World of Warcraft is a game that has many roles, and when you are curious about them, but only want to commit to one character at the moment, you may wish to consider playing a shaman! A shaman is a hybrid class that will allow you to take on healing, damage dealing or tanking, and when it comes to secondary support roles, a shaman can be great for a party. This versatility can get you a place in many raid groups, so how can you go about getting your shaman to where they need to be?

The first thing you’ll want to do is analyze and understand the weaknesses of the shaman before you start leveling it. One thing to consider is your reliance on the fairly vulnerable totems as a source of power. Additionally, mana is a crucial resource for you and you lack any party bonuses with lengthy lifespans. One other point to consider, especially if you want to build a damage-sucking tank, is that you are unable to don the plate armor that is common among the paladin and warrior classes.

These issues are rough to deal with, but they are far from impossible, so take some time and consider what your advantages are going to be. In a party setting, you will be able to resurrect other toons and when you set up your totems, it can give your party some impressive buffs. Similarly, you have instant cast damage spells, which will at least make you fast at putting out damage, even if you are not going to top the damage charts.

As you begin your journey as a shaman, the first thing you want to do upon entering combat is release your searing totem. This will allow you to draw the mob with your lightning bolt. Not only is this action vital to your group during a fight, but it also puts you immediately at the forefront of the action to inflict damage.

Your first step on the shaman’s road is crucial. Earth shock enables you to gain the upper hand on casters by disabling their powers to attack you with spells and, more importantly, heal. The lightening shield, on the other hand, will prove more effective should you encounter a mob by yourself.

One thing that a shaman can do with a fair amount of facility is going to be crowd control. Use your earthbind totem to keep your mob from running off. If you are fighting in a packed place and you don’t want mobs descending on you, this is something important to remember.

Consider picking up the skinning and leatherworking professions. Not only are you going to be able to make armor that you can wear, you will also be able to pick up the bonus, Master of Anatomy, which gives you more critical hits.

The best advice for players interested in walking the road of the shaman is to get the best leveling guide that addresses your specific wants and learn as much as you can about this role. For those already decided on an Alliance character, the same goes: find the best leveling guide to help you realize your full strength in the World of Warcraft, and let the adventure begin!

For the best leveling guide on the web, have a look at Nubun’s WOW guide. This 1-80 WOW leveling guide is all you need to hit your level 80 in under one week.