World of Warcraft: Forever · class guide
Restoration Shaman: PvP
How Restoration Shaman fights other players in the open world: where it ranks on the PvP tier lists, and why.
Forecast. Rated from the client data and our research, before anyone has played it at this level on this build. Where the data stops, the write-up says what it assumed. Rated as of , build 1.60.1.70450.
Battlegrounds are not rated yet; builds, matchups and battleground roles are being written for this spec. Honor, ranks, gear and the battlegrounds themselves are on PvP in World of Warcraft: Forever.
Verdict
- At 60
- Ranked 22 of 28 on Open-World PvP
A healer that can outlast one or two attackers and refills mana quickly, but kills nobody and cannot run.
- While leveling
- Ranked 25 of 28 on Open-World PvP Leveling
Healing Wave and
Water Shield keep it alive and drinking less, but it has almost no damage and no answer to a pack on the way up. - Battlegrounds
- Not rated yet.
Profile
The rubric the lists score on, 1 to 5 on each line, with the weight each line carries. The class’s other specs are shown at 60 for comparison.
| Criterion | Weight | At 60 | While leveling | Elemental | Enhancement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burst and kill pressure | 25 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Survival and escapes | 20 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Control | 15 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Fighting outnumbered | 15 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Choosing the fight | 10 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Sustain between fights | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Group fights | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Weighted score | 2.80 | 2.40 | 2.55 | 3.00 |
Strengths and weaknesses
At 60
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
 Nature's Swiftness Healing Wave and  Healing Focus | Lowest burst of the class |
 Chain Heal and  Riptide to outlast two | Cannot kill or flee |
 Mana Tide Totem and Water Shield | No engage beyond the class kit |
 Improved Reincarnation | No hard crowd control |
| A healer for a group fight | Cannot hold an objective alone |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP
Restoration has the lowest burst of the class: 
Earth Shock and 
Flame Shock, with 
Tidal Focus adding 5% hit. Nature's Swiftness (level 30, 3 minute cooldown) makes the next Nature spell instant, and Earth Shock is already instant. Control is the class kit, the Earth Shock interrupt, 
Frost Shock, Earthbind and 
Grounding Totem, with no hard crowd control.
Healing Focus gives 70% no pushback, 
Ancestral Healing adds 25% armor after a critical heal, and a Nature's Swiftness Healing Wave, Water Shield and Improved Reincarnation (a shorter cooldown and +4% maximum health) make it hard to kill. Chain Heal and Riptide let it outlast two players, but it cannot kill them or flee. Its engage is only the class kit, with 
Ghost Wolf on a 3 s cast. Mana Tide Totem and Water Shield give the best sustain in the class, and it is a healer wanted in a group fight, but it cannot hold an objective alone under attack.
It is not B because its burst is 1, its engage is 2 and it cannot kill or leave a fight it does not want. Its strong self-heal and sustain keep it a C but do not make up for having no way to finish anyone. 2.80 is 0.45 short of B.
While leveling
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Healing Wave as a ready self-heal | Almost no damage |
| Healing Focus and Water Shield at 20 | Poor against two before 30 |
 Mindfulness at 15 and Mana Tide at 25 | No engage beyond Ghost Wolf |
| Improved Reincarnation at 15 | No objective role |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP Leveling
Restoration has no burst talents, so its damage is baseline Earth Shock, 
Lightning Bolt and Flame Shock, with Tidal Focus adding 5% hit at the start. Control is the class kit: Earth Shock from 4, Earthbind at 6 and Frost Shock at 20. Nature's Swiftness at 30 and Chain Heal at 40 are the later tools.
Healing Wave is the default answer to a gank, Improved Reincarnation arrives at 15 and Healing Focus and Water Shield at 20. Mindfulness at 15 and Mana Tide at 25 give the strongest regeneration in the class, so it rests less than the other Shaman. Against two it is poor until Nature's Swiftness at 30, it has no engage beyond Ghost Wolf at 20, and it has no objective role.
It is not C because burst is 1, outnumbered and engage are 2, and it has nothing to do on an objective. Its regeneration is the best of the class but wins no fights. 2.40 is 0.35 short of C.
Leveling timeline
The level each of Restoration’s PvP tools arrives. A talent shows at the earliest level a point can reach it; the Talented Legacy perk brings talents 5 levels sooner.
- Level 4 Earth Shock
- Level 6
Earthbind Totem - Level 8
Lightning Shield - Level 12
Purge - Level 16
Cure Poison - Level 18
Tremor Totem - Level 20 Ghost Wolf, Frost Shock
- Level 22
Poison Cleansing Totem - Level 25 Mana Tide Totem (talent)
- Level 30 Grounding Totem, Nature's Swiftness (talent)
Races
The Shaman’s races as Races PvP ranks them, best first.
Dwarf
StoneformHorde
Orc: 
Blood Fury is the strongest burst cooldown of any race, and 
Hardiness and 
Shatter Curse give some breaks and defense, but no mobility.
Tauren: 
War Stomp and 
Plainsrunning give the best mobility and 
Endurance adds health, but it breaks nothing and has the weakest burst.
Skyborne (Windshaper): 
Wind Blessed gives steady haste and 
Skysight a 30 second sprint, but it has no control break and no defensive.
Troll: 
Berserking is a burst for seven classes, but Troll has no control break or mobility and 
Rapid Regeneration works out of combat.
What we don’t know yet
At 60
Rated on assumptions:
- Everything at level 60 is projected from client data and the spec's own talent tree; nobody has played past the beta cap of 30.
- Which spells Nature's Swiftness makes instant is unverified.
- Riptide and Chain Heal at 40 are client data, not played.
- Diminishing returns on stuns, fears and silences are not documented for Forever.
What would move it: Level-60 play showing whether Riptide and Chain Heal outlast two attackers, or Nature's Swiftness turning out to work on more spells than assumed.
While leveling
Rated on assumptions:
- Levels past the beta cap of 30 are projected from client data and the spec's own talent tree; nobody has played past 30.
- Nature's Swiftness at 30 and Chain Heal at 40 are projected from the own tree and client data.
- Mana Tide at 25 and Mindfulness at 15 are derived talent timings.
What would move it: Play at 20 to 30 showing Healing Wave and Water Shield winning a fight on their own, or Nature's Swiftness changing how it handles two.