WoW Classic Season of Discovery: Best Runes and talents for Shaman

What are the best runes and talents for Shaman in WoW Classic Season of Discovery?
When considering the best Runes and talents for Shaman, we'll go over all the WoW Classic Season of Discovery specs (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

When considering the best Runes and talents for Shaman in WoW Classic Season of Discovery, it all comes down to how you want to play. Like the Druid class, Shaman technically have four different ways to play in the current Classic-era content. Whether you want to tank, heal, cast spells, or deal melee damage, there are plenty of options for you. In this article, we’ll go over the proper Runes and talent builds you need for Phase 1 of Season of Discovery.

This will change in a few months, and at that time, we’ll return to keep you up to date. The best Runes and talents for Shaman aren’t too hard to decipher right now, considering players have a level cap of 25. Things will get far more interesting in early 2024, as Phase 2 drops in WoW Classic Season of Discovery.


The best Runes and talents for Shaman builds in WoW Classic Season of Discovery

1) Tank Shaman

The best build for a Tank Shaman (Image via Wowhead.com)
The best build for a Tank Shaman (Image via Wowhead.com)

Playing a Tank Shaman is all about the ability to mitigate damage, and keep a decent amount of threat. The best Runes and talents for Shaman will reflect that in these WoW Classic Season of Discovery builds. Since there’s no “Tank” specialization for this class, we’ll instead be heading down the Enhancement tree.

Thankfully, the class has quite a few useful talents to pick up. Use Shield Specialization to increase your ability to block, and Thundering Strikes to increase critical hit chance. Anticipation makes dodging more likely, and Flurry gives you more attack speed after a critical hit.

The Best Runes and talents for Shaman in WoW Classic Season of Discovery will also give you mana regen (Shield Mastery), which is something the class desperately lacks. Molten Blast will help you pull a group of enemies, and Way of Earth is the required threat generation skill.

Talent points

  • Shield Specialization: 5/5
  • Thundering Strikes: 5/5
  • Anticipation: 5/5
  • Flurry: 1/5

Runes

  • Enchant Chest: Shield Mastery
  • Enchant Hands: Molten Blast
  • Enchant Legs: Way of Earth

2) Restoration Shaman (Healer)

Best build for a Healing Shaman (Image via Wowhead.com)
Best build for a Healing Shaman (Image via Wowhead.com)

A Restoration Shaman is a fantastic pick if you’re going to heal on the Classic-era servers. When it comes to the best Runes and talents for Shaman in WoW Classic Season of Discovery, we’re going to enhance our healing spells as much as possible: Reduced cast time, grant armor, and increase our totem’s radius.

You also have Water Shield and Earth Shield Runes, which you can use on yourself and the tank as appropriate. Water Shield increases mana regeneration, and Earth Shield reduces casting/channeling time lost when hit, as well as reduces damage. Finally, Healing Rain is just an incredibly powerful AOE heal spell. If you want to heal, these are the best Runes and talents for Shaman on the Classic-era servers.

Talent points

  • Improved Healing Wave: 5/5
  • Tidal Focus: 2/5
  • Ancestral Healing: 3/3
  • Healing Focus: 4/5
  • Totemic Mastery: 1/1
  • Tidal Mastery: 1/5

Runes

  • Enchant Chest: Healing Rain
  • Enchant Hands: Water Shield
  • Enchant Legs: Earth Shield

3) Elemental Shaman (Ranged Caster)

The best build for Elemental Shaman (Image via Wowhead.com)
The best build for Elemental Shaman (Image via Wowhead.com)

The Elemental Shaman is an incredibly simple way to play the game. You cast a lot of spells and deal big damage, but the trick is using your spells efficiently. That’s why one of the talents we pick is Elemental Focus, which can give you Clearcasting (reduces the next spell’s mana cost by 100%). Everything else reduces mana cost, and increases damage and critical strike chance.

The best Runes and talents for Shaman in WoW Classic Season of Discovery are pretty easy for Elemental builds too. Shamanistic Rage is basically Mana regeneration ability for you and nearby allies, and Lava Burst is an incredible spell.

Overload might be my favorite, as it gives you a chance to cast a second, similar spell for free, if you cast Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Chain Heal, Healing Wave, and Lava Burst. The cloned spell also generates no threat.

Talent points

  • Convection: 5/5
  • Concussion: 5/5
  • Elemental Focus: 1/1
  • Call of Thunder: 5/5

Runes

  • Enchant Chest: Overload
  • Enchant Hands: Lava Burst
  • Enchant Legs: Shamanistic Rage

4) Enhancement Shaman (Melee DPS)

The best Enhancement Shaman build (Image via Wowhead.com)
The best Enhancement Shaman build (Image via Wowhead.com)

Enhancement players will have a similar best Runes and Talent for Shaman in WoW Classic Season of Discovery, at first. Similar, but not identical. Thundering Strikes returns, as does a point of Flurry. However, instead they go with Ancestral Knowledge (more mana) and Two-Handed Axe and Mace Specialization. Finally, you also want Enhancing Totems to make your Strength of Earth/Grace of Air totems be 15% more useful.

Dual Wield Specialization Rune is one of the best ones for this class as well. Lava Lash is an off-hand attack skill that deals more damage if you’re using Flametongue Weapon. Like Elemental Shaman, you also want to use Shamanistic Rage to keep your mana topped off.

Talent points

  • Ancestral Knowledge: 5/5
  • Thundering Strikes: 5/5
  • Enhancing Totems: 2/2
  • Flurry: 1/5
  • Two Handed Axe and Mace Specialization: 1/1

Runes

  • Enchant Chest: Dual Wield Specialization
  • Enchant Hands: Lava Lash
  • Enchant Legs: Shamanistic Rage

While these are the best Runes and talents for Shaman, you're free to pick whatever abilities you want in WoW. There are plenty of amazing ways to play WoW Classic Season of Discovery. If you want to try Mage, we’ve also covered the best Runes and talents for that class.

Quick Links

App download animated image Get the free App now