Elemental Shaman Leveling in WoW Forever: Talents and Tips

Elemental Shaman leveling in WoW Forever looks very different from Classic. Lightning Bolt casts faster, the tree has been rebuilt three times during the beta, and Blizzard's November 2 development notes gave Elemental its biggest buffs just before launch: more Lightning Bolt damage, a tripled Lightning Overload chance and Call of Thunder in place of Lava Burst. This page collects what Elemental looks like at launch, how it compares with Enhancement for leveling, and which talents matter. For the full class guide, including totems and professions, see our Shaman leveling guide.

Elemental vs Enhancement for leveling

	Elemental	Enhancement
Main damage	Lightning Bolt, shocks, Lightning Overload copies	Auto attacks, Stormstrike, shocks
Mana pressure	High: every Bolt costs mana	Lower: melee is free
Pull from range	Yes, 30 yards (more with Elemental Reach)	No
Biggest 2 Nov buff	Lightning Bolt (top rank +80%), Overload 10/20/30%	Stormstrike 150% weapon damage, 6-second cooldown
Our verdict	Good, especially in groups and dungeons	Best default for solo questing

Wowhead's Forever leveling guide recommends Enhancement for solo leveling. We agree for solo questing, but Elemental is a real option now if you like casting, level with a melee friend, or run a lot of dungeons. You can keep both: Dual Specialization unlocks at level 40 (talents and dual spec).

What changed for Elemental: deep dive to launch

Baseline Shaman spells (Mage and Shaman deep dive, 2 November):

• Lightning Bolt ranks 4 and up cast in 2.5 seconds instead of 3. On 2 November its base damage rose on every rank, the top rank by 80%. Blizzard says each rank now does roughly 78% of Classic Era base damage, with a lower cast time.
• Chain Lightning cast time is back to 2.5 seconds (2 November). Its primary-target damage is about 145% of a comparable Lightning Bolt and it costs about 225% of the mana.
• Shocks went back to Classic Era base damage on 2 November, which is higher than earlier beta values.
• Totems have a 1-second global cooldown, buff totems last 5 minutes, and Call of the Elements at level 20 drops all four with one cast.
• Fire Nova is now a spell that erupts at your Fire totem, not a separate totem. Its damage and cost were cut on 15 October.

Elemental talents, in the order Blizzard changed them:

Talent	Launch state	Source
Elemental Devastation	Moved up to row 2; Blizzard says it's meant to tempt Enhancement into Elemental points	Deep dive
Elemental Alacrity (formerly Lightning Mastery)	3 points, −0.5 s cast on Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning; on row 2 since 15 Oct	Deep dive, 15 Oct
Eye of the Storm	Pushback resistance while casting Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning	Deep dive
Call of Flame	Also extends Flame Shock by 3/6/9 seconds	15 Oct
Elemental Reach	Longer range on Fire Nova and Flame Shock; no longer affects Totemic Projection	Deep dive, 2 Nov
Lightning Overload	10/20/30% chance to cast a free half-damage copy with no threat (was 3/7/10%)	2 Nov
Earthbound	Earthbind Totem roots nearby targets for 5 seconds when cast; 16-point milestone since 15 Oct	Deep dive, 15 Oct
Call of Thunder	Replaces Lava Burst: +5% crit on Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning	2 Nov
Lightning Mastery (formerly Elemental Mastery)	Renamed on 2 Nov; final effect not spelled out (see below)	2 Nov

Lava Burst is gone. It started as the 31-point talent, moved to 21 points on 15 October and was removed on 2 November. Older guides and videos that build around Lava Burst are out of date.

Lightning Mastery is unclear. Blizzard removed Elemental Mastery in the deep dive, brought it back as the 31-point talent on 15 October (−0.5 s on Lightning Bolt and Lava Burst, no Chain Lightning cooldown for 15 seconds, 3-minute cooldown) and renamed it Lightning Mastery on 2 November. Since Lava Burst no longer exists, check the tooltip in game before you plan around it.

Talent priorities while leveling

Blizzard hasn't published a recommended build, and the beta ended at level 30, so treat this as a priority order rather than a tested build:

1. Rows 1–2 for cast speed and crit: Elemental Alacrity early, because faster Bolts mean faster kills; Elemental Devastation if you melee between casts.
2. Call of Flame for longer Flame Shocks you can apply on the move.
3. Eye of the Storm so mobs hitting you don't push back your Bolts while soloing.
4. Lightning Overload as soon as it's available: free damage at no mana cost.
5. Call of Thunder, which takes Lava Burst's former place in the tree, for crit; and Earthbound (16-point milestone) for a root when you're caught in melee.

Talents start at level 10, with one-point milestones at 11, 16, 21 and 31 points. You change talents at a class trainer in a major city.

Playing Elemental while leveling

• Open with Lightning Bolt from max range, follow with a second Bolt, and finish with a shock. Shocks hit harder since 2 November.
• Drop totems only for longer fights. Call of the Elements costs the mana of all four totems; on quick kills a single Fire totem plus Fire Nova is cheaper for packs.
• Use Chain Lightning on packs, not single mobs. It costs about 225% of a Lightning Bolt's mana.
• Earthbind or Earthbound, then Bolt. Slowing melee mobs is your best defense in mail armor.
• Plan for drinking. Camping and well-fed buffs help; see our XP buffs guide.

What isn't confirmed yet

• Lightning Mastery's final effect after Lava Burst's removal.
• How Elemental scales from 30 to 60. Nobody has tested it publicly at those levels.

Where RestedXP fits

As a caster you want short travel between hubs and drinks at the right moment. RestedXP's Forever Speedrun routes cover levels 1–35 now, with 35–60 after launch. See our RestedXP review, or take 10% off through our discount code page.

Frequently asked questions

Is Elemental Shaman good for leveling in WoW Forever?

It is a fair choice and much stronger than at the start of the beta: Blizzard's November 2 notes raised Lightning Bolt damage (the top rank by 80%) and tripled Lightning Overload. Enhancement is still the safer default because melee damage doesn't cost mana.

Does Elemental Shaman have Lava Burst in WoW Forever?

No. Lava Burst was a talent during the beta, but Blizzard removed it on November 2 and replaced it with Call of Thunder, which adds 5% critical strike chance to Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning.

What does Lightning Overload do in WoW Forever?

It gives Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning a chance to instantly cast a second copy at no mana cost, for half damage and no threat. Since November 2 the chance is 10/20/30%, up from 3/7/10%.

Is Elemental Mastery in WoW Forever?

Blizzard's November 2 notes say Elemental Mastery was renamed Lightning Mastery. Its October 15 version cut Lightning Bolt's cast time and removed Chain Lightning's cooldown for 15 seconds, but it also referenced Lava Burst, which is now gone, so check the in-game tooltip for its final effect.

What is Lightning Bolt's cast time in WoW Forever?

2.5 seconds for rank 4 and up, down from 3 seconds in Classic, per Blizzard's deep dive. Chain Lightning went back to 2.5 seconds on November 2.