Building a Better Shaman: Low level Crap

Last time we talked about survival; more importantly the way to survive the first levels of a new Shaman without the benefit of a large mana pool. When you start hitting the mid teen levels you should have enough money to start spending on some upgrades or you should start getting some green drops.

Let me make it clear that when you’re a low level, don’t be picky. If a cloth or leather green drop, use it. If it’s got better stats than the whites that you are wearing you shouldn’t pass it up. When I say stats I’m not talking overall armor. At a low level it’s impossible to get high armor anyway, you should be looking at the plus stats that it gives you that will hold you over until you’re able to properly set yourself up.

Ashenvale has plenty of green drops in both ruins areas and the quest givers also give some nice green rewards for a shaman. However, since this is the only race that will have Shaman your best bet really is to stay on the isles until you complete all the quests. No, you’re not grounded, the rewards given out for the quests on those two isles are built specifically to fit into the classes that the race has. So you’re not going to find yourself completing a nice quest and finding out that you can’t use ANY of the greens offered to you. The other thing is that the isles are pretty deserted at this point since the new has worn off, so you won’t find yourself having competition with other people to find the mobs to complete a particular quest.

Still, let’s say that you’re strong headed and don’t want to level in the isles or have friends that rolled a human, dwarf or gnome (Why?) and you want to level with them doing the same quests. That’s fine. You should STILL wait until at least level 10 to run out of your starting zone and switching to the various other leveling areas.

If Elf country isn’t for you that means you’re headed to the human starting zone. Let me be the first to say, good luck to you. The biggest obstacle that you’re going to face, beside people looking at you funny and high levels wanting to duel you, is the Wetlands itself. Built for early level 20 players, you have to brave that run yourself at a mere level 10. Let me give you this piece of advice, when you get agro (Because you will) and you die, take the resurrection at the graveyard. Reason being is two fold. Firstly, you will probably be further into the Wetlands that you were when you died and secondly, it’s not really going to cost you anything. At level ten resurrection sickness is just a joke. Take the minimal damage that comes with it and trudge on. You’re going to run into huge spiders, angry orcs and the occasional dwarf as you run from the Wetlands to the homelands of the dwarfs.

When you see snow, you’re safe. At least for the time being. The other thing that I want to remind you of is this, get the flight points. It takes two extra seconds to veer off course and get the flight paths. You should get three heading from the Wetlands to Ironforge

Outside of the Exodar there is only one place that has a Shaman trainer and that’s Stormwind. He seems like a bit of an unwanted guest as he sits underneath the trees that sit below the bridge leading to the main gates. Kinda sad but then I think that perhaps as a Shaman he just doesn’t want to deal with the crap that the human world brings him. In either case that’s the gent you need to go to in order to train up. Sad thing is, if you’ve decided to leave the isles to level up, you still have to go back in order to get all your totems. (See, I told you to STAY in the isles!)

You should have all of your totems at level 20. You may not have all the spells that they can do but your four best friends for the rest of your time playing a shaman will be with you.

You should not really have to go out and buy stuff from the AH, unless it’s DIRTY cheap, nothing over 50s is worth it honestly and even then it’s pushing it.

Lowbie crap over. Next time we talk specs.