Hey guys, let me try my best to give some very simple insights about how I play Rsham. For background, my shams name is Xtremeorc and I ended last season at 3415 (rank 9), and should be getting Crimson Legend. Also have gotten gladiator about 15 times since Legion s1 (on multiple shams), and have been a Resto Shaman main since Cata Season 1 (ele prior to this). That being said, things may be over simplified because practice makes perfect, and in this case, time with the class has been a huge helper.
In my limited time with this season so far, I feel that Rsham might be the strongest healer in the meta right now. Additionally, with the changes to healing stream totem and healing modifiers (swirling currents removal), the class has gotten easier to play since these changes.
Stats
First thing, this season is still new so its hard to say what will be definitive but ill share my experiences so far. Im about 2200 cr or so currently (2200cr is pretty much the ceiling right now). I still run CRIT/MASTERY on as many pieces as i can, not haste (like others are suggesting). Despite the Crit nerfs, i dont find the additional value from haste to be worthwhile. I find many games are lost due to running oom rather than any sortve throughput issues for the most part. Haste will hurt your mana more than focusing on Crit and Mastery, since your heals will have less raw healing value overall.
Gameplay
Hexing
As far as gameplay, dont get too lost in the “I need to hex!” narrative people will push on you. Rsham can get punished pretty hard by kicks, insta crowd controls etc… by you putting yourself in a poor position to land a hex. Get hexes when they are given to you, if that means following up out of a CC a teammate landed, an overextending enemy player, or a moment when there are no stops for you. However, especially if youre learning, hexes are a lower priority in shuffles with the damp meta we live in. Hexes IMO are one of the weaker CCs in the game with many dps classes having decurse capabilities. In these matchups, I will rarely ever cast hex.
Healing
Like you said, players arent going to stand in your earthens. Its horrible, because earthern is such an influential move. The higher mmr you get, especially at very high mmr, players will actually stand in your eartherns intentionally because they know the value of it (DPS players take notes!). However, lower mmr, you have to just deal with it and try your best to position it the best you can. I often try to keep my eartherns out asap whenever they are off CD (unless its a GOES based comp where you might want to hold it such as rogue kidneys, or fDK grips) and moving it with Totemic Projection.
Healing stream totems im pretty much mindlessly dropping off cd, as long as we’re engaged in combat. I will move these around to either protect them (out of LOS), or move them closer to teammates running out of range.
Protect your healing tides. Drop em and send em behind los or out of range. I do this especially if im getting trained. Press this whenever damage starts picking up
Totemic projection- This move owns. Make sure youre using it and managing your totems to protect them, move them up, pull them back etc… Make sure youre getting value from your totems.
Capacitor totem - dropping this on a location that is safe and zooming it onto a target via totemic projection right before explosion is a great way to make sure this totem isnt killed. You can use this to lineup hexes pretty easily.
Ancestral Guidance- This move owns. Pair it with opportune moments or healing. Ill sometimes pair it with healing tides, Prim Waves + NS, etc. Sometimes can just press it on its own too. Its situational but a great off GCD button to press to supplement whatever amount of healing is required of you in that moment.
Earth Shield/Water Shield - Maintain at ALL times on you and the primary target youre healing. Ill swap this around OFTEN depending on who needs more healing. Water shield on yourself otherwise bye bye mana.
Ascendence- nice instant burst of healing and residual supplemental healing. Must be close to the targets you want to heal for the burst healing.
Spirit Link - last line of defense almost always. After all my other tools have been used AND the dps’s cds. Strong tool in damp since its %. If im pressing link, it means the game is over very soon. You can use this earlier if other means wont save. Youll need to just practice games to know when you can and cant save without it.
Prim Wave + NS - This alone saves the day. Keep this combo in your back pocket. I like to prim wave, unleash wep, ns healing wave for huge groupwide instant healing. Make sure all targets requiring the heal have riptide.
Riptide - maintain on all targets taking dam, id say its safe to press this off cd, except in moments where you can safely cast and healing requirements are higher
Healing Wave / Surge - cast these with tidal waves active (from riptide). Get way more value. Ive been finding myself hard casting healing wave more often in lobbies i expect to turn to a mana game. Use it safely. Otherwise, healing surge.
Offensive
Greater Purge - love this move. Use it nearly off cd and to try to capture opportune moments such as bops. But, if i have moments to spare, ill press it on Kill targets to hopefully help/continue momentum.
Flame shock - spread with free globals when youre ahead
Lava burst - use procs when youre caught up. Lava burst owns
Lasso / Thunderstorm - i often prefer a more defensive build that doesnt use these. However, on blades edge, get them. Thunderstorm can win games by separating enemies dps and healers. For lasso, i usually use it when enemies over extend. Its a pretty dangerous move to use when your in susceptible positioning.
Earthgrab
I use almost off cd both offensively and defensively unless playing wuth boomys who need root Drs for root/beam.
Honor Talents
Grounding, healing tide, skyfury almost every game. Ive played around with static field when its only melee on my team. You can play with burrow if youre in a lobby where youre getting trained, but i honestly havent talented or casted the spell a single time this season.
Strengths
Rsham own in caster lobbies. Probably the best healer in any caster lobby due to our ability to avoid fears, shear, ground etc. Melee lobbys are a struggle, but that seems to be improving this season with a higher amount of casters queuing.
Sit back and heal bot until youre good at it. Try to be pressing something every global. Ahead on healing? Try to fake kicks early so they are down when you need to heal. Ground hunter traps, ground hojs from pallys running at you, tremor priest fears. Most classes have predictable cc. Maybe not avoidable, but predictable. Expecting a hunter trap you cant avoid? Pre healing tide, get your healing streams out, pre earthern. Provide some level of support to your team while youre ccd by being proactive.
Make sure you have precog on your gear.
Healthstone during spirit links to improve links efficiency on team members.
Just always be doing something and always moving the needle.
Dispel teammates out of CC quickly. Remember, move the needle. Up time. Help your dps be total Chads.
Targeting
I use scroll up and down mousewheels to target party 1 and 2. Game changer. Have an effective way to target teammates.
I legit click enemies. This is via gladius or somethings literally their body in the arena.
Focus macros. I have a focus macro for wind shear, thats it. I dont use arena 123 macros. Too complicated for me and unnecessary for the way ive adapted to play.
Add-Ons & UI
Dont let people fool you into thinking a UI will make you a better player. It wont. Just setup a UI that works for you. I run with the OG UI since the beginning, nothing moved at all. I will however recommend some addons that i do think are a requirement.
OmniBar - Track interrupts, know when its safe to cast
OmniCD - really important for no comms shuffles. Shows your teammates cds and when you should be pressing something. I almost ALWAYS let the dps exhaust their cds before I start using mine. If I use mine before they use theirs, and then i am switched to, i have nothing. They still have their personals. What good does that do us? If your teammates die without pressing buttons, its straight up their fault.
Gladius - tracks trinkets, DRs and how i like to target people.
I also like BigDebuffs for dispelling.
Yalls can ask me anything. There are some advanced tricks I like to do that can seal games but its hard to say if theyd work in lower mmr games because they are more of, high mmr mind games i guess lol
