I see quite a lot of people saying that they use down ranked shocks to interupt spells or slow opponents...Why? I understand that a rank 1 shock costs less mana and has the same secondary effect, but why lose the extra DPS from a high level shock? I am a 43 enhancement spec shaman, and I try to use my shocks to allow the secondary effects to have maximum ability. If I am fighting a caster I will use it while they are casting...if I know they cast mana burn (SM) then I will wait till they start casting that. If I am near the end of their health bar, I will cast frost to slow them from running. but I like the extra damage that spells give and I figure that into my battle style. I understand why a Fire spec mage would use rank 1 frost bolt since it is not the damage dealer, but not for shaman shocks.
On another note, what would you say the best stats to look for in a PvE Enhancement Shaman are...I think Str/Stam/Agi/Int/Spirit in that order. Anyone agree or want to correct me? Also what extras should I lock for in place of the stats(i.e. +crit, +spell crit, +damage/healing)?
Thanks in advance.
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Lower Rank Shocks??Follow
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17 posts
I almost always use rank 1 frost shock to slow people down in pvp. The main reason is as an enhancement shaman you should be using a two hander in pvp and it does more than enough damage on its own. I tend to always use the highest rank earthshock to interrupt, but that's because I always open with Stormstrike which increases the damage of the next nature damage done to the target.
The reason I, and other shamans I believe, tend to use the lower ranks is to save mana. Shamans are horribly inneficient when it somes to mana use and so every little bit helps. Mana is much more useful for healing yourself than for doing damage (IMO), especially if you are trying to grind and not drink every two fights.
As far as stats go I prefer AGI over STR myself. AGI = crits and crits are my best friend. This could just be me, but it seems to work well.
The reason I, and other shamans I believe, tend to use the lower ranks is to save mana. Shamans are horribly inneficient when it somes to mana use and so every little bit helps. Mana is much more useful for healing yourself than for doing damage (IMO), especially if you are trying to grind and not drink every two fights.
As far as stats go I prefer AGI over STR myself. AGI = crits and crits are my best friend. This could just be me, but it seems to work well.
4 posts
well, maybe if you are only enhancement, you don't need earth shock lvl 1, 'cos
you don't depend very much on mana.
But the mana is always low for a shammy, and in high lvl (50-60, you will arrive soon) the rank 1 of ES is really useful.
You can interrupt the spellcasting and then keep tha mana for heal yourself, or just interrupt spellcast in more than one mob.
This is really useful also when you group and you are not a DPS dealer.
ES interrupt the casting and you will need all your mana for heal, or for totems,
or just for a lightning bolt.
Before the last patch, that switch the aggro from ES to Frost Bolt, the rank 1 of ES was used to take aggro from a priest or a mage, without spend too mana.
of course, it's everytime a playestyle question:-)
bye
you don't depend very much on mana.
But the mana is always low for a shammy, and in high lvl (50-60, you will arrive soon) the rank 1 of ES is really useful.
You can interrupt the spellcasting and then keep tha mana for heal yourself, or just interrupt spellcast in more than one mob.
This is really useful also when you group and you are not a DPS dealer.
ES interrupt the casting and you will need all your mana for heal, or for totems,
or just for a lightning bolt.
Before the last patch, that switch the aggro from ES to Frost Bolt, the rank 1 of ES was used to take aggro from a priest or a mage, without spend too mana.
of course, it's everytime a playestyle question:-)
bye
I could see the uses for using lower ranks with a resto shaman -
Especially when grouping, the spell interrupt is all that is needed out of the earth shock. And the slowing effect is all that is needed for the frost shock.
Hopefully you have enough DPS to help you out with everything else, your mana should be used for the purpose of totems/healing - DPS should not be your primary concern.
Enhancement - I dont see the benefits as much, you would need the extra damage as you are considered to be a DPS player. It would be in your best interest in most cases to use the normal levels.
Elemental - I see the benfits of using lower level shocks, but If it was up to me, I would once again use the higher level ones, as you are considered a DPS player and every little bit of damage helps.
Especially when grouping, the spell interrupt is all that is needed out of the earth shock. And the slowing effect is all that is needed for the frost shock.
Hopefully you have enough DPS to help you out with everything else, your mana should be used for the purpose of totems/healing - DPS should not be your primary concern.
Enhancement - I dont see the benefits as much, you would need the extra damage as you are considered to be a DPS player. It would be in your best interest in most cases to use the normal levels.
Elemental - I see the benfits of using lower level shocks, but If it was up to me, I would once again use the higher level ones, as you are considered a DPS player and every little bit of damage helps.
Pre EoTS patch, I used to have a script macro that would use my highest ranking shock...UNLESS I didn't have enough MP to cast it, in that case it would use my lowest ranking. Obviously this would happen in a "Clutch" situation. Man I miss that macro :p
Now, I pretty much just use the highest rank shock I got, all the time. Granted as a Elem spec, a crit off my shock is still worth a good 2k+ crit at least. So to me, the dmg/mp ratio is definetly worth it. 3 Frost shocks can pretty much spells death to someone that thought they could run past me on thier mount....u'll die b4 either you try to fight back, or die from trying to keep running :)
I do have the lowest ranks of my frost and earth shocks on my bars, but to be honest....I've never used them. Usually by the time I've actually noticed that I'm /oom to cast the shock I needed at that situation, the time I've realized I'm /oom, whatever I was targeting...has either ran away, or has finished casting whatever I was trying to stop :P (thus I really missed my old macro).
Typically tho, I can easily see why a Enh sham might opt to use a low rank Frost shock, instead of their biggest one. Obviously, if they had only enough MP for either a SS of FS, their SS is going to be much more effective dmg wise for its cost. So FS to get close enough to SS is a practical way to go. Since SS can pretty much consistantly take off 1/3 of someone's life bar, even a high rank FS from a Enh isn't going to have nearly the same effect. But from a Elem sham, a high rank FS CAN take off 1/3 of a life bar...thus to them its worth the cost.
Now, I pretty much just use the highest rank shock I got, all the time. Granted as a Elem spec, a crit off my shock is still worth a good 2k+ crit at least. So to me, the dmg/mp ratio is definetly worth it. 3 Frost shocks can pretty much spells death to someone that thought they could run past me on thier mount....u'll die b4 either you try to fight back, or die from trying to keep running :)
I do have the lowest ranks of my frost and earth shocks on my bars, but to be honest....I've never used them. Usually by the time I've actually noticed that I'm /oom to cast the shock I needed at that situation, the time I've realized I'm /oom, whatever I was targeting...has either ran away, or has finished casting whatever I was trying to stop :P (thus I really missed my old macro).
Typically tho, I can easily see why a Enh sham might opt to use a low rank Frost shock, instead of their biggest one. Obviously, if they had only enough MP for either a SS of FS, their SS is going to be much more effective dmg wise for its cost. So FS to get close enough to SS is a practical way to go. Since SS can pretty much consistantly take off 1/3 of someone's life bar, even a high rank FS from a Enh isn't going to have nearly the same effect. But from a Elem sham, a high rank FS CAN take off 1/3 of a life bar...thus to them its worth the cost.
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