Outlined in this post is an idea for a tanking spec for Shaman, adapted from an old idea I made a bit over a year ago. Instead of being based on sheer defense from Armor or dodge, I chose managing buffs and crowd control. An interesting way to play a tank, but if the rotation plays out in the game as it does in my head, it should be as viable as any other tank.
The lore basis of this spec is twofold; One, it completes the set of elemental-themed specs, with Elemental representing Fire, Enhancement representing Air, Restoration representing Water, and this new one representing Earth. It’s kind of sad that Earth doesn’t get a lot of representation, as I feel it could have a lot of interesting uses.
As for gameplay, I decided to adapt on what Enhancement already is, considering that Restoration and Elemental are already wildly similar as it is. It’s kinda based off of old Shaman off-tanking, where Rockbiter generated a lot of threat, etc.
This is just an idea, and I don’t expect Blizzard to pay any real attention to Shaman until some time after the heat death of the universe. It’s fun to think about stuff like this, though.
Still open to ideas and criticism; most of this was written at 2 AM when I’m zonked out of my mind. I think it’s pretty solid, though.
(Text) shows the range of the spell, if applicable.
[Text] shows the cooldown of the spell, if applicable.
{Text} shows the magic school of the spell.
|Text| shows the Maelstrom requirement for a spell.
/Text/ shows the casting time of the spell.
Warding
Tank (Melee)
Weapons of Choice: 1h Weapon (Mace, Axe) + Shield
Primary Stat: Agility
Resource: Maelstrom
A guardian of the elements channeling the unrelenting power of earth to protect allies from damage.
Abilities:
Weapon Imbues
These effects would be freely toggled, with their cooldowns only occuring when an imbue is swapped off of, and with only one being active at a time. Affords a bit of flexibility to the tank, letting them choose somewhat how they’d like to approach a situation.
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[Earthfury Weapon] [3s] {Nature}
While active, your attacks generate extra threat and have a chance to generate 2 Maelstrom. -
[Heatfury Weapon] [3s] {Fire}
While active, your attacks have a chance to Singe your enemy, slowing their movement speed by 10% and dealing ___ Fire damage over 10 seconds. -
[Wavefury Weapon] [3s] {Ice}
While active, your attacks have a chance to make your next cast of Healing Surge instant and cost no Maelstrom.
Offensive Abilities
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[Lava Lash] (Melee) {Fire} |30|
Charges your weapon with lava and burns your target, dealing ___ damage. -
[Static Strike] (Melee) [3s] {Nature}
Strikes an enemy with a charged weapon, dealing ___ Nature damage and grounding them. Grounded enemies have the next ___ damage dealt by them absorbed. Generates 10 Maelstrom on initial hit. -
[Rockbiter] (20y) [6s] {Nature}
Assaults your target with earthen power, dealing ___ Nature damage and generating 25 Maelstrom. Max 2 charges. -
[Stonebolt] (40y) {Nature} |50|
Hurls a sharpened stone at an enemy, dealing ___ Nature damage and sundering their defenses, causing them to take 10% increased damage from you and deal 5% less damage for 10 seconds. -
[Earthquake] [20s] {Nature} |30-60|
Causes the earth within 8 yards of you to tremble and break, dealing ___ Physical damage over 10 seconds and sometimes knocking down enemies. The duration can be extended with additional Maelstrom spent, up to 25 seconds, -
[Fury] [8s] {Physical}
Taunts the target to attack you, increasing threat generated against the target for 3 seconds. -
[Angered Earth] [30s] {Nature} /1s/
Taunts all nearby targets to attack you.
Defensive Abilities
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[Earthen Ward] [18s] {Nature} |30|
Coalesces earthen energy, decreasing damage taken by 15% for 12 seconds and slowing the auto-attack of enemies within 15 yards by 30%. -
[Earthen Affinity] [10s] {Nature}
Increases block chance by __% for 5 seconds. Max 3 charges. -
[Stone Aegis] [4m] {Nature}
Sheathe yourself in elemental earth, protecting you from all physical damage for 10 seconds but slowing movement speed by 30%. -
[Dust Devil] (5 yards) {Nature{ |3/s|
Kick up a whirlwind of dust around you, dealing ___ damage every 1 second with each enemy in the cyclone having a 5% chance to be silenced for 2 seconds. -
[Healing Surge] [5s] {Nature} /1.5s/
Heals you or a friendly target for ___. Consumes 20 Maelstrom, if available, to become instant. Max 3 charges. -
[Spirit Link] {Nature}
When cast on an ally, 15% of that ally’s damage is redirected to you instead. Does not activate if you are below 20% health. Massive damage is not redirected. When cast on an enemy, 15% of that enemy’s healing is redirected to you instead. Limit 1. -
[Hurl Boulder] [30s] {Nature} /1s/
Summons a boulder and hurls it at your target, knocking them back and stunning them for 5 seconds. -
[Air Elemental] [5m]
Calls forth a Greater Air Elemental that absorbs incoming damage unto itself for 1 min.
(Hidden: Around 40% of damage taken by all allies within 20 yards.)
Totems
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[Magma Totem] [1m] {Fire}
Summons a totem at your feet for 1 min that deals ___ Fire damage to enemies within 8 yards of the totem every 2 seconds. -
[Stone Bulwark Totem] [1.5m] {Nature}
Summons a totem at your feet for 30 seconds that grants you and up to 5 nearby allies a shield that absorbs for ___ for 10 seconds, and granting only you an additional shield for ___ every 5 seconds after. -
[Stoneclaw Totem] [2m] {Nature}
Summons a totem at the target location for 15 seconds that taunts enemies within 8 yards to attack it. Enemies attacking the Stoneclaw Totem have a 50% chance to be stunned for 3 seconds. - [Tremor Totem]
- [Capacitor Totem]
Unchanged Generic Abilities
- [Purge]
- [Hex]
- [Far Sight]
- [Heroism]
- [Cleanse Spirit]
- [Ancestral Spirit]
Passives
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[Seismic Activity]
5% of all damage dealt is duplicated and evenly spread out to all nearby hostile enemies. -
[Geothermal]
Heatfury Weapon’s damage over time has a 10% chance to make your next Lava Lash free. -
[Geyser]
Whenever Earthquake or Dust Devil deal damage, they have a 5% chance to restore a charge to your Healing Surge and Earthen Affinity. -
[Mastery: World Soul]
Increases block chance by __% and makes all active totems increase healing toward you by __%. Also reduces damage taken by __%. - [Maelstrom Weapon]
- [Reincarnation]
Talent Ideas
- Level 15: [Conductor]
Passive. When an enemy grounded by Static Strike dies, the effect jumps to a nearby hostile enemy with its timer reset. - Level 30: [Tectonic Shift] [30s] {Nature}
The earth suddenly shifts beneath your feet, knocking down all enemies within 10 yards and stunning them for 8 seconds. - Level 45: [All 45 talents are the same]
- Level 60: [Entomb] [2m] {Nature}
Encase an enemy in earth, incapacitating them for 1m. Damage has a high chance to end this effect. Limit 1. - Level 75: [Aftershock Totem] [10m] {Nature}
Summons a totem at your feet for 30 seconds. Should you fall while the totem is active, you will automatically be revived with 75% health, 100% mana, and 10 Maelstrom. The totem will be consumed when revived. Massive damage will bypass the effect. - Level 90: [Epicenter]
Passive. Seismic Activity now deals more damage to enemies closest to your active target, with damage lessening the further away they are. - Level 100: [Ascendance]
Transform into an Earth Ascendant for 15 seconds, replacing Static Strike with Thunderclap and reducing damage taken by 10%.[Thunderclap] (Melee) {3s} {Nature}
Assault an enemy with a fulminating weapon, dealing ___ Nature damage to them, and grounding all enemies within 5 yards.
Suggested Rotation
- Cast [Rockbiter].
- Cast [Static Strike].
- Cast [Lava Lash].
- Cast [Stonebolt].
- Cast [Rockbiter].
Use [Earthquake] and [Dust Devil] when available.
Fill with [Lava Lash].
Actively mitigate with [Earthen Ward] and [Earthen Affinity]. Heal with [Healing Surge].