DPS Rotation & Cooldowns
This rotation guide provides a quick, basic understanding of which abilities to prioritize when playing a Elemental Shaman, along with additional details on important cooldowns at the bottom. Updated for the latest patch in World of Warcraft: The War Within (11.0.7).
Single Target
Ensure Flame Shock is applied to the target before engaging.
- Use whenever available.
- Cast at the start of the encounter.
- Use after Fire Elemental.
- Cast as soon as available.
- Use if Master Of The Elements is active or to prevent capping on Maelstrom.
- Cast again if available.
- Use to generate Maelstrom.
- Cast whenever it is off cooldown.
- Refresh if it is about to expire.
- Continue casting to generate Maelstrom.
Maintain Flame Shock on the target, use Ancestral Swiftness and Fire Elemental at the start, and prioritize Lava Burst and Earth Shock based on your Maelstrom.
AoE
Apply Flame Shock to multiple targets before engaging.
- Cast at the start of the encounter.
- Use to empower your next spells.
- Cast to deal AoE damage.
- Use to spread Flame Shock to multiple targets.
- Cast when multiple targets are present.
- Use when available for AoE damage.
- Cast whenever it is available.
- Use to generate Maelstrom while moving.
For AoE, start with Storm Elemental and Stormkeeper, then use Liquid Magma Totem and Primordial Wave to spread damage. Follow up with Chain Lightning and Earthquake as they become available.
Cooldowns
Use cooldowns strategically based on the encounter.
- Use during burst phases.
- Cast whenever available.
- Use to maximize damage on multiple targets.
- Use on cooldown for maximum damage.
Prioritize Ascendance during high damage phases, and use Fire Elemental and Stormkeeper as they become available for optimal damage output.