Restoration Shaman PvE Guide (WoW BfA 8.2) - Classes

A Restoration Shaman presents one of the branches of Shamanism, the one devoted to utilizing various healing properties of water.

Introduction

Let’s take a closer look at the weakest and the strongest aspects of this specialization:

Advantages:

A lot of cooldowns.
Effective heal on grouped together allies.
Effective heal on allies with massive HP loss.

Disadvantages:

Delivers minor damage.
Low mobility.

Basic information on the spec:

A Restoration Shaman has one key resource – Mana. Mana is spent on healing, protective and auxiliary spells.

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Glossary

Show Glossary

(Area of Effect) is basically the area where this of that effect is actuated regardless of whether its damage or healing. This command is usually used to act in a team/raid on several targets. It is also used to describe any ability of a Boss with the aforementioned effect.

Buff stands for any positive effect. Always reflected to the left of the mini-map, by its upper edge.

Burst is an ability to do – in multiple ways – massive damage within a short period of time.

Cleave is an ability to damage secondary targets through damaging the main one with no (or minor) loss in the damage done to the main target.

Cooldown (often CD) primarily refers to the ability recovery time. Can be often applied to bursts and various protective abilities.

Gear is what it is.

GCD (Global Cooldown) is the overall ability recovery time.

Debuff stands for negative effect. By default, it’ reflected to the left of the mini-map by its lower edge.

DoT stands for Damage over Time.

DPS (Damage per Second) is a measure that reflects the damage done within one second.

HPS stands for Healing per Second – the amount of healing done within one second.

Melee and Range. Melee is the close-range combat zone, also used in the titles of all the classes and specs that do effective damage in this zone. Range usually refers to a zone that is not a close-range one and is used, respectfully, in the titles of all classes and specs that do effective damage remotely.

Overheal is an inefficient heal that exceeds 100% Health.

Trait is a name for the ‘talents’ of your azerite armor.

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Main abilities

Healing

Riptide instantly restores your ally’s Health and leaves a HoT for 18 secs; costs 1600 Mana. CD 6 secs.

Healing Wave delivers a 2.5-sec cast that restores your target a substantial amount of Health. Consumes 1800 Mana.

Healing Surge has a 1.5-sec cast and restores the same amount of Health as Healing Surge. Demands 3800 Mana.

Healing Stream Totem, for 2200 Mana installs by your side a totem that’s active for 15 secs. Every 2 secs, the totem restores a small amount of Health to the most wounded ally of yours within the 40-m range. CD 30 secs.

Healing Rain costs 4320 Mana and has a 2-sec cast after which it places a healing pool in the selected area. The pool has the radius of 10 m and is active for 10 secs. In it, up to 6 allies will be getting their Health restored. CD 10 secs.

Chain Heal costs 5000 Mana, and its 2.5-sec cast allows you to apply major healing on a selected ally after which the heal jumps onto the closest wounded ally. The spell jumps up to 4 times, and its efficiency shinks by 30% after every jump.

Offensive

Lava Burst demands 1200 Mana, has a 2-sec cast. Hits your enemy with a clot of magma. If the target has been marked with Flame Shock, the hit will definitely be critical. CD 8 secs.

Flame Shock, for 3000 Mana, marks a target with a Fire DoT that deals minor Fire damage for 21 secs.

Lightning Bolt has a 2-sec cast and is Mana-free. Deals Nature damage to the selected target.

Chain Lightning costs 200 Mana, has a 2-sec cast and allows you to deal Nature damage to the seleted enemy as well as to two enemies closest ot the selected one.

Bursts abd various CDs

Astral Shift decreases your incoming damage by 40% for 8 secs. CD 1.5 min.

Spiritwalker’s Grace costs 2820 Mana and allows you to cast spells on the go for 15 secs and also increases movement speed by 20%. Can be activated during the casting of a different spell. CD 2 min

Bloodlust (a.k.a. BL) / Heroism. Demands 4300 Mana. The raid buff increases – for 40 secs – the Haste of everyone in the group/raid by 30% not hit with Sated. This effect is cast for 10 min after receiving any spell similar to Bloodlust.

Spirit Link Totem, for 2200 Mana, installs at the selected point a totem with a 10-m range and a 6-sec active time. All allies within that totem’s range receive 10% less damage. Once every second, the HP count is distributed evenly among all the allies as a % of their max Health. CD 3 min.

Healing Tide Totem, for 2200 Mana, installs by your side a totem active for 10 secs. Every 2 secs, the totem restores a minor HP count to all the members of the group or the raid.

Passive Effects

Lava Surge gives each tick of your Flame Shock a 15% chance to finish the restoring time of your Lava Burst instantly as well as cast it instantly.

Mastery: Deep Healing increases the efficiency of your healing spells on the targets lacking Health. The less Health the more efficient the spell.

Tidal Waves is a buff you get from using Chain Heal or Riptide. The buff reduces the casting time for your next Healing Wave by 30% or incresaes the probability of delivering a critical strike by Healing Surge by 40%. The effect stacks up np more than twice.

Reincarnation is Shaman’s unique ability that allows them to resurrect after death with 20% Haltha and Mana. The effect works no more than once every 30 min. Does not affect Combat resurrection.

Resurgence makes critical strikes by your spells restore you Mana:

Healing Wave – 1% Mana;
Healing Surge and Riptide – 0.6% Mana;
Chain Heal – 0.25% Mana.

Utility abilities

Astral Recall has an action similar to that of Hearthstone, but the CD is not the same, though. This one allows quicker (the casting speed depends on your Haste rating) teleportation with lower CD to wherever your Hearthstone is bound.

Hex transforms a target within the 30m range into a frog for 1 min. The target gets paralyzed, and can’t cast a spell or attack. Damage done to it can cancel this effect. You can only cast this on one target at a time. CD 30 secs. Applicable on Humanoids and Beasts only.

Purify Spirit, for 1300 Mana, cancels curse and magic effects on your ally. CD 8 secs provided a successful cancelling.

Far Sight moves your camera to the indicated place for 1 min.

Ancestral Vision allows you to resurrect all your out-of-combat allies within the 100-m range.

Ancestral Spirit is your usual resurrection spell applied on an out-of-combat ally.

Ghost Wolf allows you to transform into a Spirit Wolf. In this shape, your Haste is 30% higher, and your moving speed cannot go lower than 100%.

Wind Shear interrupts your enemy’s cast and keeps them from casting a spell from the same school for the next 3 secs. CD 12 secs.

Purge removes 1 magic effect from your enemy. Demands Mana.

Earthbind Totem installs a totem in the selected area for 20 secs. Action range – 35m. The totem slows down by 50% anyone who gets in its 10m active radius.

Water Walking buffs a selected ally by allowing them to walk on water surface for 10 min. Incoming damage cancels this effect.

Tremor totem – You summon an earth totem with 5 health at your feet that removes Fear, Charm and Sleep effects for 10 sec from party and raid members within 30 yards.

Capacitor totem – Summons a totem at the target location that explodes after 2 sec, stunning all the enemies within 8 yards for 2 sec.

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Talents

General information. On achieving several new levels you’ll get access to new talent ‘Tiers’. Talents may have different effect on abilities: add new features, replace old ones, modify passively different effects and spells. Talents can be changed in Sanctuaries or any recreational zones. However, if you don’t have any of those places nearby you can use the Codex of the Tranquil Mind which allows you to switch channels within a minute. You can’t change talents in combat. You can’t change a talent if the talent you’ve picked in the last Tier is on Cooldown. You’ll have to wait until it’s restored first.

Tier 1. Lvl 15.

Torrent. Increases the efficacy of Riptide‘s instant healing by 30%. It is a situational talent for a raid if you need to heal a target more than using AOE healing. Sometimes this talent is used in mythic +.
Undulation. Every third Healing Wave or Healing Surge restore additional 50% of Health. A great talent for mythic + that allows to heal up party quickly.
Unleash life. Restores a great amount of hp to an ally for 800 mana. The next direct heal spell on that target will be increased by 35%. Cd is 15 sec. The best talent for raiding because of improved next spelled which is usually Chain heal.

Tier 2. Lvl 30.

Echo of elements. Riptide, Healing stream totem and Lava burst now have 2 charges. Tidal waves now have 10% chance to gain Riptide charge. The best choice in this tier for raiding and mythic+ because it grants second charge of a very strong healing totem and a good bonus for Riptide.
Deluge. Chain Heal is 20% more efficient to the targets within your Healing Rain or under your Riptide. It is not a bad talent but less effective than Echo of elements because of HPS. Having this talent requires you to have someone in your Healing rain which doesn’t happen often.
Earth shield. Protects the target with an earthen shield, increasing your healing on them by 10% and healing them when they take damage, has 9 charges. Earth shield can only be placed on one target at a time. This talent is not good because it is a very situational talent for moments when your tank has not enough healing and you are his last chance.

Tier 3. Lvl 45.

Spirit wolf. While transformed into a wolf you gain 5% increased movement speed and 5% damage reduction every 1 sec, stackin up to 4 times. The best choice in the tier for raiding because of reduced time for movement and minor save for 20%.
Earthgrab Totem. Install a totem in a selected area within a 35m range for 20 secs. It pulsates once every 2 secs and immobilizes every enemy within an 8m range for 8 secs. For its second action on an enemy, instead of stunning, it will slow yjem down by 50%. CD 30 secs.The best choice for mythic+ because it helps your tank to survive and kite mobs.
Static charge. Reduces the cooldown of capacitor totem by 5 sec for each enemy it stuns, up to a maximum reduction for 20 sec. A situational talent that would be useful only if you need to stun mobs in m+ and there is no other AOE stun.

Tier 4. Lvl 60.

Ancestral Vigor. Each time your Healing Wave, Healing Surge, Chain Heal or your Riptide‘s primary heal restore Health to your ally, their max HP grows by 10% for 10 secs. A situational talent for a raid that requires additional HP buff to survive bursting damage on boss.
Earthgrab Totem. For 2200 Mana, allows you to install a totem with a major amount of Health for 15 secs. From each attack caried out within the 10-m range of the totem, a minor amount of damage will be redirected off your allies onto the totem. CD 1 min. The best choice for raiding and m+ because it allows to absorb a lot of damage in the totem that has a short cd and could be ready for any difficult moment in a fight.
Ancestral Protection Totem. For 2200 Mana, allows you to install for 30 secs a totem that would increase the Health stock for each group or raid member within the 20-m range. In case an ally dies within the totem’s active range, the totem will be spent and will allow your ally to resurrect with 20% Health. Does not combine with combat resurrection. The resurrestion effect won’t work if the fatal damage dealt to the dead ally was catastrophically large. CD 5 min. A situational talent that could be useful only if the boss fight could be easier after an ally dies

Tier 5. Lvl 75.

Nature’s guardian. When your health is brought below 35% you instantly heal for 20% of your maximum health. Cannot occur more than once every 45 sec. Not that important talent for a resto shaman but could be useful if you need more survivability.
Graceful Spirit. Reduces CD for your Spiritwalker’s Grace by 60 secs and increases the moving speed within it by 20%. The best m+ choice for frequent movements, also if the raid doesn’t need sprint from Wind rush totem this is the best talent.
Wind Rush Totem. Install a totem in a selected area within a 40m radius. The totem will exist for 15 secs and have the active area of 10m. Any Ally within that area increase their Haste by 60% for 5 secs. The effect is renewed when they enter the area for the next time. CD 2 min. Sprint for raiding is a situational choice that could be useful on some bosses.

Tier 6. Lvl 90.

Flash flood. When you consume Tidal waves, the cast time of your next heal is reduced by 20%. A weak talent that grants small HPS increase, it is not used anywhere.
Downpour. A burst of water at the target location heals up to 6 injured allies within 12 yards for 5 sec. Cooldown is increased by 5 sec for each target effectively healed. It is a pretty weak talent because when using it properly it has 35 sec cd which is a lot for such average healing amount.
Cloudburst Totem. Replaces Healing stream totem. For 1720 Mana, a totem is placed by your side. Over 15 secs, the totem will be accumulating the power of your healing spells. Once the time is over, or it’s destroyed, or upon an attempt to use the ability for the second time, the totem explodes and restores 25% of the total healing delivered by you over the totem’s lifetime to every member of the group/raid. The whole heal is distributed evenly between all the allies within the 40-m radius. CD 30 secs. The best choice for raiding and m+ that increases your healing additionally and could be used to heal up raid right after the raid members got damaged.

Tier 7. Lvl 100.

High tide. Every 0 mana you spend brings a High tide, making your next 2 Chain Heals heal for an additional 20% and not reduce with each jump. A standard choice for raid and m+
Wellspring. For 4000 Mana it creates a wave that moves forward and restores a major HP count to friendly targets within a wide sector before you. CD 20 secs. Not a bad talent but it is difficult to manage it for 100% because usually in raids players are located in different spots.
Ascendance. Allows you to transform into a Water Ascendant for 15 secs, and in this form, your healing efficiency is double and distributed evenly between the allies in close vicinity of you. A great choice for raiding if you need great bursting heal.

So we can have a build like that:

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Azerite traits

In BFA typical sets were removed and Azerite armor took their place. Now every chest/helmet/shoulders have a few rings for a trait.

Overflowing shores. Increases Healing rain radius up to 12 yards that restores health to allies in the targeted area instantly. It is a standard raiding choice because it increases radius of AOE healing and grants it instant healing effect. You can have a couple of Overflowing shores.
Bonded souls. Your spells and abilities have a chance to trigger a Soulbond for 15 sec. During Soulbond, every 5 sec you and your nearest ally are both healed and get haste buff. A great trait that increases haste and heals you and an ally with an often proc.
Spouting spirits. Spirit link totem radius is increased by 15%, and it restores health to all nearby allies 1 second after it is dropped. The best resto shaman trait because spirit link also starts healing with it. Preferably to have 2 -3 of such trait, it is a very good trait that restores raid hp quickly.
Soothing waters. Your chain heal heals its primary target for an additional healing. It improves one of your primary healing abilities. You can have 1 – 2 of this trait.

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Essences

These ratings are based on simulations, statistics of WarcraftLogs and players experience.

MAJOR

Memory of Lucid Dreams (Source: Nazjatar questing) is best for raid progression
The Ever-Rising Tide (Source: Nazjatar reputation) is good for raiding too, but it should be used at mythic+
Life Binder’s Invocation (Source: Mythic+ dungeons) is a good option, when you need to increase your healing over all raid

MINOR

The Ever-Rising Tide (Source: Nazjatar reputation) is your basic choice at any type of combat
Memory of Lucid Dreams (Source: Nazjatar questing) is a good choice, if you are not using it in major slot already

Gameplay:

Your healing priorities are very much dependent on the current situation – your group/raid’s position, the strength and frequency of damage incoming, whether the damage is dealt to the tank or the group, etc. We will try to review healing models for the most common situations:

Weak or average incoming damage to the raid:

Riptide per CD. In its turn, Riptide generates a charge of Tidal Waves that stacks twice. It is advised that you keep one charge, just in case.
Never renew Riptide on the target – unless you urgently need instant heal on a target like that.
Earthgrab Totem to prevent damage.
Cloudburst Totem per CD.
Gift of the Queen, provided the use is justified at the moment. Always combine it with Cloudburst Totem.
Unleash life per CD
Healing Rain, provided it’s going to heal 6 allies during the whole active period.

Massive incoming damage to the raid:

Riptide per CD.
Healing Rain per CD.
Earthgrab Totem per CD.
Cloudburst Totem per CD.
Unleash life per CD.
Healing Stream Totem per CD.
Chain Heal, provided High Tide is talented.
Healing Wave.
Healing Surge.
Chain Heal, untalented.

Medium incoming damage on a single target:

Riptide per CD regardless of the duration of the periodical effect casted upon the target.
Cloudburst Totem per CD.
Healing Stream Totem per CD.
Healing Wave or Healing Surge combined with Tidal Waves depending on the speed of damage reception by your tank.

Utilizing cooldowns:

Healing Tide Totem.

This is a very simple and effective cooldown as once you’ve cast it, it does everything else on its own. Mana-cheap, instant, delivers massive healing. When to use:

When your raid is receiving massive damage.
After your raid has received massive damage.
When your Mana is low, and you do need to heal the raid.
During short runs accompanied by the raid receiving damage.

* It is advised you always to combine it with Cloudburst Totem.

Spirit Link Totem.

Helps you keep the victims of HP loss alive at the expense of other raid members who are in better Health conditions. It can also be used for as simple as a 10% cut on the incoming damage. When to use:

When your raid is located compactly in one area, and there’s burst damage coming up onto the raid.
When the raid is compactly located in one spot, and suffers massive unplanned damage.
When your tanks have lost massive HP, in order to share their HP with other raid members.
When the raid is located compactly in one spot and suffers continuous massive damage.

Ancestral Guidance and Ascendance.

Both cooldowns are better always combined with Cloudburst Totem. It is recommended to activate Healing Rain on the largest ally group before utilizing these bursts.

Damage Dealing.

Quite often in Mythic+ or in raids whenever you’re not healing, you need to deal damage.

Priorities:

Maintain Flame Shock.
Lava Burst per CD.
Lightning Bolt or Chain Lightning, if there are several enemies.

* Keep in mind that Flame Shock and Lava Burst cost Mana, so in case you are short on Mana, keep it down to Lightning Bolt.

In the encounters where your raid is located compactly and is not suffering a lot of damage at the moment, don’t hesitate to deal damage yourself. Quite often maintaining Healing Rain and a few Riptides is enough while in between those you may feel free to utilize your DPS abilities.

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Stats

The basic priority rating for the characteristics is as follows:

Crit > Mastery = Versatility > Haste > Intellect

This specialization’s Mastery increases the efficiency of your healing to the targets with lower HP levels.

Critical healings allow you to refill your Mana via Resurgence.

Haste reduces GCD, casting time, allows you to deal more ticks with your Healing Tide Totem, Healing Stream Totem and Riptide. Haste is not that bad a stat at all, actually. It’s just that when there’s a lot of it, the value of other characteristics grows rapidly. It is always good to have a bit od Haste.

Versatility increases the whole heal and damage you deliver, and also reduces your incoming damage by half that amount.

Gems:

Leviathan’s Eye of Intellect
Deadly Lava Lazuli 50 crit

Chants:

Weapon: Machinist’s Brilliance
Rings: Accord of Critical Strike

Food:

Raid feast for 131 intellect or Mech-Dowel’s “Big Mech” Crit

Flasks and Potions:

Greater Flask of Endless Fathoms 360 intellect for 1h
Potion of Replenishment best for restoring the mana
Coastal Mana Potion if you need to restore mana immediately
Superior Battle Potion of Intellect gives you better healing output for 25 sec

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Macros

To begin with, you should get mouseover macros for all your healing spells meaning whenever you cast a spell, it will be applied to the target your cursor is on at the moment. For example:

#showtooltip Riptide
/cast [@mouseover] Riptide

Since a Restoration Shaman still has abruptions and dispels, it would be of great convenience to be able to use a focus or a mouseover macro for Wind Shear and Purge, whichever sticks better with you:

#showtooltip Wind Shear
/cast [@focus] Wind Shear

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What’s next?

Leveling. If your character has been inactive since the previous expansions, the best option to level up it is by Timewalking dungeons. You will gain a lot of experience, but there is one big disadvantage of leveling this way. Timewalks are available only for one week during a month, but Overgear is always here.
Equipment. At high level, the most important thing for you will become your gear. WoW is a multiplayer game, that’s why we recommend for you to play it with your friends, or to find a new friends for mythic+ runs. If you have any trouble with it – Overgear may help you to find not just friends for a run, but a complete well geared and experienced group that also will be glad to trade all the loot you need.
Raids. Raids are the top-tier PvE content in the game. That’s why the equipment’s base ilvl is higher than anywhere else. These dungeons require knowing all the tactics and have a good gear to kill the bosses. The possibilities of Overgear might let you skip those criteria.

Azerite. It is also not the best idea to forget about the Heart of Azeroth and not to feed it with more Azerite. Ignoring this won’t make your character stronger. The easiest way to do it – just complete all the world quests with Azerite rewards everyday. You can get extra azerite from Island Expeditions. Companions can be found at Overgear.

Restoration Shaman 8.2

Introduction

Glossary

Main abilities