Restoration Shaman leveling guide
Restoration is the Shaman healer. Leveling alone is slow, but with mail armor, Earth Shield on yourself and instant Riptides you are very hard to kill. Flame Shock, Lightning Bolt and Lava Burst do the damage, and Water Shield and Mana Tide Totem keep your mana up. Dungeon groups in Northrend are always happy with a Shaman who brings Chain Heal and Bloodlust or Heroism.
Strengths and weaknesses
- Earth Shield on yourself and Riptide keep you alive with little effort.
- Chain Heal and Mana Tide Totem make you a strong dungeon healer.
- Mail armor and a shield take the edge off melee hits.
- Slow kills, so questing alone takes much longer than with Elemental or Enhancement.
Talents by level
At level 70
- In Restoration: Improved Healing Wave 5/5, Tidal Focus 5/5, Improved Water Shield 3/3, Tidal Force, Ancestral Healing 3/3, Restorative Totems 3/3, Tidal Mastery 5/5, Healing Way 3/3 and Nature’s Swiftness.
- Purification 5/5, Mana Tide Totem, Cleanse Spirit, Improved Chain Heal 2/2, Nature’s Blessing 3/3, Earth Shield and Ancestral Awakening 3/3.
- Tidal Waves 5/5 and Riptide, for 51 points. In Elemental: Convection 5/5 and Concussion 5/5.
Level 71 to 80
- Call of Flame 3/3 and Reverberation 5/5.
- Improved Fire Nova 2/2, for 20 points in Elemental.
Rotation
One enemy
- Earth Shield and Water Shield on yourself, then Flame Shock from range.
- Lava Burst from level 75 while Flame Shock is active, and Lightning Bolt in between.
- Earth Shock to finish an enemy that reaches you, and Searing Totem for extra damage.
Groups of enemies
- Magma Totem and Fire Nova when the enemies gather around you.
- Chain Lightning on the group, and Riptide on yourself before the pull.
Staying alive
- Riptide, then Healing Wave or Lesser Healing Wave while Tidal Waves is active.
- Nature’s Swiftness with Healing Wave as an instant big heal, and Tidal Force for extra critical heals.
- Frost Shock and Earthbind Totem to slow enemies, and Mana Tide Totem when your mana runs low.
Leveling route
| Level | Alliance | Horde |
|---|---|---|
| 70-72 | Borean Tundra (Valiance Keep), Howling Fjord (Valgarde) | Borean Tundra (Warsong Hold), Howling Fjord (Vengeance Landing) |
| 72-74 | Dragonblight (Wintergarde Keep) | Dragonblight (Agmar’s Hammer) |
| 74-75 | Grizzly Hills (Amberpine Lodge) | Grizzly Hills (Conquest Hold) |
| 75-76 | Zul’Drak (Zim’Torga) | Zul’Drak (Zim’Torga) |
| 76-78 | Sholazar Basin (Nesingwary Base Camp) | Sholazar Basin (Nesingwary Base Camp) |
| 78-80 | The Storm Peaks (K3), Icecrown (Argent Vanguard) | The Storm Peaks (K3), Icecrown (Argent Vanguard) |
Dungeons worth the detour: Utgarde Keep and The Nexus from level 70, Azjol-Nerub and Ahn’kahet: The Old Kingdom around 72, and Drak’Tharon Keep and The Violet Hold from 74.
Stats, weapons and tradeskills
- Spell Power first, then Haste, MP5, Intellect and Crit.
- A one-handed weapon with Spell Power and a shield.
- Enchants: Mighty Spellpower on the weapon, Exceptional Spellpower on the gloves and Superior Spellpower on the bracers.
- Tradeskills: Mining with Jewelcrafting for strong gems, or Herbalism with Alchemy for potions and flasks.