For a Shaman who wants to melee level, do I need to be Ogre/Troll?

[Toothed]

As someone else mentioned you can raise your stats with gear and your buffs to a point that your str,sta,agi,dex isn't really gonna be an issue. The main difference you are gonna find is the difference in gear available like the snare neck, JBB, totemic armor, etc.

I would say iksar is a pretty good choice for the extra regen, AC, and being medium sized.

I prefer a troll for Grobb which is like the best town in the game. Trolls also get the regen, can wear plate (totemic) and have SLAM.