The Shaman talent tree in WoW Forever combines Elemental, Enhancement, and Restoration into one 50-node tree, and for the first time the class is available to the Alliance through the new Dwarf Shaman combination and the Horde-side Skyborne. This guide reads the beta tree as of build 1.60.1.69893 and covers reasonable builds, rotation, and race choice.
What changed for the class in Forever
The Shaman now trains from a single 50-node tree instead of three separate Elemental, Enhancement, and Restoration trees, confirmed directly by the beta data. Blizzard's panel recap describes new race and class combinations as part of the class pass, and for Shaman that means two new doors into the class: Dwarf Shaman on the Alliance, and Horde-side Skyborne Shaman, who "embrace elemental traditions and gain access to the Shaman class" according to the recap. Shaman was Horde-only throughout Classic Era, so this is the largest faction-access change for this class specifically. As of beta build 1.60.1.69893, Forever also lets periodic effects crit and unifies hit and critical strike rating from gear, which affects talent #104924 (Genesis) directly, since it scales periodic damage and healing together.
Talent tree overview
As of beta build 1.60.1.69893, the tree has 50 nodes across seven rows. The left column is Elemental, running through talent #104772 (Concussion, 5 ranks) and talent #104766 (Elemental Fury, 5 ranks) up to the capstone talent #104758 (Lava Burst, 1 rank, requires Lightning Overload). The middle column is Enhancement, running through talent #104753 (Thundering Strikes, 5 ranks) and talent #104743 (Stormstrike, 1 rank) up to the capstone talent #104740 (Rage of the Farseer, 1 rank, requires Mental Quickness). The right column is Restoration, running through talent #104735 (Tidal Focus, 5 ranks) up to the capstone talent #104724 (Riptide, 1 rank, requires Healing Way).
| Column | Identity | Row-6 gate | Capstone (row 7) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left | Elemental | Lightning Overload | Lava Burst |
| Middle | Enhancement | Mental Quickness | Rage of the Farseer |
| Right | Restoration | Healing Way | Riptide |
Leveling build
A reasonable leveling build as of beta build 1.60.1.69893 leans Elemental, since ranged burst with a self-sufficient healing spell between pulls suits solo questing better than melee Enhancement's gear demands. Convection (Convection, 5 ranks) cuts the Mana cost of your core Shock and Lightning Bolt spells, Concussion (Concussion, 5 ranks) raises their damage, and Ancestral Knowledge (Ancestral Knowledge, 5 ranks) adds Intellect for a bigger Mana pool. Improved Healing Wave (Improved Healing Wave, 5 ranks) shortens your self-heal's cast time, which keeps downtime low without dedicating points to the full Restoration column.
Dungeon and raid builds
A caster damage build for raids takes talent #104766 (Elemental Fury, 5 ranks) for bigger critical hits and talent #104759 (Lightning Overload, 3 ranks) for a chance at a free second cast, building up to the capstone talent #104758 (Lava Burst), which the tree's own description notes deals increased damage against a target already affected by your Flame Shock.
A healing build for dungeons and raids runs talent #104738 (Tidal Mastery, 5 ranks) for critical heal chance, talent #104730 (Restorative Totems, 5 ranks) for stronger group-sustain totems, and talent #104725 (Purification, 5 ranks) for flat healing effectiveness, capped by talent #104724 (Riptide) for a heal that also boosts your next Chain Heal on the same target. The beta data does not indicate whether Elemental or Restoration performs better in current content, so this is a role choice rather than a proven ranking.
PvP build
Anticipation (Anticipation, 3 ranks) adds Dodge chance, useful against melee-heavy compositions. Water Shield (Water Shield, 1 rank) restores Mana passively whenever you're hit, which keeps a Shaman casting through sustained pressure instead of running dry. Maelstrom Weapon (Maelstrom Weapon, 5 ranks) lets melee attacks speed up your next Lightning Bolt, a strong tool for an Enhancement Shaman who needs burst spell damage without a long cast window in an open fight, and Improved Ghost Wolf (Improved Ghost Wolf, 2 ranks) gets your mobility form up faster to disengage.
Rotation and priorities
Classic Shaman rotations, carried over from Classic Era, differ by spec but share a totem-management layer: drop the right totems for the group before engaging, then Elemental alternates Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning around Shock cooldowns, Enhancement weaves Stormstrike and weapon-imbue procs between melee swings, and Restoration keeps Chain Heal and Healing Wave running while refreshing Earth Shield or its equivalent on the tank.
What Forever changes: with hit and crit rating unified, Enhancement no longer needs to gear separately for melee hit and spell hit the way Classic-era itemization required, since Mental Dexterity (Mental Dexterity) and Stormstrike-triggered spell procs now draw from the same stat pool as your melee swings. Because periodic effects can now crit, Genesis (Genesis) is worth prioritizing earlier for any build leaning on Flame Shock or a HoT-heavy Restoration setup than a Classic guide would suggest.
Best races for the class
Shaman was Horde-only throughout Classic Era, and Forever changes that twice over: Dwarf Shaman is one of the six new race and class combinations Blizzard announced, giving the Alliance its first Shaman, and the new Skyborne race also grants Shaman access on the Horde side.
| Race | Faction | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Dwarf | Alliance | New in Forever; gives the Alliance its first Shaman option |
| Skyborne | Horde | New race in Forever; Horde-side Skyborne "embrace elemental traditions and gain access to the Shaman class" per Blizzard's recap |
| Orc | Horde | Original Shaman race, carried over from Classic Era; Blood Fury adds burst to an Elemental or Enhancement build |
| Tauren | Horde | Original Shaman race, carried over from Classic Era; War Stomp adds a stun for Enhancement builds |
Blizzard has not yet detailed Dwarf-specific racial adjustments for Shaman, so as of beta build 1.60.1.69893 the faction-access change itself, not a proven racial edge, is the reason to consider it.