Finer points of 1 Pal + 4 Sham vs. 5 Sham

[Fuzzyboy]

Don't do it with regards to leveling. It'll be about the same, although the 60-70 experience is probably a little easier with a paladin to tank instances, but kiting works too.
Think about end-game goals.. if you love PvP, definitely roll 5 shammies. My pally is practically useless in BGs beyond buffs, occasional heal, a stun every now and then, a consecrate for distraction, and as a steady meatshield.

You don't need to kite until you hit heroic/70 instances anyway - with a few exceptions, elementals will be plenty for your tanking purposes and most of the time you don't need them

Just so I'm clear, you think that the benefits of 5 shammies in PVP outweighs the benefits of having a Pally in PVE?

I've been away from the game for a few months, before I left I spent most of my time just farming and doing AV. But if I'm going to 5-box, I see myself spending a lot of time clearing instances - it's one of the big draws to multi-boxing for me.

Thanks for the responses guys

Actually no, that's not my point. I was simply pointing out that you shouldn't go with a paladin if you don't feel like it, just to be able to pve. Shamans can pve just fine and I think about every heroic has been done with 5 shammies.

However! There are other things to consider. As Vyndree pointed out, going from 1 pala + 4 shaman to 5 shaman is easy, it's another matter the other way around. Also, you can pvp just fine with four shaman or 4 shaman + paladin (if you're doing arena you'll need a healer anyway).

I would go with paladin + 4 shammies if I was starting from scratch, especially if I was unsure of what to choose. If you're RAF'ing you could actually go with paladin + 4 shammies and a 5th shammie on gift levels. Ultimately it's a matter of what you feel like playing - both combos are viable, but if you're unsure I'd advise you to go the paladin route.