Introduction

This guide was made possible by:

  • Altenna (Discord: JudgeJames#0001 | Twitch | Twitter)
  • Amani (Discord: Amani#0001 | Discord Server | YouTube)
  • Eokira (Discord: Eokira#7823)
  • Gaka (Discord: Gaka#7410)
  • HawkCorrigan (Discord: HawkCorrigan#1811)

Information on this page is written with the assumption that you understand the new priority list, talents, and legendary items introduced in Shadowlands. If you have not done so, we highly recommend reading our other resources to learn about them!

This guide is intended to help you identify critical mobs and abilities as well as improve your mechanical literacy in using your toolkit as an Elemental Shaman in each dungeon. If you have suggestions to improve the information in this guide please contact Eokira#7823 using the Earthshrine Elemental channel or the Storm, Earth & Lava discord.

Talents and Legendaries

For novice Elemental Shamans without an active T28: Fireheart 2p/T28: Fireheart 4p or without Unity, the setup below is great for players starting out as well as for +15 keys and beyond:

Double Legendary When Unity is equipped you will be able to utilise 2 Legendary effects, one of them will be your current Covenant’s specific Legendary:

  • Night Fae gains
  • Venthyr gains
  • Kyrian gains
  • Necrolord gains This opens up some opportunities for M+ in conjuction with the T28: Fireheart 4p centred around the uptime of Storm Elemental.
  • Necrolord with
  • Venthyr with
  • Kyrian with judging Legendaries by their raw strength, and are our strongest choices. Being able to use them both together is promising.

Which setup to use? The default suggestion when you have both Unity and Tier Set will be to use:

This serves as a solid baseline without relying too much on how your dungeons are routed. The performance will vary between the setups on a variety of factors so it is very valuable to experiment!

  • Necrolord with and Storm Elemental or with either Master of the Elements (easier to play) or Storm Elemental (which remains better at AoE’ing). Any setup will be subject to RNG, you will also have to decide how much you like to gamble as technically speaking the highest expected value when AoE’ing (read: 5+ targets) is to completely ignore this legendary outside of Primordial Wave windows and movement globals. If you choose to gamble during AoE thats your business.

  • Necrolord with and Storm Elemental. Doing well as key levels go up, allows for 100% uptime on Storm Elemental which is potent for AoE and single target. At least some of the uptime increase will be overkill however, so if you could have also achieved 100% uptime by other means then the value of this choice goes down - mainly its core strength is the consistency and flexibility it offers.

With most of the dungeon pool consisting of low-target pulls in the early stages of the season (expect this to change a bit as people become more knowledgeable about how to handle specific mobs and strategies are formed allowing larger pulls in some dungeons/areas of dungeons), using has become more attractive. It is important to note that builds continue to use Stormkeeper in dungeons, although you may consider swapping your third potency conduit slot to as it performs at full power in aoe when not using .

The recommended Covenant choices for M+ content are Night Fae and Necrolord:

  • Night Fae remains the default choice for overall value across key levels and dungeon routes, the value provided is easy to capitalise on.
    • Your Soulbind choices for Night Fae are:
      • Korayn for . This provides a large amount of value across an entire dungeon.
      • Dreamweaver for . This provides additional power directly after using Fae Transfusion and has synergy with allowing for more frequent burst windows applicable to both AoE and Single Target.
  • Necrolord remains competitive and lends itself to the setup well.
    • Your Soulbind choices for Necrolord are:
      • Plague-Deviser Marileth for increased benefits surrounding Fleshcraft, the strength of should not go unnoticed although when using it would be traded for .
      • Bonesmith Heirmir for passive Intellect buff and . (Note: generally you would find yourself using Marileth, this is mostly here for reference.)

To assist those experimenting with other Covenant options:

  • Kyrian
  • Venthyr
    • When using the value of increases making it worthwhile to experiment with Theotar the Mad Duke!
    • Otherwise using Nadja the Mistblade.

For additional information, please visit our Talents and Legendaries pages. Don’t forget to check out Additional Resources at the bottom of this page!

Miscellaneous Tips

  • Although strategies are listed for mobs and bosses, communicating with your group how each pull should be executed is more important. Some suggestions may not be applicable depending on your group’s strategy.

  • Earth Elemental is a potent ability best used to soak damage away from the tank or as an emergency button to avoid a party wipe. Communicate with your tank on using Earth Elemental for challenging trash packs as well as remind your healer to keep the Earth Elemental healthy as needed. Remember that with Primal Elementalist, you can manually move the pet, and you have access to an additional defensive with Harden Skin and single-target stun with Pulverize. However, keep in mind that you cannot have Earth Elemental and Fire Elemental summoned at the same time with Primal Elementalist.

  • Often times, your tank may need to kite. Remember the kiting tools at your disposal (Earthbind Totem, Frost Shock, Capacitor Totem, Thunderstorm) to distance trash packs away from your tank.

  • Routinely support your healer and your group with healing abilities and Cleanse Spirit. Note that the healers that cannot remove Curses are: Discipline Priest, Holy Priest, Holy Paladin, and Mistweaver Monk.

  • Plan with your group in advance on where to use Bloodlust/Heroism.

  • Learn to log your dungeon runs! Warcraft Logs filters dungeons with pull-by-pull analyses and records replays of dungeon runs. Having logs available to share are helpful for you to receive actionable feedback.

Affixes

Level 4:

  • Bolstering: Damage trash packs down as evenly as you can. Swap to priority damage rotation for any lethal mobs or if mob health within trash packs are uneven.
  • Bursting: Support your party members and use your healing abilities to mitigate the Bursting debuff. Use Astral Shift as needed if stacks are high.
  • Inspiring: Crowd control mobs with Inspiring Presence with Hex as needed and when possible.
  • Raging: Be ready to use your kiting toolkit to support your tank when needed. Consider using Capacitor Totem and Stormkeeper to finish Raging mobs more safely and quickly.
  • Sanguine: Damage trash packs down as evenly as you can to lessen time spent in Sanguine, but be sure to not slow or stun mobs dying unevenly. Use Thunderstorm as needed to knock mobs out of Sanguine.
  • Spiteful: As mobs are dying, be ready to use your kiting toolkit to support your melee players. Consider taking advantage of Spiteful Shade as additional Chain Lightning or Flame Shock targets.

Level 7:

  • Explosive: Explosive orbs can be destroyed in a single Frost Shock global. This will be your most efficient tool to deal with them as your other abilities are more valuable for trash.
  • Grievous: Remember that direct heals remove one stack of Grievous Wound. Support your party members with Healing Surge and Chain Heal as needed.
  • Necrotic: Be ready to use your kiting toolkit to support your tank when needed. Earth Elemental is also helpful to help your tank control Necrotic Wound stacks.
  • Quaking: Maintain your distance from party members, and be mindful about canceling casts if Quake overlaps with .
  • Storming: Maintain your distance from mobs to avoid Storming. Use as needed in tight spaces or when maneuvering any mechanics.
  • Volcanic: Watch your feet. Use as needed to maintain your damage uptime while avoiding Volcanic plumes.

Seasonal Affix:

  • Shrouded is the new Seasonal Affix for Season Four of Shadowlands!
    • Pick between Critical Strike, Haste, Versatility, or Mastery by talking to an NPC at the beginning of each dungeon, gaining one stack of the appropriate buff. Note: If no choice is made the default buff is Versatility.
      • Using Haste is more universally valuable as it maintains high contribution in all fight profiles (Single Target, Funnel, and AoE).
      • If you only desire AoE damage then Critical Strike would offer the most for that particular scenario but is notably worse on Single Target.
      • Due to only really impacting single target and funnel via Lava Burst, and Chain Lightning benefits from 33% of your character sheet Mastery value, it is not recommended to choose Mastery. In addition, the rating granted by this buff is subject to Diminishing Returns.
      • If you reach a point in your key pushes where you require additional defensive value, you may consider Versatility - it is not generally recommended as the stacks provide 1% as opposed to the other stats providing 2%.
    • Stacks are gained by finding and defeating Dreadlords!
      • Certain enemies will show the Disguised buff, meaning they are a Dreadlord! The locations of Disguised enemies is consistent from run-to-run.
  • Nathrezim Infiltrators grant one stack of your chosen stat buff when defeated. In addition, you will receive a 30% Health and Mana restore over five seconds.
  • One Dreadlord in every dungeon will turn into Zul’gamux whom grants three stacks of your chosen stat buff when defeated. In addition, you will receive a 100% Health and Mana restore over 5 seconds.
    • Zul’gamux has the following abilities:
      • Shadow Claws this is a magic debuff applied to the main target of the Dreadlord, make sure it isn’t you! Your healer can dispel it.
      • Blood Barrier generates a shield which is increased by damage dealt to the players, deal damage to break the shield as early as possible! Interrupts do not work whilst the shield is active!
      • Shadow Eruption is a ground-effect that will deal large damage and apply a 70% healing received reduction at the end of the cast if you are still within its range!
      • Hypnosis Bats will spawn periodically and begin channelling a Hypnosis effect, if the Bats are not killed before this channel is finished then the target will be placed into a Shadowy Barrier that needs to be damaged to be removed! Note: only one disrupt is required to prevent the initial Hypnosis cast, for Elemental Shamans you can use Hex or Capacitor Totem. After disrupting the initial cast, the Hypnosis Bat will despawn so no further damage is required on it.

Dungeons

Click on a dungeon banner to expand it.

Tazavesh: Streets of Wonder

Customs Security

Armored Overseers

Interrogation Specialist

Support Officer

Zo’Phex the Sentinel

Ancient Core Hound

Market Peacekeeper

Veteran Sparkcaster

  • These mobs have two damaging spells:
    • Hyperlight Salvo is the most important to prevent, make sure to coordinate with your group to prevent these!
    • Scintillate deals damage and leaves an increased arcane damage taken debuff so multiple casts going through should be prevented!

The Grand Menagerie

Myza’s Oasis

Brawling Patrons

  • Aim to kill these before they reach 100 rage to avoid Rowdy

Disruptive Patrons

Oasis Security

Zo’gron

Overloaded Mailemental

Defective Sorter

P.O.S.T. Master

  • [Unstable Goods[(https://www.wowhead.com/spell=346947/unstable-goods)
    • Pick up the Unstable Goods and throw them into an active Delivery Chute (Denoted by the wind animation!). Ghost Wolf can make this easier.

  • Use Astral Shift as needed when Fan Mail or Money Order are cast.

  • Use as needed to position for soaking Hazardous Liquids or Money Order.

Commander Zo’far

  • Ranged and healer party members should try to split on either side of the low walls present where Commander Zo’far is positioned. This will make keeping distance between the two people afflicted with Lethal Force easier. If you do this without the wall, do not forget to use . If you fail to avoid it, the damage is high enough to warrant using Astral Shift.
  • Dodge Shock Mines that are placed around you.

So’azmi

  • Surviving is more important than dealing damage, if you are going to struggle moving to the correct Relocator then do not hesitate to use Ghost Wolf or Soulshape to successfully avoid Shuri.

  • Two interrupts are required to deal with Double Technique, the first can be done near instantly, the second should wait until close to the end of the cast to buy time to dps.

  • Staying loosely spread can help reduce the group damage taken from Quickblade, but be aware of remaining in the same section as your group when Divide is being cast.

Soleah's Gambit

Murkbrine Scalebinder

Murkbrine Shellcrusher

Coastwalker Goliath

  • Use Astral Shift as appropriate to your key level and current affixes on the second stack of Undertow. If your group will take more casts of Undertow its important to note that you cannot have more than two stacks, so the damage will not scale higher however they can be large hits!

Stormforged Guardian

  • Stand at max range to avoid Charged Pulse area of effect.
  • You can easily sidestep Crackle if you notice them aimed at you.

Hylbrande

Hourglass Tidesage

Burly Deckhand

  • Stop Super Saison where possible, particularly if your group comp does not carry an Enrage Dispel!
  • Avoid being close to them during Haymaker casts, this can hit non-tank targets if they are out of range!

Timecap’n Hooktail

  • Use to continue DPS while affected by Anchor Shot
  • Particularly for and/or Necrolord builds you can use the spawned adds to increase your Flame Shock count however dps to the adds themselves is pointless when the tank is able to catch them in the Infinite Breath (this also reduces the funnel benefit as the adds tend to die very quickly).

Devoted Accomplice

**Focused Ritualist

  • Interrupt Unstable Rift. If no intterupts are available, Stopping the ability via other CC abilities like , Hex will also put this cast on cooldown.

**[Adorned Starseer](https://www.wowhead.com/npc=180429/adorned-starseer]

So’leah

  • Use Astral Shift for Hyperlight Jolt as needed.
  • Use as needed to help trigger controlled soaks of Collapsing Stars. As key level increases this can be very beneficial for your healer for you to assist with, but soaking more than one stack at a time can be deadly so communicate prior to pulling if you intend to do this and keep an eye on how others are positioning!

Mists of Tirna Scithe

Drust Spiteclaw

Drust Harvester

Drust Boughbreaker

  • When these mobs reach 50% health, they will channel Furious Thrashing which is dangerous when Fortified. Use Astral Shift or healing abilities as needed.
  • If you move as the Bramble Burst cast finishes, you can avoid the initial damage.

Ingra Maloch

Mistveil Shaper

Mistveil Guardian

Mistveil Tender

Mistcaller

Spinemaw Staghorn

Tred’ova

Plaguefall

Decaying Flesh Giant

Fungalmancer

Fungi Stormer

Pestilent Harvester

Gushing Slime

Globgrog

Blighted Spinebreaker

  • When these mobs die, they will spawn Slithering Ooze which will cast Metamorphosis. Kill these by instantly stepping on them, and use Astral Shift as needed.

Plaguebinder

Rotmarrow Slime

Pestilence Slime

Virulax Blightweaver

Congealed Slime

Doctor Ickus

  • Funnel more priority damage to the Plague Bomb by casting Flame Shock on the boss and Congealed Slime. If your group is planning to CC the Congealed Slime, do not Flame Shock it. Consider holding cooldowns for the Plague Bomb as well if needed.
  • Use as needed to avoid Slime Lunge.
  • Interrupt Burning Strain if no targets are within melee range of the boss.

Defender of Many Eyes

Brood Ambusher

Venomous Sniper

Domina Venomblade

Ickor Bileflesh

Margrave Stradama

Sanguine Depths

Gluttonous Tick

Kryxis

Wicked Oppressor

Dark Acolyte

Grand Overseer

Chamber Sentinel

Depths Warden

Remnant of Fury

  • Explosive Anger can be interrupted, but it is a damage buff with a DoT. It may be helpful to let this cast go off on a party member for a few seconds before dispelling with Cleanse Spirit.

Infused Quill-feather

Executor Tarvold

Grand Proctor Beryllia

General Kaal

Spires of Ascension

Forsworn Castigator

Forsworn Goliath

  • Interrupt Rebellious Fist. Consider this the highest priority interrupt in any pack you see this mob in.

Forsworn Mender

Kin-Tara

Forsworn Stealthclaw

  • These mobs stealth, but if you know their position, you can use Earthbind Totem to aggro and bait them out.

Forsworn Champion

Forsworn Inquisitor

Forsworn Squad-Leader

Ventunax

Forsworn Warden

Forsworn Justicar

Oryphrion

Devos, Paragon of Doubt

The Necrotic Wake

Patchwerk Soldier

  • These mobs will Leap at ranged players. Position yourself close so tank and melee players don’t have to chase far.

Corpse Harvester

Stitched Vanguard

Blight Bag

  • These mobs will Leap at ranged players. Position yourself close so tank and melee players don’t have to chase far.

Zolramus Gatekeeper

Blightbone

Zolramus Bonemender

Zolramus Sorcerer

Zolramus Necromancer, Brittlebone Mage

  • Prioritze interrupting Brittlebone Mage’s Frostbolt Volley; interrupt the Necromancer’s Necrotic Bolt otherwise.
  • Focus down Zolramus Necromancer by casting Flame Shock on the Brittlebone mobs around it to funnel more priority damage.

Skeletal Marauder

  • Interrupting Rasping Scream and stay ranged to avoid it. If a cast goes off, cast Tremor Totem to dispel any Feared party members.

Nar’zudah

Skeletal Monstrosity

Amarth, The Harvester

Corpse Collector

Flesh Crafter

Stitching Assistant, Separation Assistant

Surgeon Stitchflesh

Nalthor the Rimebinder

Theater of Pain

Battlefield Ritualist

Raging Bloodhorn

  • Raging Tantrum is dangerous when Fortified. If your group does not have an enrage dispel, use Astral Shift or healing abilities as needed.

An Affront of Challengers

Blighted Sludge-Spewer

Disgusting Refuse

  • These mobs will leap at ranged players with Leaping Thrash. Position yourself close so tank and melee players don’t have to chase far.

Putrid Butcher

Diseased Horror

Gorechop

Dokigg the Brutalizer, Nekthara the Mangler

Only one of these duelists will be active in a run.

When Dokigg is active:

  • Brutal Leap will target a ranged player. Position yourself close so tank and melee players don’t have to chase far.
  • Interrupt Battle Trance.

When Nekthara is active:

Harugia the Bloodthirsty, Heavin the Breaker

Only one of these duelists will be active in a run.

When Harugia is active:

When Heavin is active:

Rek the Hardened, Advent Nevermore

Only one of these duelists will be active in a run.

When Rek is active:

When Advent Nevermore is active:

Ancient Captain

Shambling Arbalest

Xav the Unfallen

Portal Guardian

Maniacal Soulbinder

Bone Magus

Nefarious Darkspeaker

Kul’tharok

Mordretha, the Endless Empress

Useful WeakAuras

Additional Resources