Anyone finding the new Totemic Heroic build janky and not fun, at least in M+? It’s like they created a melee caster who has to channel in high movement.
For optimal dps, you’re tided down to the Heroic Totem, which isn’t a big deal, but gets annoying with high movement. But Legacy of the Frost Witch is another matter. Generating 10 maelstrom isn’t automatic, nor relying on Storm Strike spamming to get to 10 just to buff physical damage.
Overall, the build is nothing but mental gymnastics over 2 key buff windows. Having to drop the totem to regain certain buffs, on top of Legacy of the Frost Witch Buff, causes too many trip ups in high movement. I ask myself, who was this made for?
When you have a build like this as the go to top performer, it’s dishearting to play. I’ve spent time studying the guides and trying to perform well with it. I’ve always played Shaman, yet, I go on my WW Monk and I can just spam happy and not feel tied down and do absurd damage at a lower ilvl. Blizzard, NEVER MAKE THESE KINDS BUILDS AGAIN for any class. Specs should be fun for most and players should be able to pick up on them with relative ease.
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Cooldown/buff stacking, Blizzard’s most played-out combat design…yaaay. /s
Couldn’t tell ya.
Zero interest in Totemic from the start.
Stormbringer ftw. 
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What are you channeling? If you’re playing correctly every single thing you press is instant, you should not be having to ‘channel’ or cast anything in melee or in general at all aside from maybe healing surge if you have to spam it to save someone. If you are casting any dps spells at all, you are doing something very wrong.
You throw down your totem and hit crash lightning and spam lava lash with hot hands up, stormstrike while that is on cd, and spend your maelstrom weapon stacks on ele blast and chain lightning (or lightning bolt if it’s single target and ele blast is on cd.
Legacy of the frost witch is basically passive now, it’ll almost always be up you don’t even have to track it. We generate and spend so much so fast all the time that it’s always up.
The buffs from the totem are consumed automatically, Lava lash consumes 2 of them (whirling fire and earth) and when you spend your maelstrom weapon on Ele blast/CL/Lightning bolt it consumes whirling air, which is passive. You don’t really even have to track it (I do but again it all happens automatically/passively) because you should know that every single time you press lash it consumes 2/3 and when you press your first spender after throwing down your totem it’ll consume the third.
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If you’re experiencing windows with a lack of Maelstrom Weapon generation, you’re doing something wrong.
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You can just play stormbringer if that’s more your vibe. It does decent enough damage in nearly all situations. No need to force yourself into the pigeon hole.
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I tried the totemic build. I did not like how we were tied to being within range of the totem. So there are a about 3 things they can do to fix it make it so that the totem is on the shaman and there for mobile like the older mana totem for enhancement, Greatly increase the range of the totem or just have it auto move when you get out of range.
Totemic can be a bit chaotic, the One Arm Bandit on Heroic proves this, but the totem button turning into the move totem near you button after you initially put it down is a great help.
On another subject, I rolled off-spec for a staff and won. So last night for giggles I did a 11 Sidestreet as Elemental. I used the Farseer build. I have not played Elemental since Shadowlands. I had no ideal just how hard Elemental hits now.
In truth this season IMO, is so much easier to be range in both raid, M+, and delves. Blizzard has gone all in on melee. You need your head on a swivel to avoid whats coming at you. Challenging for sure, but hehe I found 11 so much easier doing it range than melee. I known that because my other toon is an MM hunter, and even in raids, I found it easier at range than I do on my Shaman.
Update: Lol I did not realize I was on my Hunter!
I miss Totemic Storm build so much, most fun I ever had as Enhance in this game all these changes completely sucked all the fun out of this season for me.
I actually like the way it feels. I do agree the playstyle of the totem is not so fun on high movement fights, that’s why I macro it to drop at my feet. There are few moments where maelstrom generation is at a halt. If hot hands procs just be ready to mash it because flame shock ticks will bring it off CD sooner than you think. On ST, you should have 0 problems with maelstrom as you have 2 stormstrike charges. My guess is you’re sending the lightning bolts/e-blasts off at 5 stacks and your generators aren’t staying on CD
Dude it’s not hard at all. Drop the totem. Spend 10 maelstrom. Press lava lash, x, lava lash, x, lava lash, x ect ect.
I don’t think Totemic should’ve been the third hero spec (and considering it was literally the last one developed, I think the devs might’ve had doubts as well).
The totem feels like fluff, it doesn’t provide any group support, mainly just being a ~30 sec cooldown for lava lash spam.
I wish the searing totems were better.