Earth Shield

Earth Shield is a nature-based healing spell. Whenever the shielded target is attacked, the shield will heal it. This heal can only occur every 3.5 seconds, and has nine charges. The spell is only available to shamans that specialize in the Restoration tree and can only be active on one target at a time.

Talent improvement

 * Improved Shields increases the healing of the orbs by 15%. Spark of Life (shaman talent) increases the healing done by another 6%.
 * Tidal Focus reduces the mana cost by 6%.
 * Nature's Blessing increases the effect of all your direct heals on the shielded target by 18%.
 * Ancestral Healing reduces all physical damage taken by the target for 10% if a heal from the shield crits.

Tips and Tactics

 * In PvE, Earth Shield's primary use is as a highly mana efficient long-duration heal over time on the tank. It is by far your most mana efficient single target healing spell, and its reactive nature minimizes overhealing.
 * Earth Shield is also great in PvP situations as it greatly increases the shaman's survivability.
 * Keeping Earth Shield on yourself when you do not need the healing is inadvisable, as it cannot be used together with Water Shield, thus causing you to lose out on mana regeneration. Even when you are taking damage it is sometimes preferable to keep Earth Shield on someone else so that you can benefit from the extra mana from Water Shield, both the passive regeneration bonus and the mana granted by the orbs when you take damage.