What I have found over the many years playing a Shaman as my main is: 1. The high DPS caster classes have been used to hitting burns, finding great clickies to augment dps, clicking pet AAs, using glyphs, all from the beginning of their character creation in order achieve such high dps, We have only fairly recently (in life of game), started to learn and get used to clicking for dps burns and..it is AWSOME but..you have to be dedicated to going through your clicking sequence. This is something that is not feasible to a casual boxer who's main is not the Shaman. 2. If you are gonna massive DPS mobs...you are gonna get massive AGGRO, this is unavoidable and must be countered by main tank aggro...but since someone is boxing a Shaman, switching back and forth simple doesn't work all that great. 3. Back up healer: Pfft. please, only validity to that is in a raid scenario where their are x2 healers or more..In that case, everyone is a back up healer! I would only agree that a cleric has a slightly more efficient mana pool vs healing power which is offset by a Shaman's DPS, slow, debuff, over all rebuff capabilities. 4. Match MT to Shaman class: IMO an SK is a better tank to match to a Shaman as a box. Long story short, and my opinion..if you aint impressed with a Shaman, you aint doin it right. Heals...check...debuffing...check...buffing check...New and Improved UBER DPS...check. It only took 15yrs but we are at the pinnacle of rounded power now.
The agro shouldn't be a problem in most group content. A large portion of group content can be snared (should be easy for tank to pick up). Just don't dot before the mobs positioned. What ever happened to tanks calling assist prior to DPS engaging? If a mob drops agro for anything, just don't dot the thing. If you do your going to get summoned and pwnd. The biggest problem for a group shaman is managing the mana
as one who complained earlier in this thread (before the dot revamp) I have to agree with choscster in that if your not impressed your not doin it right. shaman now have the tools to do what needs doin no matter what that might be, at least in the group game, I have a difficult time trying to take agro from a tank merc if your taking agro and not wanting it then your tank likely needs some aa's or something, if your working with pet tanks make sure to give em rage swords and ensure taunt is turned on, there is an aa silent casting maybe I use so infrequently I don't rember it that you can utilize, also I think ensure that your spell casting subtlety is turned on. it would also be a good idea to not dump your two combined dots on a mob in the first few seconds of a fight, and mana-management is no biggie, in eok t1 or better with a decent aug set keeping aa cani on cooldown all the time is good enough and the rare occasion you need more pop rabid bear and spiritual channeling, by the time that runs its course if your keeping aa canni on cool down you've got a full mana bar again, and In the unlikely event you need more than that there is another aa don't remember the name think it might be a vet reward aa that will help. and if your still running out mana drop the combo dots, use the swifts, the combo dots are great against named but totally wasted on trash mobs. as far as getting summoned and pwnd'd pfffft, with the slew of armor aa's and uh-oh aa's if you have time to get them off, you can stand in the face of most of the group game mobs and survive at least for a short time. usually long enough in summary, this thread was started before the dot revamp, after the changes and the changes to the changes we are in pretty good shape at least as far as I'm concerned. a well balanced class that when well played can step up and get the job done.
uhg, I shoulda known better, roar nerf, fleeting nerf, root nerf, all my fault because I said after the dot changes and the changes to the changes we were in pretty good shape.
