Second post, now with the PvP build.

- Build:
40/0/21 (Focus: PvP)

- What, in your opinion, is the key talent to your build and why?

Nature's Swiftness and/or Elemental Mastery. Nature's Swiftness allows for some of the greatest versatility in the game, and Elemental Mastery is a very handy "Damage on Demand" ability.

- What talent, in your build, would you replace if you could and with what?

Elemental Shields. I would replace it with a tool to allow the Elemental Shaman to gain range on his opponent. Possibly with this:

Earthgrab Totem: Turns the Earthbind Totem into Earthgrab Totem. It has 33%/66%/100% chance to root targets affected by the Earthbind pulse for X seconds.

build: 0/20/41(focus pvp/pve)

Key talents: imp lesser healing wave, earthshield, imp chain heal, mana tide

I would like to get mana tide trainable and the current talent replaced with either an aggro dump ability or something that improves mana regen. earthield is a key talent because it provides me with much better survivability in both pvp/pve. and the talent which might heal u and reduce aggro when u fall below a certain amount of hp should be replaced with something else in my opinion.

- Build: 0/7/54 (Focus: PvE and PvP - used to be enhance but v low surviablity forced me to resto)

- What, in your opinion, is the key talent to your build and why?

Earthshield - without it i would be dead in seconds in BGs and arena. fantastic for tank healing too.

Improved chain heal is just so awesome for raiding it is untrue.

Nature's swiftness - awesome for PVP and burst damage in PVE

Mana tide totem - since we have no passive mana regen this is essential

- What talent, in your build, would you replace if you could and with what?

Restorative totems - 5 points for such a small increase is crazy.

Totemic mastery: 30yards should be the default for totems and not requiring a talent point. the whole totem mechanic needs looking at with a totem UI. At the moment, totems costing so much mana, activating the GCD, limited range and only affecting party seems very weak in comparison to paladin blessings and auras.

Healing grace: should have some PVP element to it.


Enhancement talents need a lot more work in general though. In short, threat reduction needs a buff/fixing asap. Also enhancement shamans need: increased survivablity, CC/anti CC and some way to get into melee range and escape.

- Build: 0/5/56 (Focus: PvE)

- What, in your opinion, is the key talent to your build and why?

Mm, it's difficult to choose a single one. As a raid healer, Improved Chain Heal - it's possibly the best spell in the game for healing damage on multiple targets. For healing a tank, Earth Shield - minimal overheal, great mana efficiency. In general, Mana Tide.

- What talent, in your build, would you replace if you could and with what?

I have to say that considering they cost 5 points each, Restorative Totems and Totemic Focus are weak. But overall I am pretty pleased with the restoration tree.

- Build: 0/42/19 (Focus: PvE)

- What, in your opinion, is the key talent to your build and why?

Enhancement:
Flurry = faster hit (i.e more chance for crits and WF procs)
Unleashed rage = group buff for melee DPS
Shamanistic Rage = nice in combat Mana regen, basicly more mana more pew/pew
Anticipation = Some additional survivability

Restoration
Totemic Mastery = gives me more mobility since I don’t have to spam totems so often thus saving up my mana


- What talent, in your build, would you replace if you could and with what?
Enhancement
Spirit weapons = It just is not doing it’s job atm only bad warlocks tend to generate more agro than me
Improved weapon totems = This is a joke cost 2 talents and increase WF totem damage bonus by a laughable amount
Shield Spec = IMHO should be removed from our tree
Two handed axes = Should be trainable
Toughness = 5 talents for 10% amour should be removed or bufeed (20% would be ok I think)
Improved lightning shield = I think it should be reworked to higher buff or more charges per talent or cheaper cost, btw why not make it castable on other characters?
Guardian totems = Absolutely sucks atm

- Build: 15/46/00 (Focus: PvP/PVE single player)

- The key talent(s) stormstrike, shamanistic rage and elemental focus.
I love this combo for quests and pve because i don't have to regain mana much get some free shocks and stormstrike can trigger windfury

- 2 handed weapons for nature swiftness for survival.

- Build: 5/43/13 (Focus: PvE)

- What, in your opinion, is the key talent to your build and why?
Stormstrike: instant attack, lots of damage and make little buff to shocks
Dualwield: no need introduction
Unleashed rage: AP buff to you and your party mates(but should be 3%, 6%, 9%, 12%, 15%)
Shamanistic rage: Get back mana that shocks have eaten

- What talent, in your build, would you replace if you could and with what?
1. Shield specialization is useless there is no any use of that anymore.
REPLACE: increase strength by 2% 4% 6% 8% 10%...

2. Toughness, other useless talent no more use at any way.
REPLACE: weapon expertise to increase weapon skill to daggers, fist weapons, 1h axes and maces by 3, 6, 10

3. Guardian Totems, totally useless, waste of talent points and no one take that.
REPLACE: remove totally and give those 2 point BACK to Dual Wield Specialization so that it increases hit by 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10% when dual wielding. AGAIN please.

4. improved ghost wolf, totally useless because it is a spell and do not give you anything more that little increased speed to carry a flag.
REPLACE: 2 point talent to increase damage done by offhand weapon 20% 40%

So remove improved ghost wolf talent, make it instant cast without talent points and make it work same like druid travel form.

5. Remove 2h weapon talent and make it trainable.
REPLACE: Give us new melee ability, very tired to spam SS and SHOCK.

0/41/20 PVE Enhancement

Stormstrike: Only thing I can constantly do in raids

Ancestral knowledge: 5%? Just not good enough to be of use for enhancement. And since I never use shields, I have nothing else to take.
Looking at other clesses talent trees, we have no skills for melee we can improve, cost reducing talents are in different trees, so maybe 3/3: gives +3% damage and +3% crit damage when fighting demons, undead, elementals and 2/2: Gives +5% mana. Or 5/5 +5% dodge (anticipation from tier 3 talents)

- Build:
0/45/16 (Focus:PVE)

- What, in your opinion, is the key talent to your build and why?

I would say EVERYTHING from flurry and below (toughness excluded) is essential to my pve viability.

Totemic mastery - is also important but i understand and agree with its positioning in the resto tree.

- What talent, in your build, would you replace if you could and with what?


Tier 1
Ancestral Knowledge - This talent is a filler, and at best completely worthless, to a shaman geared like myself (close to best possible gear) AK gives me an astonishing 300 mana extra, 2/3rds of a shock, or 1 WF totem.

Shield spec - No enhancement shaman would ever equip a shield so i really cant fathom why this is even in the enhance tree, or for that matter, why it wasnt deleted after vanilla wow beta.

Tier 2
Guarding totems - Both of the totems this affects have never been used by any shaman improved or not, I can think of 2 instance when ive used stoneskin in the last 2 and a half years, panther boss in ZG and fankriss in AQ40, both times it wasnt really neccessary, these totems should be removed from the game or changed completely.

Tier 3
2 Handed Weapons - This should be trainable, I like what was published at blizzcon, I think the changes made will go along way to improving some parts of the tree. (but there is still alot of work to be done)

Anticipation - I through 2 points in there just as fillers, I see the other talents as being worth even less that this. (5% dodge, this is some legacy talent from vanilla beta when you guys thought a shaman could tank)

Tier 4
Toughness - I think this speaks for itself, 10% armor for a class who NEVER uses a shield, again vanilla beta worthless talent.

Here is a quote from a US shaman posted on an EJ thread, this pretty much sums up what alot of people think.

Expletives removed!

---

Q u o t e:
Someone please make the suggestion that Imp Lightning shield should affect ALL shields. Anticipation and Toughness should be totally reworked, nobody takes both talents. Tier 1 talents are remnants of the WoW beta or something and should be totally redone.

The point should be hammered in that with Resto and Elemental the thought is "flip I don't have enough points to get all this good stuff!" whereas with Enhance its "flip, how do I get to the bottom of the tree with the least points spent on this ship

---

Build: 40/00/21 - Focus: PvP

Key Talents: Nature's Swiftness (I will never ever play without it) , and Lightning Mastery (makes Lightning Bolt/Chain Lightning usable in PvP)

I am not all too happy with Lightning Overload. Would prefer if it would a) cost less points or b) adds a bigger % to the damage, while at the same time reducing burst potential (i.e. bigger chance to proc, not a full 100% Lightning) or c) a flat +% to damage (more than 5%)
I find 5 points in Reverberation is too expensive for the effect, 3 points should do it (reduction of 1 second is just fine tough)

sincerely

Shirlik

- 8/0/53 (Both but mostly PvE)

- What, in your opinion, is the key talent to your build and why?
Earth Shield, because it's an additional healingspell, which makes my healing better. For PvP it increases my own survivability.

- What talent, in your build, would you replace if you could and with what?
Restorative Totems = Make Mana Tide Totem a 31p. talent but without prerequired talents, making it easier to spec PvP healer, without nerfing your PvE healing too much. Healing Grace, replace the talent with something else and input the threat reduction into Purification.

- Build: 0/5/56 (Focus: Both)

Main focus is on PVE, but also focus on 5v5 arena, where resto is the best spec for a shaman.

- What, in your opinion, is the key talent to your build and why?

• Nature Swiftness When it really matters.
  
• Totemic Mastery 20 yards is simply to short. Not just for Tremor in PVP, but to let the whole group in PVE get the totem effects.
  
• Mana Tide Not that critical for the shaman itself when you get high on mp5, but mainly for mana-DPS`ers to keep up.
  
• Improved Chain Heal It is the best raid healing spell there is. and 20% says it all.
  
• Earth Shield Crucial in every aspect of the game. Shaman survival in PVP, Extra healing on the Tank, avoid interruption when casting spells, not just on self, but any caster that needs it. (Warlock on Illhoof)

- What talent, in your build, would you replace if you could and with what?

Earth Shield.
Would like to see it in a much lower tier than it is, and make it self only cast. So it would be attainable to Elemental shamans.
And replace the top tier with improved earhshield, making us able to cast it on other players.

- Build: 0/45/16 (enhancement/resto), Focus on PvE.

- What, in your opinion, is the key talent to your build and why?
Thundering Strikes, Flurry, Enhancing Totems, Impoved Weapon Totems, Spirit Weapons, Elemental Weapons, Mental Quickness, Weapon Mastery, Dual Wield, Dual Wield Specialization, Stormstrike, Unleashed Rage, Shamanistic Rage + Nature's Guidance, Totemic Focus.
All the above are mandatory. No single key talent.

- What talent, in your build, would you replace if you could and with what?
Ancestral Knowledge, Shield Specialization, filler talents: replace with Toughness and +% Attack Power.
Ghost Wolf, make instant cast, supress snares and roots, add 15 sec cooldown.
Two-Handed Axes and Maces, BlizzCon "Shamanistic Focus".
Anticipation, remove. Don't get hit in PvE. CC drops dodge to 0% in PvP.

- Build: 0/42/19 (Focus: PvE)

- What, in your opinion, is the key talent to your build and why?

Dual wield (+ DW specialization). It gives me better and steadier damage than 2h and guarantees Unleashed Rage is always up.

- What talent, in your build, would you replace if you could and with what?

There are a few but worst is Ancestral Knowledge. Totally archaic talent that does not seem to really benefit any build but is only taken because shield specialization is even worse. To give examples from other classes' first tier choices, Divine Strength from Paladins (+10% strength) or Monster & Humanoid Slaying from Hunters ( 3% increased damage & 3% increased critical damage) would fit in my opinion well in its place.

- Build:
0/42/19 (Focus:PVE and PVP)

- What, in your opinion, is the key talent to your build and why?

For PVE the key talents are Unleashed Rage and Shamanistic Rage. First makes the real difference supporting a DPS group, and the second keeps me ticking.

For PVP, Stormstrike is the obvious key talent. Gives good upfront burst damage and given the huge amount we get kited due to having no way to avoid cc/snares ... it's important to get the damage in when you can.

- What talent, in your build, would you replace if you could and with what?


Tier 1
Ancestral Knowledge - Completely worthless, the only reason I take it is because Shield Spec is even more worthless.

Shield Spec - Even more worthless. Wasting 5 points on either this or AK is not a very encouraging start to going down the Enhancement tree

Tier 2
Guardian Totems - Who uses these totems? Not me!

Tier 4
Toughness -I rarely use a shield, and certainly don't tank. What is this for?

I am currently restoration (0/5/56) and I can only say that the resto tree is perfectly fine as it is at the moment with the most defining talent being Earth Shield clearly followed by Improved Chain heal.

Now, to follow the right protocol I am actually going to discuss an Elemental build in stead because I still love that spec more.

Build 41/0/20 (PvE)

- What, in your opinion, is the key talent to your build and why?
Totem of Wrath - It is a great totem and is the only unique thing we have over other shaman buffs.
Lightning Mastery, Lightning Overload, Elemental Mastery, Unrelenting storms, all of these are defining for a shamans viability in raids with Elemental Focus being the talent that makes us last longer then 1 minute ;-)

- What talent, in your build, would you replace if you could and with what?
Elemental Shields is by far the worst talent in an elemental build. You will not often find it in anyones build imo.
Elemental Devastation sucks as well, though I can see its viability in a hybrid Elemental / Enhancement build.

Grtz,
Degruune

39/0/22 (PvE mainly with some PvP talents)
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=GE0zEoMqAoZZV0xt0xo

Main talents: Lightning mastery, elemental mastery, elemental focus, NS

Talents i would like to be changed are:
Lightning overload - If u spec lightning overload instead of unrelenting storm, u actually do less overall DPS, not good for a tier 8 talent, and since clearcast got nerfed, we need unrelenting storm. Make it increase something in group, something like spell damage, mana regen, or crit chance (similar to unleashed rage)

Elemental devastation - either remove it or make shaman able to have a real hybrid build between elemental and enhacment.

Totem of wrath - not that great for a tier 9 talent, just a raid buff nothing else. very nice to have in PvE, but we mainly have passive talents we need offensive capabilities, since we lack another school of damage, imo, make a tier 7 talent to improve wrath of air giving it %crit and hit, and tier 9 talent a spell similar to lightning bolt, but doing fire/frost damage

overall on elemental: make it more agressive (we need some abilities to escape in tight situations), make us have a real chance against other classes. make lightning overload talent worth it (it's bad in it's current state), combine talents like Imp Fire Nova and Call of flame, so that we can have more choices for different builds in same tree and be able to better combine them with other trees.

I have played with the three trees, I hope to fit the format but commenting the three specs:

Elemental PVP 40/0/21

KEY TALENT-Elemental Fury (double crit) & Lightning Mastery (-1sec cast)

REPLACE-Eye of the storm should be 70% chance to not be interrupted
. Earth's grasp => earthbind should have a chance of immobilize like entrampment.

Main problems: elemental vs melee = you can't cast any spell. You can't get any distance from them
. counterspell = silence till death
. cast chain lightning 1.5sec + frost lance (mage instant) = cast chain lightning 10sec



Enhancement PVP 0/40/21 NOTE: Nowadays enhancement PVP is horrible

KEY TALENT-Stormstrike.
. Nature Swiftness: almost useless without +dmg&heal

REPLACE- Toughness (armor) should be 10% stamina.
. Shield Specialization is useless -> x% Strength or AP??
. Improved Ghost Wolf -> It should be 1sec by default and via this talent instant
. Stormstrike -> 10sec is too much, we need a more spameable Melee spell/skill
. We need something to remove snares/immobilizes

Main problems: We can't get near a target, since this build is melee this is a great problem.
. Our heals are a waste of our little mana pool
. Frost Shock Dimishing Returns shouldn't exist
. Only two buttons stormstrike + shock
. Totems are an static buff, useless in a pursuit ( too much mana, too less range)
. Earth shock is the only spell to make the most of stormstrike since a 2.5 sec without +dmg spell is a waste of time/mana, but we have to use frost shock to get near (but has DR)


Restoration PVP 17/0/44 Note: I use to wear elemental gear (aggresive resto)

KEY TALENT- Earth Shield : 4 clases (50%) can dispell it
. - Mana Tide: I feel this talent just for me (not for a group) don't give enough mana
. - Totemic Mastery: this range should be default
. - Healing Way: needs a change=> healing wave & chain heal

REPLACE- Restorative totems: should be by default even more, not a 5point talent

Main Problems: Earth shield dispelleable (too much)
. Mana: even 20k is not enought
. Restore mana: too less

=========================================================================
other issues:
-shields (lightning and water) should have 10 charges like earth
-Frost shock to get near or far is useless since every class has a snare or root = or more powerful, and has Dimishing Returns
-Elemental and Restoration get out of mana too quickly

Build 43/0/18 PVE

-Key talents, Elemental focus, cant do any dammage without mana.

-Lightning overload with something like , Your chain lightning and bolts do 5-10% more dammage