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Totem Talk: Restoration 4.0.1 survival guide
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Totem Talk for elemental, enhancement and restoration shaman. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and host of the BDTU: Lore edition podcast. It has been a full week since patch 4.0.1 has gone live, and in that week there has been a lot of adjustment on everyone's part. Restoration shaman were quite lucky in that for the most part, the way we do things for now has been left unchanged. That is not to say we don't have things that require adjustment or adapting to. A couple of weeks ago, I answered a series of questions pertaining both to patch 4.0.1 and the upcoming expansion Cataclysm, and back in September, we talked about what to expect when patch 4.0.1 went live. This week, I would like to go over all the changes and compile a list of everything you need to know for survival until the next expansion. I have received a number of reader emails, and I hope this will answer many of the questions I've been receiving. So let's get started!
Totem Talk: Restoration stats and spells at level 85
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Totem Talk for elemental, enhancement, and restoration shamans. Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and host of the BDTU: Lore edition podcast. So last week, we went over a series of common questions players were asking about restoration shaman changes in both the Cataclysm beta and patch 4.0.1., and the week prior, we talked about healing in heroics and normal dungeons. With everything going through massive amounts of changes and still two months to go before the release of the Cataclysm, some things are starting to feel like they are becoming settled and stable. Luckily for us, restoration shaman seem to be pretty settled, with maybe a little minor tweaking necessary before the full release. Today I'd like to talk about some of the numbers you can expect to see when you hit level 85. I'm talking about the base mana costs, stat values you will need to know and to start talking a little bit about the coefficient of healing spells you can expect come Cataclysm.
Totem Talk: Cataclysm and patch 4.0.1 restoration questions answered
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and host of the BDTU: Lore edition podcast. Even with an official release date finally announced for Cataclysm, we still have a beta going on in full swing and changes still happening, as is evident in the release of beta build 13117. There is still plenty to talk about and, most likely, still quite a bit that will change between now and when Deathwing breaks through The Maelstrom. A couple of weeks ago, we talked about how our healing will change when the pre-Cataclysm patch 4.0.1 goes live, and last week, I talked to you about my first impressions about healing in heroics and dungeons in Cataclysm. Those posts generated quite a few questions. So as I like to do every so often, I'd like to take a minute or two to answer some of the more common questions I've been asked through email, comments and various other sources.
Totem Talk: Totems and heroics in Cataclysm
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and host of the BDTU: Lore edition podcast. Last week, we talked about what to expect in the upcoming patch 4.0.1 and how healing felt in the new pre-Cataclysm patch. After that, we also got news of a very important update for us in the latest PTR build, patch 13033, with Mana Tide Totem's recent change to increase our spirit by 200 percent rather than just give a flat percentage of mana back when used. The cooldown of the ability was reduced to 3 minutes, down from 5 minutes. Last week, heroic dungeons were also made available in the Cataclysm beta for us to test out, including heroic Shadowfang Keep and heroic Deadmines. This week, I would like to talk a little bit more about the changes to Mana Tide Totem and what to expect using it in the next expansion. I would also like to share with you my experiences healing through the new heroic dungeons as a restoration shaman in a new set of blue ilvl 333 gear.
Totem Talk: What to expect for restoration shaman in patch 4.0.1
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and host of the BDTU: Lore edition podcast. Last week, we talked about the first impressions of healing with Spiritwalker's Grace and how it fits in with our spells and or ability to heal. After that, we had some breaking news for beta build 12942 and then build 12984. The first patches where we really started to see some changes to the restoration shaman spells and abilities beyond the first set of talent swaps. With all the news about the various changes coming in Cataclysm, it is easy to overlook the PTR and the ever-imminent Patch 4.0.1. Truth is, this is a point of concern for quite a large number of people. Like previous pre-expansion patches, it is an exciting yet terrifying time for most players. Some remain optimistic that the changes to our classes will make us stronger and pack even more fun. Others believe that in the case of the upcoming patch, the sky is falling and that we are all doomed. The official forums and the various sites out there are filled with both sides of the debate, and often you can find a very heated discussion about these changes. So what changes are in store for restoration shaman once this patch goes live? Let's take a look.
Totem Talk: Healing with Spiritwalker's Grace
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and host of the BDTU: Lore edition podcast . Last week, we talked about the new glyph system and restoration's choice in glyphs. There were quite a few changes, and the addition of an extra level of glyphs added some variety. Again, the state of glyphs is still in a state of change, but things like the new Glyph of Chain Heal seem to be a common trend, one that adds another layer to your healing strategy. Later on in the week, we also got a new build of the beta with various changes to the restoration shaman spells, abilities and talents. Build 12942 didn't exactly shake things up too badly, but it did a few things of note, such as adding a talent effect to buff Healing Rain and the now confirmed removal of Improved Chain Heal. We also got a glimpse at the tier 11 set bonuses. It has been a while since restoration shaman got much of a brush over on the beta, so it was interesting to see what they changed when they did change things in the latest build of the Cataclysm beta. This week, I thought we would talk about Spiritwalker's Grace, its uses in the current build and my impressions of it after using it.
Totem Talk: Restoration glyphs
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast . Last week, we went over some blue posts about healing and restoration shaman, as well as a small discussion of the difference in Healing Waves. We also had news of a new beta build last week, and with that build came the news of brand new glyphs for many or the classes like rogues and shaman, as well as the new glyph system. Some of the glyphs we use regularly have been updated, as well as some people may not have really given much thought to using. There has even been a return of some that were scrapped in the Wrath of the Lich King beta phases prior to its release. Some of these may offer game-changing, play-altering effects to our mechanics, while others just add a fun flavor to our classes. So what can we look forward to with restoration shaman glyphs in Cataclysm? That is exactly what I would like to talk about this week.
Totem Talk: Questions, blue quotes and healing waves
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast . Last week, we talked about the new shaman healing spell Healing Rain, a great new spell that is offering us a new option in our healing arsenal. While the visuals may be lackluster when not turned all the way up, the general response has been favorable to our new rain dance. This week, I thought we would discuss some new information handed down by Ghostcrawler (Blizzard's lead system designer) about restoration shaman. I felt it would also be appropriate to talk about the other "new" heals we are getting in Cataclysm and how they affect our current toolbox. I am talking about Greater Healing Wave and Healing Wave. Cataclysm promises healers choice in the spells they cast, with appropriate consequences if they pick the wrong spell for the encounter. Understanding how these new spells function in relation to the other tools in our healing kit can make a big difference on the choices we make when deciding what heal to use.
Totem Talk: Healing Rain
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast Last week, we went over some of the shaman updates on the latest beta build as well as a bucket list. Some readers chimed in with their thoughts on what they had for goals to accomplish before Wrath comes to a close. This week, we are going to talk about Healing Rain, a new spell obtained when a restoration shaman reaches level 83. When we first received word of the new spells and abilities during the Cataclysm class preview, there were quite a number of people who didn't know how they felt about this new spell. Would it be good? Would it be useless? Was it really necessary? When the beta was released and the level cap moved to 83, we started to get a small idea of what the spell could do. I've been spending the better part of the last couple weeks testing it out in various situations, seeing how it complements the other tools in our healing arsenal.
Totem Talk: Restoration bucket list and updates
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast Last week we talked about some of the new changes in the Cataclysm beta, as well as answering some questions from our mailbag.This week, we'll go over some of the latest Cataclysm changes and some new comments from Ghostcrawler (Blizzard's lead systems designer) about shaman in the next expansion. He addresses some concerns that people have been expressing about upcoming changes. This week, I would also like to talk about the restoration shaman bucket list. Normally, a bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you die. For our purposes, it will be a list of things to do before the next expansion drops and the current one becomes, for lack of a better term, obsolete. The main focus of everyone of late has been the Cataclysm expansion. A lot of things are changing, the world is being sundered and not everything about the future is known to us yet. There are still a lot of entertaining things to do and things to accomplish though before the world is torn apart and everything changed.
Totem Talk: Cataclysm update and resto mail bag
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast Last week we talked a little bit about the mastery stat and how it is being implemented and what it will affect, as well as talking a little bit about how the developers are are looking at totems -- the highlight, of course, being comments from Ghostcrawler (Blizzard's lead systems designer) himself. This last week though there was a new beta build released. Cataclysm build 12694 has hit, and with it, there have been quite a few changes that will affect restoration shaman. Various talents and spells have been moved, trimmed or otherwise adjusted. I'm certain you are wondering what new and exciting things were waiting for us. This week I would like to take a look a these changes and give you my own impressions of them, after having tested them quite a bit. I also thought that this week we would take a look at some of the common questions I've been receiving in regards to playing a restoration shaman in the Cataclysm beta.
Totem Talk: Mastery and totems and crabs, oh my!
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast Last week we talked a little bit about the leveling experience in Cataclysm so far as a restoration shaman from 80 on up. I was pleased to find out that it wasn't much slower than pure DPS and afforded a leveling, healing shaman quite a bit of survivability to get through the quests and to take on opponents much larger than we are. I was also pleased to see epic quests that seemed to have healers in mind, like the Ragnaros quest event. Before that, we talked about how fast gear is being replaced come Cataclysm and what type of upgrades have been spotted so far. This past week has not been filled with as much excitement as others before it. There hasn't been too much in the way of earth-shattering news, but even so, some new information has been popping up regarding some more changes coming in Cataclysm, complete with an appearance by our main underwater dweller himself, Ghostcrawler (Blizzard's lead systems designer). Take a look after the break to see what is new.
Totem Talk: Leveling as a restoration shaman in Cataclysm
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast The Cataclysm beta has been offering us many things. From talent trees being changed to revealing new voices for bosses and audio for events, there really has been something new discovered almost every day. This is not too surprising considering the world is going through a massive series of changes as well as the game mechanics themselves. One of the things that is being watched very carefully are the changes to healing and the mechanics not only of healing output but also mana regeneration. Sadly, though, there is still a lot missing from the client, making it hard to get an idea of exactly how it will all wind up being balanced. That said, there are still a lot of changes in place for healers in the way we quest and level. New talents and spells make it a different experience than before. On top of that, there are also a plethora of quests that seem to be tailored at least somewhat with a healer specifically in mind. If you really do not want to know anything about Cataclysm until it is released, there will be some Cataclysm spoilers after the break. If you don't mind having a few things spoiled for you, please continue to read on.
Totem Talk: Healing with a clown suit
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast Cataclysm beta is still a hot topic around the internet. Everyone keeps refreshing their Battle.net pages hoping that they will see the wonderful dragon artwork of Deathwing staring at them. Others who have made it in have been filtering information back to the outside world and trying to keep everyone up to date. The biggest news of course being the new beta build which implemented the new 31-point talent trees. Players have not been the only source of information over the last few weeks. There was a Blizzard developer chat on Twitter last week. If you missed it, don't panic! We have the entire thing organized for you by category right here. There was some very useful information handed out ... and some rather silly ones, but overall it was a good dev chat. This week I thought I would take some time to look over what we learned from the developer chat as well as talk about how things look now for a restoration shaman in the latest build of the Cataclysm beta.
Cataclysm Beta: Restoration shaman talents and specialization
The Cataclysm beta has been going on for a little bit now, and while everyone has been frantically refreshing their emails and Battle.net pages, a new build has been released on the beta test servers. We heard that there was going to be some moving and shaking as far as talents were concerned, and this latest build has brought us that very shakedown of the talent trees. Specializations at level 10 are now implemented in the game. When you reach level 10, before you can put your first talent point in any tree, you first have to select which tree you are going to specialize in. Behind that choice are the all-new, lean and mean 31-point talent trees. When you pick your specialization, you are locked into your chosen tree until 31 points have been spent in your talent tree. After that, the other two trees become available to you to spend your remaining talent points. Don't think you can cheat the system and hit respec and shuffle points as you want; I tried this last night on the PTR, and you reset the specialization choice as well when you respec, starting you right back at zero. The new system is not without its benefits, though. By choosing a tree, you gain access to mastery specializations, as well as having some talents now become baseline abilities. The masteries replace some of the baked-in talents that we have been used to taking and instead gives them to us just for choosing to specialize in that tree. Let's take a look after the break and see what has changed.
Totem Talk: Cataclysm beta impressions
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast The excitement from this past week and the Real ID fiasco seems to be finally calming down, so I think it is safe to talk about other things. On July 13, Rich Maloy , Matt Sampson and myself will be appearing in a pre-recorded episode of RaidWarning's podcast. They put together a shaman roundtable by the name of Totem Recall. It was a ton of fun to record, and there were a lot of people from around the WoW community who joined us. For the restoration section, I joined Jhaman of Castaclysm, fellow Zul'jin dweller Borsk from Borsked, Vixsin from Life in Group 5, Pewter from The 'Mental Shaman and even the shaman crew from Elitist Jerks. We had a lot of fun not only answering reader questions, but just getting to sit down and talk to each other while sharing ideas and comparing notes. If you get the chance, make sure to download it when it becomes available and give it a listen; should be a good time! The Cataclysm beta has been going pretty strong now, with news trickling in from various sources. If you haven't heard, a new round of invites for the beta will be going out soon. While you keep checking your email and Battle.net pages, I thought I would share some of what I have seen healing the first few instances and doing a little questing.
Totem Talk: Revitalizing the Ruby Sanctum
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast There has been a ton of excitement this past week with the announcement of the Cataclysm beta starting. Everyone has been refreshing their emails and logging into their Battle.net accounts compulsively checking for invites. I can't say I blame them; I know Rich and I are doing the same. So while everyone has been getting excited about Cataclysm, we have almost forgotten that we have some new content to play with. Ruby Sanctum was released and it marks not only the last official raid zone of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, but it is also a part of the prequel events leading up to Cataclysm. The Ruby Sanctum is the sacred grounds of the red dragons, and it has been invaded by the Twilight Dragonflight. You and your friends must travel forth into the sanctuary of the red dragons and purge the invaders from its insides. We have already discussed drops that a restoration shaman could find useful; now let us talk about some strategy and healing. So grab your totems and get ready to drub some dragons!
Totem Talk: Restoration mail bag
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast Last week we talked about one of most useful and versatile addons available to any player and discussed how it can be helpful for a restoration shaman. Prior to that, Rich Maloy had a fantastic write-up about using the very same addon for enhancement. This week, I thought I would do something a little different. Lately there has been quite a bit of email coming my way with questions regarding addons, shaman mechanics and making the switch to restoration. Part of my goal has ever been to provide information to players whether they are just starting out or just need a few things clarified. So this week I wanted to take some time to recover from USA's getting eliminated from the World Cup and answer some questions from readers. So, let us dive right into it, shall we?
Totem Talk: Power Auras for restoration
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast Last week's discussion of Dual Wield restoration was a good follow up to our discussion of the official shaman talent preview. Everyone had lots of great opinions on the topic and there was some good speculation on other things the community would like to see happen as Cataclysm comes closer to being released. This week I would like to revisit a topic we covered briefly in part 2 of the restoration addon discussion, Power Auras Classic. If you remember last month Matthew McCurley did a fantastic write up in Addon Spotlight on this mod and earlier this month Rich Maloy did a great write up on basic power auras for enhancement shaman. So this week I would like to expand a little bit more about the usefulness of this addon in the hands of a healing shaman.
Totem Talk: A weapon in every healing hand?
Want to be a sultan of swing healing? A champion of Chain Heal? Totem Talk: Restoration will show you how, brought to you by Joe Perez, otherwise known as Lodur from World of Matticus and the For The Lore podcast Were you excited about the talent tree preview Blizzard gave us? We got to talk about it a little bit some of the upcoming changes (or lack thereof) and see a little bit about what is in our futures. Since the release of the preview speculation and planning has been running wild. One of the more interesting topics that has come up quite often, Dual Wield restoration. It was always one of the more interesting specs proposed, but in patch 3.1 Blizzard made all the good spell power weapons main hand only. This reduced the viability of the spec, and has since been looked upon with a fond adoration like the memory of a lost love. Now however, it just may be that this mythical spec may be viable again come Cataclysm.
