How to: Earth Shield!
This is my sample post for an application to WoW.com to be a shaman columnist. Enjoy!!
When healing as a shaman, there is always one thing to consider at the start of the raid: Who gets Earth Shield? Is it the main tank? The off tank? The super-awesomely geared tank? At first this is a simple question but there are some things you should consider before you cast!
First let’s look at the spell: [Earth Shield]
But what does this mean? It means that every few seconds if the shielded tank is damaged it will heal them for a small amount. This will continue to happen until either the charges run out, or 10 minutes have passed.
At a cost of 15% of base mana, this little beauty costs the same as [Lesser Healing Wave], but can heal for much more especially if glyphed and talented. Add [Improved Earth Shield] and [Glyph of Earth Shield] and you’ve upped its heal by 30%.
Now let’s look at our eligible tanks!
What role the tank is playing is quite likely the most important thing to consider. There are several scenarios to consider:
Is the tank kiting a mob? Most likely if they are kiting, then they do not want to be hit (I’m looking at you, Rotface)! This defeats the purpose of Earth Shield! However, there are fights where you do want to put it on the kiting tank, like Gluth.
Is the tank there to soak up splash damage? What type of splash damage? Putting your shield on an off tank on Patchwerk might be a good idea, as it helps the healers cope after they get those big, regular hits.
Will the tank be running away from you? This is very unlikely, but can happen in extreme circumstances like the Gunship Battle. Putting Earth Shield on the tank that will always be near you can make it easier to refresh.
Generally if you consider each fight and the roles the tanks take, there are certain standouts which make it very clear which tank should have your shield. If not, there are two more things to help you decide!
Class can matter! Paladin tanks can receive more healing from Earth Shield from [Touched by the Light]! So when you slap your Earth Shield on a paladin and it crits, Touched by the Light will make your earth shield heal the tank for 30% more!
Another thing to consider is your shielded tank’s gear. There are two reasons for this. If one tank is at a lower gear level, casting your shield on him might give the passive healing boost that helps out your fellow healers. The other reason is that if the tank has less avoidance, there are more chances for them to be hit, so more chances to trigger Earth Shield.
At the end of the day it is up to you, my fellow shaman, to decide which tank is blessed with your shield of earthly awesomeness. Always remember to consider the tanks you have, their roles, and how available you will be to refresh that shield.
Earth Shield Tip!: You can supercharge your Earth Shield by dropping Flametongue totem, proccing relics and using trinkets, as how much healing your shield does is based on the spellpower at the time it is cast, not when it procs!
