WoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gifWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comen-usCopyright 2015 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/WoW Insider ShowEvery week, the WoW Insider Show brings you news and views from the World of Warcraft and the site that covers it all, WoW Insider. We introduce a panel of rotating guests, including bloggers from WoW Insider and other WoW blogs, and many popular personalities from around the WoW community. From the live listener chat and polls during the show, to the emails direct from listeners (reach us at theshow@wow.com), right on to the "meat" of the show -- in-depth discussion of the most popular news and posts on WoW Insider -- the WoW Insider Show is a terrific source of news and entertainment about what's going on with Blizzard and their World of Warcraft. Listen live every Saturday at 3:30 pm Eastern on our Ustream page (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wow-insider-show) or subscribe to the feed and let us know what you think by reviewing the show right here in iTunes.Patch 6.0.3 Hotfixes for January 12http://wow.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/patch-6-0-3-hotfixes-for-january-12/http://wow.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/patch-6-0-3-hotfixes-for-january-12/http://wow.joystiq.com/2015/01/12/patch-6-0-3-hotfixes-for-january-12/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Yes, more hotfixes. What do they entail, you ask? Well, I'm glad you did. Here's just a few highlights from this latest round of hotfixes. There are quite a few class changes, some of which I highly approve of (the ones that buff warriors) and other changes as well.
  • Death Knights see Blood Boil's damage reduced by 33.3%
  • Sacred Duty, formerly granting 5% additional haste from all sources, is heavily buffed and now grants 30% haste from all sources.
  • For you enhancement shaman, Stormstrike sees an 11.1% damage buff.
  • Gladiator Stance now only increases damage by 5%, down from 20%, but just about all damaging abilities for protection warriors see buffs - Thunder Clap, Deep Wounds and Revenge were buffed by 40%, while Devastate and Shield Slam both got 20% buffs.
There's a lot more, so head on over to the official site and take a look for yourself. Just about every class but monks saw some adjustment.

WoW InsiderPatch 6.0.3 Hotfixes for January 12 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 12 Jan 2015 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>hotfixhotfixespatch-6.0.3patch-6.0.3-HotfixesMatthew RossiMon, 12 Jan 2015 22:30:00 ESTClass tuning hotfixeshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/10/30/class-tuning-hotfixes/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/10/30/class-tuning-hotfixes/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/10/30/class-tuning-hotfixes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Yes, turns out they're still at work adjusting class tuning before we go into Warlords of Draenor. Some classes saw buffs, other classes saw another round of savage nerfs. Death knights and balance druids saw some buffs, as did elemental shamans, while mages saw a 20% nerf to frostbolt's damage (rolling back a buff from October 17th) and warriors got pummeled.

A complete list of the class changes will be posted after the jump.

Continue reading Class tuning hotfixes

WoW InsiderClass tuning hotfixes originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 30 Oct 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>buffsclass-balanceclass-changesnerfstuningMatthew RossiThu, 30 Oct 2014 15:00:00 ESTWarlords of Draenor Alpha: Updated patch notes for June 13thhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/06/13/warlords-of-draenor-alpha-updated-patch-notes-for-june-13th/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/06/13/warlords-of-draenor-alpha-updated-patch-notes-for-june-13th/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/06/13/warlords-of-draenor-alpha-updated-patch-notes-for-june-13th/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Well, it's another update to the Warlords of Draenor Alpha and its patch notes. What's new, what's changed, what's going on with the Alpha? Here's a few highlights:
  • There's a new section called Secondary Stat Attunement that basically comes right out and tells you what stat you're expected to want for each specialization. Fury warriors, you'll notice it's still crit. Fire mages? Same thing. We're still angry and hot. We both still love crit. We should totally form a band.
  • Other new sections include the Self-Sustainability section (which explains how your ability to not die has been changed) and the Tooltip Clarity section, which explains why they've made changes to various tooltips. Of extra import is the mention that, just because the tooltip has changed, that doesn't mean the ability has, unless the patch notes say it has. So keep that in mind.
  • There have been several changes to the Ability Pruning section - Death Knights lose Blood Strike and Necrotic Strike, druids see a mountain of changes (seriously, if you're a druid, go check that out, it's crazy) - paladins, priests, rogues and especially shamans have gotten some significant pruning as well (I'd put shamans just behind druids).
Head on over to the official patch notes and take a look for yourselves. If you're playing a class like a shaman or druid that just saw a lot of change it's especially a good idea to read up on the current state of affairs.

WoW InsiderWarlords of Draenor Alpha: Updated patch notes for June 13th originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 13 Jun 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>AlphaAlpha-patch-noteswarlords-of-draenorwarlords-of-draenor-alphaMatthew RossiFri, 13 Jun 2014 18:00:00 ESTWarlords of Draenor: Changes to Weapon Imbues and Unleash Elementshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/06/11/warlords-of-draenor-changes-to-weapon-imbues-and-unleash-elemen/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/06/11/warlords-of-draenor-changes-to-weapon-imbues-and-unleash-elemen/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/06/11/warlords-of-draenor-changes-to-weapon-imbues-and-unleash-elemen/#commentsFiled under: , ,

As part of the most recent Alpha build, shaman weapon imbues (Windfury, Flametongue, Earthliving) have been removed. CM Lore got on the forums and explained exactly what was up, and here's his rundown of the changes.

Lore - Weapon Imbues Shaman
We didn't feel that Weapon Imbues were offering much in the way of gameplay. For many players, they felt like more of an annoyance ("why can't I Unleash... oh") than a buff. They're also prime targets for reducing action bar clutter. For those reasons, we decided to convert each spec's primary imbue(s) to passive effects.

However, while the effects of Windfury and Flametongue are a core part of the Enhancement rotation, Earthliving for Restoration and Flametongue for Elemental are little more than a raw numbers increase. Not really something that we need to clutter up the spellbook with. So, for Resto and Elemental, we decided to remove those effects entirely (and compensate for that when we start numbers tuning). For Enhancement, we merged Windfury and Flametongue into one passive (Enhanced Weapons) that gives the benefits of both effects.

Please be aware that the currently active Alpha build was taken in the middle of a pretty big wave of class changes (for everyone, not just Shaman). We'll be getting a full update to the patch notes out as soon as possible once we've completed that round of changes.


The new passive, Enhanced Weapons, acts as Lore detailed - it basically gives your attacks the chance to have the effects of Windfury or Flametongue without actually having Windfury or Flametongue on them. In addition to this change, Unleash Elements now becomes one of three spec and imbue specific Unleash abilities, Unleash Life for Restoration, Unleash Flame for Elemental and Unleash Elements for Enhancement. Each unleashes as the ability does on live with the proper imbue.

WoW InsiderWarlords of Draenor: Changes to Weapon Imbues and Unleash Elements originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>earthlivingflametongueshamanunleash-elementswarlords-of-draenorweapon-imbueswindfuryMatthew RossiWed, 11 Jun 2014 19:00:00 ESTWarlords of Draenor Alpha: Feral Spirit and Ghost Wolf changeshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/06/11/warlords-of-draenor-alpha-feral-spirit-and-ghost-wolf-changes/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/06/11/warlords-of-draenor-alpha-feral-spirit-and-ghost-wolf-changes/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/06/11/warlords-of-draenor-alpha-feral-spirit-and-ghost-wolf-changes/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I was reading the various Blizzard press sites (as you do) when I came across this article from Alexandra Meurling about shaman ghost wolf form. I decided I needed to check that bad boy out, and soon discovered that yes, it's absolutely true, and it's not just limited to ghost wolf either. Also affected is the shaman ability Feral Spirit. You can see the upgraded wolves above. I'm not entirely sure why my shaman felt the need to sniff the dirt in every single screenshot I got of him, but yes, both the Ghost Wolf and Feral Spirit wolves are definitely a big upgrade.

I'm definitely interested in running around on my shaman for Warlords, I can tell you that.

WoW InsiderWarlords of Draenor Alpha: Feral Spirit and Ghost Wolf changes originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 11 Jun 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>feral-spiritghost-wolfshamanvisual-upgradewarlords-of-draenorMatthew RossiWed, 11 Jun 2014 17:00:00 ESTWatcher on health and healing changes in Warlords of Draenorhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/03/07/watcher-on-health-and-healing-changes-in-warlords-of-draenor/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/03/07/watcher-on-health-and-healing-changes-in-warlords-of-draenor/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/03/07/watcher-on-health-and-healing-changes-in-warlords-of-draenor/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

If you remember after the last Dev Watercooler, there was a flurry of activity on Twitter as Celestalon and Holinka answered questions. This time Ion "Watcher" Hazzikostas has taken to social media to answer questions and explain what's up. We're collecting his tweets here, to give folks a chance to see what he's got to say about the big changes coming to health and healing mechanics in Warlords. There's more after the jump.

Continue reading Watcher on health and healing changes in Warlords of Draenor

WoW InsiderWatcher on health and healing changes in Warlords of Draenor originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 07 Mar 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>healershealthion-hazzikostaspvepvpwatcherMatthew RossiFri, 07 Mar 2014 14:00:00 ESTTotem Talk: The best healing advice everhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/25/totem-talk-the-best-healing-advice-ever/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/25/totem-talk-the-best-healing-advice-ever/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/25/totem-talk-the-best-healing-advice-ever/#commentsFiled under: ,

Old Lodur
Every other week, WoW Insider brings you Totem talk for the shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration, brought to you by Joe Perez (otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and InternetDragons.TV), shows you how.

So, I've been playing this game for a long time. I mean, since before the game actually went to retail. I'm an old man at this point, at least in game terms. I've been around for the good times and the bad times, the highs and the lows and everything in between.

For officially four of those many years, I've been writing here at WoW Insider. A dream job for me for sure, and one I'm very grateful to have landed. Over the course of that time though, both in terms of just game time and of writing blog posts, I've dolled out and received a ton of advice. As always it came with the caveat that your mileage may vary, but I like to think it's been good more often than not over that time. But, in all my years of playing and writing, there has been one bit of advice that I received that has been by far the best advice I've ever received, and the best I can ever give.

Continue reading Totem Talk: The best healing advice ever

WoW InsiderTotem Talk: The best healing advice ever originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 25 Feb 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredguide to shamanrestoResto-Shamanrestorationrestoration-shamanrestoration-shaman-columnrestoration-shaman-totem-talkshaman-healingshaman-restoration-columnwow-shaman-infoJoe PerezTue, 25 Feb 2014 17:00:00 ESTTotem Talk: Falling in love with PVP Healinghttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/11/totem-talk-falling-in-love-with-pvp-healing/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/11/totem-talk-falling-in-love-with-pvp-healing/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/11/totem-talk-falling-in-love-with-pvp-healing/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lodur in AV tunnel
Every other week, WoW Insider brings you Totem talk for the shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration, brought to you by Joe Perez (otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and InternetDragons.TV), shows you how.

With the end of season 14 announced, and the imminent arrival of Patch 5.4.7, I thought I would take some time and get involved in some PVP action. I've always had a fondness for PVP, but raiding always took so much of my time in game, that between out of game things and raiding I just didn't have the time to invest into any amount of PVP. That's changed with a new guild, a new raiding schedule and a new work schedule out of game, so when a friend of mine asked if I wanted to start PVPing again, well I jumped at the chance.

While I'm not nearly as well versed in PVP as my fellow shaman of awesomeness Oliva Grace, I still manage to have a lot of fun in both Arenas and Battle Grounds. That said, I've been away from the PVP scene for a while, not setting foot in an arena since the middle of Cataclysm. I thought I would share my experiences and thoughts from this past week.

Continue reading Totem Talk: Falling in love with PVP Healing

WoW InsiderTotem Talk: Falling in love with PVP Healing originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>arenabattle groundsfeaturedguide-to-shamanspvprestoResto-Shamanrestorationrestoration-shamanrestoration-shaman-columnrestoration-shaman-totem-talkshaman-guideshaman-healingshaman-infoshaman-restoration-columnshaman-talentswow-shamanwow-shaman-infoJoe PerezTue, 11 Feb 2014 20:00:00 ESTHealer representation in Mists of Pandariahttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/07/healer-representation-in-mists-of-pandaria/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/07/healer-representation-in-mists-of-pandaria/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/07/healer-representation-in-mists-of-pandaria/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Dedralie at Healiocentric has started a series examining how the 6 healer specs fared in Mists of Pandaria, and the first installment starts with a look at representation in raids. It's a fascinating article on the rise, fall, and sometimes stagnation of class fortunes, and toward the end there's a pretty cogent prediction on what mythic raids in Warlords of Draenor are probably going to look like if current trends continue.

This is a quick summary, but I'll provide more details past the cut. As Dedralie writes, while we're not really talking about healer balance or throughput here, there are a few obvious trends you can track from the Mists launch in September 2012 all the way to heroic Garrosh kills in January 2014:
  • Discipline priests and holy paladins ruled the expansion.
  • The absorption effects brought by these two healers is a huge advantage in heroic content (even more so in 10-man), and it may be too valuable as a mechanic.
  • Tier 15 (Throne of Thunder) was the most balanced with respect to representation. Tier 14 saw significant gulfs between class popularity that unfortunately returned with a vengeance in Tier 16 (Siege of Orgrimmar).
  • While monks and holy priests are still struggling for representation, it's instructive to look at the fights where they were significantly more popular.
  • Mythics will probably look like the "under-healed" heroics of MoP, which will prejudice heal teams toward synergies between absorption healers and those with strong throughput-based cooldowns.

Continue reading Healer representation in Mists of Pandaria

WoW InsiderHealer representation in Mists of Pandaria originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 07 Feb 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>healerhealer-balancehealer-representationhealer-representation-in-mists-of-pandariahealershealinghealiocentricmists-of-pandaria-healer-representationtier-14tier-14-healer-balancetier-15tier-16Allison RobertFri, 07 Feb 2014 15:00:00 ESTTotem Talk: Resto fashion through Mistshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/28/totem-talk-resto-fashion-through-mists/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/28/totem-talk-resto-fashion-through-mists/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/28/totem-talk-resto-fashion-through-mists/#commentsFiled under: ,

Shaman Tier Gear MoP
Every other week, WoW Insider brings you Totem talk for the shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration, brought to you by Joe Perez (otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and InternetDragons.TV), shows you how.

Something that I've always loved over the years has been the aesthetic of shaman armor and tier sets. Over the years we've had some really killer tier sets that have showcased our connection to the elements. From the magma, water and planet armor from Burning Crusade, to frozen tusk armor of Wrath of the Lich King. We've had some really killer sets with some really awesome particle effects over the years.

I feel though, that with transmog, we've sort of moved away from looking at our gear sets in favor of using our older sets of gear. With that, I think that this past expansion has produced some of the greatest shaman armor we've had, arguably since the very beginning of the World of Warcraft. I thought it would be nice to take a look at the tier sets from the aesthetic perspective that we've received over the course of the Mists expansion.

Continue reading Totem Talk: Resto fashion through Mists

WoW InsiderTotem Talk: Resto fashion through Mists originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 28 Jan 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredguide-to-shamansrestoResto-Shamanrestorationrestoration-shamanrestoration-shaman-columnrestoration-shaman-totem-talkshaman-guideshaman-healingshaman-infoshaman-restoration-columnshaman-talentsshamanstier gearwow-shamanwow-shaman-infoJoe PerezTue, 28 Jan 2014 15:00:00 ESTTotem Talk: Why do you play a resto shaman?http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/13/totem-talk-why-do-you-play-a-resto-shaman/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/13/totem-talk-why-do-you-play-a-resto-shaman/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/13/totem-talk-why-do-you-play-a-resto-shaman/#commentsFiled under: ,

Shaman in Nagrand
Every other week, WoW Insider brings you Totem talk for the shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration, brought to you by Joe Perez (otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and InternetDragons.TV), shows you how.

It was a question asked of me the middle of last week by a friend over drinks. We Have been playing video games together, and in particular World of Warcraft, for close to the full decade of it's existence. He has always been more of the DPS type, and never really took to healing as any class, and since I've always been the healer, he was intrigued by what my answer could possibly be.

It seems like a simple question at first. Why do we play any class at all really? But there are a miriad of factors that can be cited as the reason we do. Lore, aesthetics, mechanics, armor. The list can be quite a long one. I sat back and I thought about exactly why I played a restoration shaman for so long, and thought that I would share.

Continue reading Totem Talk: Why do you play a resto shaman?

WoW InsiderTotem Talk: Why do you play a resto shaman? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 13 Jan 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredguide-to-shamansrestoResto-Shamanrestorationrestoration-shamanrestoration-shaman-columnrestoration-shaman-totem-talkshaman-guideshaman-healingshaman-infoshaman-restoration-columnshaman-talentswow-shamanwow-shaman-infoJoe PerezMon, 13 Jan 2014 15:00:00 ESTTotem Talk: Resto Shaman's Year in Reviewhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/01/totem-talk-resto-shamans-year-in-review/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/01/totem-talk-resto-shamans-year-in-review/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/01/totem-talk-resto-shamans-year-in-review/#commentsFiled under: ,

Shamansar
Every other week, WoW Insider brings you Totem talk for the shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration, brought to you by Joe Perez (otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and InternetDragons.TV), shows you how.

I like looking back and seeing how the past year has been for us, the dedicated water healers we are. I don't know about you, but at least for me I enjoy looking back over some of my favorite moments from the year prior.

2013 was certainly a bit of a roller coaster ride for restoration shaman, both in terms of how we performed and dealt with healing in a group and the changes we had to endure between tiers of content. It was filled with many good changes and things that made this a very good year for resto shaman.

Continue reading Totem Talk: Resto Shaman's Year in Review

WoW InsiderTotem Talk: Resto Shaman's Year in Review originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 01 Jan 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredguide-to-shamansrestoResto-Shamanrestorationrestoration-shamanrestoration-shaman-columnrestoration-shaman-totem-talkshaman-guideshaman-healingshaman-infoshaman-restoration-columnshaman-talentswow-shamanwow-shaman-infoJoe PerezWed, 01 Jan 2014 12:00:00 ESTTotem Talk: For the Love of Healing set bonuses in Siege of Orgrimmarhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/17/totem-talk-for-the-love-of-healing-set-bonuses-in-siege-of-orgr/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/17/totem-talk-for-the-love-of-healing-set-bonuses-in-siege-of-orgr/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/17/totem-talk-for-the-love-of-healing-set-bonuses-in-siege-of-orgr/#commentsFiled under: ,

Mecha Lodur
Every other week, WoW Insider brings you Totem talk for the shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration, brought to you by Joe Perez (otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and InternetDragons.TV), shows you how.

When it was first announced, the tier 16 set bonuses were something that I was initially pretty excited about. Both the tier 16 2-piece and 4-piece bonus seemed to be things that would fit well into our repertoire and gives us a little bit of a boost. Some healers weren't too convinced that these would ultimately be any good for us. It's a debate that happens pretty much every time we get a new tier of content and gear.

So, we've been in Siege of Orgrimmar for a bit now, and a fair number of healing shaman have either obtained their pieces of tier gear from the various raid difficulties, or are starting to now. So then the question of the quantum second is ultimately whether or not they are any good. I figured I would share my own observations on the matter.

Continue reading Totem Talk: For the Love of Healing set bonuses in Siege of Orgrimmar

WoW InsiderTotem Talk: For the Love of Healing set bonuses in Siege of Orgrimmar originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 17 Dec 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Celestial Harmonyfeaturedguide-to-shamansrestoResto-Shamanrestorationrestoration-shamanrestoration-shaman-columnrestoration-shaman-totem-talkshamanshaman-guideshaman-healingshaman-infoshaman-restoration-columnshaman-talentssiege of orgrimmarwow-shamanwow-shaman-infoJoe PerezTue, 17 Dec 2013 17:00:00 ESTTotem Talk: Restoration between now and Warlords of Draenorhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/03/totem-talk-restoration-between-now-and-warlords-of-draenor/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/03/totem-talk-restoration-between-now-and-warlords-of-draenor/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/03/totem-talk-restoration-between-now-and-warlords-of-draenor/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Panda in Outland
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Totem talk for the shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration, brought to you by Joe Perez (otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and InternetDragons.TV), shows you how.

Well, I don't know about you but I'm still very excited about the announcement of Warlords of Draenor. I mean, it was honestly the big news from BlizzCon 2013 and the feeling is still quite electric from almost everyone in regards to it. For some, The Burning Crusade and going to Outlands was one of the greatest things to ever happen in the World of Wacraft. For restoration shaman in particular, BC was that point in time where everything was awesome and shaman were the top of the food chain for healing.

This week though, I'm not here to talk about the glory days of shaman healing. No, that will be an article for another week. This week I wanted to talk about the time between now and the next expansion. It is always a topic to think about what to do in that time where you're waiting for the next expansion to even enter beta phase. The good news is Mists of Pandaria offers so many more options than any other expansion before. I thought I would share how I'm spending my time between now and Warlords of Draenor.

Continue reading Totem Talk: Restoration between now and Warlords of Draenor

WoW InsiderTotem Talk: Restoration between now and Warlords of Draenor originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 03 Dec 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>challenge-modefeaturedflex raidingflexibleguide-to-shamansproving groundsrestoResto-Shamanrestorationrestoration-shamanrestoration-shaman-columnrestoration-shaman-totem-talkshaman-guideshaman-healingshaman-infoshaman-restoration-columnshaman-talentswow-shamanwow-shaman-infoJoe PerezTue, 03 Dec 2013 14:00:00 ESTTotem Talk: What's Next for Restoration?http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/19/totem-talk-whats-next-for-restoration/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/19/totem-talk-whats-next-for-restoration/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/19/totem-talk-whats-next-for-restoration/#commentsFiled under: ,

Spirit Lodur
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Totem talk for the shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration, brought to you by Joe Perez (otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and InternetDragons.TV), shows you how.

BlizzCon has come and gone and it has left us, as it usually does, with a very small glimpse of what is yet to come. It seems like every expansion restoraiton gets shifted one direction or another. Whether it is focus on stats or our role in the healing team of a raid. No matter what way you look at it, excitement or fear, change is coming.

While the expansion, Warlords of Draenor, has just been announced and system changes are still being developed but it is never too early to start taking a look into what we can start to expect. Whether it's from gear, to stats, to spells and ability well... I'd rather start taking a gander now and not be blindsided later. That said, right now it's all speculation, since the game isn't even in beta yet.

Continue reading Totem Talk: What's Next for Restoration?

WoW InsiderTotem Talk: What's Next for Restoration? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 19 Nov 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredguide-to-shamanshealing gearrestorestorationrestoration-shamanrestoration-shaman-columnrestoration-shaman-totem-talkshaman-guideshaman-healingshaman-infoshaman-restoration-columnshaman-talentswarlords-of-draenorwow-shamanwow-shaman-infoJoe PerezTue, 19 Nov 2013 13:00:00 ESTTotem Talk: Resto Faces Another Sha, and Ganks a Dragonhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/05/totem-talk-resto-faces-another-sha-and-ganks-a-dragon/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/05/totem-talk-resto-faces-another-sha-and-ganks-a-dragon/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/05/totem-talk-resto-faces-another-sha-and-ganks-a-dragon/#commentsFiled under: ,

looking over the vale
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Totem talk for the shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration, brought to you by Joe Perez (otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and InternetDragons.TV), shows you how.

You've made it this far, and you're almost through the opening act in the Siege of Orgirmmar. You are getting ever so much closer to facing down Garrosh. The next two bosses that stand in your way are both pretty straight forward, but also have the potential to be infinitely annoying.

The good news, at least for Restoration shaman, is that both of these upcoming fights have amazing opportunity to make use all of our group healing spells and abilities. The mechanics aren't too terribly hard, but they are certainly worth going over so you can know what to expect.

This is not a comprehensive boss guide, but is instead tips and tricks I have learned through my own personal experiences.

Continue reading Totem Talk: Resto Faces Another Sha, and Ganks a Dragon

WoW InsiderTotem Talk: Resto Faces Another Sha, and Ganks a Dragon originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 05 Nov 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredgalakrasguide-to-shamansrestoResto-Shamanrestorationrestoration-shamanrestoration-shaman-columnrestoration-shaman-totem-talksha of prideshaman-guideshaman-healingshaman-infoshaman-restoration-columnshaman-talentsShaOfPridewow-shamanwow-shaman-infoJoe PerezTue, 05 Nov 2013 20:00:00 ESTTotem Talk: The Curious Case of Chain Healhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/22/totem-talk-the-curious-case-of-chain-heal/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/22/totem-talk-the-curious-case-of-chain-heal/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/22/totem-talk-the-curious-case-of-chain-heal/#commentsFiled under: ,

Totem Talk The Curious Case of Chain Heal Tuesday
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Totem talk for elemental, enhancement and restoration shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration, brought to you by Joe Perez (otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and content creation at InternetDragons.TV), shows you how.

Back in the glory days of restoration shaman, say around The Burning Crusade, Chain Heal was the best things since Roasted Kodo Meat. It was the premier group heal, it was incredibly efficient in terms of mana cost, and you could heal for the same value as two healers. It was truly the greatest of times for those healing minded of us.

Anyone who has been following me on Twitter has probably noted that over the last few weeks I've had a pretty love hate relationship with CH on various fights in Siege of Orgrimmar. It is a complicated matter, at least through my eyes, for a few reasons.

Continue reading Totem Talk: The Curious Case of Chain Heal

WoW InsiderTotem Talk: The Curious Case of Chain Heal originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 22 Oct 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>chain healChainHealfeaturedguide-to-shamansrestoResto-Shamanrestorationrestoration-shamanrestoration-shaman-columnrestoration-shaman-totem-talkshaman-guideshaman-healingshaman-infoshaman-restoration-columnshaman-talentssiege of orgrimmarSiegeOfOrgrimmarwow-shamanwow-shaman-infoJoe PerezTue, 22 Oct 2013 14:00:00 ESTTotem Talk: Healing Deeper Under the Veilhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/08/totem-talk-healing-deeper-under-the-veil/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/08/totem-talk-healing-deeper-under-the-veil/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/08/totem-talk-healing-deeper-under-the-veil/#commentsFiled under: ,

Totem Talk Healing Deeper Under the Veil tuesday
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Totem talk for elemental, enhancement and restoration shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration, brought to you by Joe Perez (otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and content creation at InternetDragons.TV), shows you how.

Between taking down bosses and pushing ever further into the Siege of Orgrimmar, I've been taking a tour of all the horde side places that I haven't been too in almost 10 years. This past week I went through and explored Undercity again. Man has that place changed since the first time I set foot there. That said, the familiar halls still feel almost the same, almost like a home coming. I mean, you never forget your first bat ride do you?

That feeling really does translate well in the new raid tier. After all, to me at least, it is all about saving the once and glorious horde. Once you make the puddle clean again, and you're ready to start making your way deeper into the Siege, your next stop is going to see you facing down some old friends. It's an interesting story point, to emerge from the vault beneath the well only to be greeted by what were once among your most valued allies in the war against the Mogu.

This is not a comprehensive boss guide, but is instead tips and tricks I have learned through my own personal experiences.

Continue reading Totem Talk: Healing Deeper Under the Veil

WoW InsiderTotem Talk: Healing Deeper Under the Veil originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 08 Oct 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredguide-to-shamansNorushenrestoResto-Shamanrestorationrestoration-shamanrestoration-shaman-columnrestoration-shaman-totem-talkshamanshaman-guideshaman-healingshaman-infoshaman-talentsshamanssiege-of-orgrimmarSoOThe Fallen ProtectorsTheFallenProtectorswow-shamanwow-shaman-infoJoe PerezTue, 08 Oct 2013 14:00:00 ESTTotem Talk: Immersing yourself into the Siege of Orgrimmarhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/09/24/totem-talk-immersing-yourself-into-the-siege-of-orgrimmar/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/09/24/totem-talk-immersing-yourself-into-the-siege-of-orgrimmar/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/09/24/totem-talk-immersing-yourself-into-the-siege-of-orgrimmar/#commentsFiled under: ,

Totem Talk
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Totem talk for elemental, enhancement and restoration shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration, brought to you by Joe Perez (otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and content creation at InternetDragons.TV), shows you how.

I don't know about you, but for the last couple of weeks I've been super excited. I love new content patches, and this one I think is one of my favorites. Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I love lore, and this patch is pretty full or some tantalizing story bits. It's made all the cooler, at least for me now being horde and all, seeing all the nifty tie-ins inside and around Orgrimmar.

To see the awesomeness that is the Siege of Orgrimmar, well, you're actually going to have to get in there at some point. Be it LFR, Flex raiding or normal raiding, there are so many ways for you to get in and experience what I think is one of the best raid zones to date. To do that, you're going to need to get in and get past the first set of challenges that await you.

This is not a full step by step healing guide, instead it is my own observations and the sharing of information that I found useful as a resto shaman in these encounters.

Continue reading Totem Talk: Immersing yourself into the Siege of Orgrimmar

WoW InsiderTotem Talk: Immersing yourself into the Siege of Orgrimmar originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 24 Sep 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredguide-to-shamanshealingimmerseusrestoResto-Shamanrestoration-shamanrestoration-shaman-columnrestoration-shaman-totem-talkshaman-guideshaman-healingshaman-infoshaman-restoration-columnshaman-talentssiege of orgrimmarSiegeOfOrgrimmarwow-shamanwow-shaman-infoJoe PerezTue, 24 Sep 2013 19:00:00 ESTTotem Talk: The Final Healing Preparation for Patch 5.4http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/09/11/totem-talk-the-final-healing-preparation-for-patch-5-4/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/09/11/totem-talk-the-final-healing-preparation-for-patch-5-4/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/09/11/totem-talk-the-final-healing-preparation-for-patch-5-4/#commentsFiled under: ,

Totem Talk The Final Healing Preparation for Patch 54 tuesd
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Totem talk for elemental, enhancement and restoration shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration, brought to you by Joe Perez (otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and content creation at InternetDragons.TV), shows you how.

Well, friends, if you're reading this then you are likely doing just like me and anxiously waiting for servers to open back up and to begin the Siege of Orgrimmar! I mean, I'm so excited I've gone as far as to faction change and bring Lodur back to his home town roots and have gone back to the Horde! As such I decided to take a quick photo with the soon to be former Warchief, you know, for posterity.

So with the final countdown at hand, it is time to take stock of all the last minute notes and things we should know. How will Healing Rain fare? Any other last minute changes that occurred over the course of the last two weeks? How are those very first fights going to go as we make our way into Orgrimmar?

Continue reading Totem Talk: The Final Healing Preparation for Patch 5.4

WoW InsiderTotem Talk: The Final Healing Preparation for Patch 5.4 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 11 Sep 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredguide-to-shamansrestoResto-Shamanrestorationrestoration-shamanrestoration-shaman-columnrestoration-shaman-totem-talkshaman-guideshaman-healingshaman-infoshaman-restoration-columnshaman-talentswow-shamanwow-shaman-infoJoe PerezWed, 11 Sep 2013 09:00:00 EST