I am planning an alt, but realistically because of professions and the time it costs me to level them I can only commit to one. Because of that I want to ask each forum the following.
Destruction Warlock or Elemental Shaman? Which one has the most flexibility? Also how is Restoration Healing now, vs. How it’s been? I usually heal on this Paladin but if I can multi-spec as I do this guy it’d be ideal.
Not fond of Enhancement and have not been since the got rid of Rockbiter in BFA when I deleted my last Shaman, but lately I’ve considered reviving him as an Elemental / Resto focus.
Some feedback would be welcomed.
Lock was my raiding main from MoP through Legion. Shaman has always been my favorite class (Resto/Ele). Lock has always been more consistent tier to tier. Destro or Aff are always decent and sometimes OP.
Destro is a super simple spec, which I like. Maximize Chaos Bolt damage pretty much. Ele has historically been a simple dps spec also, but the current Icefury build makes it more complex than it has been, especially in M+ with EoGS and Thunder Rod. Just a lot of tab targeting and weaving ST into AoE. Not my favorite right now but still fun.
Resto is my favorite healing spec in the game =)
So for flexibility…Shaman. For strong DPS tier to tier, Lock. I always lean towards multi-role classes for diversity BUT at least with single role classes like Lock/Mage, they tend to always have at least one spec that is in a great place…can’t say the same for hybrids.
With all that said, you will have to play them to find out which you prefer. I have played most classes at end-game in various expansions since Cata but my lifestyle has changed quite a bit since then lol so I have paired it back to only two classes that I play regularly (Shaman and Priest).
Goodluck!
I’m a big fan of resto shamans this tier/this expansion. Last season they started off fairly weak but it improved a lot by the end of season 1.
I don’t really play elemental, so I can’t speak too much to it, but I like the idea of lottsa spicy meatballs.
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I love elemental shaman more than destruction warlock because it flows better and has flavor I prefer, but destruction warlock has a more consistent track record as a decent DPS spec. Also (no offense intended to shaman players), cloth gear usually looks better than mail gear.
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I’d agree about a lot of gear that meets that statement, but mail gear has the der’izu armor and its various colorations and I just feel like that set was peak design (except maybe the shoulder’s size/angle/placement).
Depending on what u play to focus on? Raid, Mythics, PvP…
Only dps?
Shammy has heal options. And 2 dps options whoch are fun to play.
Big difference is survivability. Lock defensives compared to the squishy Shammy are quite noticeable. Lock is like a range tank in comparison, it may not be as fun for some players.
But unless you pushing super high keys play what you like.
Good question, both specs have flexibility but in different ways.
Shaman can almost do every role in the game. It can have a bit of overlap in secondaries with resto depending on build. If you are pugging, then getting into keys is easier as resto then as a dps. One point to consider is ele’s two primary builds (fire versus lightning) play very different. A lot of people don’t like using ice fury, I agree that it feels clunky in the spec.
Resto has been in an interesting spot lately, if you look at rankings they are low ish, but I think it’s a combination of the tier set bonus/raid utility/over representation of “over the top” specs. I tend to like resto better in raid, then in 5 mans. Mechanically it’s pretty fun to play.
The flexibility of warlock (to me) is that its secondaries overlap with all three specs (someone correct me if this has changed). Its nice being able to switch to affliction or demo in a pinch. Destro also can change its dps profile based upon build. I’ve heard people fall onto both sides of the fence with this philosophy (some people like respeccing between raid bosses to optimize dps, others like smaller rotational changes with more of a set core). Locks have pretty good utility, so getting into raid pugs feels easier then some other dps I’ve had (especially if you’re the only lock).
My heart tells me to recommend shaman, but my mind says warlock.