The Shaman RvR Guide:

Part 2

We continue our guide on RvR with the Shaman, picking up where we left off in Part 1. In Part 2, we will take a closer look at the three Mastery Paths for the Shaman, and some basic strategies as we move into Tier 2.

Overview

So you have played through Tier 1 as a Shaman, and you are having a ball. Dealing death and destruction to all who stand before you, while healing yourself and your friends of any damage someone was stupid enough to throw your way. You are moving into Tier 2 and can't wait to see your abilities grow. Well, brace yourself, you are a mere mortal again. Your gobbo will have to take off his ogre boots and put back on his goblin shoes. Other classes will start catching up to you and passing you by in Tier 2. With Mastery Points, you are going to start moving away from being good at everything. Tier 2 starts getting tougher on the Shaman.

Mastery Path

Starting at Rank 11, you will start earning Mastery Points every odd level through Tier 2. You have 3 paths to choose from: the Path of Mork, The Path of Gork or The Path of Da Green. (I seem to play the Path of Run Away Very Fast!) We will look at the benefits of each path, and how they affect the Shaman. You spend your Mastery Points by seeing your class trainer. Simply click on Advanced Training to pull up the three paths.

One general rule about Mastery Paths: You want to specialize in one line. Whatever path you choose, you want to do that really well. With so few points gained over Tier 2, you will see little difference as you go up if you spread out the points. Putting all your points into one path will give you the biggest bang for your buck. So whichever line you choose, pump all your points from Tier 2 into it. With that said, let's look at the paths.

The Path of Mork

The Path Of Mork covers healing for the Shaman. Each point you put into The Path of Mork increases the effect of the spells listed under Mork. You will notice that there is one healing spell that is at the core of our class that's missing. "Ey Quit Bleedin," our main HOT (heal over time), is not on the list. You aren't missing it; it doesn't show in any of the Mastery Paths, so there is nothing you can do to increase its effects. However, you do get better "Gork'll Fix It," which is our other major healing spell. Many people believe this is the only path that a Shaman should take. There is something to be said for that. You are a healer, this is the healing path, take what you are and be the best at it. This path will make you the best healer for Destruction bar none. It doesn't make you the best class that has healing, but if you are simply looking to heal more than anyone else, this is the class and path for you. If you choose this path, you can buy the Tactic "Nothing But Da Waaagh" which gives a damage buff to anyone you have "Don't Feel Nothin" cast on. Don't waste a point buying this Tactic, there are far better Tactics out there we will discuss later. Just increase the line the entire path as you level, and enjoy the stronger heals.

Tip: It costs you a point to buy any ability or tactic in Mastery Paths. Not only must you fill the Mastery Bar past the ability, but then you must also spend a point to get the ability.

The Path of Gork

The Path of Gork covers damage for the Shaman. Each point you put into The path of Gork increases the effect of the spells listed under Gork. Many people believe this path is useless for a Shaman. "You are a healer, you should be healing," they say. I understand this point, but remember, if you aren't having fun, what does it matter? (Besides, the Tanks probably aren't putting guard on you anyway, so to hell with healing them!) However as you move up into Tier 3 and 4 your damage output goes from ok to non existent. Putting points into the Path of Gork, at best, will make you subpar at dealing damage. If you are ok with that, try the path out. There is no harm in trying it out; you can respec at any time for just a few coins. In fact I specced Gork for Tier 2, then respecced for Tier 3 and 4. Just keep in mind that no matter how far you go up the Path of Mork, you will do subpar damage compared to other classes. If you really want to do damage, I would suggest checking out one of the other healing classes. If you choose this path, you can buy the Tactic "Leaky Brainz," which gives an Intelligence and Willpower debuff to anyone you cast "Life Leeka" on. Don't waste a point buying this Tactic; there are far better Tactics out there we will discuss later. This Tactic is really only good for very specialized targets, other healers, so don't bother with it. Just increase the line the entire path as you level, and enjoy the extra damage.

The Path of Da Green

The Path of Da Green covers utility spells for the Shaman. Each point you put into The path of Da Green increases the effect of the spells listed under Da Green. This path can be very interesting because it affects things that are much harder to see. You don't heal any better, or do more damage, but with Da Green, you can make be a real annoyance to your enemies. With points in Da Green, you can increase the armor of your entire team, add damage done by your team, and debuff your enemies. If you choose this path, you can buy the Tactic "Waaagh Frenzy" which adds an AOE effect to "Yer a Weaklin" when cast. Don't waste a point buying this Tactic, there are far better Tactics out there we will discuss later. I would stay away from this path in Tier 2. The few points you get in Tier 2 will make such a small impact, that it's not worth it. If you are interested in this path, choose another for Tier 2, then when you get to Tier 3, respec and put your points here.

Strategy

Stay queued up for Scenarios at all times. You have to start being more careful than you did in Tier 1. It does not matter if you are in open RvR or Scenarios, you are much softer now than you were in Tier 1 (like a chocolate bar cruelly left out in the sun), so you really need to start avoiding the DPS classes. You can't do it all anymore; you need to start realizing you are a healer. You can still throw out some damage, but healing is priority number one. By keeping others alive who are dealing real damage, you give your team the best chance to be victorious. You can still solo a bit in PvE, not so much in PvP, and this will only get worse as you level. You are the core of any group, but you need a group to do much of anything.

Remeber, your job is to keep everyone alive, and everyone's job is to keep you alive. In Part 3 we will look at which Tactics to use (and which are crap) and Tier 3 strategies and playstyles.

Part 1