Beating a deadhorse 
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I want it real bad. I do. I started the last thread lol Stone Spec
And I still think it makes so much sense given our lore, current toolkit/abilities/spells etc.
But my gut says that if we ever get a new spec, it will likely be a “support” spec. If they are going to keep that as a role moving forward, I could see those being new specs for a number of classes (including shaman) over the course of the next couple expansions.
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It’s possible we could have support capabilities built into the Shaman Class tree for all Shaman specs instead of making a dedicated support spec. That could still leave room for a potential tank spec.
But a support spec is more likely at this point.
this would be so cool, indeed.
If Shaman EVER get a new spec, it will be a support
I see the opposite. I don’t think it makes much lore sense. I also don’t think that Rock and Stone! abilities have any association with tank classes. The only defensive earth spells I can think of that shaman has access to is Earth Elemental and that capstone totem no one uses.
One of my favorite animations was back when ele had the spikes of earth that rose and impaled the enemy. I think it was their mastery back when multistrike was still in the game. Hated to see that get pruned and yet Icefury is still here and enhance gets its own version in Ice Strike. Both of those abilities could go in my opinion.
I don’t think tank Shaman will ever happen. Not unless they completely overhaul all the classes to be role-flexible.
I agree with Ezyä (it fits the class fantasy more, specifically enhance).
I never understood why people on class forums continue to make the same thread over and over (like msurv, two handed/tank shaman, etc etc). Did you wake up after watching the final fight in Last Avatar where Ang has the rock armor against the firelord and go “hmmmm great idea for a tank?”
Are you joking? Rockbiter used to have extra aggro built into it. Stoneskin Totem used to give extra armor and later reduce incoming damage. Earth Shield heals and increases incoming healing. Stoneclaw Totem used to taunt enemies. There’s a good basis there for creating an earth based tanking class. Elemental corresponds to Fire, Restoration to Water, and Enhancement to Air. Why can’t we have an Earth-based tank?
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I’d be happy with them just letting me use stormstrike with a 2h again.
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False.
The whole point to being a shaman is bringing balance and harmony to all the elements. If you want to be a fire spec, you got mage for that. Each spec utilizes all of the elements. There are more earth related spells in the shaman’s toolkit than any other type currently. Resto represents the restorative power of the elements, Ele represents the destructive power of the elements, and Enh represents the elements ability to bolster and enhance their wielder. Imma be honest, I 100% believe the only reason shaman has a melee spec is because Thrall exists and Enh is meant to mimic him in the same way that Havoc DH mimics Illidan.
I’m not saying it can’t happen but it’s very unlikely to happen. A support spec is likely at this point for shaman if anything. Some classes might get a tank spec added at some point, but shaman is unlikely unless Blizzard decides to rework how classes function overall to make every class role-flexible.
The WoW website literally describes resto like this:
“A healer who calls upon ancestral spirits and the cleansing power of water to mend allies’ wounds”.
I’ve gone through this before. The overall class fantasy is balancing/maintaining the elements (In some places at least. The original book does not take that stance). But the spec design of the three classes leaves little doubt as to each spec leaning towards & using certain elements more than others. And that is okay. It allows for each spec to have distinct abilities and spec fantasy (Or every spec would just use all the same abilities / have the same playstyle).
Look at the in game art of the trees. Ele has fire, Enhance has storm and Resto has water. Ele has lighting or fire builds. Enhance has storm or physical builds. Resto uses almost all water abilities, etc. It’s cool and I think necessary to give the specs unique identities.
Re: Mage…all three specs use arcane magic in actuality. Mage’s just twist it to be fire/frost.
You can fight the balance of the elements topic all you want, but the in-game evidence has been clear for awhile that each shaman spec has a “favorite” element (Or two favorites really). And of the 4 elements, Earth is undoubtedly underrepresented, and if you look at Shaman’s Earth kit (Now and historically) they have almost always revolved around boosting health, reducing damage, taunting enemies, slowing/rooting enemies (All of which correspond pretty darn in-line with tanking).
Do I think we will get a tank spec…sadly, no, but as far as classes go, there is little doubt in my mind that Shaman has the best case to add a tank spec of any current class (Maybe Evoker too but they have been treated well enough this expansion).
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What does this mean without completely changing how raids in WoW work.
Because druids had 4 distinct playing styles that was making balance a mess. Shaman didn’t.
Didn’t the bosses in classic have savage strikes or whatever it was called that would hit the next highest threat. And that was why if a tank went down it would just start killing dps players one by one every swing. I can’t remember if that was a specific boss or if they all worked like that
Which shamans could tank in classic as well, cuz they had a totem that taunted. It was bad and jank and cringe. But it was possible.
The totem only worked if someone else wasn’t hitting the target. It just didn’t generate enough threat and when the totem died quickly it’s not like the threat goes to the shaman so it was essentially useless in a group setting.
I don’t think a tank spec would mesh well with the rest of the class and I believe an attempt to do so would not only damage the mechanics of the overall class but would also damage the lore and identity as well. A support spec would not.
That’s what I meant like it was really bad and stupid but it was possible to do if everyone in the group knew what was going on and played along.
I think they probably could make a “earth elemental” form for shaman and it would be cool. However I’d much prefer if they just gave the existing specs makeovers as a lot of shammy players aren’t happy with the awkward gameplay that’s already in the game. That’s much more fruitful than wanting tank shamans. I wouldn’t wanna tank on my shaman, I wanna heal. Resto shaman is cool but I don’t like how its supposed to play currently.
That’s not really off tanking. Just having a dps picked to take extra damage.