to shield or not to shield ... few pvp questions

[zenga]

So I've been doing AV for 2 days now, think I had about 20 runs. My team is a protection paladin and 4 elemental shamans.

I have actually a few points:

- In normal pve I usually try to aggro as many mobs as i can, drop some magna's, chain lightening and that usually is enough. When I fight 1 single mob, i usually open with light bold and then click my interact with target key so my shammies switch to melee. Therefore I use 2H weapons on them. I can't recall the moment i was in deep trouble in pve (besides instancing).

- Now in AV (so far my only pvp experience) I usually do ranged damage. I don't mind dying at all. It's just that I want to keep my team together. So when I'm engaged in a big fight and I can't keep up with the healing and lose 1-2 guys, I just go suicide to end up with my 5 toons and return stronger. But sometimes it's really a close call. And it's here that I want to improve ...

So would a shield really keep my guys a bit longer alive, even while they are not doing melee damage? And is it worth it to grind for the max 1H axe skill? And while training my 1H skill in normal pve questing, will I be able to keep up with my 2H skill? I've noticed it's really going slower now to max it out per level.

A question related to this: what do you guys do in BG's when you lose a toon or 2? Take a complete or just keep going to the next target with the 3 left overs. My prob is that when I tried to walk my 2 toons back, someone else will whack the other 3 for sure.

And on a final note, it took me quite a while to figure out the spell that made my toons run around like mofo's on speed. Seems to be that I got feared. I can drop a tremor totem, but the problem is that I don't know in advance when it's gonna happen. So whats the best tactic to a/ fight/withstand that and b/ to re-assemble your team.

Any advice appreciated.
Cheers
z

[Bettysue]

I take it you're playing your shamans as enhancement? Most people go for elemental in PvP. It has a ton of burst and allows you to stand a bit outside the "action" and kill people.

If you are set on running enhancement, there is going to be more than a few times where one dies, I usually just run into a big group of people and try to drop as many as I can before they finally wipe me out. This seems to be the best way to get them all back together while not have a guy stand in a GY too long.

If you have more than 1 shaman I would suggest always having at least 1 of them drop a tremor whenever they drop totems. More than 3 of them dropping a totem at the same time and you don't really gain too much more protection. These guys are good to drop the other buff type earth totems.

If you get spread out to different GY's have an auto run key setup on each guy, and just point him in the direction of your group and try to get them to meet up somewhere in the middle. /follow stops the autorun so you can just get near him spam follow a couple times and you're good to go again.

Basically it comes down to a ton of practice and seeing what works for you.

Good luck

[zenga]

Uhm nope, they are elemental (guess you've missed that in the first line). And yeah what you describe is pretty much what I'm doing. I love the suicide and take out as much as possible with me :P

Thanks for the input. But still in doubt about if it's worth to equip a shield for the sole purpose of pvp.

[mrmcgee21]

You shouldnt ever have to melee anything as elemental, the dmg your gaining by focusing on that is a fraction of what you will do just casting spells. You should always use a shield as elemental, unless you simply couldnt find one yet. Mana is almost *never* an issue for elemental either between water shield and thunderstorm. Most of my shamans dont even have over 10 skill in their current weapon if that tells you anything, and I've done basically everything a boxing ele shaman or a normal ele shaman can do right now between pve and pvp.

[Stealthy]

In regard to your ele shams, as MrMcgee said, you definitely need a shield, as this will help a LOT for physical damage mitigation (esp against warriors, rogues, feral druids).


Get your guys www.wowhead.com/?item=Titansteel Guardian (or www.wowhead.com/?item=Spectral Kris from Heroic ToC) and www.wowhead.com/?item=Protective Barricade of the Light and you'll be set.

Cheers,
S.

[Zub]

From what I understand, weapon skill level is not taken into account in PvP

[Iceorbz]

From what I understand, weapon skill level is not taken into account in PvP

I dont know, I seem to hit for shit with weapons that I dont have skilled up. I think this is true for druids though. It also affects your crit % to though, so I couldnt imagine it haveing no effect. Ill equip some polearms and see how my dmg is since i have like 100 skill in that lol.

[zenga]

@mrmcgee21

Good info. But my guys are currently 67. Unless I'm doing something wrong, I sill like the 2H weapon in pve. I open with Lightening bolt, and if that doesn't kill the mob I click 'interact with target' and they usually finish the target with 1 melee hit. I have the feeling that if I'd use an earth/frost shock it's a waste of mana. Must admit that this tactic worked better at the earlier levels. Now it's no longer a guarantee 1 hit kill any more. I do realize now that when I encounter high end content that tactic will become obselete and have to stick to casting only.

@Stealthy

Thanks, but will be a while before I'll get those babies

And good to know that weapon skill doesn't count for pvp. I'm thinking to dual spec 1 shaman ele/enhancement, so I can use him later on in a melee team for his totems. Need to figure out if he should use a 2H weap in that case or just go DW, but that is stuff for later.

Thanks guy, that answered my questions.

[Iceorbz]

Just say it with me =p. Melee range is *BAD*!

1h shield the whole way if your elemental, nothing should live through 2-3 rounds of lightning bolts and chain lightnings.

[Coltimar]

I dual specc'ed my pally holy for AV grinding. I used my pally to acquire targets then I used healbot to keep my team and others cleansed and healed. I leveled from 65 to 80 this way.

I don't recommend enhancement but if you do you will want to go DW.