Patch 3.2.2 changes for Shamans

by Matthew Rossi Sep 23rd 2009 at 5:00PM

No, technically they didn't just go ahead and let you race change your draenei shaman into a dwarf in patch 3.2.2. I guess Blizzard didn't get my letter. It's a shame, because I used glitter and star stickers and I drew a picture of a pink pony Frost Shocking a Rogue. Perhaps the graphic illustration on page 2 of the Rogue stun locking the pony to death wasn't to their taste. Ah well.

Let's assume that the next letter with the pony ankhing and hitting him in the back with a Flame Shock will be well received. For pony! What are the changes to Shamans in patch 3.2.2 to discuss? Let us look, cannot we? (Space Mutiny voice off.) For the changes follow us behind the jump please.

Shamans

Cleansing Totem: No longer pulses instantly when dropped.
Flame Shock: The duration of all ranks has been increased by 6 seconds.
Lava Burst: This ability no longer ever consumes a Flame Shock debuff off of the target.
Talents

Elemental Combat

Shamanism: Your Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning spells gain an additional 3/6/9/12/15% and your Lava Burst gains an additional 4/8/12/16/20% of your bonus damage effects.

Enhancement

Earthen Power: No longer causes Earthbind to pulse a persistent snare immunity aura. It does still remove snares from allies as an instant pulse, but there is no lingering immunity. Earthen Power now also brings Earth Shock's melee attack speed reduction up to -15%/-20% (with 1 or 2 points in it, respectively).

But the changes don't stop there. There are also bug fixes to consider. What are those, you may ask?

Grounding Totem will now properly protect against the Death Grip spell.

Lava Burst can no longer deal critical damage to targets who are immune to critical strikes (due to, e.g. Roar of Sacrifice, Blessed Resilience).

Lightning Shield: This spell will no longer set off some trinkets when it is cast.

Stoneclaw Totem's pulses will no longer break stealth on nearby hostile units.

Thunderstorm and Shamanistic Rage can no longer be used while Frozen, Cycloned, Sapped, or Incapacitated.

On behalf of Elemental Shamans in PvP (and Enhancement to a lesser extent) let me just say thanks for that shovel to the back of the head. We'll just toddle off to that shallow grave, shall we? The loss of Thunderstorm while sapped is basically saying "Shamans, we don't want you to be able to ever successfully fight off a rogue, or even be able to inconvenience him or her while she works tirelessly to pull your kidneys out of your body." And I get that it's a lot of hard work to beat a guy to death while he stands there, unable to fight back, so by all means lets speed that process up for them. I wouldn't want to make them feel bad about having to use the Sprint key.

If you think I'm unfairly harshing on Rogues here, it's true that this change also leaves us helpless before Druids, Mages, and Paladins, as well as possibly against those Warriors charging here and there. But I hate Rogues more than all of them put together so that's who I complain about. It's petty and small of me, but I'm a wicked, wicked man.

The other changes are a mixed bag. Don't like the change to Cleansing Totem clearly (to me anyway) aimed at keeping us from chain dropping it to clear DK diseases in PvP. I like folding the old Flame Shock glyph into the spell. I like the new Flame Shock glyph. Lava Burst getting more juice from Shamanism? This is good. Shamanism effecting Chain Lightning as well as Lightning Bolt ad doing more for LB? This is good. Grounding Totem grounding Death Grip? Also good. The changes to Lava Burst and Lightning Shield as well as Stoneclaw not breaking stealth were expected.

Overall, this wasn't a huge nerf to Shamans(in some ways it was a pretty nice little buff), but if you PvP (and especially if you PvP as Elemental) it wasn't a sunshine and pixies magical parade to the land of wonderment either.

Tags: Elemental, Enhancement, patch-3.2, patch-3.2-changes, patch-3.2-wow, patch-3.2.2, Shamans, world-of-warcraft-patch-3.2, wow, wow-3.2-changes, wow-new-patch, wow-patch-3.2.2

Filed under: Shaman, Patches, Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, News items, Wrath of the Lich King

Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)

briker Sep 23rd 2009 5:27PM

Just when I was about to try Pvp'ing again on my Ele Shammy. Back to "you can't do that while stunned"

Also, I hate rogues as much as you. Hate them hate them hate them.

I've recently leveled a druid to 80 and been gearing him. Hit a few BG's, and been able to go 1 on 1 vs a rogue. It turns into a giant circle fest, but if I get my abolish poison up, that little gnome becomes kitty kibble. Feels sooooo good.

Point being, this has 2 nerfs for Shamans vs Rogues - the cleansing delay, and the Thunderstorm nerf. I will not Pvp with my Shaman.

Also - @Precision above - we can't "spam" LvB's - they are on a 10 sec cooldown. It just means that we are now talented to not have to reapply it everytime. It was a glyph anyway. It allows us an extra cooldown in our PvE rotation, and bumps our dps just a little bit, which Elemental need to stay competitive.

nekorion Sep 23rd 2009 5:26PM

Lots of flame shock changes. It's longer, glyph allows for crits. Does anyone know what the crit chance actually is for it proc-ing?

I'm almost tempted to glyph it as enhancement.

BigSmitty Sep 23rd 2009 5:31PM

My last full mana DPS run on the boss target dummy self-buffed showed the flame shock DoT component crit rate was about 32%. I'm in decent (not great) gear and my crit rate as elemental is running in the low 30% range. Not sure if your crit percentage affects the crit rate of the tick, though.

Snuggles Sep 23rd 2009 5:33PM

The chance for it to crit isn't a proc, it's based off your normal spell crit chance.

BigSmitty Sep 23rd 2009 5:37PM

Well, guess that would make sense then, at least for me.

WarriorDragon Sep 23rd 2009 5:28PM

You can still Thunderstorm and Shamanistic Rage through stuns. I don't understand why you're all complaining.

Rich Sep 23rd 2009 5:29PM

Consider this or any nerf simply pay backs for the long lost era of Arcanite Reaper + Windfury daeth that shamans use to rain down upon the poor alliance of yester year.

Squelchy Sep 23rd 2009 5:31PM

Rogue here, how's it going, Shammies? You do know that Sap breaks upon damage, so I won't be able to destroy you *while* sapped, but only *after* sap? And you can still Thunderstorm while stunned? Guess I don't see the problem.

Well, I guess it will be annoying to be hanging out Sapped while a teammate is being destroyed... but really, you yourself are in no danger while sapped.

(Before you attempt to crit me in the face, let it be known my main alt is an Enhance/Resto shammy.)

BigBadGooz Sep 23rd 2009 6:53PM

screw you

SeanOr101 Sep 23rd 2009 5:32PM

Is there any other damage dealing ability that was usable while stunned? or was Thunderstorm unique in that sense?

BigSmitty Sep 23rd 2009 5:36PM

T-storm was just nice to have when that DK throws up AoD or you have two rogues tearing you a new one, just to get 'em off you...

Time Sep 23rd 2009 5:58PM

I don't like how that glyph is the same as the 2 pc T8 set bonus though, it makes me want to get rid of my t8 for some new shiny t9 instead

NeoPhobos Sep 23rd 2009 5:38PM

2 simple words made this update pure win...

For pony!

Tutunkommon Sep 24th 2009 11:17AM

Further Win:

Reference to Space Mutiny, which I am assuming is the Space Mutiny featured on MST3K, starring Santa Claus as the ships commanding officer, and scooter-cars that race along at slightly less than walking speed...

HA! good times, good times........

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