Level 29 shaman twinking guide

If you're looking to make a serious 29 Shaman Horde or Ally side, sit back and pay attention. Shaman is probably the second most difficult class to master in the 29 bracket next to druids, but once harnessed to their full potential they become incredible flag runners, arena healers, and duelists. It takes openness to new ideas and a lot of practice to be able to roll with and beat the best of your battlegroup and eventually the world on the PTR.

The Gear
Once you're around level 25 you should start knocking out quests. Theres a lot of essential quests and you're going to whine and moan having to get different shields and what not but when you're done you'll be all the more happy you put in the extra mile. Essential quest items if you're planning on having gear sets for all specs-
 * Name of Item(Faction)(Enchantment)


 * (+6 All Stats)
 * (+15 Strength)
 * (+20 Spell Damage)
 * (+6 Mana Per 5)
 * (+18 Stamina)
 * (+12 Intellect)
 * (+30 Intellect)
 * (+15 Strength/Crusader)
 * (+81 Healing)
 * (+12 Resilience)
 * (+18 Stamina)
 * (+12 Intellect)
 * (+81 Healing)
 * (+20 Spirit)
 * (+18 Stamina)
 * (+18 Stamina)

BOP Gear Drops from instances can always be handled later on and can be attempted while gaining no XP by dying at the specific boss and looting while dead. Instance items you might want if you're planning on having gear sets for all specs-

Shadowfang Keep

 * (+100 Health)

Razorfen Kraul

 * (Crusader)
 * (+100 Health)
 * (+100 Health)
 * (+9 Spirit)
 * (+9 Spirit)

Gnomeregan

 * of the Eagle(+24 Healing)
 * of the Eagle
 * (+150 Mana)
 * (+25 Agility)
 * (+7 Stamina)
 * (+25 Agility)

Scarlet Monastery

 * (+30 Spell Damage)

BOE item's can be bought at any time from the auction house and you can be safe advancing your character without having any yet. BOE items you might want if you're planning on having gear sets for all specs-
 * (+150 Mana)
 * of the Eagle(+100 Health)
 * of the Eagle(5/5 Only)
 * of the Eagle
 * of the Eagle(+30 Healing)
 * of the Eagle x3(Nethercleft, Golden Spelthread, Runic Spellthread)
 * (Nethercobra)
 * of the Eagle(+22 Intellect)
 * of the Whale(+20 Spirit)
 * (Nethercobra)
 * of the Eagle(+22 Intellect)
 * of the Whale(+20 Spirit)

PVP item's can be bought at any time and do not advance your xp.

PVP items you might want if you're planning on having gear for all specs-

If you're rich enough to be able to afford Naxx enchants on your shoulders then good for you but they certainly aren't necissary to be a quality twink, but they certainly are a help.

Elemental
Arena Spec

When going into arena you're going to want at least a solid 1900 health, 2500 mana and around 90 spell damage, this can change depending on what class you're partnering with but you generally wont want to go glass cannon in arena because you'll never be able to do the damage to make up for it. Eye of the Storm spec is only necessary if your partner isn't a healer, you'll never be casting a lightning bolt while being attacked so its useless with a healer.

Battleground Spec

In WSG and AB, pugging will be very commonplace for you, so Eye of the Storm is a huge help for spamming lesser healing waves through 5 enemy hunters keeping them at bay while your team caps a flag, in Warsong you're going to want to be holding around 160 spell damage while dropping mana, rejuvenation hut is on around a 30 second spawn timer so instant mana is almost always at your fingertips.

Enhancement
Arena Spec

You should be holding at least around 2500 health and 2300 mana and only around 250 ap. Good enhancement shaman twos teams are always built around survivability and not trying to blow the other team away by gearing for full dps because there's will almost always be better.

Flag Carrying Spec

Only applicable for players who find themselves always being the main flag carrier for their team, makes you near useless in terms of dps.

Battleground DPS Spec

All out dps spec for flex fit ap/spell damage shamans usually seen with a 2h with 30 spell damage: Corpsemaker, Thermaplugg's Left Arm, Manual Crowd Pummeler. (Corpsemaker for extreme burst, Thermaplugg's for overall dps or Pummeler for more hits, hence more chances to proc Shamanistic Focus.)

Restoration
Normally you will see most shamans that are 0/5/15 with Totemic Mastery filled instead of Tidal Focus, which would require mathematically for you to spend at least one fifth as much mana on totems as you do on heals, 2v2s would be the only place this could ever happen but normally I find I spend about 700 mana on heals for every 100 mana on totems in twos. But I highly encourage you do your own testing and see how much you spend. This spec will also depend on what class you're playing with and how good they are at avoiding damage.

2v2 Arena Spec

This is where you will normally see players screwing up in terms of gear. Unlike pallies your heals aren't cheap so stacking +healing is almost never the best idea for arenas, you are going to want to stack up to around 2800 mana for serious arenas and around 1800 health. This should leave you with around only 120 plus healing with your intellect weapon on.

BG/3v3/5v5 Spec

Makes kiting larger groups easier with instant ghost wolf as opposed to 2v2s where you can casually kite the one dps'er. And will also make you a formidable flag carrier for someone who is built to heal. Same gear build, stacking mana, shaving +healing.

General Advice

 * Weapon Switch- You have intellect, healing, spell damage, melee and spirit weapons for a reason. Find out the buffer your intellect weapon gives over your other weapon for your respective spec and be ready to switch it at that amount giving you full mana and 500 odd mana you just used relatively for free.  When the games winding down and both teams are pillar humping like little girls, flip on your spirit weapon and shield to regen enough for that final burst to finish the game.


 * Abolish Poisons-Seems obvious but you'd be surprised how many times I've watched shamans 1v1ing a hunter and not bother to remove the serpent sting. Make sure its something close to your normal hand position because you will be spamming it against rogues.


 * Never Waste Your Global CD- if your global cooldown is up and your waiting for your shock cd to finish, your only excuse for not using that global cd is that your target has no buffs and your lightning shield is up. Make sure when fighting pallies that reapply seals and blessings to hover their buffs and make sure its not a rank one because they could be trying to run you oom.


 * Most Important, Do Not Click Or Keyturn- Keybinding and mouse turning takes around two days to learn and takes off the ceiling that you get from clicking, by the time you have it mastered, you will be using your reactionary abilities like your Insignia instantly after the effect where as clicking you'll be hovering over the screen for a second looking for your trinket. And if your keyturning theres certain abilities you wont be able to do like jump turning into a shock, no excuse for not switching, just laze.

2v2 Arena Strategies
Elemental

Best Teammate: Holy Paladin/Disc Priest

Elemental spec is best utilized in duels but they can formidably serve as resto-shock shamans when teaming with another dps. This will probably be the most difficult spec to use while playing other very skilled teams because it doesnt have the survivability of resto or enhance.

Enhancement

Best Teammate: Holy Paladin

Enhance shaman/holy pally is a very underrated team and can be near unbeatable if played correctly, this team takes melee damage in very very small increments and you will be un-kiteable if played correctly. Games will take very very long against skilled teams but you can easily run any team oom while still holding a good 50% mana each.

Counter: Warlock/Resto Shaman (keeping tongues on pally +purge bof-frost shock = auto lose)

Restoration

Best Teammate: Rogue

Resto Shaman/Rogue has been the premiere 29 2v2 team for quite some time. You should be untouchable from their dps through kiting/los while the rogue provides unlimited dps and is invulnerable to long mana heavy fights.

Counter: Paladin/Warrior(Warrior spamstrings rogue off pally and pally out-manas shaman heals)