Hello and happy new year to everyone!
Here is my personal opinion on what PVP enh shammy needs to be considered viable - and still wouldn’t be considered op.
1. Doom Winds need to either have a 30 yard range, or be a self buff, off GCD.
→ Keeping up with ranged enemies that kite you, or have insane mobility is nearly impossible. Given that enhancement shammy in arena is a target dummy most of the time, we usually end up cc-locked hitting whatever we can in close proximity, unable to make good use of the 3 min ascendance cooldown.
2. Feral Lunge needs to be baseline and have a 15 second cooldown
→ We need a gap closer in a shorter cooldown to address our inability to stick to targets effectively, while being targeted by everyone.
3. We need a revamp of the totem system as a whole
→ Having recorded more than 100 arena games, I have noticed that using GCD to cast any totem (maybe except the occasional Grounding) is a waste of time. The fight constantly moves around and away from totem range, either it is defensive or offensive. → NEW Totemic Projection: Casting Stormstrike relocates your active totems at the caster’s feet. Cannot occur more than once every 10 seconds.
→ This would free our hecting button pressing during a match
4. Hex needs the option to be talented into instant cast for enhancement, or make it useable with nature’s swiftness
→ NEW Enfeeblement: Hex is now instant cast.
5. Rotation is very unsatisfiying
→ Either SS build or Fire build, enhancement rarely has the oportunity to have a proper rotation, which is usually as follows:
WF totem (for as long as you stay in range) - wolves - earth elemental - flame/frost shock - earthgrab or feral lunge to reach - Stoneskin if focused - defensive/aggressive capacitor - Thunderstorm + Lasso to bait some trinkets / cds. Notice how in 5-10 seconds you still haven’t dealt any damage. Say you have an opening to actually press damage buttons, this inculdes, wf totem - shock - stormstrike - ice strike - spender - crash - stormstrike - spender etc. Particularly, with ascendance/ss spec, ice strike and lava lash are usually useless because damage is irrelevant, they fill up the GCDs that you could use for utility moves. Notice how in the above rotation, ive not mentioned GCD for purges, hex cast with fakes, heals, earth shield and ghost wolf kiting.
6. We need a solid defensive option
it’s no coinsidence enhancement shaman is the universal target by any comp. In a high rated stun opener you need to burn trinket and astral shift, which leaves you very vunrelable afterwards. Spending mana and stacks for heals is an ineffective way of survivability, especially nowadays that even non-hybrid classes can self heal cheaper and easier, without sacrificing resources and damage output.
That’s my input on the matter. I repeat, those are changes I would accept just to be on par with the rest of the pack. Not to become overpowered and faceroll.
PS: For the love of all that is holy, please make it that when I change a PVP talent in the waiting room I dont lose my lightning and earth shield on me.