Restoration Shaman Raid Guide (2024)

• Call of the Ancestors
  • Call an ancestor to your side after benefiting from Undulation or Unleash Life for a few seconds.
    • 10 Seconds if you benefit from Undulation
    • 16 Seconds if you benefit from Unleash Life
    • When you cast a healing or damage spell, your Ancestor casts a similar spell.
• Ancestral Swiftness
  • This works the same as Nature's Swiftness, but now making it a lot stronger and plays a big part in the Farseer playstyle.
  • After activating the Ancestral Swiftness, you summon an Ancestor for 10 seconds.

• Surging Totem
  • Summons a totem that maintains Healing Rain around it
  • It is important to think about the placement of the Surging Totem as the duration is 24 seconds, you can always utilize Totemic Projection to move it, including Healing Rain
• Whirling Elements.
  • Everytime you summon Surging Totem you get 3 different element buffs that affect your next healing abilities.
    • Water - Makes your next Healing Wave or Healing Surge cleave to an ally within your healing rain.
    • Air - Cast time of your next healing spell is reduced by 40%.
    • Earth - Your next Chain Heal will apply Earthliving Weapon to all targets hit.

When to use this Spec

• This is the default loadout going into any boss unless specified otherwise. You have to adjust the class talent tree based on the utility needed for the encounter. To make your life easier, boss-specific talent loadouts are available in the Nerub-ar Palace section.

Gameplay Altering Talents

• Discover all talents that significantly alter your gameplay within the Spec and Class Talent trees. This section gives a concise overview of these talents and their applications but for a more detailed look check out the Rotation and Deep Dive sections below.

Spec Tree

• Water Totem Mastery
  • Consuming Tidal Waves has a chance to give you cooldown reduction on the majority of your totems. With that known, don't let any Tidal Waves go to waste.
• Spouting Spirits
  • Spirit Link Totem reduces damage taken by an additional 5%, and it heals all nearby allies 1 second after it is dropped.
• Echo of the Elements
  • Riptide and Lava Burst have an additional charge.
  • Great synergy with Water Totem Mastery to gain more Tidal Waves and therefore more cooldown reduction.
• Primal Tide Core
  • Every 4 casts of Riptide also applies Riptide to another friendly target.
• Downpour
  • After every Healing Rain you receive 1 use of Downpour which heals and increases maximum health by 10% to 5 allies within Healing Rain.
• Undulation
  • Every third Healing Wave or Healing Surge heals for 50% more, making your single target healing strong and controlled.
• Ancestral Vigor
  • Great talent to provide survivability to you and your party, your core healing spells provide a 10% health increase.
• Acid Rain
  • Your Healing Rain now deals moderate damage, make sure to place it around the boss, while also healing your melee camp.
• Earthen Harmony
  • This talent makes Earth Shield a lot stronger. Make sure to have it up on yourself and another ally at all times while specced into Elemental Orbit.
• Reactive Warding
  • When refreshing Earth Shield, your target is healed for each stack of Earth Shield they are missing.
  • When refreshing Water Shield, you are refunded mana for each stack of Water Shield missing.
• Master of the Elements
  • Healing Surge applies Flame Shock to a nearby enemy when empowered by Master of the Elements, making it easy to maintain Flame Shock without losing important GCDs.
  • Casting Lava Burst also increases the healing done from Healing Surge by 30%, stacking up to 2 times. Which further emphasizes on how strong Healing Surge becomes when all buffs are present.

Class Tree

• Elemental Orbit
  • You can have Earth Shield on yourself and one ally at the same time. This allows you to focus more on raid healing and sustain yourself with passive healing.
• Nature's Guardian
  • When your health is brought below 35%, you instantly heal for 20% of your maximum health. This effect cannot occur more than once every 45 seconds.
• Totemic Projection
  • Relocates your active totems, a crucial talent to use on high movement fights to make sure your totems don't end up out of range.
• Totemic Focus
  • Increases the radius and duration of your totems which gives you an easier time managing totem positioning whenever there's movement.
• Totemic Surge
  • Reduces the cooldown of your totems by 6 seconds.

Hero Talents

• Heed My Call
  • Increases the duration of your ancestors by an additional 4 sec.
• Elemental Reverb
  • Gives you an additional charge of Riptide and Lava Burst, making it up to total 3 charges together with Echo of the Elements.
• Offering from Beyond
  • Your Riptide cooldown is reduced by 2 seconds every time you summon an Ancestor, increasing your spot healing capability.
• Natural Harmony
  • Improves Nature's Guardian, which gives you a significant survivability boost.
• Primordial Capacity
  • Tidal Waves now stacks to 4, making it easier for you to have every affected spell buffed by Tidal Waves.

When to use this Spec

This Spec is commonly used on fights that allow you to stack with your raid throughout the entire encounter, As this build favors stacked group healing.

Talent Adjustments

Spec Tree

• Added
  • Ancestral Reach
    • Strong boost to your AoE healing.
  • High Tide
    • Spending enough mana gives you 2 enhanced Chain Heals, try to combine these with Tidebringer.
  • Tidebringer
    • Every 8 sec, your next Chain Heals jump distance is increased by 100%, and stacks up to 2 charges. This allows you to save up the charges when you know a crucial moment is coming up.
  • Living Stream
    • Making your Healing Stream Totem stronger and allowing you to play around with Lively Totems.
      Which provides more on-demand healing.
  • Unleash Life
    • Buffs your next healing spell, great ability for different situations.
  • Earthliving Weapon
    • Imbue your weapon, causing your core healing abillities to trigger additional healing on your target.
• Removed
  • Primal Tide Core
  • Earthen Harmony
  • Reactive Warding
  • Cloudburst Totem
  • Undulation
  • Acid Rain

Hero Talents

• Oversurge
  • Buffing your Surging Totem during one of your strongest healing cooldowns, making your cooldowns even more valuable.
• Wind Barrier
  • Gives you an absorb shield when you have an active totem, this adds to your survivability
• Supportive Imbuements
  • New imbue for your shield, you are required to play a shield when you play Totemic as this imbue increases your healing done and the duration of your Healing Stream Totem.
• Oversized Totems
  • Increases the size and radius of your totems, which can be helpful on fights that require your raid to move or dodge certain mechanics. The more radius you cover the easier it is to ensure you cover everyone in your raid with totems such as Spirit Link Totem
• Primordial Capacity
  • Your Tidal Waves now stacks to 4, making it easier for you to have every affected spell buffed by Tidal Waves.
• Lively Totems
  • Your healing totems will cast a free chain heal when summoned, making it easy for you to deal with quick damage intake.

1. Cast Ancestral Swiftness on cooldown to keep a good flow of Ancestors.
2. Cast Healing Rain on cooldown.
3. Cast Downpour if your allies are injured.
4. Cast Riptide on cooldown for Tidal Waves
5. CastCloudburst Totem to avoid overcapping on charges.
6. CastPrimordial Wave on a target without Riptide.
7. Cast Healing Wave when you have Primordial Wave buff.
8. Cast Healing Wave to cycle through Undulation for more Ancestors.
9. Cast Healing Surge when buffed by Master of the Elements
10. Refresh Earth Shield.

1. Cast High Tide buffed Chain Heals if 3+ allies require healing.
2. Cast Surging Totem on cooldown.
3. Cast Downpour if your allies are injured.
4. Cast Riptide on cooldown for Tidal Waves.
5. CastHealing Stream Totem to avoid overcapping on charges.
6. Cast Unleash Life on cooldown.
7. Consume Unleash Life on Chain Heal if High Tide is active, otherwise Healing Rain/Downpour.
8. Cast Chain Heal if 3+ allies are missing health.
9. Cast Healing Wave.
10. Refresh Earth Shield.

How To Use Your Healing Cooldowns

• These cooldowns were assigned with the primary goal of defeating the boss, rather than maximizing raw HPS. They were planned based on the Beta version of the game, so if the boss timers change when the raid goes live, it also changes the cooldown assignments.

Boss Tips

• Defensives
  • Use Astral Shift or Stone Bulwark Totem when soaking Carnivorous Contest.
• Externals
  • Shaman does not bring any externals, but you can treat your Spirit Link Totem like one, do not hesitate to use to save someone in your raid, unless Spirit Link Totem is assigned for a specific event.
• Paradox
  • Other healers make better use of Spatial Paradox.
• General
  • Avoid getting hit by Juggernaut Charge at ALL cost.
  • Use Wind Rush Totemduring the intermission to help your allies dodge the bosses Juggernaut Charge.

How To Use Your Healing Cooldowns

• These cooldowns were assigned with the primary goal of defeating the boss, rather than maximizing raw HPS. They were planned based on the Beta version of the game, so if the boss timers change when the raid goes live, it also changes the cooldown assignments.

Boss Tips

• Defensives
  • Use Astral Shift or Stone Bulwark Totem when soaking Gruesome Disgorge.
• Externals
  • Shaman does not bring any externals, but you can treat your Spirit Link Totem like one, do not hesitate to use to save someone in your raid, unless Spirit Link Totem is assigned for a specific event.
• Paradox
  • Other healers make better use of it this encounter.
• General
  • Use Wind Rush Totem for your team to reach their Gruesome Disgorge in time.
  • Utilize Spiritwalker's Grace when targeted by Grasp From Beyond

How To Use Your Healing Cooldowns

• These cooldowns were assigned with the primary goal of defeating the boss, rather than maximizing raw HPS. They were planned based on the Beta version of the game, so if the boss timers change when the raid goes live, it also changes the cooldown assignments.

Boss Tips

• Defensives
  • Use Astral Shift or Stone Bulwark Totem when targetd by Decimate.
• Externals
  • Shaman does not bring any externals, but you can treat your Spirit Link Totem like one, do not hesitate to use to save someone in your raid, unless Spirit Link Totem is assigned for a specific event.
• Paradox
  • Other healers make better use of it on this boss encounter.
• General
  • Cast Wind Rush Totem to help Decimate targets reach their assigned position.

How To Use Your Healing Cooldowns

These cooldowns were assigned with the primary goal of defeating the boss, rather than maximizing raw HPS. They were planned based on the Beta version of the game, so if the boss timers change when the raid goes live, it also changes the cooldown assignments.

Boss Tips

• Defensives
  • Rotate your Astral Shift or Stone Bulwark Totem when targeted by multiple Infested Spawn.
• Externals
  • Shaman does not bring any externals, but you can treat your Spirit Link Totem like one, do not hesitate to use to save someone in your raid, unless Spirit Link Totem is assigned for a specific event.
• Paradox
  • Other healers make better use of it on this boss encounter.
• General
  • Use Wind Rush Totem to help your team to reach the boss quicker when he relocates.
    You can move your Wind Rush Totem with Totemic Projection if needed.
  • You can use Capacitor Totem and Earthbind Totem to slow and stun the Infested Spawn, to prevent them from reaching your allies.

How To Use Your Healing Cooldowns

These cooldowns were assigned with the primary goal of defeating the boss, rather than maximizing raw HPS. They were planned based on the Beta version of the game, so if the boss timers change when the raid goes live, it also changes the cooldown assignments.

Boss Tips

• Defensives
  • Ensure you have Astral Shift or Stone Bulwark Totem active when targeted with Experimental Dosage.
• Externals
  • Shaman does not bring any externals, but you can treat your Spirit Link Totem like one, do not hesitate to use to save someone in your raid, unless Spirit Link Totem is assigned for a specific event..
• Paradox
  • Other healers make better use of it on this boss encounter.
• General
  • Coordinate your AoE Sprints like Wind Rush Totem to ensure one is active for each Experimental Dosage.
  • On each Experimental Dosage, there will be some adds spawning.
    When Blood Parasites spawn, use Earthbind Totem to slow them as they need to be killed before they reach their fixate target.
  • You can use Thunderous Paws to cleanse Unstable Web from yourself, if you for some reason don't have your dispel ready.

How To Use Your Healing Cooldowns

These cooldowns were assigned with the primary goal of defeating the boss, rather than maximizing raw HPS. They were planned based on the Beta version of the game, so if the boss timers change when the raid goes live, it also changes the cooldown assignments.

Boss Tips

• Defensives
  • Rotate your Astral Shift or Stone Bulwark Totem when affected by Queensbane.
• Externals
  • Shaman does not bring any externals, but you can treat your Spirit Link Totem like one, do not hesitate to use to save someone in your raid, unless Spirit Link Totem is assigned for a specific event.
• Paradox
  • Other healers make better use of it on this boss encounter.
• General
  • Coordinate your AoE Sprints like Wind Rush Totem to ensure one is active for each Nether Rift. Ideally you do not have to use your Wind Rush Totem on the same Nether Rift you are using your healing cooldowns on.
  • Utilize your Spiritwalker's Grace during Starless Night.

How To Use Your Healing Cooldowns

• These cooldowns were assigned with the primary goal of defeating the boss, rather than maximizing raw HPS. They were planned based on the Beta version of the game, so if the boss timers change when the raid goes live, it also changes the cooldown assignments.

Boss Tips

Phase 1

• Defensives
  • Use Astral Shift or Stone Bulwark Totem when Reckless Eruption and Venomous Rain overlap.
• Externals
  • Shaman does not bring any externals, but you can treat your Spirit Link Totem like one, do not hesitate to use to save someone in your raid, unless Spirit Link Totem is assigned for a specific event.
• Paradox
  • Other healers make better use of it on this boss encounter.
• General
  • The people in danger in this phase are the ones playing Binding Webs. Ensure you keep them healthy so they can fully focus on the mechanic without having to worry about other things.
  • You can dispel your tank as with Poison Cleansing Totem during hectic overlaps where your GCDs are tight.

Intermission 1

• General
  • Coordinate your AoE Sprints like Wind Rush Totem to ensure one is active for each time you have to dodge.

Phase 2

• Defensives
  • Use Astral Shift or Stone Bulwark Totem when Web Vortex happens.
• General
  • In phase 2, failing the dispel mechanic Stinging Swarm is the most common wipe. Ensure you keep these people healthy so they dont have to worry about anything but playing the mechanic.
  • Dispel your tank as often as possible whenever he has multiple stacks of Void Bolt, as this mechanic will easily kill your tank if ignored.

Intermission 2

• General
  • Coordinate your AoE Sprints like Wind Rush Totem to ensure one is active for each time you have to dodge.
  • Whenever a raid member gets Impaled, ensure you spot heal them until they are freed.

Phase 3

• Defensives
  • UseAstral Shift or Stone Bulwark Totem when Web Vortex happens.
• General
  • The People in danger in this phase are the people playing Binding Webs. Ensure you keep them healthy so they can fully focus on the mechanic without having to worry about other things.
  • Dispel your tank as often as possible whenever he has multiple stacks of Void Bolt as this mechanic will easily kill your tank if ignored.

Due to the way stat weights work for Restoration Shamans, there isn't a strict best-in-slot list. Although it is theoretically possible to obtain items with all the correct Tertiaries, doing so requires extraordinary luck or several human lifespans because of the weekly reset system in World of Warcraft.

Authors Note:

This list shows the best items for healing in Raids from all sources. Keep in mind that getting different tier pieces with Leech / Avoidance changes which off-piece is best for you. Likewise, any other non-trinket item with Leech / Avoidance replaces the one suggested here.

Below you are presented with a good list of farmable alternatives that are obtainable outside of WoW’s weekly lockout system. While replaced in time as you progress, these offer immediate character power.

/cast [@mouseover, help] Chain Heal; Chain Heal

/cast [@mouseover, help] Riptide; Riptide

/cast [@mouseover, help] Healing Wave; Healing Wave

/cast [@mouseover, help] Healing Surge; Healing Surge

/cast [@mouseover, help] Unleash Life; Unleash Life

/cast [@mouseover] Primordial Wave; Primordial Wave