Monday, June 28, 2010

WF cooldown going away?

Shaman (Forums / 3.3.5 Talent Calculator / Cataclysm Talent Calculator)


Dual Wield Talent

We're not quite ready to talk about it yet, but imagine that the DW talent is accesible to Enhance early enough to be useful but not to Elemental and Resto. We're also looking at making enchants unique, which would let us drop the WF internal cooldown low enough that fast weapons might be more attractive. (Source)


Seeing as we haven't used dual WF since TBC this would be great. I guess they need to keep a short cd in there so it doesn't proc itself.   More options is usually  a good thing as far as I'm concerned.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Ghostcrawler on Enhancemnt preview.

Enhancing Totems will be changing to provide an additional shaman-only buff when the buff totems are down. Technically that implementation is tricky so we just haven't finished it yet. In general you are correct that there should not be "buff my buff" talents. There are a few exceptions where a buff is elevated from a minor bonus to a more serious bonus (Elemental's spell power for instance).


Mental Quickness is something Enhancement and Retribution need in order to be a mana-using spec without mana on gear. In general you won't see stat conversion talents, though warriors and DKs might keep their armor conversions. We'll see.

We may need additional mana restore mechanics than we have now for Enhancement, but that will take some more testing.

We're not sure what we'll do with Ancestral Swiftness. We made that talent before you could wolf indoors, so it may be less attractive now.

The Searing Totem mechanic is obviously something new and will take some iteration.

Someone mentioned Imp Windfury Totem. I think you're looking at an old talent tree.

Enhance is intended as a dual-wield tree. We aren't going to support a competitive 2H spec. We aren't going to prohibit it, but it won't be competitive.

There are going to be some hard choices in all the trees. It's not our design intent that you scoop up every single talent in your tree

I personal buff for dropping a totem... I like that  Indoor GW is nice. It would be a tough choice to me. 30% when in wolf form plus costs a GCD, or 15% all the time with Ancestral swiftness.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Cataclysm Talent Previews

Elemental Talent Tree




Tier 1 (Left to Right)



•Convection (5 ranks available) - Reduces the mana cost of your shock, Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Lava Burst, and Wind Shear spells by 2/4/6/8/10%.

•Concussion (5 ranks available) - Increases the damage done by your Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Thunderstorm, Lava Burst and shock spells by 1/2/3/4/5%.



Tier 2 (Left to Right)



•Call of Flame (3 ranks available) - Increases the damage done by your Fire Totems and Fire Nova by 5/10/15% and damage done by your Lava Burst spell by 2/4/6%.

•Elemental Warding (3 ranks available) - Reduces all damage taken by 2/4/6%.

•Elemental Devastation (3 ranks available) - Your non-periodic offensive spell critical strikes will increase your chance to get a critical strike with melee attacks by 3/6/9% for 10 seconds.



Tier 3 (Left to Right)



•Reverberation (5 ranks available) - Reduces the cooldown of your shock spells and Wind Shear by 0.2/0.4/0.6/0.8/1 seconds.

•Elemental Focus (1 rank available) - After landing a non-periodic critical strike with a Fire, Frost, or Nature damage spell, you enter a Clearcasting state. The Clearcasting state reduces the mana cost of your next 2 damage or healing spells by 40%.

•Elemental Fury (5 ranks available) - Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Searing and Magma Totems and your Fire, Frost and Nature spells by 20/40/60/80/100%.



Tier 4 (Left to Right)



•Improved Fire Nova (2 ranks available) - Increases the damage done by your Fire Nova by 10/20% and reduces the cooldown by 2/4 seconds.

•Eye of the Storm (3 ranks available) - Reduces the pushback suffered from damaging attacks while casting Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Lava Burst and Hex spells by 23/46/70%.



Tier 5 (Left to Right)



•Elemental Reach (2 ranks available) - Increases the range of your Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Fire Nova, and Lava Burst spells by 3/6 yards, increases the radius of your Thunderstorm spell by 10/20%, and increases the range of your Flame Shock by 7/15 yards.

•Elemental Mastery (1 rank available) - Requires 1 point in Elemental Focus - Instant - 3 min cooldown - When activated, your next Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning or Lava Burst spell becomes an instant cast spell. In addition, you gain 15% spell haste for 15 seconds. Elemental Mastery shares a cooldown with Nature's Swiftness.

•Unrelenting Storm (3 ranks available) - Regenerate mana equal to 4/8/12% of your intellect every 5 seconds, even while casting.



Tier 6 (Left to Right)



•Elemental Precision (3 ranks available) - Increases your chance to hit with Fire, Frost and Nature spells by 1/2/3% and increases your spell hit rating by an additional amount equal to 33/66/100% of your spirit.

•Lightning Mastery (5 ranks available) - Requires 5 points in Elemental Fury - Reduces the cast time of your Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, and Lava Burst spells by 0.1/0.2/0.3/0.4/0.5 seconds.



Tier 7 (Left to Right)



•Storm, Earth and Fire (3 ranks available) - Reduces the cooldown of our Chain Lighting spell by .75/1.5/2.5 seconds. In addition, your Earthbind Totem has a 33/66/100% chance to root targets for 5 seconds when cast, and the periodic damage done by your Flame Shock is increased by 20/40/60%.

•Elemental Oath (2 ranks available) - Requires 1 point in Elemental Mastery - While Clearcasting from Elemental Focus is active, you deal 5/10% more spell damage. In addition, party and raid members within 100 yards receive a 3/5% bonus to their critical strike chance.

•Wrathful Totems [PH] (1 rank available) - Causes your Fire totems to increase the spell power of your party and raid memebers within 100 yards by 10%.



Tier 8 (Left to Right)



•Booming Echoes (2 ranks available) - Reduces the cooldown of your Flame Shock and Frost Shock spells by an additional 1/2 seconds, and increases the direct damage done by your Flame Shock and Frost spells by an additional 10/20%.

•Acute Overload (3 ranks available) - Increases the damage dealt by your Elemental Overload spells by 7/14/20%.



Tier 9 (Left to Right)



•Astral Shift (3 ranks available) - When stunned, feared or silenced you shift into the Astral Plane, reducing all damage taken by 10/20/30% for the duration of the stun, fear or silence effect.

•Earthquake (1 rank available) - 20149 Mana - 35 yd range - 1.5 sec cast - 15 sec cooldown - You cause the earth at the target location to tremble and break, dealing 267 Physical damage every 1 second to enemies within a 10-yard radius, with a 40% chance of knocking down affected targets. Lasts 10 seconds.

•Lava Flows (3 ranks available) - Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Lava Burst spells 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 seconds.



Tier 10 (Left to Right)



•Shamanism (5 ranks available) - Your Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning spells gain an additional 4/8/12/16/20% and your Lava Burst gains an additional 5/10/15/20/25% of your bonus damage effects.

•Lava Surge (3 ranks available) - Gives your Flame Shock periodic damage ticks a 10/20/30% chance to reset the cooldown of your Lava Burst spell.



Tier 11



•Thunderstorm (1 rank available) - Instant - 45 sec cooldown - You call down a bolt of lightning, energizing you and damaging nearby enemies within 11 yards. Restores 8% mana to you and deals 1794 to 2038 Nature damage to all nearby enemies, knocking them back 20 yards. This spell is usable while stunned.





Enhancement Talent Tree



Tier 1 (Left to Right)



•Focused Strikes (5 ranks available) - Increases the damage dealt by your Primal Strike and Stormstrike abilities by 8/16/24/32/40%.

•Ancestral Knowledge (5 ranks available) - Increases your maximum mana by 3/6/9/12/15%.



Tier 2 (Left to Right)



•Improved Shields (3 ranks available) - Increases the damage done by your Lightning Shield orbs by 5/10/15%, increases the amount of mana gained from your Water Shield orbs by 5%, and increases the amount of healing done by your Earth Shield orbs by 5/10/15%.

•Enhancing Totems (3 ranks available) - Increases the effect of your Strength of Earth and Flametongue Totems by 5/10/15%.

•Improved Ghost Wolf (2 ranks available) - Reduces the cast time of your Ghost Wolf spell by 1/2 seconds.



Tier 3 (Left to Right)



•Elemental Weapons (3 ranks available) - Increases the damage caused by your Windfury Weapon effect by 13/27/40%, the spell damage on your Flametongue Weapon by 10/20/30%, and the bonus healing on your Earthliving Weapon by 10/20/30%.

•Shamanistic Focus (1 rank available) - Reduces the mana cost of your shock spells by 45%.

•Toughness (5 ranks available) - Increases your stamina by 2/4/6/8/10%, and reduces the duration of movement slowing effects on you by 6/12/18/24/30%.



Tier 4 (Left to Right)



•Anticipation (3 ranks available) - Increases your chance to dodge by an additional 1/2/3%, and reduces the duration of all Disarm effects used against you by 16/25/50%. This does not stack with other Disarm duration-reducing effects.

•Flurry (5 ranks available) - Increases your attack speed by 6/12/18/24/30% for your next 3 swings after dealing a critical strike.

•Ancestral Swiftness (3 ranks available) - Increases movement speed by 5/10/15%. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.



Tier 5 (Left to Right)



•Dual Wield (1 rank available) - Allows one-hand and off-hand weapons to be equipped in the off-hand.

•Searing Flames (5 ranks available) - Causes the Searing Bolts from your Searing Totem to have a 20/40/60/80/100% chance to set their targets aflame, dealing damage equal to the Searing Bolt's impact damage over 15 seconds. Stacks up to 5 times.



Tier 6 (Left to Right)



•Dual Wield Specialization (3 ranks available) - Requires 1 point in Dual Wield - Increases your chance to hit while dual wielding by an additional 2/4/6%.

•Spirit Weapons (1 rank available) - Gives a chance to parry enemy melee attacks and reduces all threat generated by 30%.

•Frozen Power (2 ranks available) - Increases the damage done by your Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Lava Lash and shock spells by 5% on targets afflicted by your Frostbrand Attack effect, and your Frost Shock has a 50/100% chance to root the target in ice for 5 seconds when used on targets at or further than 15 yards from you.



Tier 7 (Left to Right)



•Unleashed Rage (3 ranks available) - Increases your expertise by 3/6/9, and increases all party and raid members' attack power by 5/7/10% while within 100 yards of the shaman.

•Stormstrike (1 rank available) - 1874 Mana - Melee Range - Instant cast - 8 sec cooldown - Requires Melee Weapon - Instantly attack with both weapons, dealing 132 to 133% weapon damage. In addition, the shaman's Nature damage dealt to the target is increased by 20%. Lasts 15 seconds.

•Totemic Vigor (3 ranks available) - Increases the health of your totems by 3/7/10% or your maximum health.



Tier 8 (Left to Right)



•Static Shock (3 ranks available) - When you deal damage with melee attacks and abilities while having Lightning Shield active, you have a 2/4/6% chance to deal damage equal to a Lightning Shield orb without consuming a charge.

•Lava Lash (1 rank available) - Requires 1 point in Dual Wield - 937 Mana - Melee Range - Instant cast - 10 sec cooldown - Requires Melee Weapon - You charge your off-hand weapon with lava, instantly dealing 150% off-hand weapon damage. Damage is increased by 40% if your off-hand weapon is enchanted with Flametongue.

•Improved Stormstrike (2 ranks available) - Requires 1 point in Stormstrike - When you Stormstrike, you have a 50/100% chance to immediately gain 35% of your base mana.



Tier 9 (Left to Right)



•Mental Quickness (3 ranks available) - Reduces the mana cost of your instant cast shaman spells by 2/4/6%, and increases your spell power by an amount equal to 10/20/30% of your attack power.

•Shamanistic Rage (1 rank available) - Instant - 1 min cooldown - Reduces all damage taken by 30% and gives your successful melee attacks a chance to regenerate mana equal to 15% of your attack power. This spell is usable while stunned. Lasts 15 seconds.



Tier 10 (Left to Right)



•Improved Lava Lash (3 ranks available) - Requires 1 point in Lava Lash - Increases the damage of your Lava Lash ability by 10/20/30%, and by an additional 7/14/20% for each of your applications of Searing Flames on the target, consuming those applications in the process.

•Maelstrom Weapon (5 ranks available) - When you deal damage with a melee weapon, you have a chance (higher than rank 1/2/3/4) to reduce the cast time of your next Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Hex, or any healing spell by 20%. Stacks up to 5 times. Lasts 30 seconds.



Tier 11



•Feral Spirit (1 rank available) - 2698 Mana - Instant cast - 3 min cooldown - Summons two Spirit Wolves under the command of the Shaman, lasting 45 seconds.





Restoration Talent Tree



Tier 1 (Left to Right)



•Improved Healing Wave (5 ranks available) - Reduces the casting time of your Healing Wave and Greater Healing Wave spells by 0.1/0.2/0.3/0.4/0.5 seconds.

•Totemic Focus (5 ranks available) - Reduces the mana cost of your totems by 5/10/15/20/25%.



Tier 2 (Left to Right)



•Improved Reincarnation (2 ranks available) - Reduces the cooldown of your Reincarnation spell by 7/15 minutes and increases the amount of health and mana recovered when reincarnating by an additional 10/20%.

•Healing Grace (3 ranks available) - Reduces the threat generated by your healing spells by 5/10/15% and reduces the chance your helpful spells and damage-over-time effects will be dispelled by 10/20/30%.

•Tidal Focus (5 ranks available) - Reduces the mana cost of your healing spells by 1/2/3/4/5%.



Tier 3 (Left to Right)



•Improved Water Shield (3 ranks available) - You have a 33/66/100% chance to instantly gain mana as if you consumed a Water Shield Orb when you gain a critical effect from your Healing Wave or Riptide spells, a 20/40/60% chance when you gain a critical effect from your Lesser Healing Wave spell, and a 10/20/30% chance when you gain a critical effect from your Chain Heal spell.

•Healing Focus (3 ranks available) - Reduces the pushback suffered from damaging attacks while casting any shaman healing spells by 23/46/70%.

•Tidal Force (1 rank available) - Instant - 3 min cooldown - Increases the critical effect chance of your healing spells by 60%. Each critical heal reduces the chance by 20%. Lasts 20 seconds.

•Ancestral Healing (3 ranks available) - Reduces your target's physical damage taken by 3/7/10% for 15 seconds after getting a critical effect from one of your healing spells.



Tier 4 (Left to Right)



•Restorative Totems (3 ranks available) - Increases the effect of your Mana Spring Totem by 7/12/20%, and increases the amount healed by your Healing Stream Totem by 15/30/45%.

•Focused Insight (5 ranks available) - After casting any shock spell, your next heal's mana cost is reduced by 15/30/45/60/75% of the cost of the shock spell, and its healing effectiveness is increased by 5/10/15/20/25%.



Tier 5 (Left to Right)



•Healing Way (3 ranks available) - Increases the amount healed by your Healing Wave and Greater Healing Wave spells by 8/16/25%.

•Nature's Swiftness (1 rank available) - Instant - 2 min cooldown - When activated, your next Nature spell with a base casting time less than 10 seconds becomes an instant cast spell. Nature's Swiftness shares a cooldown with Elemental Mastery.

•Focused Mind (3 ranks available) - Reduces the duration of any Silence or Interrupt effects used against the shaman by 10/20/30%. This effect does not stack with other similar effects.



Tier 6 (Left to Right)



•Ancestral Resolve (2 ranks available) - Reduces damage taken while casting spells by 5/10%.

•Purification (5 ranks available) - Increases the effectiveness of your healing spells by 2/4/6/8/10%.



Tier 7 (Left to Right)



•Nature's Guardian (5 ranks available) - Whenever a damaging attack brings you below 30% health, your maximum health is increased by 3/6/9/12/15% for 10 seconds, and your threat level towards the attacker is reduced. 30-second cooldown.

•Mana Tide Totem (1 rank available) - Requires 3 points in Restorative Totems - Instant - 5 min cooldown - Summons a Mana Tide Totem with 10% of the caster's health at the feet of the caster for 12 seconds that restores 6% of total mana every 3 seconds to group members within 30 yards.

•Improved Cleanse Spirit (1 rank available) - Requires 5 points in Purification - Empowers your Cleanse Spirit spell to also remove a magic effect from a friendly target.



Tier 8 (Left to Right)



•Blessing of the Eternals (2 ranks available) - Increases the critical effect chance of your spells by 2/4%, and increases the chance to apply the Earthliving heal-over-time effect on the target by 40/80% when they are at or under 35% total health.

•Improved Chain Heal (2 ranks available) - Increases the amount healed by your Chain Heal spell by 10/20%.

•Nature's Blessing (3 ranks available) - Increases your healing by an amount equal to 5/10/15% of your intellect.



Tier 9 (Left to Right)



•Ancestral Awakening (3 ranks available) - When you critically heal with a single-target direct heal, you summon an ancestral spirit to aid you, instantly healing the party or raid target with the lowest health within 40 yards for 10/20/30% of the amount healed.

•Earth Shield (1 rank available) - 8635 Mana - 40 yd range - Instant cast - Protects the target with an earthen shield, reducing casting or channeling time lost when damaged by 30% and causing attacks to heal the shielded target for 1609. This effect can only occur once every few seconds. 6 charges. Lasts 10 minutes. Earth Shield can only be placed on one target at a time and only one Elemental Shield can be active on a target at a time.

•Improved Earth Shield (2 ranks available) - Requires 1 point in Earth Shield - Increases the amount of charges for your Earth Shield by 1/2, and increases the healing done by your Earth Shield by 5/10%.



Tier 10



•Tidal Waves (5 ranks available) - When you cast Chain Heal or Riptide, you have a 20/40/60/80/100% chance to lower the cast time of your Healing Wave spell by 30% and increase the critical effect chance of your Lesser Healing Wave spell by 25%, until two such spells have been cast. In addition, your Greater Healing Wave gains an additional 4/8/12/16/20% of your bonus healing effects and your Healing Wave and Lesser Healing Wave gain an additional 2/4/6/8/10% of your bonus healing effects.



Tier 11



•Riptide (1 rank available) - 6590 Mana - 40 yd range - Instant cast - 6 sec cooldown - Heals a friendly target for 2397 and another 3780 over 15 seconds. Your next Chain Heal cast on that primary target within 15 (yards, seconds?) will consume the heal-over-time effect and increase the amount of the Chain Heal by 25%.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Can you feel the cold hand of death upon your heart?

So, That was a bit of a surprise. We'd taken a look at hard mode Sindragosa a few times, but mostly to just get an idea of how to handle the frost tomb, placement and the like. Last night was out first full night of working on her. I figured we'd spend a couple hours wiping before swapping to normal and downing her and the LK. It took us a couple of goes to get the spacing down on tombs but after that we made it to Phase 3. Then we had a 5% wipe.  We had this! It took about 3 hours, but we had some really good goes including one wipe at 100k.  Finally everything came together, no one panicked and down she went. FnB is sitting at 11/12 ICC Heroic.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Good News Everyone!



Professor Putricide Heroic is dead!


This makes Fire and Blood 10/12 ICC heroic, and officially first on QD. We had been unofficailly first since Perdition folded, but this was our first actual realm first kill.  Sure its months behind the hardcores, but I'm happy all the same.