3.1 updates

General

Applying a glyph no longer requires a Lexicon of Power. The same rules for switching between dual talent specializations now apply to switching glyphs and cannot be performed while in combat, Battlegrounds (except when Preparation is up), or Arenas (no exceptions).

Races: General

Command (Orc Racial): Applies to shaman pets, and now correctly applies to death knight pets.

Classes: General

The damage threshold for Fear, Psychic Scream, Hex, Intimidating Shout, and Turn Evil to break early has been significantly reduced.
The shaman’s Fire Elemental and Spirit Wolves, mage’s Water Elemental, and druid’s Treants have all gained avoidance from area-of-effect damage similar to what warlock and hunter pets already have.

Shaman (3.1 Skills List / 3.1 Talent + Glyph Calc.)

Earth Elemental Totem: The summoned Earth Elemental should now have significantly more health and slightly more armor.
Fire Elemental Totem: The summoned Fire Elemental should now have moderately more health and mana, and its damage scaling has been increased. In addition, the Fire Elemental’s spells now cost less mana.

and finally the most important changes

Clams

A new clam, the Giant Darkwater Clam, can be obtained by fishing in Wintergrasp. This mighty clam has a greatly increased chance to drop pearls, and yields up to five times the regular amount of clam meat.
Loot from clams now stacks correctly!
Changed the icon for Succulent Clam Meat so it doesn't look quite as disgusting.

Some nice changes. I hate forgetting to go the the Lexicon when changing a glyph. Buffs to pets are great. Coomand working on wolves is great,avoidence, buffed elementals.... they should be worth using again.

Hex breaking easier sucks though. They should reduce the CD to compensate.

T8 set bonuses

Enhancement 2Piece Bonus -- Increases the damage done by Lava Lash and Stormstrike by 20%.
Enhancement 4Piece Bonus -- Increases the frequency of Maelstrom Weapon being triggered by your melee weapon attacks by 20%.

They seem pretty good at first glance. The 4 pc depending on how they apply the 20% could be incredibly OP. I'm guessing they will apply it multiplicitively however



ETA
Found this post by Levva on EJ
very nice breakdown

T7.25 vs T8.25

Armor 5224 vs 5337 = +113
Agi 303 vs 305 = +2
Sta 351 vs 324 = -27
Int 247 vs 268 = +21
Sockets 4R, 1Y, 2B, M vs 3R, 3Y, B, M = -R, +2Y, -B
Crit 182 vs 190 = +8
Haste 31 vs 187 = +156
AP 778 vs 920 = +142
Exp 82 vs 74 = -8
Hit 130 vs 126 = -4

Socket Bonuses +6 Crit, +8 AP, +27 Sta vs +10 Agi, +12 AP, +4 Crit, +6 hit = -2 Crit, -27 Sta, +4 AP, +6 hit, +10 Agi

and of course set bonuses

* 2 pieces: Your Lightning Shield damage is increased by 10%.
* 4 pieces: Your Flurry effect provides an additional 5% melee haste.

vs

* 2 pieces: Increases the damage done by Lava Lash & Stormstrike by 20%
* 4 pieces: Increases the frequency of Maelstrom Weapon being triggered by your melee weapon attacks by 20%

The thing that stands out is a LOT more haste especially when melee haste is getting a +30% stats boost anyway.

Looks like stat breakdown is pretty much a wash aside from adding a lot of haste and AP, and better socket bonuses.

Twilight Drake

Got my Twilight Drake on Sunday. Yay Me!

Pretty

Well if there aren't any axes, then I guess I'll take a dragon's head strapped to my forearm.

Undocumented changes

Shaman (Skills List / Talent + Glyph Calc.)

Spirit Weapons now decrease the threat on all attacks by 30% (Old - Only Melee attacks)
Enhancement

Nature Resistance Totem, Stoneskin Totem, Fire Resistance Totem, Frost Resistance Totem, Strength of Earth Totem, Flametongue Totem, Wrath of Air Totem, Windfury Totem descriptions have been changed to reflect the latest changes, they now affects all raid members.
Earthen Power now also make you and nearby friendly targets immune to snare effects for 5 sec when it pulses.
Restoration

Healing Stream Totem range increased from 20 to 30 yards.
Mana Spring Totem now restores 91 mana every 5 seconds at max rank. (Old - 34 mana every 2 seconds)
Nature's Swiftness changed to - When activated, your next Nature spell with a base casting time less than 10 sec. becomes an instant cast spell. Nature's Swiftness shares a cooldown with Elemental Mastery.
Restorative Totems now Increases the effect of your Mana Spring and Healing Stream Totems by 4/8/12/16/20%. (Down from 5/10/15/20/25%)
Healing Grace has been moved from Tier 3 to Tier 2.
Ancestral Healing has been moved from Tier 2 to Tier 3.
Elemental

Thunderstorm is now useable while stunned.
Lava Flows now Iincreases the critical strike damage bonus of your Lava Burst spell by an additional 6/12/24%, and when your Flame Shock is dispelled your spell casting speed is increased by 10/20/30% for 6 sec.
Lightning Overload changed from 5 to 3 ranks, now Gives your Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning spells a 7/14/20% (Up from 4/8/12/16/20%) chance to cast a second, similar spell on the same target at no additional cost that causes half damage and no threat.
Elemental Mastery has been changed to - When activated, your next Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning or Lava Burst spell becomes an instant cast spell. In addition, your Fire, Frost, and Nature damage spells a 20% increased critical strike chance for 15 sec. Elemental Mastery shares a cooldown with Nature's Swiftness. Instant, 3 min cooldown
Storm, Earth, and Fire changed toReduces the cooldown of your Chain Lightning spell by .75 sec (on all ranks, down from 0.75/1/2.5sec), your Earthbind Totem also has a 33/66/100% chance to root targets for 5 sec when cast and the periodic damage done by your Flame Shock is increased by 20%.
Elemental Reach now also increases the range of your Flame Shock by 7/15 yards.
Glyphs

Glyph of Totem of Wrath -- When you cast Totem of Wrath, you gain 30% of the totem's bonus spell power for 5 min. (Old - until cancelled)

Hmmm.
Well the Spirit weapons change was in before..... But now as then its really nice.
Tooltip changes to totems.. big whoop.
Snare immunity to Earthen Power is nice for PvP

Underwhelming changes for Enhancement.

Resto changes... the increased range on Healing Stream is good.
The change to Mana Stream is a very slight buff, adding 6 MP% but coming in less often offsets some of that gain IMO especially talented as its only 3 more mp5 with that nerf.

No idea behind the reason for the Talent Tier Swapping.

Not sure at the Elemental changes. Some nice buffs in there. Elemental Mastery has now become a Better Natures Swiftness rather than a sure Crit. Seems like a PvE buff.
S,O,&F seems to gain some utility.
Elemental Reach change is very welcome I'm sure. Flame Shock is part of the rotation and having to be within 20 yards is not good as elemental.

ETA

Armor Penetration Rating: All classes now receive 25% more benefit from Armor Penetration Rating.
Haste Rating: Shamans, Paladins, Druids, and Death Knights now receive 30% more melee haste from Haste Rating.

I missed those changes somehow.
Both are very nice. They make those two less desirable dps stats a bit better. The haste may even help make up for the flurry nerf.

Latest PTR Build

Shaman (Skills List / Talent + Glyph Calc.)
Enhancement

Frostbrand Weapon damage has been increased. (From 442 to 530 damage for Rank 9, from 386 to 463 for Rank 8, etc ...)
Frozen Power now Increases the damage done by your Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Lava Lash and Shock spells by 5/10% on targets afflicted by your Frostbrand Attack effect
Flurry now Increases your attack speed by 5/10/15/20/25% for your next 3 swings after dealing a critical strike. (Down from 10/15/20/25/30%)

Buffs for PvP are nice.

5% haste nerf sucks. I guess we needed to pay for that expertise buff from UR somewhere.

Finally!

Calamity's Grasp
Only 3 months of clearing Naxx to see our first one.

Personally I think its ugly as sin. But as its the best non-caster MH in the game at the moment, I'll deal. Plus I can make extra gold trimming the weeds in Dalaran.



Just a few more pieces to fill in now. I've got all 5 pieces of 7.25 So If I manage to get Blue Aspect Helm I can swap in the gloves as there is a bigger difference from T7 helm to Blue Aspect than from T7 gloves to Frosted Adroit Handguards. I still could use Drape of the Deadly Foe as well, and of course Surge Needle Ring, but I've got all my high priority upgrades at this point.

New PTR build changes

Shaman (Skills List / Talent + Glyph Calc.)
Enhancement

Stormstrike now lasts 12 sec (Up from 10 sec), cooldown lowered to 8 sec (Down from 10 sec)
Unleashed Rage now properly increases the expertise by 3/6/9 instead of the agility.

Whew.
The correction to Stormstrike is a relief. It was a decent sized nerf the other way around

The change to Unleashed Rage is AWESOME. The 3% agi was worth ~43EP
9 Expertise is 73 Exp Rating or about 150-200 ep if under the expertise cap. There is almost no non Tier mail with expertise so this allows us to not fill every single gem slot with expertise gems.