Totem Talk: The Future Soon
by Matthew Rossi 
Sep 7th 2009 at 6:00PM
We were interrupted by BlizzCon announcements last week when discussing starting a new Shaman (or resuming an old one). Frankly, the list of changes incoming in Cataclysm makes me leery of discussing the current leveling experience too much, because it's going to be radically altered. Two new shaman races! A complete reworking of gear and statistics! A new profession we'll all have access to in Archaeology, entirely reworked talent trees, a new max level progression option in Path of the Titans, and last but not least (to me) new totem skins!
Seriously, you have no idea how long I've wanted this. I expect the current 'default Horde' totems will remain the Orc totems of choice, but I'm very hopeful for Tauren and Trolls and Goblins and Dwarves to all get their own unique totem skins. Frankly, I want Tauren totems to resemble the giant beating pole Cairne Bloodhoof carries around.
Despite what I posted about my warrior, I plan on faction transferring my Draenei Shaman to Tauren fairly soon and moving him to my Horde server. I may or may not race change him to Goblin when they become available for race change (might be more fun just to level one, we'll see) but the idea of finally getting totems that match other races just fills me with glee. Trolls with weird voodoo looking sticks! Goblins with... I have no idea!
Scaling Issues
Commenter Squeek made a very good point in our last discussion that I wanted to highlight and discuss. Discussing Elemental Shamans, he pointed out:
We do not scale from buffs other classes provide currently. Intellect is the only primary stat that does something for us, and since it's crit chance, we don't care about it much at all due to the guaranteed crit in our rotation that procs our Clearcasting/damage buff/raid crit buff. Agility, Spirit, Strength, and Stamina don't affect our DPS at all. So when other classes beg for Kings in a raid, I just stand there wondering why there's no Spellpower buff that they can give. They have Might, so why not something like it for Spellpower?
This is an issue that primarily affects your end game raiding Elemental Shaman, but make no mistake: in every five man, battleground, and group quest you do as an Elemental Shaman leveling up, this has an impact on you. The only real buffs an Elemental Shaman can take the full benefit of are +hit or +haste. Otherwise, while other classes gain more health, more mana and more damage, Elemental only gets the first two.
The removal of spell power from gear and switching to a system where it is derived from Int will make Int, and buffs to Int like Kings and GotW useful to caster shamans in the same way they're useful to everyone else. This, to my eyes, is one of the huge possible benefits for the new shaman as the expansion launches: you won't have to learn and understand as many variables going from caster DPS to melee DPS, for instance. For a class that does as much with hybridization as Shamans do (Enhancement Shamans are in a physical DPS role and yet do a substantial portion of their damage as magic, for instance) this can only be good.
I don't see this becoming an issue on the Horde side at all. There's already three possible Shaman races to choose from, and as long as Goblin racial abilities don't end up being ridiculously dominant (in other words, Trolls need a revamp pretty badly, and Tauren/Orcs at least a touchup) then the addition of a fourth Shaman race should have minimal impact. If they don't balance those racials out better, then they can most likely expect either a flood of Trolls switching to Goblins and/or an angry, shoeless, pitchfork and torch wielding mob coming their way out of Sen'jin. Assuming that Sen'jin Village isn't occupied resettling the Echo Isles (because come on, if Deathwing is going to shatter the world and split the barrens in half then it is time for the Trolls to kick a level 10 elite out of their bloody settlement!) by then.
A possible issue for racial balance Horde side is that Goblins will be getting their own starting zone experience similar to that DK's got in Wrath. If it's as fun and engaging, then the levels to 20 will just fly past, making Goblins the easiest Shaman option to get most of the way through that initial dry spell of cast, wait for it to run at you, cast more, then whack it with a hammer that shamans have to endure for the first 20 or so levels.
This also might be a little cynical on my part, to assume that the other races won't also have a streamlined leveling experience and feel more distinct at low levels. One of the big issues with a shaman at low levels (in my opinion) is that the hybrid nature of the class isn't really clearly defined by talent choices for at least 20 if not 30 levels. Are you a caster, a melee DPS, or a healer? The answer really is I don't think it matters when every pull is still cast, shock, cast, whack shock whack until it keels over. This is why I dearly hope classic and iconic abilities like Windfury drop in level so earlier shamans can access them. Bloodlust at 45? I can dream.
Alliance side, things will be slightly different for racial balance. For one thing, we'll go from only one class that can be a Shaman to two, and frankly while I love Draenei I'm sure most Alliance players (and some Horde players) vastly prefer Dwarves to the current options. People who recoiled from BC's supposed sci-fi look (I hate that idea because floating crystals are no more sci fi than, say, walking steam powered robots with buzzsaw hands) will probably take a great deal of interest in the stout, reliable Dwarven silhouette.
As far as racials are concerned, both Dwarves and Draenei have compelling racial abilities. Stoneform and expertise with maces vs +hit and a HoT, no clear winner for Enhancement. I'd rather have the +hit for Elemental, but Resto doesn't really need to use Gift of the Naaru much now that Riptide's here, so both options seem less that stellar for healers. (I'd give Stoneform the edge for fights where you're busy healing but might take an effect you really need to clear off.)
Summing Up
Leveling in the expansion will have new options, new gear choices and new concerns for the beginning Shaman player. With experience from questing changing due to the new zone flow, changes to how our stats interact with buffs and gear, new possible races to play as and yes, even new cosmetic options (sometimes those are very helpful to keep interested when things get grindy) I can only hope we see a vast improvement for the low level shaman. Seriously, it can be brutal getting past level 20, and I sincerely hope we see that looked at and adjusted as Cataclysm arrives.
Next time we talk more about leveling in the here and now with the arrival of the new totem interface at level 30.
Check out more strategies, tips and leveling guides for Shamans in Matthew Rossi's weekly class column: Totem Talk.Filed under: Horde, (Shaman) Totem Talk, Draenei, Expansions, News items, Odds and ends, Analysis / Opinion, Shaman, Trolls, Tauren, Dwarves, Alliance, Goblin
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Retropally Sep 7th 2009 6:04PM
johnathan coulton :)
Terethall Sep 7th 2009 10:26PM
I cry every time I read a class column on this site that isn't my own class.
Matt Rossi, Christian Belt, etc. are all amazing class columnists. WoW.com, hurry up and hire a decent Warlock columnist, please!!
Or maybe I just need to roll a warrior, or shaman, or mage (if Christian and his heartless mage buddies will let me in) etc.
Andrew R. Sep 7th 2009 6:13PM
I've been debating on whether or not I should level a shaman now and then do a race change to dwarf once the expansion comes. I overlooked the fact that the talent trees are being revamped.
I just found my answer in this article. I'll wait to roll my dwarf shaman and level up in the revamped old world. Heirlooms will make that trek a lot easier too.
I look forward to the pint size shamans getting drunk and casting flame shock.
theRaptor Sep 7th 2009 6:31PM
Uh I am pretty sure the current Totems are Tauren ones. You find their big brothers in Tauren zones and I am pretty sure Blizz even said as much at BlizzCon.
They really need to make enhance not suck before 40. It really is so incredibly bad that I could only bare it because it only took me a bit over 2 days played to hit. My shammy got so much more fun once he had more to do than melee and earthshock.
Noah Sep 7th 2009 8:42PM
Yeah, same here. It took until the late 50s for me to realize how bad it was before, as I saw how awesome it became. I just love the button-mashing — I mean, there's always something to do while you're fighting.
alpha5099 Sep 7th 2009 6:20PM
Personally, I expect the Horde totems to go to the Taurens. After all, they're mini-totem poles.
Donaghy Sep 7th 2009 6:29PM
That's what I thought Blizz was saying when they mentioned new totem models.
AutumnBringer Sep 7th 2009 6:30PM
Same here. I read that line in the article and was a little confused. The current Horde totems definitely look more related to Tauren than any other race. They have the wings like a lot of Native American totems (and the Native theme is pretty clearly theirs) and they are topped off with ... horns.
Regardless, I do hope though that they brush them up a little, I feel like they look so plain in comparison with the Draenei ones and could use at least a little more zest.
Chris256 Sep 7th 2009 6:37PM
exactly, i was like um... why would orcs get em
Jewbanks Sep 7th 2009 7:25PM
I cant remember wow but someone from blizzard definitely said the Orcs had been sharing the Tauren's totems for to long and would get their own.
Bod Sep 7th 2009 10:14PM
Once again a nicely thought through and reasoned article. thank you.
Now please roll a healing priest, we really need you in that column too.
Zarfay Sep 7th 2009 6:22PM
Zalazane isn't elite.
Alanid Sep 8th 2009 12:55PM
He's also dead to to player help
alpha5099 Sep 7th 2009 6:35PM
Also, let me just thank you for posting that link to Cairne's WoWWiki page. It has the image of Thrall and Cairne saving Horde babies that I'd heard about from Blizzcon, but this was the first time I'd actually been able to find the image. It's my desktop now. Although I was really hoping to see some Troll and Tauren babies as well.
The biggest problem for me with Cataclysm is that all the stuff announced has got me really keyed up to start another Shaman, but I probably won't want to do anything until Cata so I can try out a Goblin (and see what leveling Ele is like).
And yes, it'd be real nice to get some iconic abilities earlier. Let Ele shamans get Lava Burst earlier; ditto with something like Frostfire for Mages. It'd be really nice to be able to level using such important spells for more than 5 or 10 levels.
Cornetto Sep 7th 2009 6:38PM
There has been a blue post saying something along the lines of "I'm sure the tauen are sic of sharing their totems". So yeah, they're definitely tauren totems.
Thorzon Sep 7th 2009 6:37PM
Actually, the original post from the GM was...
"It would be awfully silly to see Dwarven Shaman lugging those big ol' Draenei totems around, wouldn't it?
You'll see what we have up our sleeves for Shaman in the expansion. ;) After all, I think Tauren are getting tired of sharing theirs, too."
...meaning that the default Horde totems will become the Tauren totems, and the other races will be getting the new totems, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Tauren totems get a remake.
Demonkunga Sep 7th 2009 6:39PM
"I expect the current 'default Horde' totems will remain the Orc totems of choice, but I'm very hopeful for Tauren and Trolls and Goblins and Dwarves to all get their own unique totem skins. Frankly, I want Tauren totems to resemble the giant beating pole Cairne Bloodhoof carries around."
You have that wrong. The "default Horde" totems are actually Tauren totems. Tauren are the true Shamanistic, and Druidtic type race. If you think the current totems for Horde are something the Orcs made, you must be blind. It's pretty obvious they are Tauren.
thebitterfig Sep 7th 2009 9:55PM
don't get me wrong, i love the orc racials, particularly for enhancement shaman. that said, they don't scale that well with gear. blood fury provides the same AP/SP benefit (gogo double-dipping) for a fresh 80 in rep blues and a few heroic epics as it does for someone in full hardmode Ulduar and ToC epics. true, as your haste/crit are higher, you make better use of that same amount of AP/SP, but that flat 20% haste is quite sexy even in the greatest gear imaginable. likewise, the expertise bonus depends on using only axes and fists, and having good gear which lacks expertise, since there is a very trivial benefit to overcapping expertise (you might on some rare occasions be in front of a mob for a few swings, but again, a rare circumstance).
for elemental, there is a happy coincidence with berserking's cooldown being the same length as the one for elemental mastery, meaning you can always dovetail your 15% crit and your 20% haste. it isn't gamebreaking, but it's still quite handy.
when it comes to resto shaman, however, orc racials don't really measure up. blood fury doesn't increase healing, so all you're left with is some stun reduction. 20% haste can be very handy in a lot of healing situations, though. 10 seconds isn't very long, but with wrath of air totem, the haste is enough to give you an extra CH in that time frame.
of course, i think anyone will agree that tauren racials suck for pve.
Navir Sep 7th 2009 11:07PM
"Tauren totems. Tauren are the true Shamanistic, and Druidtic type race. If you think the current totems for Horde are something the Orcs made, you must be blind. It's pretty obvious they are Tauren."
Maybe my lore is rusty, but im pretty sure the draenei learned to be shamanistic from the orcs on draenor, so i dont think you can really pin it down to the tauren being the true shaman.
Evelinda Sep 8th 2009 12:18PM
@nav
yeah, on draenor, the orcs were shaman first... the draenei didnt pick it up until the orcs started killing them, and the broken lost their connection to the light (check out the "farseer" short story, its pretty darn good".
Having said that though, there were shaman on azeroth before the orcs arrived. Tauren, and possibly trolls, had been shaman for a long, long time before then.
Its still silly that theyre all sharing the same totems though!