Shaman qol/buff suggestions

[Jeffz]

After reaching level 60 as shaman and playing around with each spec I have some small suggestions. I think shaman is very strong in this patch and especially so in the current phase of the server, these are just suggestions for addressing possible oversights as well as the general lack of mana sustain shaman suffers from

1. Lower the level to learn water shield and earth shield
Both skills have talents that can be fully learned before the spells are acquired. Lowering the level to learn water shield from 26->20 and earth shield from 40->30 avoids "wasted" points while leveling. These skills are also just a lot of fun and feel good to use so getting them earlier would be nice

2. Let lightning shield benefit from the mana cost reduction on clearcasting
this feels like an oversight and when changed will improve enhancement mana sustain greatly

3. Stormstrike and Lightning Strike should give Earthen Bulwark stacks
This one feels like another oversight, the Enhancement talent for "Elemental Weapons" says "Physical damage builds up an earthen bulwark" but it only applies to the damage from auto attacks, not the two active abilities from the same talent tree that also do physical damage?

4. Allow flametongue weapon and totem to work with single target offensive spell casts
Elemental shaman has no useful imbue when casting spells (90% of their gameplay). The damage would be based on the spells cast time, similar to how it works for weapon swing speed. This gives elemental twice as many chances to acquire clearcasting and gives shaman totems some utility for casters (fire mage especially). The effect could be baseline or made exclusive to a 4th or 5th row elemental talent such as "Call of Fire" or "Elemental Fury"


5. Rework the restoration talent "Restorative Totems"
Restorations talent tree is very bloated at the moment, with 5 different 5-point talents in the tree that are pretty much always going to be picked. This is due to a lack of appealing options in the ele/enh trees as well as the 4th row talent "Restorative totems" gating off the "Improved Chain Heal" and "Spirit Link" talents.
My suggestion would be to lower it to a 3-point talent with equal values, and to unlink it from the "Improved Chain Heal" talent allowing players to skip it in lieu of other options, such as...

6. Re-introduce Mana Tide Totem
Kinda upset this was ever removed, even if it was undeniably pretty bad. It would slot in perfectly as a single point talent in the 4th row of the resto talent tree and be a possible target for elemental shaman looking for more group utility.
It could also NOT be a talent and instead be the reward for some epic class quest.
1.18.1 introduced the earthen ring rep, maybe a revered or exalted quest from them that tasks you with fetching the legendary gamer girl bath water or something and then rewards you with the spell. Make it like call of water but 1000% worse.
I think its a neat spell and its a shame to remove it, it doesn't have to be game breaking or even good, I just miss my swirly totem

[Dahoof]

I would say go a step further for bulwark and have it work on nature damage. Shaman tanks pull with chain lightning and keep aggro with earth shock. Letting those build would give Shamans some DR on pull.

[Knifewrench]

Actually design shaman tank gear thats purely good for tanking, atm tank bis wil be t2 and t3 enhancement pvp set, tank talents made 2 strong to compensate lack of gearing for shaman, results unbalanced pvp and shamans having to pvp for pve tanking.

[Ainton]

Re: Elemental Weapons

Since Flametongue interacts with totems, and Frostbrand interacts with a shock, why not make Rockbiter interacted with shields? Specifically Earth Shield.

For example what if Earth Shield procs triggered the empowered version from Lightning Strike, but it went directly to the Bulwark instead of healing?

How to combine that with physical damage already on there is beyond me.

It would give tanks a reason to use it, but the impact on mana might be significant.

[Berdal]

Sounds like well-thought out improvements and fine touch-up of class.

Kudos

[Setribb6]

Is water shield even in the game right now? Can't find it in database and there're posts on forum claiming it's gone