WoW Forever Shaman Guide: Totems, Gear & Macros

Snapshot boundary: The beta is closed. The level-20/30 talent tables below are archived examples for fixed build 1.60.1.69876, not current level caps or verified level-60 builds. Role choices are editorial guidance; announced class mechanics have their own source.

Enhancement is the most direct Shaman leveling path for players who want weapon combat backed by shocks, totems and healing. Elemental is the ranged-caster alternative; Restoration should be considered for repeated dungeon healing rather than assumed necessary for every early group.

Choose the activity before choosing gear

Activity	Practical decision
Solo	Enhancement is the archived melee example; use only the totems worth their setup and mana cost.
Dungeon	Elemental or Restoration planning needs caster/healing gear rather than blindly reusing the melee set.
PvP	coordinate interrupts, totem placement and emergency healing; avoid spending all mana on repeated setup.

For the rank and currency systems, see PvP rewards and reputation.

A Forever change worth checking

Blizzard describes Windfury Totem as a party buff rather than a weapon enchantment. Its exclusions include Grace of Air and Flametongue Totem; a Shaman using Windfury Weapon cannot also benefit from Windfury Totem. Do not import Classic stacking assumptions. Blizzard — class deep dive, announced mechanics.

Level 20 Enhancement build — 11 points

Talent	Rank
Thundering Strikes	5/5
Ancestral Knowledge	5/5
Shamanistic Focus	1/1

The build improves the melee foundation and reaches Shamanistic Focus with an exact 11-point allocation.

Level 30 Enhancement extension — 21 points

Keep the level-20 points, then add:

Talent	Added rank
Mental Dexterity	3/3
Improved Ghost Wolf	2/2
Elemental Weapons	3/3
Anticipation	1/3
Spirit Weapons	1/1

The result balances movement, weapon interaction and survivability. It is a leveling recommendation, not proof that Enhancement has the highest Shaman damage.

Combat priority

1. Apply an appropriate weapon enhancement and keep Lightning Shield active.
2. Place only the totems the pull or group will actually use; unnecessary totems cost mana and can attract enemies.
3. Use shocks deliberately rather than emptying mana on cooldown.
4. Maintain melee uptime while keeping enough mana for an emergency heal.
5. Use Ghost Wolf to reduce travel time and escape poor pulls once available.

Gear direction

Weapon damage, Strength/Agility as appropriate, Intellect and Stamina all contribute to the hybrid leveling loop. Unified Hit and Critical Strike stats can support both physical and spell tools on suitable items. Healing sets should favor appropriate spell/healing and mana stats rather than copying the melee plan.

Use the Talent Calculator to compare Enhancement, Elemental and Restoration.

Early gear sources and alternatives

These are lookup examples from the 42-item loot snapshot, reviewed September 24, not new October item testing or a BiS ranking. That dataset does not contain full attributes, class restrictions or confirmed boss attribution. Inspect the actual tooltip, trained weapon type and role before rolling; two items in the same slot are not automatically interchangeable upgrades.

Slot / type	Beta lookup candidate	Source	Another candidate
Main Hand Mace	Scepter of the Abandoned — requires level 17	Ruins of Lordaeron	Trogg Scepter — requires level 13
Off Hand Shield	Mirror of Rath'mael — requires level 19	Ruins of Lordaeron	No second same-slot sample in this snapshot
Feet Leather	Chasm Walkers — requires level 13	Ragefire Chasm	No second same-slot sample in this snapshot

If the tooltip is unsuitable, compare an already-owned quest or crafted item instead of farming a name on this list. No drop rate or guaranteed upgrade is promised.

Enchants and consumables for this role

For melee, compare weapon suitability and damage before filling armor slots. For casting or healing, inspect spell and mana stats separately. Check the active weapon imbue before paying for a temporary enhancement; never assume compatibility. Carry food, water, bandages and usable potions for your assigned role.

Use Enchanting for formulas, Merchant's Favor for vendor requirements and Camping for non-stacking class buffs. Check item level, slot restrictions and temporary-effect compatibility before paying.

A practical macro template

#showtooltip Healing Wave
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][help,nodead][@player] Healing Wave

This attempts Healing Wave on a living friendly mouseover, then a friendly target, otherwise yourself. It does not decide whether to interrupt your damage plan, leave melee range or conserve mana.

Target priority is conditional, not a retry after a failed cast: an otherwise valid out-of-range mouseover still takes priority.

This is English-client syntax, not an in-game Forever test. Replace spell names with the exact names from your own spellbook. Use the macro setup and troubleshooting guide for binding, target checks and limitations.

Data note and sources

The allocation is validated against fixed snapshot 1.60.1.69876. Values may change during beta.

• Blizzard — Forever Deep Dive
• Beta Build Tracker
• Blizzard — class deep dive, announced mechanics