The tribal nature of the shaman class makes it a lot of fun to play, and the buffing totems provide a great deal of help to players both going solo and in groups. The only Horde-specific class, shamans are good all-rounders, with healing and resurrecting spells as well as the ability to wear mail (after level 40). Shamans also have useful caster interrupt abilities with Earth Shock, and melee slowdown abilities with Frost Shock; many non-shamans complain that these abilities leave the shaman overpowered, if played well, so we may see some changes in the future.

These are some useful references for the shaman class:

• Stratics has a general overview to help understand what shamans are all about.
• MysticMoon's FAQ only covers Trolls and Orcs, but provides a detailed list of abilities.
• Gamespy have an article covering the first few levels of playing a Tauren shaman, from Camp Narache to Bloodhoof Village.
• The most frequently asked shaman questions (on broadcast) concern the shaman-specific quests ("Call of..."), so check out Thottbot's information on all the quests for maps and guidance. This walkthrough is also quite useful.
• WoWWiki's Starting a Shaman page is a great read if you're considering rolling a shaman.
• The official forums have a comprehensive FAQ and guide to the various races. The European forums also have a FAQ which includes addon suggestions if you're the customising sort.

I personally enjoy playing my shaman, but have found that the class doesn't hold up too well in one-on-one PvP; I play on a PvP server and frequently get ganked while questing. Having read some of the above guides I'm now prepared to go back and try again, but I may practice my PvP in battlegrounds for a while. I leave you with these words of advice: Frost Shock!

[Previous classes: Paladin, Mage, Priest, Druid, Hunter]

Tags: guide, newbie, shaman

Filed under: Shaman, Tips, How-tos, Guides