PvE Restoration Shaman Stat Priority

wotlk pve restoration shaman stat priority
  • Author: Nevermore
  • Date: September 27, 2022
  • Updated: September 27, 2022
  • Expansion: WotLK Classic

The stat priority of a Restoration Shaman is a bit different when compared to other healer specializations. It will retain most of the common stats such as Haste Rating and Critical Strike Chance, but will completely exclude Spirit.

Stat Priority

  1. Intellect
  2. Spell Power
  3. Haste
  4. Critical Strike Chance
  5. MP5
  6. Spirit
  7. Hit Rating (DO NOT GET THIS STAT-see below)
  8. Expertise (DO NOT GET THIS STAT-see below)

Stats Explanations

Intellect is the most important stat for a Restoration Shaman, as it increases both our mana pool and critical strike chance. Intellect will be gained from both enchantments and our gear. However, you should never use intellect gems. 

One of the main reasons Intellect is your most powerful stat is the Nature’s Blessing talent, which increases your healing done by 15% of your total Intellect stat.

Spell Power is a stat essential to every spell caster — including healers — increasing our spells’ capabilities. Spell power can be gained from our equipment, enchantments, and even gems. You should try to achieve as much spell power as possible in order to maximize the capabilities of your healing spells.

Your spell power will vary throughout the expansion, sitting at around 2000 at the beginning of the expansion on your own without any buff or trinket proc, and reaching 3500 at the end of the expansion.

Haste is a stat that allows us to benefit from a lower Global Cooldown and lower spell casting time, effectively reducing the duration of our spell casts. The maximum amount of reduced Global Cooldown and Casting Time that you can acquire is 1 second. While theoretically you can go lower than 1 second on a spell like Lesser Healing Wave, you will still be constrained to the 1-second Global Cooldown limitation. As a Restoration Shaman, you will want to attain as much Haste Rating as possible in order to maximize your spells.

You will gain 1% Spell Haste for every 32.79 Haste Rating you acquire. Your Haste rating will vary throughout the expansion, progressively growing through later phases. Without any buffs, and with your BiS gear, you will have around 700 Haste Rating at the beginning of the expansion. This value will change to around 1400 Haste Rating at the end of the expansion.

Critical Strike Chance is a stat that allows us to perform Critical Hits, whether it might be an offensive spell or a healing spell. This stat is extremely important to Shamans as we want to maximize the most of our spells, considering that our spells have high cast times. Additionally, many of our talents can only proc in the case of a spell delivering a critical strike. You will want to prioritize items that can offer Critical Strike Chance, and if possible, that have Haste Rating as well.

You gain a 1% increased chance to crit for every 45.91 crit rating you have. Your critical strike chance will vary throughout the expansion, sitting at around 19%-20% while unbuffed at the beginning of the expansion and reaching around 35% at the end of the expansion.

Mp5 is a stat that contributes to our mana regeneration. While Spirit may not affect a Restoration Shaman, Mp5 will certainly do its job. This stat gains more power the longer a fight lasts, effectively helping us regain more mana. However, mp5 is a stat that should not be heavily stacked, as other stats such as Haste or Critical Strike Chance are better to be stacked.

Throughout the expansion, your MP5 will vary between 140-180 when you achieve the specific phase’s BiS items.

Spirit is a tricky stat when it comes to a Restoration Shaman; all other healers benefit from talents that allow them to continue their Spirit-based mana regeneration even while in combat, however, Restoration Shamans do not have such a talent. Spirit is mostly useless for Restoration Shamans and should therefore be generally avoided unless the item that offers it increases our other stats by a huge amount. 

Hit rating is a stat that is entirely useless for us as a Restoration Shaman. It is listed here to make sure that you understand this and that you will not try to acquire any of it.

We urge you to understand that “Healing Spells” do not ever miss their target!

Expertise, much like Hit Rating, is entirely useless to our class, as Healing spells can not be parried or dodged by our friends! We placed this stat here just to make sure that you understand how unnecessary Expertise is for us.

 

About the Author

Nevermore

Hey there folks, I am Nevermore and have been deeply passionate about WoW for more than a decade. Whether we talk about the hidden mysteries of Azeroth or the otherworldly Outland, my journey brought me here to share the things that I have experienced with you all.
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Dweezil
Dweezil
11 months ago

If intellect is the #1 stat priority for Resto Shaman, then why gem for haste? My AskMrRobot optimization is wanting me to switch all of my gems to intellect (probably to maximize benefit from Nature’s Blessing). What do you think about this?

Passion
Passion(@passion)
Editor
Reply to  Dweezil
11 months ago

Simming for Healers is a very iffy thing, and AskMrRobot is generally not very accurate for Wrath of the Lich King.

The stat priorities do look a little confusing when you consider the stat priorities though, I agree.

JDBob
JDBob(@jdbob)
1 year ago

Guide says not to get expertise and hit rating. What about Strength, Agility, Attack Power, Resilience, Defense, Dodge, Parry, Block and Spell Penetration?? I’m confused..

Feardôtcôm
Feardôtcôm
Reply to  JDBob
1 year ago

Agility is great stat. Makes you cast faster 😎

Passion
Passion(@passion)
Editor
Reply to  JDBob
1 year ago

Hit Rating is primarily specified because a lot of caster gear that you would look at has Hit Rating on it. Generally these pieces aren’t Healer pieces, even if they have other attractive stats.

If a piece of gear has Strength, Agility, Attack Power, Armor Penetration, Defense, Dodge, Parry, or Block on it, it is not a healer item and you wouldn’t even bother looking at it generally.

Spell Penetration and Resilience are almost exclusively found on PvP items, so for a PvE guide they can be freely ignored.

JDBob
JDBob(@jdbob)
Reply to  Passion
1 year ago

If a piece of gear has Expertise on it, it is not a healer item and you wouldn’t even bother looking at it generally.

Dude literally debunked himself and didn’t fix his guide accordingly T.T

Passion
Passion(@passion)
Editor
Reply to  JDBob
11 months ago

This isn’t my guide.

JDBob
JDBob(@jdbob)
Reply to  Nevermore
10 months ago

Sorry, i thought I was answering to a counterargument of yours.

Expertise is mentioned in your priority list as if it could appear on caster gear, which isn’t the case, just like Strength, Agility, Attack Power, Defense, Dodge, Parry and Block. What I was ultimately suggesting is removing Expertise from the list or adding all the other stats I just mentioned.

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