The ins and outs of totem placement
by Mike Schramm 
Jul 24th 2007 at 2:42PM
I love playing a Shaman, and one of the main reasons is the unique gameplay of totem buffs. Paladins can buff just as well as we can (if not better-- those blessings are very nice, I'll admit), but no other class can just slam down a totem into the landscape, and either buff a group or damage mobs instantly. There's a whole other strategy, as kayholder is finding out, to totem placement, and it's different from almost everything else in the game.To answer her question, I don't lay all my totems every fight, but there are a few totems-- as a Resto/Ele Shaman, I try to have Wrath of Air and Mana Spring out-- whenever possible. At the highest levels, totem buffs are really powerful-- most melee people love Windfury, but Strength of Earth is a real boost to DPS as well as block for tanks. Her shaman is playing along with a Shadow Priest, so the Mana totem will be a big help, and Wrath of Air will boost both his shocks and her spells. As for placement, the comments on LJ are right-- she should have him lay totems down, and then pull mobs in one area to that place, in order to get the most use from them.
But even in larger situations, I love how totems work-- I love coordinating with my group what totems will be dropped, and I really enjoy paying attention to where my group members are in order to place the totems correctly. If I'm in the MT group, I run up with him to get Strength and Windfury down near him, and then move back to the caster group to put Mana down. When I drop Mana Tide (which I have, since I'm Resto), I always do a shout out to the casters in my group that "Mana is going down near me," so they can move in to get the bonus (the new animation helps a bit for that). Totems are definitely a unique way of laying down buffs, and I really enjoy the extra element of gameplay they add.
Filed under: Shaman, Analysis / Opinion, Tips, Buffs
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Wulfhere Jul 24th 2007 2:50PM
Don't you find the duration a touch limiting, though? Every boss fight I end up having to drop totems two or three times, and that's a big hole in my mana that's already pretty stressed healing on some of these encounters. I think it would be a real benefit to either increase their duration, decrease the mana cost or come up with a way to balance the fact that our buffs have to be recast every encounter and sometimes more than once *during* an encounter.
Benor Jul 24th 2007 3:04PM
Mmmm....tasty totems.
I admit, I would like it if most totems lasted for 3 minutes instead of 2, but what I'd really like is to be able to assign what element gives what buff. I can't count how many times I wanted to have Wrath of Air, Grace of Air and Windfury out, all at the same time-and how many times I've literally forgotten to put down a Fire totem because it didn't seem to be worth the time and mana. Being able to say that my Fire totem gives an Agility bonus while I put down Wrath of Air would be really nice, even if a Fire-based Agility bonus was lower than an Air-based one.
Mike Schramm Jul 24th 2007 3:21PM
I agree with you Wulf-- totems should have longer durations for sure. There's no reason they should be so short (especially since all Paladin blessings are five minutes long).
Angus Jul 24th 2007 10:10PM
Totems are a double-edged sword with a dull edge for a Shaman.
Our buffs are not on par with a Paladin and the Paladin pays less mana for a longer duration. We can put down 4 but the Paladin gets 2. All of the paladin's are mobile so it is balanced by that. The Paladin, however, get's to give each person exactly what they need and can do so for as many people as they can manage with mana. The Shaman gets up to 5 people and if the pairing is not done perfectly you will never see all 4 out. 1 of the 4 is usually not even a buff (fire.) The best totems compete in the air slot, so we are often sitting with some crappy sub-par buffs along with one or two good buffs. The funny part is, that's all on the plus side.
Totems last 2 minutes which is usually long enough to get you in a spot to have to recast while you are low on mana if a caster, or it means losing a chunk of DPS as Enhancement. Mobile fights mean it is worse. Finally, my totems can be killed by a level 1 character with a knife. We have the only buff in the game that an all purpose macro can kill so the opponent can not be bothered with really working to stop it. Just hit the macro and it will target grounding (or tremor) totem, use wand. Whoops.
I also hate having to move to get placement just right. Instances like Black Morass where you are always moving about, it really hurts things.
Totems have huge potential, but Blizzard has yet to get them to the point where they are a strength for the class instead of a wobbly crutch.
Frank Jul 24th 2007 4:44PM
SHAMAN POWER!
Coherent Jul 24th 2007 4:49PM
I think totems are a very poor mechanic that doesn't give sufficient advantage to compensate for the number and degree of their numerous disadvantages.
They are:
* Stationary (you can't gain any passive benefit while running)
* Vulnerable to attack (ridiculously easy to dispel with melee or ranged attacks)
* Expensive mana-wise
* Very weak individual effects (20 sec of the 2 min mana spring duration is required to make up for the cost of dropping the totem at all)
* Draw ridiculous amount of aggro just for existing (monsters ALWAYS attack and kill totems first unless someone specifically has aggro on them ahead of time...)
* You can't specify where you want your totems dropped
For these numerous disadvantages over, say, a paladin's buffs (he just casts it on anyone he wants and they get the benefit of it no matter what they're doing, monsters never dispel it, etc) we get paltry advantages:
* Totems work on more than one person at a time (if they feel like standing around doing nothing while they get the effect)
* And... THAT'S IT! Wow, you can feel the totem power, right there.
So; numerous disadvantages, a single, extremely inconvenient advantage in compensation. No wonder shaman is FAR LESS POPULAR THAN PALADINS EVEN ON THE HORDE SIDE, and is 20% less popular than the previous least-played alliance class.
Coherent Jul 24th 2007 4:54PM
Make that 50% less popular than the previous least-played alliance class:
http://www.warcraftrealms.com/weeklyactivity.php?serverid=-1&factionid=3
Rysc Jul 24th 2007 5:49PM
@5
Your comments caused a brain storm.
Assign placement via flame strike type graphic
You could "throw" totems to areas they are needed (range of 30 yards?).
See a feared person running, throw Tremor Totem near them.
Your a caster trying to stay at caster range but want to put down some melee totems, throw them near the boss.
I'm sure there are some interesting things you could do with this.
crushingbelial Jul 24th 2007 6:04PM
Forget that idea. That'd take forever.
Totems work fine and as intended. They don't draw aggro unless you place them too close to a mob, like a dumbass.
They're expensive over time when you drop them every two minutes. That's why we have mp/5. kthxbai.
TheDrunkJedi Jul 24th 2007 7:49PM
"They're expensive over time when you drop them every two minutes. That's why we have mp/5. kthxbai."
Which is flawed logic, because I mean Shaman only use their mana to drop totems right? Not like they need mana to heal, Cast Lightening Bolt, or do anything really. That and the efficiency on those spells is so insane. I don't personally mind the dropping mechanic of the totems, but either duration needs to be lengthened by large margin, or the cost needs to be reduced.
Bobby Hansen Jul 24th 2007 8:29PM
As an Enhancement Shaman, I find Totems bothersome.
I use Fire totems occasionally to add DPS, but it seems three seconds of slash-and-dicing with daggers equals my Searing Totem.
Healing and Mana totems take a long time to recover. and of course, as a soloer, they don't help much at all. Rather just cast a heal.
Earth Totems are the only ones that really help a ton - of course, I can only have one out at a time - either Damage Reduction or Strength, and if I need to run, then my other buff totems are gone.
Air Totems... well, are there any air totems other then Windfury?
"They don't draw aggro unless you place them too close to a mob, like a dumbass" - A priest, or Pally, or Warlock or whatever buffing themselves or others doesn't get Aggro like dropping a Totem does - and when the totem is (Far too quickly) destroyed, they come right for the totem's caster.
I barely bother with them. If I meet a non-elite mob 2 or more levels higher, I'll drop Strength of Earth and a Fire Totem. Most of the rest of 'em just mean fewer shocks and heals.
Of course, I'd be lost without SENTRY totem...
(please fix us Blizz. Make it worth it to drop these sticks!)
Grimtar Jul 24th 2007 9:40PM
This post is halfway to a decent Totem Talk. Why dont you write that column, Mike, since evidently you actually play the class?
Warlamb Jul 25th 2007 1:16PM
I chose a shaman because I would have direct control of the outcome of the battle. I can increase our defense, spell offense, melee offense. I was a priest who could only heal and had little affect on the battle other than spam a few buttons and make heal decisions. Basically sit and watch the battle. Now i feel more like a captain of a team in which i direct the battle by strategic placement of totems as well as heals. And for the record pallys have 3 buffs if you include their judgments.