Cataclysm Two basic resto questions

[musicajamasoida]

Dear Molten community:
I've started a shaman a few weeks ago, been questing as enhancement, but started healing normal dungeons now that I am 83. It's amazing, I've been a mage for too long, and I alredy suspect that being able to heal and have a secondary enhancement spec will be more appealing to me.
Now, I have two questions:

- At lvl 83, I have two talent points to spend before I finish the restoration spec. I cannot decide between two options: Telluric Currents, or Ancestral Swiftness. I've read in a guide that mobility in wolf form is more important, but honestly, so far it wasn't a problem. I know, it may be in raid content, but I still have a long path of dungeons before that, with barely acceptable gear. The thing is that I have very little mana issues, as well.
So, where would you spend those two points (priorizing dungeons)? Mobility or mana?
(I've also read that with intelligent Lightning Bolt + Telluric Currents use, your mana restoration is so good that you can basically spam Healing Rain. From where I'm standing right now, that is better than mobility...)

- So far I've only done normal RDFs, and considering it's my first time healing and half of my gear is still from WotLK content, I think I've done quite well. My only wipe so far was in the first boss of Vortex Pinnacle, when he retracts the tornados. Any tips for that fight, or for heavy AoE damage in general?
I have Earth Shield on the tank all the time. When the tornados begin to retract I immedatelly cast Healing Rain where I assume the party will stand, then Riptide on whoever needs it more, then UE, then Nature's Swiftness + Chain Heal (cast on whoever has Riptide), and after that spam Healing Surge. I can survive the first wave this way, but my mana is almost empty for the second one (plus Nature's Swiftness is on CD).
(In order to avoid contradictions, let me state that this is the only encounter where mana has been an issue so far.)
I'm sure that there are a lot of corrections to be made to what I am doing, so any help will be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[RUSKIHAKER]

I can try to help you, but some other players will surely have different opinions, so just listen to all, and take what you think is good.

I play PVE Restoration shaman, with no DPS OS. Currently I play on Frostwolf, I have ilvl 377, and I'm healing Dragon Soul 10/25 raids, which is currently the eng-game raid on Molten. I speak from my experience, and I usually heal more than others with similar item level.

First of all, you're lvl 83 and you think you won't have mana problems, but that's not true. Mana will be your biggest problem from now on. Shamans don't have spell to regenerate mana, it's all about passive regeneration, not like Druids with Innervate (Mana Tide Totem is not very helpful, but its better than nothing). This is Cata, not WOTLK, mana cost of spells scales with current level. It was easier to heal dungeons at lvl 81, instead of healing dungeons at lvl 85, which confused me at the beginning. At lvl 85, without good gear, your mana burns even at the first minute if not managed good. All healers eventually have mana problems.

This is my talent build:

I've seen a lot of Restoration Shamans with the same talent build.

Why I didn't spent talent points on the two talents that you mentioned, because I think they are useless.

Telluric Currents gives mana when you hit with Lightning Bolt, but then again, while healing in end-game raids, you don't actually have time to cast Lightning Bolt. You don't even have enough time to heal everyone in some situations.

Ancestral Swiftness gives passive moving bonus, and reduces the cast time on Ghost Wolf. Again, you don't have time to cast Ghost Wolf, because even if you're moving, you still need to heal, and that passive bonus is nice, but yet again, I invested a talent point in Totemic Reach. Why? Because according to Recount, at the end of the fight, Healing Stream Totem is the spell that did most of my heals, and its raid wide. Its nice not to care where your totem is put, knowing that even if the players move, they'll still be in reach of it.
But then again, this is only my opinion, and my talent build, it doesn't mean that this is the right way to go.

About that encounter when you OOM fast, I can't tell you what you should do, but I would tell you what I do. At first, spam Water Shield, to put that AOE DMG in use. Use Spirit Link Totem if your party is grouped nicely at one spot. Don't waste Nature's Swiftness early in the fight. At first I would use Riptide on the target with most Health left, because then it would not need another heal, you've covered that one for few moments. Then I would use 2x Healing Wave on the two targets with lowest Health, if nobody's under 50%. If there is someone under 50%, Greater Healing Wave on him. If everyone's below 50%, Riptide on the lowest target, then Unleash Elements (assuming you're using Earthliving Weapon, like you should all the time) and then Chain Heal on that target, and again go back to the last rotation, Riptide -> Healing Wave -> Healing Wave -> Repeat. By now that phase should be over, so you cast Earth Shield on tank, then Riptide, and then you wait 3 seconds, and cast Mana Tide Totem, for best mana regeneration. If you can't heal everyone above 70% with only the basic rotation. Then you use Healing Rain or Spirit Link totem, of course each one separately on different tornado wave, you'll want to survive at least two of them, not only one. Never spam Healing Surge, that spell burns mana fastest, except if the target is below 10% Health. And even the target is below 10%, you need to use Nature's Swiftness -> Healing Wave (or Greater Healing Wave if you think its necessary) as first resort, then Healing Surge.

This is just my opinion, my talent build and my reactions to that fight. It doesn't mean that this is the best way to go (repeating myself for the 5th time). I'm sure that there will be many people disagreeing with me.
I hope I was helpful.
Best regards!

PS: Sorry for my English, I'm not a native speaker.

[musicajamasoida]

Thanks for your reply, Ruskihaker.
Regarding the difference of mana consumption on lesser and higher lvls, I wasn't considering that and will keep it in mind.

Regarding your talents, I have a similar build, instead I didn't take the two points in Cleansing Waters. I find it to be useless, since it has an own cooldown, and still it heals for way too low. Those are the two talent points that I do not know where to put.

Regarding Ancestral Swfitness, you wouldn't have to "cast" it because with two talent points it becomes instant. Yep, you would go back to your normal form once you cast a heal, but I've heard raiders saying that it's mandatory for the "get out of the fire" situations.

Regarding Telluric Currents, well, I'll have to try, but gaining mana equal to the 40% of the damage you do with one cast... I think that's a very good trade. Obviously, no one should use that thing in the middle of a heavy fight where you heal now or you die, but there should be fights where you have 2-3 spare seconds.

And regarding the tornado phase of that particular boss, we did it last night in our first try, with only 4 people. What happened? I got slightly better gear, and used the healing stream totem with elemental resistance glyph (I guess that thing works against the lightnings). First time I was using mana totem.

Cпасибо, и до свидания!

[RUSKIHAKER]

If you have 2 talent points spare, by all means use them on Ancestral Swiftness. But that speed is not mandatory. Every other player needs to get out of AOE fast, and not everyone is playing a Shaman. If they can do it, so can you.

Abut Telluric Currents, all end-game instances have AOE DMG, so you're constantly healing, you are not stopping, the intensity just changes, from using all CDs to using Riptide, Healing Wave and the occasional Chain Heal. You really don't have time for casting other spells. Even if you have enough time, you don't hit that much with Lightning Bolt, only about 6k, which gives you 2,4k mana, which won't be a life saver, only 1 Healing Wave. Even if you have those 2-3 spared seconds, I believe you'll regenerate more mana with the passive regeneration when not casting.

I'm glad that you did it from first time, even with 4 players last night.

Best regards :)

[mslslinger]

Hello,

I play a 384 Resto shaman on Neltharion. I used to PVE a lot but now with my family getting larger my time is out the window for I only do ET and PVP (resto and Elly)

First off Everyone has there opinions, so I do things a little different and mean no offense to RUSKIHAKER for going against the normal route.

That fight sucks if everyone doesn't do what they are supposed to do so.. First make sure everyone stays close tot he boss that's melee so when he sucks in his tornadoes they kick everyone out. For some reason on molten people take less damage that way, retail it's the opposite. Second throw healing rain down like you said but put it close to yourself and if people want heals they can come to you during that down phase. You down have much time to chase people down, and it'll give your chain heals more hits if everyone is closer. Third I USE telluric currents talent to regen. I understand reforging to spirit when you are lowly geared but I'm a strict Haste reforger. This does two things - Hit higher Riptide ticks and cast lightning bolt a little bit faster. I understand the math on how much mana you get back is measly but add passive regen and a extra 4k every cast can really save your ***. Take sylvanas fight in ET, if you dispel correctly you then you will burn some serious mana. In the ghoul phase of that fight all you have to do is shoot 3-4 lightning bolt at the ghoul when no one is taking damage and you are close to full again. I barely reached Ilvl req for ET but I could sit that fight for ever just because of TC talent.

Sorry i didnt proof read this when I was done, my baby needs some milk :)

Good luck on your shaman, try elemental out too I do 18K on a dummy no buffs in healing gear.

happy hunting!

[brontokz]

between telluric and ancestral swiftness it's really down to your own style and raid team (and gear obviously)

I havent healed on raid content using resto shaman but from what i can see and ask to my resto teammates, they rarely have time to throw lightning. It's either healing or running. Still, some fights have "dps time" where the boss dazed or something and we need to throw all what we have.


First of all though, when you're a resto shaman, you dont need to top everyone at 100% health if you dont have enough mana for that. After a certain spirit points you can use healing wave without losing mana, but before that, you got a very nice mastery : deep healing. try to only use healing wave to heal everyone and keep up riptide buff, only chain and rain after quick aoe skill of enemy (if you got time to heal them all using HW just use it) and save UE+GHW for dying person.

I have done dungeons with my resto offspec (easily) but i havent got a weapon with adequate spellpower so i have to trudge on with more death than necessary on heroic ET, but oh well my guildmates understood :)

on ghost wolf : some people said it's good to get out of important AOE mechanic but i still find myself cenveniently forgetting about it when i need it (as DPS spec on raid).