How to group with a shaman?

[qinsteel]

This is to all the greybeard Shamans out there.

I am a lvl 24 Ikky Shm and have solo'ed up to this point and for the first time I grouped in Mistmore. I tried to do everything and failed miserably and at one point let the tank die because I was too slow getting a heal off. (to be honest I dont think it would have helped in the long run). At first I was like a chicken with my head cut off. Buffing, slowing, regenning, Sow'ing, and healing. When I realized I had too many fires going I ended up throwing a couple of buffs, adding reg all the time and slowing the tough Mobs.

I am looking for advice on the following:

1. You just joing a full group what is the first thing you do? Buff or engage mobs as they come with slows?

2. What buffs do you give I started out with all of them and then found out that was unmanageable.

3. I rooted several charmed pets and pissed off my Enchanter pals, how do you tell them apart for the real mobs especially when spell effects arre masking vision.

4. When things are starting to go bad, what are the priorities?

Thanks for any advice

[Nycon43]

1. At 24 I wouldn't bother with slow at all. It's crappy at that point and mobs shouldn't be alive long enough for it to matter.

2. At 24 your buffs aren't all that huge either. I guess you can give str to melee, SoW as requested(a mage, for instance, doesn't need SoW), maybe AC/sta to the tank as well. You don't need to go nuts with buffing at this point.

3. Con the mobs. if it cons as indifferent, that means it's the enchanters pet. Turn down your spell effects in options if the are giving you a hard time.

4. This is kind of a hard question and depends; Keeping the tank/enc/cleric alive first are good ideas.

Edit: Also, if you haven't been already, get used to "canni-dancing". If you don't know what this is; Basically you wait till you see a meditate tick on your mana bar go off, get up, cast canni, then sit back down again before the next med tick. This way you don't lose out on mana regen from meditate and makes you more efficient in general.

[blondeattk]

3. I rooted several charmed pets and pissed off my Enchanter pals, how do you tell them apart for the real mobs especially when spell effects arre masking vision.

you cheat....shrink them when you can.

one trick is to learn to say NO! to folks asking for buffs. Assuming your healing as well, otherwise you should have mana. Try and get the grp leader to recruit a enc or a clr if possible.....but often there are non free. Try to delegate where you can.

The real art of shamanism is to keep the grp chat flowing, bugger doing any work :)

[kaev]

When the chanter bitches ask him to give the pet a torch so you can easily tell it from the mobs being killed. When the chanter says he didn't bring any torches ask him "why not?" (stay simple, don't embellish.) When the chanter continues his bitching ignore it as best you can, especially avoid making any derogatory remarks to or about him even if he's doing his most outrageous whiny entitled little dramawhore routine, and continue to be a friendly and helpful contributor to the group. It'll all sort itself out in time.

[Wrench]

sounds like you were trying to wear too many hats

shaman is flexible, you can do a bit from healing, cc, slowing, buffing

know what your group needs of you based on makeup

it sounds like group needed you for main heals, concentrate on that first and buffing as a lower priority, the enchanter should have been picking up slowing and cc

if a different group expects you to do all those things at the same time, make it clear your running out of time or mana

[emdubwubwub]

Buff people. STR/DEX/STA/AC on tanks. Haste is a luxury, cast if mana permits.
Cannibalize. Never be at full HP, if you aren't at full mana.
Heal people. If you're the main healer, devote your attention primarily to this.
Slow mobs. If you're having trouble healing or if you're the off healer, slow makes everything easy.

[justin2090]

This is to all the greybeard Shamans out there.

I am a lvl 24 Ikky Shm and have solo'ed up to this point and for the first time I grouped in Mistmore. I tried to do everything and failed miserably and at one point let the tank die because I was too slow getting a heal off. (to be honest I dont think it would have helped in the long run). At first I was like a chicken with my head cut off. Buffing, slowing, regenning, Sow'ing, and healing. When I realized I had too many fires going I ended up throwing a couple of buffs, adding reg all the time and slowing the tough Mobs.

I am looking for advice on the following:

1. You just joing a full group what is the first thing you do? Buff or engage mobs as they come with slows?

2. What buffs do you give I started out with all of them and then found out that was unmanageable.

3. I rooted several charmed pets and pissed off my Enchanter pals, how do you tell them apart for the real mobs especially when spell effects arre masking vision.

4. When things are starting to go bad, what are the priorities?

Thanks for any advice

1. If the mobs are killed fast enough you don't need to slow. The mana used on slow can be used on a heal instead.

2. SoW and haste are the only needed buffs. Every other buff is as mana permits.

3. Con the mob if your unsure. If it has a torch, its a pet.

4. Keep the ench alive. Root CC if ench died. If you have a healer you can tab slow mobs so when root breaks they dont go ape shit. Since everyone has SoW, you can train to zone if its really bad.

Don't forget to canni as much as you can. Think the macro is

/stand
/cast 8 (or whatever spell slot you use)
/pause 20
/sit

[qinsteel]

Thanks you all for the great advice, it definitely helped as I employed the advice last night and did a good job as main healer in Mistmore. Said no when I had too (politely) and told jokes to keep grp banter going (made for a fun time among all).

Thanks for the Macro I will add that today.

BTW I never really understood what it meant to Canni Dance, I do now

[Raev]

1. You just joing a full group what is the first thing you do? Buff or engage mobs as they come with slows?

At L24, your cadre of superbuffed twinks and charmed rogues will vaporize everything in 10-15 seconds, so slow is kind of pointless unless its a red con, in which case said red con will pulp you after resisting. If you were solo or duo it would be a different story.

2. What buffs do you give I started out with all of them and then found out that was unmanageable.
The life of a shaman. Wait till you are on a raid and get 10 tells for str/sta/dex/agi/tali/regen/haste/sow.

#1 priority at your level should be sow, regen, and haste. If you have mana left over (because you have a cleric/druid in the group) then I'd put resist buffs on the MT and puller. Eventually your stat buffs will start lasting over an hour and things will get a lot better.

3. I rooted several charmed pets and pissed off my Enchanter pals, how do you tell them apart for the real mobs especially when spell effects arre masking vision.

Well, it's better to stun, but I don't think a 48 second root on an enchanter pet is a terrible thing, and it makes it easier on the enchanter when he can just move backwards. Just tell the MT to move the next mob back over to the charmed pet. Also, make sure you cast malo on all charmed pets; it significantly reduces the number of breaks.

4. When things are starting to go bad, what are the priorities?
1. Root
2. Heal the enchanter

[Danth]

The life of a shaman. Wait till you are on a raid and get 10 tells for str/sta/dex/agi/tali/regen/haste/sow.

Then the Monk and Rogue whine and suggest you're lazy because you give them clicky strength due to not having the mana to fully buff twenty people all at once. Followed, of course, in later weeks by these same people wondering why their Shamans never seem to log on to raid.

Shaman: No weakness except having a tedious, thankless raid role.

Note that haste isn't actually a priority at level 24 because the Shaman doesn't get haste until level 29. In addition to gaining haste, 29 also gives you Greater Healing which significantly improves your ability to heal for groups. Main healing in Mistmoore with but a 90 HP heal spell is often going to be tough even with a functioning, cooperative group just because of the nature of that zone. Monsters deal quick damage, come in packs, with overpulls and trains being commonplace. If you can function there, you'll do fine later on in Nagafen's Lair and Karnor's.

Danth

[qinsteel]

... Also, make sure you cast malo on all charmed pets; it significantly reduces the number of breaks.



I did not know that Malo was was something that helped. Does it matter when it is done. I.E., If already mezzed; if I cast Malo does it still help?

[lecompte]

harmful spells won't land on friendly pets so no. Have to malo it before it gets recharmed or charmed.

[evan1612]

harmful spells won't land on friendly pets so no. Have to malo it before it gets recharmed or charmed.

Yes, communication with the chanter is key at that point. If you have the mana for it you might as well!

[webrunner5]

Your MAIN job usually in a group is to HEAL people. To keep them alive. That should be your main mind set. Only buff the Melees and then even the Tank will get the most buffs. Give the Puller SoW and most everyone DPS wise a Strength Buff. And the hell with slows. To much of a mana hog just like haste is.

Like has been said, Canni, and you HAVE to Canni because the game is rigged against a Shaman for Mana regen. It is slower than say a Cleric to re new. So you HAVE to Canni like I said. You do come out ahead mana wise doing it, but it takes up a ton of your time dancing.

So between Dancing Sow Str buffs, and oh by the way heals, you are a busy as hell person. If the Chanter can't control adds and sucks at Charming you got some real problems. But that is really not your job if one is in the group.

It is even more hard to control mobs as a young Shaman with no CC person in the group like a Ranger Druid Chanter because your root sucks at lower levels. Not the case higher up.

A Shaman is NOT a class for a young mother taking care of 3 kids at home trying to play at the same time. It is a FULL time job. No real time to go AFK on one.

I have a love hate relationship with mine. In a GOOD group they are a thing of beauty to play, but in a bad group it is a nightmare trying to be the Jack of all Trades in it. It is stressful as crap and just no fun.

But you can group and solo on one, and they will be one of the few classes that can solo when Velious ever comes out in it. So they are worth having for sure as a toon. But they are BIG money to equip and buy high end spells for. I think probably either the Most expensive or second in the game. :eek:

[Teppler]

I don't think slow is ever useless but for a long time I'd use the lowest level one which is like 20 mana only. Drowsy.

[webrunner5]

I don't think slow is ever useless but for a long time I'd use the lowest level one which is like 20 mana only. Drowsy.

I never meant to say it is useless, but it is a AGRO magnet from hell and it does take away time to Canni and it takes away some other buff or Root you could be doing.

I think mana wise, time wise it is not worth the effort as fast a people can kill mobs in a good group now. In Velious that will be a completely different story. When you can kill top end Raid mobs on here in 30 seconds why the hell even bother with slow. :D

[eisley]

Paladins and SK's possess the tools to allow you to slow on inc, no problem. With a warrior, don't do it early or it is your fault.

Most lower level pal/SKs who are newish aren't familiar with efficient aggro techniques. I've grouped with a paladin who kept losing aggro and people were yelling at him. Rather than yell I just told him, once the mob is within melee range, immediately blind it 2-3 times in a row in rapid succession.

Just one example, point is, being positive, helpful and communicative can have a massive effect on a group.

[Jimjam]

At low level the only buffs I find that are of real value are ones that add AC (spell and item are capped separately), hp (obviously) and str.

Str melee. buff hp/ac on tanks, encs and maybe healers.

[BlkCamel]

I don't think slow is ever useless but for a long time I'd use the lowest level one which is like 20 mana only. Drowsy.

/Agree, Once you get walking sleep I would use that until 39+, then you can start using upgraded versions. Slow reduces the damage a mob does which in turn reduces the amount you have to heal. Slow any monster that is going to do enough damage to cause you to cast heal more then once.

Slow is the Shaman's best spell, Torpor is a close 2nd.:D

[Udabut]

I never meant to say it is useless, but it is a AGRO magnet from hell and it does take away time to Canni and it takes away some other buff or Root you could be doing.

I think mana wise, time wise it is not worth the effort as fast a people can kill mobs in a good group now. In Velious that will be a completely different story. When you can kill top end Raid mobs on here in 30 seconds why the hell even bother with slow. :D

If the group is killing the mob in 30 seconds I would agree. Otherwise never say never slow. When I am the only healer in a duo/trio and hurting on mana, we would pull in a single, I would root with a low lvl root (20 mana?), then peeps would back off the mob till I got it slowed then they would attack. Most of the time I would only need one heal, or the regen would be enough. Can go all day this way with no/little down time.