Arenas Tactics - 4 Shaman

[Altsoba]

Yes, it's Arenas plural because I really think we miss a thread about "How to handle each arena". Tbh I also think that this section misses stickies and that a knowledge base compilation should somehow wome straight to the eys when you enter this part of the forum.

I'll explain how I handle every individual Arena. Similar to my gemming gear and enchant thread this is more a "cry for help" than a guide. But I hope the answers from more skilled and experienced players will help me and others.

RUINS OF LORDAERON
I sometimes rush my team to the left center. This has proven to be bad more often than good. My team is just too exposed but targets are also very close and if the team don't move fast or don't pay attention I can nuke 1-2 before they settle.

I prefer the most conservative tactic of waiting just after the door. I'm far from the center and they cannot really play too well with los. Giving them initiative has proven to be not that bad.

THE CIRCLE OF BLOOD - BLADE's EDGE
I just go up the ramp and stay at one end and wait for them to come. I hate when they come by the sides or when they just hide behind the pillars under the bridge. Thunderstorming them when fighting in the middle of the bridge has proven to be bad since my targets (all) just get out of sight and regroup and heal and so on.

DALARAN SEWERS
I hate this arena... I really feel awkward and vulnerable there. I've been winning some fights there but I think it's just because other teams are bad.
I hate to get behind any of the boxes since I really have los issues so 90% of the fights I just stay really vulnerable and exposed on top of the platform just after the stairs. It's a pain when they come from the sides on the ground level.
I still prefer the "vulnerable" option and I just feel stupid there waiting for them to charge...

THE RING OF TRIALS - NAGRAND
Even more conservative here. I run to the alcove on the left and wait for them. Charging them here means (to me) getting too exposed in the middle. Pillars here are the worst from all arenas.

THE RING OF VALOR - ORGRIMMAR
By far my favorite. It's usually possible to kill at least one at the very start of the arena (at least on the low ratings I play). And if you can just hold on till the columns go down the enemy is going to be really exposed. With the wind shear spam healers using pillars to hide and heal have their task made more difficult.
My priest tries to fear them before they do () and when it works it's awesome. I stay right in the front but I think that's a mistake because aggressive teams will be on me right away. If I get closer to my column I think (haven't tried yet) I can still nuke them and at least have a bit more time till they're on top of my team.

Notes:
I play really defensively most of the time. Don't know if it's good but for the time being I really lack confidence/skill to be aggressive. As far as my short experience goes, going berserk is sure going to be a fast outcome either losing or winning.

Another very important thing we don't often speak of is the role of our healer. It'd be great to have some ideas on how they handle it in the different scenarios.

Thank you for your insights.

[Altsoba]

Sorry to bump my own thread but would really appreciate some input from more experienced arena mbxers.

Thanks

[shaeman]

Cant really add any input here - but there was mention in other pvp threads that a couple of folks are coming out with arena guides. So there is stuff on the way.

[Clovis]

I had similar problems until I changed my mind set (and also got better gear along with my healer which leads to survivability).

I have around 600+ arena 5v5 games and most of them done with the same healer -- we recently changed our strategy and now we're winning a lot and almost 1700

First, assuming you're running quad shaman with a healer, set up the following two macros.

Have each shaman /target your healer and /cast lesser healing wave
If you're a goo goo dancer, make another macro that targets the healer and cast gift of naaru on all 4 -- I've found a druid healer works best for me and when they have their own hots, plus 4x naarus ticking they're nearly unkillable for at least 15 seconds which gives me time to blow people up.

In arenas you have two main burst -- the classic flame shock / lava burst but also the lesser known chain lightning / flame shock (or chain lightning / earth shock as earth shock hits for twice as hard but no dot and you may have to refresh it before doing a lava burst).

We tried charging in (rushing) off the bat but I found that because the shamans lag slightly due to the delay in follow I would often only get one instant lava burst off (from the lead shaman) before they LOS'd or got heals -- its a half second maybe but that makes a difference.

So we started playing defense -- in each map we stay close to our starting point and set up with totems -- my healer tries to bait them into charging us by mounting up and running behind me. If that doesn't work, he stealths -- it's amazing but as soon as they see him "disappear" they must think "oh shit, where did the druid go!? I don't know! Charge in!!" -- We've won so many games like this, my healer and I usually spend the first two minutes of a match laughing our asses off.

The key to this strategy is target selection -- I almost NEVER initally blow up the warlock or priest because of their damage mitgation abilties. Like Aelli, I go for the DPS first.

A lot of teams will attempt to bait you into blowing your cool downs by sending in the paladin, mage or priest only to bubble, ice block or pain suppression before the instant lava burst hit. When they come charging in, hit them up with flame shocks and start spamming purge -- I usually don't use elemental mastery for the first kill but rather a regular (With hero going) flame shock, lava burst.

Warriors and Ret paladins are the easiest to kill, especially if the paladin has popped wings (and a lot do) because then they can't bubble.

For melee I load them up with flame shocks, lava burst and quad thunderstorm.

For the ranged I'll go for the hunter until he pops deflection and then switch to another - mages are also great targets if their ice block is down.

Okay, so positioning --

Like I said, I play defensive but once I've gained 1-2 kills I charge them.

Ruins of Lordaeron -- the best position is a few paces past your own gates -- the main LOS in this map is the huge tomb -- at this range you're out of their range and you'll have a second or so to react to their charge, also since you're fighting at this position its much harder for them to run away and LOS you.

Plus, assuming you have pvp gloves, your flame shock has a 45 yard range

Ring of Valor -- this is usually my highest win percentage map all though it can be rough when facing a cleave team because they litterly move 10 yards and they're cleaving.

This map I hold my totem drop until the game actually starts and the platform begins to rise -- this means I'll have groundings down and the cool down will be up once we actually start. My healer gets to the back of the pillar to run behind the rear pillar and I look for targets. As soon as I see their team on gladius I check and see if there is a shaman.

If there is not a shaman, blow up the warrior or death knight with elemental mastery -- if there IS a shaman, there will be a grounding totem so open with flame shocks and see if they land -- then purge and elemental mastery. Refresh totems (or refresh grounding). Once the warrior or DK is down you can largely ignore the melee and kill off the ranged -- Hunters make great targets on this map.

Dalaran Sewers -- In the past this map has been a real bitch for me but its quite a bit easier -- the map starts, run to the first corner just below your entry -- DO NOT run to the boxes but your healer can. Drop totems and wiat for them to come to you -- melee charges in, flame shock -- purge, purge purge purge, lava burst -- switch to a range, purge, purge purge, blow up.

Blade's Edge This map is easy intially but hard to finish especially if the other team has a lot of ressers. I had a match the other night where they had 4 ressers -- we had it down to 2v5 TWICE and they still managed to win by running around, LOSing and splitting us up while eventaully getting a res off and then hiding from us.

Okay, so strategy -- Run the bridge, set up totems -- you can run up to the half way point into the middle of the bridge to pressure them with flame shocks but everything else will be out of range and they can easilly LOS casted spells. Run back to your totems -- again, a melee will charge in -- purge, purge purge and blow up, thunderstorm the rest off.

The challanges of this map occur when their shaman runs in and thunderstorms you off -- especially if the shamans fly on two different sides or when they come around the sides.

If you get thunderstormed, immediately drop new totems and regroup -- if you have stone claw, it goes -- 4x stoneclaw totems, then new totems since at this point you're not DPSing but rather trying to survive and regroup -- now is also a good time to drop your 4 gifts of naaru onto your healer assuming he dropped down with you. -- Regroup and fight on the ground -- they're probably going to have a person that can fear and I've found I often get chain feared if I try to go back to the bridge, but if they don't or you can get to the bridge, that's the place to be.

If they charge in from the side or more often 1 or 2 will come in from the side -- they're almost always melee and these should be your first kill.

As far as the ressing -- the map is just so hard for us because its litterly full of LOS -- they can hide behind pillars, jump off the bridge, ect -- the best thing to do is stay by their corpses and do not charge them -- have you're healer help you interupt resses and keep them in combat -- having a druid for a healer here helps a lot and likewise if they have a druid its really tough because of travel form. I've had matches that are "over" in the first minute but then drag on for another 15 minutes as we chase the two ressers and sadly I've had around 4 or so they've gotten off resses and killed us.


Negrand Arena
Move to the middle of your two pillars at the start - have your healer stand behind you but close to a pillar -- drop totems and wait for them to come in -- at this range you can see when they're coming -- warriors are usually the first target -- flame shock, purge purge purge, blow up. Switch to the rogue -- same thing. I also drop 3 nova totems + earth bind when facing a heavy melee team -- on this map the melee are the primary targets as ranged can LOS -- once the melee is dead, start picking off the casters. If it's a wizard cleave team, well, good luck -- that ranged AOE stun they have is pretty bad -- you could either try to LOS it behind the pillars, trinket it or eat it -- the problem with standing behind the pillars in this map is you essentially LOS your own spells.

Hopefully this helps!

-Clov

[asonimie]

In arenas you have two main burst -- the classic flame shock / lava burst but also the lesser known chain lightning / flame shock (or chain lightning / earth shock as earth shock hits for twice as hard but no dot and you may have to refresh it before doing a lava burst).

Very nice write-up Clovis!

May I suggest you make Frost Shock your new Earth/Flame shock? Frost shock is the hardest hitting shock, and flame shocks are only good for LvBs, that DOT won't kill anyone. You're right it's not as well known of a combo, but it won't kill full resil targets. If you haven't already, try LB+CL+FrS(frost), it does a ton of damage, and all the damage hits the target simultaneously. It takes longer to cast than Lava burst, but it does just as much damage and is unhealable as well. Best of luck!

[Clovis]

Thank you

I actually haven't thought about using frost shock for that all a lot of times I cast chain lightning as they're running away and the extended range of flame shock is nice.p

So how's that arena video coming along? I just finished rendering two new multibox videos, one PVE and one PVP -- just need to upload them.

Very nice write-up Clovis!

May I suggest you make Frost Shock your new Earth/Flame shock? Frost shock is the hardest hitting shock, and flame shocks are only good for LvBs, that DOT won't kill anyone. You're right it's not as well known of a combo, but it won't kill full resil targets. If you haven't already, try LB+CL+FrS(frost), it does a ton of damage, and all the damage hits the target simultaneously. It takes longer to cast than Lava burst, but it does just as much damage and is unhealable as well. Best of luck!

[asonimie]

Haven't been doing a ton of games yet. I'm doing a text write up tho.

[Altsoba]

Awesome contribution! Thank you! I'll have to absorb all the information before any comment ^^.

Sorry I forgot to mention I run 4 Troll Shaman and another player playing Undead Priest.

Only thing right now is Nagrand, why not the alcove in order to at some point get the detect stealthers buff? Not always usefull but sometimes though. With that positioning isn't your back too exposed to stealthers coming from behind or people playing just behind the pillars to your left and right?

Dalaran Arena, that vulnerable position is still also my favorite but it's pretty much a all or nothing game. The idea of the healer running behind the boxes is interesting though. Do you know if in that position the healer is protected by our grounding totems? Specially to avoid the DK grip.

Thank you!

[Naysayer]

Nice guide, Clov.

For melee I load them up with flame shocks, lava burst and quad thunderstorm.
Hopefully this helps!

-Clov

Going to be so much better to be able to fire nova and save those TS's.

[thedreameater]

Awesome post. Someone should do this for BGs, well, the non-AV ones. I won't dare step into WSG or AB with my team having read the slaughter we boxers undergo in general.