Welcome to Skill Capped’s Guide on the Best Gear & Stats for Elemental Shamans in Cataclysm
All sections for Elemental Shaman PvP have been divided into corresponding sections for the most optimal race, talents, glyphs, gear, professions and macros. This will help you have a good understanding on Elemental Shaman in PvP for Cataclysm and the strengths and weaknesses associated with this specialization. This section will go into more depth on the best PvP gear and stats that are available for Elemental Shaman in Cataclysm Season 9.
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Table of Contents
Most of the gear that is BiS for Cataclysm Season 9 will come from PvP. This section will cover all specific pieces from PvP, as well as PvE, that will put you in a competitive playing-field against other players in arena.
BiS Elemental Shaman PvP Gear
Main Pieces
- Head: Vicious Gladiator’s Mail Helm
- Shoulders: Vicious Gladiator’s Mail Spaulders
- Chest: Vicious Gladiator’s Mail Armor
- Gloves: Vicious Gladiator’s Ringmail Gauntlets
- Legs: Vicious Gladiator’s Mail Leggings
Off-Pieces
- Back: Vicious Gladiator’s Drape of Diffusion
- Belt: Vicious Gladiator’s Waistguard of Cruelty
- Bracers: Vicious Gladiator’s Armbands of Prowess
- Boots: Vicious Gladiator’s Sabatons of Alacrity
Jewelry
- Neck: Vicious Gladiator’s Pendant of Alacrity
- Ring 1: Vicious Gladiator’s Band of Cruelty
- Ring 2: Vicious Gladiator’s Band of Meditation
Weapons
- Main Hand: Vicious Gladiator’s Spellblade
- Shield: Vicious Gladiator’s Redoubt
- Relic: Vicious Gladiator’s Relic of Salvation
Trinkets
- Trinket 1: Darkmoon Card: Volcano
- Trinket 2: Vicious Gladiator’s Medallion of Tenacity
- Alternative Trinket: Vicious Gladiator’s Insignia of Dominance instead of Darkmoon Card: Volcano.
Elemental Shaman Stat Priority
Intellect > Spell Penetration (195) > Resilience (3000-3500) > 4% Hit Rating > Haste > Mastery > Critical Strike
Let’s start with the stat that has the highest priority out of all the requirements listed, Intellect. The more Intellect your character possesses, the more Spell Power you obtain, increasing the value out of all your spells.
Then, you want to consider equipping 195 Spell Penetration to make sure that none of your spells resist on the target. This will be extremely important, as some classes, especially from Priests with Shadow Protection, Paladins with Resistance Aura, and Shamans with Elemental Resistance Totem, will make your abilities resist more often on a target.
After obtaining your Spell Penetration, focus on getting as much Resilience on your character as possible. Gear obtained from Honor and Conquest vendors are guaranteed to have this stat, meaning that you will receive more Resilience the more PvP gear you use. You can even purchase crafting gear from the Auction House for Resilience, which is featured in our BiS gearing page.
Having enough Resilience as an Elemental Shaman is crucial, especially since you will be the kill target in most matchups, and is preferred for most Ele Shamans to reach up to 3500 for a solid amount of damage reduction.
Now, we look at Hit Rating, which requires around 4% for our cap to guarantee that our spells will not miss. You can also gain Hit Rating from any Spirit, and will be reduced down to a 3% Hit Rating requirement if you are Draenei.
For our secondary stats you’ll want Haste to be at top priority. This is due to the necessity of casting for Elemental Shamans, especially when applying Lightning Bolt to your opponent while moving. This will also provide more periodic DoT ticks from Flame Shock, which will allow you to proc more Lava Bursts with Lava Surge. Overall, having a faster global cooldown, and shorter cast times make it easier for Elemental to ramp up and spike players down with massive burst.
Mastery grants Elemental Shamans Elemental Overload, which has a chance to proc an additional Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, or Lava Burst at reduced effectiveness on the target. Having a decent amount of this secondary stat increases the probability of a more deadly burst window.
Although Critical Strike is our lowest preferred stat, you can place some of this secondary stat into your gear for stronger direct burst.