Restoration Shaman
Healer
Riptide into Chain Heal, with Mana Tide when the group is dry.
Verified 2026-10-01
Build 1.60.1.70124
Lightning Bolt until Riptide
SupportedBeta-testedTheoryIcy Veins says you level Restoration by casting Lightning Bolt and Flame Shock with no damage talents. This order puts 10 points in Concussion and Convection first so that is less true, then walks Restoration to Riptide. No respec at 40.
10 / 0 / 41 (51 points)
Elemental
10 pts
5/5ConvectionRank 5/5Reduces the mana cost of your Shock, Lightning Bolt, Lava Burst, and Chain Lightning spells by 10%.
5/5ConcussionRank 5/5Increases the damage done by your Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, and Earth Shock spells by 5%.
Elemental WardingRank 0/3Reduces damage taken from Fire, Frost, and Nature effects by 3%.
ReverberationRank 0/5Reduces the cooldown of your Shock spells by 0.2 sec.
Call of FlameRank 0/3Increases the damage done by your Fire Totems and by your Flame Shock, Fire Nova, and Lava Burst spells by 5%.
Elemental DevastationRank 0/3Your offensive spell critical strikes will increase your chance to get a critical strike with melee attacks by 3% for 10 sec.
Elemental FocusRank 0/1Gives you a 10% chance to enter a Clearcasting state after casting any Fire, Frost, or Nature damage spell. The Clearcasting state reduces the mana cost of your next damage spell by 100%.
Elemental AlacrityRank 0/3Reduces the cast time of your Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, and Lava Burst spells by 0.17 sec.
Improved Fire NovaRank 0/2Increases the damage done by your Fire Nova spell by 10% and reduces its cooldown by 2 sec.
Eye of the StormRank 0/3Reduces the pushback suffered from damaging attacks while casting Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, and Lava Burst by 23%.
Call of ThunderRank 0/1Increases the critical strike chance of your Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning spells by 3%.Requires Elemental Alacrity
Elemental ReachRank 0/2Increases the range of your Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Fire Nova, and Lava Burst spells by 3 yards, and increases the range of your Flame Shock spell by 8 yards.
Lightning OverloadRank 0/3Gives your Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning spells a 3% chance to cast a second, similar spell on the same target at no additional cost that causes half damage and no threat.
EarthboundRank 0/1Your Earthbind Totem Immobilizes nearby targets for 5 sec when cast.
Elemental FuryRank 0/5Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Searing and Magma Totems and your Fire, Frost, and Nature spells by 20%.Requires Call of Thunder
Lava BurstRank 0/1You hurl molten lava at the target, dealing 150 to 192 Fire damage. If your Flame Shock is on the target, Lava Burst deals 20% increased damage.Requires Lightning Overload
Enhancement
0 pts
Earth's GraspRank 0/2Increases the health of your Stoneclaw Totem by 25% and the radius of your Earthbind Totem by 10%.
Thundering StrikesRank 0/5Improves your chance to get a critical strike with all spells and attacks by 1%.
Ancestral KnowledgeRank 0/5Increases your Intellect by 2%.
Guardian TotemsRank 0/2Increases the amount of damage reduced by your Stoneskin Totem and Windwall Totem by 10% and reduces the cooldown of your Grounding Totem by 1 sec.
Mental DexterityRank 0/3Increases your Attack Power by an amount equal to 33% of your Intellect.
Improved Ghost WolfRank 0/2Reduces the cast time of your Ghost Wolf spell by 1 sec, and Ghost Wolf may be used indoors.
Improved Lightning ShieldRank 0/3Increases the damage done by your Lightning Shield orbs by 5%.
Elemental WeaponsRank 0/3Increases the melee attack power bonus of your Rockbiter Weapon by 7%, your Windfury Weapon effect by 13% and increases the damage caused by your Flametongue Weapon and Frostbrand Weapon by 5%.
Shamanistic FocusRank 0/1Reduces the mana cost of your Shock and Lightning Shield spells by 45%.
AnticipationRank 0/3Increases your chance to dodge by an additional 2%.
ToughnessRank 0/5Increases your Stamina by 2%.
FlurryRank 0/5Increases your attack speed by 5% for your next 3 swings after dealing a melee critical strike.Requires Mental Dexterity
StormstrikeRank 0/1Instantly strike for normal weapon damage and increase the damage you deal to the target with your next Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, or Earth Shock spell by 20% for 12 sec.
Spirit WeaponsRank 0/1Gives a chance to parry enemy melee attacks, reduces all threat generated by your attacks by 30% while Rockbiter Weapon is not active, and increases all threat generated by 30% while Rockbiter Weapon is active.
Mental QuicknessRank 0/2Increases your spell damage and healing by up to 15% of your Intellect.
Improved StormstrikeRank 0/2When you Stormstrike, you have a 50% chance to gain 50% mana regeneration while casting spells for 15 sec, and Stormstrike's cooldown has a 50% chance to reset each time you Dodge or Parry.Requires Stormstrike
Maelstrom WeaponRank 0/5When you deal damage with a melee attack, you have a chance to reduce the cast time and Mana cost of your next Lightning Bolt spell by 4%. Stacks up to 5 times. Lasts 30 sec.
Rage of the FarseerRank 0/1Increases your attack speed by 30% for 25 sec.Requires Mental Quickness
Restoration
41 pts5/5Improved Healing WaveRank 5/5Reduces the casting time of your Healing Wave spell by 0.5 sec.
5/5Totemic FocusRank 5/5Reduces the Mana cost of your totems and any spells that summon or move them by 25%.
3/3MindfulnessRank 3/3Allows 50% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
2/3Natural GraceRank 2/3Reduces the threat generated by your spells by 10%.
5/5Tidal FocusRank 5/5Reduces the Mana cost of your healing spells by 5% and improves your chance to hit by 5%.
Improved ReincarnationRank 0/2Reduces the cooldown of your Reincarnation spell by 10 min, increases your maximum health by 2%, and increases the amount of health and Mana you reincarnate with by an additional 10%.
1/3Ancestral HealingRank 1/3Increases your target's armor value by 8% for 15 sec after getting a critical effect from one of your healing spells.
3/3Healing FocusRank 3/3Gives you a 70% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while casting any healing spell.
1/1Water ShieldRank 1/1The caster is surrounded by 3 globes of water. When a spell, melee, or ranged attack hits the caster or when one of the caster's healing spells gets a critical result, 2% of maximum mana is restored to the caster, expending one water globe. Only one globe will activate every few seconds. Lasts 10 min.
Only one Elemental Shield can be active on the Shaman at any one time.
5/5Tidal MasteryRank 5/5Increases the critical effect chance of your healing spells by 5%.
Restorative TotemsRank 0/5Increases the effect of your Mana Spring Totem by 5% and increases the effect of your Healing Stream Totem by 10%.
1/1Mana Tide TotemRank 1/1Summons a Mana Tide Totem with 5 health at the feet of the caster for 12 sec that restores 88 mana every 3 seconds to group members within 30 yards.
3/3Healing WayRank 3/3Increases the amount healed by your Healing Wave spell by 25%.
1/1Nature's SwiftnessRank 1/1When activated, your next Nature spell with a casting time less than 10 sec. becomes an instant cast spell.
5/5PurificationRank 5/5Increases the effectiveness of your healing spells by 10%.
1/1RiptideRank 1/1Heals a friendly target for 485 to 533, an additional 445 over 15 sec, and increases the effectiveness of your Chain Heal casts directly on that target by 25%.Requires Healing Way
Leveling talent order
One point per level from 10 to 60, planned to need no respec.
Levels 10–19
- Level 10·Concussion(1/5)
- Level 11·Concussion(2/5)
- Level 12·Concussion(3/5)
- Level 13·Concussion(4/5)
- Level 14·Concussion(5/5)
- Level 15·Improved Healing Wave(1/5)
- Level 16·Improved Healing Wave(2/5)
- Level 17·Improved Healing Wave(3/5)
- Level 18·Improved Healing Wave(4/5)
- Level 19·Improved Healing Wave(5/5)
Levels 20–29
- Level 20·Mindfulness(1/3)
- Level 21·Mindfulness(2/3)
- Level 22·Mindfulness(3/3)
- Level 23·Tidal Focus(1/5)
- Level 24·Tidal Focus(2/5)
- Level 25·Tidal Focus(3/5)
- Level 26·Tidal Focus(4/5)
- Level 27·Tidal Focus(5/5)
- Level 28·Water Shield(1/1)
- Level 29·Healing Focus(1/3)
Levels 30–39
- Level 30·Healing Focus(2/3)
- Level 31·Healing Focus(3/3)
- Level 32·Tidal Mastery(1/5)
- Level 33·Tidal Mastery(2/5)
- Level 34·Tidal Mastery(3/5)
- Level 35·Tidal Mastery(4/5)
- Level 36·Tidal Mastery(5/5)
- Level 37·Healing Way(1/3)
- Level 38·Healing Way(2/3)
- Level 39·Healing Way(3/3)
Levels 40–49
- Level 40·Nature's Swiftness(1/1)
- Level 41·Mana Tide Totem(1/1)
- Level 42·Purification(1/5)
- Level 43·Purification(2/5)
- Level 44·Purification(3/5)
- Level 45·Riptide(1/1)
- Level 46·Purification(4/5)
- Level 47·Purification(5/5)
- Level 48·Totemic Focus(1/5)
- Level 49·Totemic Focus(2/5)
Levels 50–59
- Level 50·Totemic Focus(3/5)
- Level 51·Totemic Focus(4/5)
- Level 52·Totemic Focus(5/5)
- Level 53·Natural Grace(1/3)
- Level 54·Natural Grace(2/3)
- Level 55·Ancestral Healing(1/3)
- Level 56·Convection(1/5)
- Level 57·Convection(2/5)
- Level 58·Convection(3/5)
- Level 59·Convection(4/5)
Level 60
- Level 60·Convection(5/5)
Stat priority
- Intellect
- Stamina
- Spell Power
- Spirit
- Healing Power
You are a caster until the group invites you. Intellect and a wand-equivalent staff beat healing power you cannot use on mobs.
Best race
Alliance
Dwarf
Only choice. Stoneform saves a bad pull. Big Game Hunter is 5% damage against beasts, which is a lot of the leveling map.
Find TreasureInstant. Allows the dwarf to sense nearby treasure, making it appear on the minimap. Lasts until canceled.
StoneformInstant, 3 min cooldown. Instantly removes and grants immunity to all Bleed, Poison, and Disease effects, and reduces all Physical damage taken by 10% for 8 sec.
Mace SpecializationIncreases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 1% while you have a mace or two-handed mace equipped.
Big Game HunterDamage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5%.
Horde
Orc
Runner-up: TrollIcy Veins names Orc the Horde shaman for Blood Fury, and while leveling you are dealing damage, so the 10% Spell Power applies. Shatter Curse saves a cursed pull.
Blood FuryInstant, 2 min cooldown. Increases Attack Power and Spell Power by 10% for 15 sec.
HardinessDuration of Stun effects on you reduced by 20%.
Axe SpecializationIncreases your critical strike chance with all spells and abilities by 1% while you have an axe or a two-handed axe equipped.
Shatter CurseInstant, 3 min cooldown. Instantly removes and grants immunity to all Curses and Banes, and reduces all Magical damage taken by 15% for 8 sec.
How to play it
- Lightning Bolt, Flame Shock, Earth Shock to interrupt. Drink. Icy Veins is explicit that this is the level-20 loop.
- Healing Wave yourself between pulls once Improved Healing Wave has cut the cast. Do not heal the mob’s damage with a full-rank cast if a bandage exists.
- Drop Searing Totem only if you will stand still. A totem you run away from is wasted mana.
- Water Shield the moment the order grants it. Solo, getting hit is how it procs.
- Group for dungeons as soon as someone will take a shaman healer. The spec is bad at solo elites. Icy Veins says so.
Verdict
Restoration is the shaman healer Icy Veins calls flexible: Healing Wave for one person, Chain Heal for the group, neither on a cooldown, and Riptide as the capstone that also makes the next Chain Heal on that target 25% stronger. Mana Tide Totem is the group mana button. Water Shield restores mana when you are hit or when a heal crits.
Sep 24 let Riptide crit. The same notes stopped Flametongue Totem from stacking with Flametongue Weapon or Windfury Totem, and stopped Windfury Totem from stacking with other air totems. Your buffs are still required. They are no longer free to double.
wowforever.co shows Restoration at S on Skycoach and Overgear and at B on the forum list. Icy Veins, updated Sep 23, calls it an excellent dungeon healer and a poor solo leveler. Alliance has one shaman race: Dwarf. There is no runner-up.
Bring Restoration to dungeons. Do not solo-level as a healer past the point Lightning Bolt stops being enough. The leveling order keeps 10 Elemental points so the respec never comes.
Strengths
- Riptide is a direct heal, a 15-second heal over time, and 25% stronger Chain Heals on that target.
- Mana Tide Totem restores mana to the group. Icy Veins lists it as the talent that defines the spec’s raid invite.
- Nature’s Swiftness makes the next Nature cast instant. That is the emergency Healing Wave.
- Earth Shock interrupts, Purge dispels, Tremor Totem breaks fear. Icy Veins is right that the totem kit is the utility, not a talent.
Weaknesses
- Icy Veins: healer specs level slowly, and Restoration has no area damage talents. You Lightning Bolt like a bad Elemental.
- Totems are short-range and die. A battleground that moves off your totems deletes the spec’s buffs.
- Windfury and Flametongue no longer stack the way Classic groups remember. Do not promise double totems.
- The S-rank on seller lists is not a level-60 parse. The forum list has the spec at B.
Sources
- World of Warcraft: Forever Restoration Shaman Guide — Icy Veins, 2026-09-23reputable
- WoW Forever Racial Guide — Icy Veins, 2026-09-28reputable
- WoW Forever - PvP Rank System Explained — Icy Veins, 2026-09-19reputable
- New Enchanting Formulas for World of Warcraft Forever — Warcraft Tavern, 2026-09-17reputable
- WoW Forever Patch Notes: every beta update, class by class — ForeverChanges, 2026-09-30fan
- WoW Forever Tier List: Every Public Ranking, Compared — wowforever.co, 2026-10-01fan