Level 24 Shaman, Critique Please

[Matthalas Winterheart]

So I dinged 24 on my shaman last night and I have a few questions.

First off, When it comes to DOT's or Root Rotting in specific. At my level, I'm using 3 DOTS when the mob is rooted. Sicken, Envenomed Breath, and Affliction. Now being as EB is the spell I just got at this level, that damage is decent. But Sicken and Affliction? They don't do crap for damage, Per tick.. I have the following damage per DOT being done.

Sicken (2)
Envenomed Breath (27)
Affliction (6)

Now again, that's with mob rooted so they are doing max damage, my concern is this. Am I using the right DOT's? I have gone over the spell lists up to level 24 multiple times in order to verify that I am maximizing my DPS per tick or whatever and thus using the correct spells.
----
The 2nd part of my question is running into the above situation.

Of the 8 spells that a caster can memorize, I have it set to be this setup.

1.Healing
2.Spirit Strike
3. Frost Strike
4. Sicken
5. Envenomed Breath
6. Affliction
7. Root
8. Canni
--
I would like some input on what other shamans use, At this point I want to move forward with the Shaman as my main toon and want to make sure that I am doing the right thing's in order to succeed. Much appreciate whatever insight can be provided!

[Aaron]

You're doing fine. Shaman can be brutal to solo until 34 when you get a pet. I wouldn't bother with 3 dots.

What weapon are you using? Shamans are still viable in melee at lower levels, especially if you have a decent weapon. I don't know what your money situation looks like, but a Barbarian's Spiritist Hammer is worth the cost.

[Rhambuk]

I would bump sicken its just so damn weak. It never gets to the point where you're putting like 8 dots on the mob and killing it fast you want maxamimzed dot time so if your not getting every single tick out of your dots its a waste of mana.

if you do EB affliction and sicken, and they all wear off then you do a second eb and it only does...half of its ticks its a total waste.

I would say keep doing what your doing, sicken must be almost free to cast manawise and affliction shouldn't be too bad.

[Matthalas Winterheart]

You're doing fine. Shaman can be brutal to solo until 34 when you get a pet. I wouldn't bother with Sicken.

What weapon are you using? Shamans are still viable in melee at lower levels, especially if you have a decent weapon. I don't know what your money situation looks like, but a Barbarian's Spiritist Hammer is worth the cost.

Aaron,

Using this right now http://wiki.project1999.com/Slime_Coated_Harpoon
-
I will look into that spiritist hammer, I am soloing the Wooly Mammoths here in Everfrost Peaks, Finding that most of them con dark blue. Seems to be ok as long as I can get root to hold decently, trying to practice the Canni dance right now. Not sure I am doing it right, But I am sitting, waiting for mana tick then standing to cast canni right after it ticks.. Rinse, Wash and repeat.

[SwordNboard]

Keep using the 3 dots. The point of root rotting is that you maintain mana. You should always have a mob rotting. If your mana is keeping up well, you can either nuke or go pull a second mob to rot while the first one is hitting 50% or so. It'll get better later!

[Lune]

Make friends with a good enchanter or a twinked monk, and your experience will go infinitely faster than trying to solo what is essentially a poor-mediocre solo class at low levels. (Godlike later on)

[Aaron]

Here is how I canni-dance:
(others may have a better way of doing it)

Cannibalize is my 3rd spell slot.

Canni macro is my 3rd hotkey and reads as follows:
/cast 3
/pause 25
/sit

I just hit my canni macro, without watching ticks. Sometimes I fizzle, but I have enough time before /sit that I can Alt+3 and cast Canni before I sit even with a fizzle.

Note this time works for Canni 3...YMMV.

[Lune]

I just hit my canni macro, without watching ticks.

Am I missing something? The whole point of canni dance is to combine the casting of canni with your mana regen ticks. Does no good if you're chopping your ticks with a cast.

You want to watch your ticks and do canni in between.

[Rhambuk]

I heard once that server ticks are kind of screwy its while you'll see your hp or mana jump up a % then drop back down then up a little bit again.

[radditsu]

until 34- dump your mana pool into mobs as fast as you can, then med to full.

[Lune]

I heard once that server ticks are kind of screwy its while you'll see your hp or mana jump up a % then drop back down then up a little bit again.

That happens occasionally but after a while you can tell what the actual tick is.

[Rhambuk]

That happens occasionally but after a while you can tell what the actual tick is.

ah gotcha, been like a year so should probably just keep my mouth shut....


Radd?

[radditsu]

I am saying that efficiency is not going to be what matters until you can do multiple root rots at a time. Get a 2 hander, crush stuff in its face and dump your mana pool til you aint got mana. Then hide in a corner to full and do it again.

[Rhambuk]

I am saying that efficiency is not going to be what matters until you can do multiple root rots at a time. Get a 2 hander, crush stuff in its face and dump your mana pool til you aint got mana. Then hide in a corner to full and do it again.

oh I know what you're saying,

I just thought youd have a comment about me saying I need to shut my mouth is all 8)

[Aaron]

Am I missing something? The whole point of canni dance is to combine the casting of canni with your mana regen ticks. Does no good if you're chopping your ticks with a cast.

You want to watch your ticks and do canni in between.

No you're right. But I don't have the patience to time it and wait. And I catch the mana tick while sitting a lot anyway. It's an automatic thing I do without thinking. Shaman is one of the most button-mashing intensive classed already without having to watch my manabar and wait for ticks.

[radditsu]

oh I know what you're saying,

I just thought youd have a comment about me saying I need to shut my mouth is all 8)

Oh you do. I think the avatar just gives me headaches.

[Rhambuk]

Oh you do. I think the avatar just gives me headaches.

sorry bro its been there since like day 2, ive only changed it twice, just can't do it. its too perfect.

[Iliilliill]

if you've got the funding, get a Poison Wind Censor or Granite Face Grinder. pull with slow, add dots, melee. eventually add haste and the pet into the mix (doge is a persistent dot imo) doesn't need to change until you're 50 w/ epic.

but that depends on money situation. I have a fungi tunic and staff on my shaman, on simple fights (maybe i don't even have dots on, or levels where your slow is new and OP) i like to canni between swings of my GFG and hardly lose HP in a fight v slowed dark blue mob.

[fadetree]

Yes, a PWC is a very good investment. Root, dot and melee. I didn't bother with sicken.

[radditsu]

Regen and a heavy hitter ( if affordable) is def way to go.

[DrKvothe]

Agreed about poison wind censor. If you're going to solo pre-34, hefty weapon + cheap slow is solid.

But you can stop soloing pretty soon. 24-25 is the entry level for HHK goblin groups. You'll make thousands of plat and the trip to 34 will be smooth and quick.

[Iliilliill]

29-34 at the SK Treants is also easy regardless of equipment and will yield you a few k pp. chain nuke, and as a barb you have slam to interrupt if you'd like too. will screw up your druid faction, but fuck them anyway.

[Matthalas Winterheart]

Appreciate all the insight everyone! I've definitely got some things I can apply now. :D

[webrunner5]

Slow and Haste are two VERY big mana eaters. Don't use slow if you are just trying to root rot. A DoT that only does 1 damage a tick is a total waste of time at your level.

You will be busy as hell ALL the time on a Shaman either grouping or soloing. I sort of hate mine lol. Too god damn much work. :eek: But with the Epic, and a Fungi, and a CoF, and Torpor, JBB it helps. See a trend here. Like a 400k trend. They cost a shit pot full of plat to play well.

[Zeonick]

Make sure you watch your mana bar to see when you get the med tick before canning. Otherwise it will not be efficient at all.. You want the mana from medding and the mana from canni. As others have said just use your best poison/disease dots, no need to stack a third.

Mammoths are really nice exp/cash but are a bit tough at 24. I think some will even con yellow at that level if i'm not mistaken. Root breaks on them a lot but stick with it, it gets better.

[Aaron]

But with the Epic, and a Fungi, and a CoF, and Torpor, JBB it helps. See a trend here. Like a 400k trend. They cost a shit pot full of plat to play well.

Why does a shaman need a CoF?

[fadetree]

Why a CoF?

DPS = MOB DEADER FASTER = LACK OF INCOMING DPS FROM DEAD MOB = MORE TEH WIN

Most shamans still do a good bit of melee even at end game. I don't think 'need' is teh right word but it sure helps.

[thieros]

if you've got the funding, get a Poison Wind Censor or Granite Face Grinder. pull with slow, add dots, melee. eventually add haste and the pet into the mix (doge is a persistent dot imo) doesn't need to change until you're 50 w/ epic.

but that depends on money situation. I have a fungi tunic and staff on my shaman, on simple fights (maybe i don't even have dots on, or levels where your slow is new and OP) i like to canni between swings of my GFG and hardly lose HP in a fight v slowed dark blue mob.

this exactly. slow pull, spend a dot or two on a mob and melee it to death. canni in between swings and keep regen up and youll be a playa play.

that or duo with pure DPS. i rolled my shammy to solo, but my best exp was duoing with a chanter with a mean pet.

[fadetree]

Originally Posted by webrunner5
But with the Epic, and a Fungi, and a CoF, and Torpor, JBB it helps. See a trend here. Like a 400k trend. They cost a shit pot full of plat to play well.


But, wow, I gotta say I disagree with the 'They cost a shit pot full of plat to play well' part. Besides the fact that you can 'play well' jaybird naked, if a shaman has the epic, which is really easy to get, and torpor, which is available via a drop ( but yes, to buy its exepnsive ), they should be able to tear stuff up left and right, if they can't, they are bad. Fungi is less useful if you have torpor, but CoF and JBB are still useful but hardly a requirement.

[Dangermouse]

Make sure you watch your mana bar to see when you get the med tick before canning.

Install a UI with numbers for hp / mana. It's easier to see the ticks then.

I agree with whoever said that it's a hell of a lot of work playing a shaman well, though. I know canni-dance is the most efficient way, but sometimes I just canni a few times then sit down for a rest :)

[Raavak]

Here is how I canni-dance:

Canni macro is my 3rd hotkey and reads as follows:
/cast 3
/pause 25
/sit

I just hit my canni macro, without watching ticks. Sometimes I fizzle, but I have enough time before /sit that I can Alt+3 and cast Canni before I sit even with a fizzle.

Can you?

/cast 3
/cast 3
/pause 25
/sit

I do this on some cleric heal macros and the 2nd cast will catch if the 1st one fizzles, otherwise you will get a txt error saying you are busy and can ignore it.

[DrKvothe]

Nothing like getting aggro from the /sit line in a macro lol.

Just do it manually. It's better. Q is my sit, E is my crouch. Did the canni macro for way too long, and after stopping I've never regretted it.

[fadetree]

I don't bother canni dancing. I just have a macros that does 5 canni's in a row.

[Aaron]

Why a CoF?

DPS = MOB DEADER FASTER = LACK OF INCOMING DPS FROM DEAD MOB = MORE TEH WIN

Most shamans still do a good bit of melee even at end game. I don't think 'need' is teh right word but it sure helps.

If I'm in melee range, I'm casting JBB or a spell, not trying to poke the mob with my spear.

Also, re: canni-dancing and waiting for med ticks:

Cann III give 48 mana per cast (I'm pretty sure). It has a recast time of less than 2.5 secs. So, if I don't catch med tick while sitting, I get 1 mana on the tick from standing = ~97 mana per roughly 5 secs (48 mana + 48 mana + 1 mana).

VS

Canni for 48 mana, sit, get 20 mana for sitting = 68 total mana for full 6 second tick.

[rollin5k]

You should look into charming, at 24 shamans get charm animal and it really makes soloing shaman not a nightmare. I think South Karana is a great place to start. Either keep your pet for long term or get a pet knock a mob or two down to 5-10% then break with invis and kill them all. Just have to experiment a bit to get it down.

[Mandalore93]

Shamans don't get a charm spell until level 29 I don't think. Could be wrong though.

[radditsu]

I never had the charm work well for me

[Lune]

I've used charm as a shaman to help out in a few situations:

At level 29 you can charm a sabretooth grimalkin in LOIO and duo/group the sarnak fort, which should still be mostly dark blue. Grimalkins are low enough to where charm should be fairly stable. Make sure to cast malaise on it. Good way to add dps to a shm/monk duo. You'll sometimes find monk twinks there who are looking for exp and sarnak earring, and will be happy to duo with a shammy.

At level 34 you can go to Overthere and charm a lower lvl rhino rhino or sabretooth tigress. Adds substantial dps if you're grouping. Personally I was charm duoing with an enchanter and the double charm was nuts. Haste your rhino and watch it knock shit over.

After that, charm will never be practically useful again.

[August]

I've used charm as a shaman to help out in a few situations:

At level 29 you can charm a sabretooth grimalkin in LOIO and duo/group the sarnak fort, which should still be mostly dark blue. Grimalkins are low enough to where charm should be fairly stable. Make sure to cast malaise on it. Good way to add dps to a shm/monk duo. You'll sometimes find monk twinks there who are looking for exp and sarnak earring, and will be happy to duo with a shammy.

At level 34 you can go to Overthere and charm a lower lvl rhino rhino or sabretooth tigress. Adds substantial dps if you're grouping. Personally I was charm duoing with an enchanter and the double charm was nuts. Haste your rhino and watch it knock shit over.

After that, charm will never be practically useful again.

Are shamans gimped compared to druids and charm-ability? I used to roll chardok using the dogs as a druid w/ charm animal + another enc for added charm/dps.

[Gustoo]

You need more magic resist.

[Lune]

Are shamans gimped compared to druids and charm-ability? I used to roll chardok using the dogs as a druid w/ charm animal + another enc for added charm/dps.

Shaman's don't get higher level charms after 34. Druids do. A shaman can never charm in chardok or any other high level zone.

In the 20's and 30's though, they should work about the same. (Edit: VVV Charisma don't matter none VVV)

[radditsu]

Cha dont matter cept on chanters

[Mandalore93]

Charisma is only checked with Bards and Chanters.

[Aaron]

Charisma is only checked with Bards and Chanters.

Not doubting this is true, but how do we know? Is this how it was on live? Someone did tests here? I'm curious.

[Zeonick]

Shamans also get a lower level charm that druids do. At level 29 you get "befriend animal" which druids get at level 14. At 34 you get "charm animal" which druids get at level 24. I never experimented with it but after reading these posts I kind of wish I had.

[Man0warr]

Not doubting this is true, but how do we know? Is this how it was on live? Someone did tests here? I'm curious.

Someone who works on code confirmed it.

[Matthalas Winterheart]

Here is how I canni-dance:
(others may have a better way of doing it)

Cannibalize is my 3rd spell slot.

Canni macro is my 3rd hotkey and reads as follows:
/cast 3
/pause 25
/sit

I just hit my canni macro, without watching ticks. Sometimes I fizzle, but I have enough time before /sit that I can Alt+3 and cast Canni before I sit even with a fizzle.

Note this time works for Canni 3...YMMV.

Ive been trying to mess with this to get it to work, but so far nothing Yet..Doesnt matter how I write up a macro, my fatass wont sit unless I literally hit the button to sit. Am I doing something wrong?

[webrunner5]

Why does a shaman need a CoF?

One less Spell to clog up your spell slot. God knows there is never enough slots for a Shaman. It doesn't drop half way between a fight. Helps overcome the Agi, Dex loss on a Fungi. More HP for Canni, I could go on but you get my drift.

[tater0535]

Ive been trying to mess with this to get it to work, but so far nothing Yet..Doesnt matter how I write up a macro, my fatass wont sit unless I literally hit the button to sit. Am I doing something wrong?

Try it with the pause before the cast on the same line. Like this:


/pause 25, /cast 3
/sit