PvP Enhancement Shaman Guide

PVP Enhancement Shaman Guide WotLK 3.3.5a
  • Author: Nevermore
  • Date: February 9, 2022
  • Updated: February 9, 2022
  • Expansion: WotLK Classic

Welcome to the Enhancement Shaman PvP guide for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King!

In this guide, you will learn how to properly play an Enhancement Shaman in PvP scenarios, whether those might be battlegrounds, arenas, or the open world. The Enhancement Shaman is a hybrid class capable of providing high-burst damage, utility, and fast healing in PvP scenarios.

It was initially a class that served as a counterpart to the Paladin, available only for the horde. Since the TBC era, this class can be enjoyed by both factions. The Enhancement Shaman has the power to take down a target in mere seconds, invoking the wrath of the primal elements and raining them down upon his enemies. In addition, he can sustain his allies through powerful spiritual guidance, through the use of his totems.

This guide covers the Enhancement Shaman as of the patch 3.3.5, and includes BIS gear, gems, enchantments, gameplay, and spell rotation tips.

Arena Team Setups

When it comes to teams for the Arena you will want to try the following combinations:

2 vs 2 teams:

  • Enhancement Shaman/Arms Warrior
  • Enhancement Shaman/Unholy Death Knight
  • Enhancement Shaman/Retribution Paladin
  • Enhancement Shaman/Feral Druid
  • Enhancement Shaman/Balance Druid
  • Enhancement Shaman/ Assassination Rogue
  • Enhancement Shaman/Restoration Druid
  • Enhancement Shaman/Frost Death Knight
  • Enhancement Shaman/ Frost Mage
  • Enhancement Shaman/Beast Mastery Hunter
  • Enhancement Shaman/Holy Paladin

3 vs 3 teams:

  • Arms Warrior/Discipline Priest/Enhancement Shaman
  • Arms Warrior/Holy Paladin/Enhancement Shaman
  • Assassination Rogue/Enhancement Shaman/Discipline Priest
  • Restoration Druid/Enhancement Shaman/Frost Mage
  • Restoration Druid/ Unholy Death Knight/Enhancement Shaman

Best Races

Since the expansion we are reviewing is Wrath of the Lich King, the shaman class has several interesting choices when it comes to PvP content. The most notable choices are Draenei for the Alliance and Orc for the Horde.

Horde

  • Orc: Orcs are often considered to be the best race for the shaman class, as offered by the Horde. It brings several interesting racials for PvP content.
    The first racial is Command. At first, you might think that it doesn’t count for the shaman class – however, the effect does apply to your spirit wolves, as well as your earth and fire elementals.
    The second racial that is quite powerful is Hardiness, offering reduction to Stun effects by 15%.
    Although not as impactful, the other beneficial racials are the Blood Fury, which acts like a steroid for your attack power, and the Axe Specialization, which increases your expertise with axes and fist weapons.
  • Tauren: Another option offered by the Horde for the Shaman class is Tauren. These mighty spiritual beings have a deep connection with the elements and nature. They provide several powerful racials for PvP scenarios.
    First one is Endurance, which increases the Tauren’s base health by 5%. Second one is the War Stomp, which is a stun that lasts 2 seconds. War Stomp provides increased survivability in clutch situations, or a way to chain up crowd control to set up a kill.
    Another useful racial is the Nature Resistance, which reduces the chance to be hit by nature spells by 2% – a similar passive to the Blood Elf racial.
    Lastly, this race provides a racial which can help guide your profession choices – Cultivation, which increases your base Herbalism skill by 15.
  • Troll: The last available race for the Shaman class from the Horde, Trolls provide several interesting racials which can bring you an edge during a PvP encounter.
    The first one is Regeneration, which increases your base health regeneration factor by 10%, and also allows 10% of your health regeneration to continue during combat.
    Another useful racial is Da Voodoo Shuffle, which offers a 15% reduction to movement-impairing effects, which can help with kiting. Trolls also offer Berserking, which gives you a 20% increase to your attack and casting speed.
    This race also provides Beast Slaying, which increases your damage against beasts by 5%. There is also Bow Specialization, and Throwing Specialization, but these two racials do not benefit the Shaman class.

Alliance

  • Draenei: This is the only race which allows the choice of the Shaman class from the Alliance. The Draenei have a strong connection to the spirits and the natural world, which comes with some powerful racials.
    Gift of the Naaru is an “HoT” ability, healing the target over time for a fixed total amount, which is increased by your spell power.
    The second notable racial is Heroic Presence, which increases the hit rating of all party members in a 30-yard radius by 1%. This is a very strong racial when min-maxing is considered.
    Other racials from the Draenei race are the Gemcutting (racial which increases your base Jewelcrafting skill by 5, similar to the Tauren racial), and the Shadow Resistance (decreases the chance you will be hit with shadow spells by 2%).

Best Professions

  • Alchemy offers a variety of useful potions and flasks. While you are generally unable to use any potions in arenas, you can still use one specific flask dedicated to alchemists: the Flask of the North. It offers either spell power, attack power, or raw strength and is the only usable flask in an arena.
    Alchemy also offers potions like Free Action Potion, which can be used as an improvised trinket in dire situations.
  • Jewelcrafting is one of the professions which can lend you plenty of gold, while also contributing to the min-maxing aspect of the game. A Jewelcrafter can create special gems such as the Mystic Dragon’s Eye, which boost your resilience by a considerable value.
  • Mining will generate you a good source of income, while also generating enough raw materials to level up professions like Engineering or Jewelcrafting. Most people underestimate the profitability of mining, but rest assured that it will go a long way.
    Not only will it provide you with a sustainable source of gold, but it will also grant you a special passive that will enhance your PvP potency – Toughness, which will increase your stamina by 60 at max rank.
  • Herbalism will generate you a very good source of income, especially when paired with Alchemy. It also offers one, potentially life-saving ability for PvP scenarios – Lifeblood, which offers a heal-over-time effect that can save you in clutch situations.
  • Skinning is mainly used as a gathering profession, but it also offers you a nice boost to your critical strike rating in the form of Master of Anatomy.

 

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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Toska
Toska
3 years ago

Whats the best race for pvping for enhancment

Last edited by Toska
Dafko
Dafko
Reply to  Toska
3 years ago

Thunderhorn EU toska ?

Last edited by Dafko
Dreanei da bezzt
Dreanei da bezzt
Reply to  Toska
3 years ago

imo Tauren/Orc/Draenei 🙂

Last edited by Dreanei da bezzt
Danoob
Danoob
Reply to  Toska
3 years ago

I think orc is better cuz blood fury is a gooood cd for shammy; axe especialization helps to get expertise cap; and reduces stuns effects can give u survivability.
Tauren is good in pvp , is that. War stomp, more hp… still want more? It have a bit of more strengh and stamina in base status if u want for little details.
I dont like of draenei, but isnt bad… Little heal thenself, hit… Really, not bad.
I love troll but if u want “the best” combination its better choice one of the anothers options

Last edited by Danoob
dean
dean
Reply to  Danoob
2 years ago

you dont need expertise for pvp

Last edited by dean
Skippy
Skippy
Reply to  dean
1 year ago

You absolutely need expertise for PvP. If you are not behind your opponent, any class with dodge or parry will cause you to miss your attacks completely.

Good opponents will not let you stand behind them as melee unless they are hard-disabled via stun etc., which is a small minority of the uptime you will have.

In order to do effective damage in PvP, you need at least a considerable amount of expertise if not being completely capped, which Orc makes much easier to do when using Axes/Fist Weapons.

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