WoW Classic Restoration Shaman PvP Healing Guide – Best Talents, Gear, & Totems

Restoration Shamans are powerful healers in WoW Classic PvP, providing strong AoE healing with Chain Heal, damage boosts through Windfury Totem, crowd control with Purge and Earth Shock, and unmatched utility via the totem system.

Key Challenge: As a healer, you are a primary target. Proper timing of heals is crucial, as being interrupted can temporarily lock you out of healing.

This WoW Classic Restoration Shaman PvP Healing Guide helps you master healing, positioning, and totem usage to stay effective in battlegrounds and world PvP.

Table of Contents

Related Guides

WoW Classic Restoration Shaman PvE Guide – Raiding and dungeon strategies
WoW Classic Restoration Shaman Leveling Guide – Level 1-60 efficiently
WoW Classic Shaman Macros Guide – Essential macros for PvP

Best Race for Restoration PvP Shaman

Orc – Best Choice ⭐

Hardiness: 30% total stun resistance – game-changing against Rogues, Warriors, and Paladins. Allows continued healing through stun attempts.

Tauren – Balanced Option

War Stomp: 2s AoE stun creates uninterrupted healing windows. Endurance: 5% extra HP improves survivability.

Troll – PvE Focused

Berserking: 10-30% cast speed better for PvE raiding. Still vulnerable to interrupts in PvP.

WoW Classic Restoration Shaman Talent Tree Calculator Build

This is the strongest overall PvP build. You maintain nearly all relevant Restoration talents while gaining severe damage potential.

Elemental Tree (30): Elemental Focus, Call of Thunder, Improved Fire Totems, Nature’s Swiftness

Restoration Tree (21): Tidal Focus, Improved Healing Wave, Ancestral Healing, Tidal Mastery

Playstyle: Start offensive with Lightning Bolt, stay ready to switch to Lesser Healing Wave instantly, use macros to swap between Spell Power and Healing Power gear.

Nature’s Swiftness vs Elemental Mastery: Choose Nature’s Swiftness – can save lives or secure kills (3-min CD).

Restoration Shaman PvP Stat Priority

Stamina – Survival is paramount
Intellect – Larger mana pool for sustained fights
Spell/Healing Power – Increases throughput
Spell Crit – Burst healing and procs
MP5 – Less important in PvP

Avoid: Spirit (rarely outside five-second rule), Spell Hit (healing can’t miss)

PvP Gear Sets

Champion’s Stormcaller (Blue) – Starting PvP set via Honor System
Warlord’s Earthshaker (Purple) – BiS PvP stats via high-rank grind

Strategy: Start with PvE raiding gear, gradually replace with Champion’s pieces, aim for Warlord’s if pushing high ranks.

Essential Abilities

Core Healing Spells

Lesser Healing Wave (1.5s) – PRIMARY PvP heal
Nature’s Swiftness + Healing Wave (Instant) – Emergency saves only
Chain Heal (2.5s) – Only when safe from interrupts
Healing Wave (3.0s) – Only when completely safe

Key Utility Spells

Earth Shock – Interrupt enemy casts (downrank for efficiency)
Purge – Remove enemy buffs (spam vs Druid HoTs and Priest shields)
Frost Shock – 50% slow for kiting
Ghost Wolf – 40% movement speed
Flame Shock – Prevents Rogue restealth

Important Totems

Earth Totems:

Tremor Totem ⭐ – Only Horde Fear removal (critical vs Priests/Warlocks)
Earthbind Totem – Slows enemies for kiting/chasing
Stoneskin Totem – Reduces physical damage vs Rogues

Fire Totems:

Searing Totem – Pressure on enemy casters
Fire Nova Totem – AoE burst damage

Water Totems:

Mana Tide Totem ⭐ – Rapid group mana regen
Poison Cleansing ⭐ – Must drop vs Rogues and Hunters
Mana Spring – Standard backup option

Air Totems:

Windfury Totem ⭐ – Massive melee burst (maintain uptime)
Grounding Totem ⭐ – Absorbs one hostile spell (timing dependent)
Grace of Air – +Agility for Hunter groups

Best Professions for Restoration PvP Shaman

Engineering – Best for PvP ⭐

Key Items:

Thorium Grenade – AoE stun (60s CD)
Flame/Ice/Shadow Reflector – Reflect spells + resistance
Goblin Rocket Helmet – 10s incapacitate
Goblin Sapper Charge – Massive AoE burst

Pair with: Mining

Alchemy – Best for Consumables

with Alchemy Craft essential PvP consumables yourself: Free Action Potion, Limited Invulnerability Potion, Major Healing/Mana Potions.

Pair with: Herbalism

Blacksmithing – Situational

Glimmering Mithril Insignia – 30s Fear immunity (good vs Priests/Warlocks)

Must-Have Consumables

Priority List

Free Action Potion (FAP) ⭐⭐⭐ – Immunity to slows/roots/stuns – ABSOLUTELY BROKEN
Living Action Potion (LAP) – Removes movement impairing (negates Rogue opener)
Limited Invulnerability Potion (LIP) – 6s immunity to physical
Restorative Potion – Removes magical debuffs (breaks Polymorph)
Heavy Runecloth Bandage – Heals without mana
Alterac Manna Biscuit – Best food (works ANYWHERE, not just AV!)

Usage Tips

FAP: Use liberally when focused by multiple enemies or need uninterrupted healing.

LAP: Pop immediately after Rogue Cheap Shot to negate Kidney Shot.

LIP: Use during Warrior Mortal Strike window or Rogue burst combo.

Resto Pot Advanced Tactic: Pop before Mage Polymorph finishes → breaks Polymorph → Earth Shock next cast.

Carry per 2-hour session: 10x FAP, 5x LAP, 3x LIP, 5x Resto Pot, 20x Bandages, 20x Manna Biscuit, 5x Major Mana Pot (Budget: 30-50g)

Resto PvP Strategy

Healing Priority

Yourself – Can’t heal if dead
Other Healers – Multiply healing output
Flag Carriers / Key DPS – Win condition targets
Everyone Else – General healing

Positioning Guidelines

DO:

Stay within 12 yards for optimal Chain Heal jumps
Position totems centrally (20-yard range)
Maintain line of sight to your group
Use terrain to break enemy line of sight
Keep moving unpredictably

DON’T:

Stand in the open
Overextend away from your group
Forget totem placement ranges
Stand still

Offensive Support

Purge Spam – Remove shields, HoTs, buffs
Earth Shock – Interrupt enemy healers (2s lockout)
Frost Shock – Slow fleeing enemies
Searing Totem – Cast pushback pressure on healers

Totem Management

Pre-Fight Setup:

Windfury/Grace of Air
Strength of Earth/Tremor
Searing/Fire Nova
Mana Spring/Poison Cleansing

Reactive Totems:

Fear incoming → Tremor Totem
Enemy focus → Grounding Totem
Melee chasing → Earthbind Totem
Heavy poison → Poison Cleansing
Need healing → Healing Stream

Battleground Tactics for Restoration Shaman

Warsong Gulch

Flag Carrier Support: Stick with FC, spam Lesser Healing Wave, pre-drop Tremor before Priests arrive, Frost Shock enemy FCs.

Mid-Field: Support DPS with Windfury and Grounding totems.

Arathi Basin

Flag Defense: Position totems at flags (Tremor, Grounding, Searing). Use Ghost Wolf for rapid rotation between bases.

Scout: Use Far Sight to spot incoming enemies.

Alterac Valley

Early: Support main assault with Windfury and Mana Spring.

Mid: Heal commanders/lieutenants with defensive totems.

Late: Maximize healing output with Mana Tide during boss fight. Buy Manna Biscuits from quartermaster.

Class Matchups

vs Rogues

Living Action Potion after Cheap Shot
Poison Cleansing Totem (must drop)
Earthbind when they’re on you
Flame Shock to prevent restealth
Orc racial for stun resistance

vs Mages

Restorative Potion before Polymorph
Grounding Totem to absorb Polymorph
Engineering Reflectors
Earth Shock to interrupt
Stay mobile

vs Warriors

Free Action Potion vs Hamstring spam
Limited Invulnerability vs Mortal Strike
Earthbind when they charge
Frost Shock to kite
Keep topped above 50% HP

vs Priests/Warlocks

Pre-drop Tremor Totem
Purge shields continuously
Earth Shock to interrupt Fear
Glimmering Mithril Insignia for Fear immunity

Recommended Addons

Essential

Healbot / VuhDo – Click-casting on raid frames
Grid + Clique – Alternative click-casting
Decursive – One-button cleansing
TotemTimers – Track totem durations
WeakAuras – Custom cooldown alerts

Quality of Life

BigWigs / DBM – Encounter warnings
Bartender4 – Action bar customization
OmniCC – Cooldown numbers
ClassicCastbars – Enemy cast bars

Quick Reference

Emergency Response

Situation	Immediate Response	Follow-Up
Rogue opens	Living Action Potion	Earthbind → Ghost Wolf
Warrior charges	Free Action Potion	Frost Shock → Heal
Mage Polymorph	Grounding Totem	Earth Shock next cast
Priest Fear	Tremor Totem	Purge shields
Low mana <30%	Drink immediately	Call out to team
Ally <10% HP	Nature’s Swiftness + Heal	Continue spam

Totem Quick Guide

Situation	Earth	Fire	Water	Air
Standard Melee	Strength	Searing	Mana Spring	Windfury
vs Priests/Locks	Tremor	Searing	Mana Spring	Windfury
vs Rogues/Hunters	Strength	Searing	Poison Cleansing	Windfury
vs Mages (Frost)	Stoneskin	Frost Resist	Mana Spring	Grounding
Being Chased	Earthbind	Fire Nova	Mana Spring	Grounding
Defending Flag	Earthbind	Searing	Mana Spring	Grounding

Advanced Tips

Positioning Mastery

Never stand still while casting
Hide behind pillars to break line of sight
Stay with your team (between frontline and backline)

Cooldown Management

Don’t save cooldowns for “perfect” moment – use them proactively:

Nature’s Swiftness (3 min) – Life-or-death moments
Mana Tide Totem (4 min) – Heavy healing phases
Free Action Potion (2 min) – When focused
Limited Invulnerability (2 min) – Physical burst

Communication

Critical callouts:

“Healer getting focused!” – Request peels
“Purging [target]” – Coordinate pressure
“Tremor down” – Fear protection up
“Low mana” – Team adjusts
“Grounding ready” – Coordinate CC

Mana Efficiency

Downrank Lesser Healing Wave (Rank 4-6) for small damage
Let other healers top off targets >80% HP
Use bandages during lulls
Drink aggressively between fights

Final Tips

Mindset