid incoming blows and reducing the overall damage taken.
Additional Considerations
– **Adaptability**: Always be prepared to adapt your rune selection based on the specific challenges of each encounter. Some fights may require a focus on spell resistance, while others might demand maximum physical defense.
– **Synergy with Gear**: Ensure that your rune choices complement your current gear setup. A well-balanced approach will enhance your overall tanking performance.
– **Consultation with Team**: Coordinate with your raid team to understand the specific threats you will face, allowing you to tailor your rune choices for optimal group synergy.
By carefully selecting and adapting your runes, you can greatly enhance your capabilities as a Shaman tank. Remember, the key to effective tanking lies in both preparation and adaptability.
Runic Inscription on the Chest
Shield Mastery
**Level 60**
This ability requires a Shaman and is available from level 1. Each time you successfully block an attack, you regenerate mana equivalent to 8% of your maximum mana. Additionally, you gain Armor equal to 30% of your shield’s armor value, with this effect stacking up to five times. You also benefit from a permanent increase of 10% to your chance to Block and a 15% increase in Block value.
Moreover, whenever you use a Shock ability, you gain 4 Spell Damage for each point of your defense skill that exceeds 300 (calculated as 60 * 5). This buff lasts for 15 seconds.
For tanking, this remains the quintessential choice. With the introduction of Phase 7, Shield Mastery’s scaling has been updated. Previously, you gained 2 Spell Power per point of Defense, but now it’s doubled to 4 Spell Power per point of Defense. This enhancement allows your well-chosen defensive items to significantly contribute to your Threat Per Second (TPS) and Damage Per Second (DPS). In earlier phases, options like Dual Wield or Overload might have been considered. However, this adjustment solidifies the strategy of utilizing a shield, discarding any other unconventional tactics.
Runic Gloves
Molten Blast
| Molten Blast | Level 60 | ||||
| 18% of base mana | Instant | 6 sec cooldown | |||
| Requires Shaman | Requires level 1 |
Blast up to 10 enemies in a cone in front of you for [(7.583798 + 0.471881 * 60 + 0.036599 * 60 * 60) * 72 / 100 + 5 / 100 * Attack power] to [(7.583798 + 0.471881 * 60 + 0.036599 * 60 * 60) * 108 / 100 + 5 / 100 * Attack power] Fire damage. This ability generates a high amount of threat. Flame Shock periodic damage has a 10% chance to reset the cooldown on Molten Blast.
Molten Blast is reset by your Flame Shock ticks, enhancing its value in area-of-effect situations. However, its utility in single-target scenarios is limited. For Enhancement players, it is generally recommended as a Rune Swap option to improve cleave capabilities.
For more information on optimizing your gameplay, visit our dungeons section.
Lava Burst – Requires Shaman, Requires level 1 |
||
| Gain the Lava Burst ability: Gift of the Gathering Storm. You hurl molten lava at the target, dealing between 786.293 and 1014.301 Fire damage. If your Flame Shock is on the target, Lava Burst will deal a critical strike. | ||
Top Pick for Tank Shaman |
||
| This ability is highly recommended for every spec of Tank Shaman. With the release of the AQ 20 3-Set, Elemental Fury combined with Flame Shock ensures a critical hit every time. Utilizing your Maelstrom Weapon with timed precision allows you to interlace spells between boss attacks or accumulate them for significant bursts of single-target damage and threat. |
Rune of the Lower Limbs
Way of Earth
This ability is exclusive to Shamans and requires at least level 1 to utilize. When you have the Rockbiter Weapon active on your primary weapon and a shield equipped, the following effects are applied:
- Your threat generation is increased by 65%.
- You receive a 25% boost to your health.
- Damage taken is reduced by 10%.
- There is a 6% reduced chance of being critically hit by melee attacks.
- Earth Shock will taunt enemies to focus their attacks on you and has a distinct cooldown from other Shock spells, although its range is limited to melee distance.
- The range of your spells like Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Chain Heal, Healing Wave, and Lava Burst is shortened by 20 yards.
This rune is essential for those using the Rockbiter Weapon with a Shield, allowing you to effectively adopt a tank stance. The benefits include a significant 65% threat modifier, immunity to critical hits, a 30% health increase, and a flat 10% reduction in damage taken. Additionally, Earth Shock functions as a comprehensive taunt. However, be aware that, starting from Phase 4, this will also reduce the range of your offensive spells, such as Chain Lightning to 10 yards and Flame Shock to 20 yards, so plan your positioning carefully.
Rune of the Belt
Maelstrom Weapon Ability Overview
The Maelstrom Weapon ability is an essential skill for Shamans starting from level 1. This ability provides a chance to reduce the cast time and mana cost of specific spells when you deal damage with a melee attack. The spells affected include Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Lesser Healing Wave, and Lava Burst.
The likelihood of this effect occurring is significantly increased when your main hand weapon is enchanted with Windfury Weapon. If you’re wielding a two-handed weapon, the chance is further boosted. This effect can stack up to five times and remains active for 30 seconds.
Totem of Relentless Thunder
The Totem of Relentless Thunder is a versatile tool that enhances your spellcasting capabilities. During boss encounters, it allows you to cast Lava Burst freely. When facing groups of enemies, you can unleash Chain Lightning, and it even provides an opportunity for spot healing when necessary.
Despite its classification, this totem functions more efficiently than Power Surge in many situations, making it an invaluable asset for Shamans focusing on both offense and support.
Runic Boots: Enhancing Your Footwear
Spirit of the Alpha
The Spirit of the Alpha is a unique ability available to Shamans starting from level 1. This skill empowers the target by imbuing them with the essence of an alpha wolf, significantly augmenting all threat generated by the target by 45% for a duration of 30 minutes. This effect is confined to a single target at a time.
When this ability is cast on a target other than the Shaman themselves, the Shaman is granted the Loyal Beta buff. This buff enhances the Shaman’s Physical damage by 5% and simultaneously reduces all threat generated by 30% for 30 minutes. However, a target is limited to having either the Spirit of the Alpha or Loyal Beta, but not both simultaneously.
- The Blessing of Salvation is typically aimed at boosting strong DPS capabilities. In contrast, the Spirit of the Alpha is designed to bolster a formidable Tank. Instead of diminishing everyone else’s threat, this ability focuses on elevating your own.
- This rune is straightforward and, with the addition of the new 4-Piece set from AQ, Stormcaller’s Resolve, along with the new rune, Soul of the True Alpha, you have further motivation to self-buff. This self-buffing strategy not only liberates your raid from the obligation of buffing you but also rewards you for taking the initiative.
Rune of the Helm
Mental Dexterity
Requires Mage
Requires level 1
Gain the Mental Dexterity ability:
Should you be opting to play Enhance, you have the opportunity to leverage Mental Dexterity, particularly when paired with World Buffs, to make up for the absence of direct Spell Power. This combination results in the most potent single-target outputs, elevating your offensive stats to unprecedented levels.
Burn
Requires Mage
Requires level 1
Gain the Burn ability:
Burn is a preferred choice for many, offering a cleave option from your primary damaging ability and synergizing further with Storm, Earth, and Fire to enable you to deliver significant damage and threat across multiple targets. As a strategic tip, when dealing with more than 5 targets, choose those without the Flame Shock debuff before recasting to sustain damage on up to 15 targets simultaneously.
For those looking to enhance their gameplay experience even further, consider exploring our Dungeon Services for top-tier assistance in your adventures!
Runic Bracers: Channeling Ancient Power
| Overcharged Requires Shaman Requires level 1 | ||
| Gain the Overcharged ability: Your Lightning Shield never loses charges, now has a 3-second cooldown, and deals damage to all enemies within 8 yards. | ||
| Lightning Shield being permanent is now a staple of the Shaman Tanking experience. Nothing comes close to the performance of becoming a bomb, so don’t even think about taking this one off. |
Become an unstoppable force with the Overcharged ability that empowers your Lightning Shield. As a Shaman, you gain the unique advantage of a Lightning Shield that retains its charges indefinitely. This turns you into a formidable force, dealing consistent damage to nearby foes every 3 seconds. Embrace this potent enhancement and solidify your role as an essential Shaman tank, ensuring your presence in battle is both impactful and relentless.
Rune of Concealment
Storm, Earth, and Fire Ability Overview
This ability is essential for Hunters, available starting at level 1. By acquiring the Storm, Earth, and Fire ability, Hunters can experience a range of enhancements:
- The cooldown of Chain Lightning is reduced by 25%, providing a significant advantage in AOE situations.
- Your Earthbind Totem now roots targets for 5 seconds upon casting, making it a formidable tool in PvP, AOE farming, and dungeon scenarios.
- Most notably, Flame Shock‘s periodic damage is increased by 60%. When combined with Burn, it transforms Flame Shock into a substantial DPS boost.
These enhancements collectively make the Storm, Earth, and Fire ability a powerful addition to any Hunter’s skill set, offering strategic advantages across various in-game scenarios.
Runic Ring Symbols
| Axe Specialization | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Skill with Axes and Two-Handed Axes increased by 5. This effect is not cumulative with racial bonuses or other ring runes. | |||
| Mace Specialization | |||
| Skill with Maces and Two-Handed Maces increased by 5. This effect is not cumulative with racial bonuses or other ring runes. | |||
| Fist Weapon Specialization | |||
| Skill with Fist Weapons (Unarmed) increased by 5. This effect is not cumulative with racial bonuses or other ring runes. | |||
| Dagger Specialization | |||
| Skill with Daggers increased by 5. This effect is not cumulative with racial bonuses or other ring runes. |
Understanding Weapon Skill Benefits
For those who have already reached the Spell Hit cap, utilizing a Weapon Skill rune enhances your arsenal, particularly as an Enhancement player. Achieving 300 Weapon Skill sets your hit cap at 9%, whereas with 305 Skill, it is reduced to 6%. This reduction positively impacts your overall Threat Per Second (TPS) and Damage Per Second (DPS). It’s important to highlight that Orcs uniquely benefit from Axe Specialization and may not require additional Weapon Skill, even though it technically boosts DPS.
Fire Specialization
– This rune increases your chance to hit with Fire spells by 6%. It is important to note that this bonus does not stack with other ring runes.
Nature Specialization
– Provides a 6% increased chance to hit with Nature spells. Similar to other specializations, this effect is not cumulative with other ring runes.
Frost Specialization
– Grants a 6% increased chance to hit with Frost spells. This bonus, like others, is not cumulative with other ring runes.
These specializations are critical for achieving the Spell Hit cap. The Spell Hit cap is set at 16%, which includes a permanent 1% chance of miss/resist. Prioritizing the hit cap is vital, particularly in scenarios involving Taunt Swaps or when quick mob pickups are necessary.
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Defense Specialization
– Increases your Defense skill by 25. Just like other ring runes, this effect cannot be stacked with others.
Due to the synergy with Shield Mastery, Defense Specialization is considered your most crucial ring rune. Ensuring it’s always equipped is essential for optimal performance in defensive roles.