Elemental Shaman DPS Easy Mode

This section is intended for players who are new to the game or class, have no intentions of raiding Mythic difficulty, or simply want a more straightforward way to play their specialization without being overwhelmed by the numerous priorities and active abilities that need to be taken into consideration for optimal play.

1. The Basics

Elemental is a straightforward specialization that can easily adapt to most situations comfortably. The amount of keybinds required to effectively play this specialization is relatively low, making it a great choice for less seasoned players. In this section we will be focusing on a setup that minimizes the amount of buttons and reactivity necessary without unduly compromising overall damage output.

2. Talent Choice

These choices are optimized for ease of use. Although some talents might offer marginally higher gains when played perfectly, these same talents often result in damage losses when utilized by many players. These talents aim to present the best setup that has very little punishment for unfamiliarity or mistakes.

Level 15: Path of Flame
Level 30: Gust of Wind
Level 45: Lightning Surge Totem
Level 60: Ancestral Swiftness
Level 75: Elemental Fusion
Level 90: Echo of the Elements
Level 100: Ascendance

3. Stat Choice

Currently, you will want to prioritize secondary stats as follows:

Intellect;
Mastery >= Critical Strike;
Versatility;
Haste.

4. Basic Priority List

Keep Flame Shock applied to up to the main target, ideally spending 20 Maelstrom for the increased duration.
Use Fire Elemental whenever available.
Spend Maelstrom on Earth Shock if Maelstrom is 117 or greater and there are 1-2 targets present.
Spend Earthquake if there are 3+ targets in the zone.
Use Ascendance on cooldown and spam Lava Burst.
Stormkeeper whenever available.
Cast Lava Burst whenever available and Flame Shock is applied to the target.
Cast Lightning Bolt as a filler to generate Maelstrom on a single target.
Cast Chain Lightning to generate Maelstrom if there are 2+ stacked targets.

About Our Author and Reviewers

This guide has been written by Furty, who has an illustrious history in the World of Warcraft raiding scene and race for World First. He has been a member of guilds such as Serenity, Midwinter, and many more, and is currently raiding in Future. He plays most classes at the highest level. You can follow him on Twitter and watch him play on Twitch.

This guide has been written in collaboration with the team at Storm Earth and Lava, a group of Elemental theorycrafters that includes top players and prominent theorycrafters such as Stormy, Sadozai from Wizards IRL, and Gistwiki from Indestructible.

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