Hi all,
I’ve seen a few posts about a tank spec for the dear old Shaman. I started thinking that perhaps we could add a spec to the Shaman kit, and rework the existing specs to align with their own element.
In Legion, we received the Raging Tempest, which changed depending on the spec. Let’s use this as a basic concept for our Shaman specs.
Essentially:
- Elemental - Fire
- Enhancement - Storm
- Restoration - Water
And the new spec
- Warder - Earth
Now, I haven’t gone through each spec, and broken down abilities, etc. There is no need to do that at this stage, it’s more of a discussion.
Here are some ideas i had for just two specs initially:
Enhancement – The “Storm” spec
Notes: Whereas some abilities are completely new, some just need a rework to become “Storm” abilities. Let’s not change what works, damage will become nature.
Core abilities
-
Storm strike
-
Lightning Lash (rebrand of Lava Lash)
-
Windburst (rebrand of existing Rockbiter)
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Static burn (rebrand of Flame Shock)
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Summon Storm Wolves New Spell
- Summon two wolves of the storm to assist you in combat. They provide numerous boosts to abilities depending on your attacks:
- When you cast Storm Strike, they howl and call down lightning in an area affect around the wolves.
- When you activate Call Thunder, they will empower you with a damage buff depending on how many enemies are around them.
- When you cast Electric Dash at a target, they zap like lightning to the target.
- They have a shared health pool.
Notes. I love the idea of a Shaman literally commanding the elements. The image of Thrall in WC3 with his spirit wolves at his side was my favourite vision of a Shaman. This allows you to gain that aspect of the Shaman, but also integrates them into your kit.
- Summon two wolves of the storm to assist you in combat. They provide numerous boosts to abilities depending on your attacks:
-
Electric Dash New Spell
To keep with the theme, you can now zap towards the target by turning into a ball of lightning (similar to turning into light in Halls of Valor). When you arrive, you will automatically apply static burn on the target. Resets on kill or CD. -
Call Thunder New spell
A cooldown ability, empowers you with the power of the storm, causing your abilities to do increase in storm damage depending on how many enemies are around you and your wolves.
Warder – The “Earth” spec
Notes. A new spec, based on Earth, all about defending Azeroth. Yep, it’s a tank spec. The big question here is how to we create a new spec with Earth and Rock as the focus? I decided that your ability to lock down a position should be the focus, but you also need the ability to move quickly when needed. Let’s consider all these spells to be new.
Core abilities:
- Rockbiter
- Empower your weapon with defensive stone and swing your weapon in an arc, causing the affected enemies to deal less damage to you.
- Earthfist
- You slam your fist into the ground, causing a giant fist made of rock to burst beneath the target, grabbing them and stunning them and causing threat. If they can’t be stunned, does increase damage and threat.
Notes. Taking inspiration from the Drogbar in Legion for this ability, the art was impressive.
- You slam your fist into the ground, causing a giant fist made of rock to burst beneath the target, grabbing them and stunning them and causing threat. If they can’t be stunned, does increase damage and threat.
- Stonewall
- Call two lesser earth elementals at the targeted area, creating a protective elemental shell in a line between them. Will absorb x damage.
Notes. Functionally a placed fixed barrier, works like a priest shield but sits in place until its timer runs out or it absorbs too much damage.
- Call two lesser earth elementals at the targeted area, creating a protective elemental shell in a line between them. Will absorb x damage.
- Rock Dash
- When targeting an enemy, you dive into the earth, reappearing in front of the target, dazing them. When cast at a friendly target, they are instead pulled towards you by the Earth.
Notes. I felt the Warder needed a grip or dash. This ability allows you to protect or engage at your discretion.
- When targeting an enemy, you dive into the earth, reappearing in front of the target, dazing them. When cast at a friendly target, they are instead pulled towards you by the Earth.
- Earthforged - passive
- Whenever you stand still, the Earth reaches out to protect you, you gain 1% damage reduction, and reflecting 0.5% damage taken from attacks, stacking per second up to 10 times, last 10 seconds. The stacks reduce in number with every second of movement.
Notes. Whilst I wanted the Shaman to be able to move and control a fight, his ability to “hunker down” was the key focus. With this ability, the Shaman will need to juggle his movement with his stacks.
- Whenever you stand still, the Earth reaches out to protect you, you gain 1% damage reduction, and reflecting 0.5% damage taken from attacks, stacking per second up to 10 times, last 10 seconds. The stacks reduce in number with every second of movement.
- Mastery - Earthmother
- Your skin hardens, allowing some of the Earthforged benefits to continue permanently, also increasing health.
- Summon the Elements
- You raise 5 Earth Golems, each will attack your targets in a small area and protect you. Each Golem has 5% of your total health. Lasting 10 seconds. If you take a blow 5% of your hp or greater, they will intervene and take the damage instead.
Notes. I wanted the elements to still have an impact in the Warder’s kit, this is a cooldown that prevents high damage spikey hits.
- You raise 5 Earth Golems, each will attack your targets in a small area and protect you. Each Golem has 5% of your total health. Lasting 10 seconds. If you take a blow 5% of your hp or greater, they will intervene and take the damage instead.
That’s all from me, as with any post, i appreciate discussion and thoughts are always welcomed. For me, personally, i love the idea of a lightning-quick Shaman riding into battle with his storm wolves, or shielding allies as the stoic Warder, protector of Azeroth.
Great point in another thread: and new class / spec would need to have Legion artifact quest stuff set up, which sounds like a lot of work, otherwise it would feel very odd playing through. Doing an expac like that sort of makes future class / specs more unlikely, unless they put the work in to include the artifact.
Just seems odd…