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Best Race for Shamans in WoW Forever

Tue, Oct 27, 202611:30 AM4 min readBy Forever Upgrades
GuideBest race for Shamans in WoW Forever: Orc, Troll, Skyborne

What is the best race for Shamans in WoW Forever? Shamans can be five races - Dwarf, Orc, Tauren, Troll and Skyborne - and Blizzard's October 26 racial changes touched four of them. Orc lost its 1% crit, Skyborne haste dropped from 3% to 2%, Dwarfs swapped critical damage for 1% hit, and Tauren lost their critical damage bonus entirely. We re-ran every Shaman spec in every race, and each spec now has a different winner: Orc for Elemental, Troll for Enhancement and Skyborne for Restoration - all by small margins.

Best race for Shamans in WoW Forever after the October 26 racial changes: Orc for Elemental, Troll for Enhancement, Skyborne for Restoration
The best Shaman race for each spec after the October 26 racial changes.

Best race for Shamans in WoW Forever: the short answer

  • Elemental: Orc (363.5 DPS in raid gear), with Troll (363.0) and Dwarf (362.0) close.
  • Enhancement: Troll (403.0), with Skyborne (402.7) and Dwarf (402.2) right behind.
  • Restoration: Skyborne (1172.2 HPS), then Orc (1166.4) and Troll (1166.1).
  • Dwarf is the big winner of the change for damage Shamans; Tauren no longer adds any damage or healing.
  • Shaman races in WoW Forever: Dwarf, Orc, Tauren, Troll and Skyborne.

The October 26 racial changes for Shamans

From Blizzard's October 26 development notes:

  • Orc: Savage (1% crit) removed. Blood Fury stays; Command only helps Hunter and Warlock pets.
  • Skyborne: Wind-Blessed haste 2% (was 3%). Read Leyline regeneration is 50% (100% while Attuned from a Ley Line).
  • Dwarf: Earth Fury (2% critical damage and healing) removed; Artisan's Precision adds 1% hit with spells and attacks.
  • Tauren: Endurance is now just 5% more health; Plainsrunning goes up to 60% movement speed, but not mounted.

Troll's Berserking doesn't change.

How we tested every Shaman race

Every number comes from our own sim engine - the same one behind our rotation simulator and spec rankings - with the October 26 racial changes put in. Each spec wears its own BiS List gear (Raid List or Dungeon List) at level 60, or our standard level 30 gear, uses our default talents and fights a boss three levels higher for 60 seconds, 1,000 times per race. We also ran every spec with no racials at all, so each race's bonus can be measured on its own. Numbers are DPS for damage specs and HPS (healing per second, healing a tank and a five-player party, no overhealing) for healers.

Bar chart of damage or healing gained from racials for Elemental, Enhancement and Restoration Shaman in each WoW Forever race: Orc, Troll, Skyborne, Dwarf, Tauren
How much each race adds to each Shaman spec, over the same Shaman with no racials.

Best race for Elemental Shaman

Orc is first (+1.5% over no racials) thanks to Blood Fury's 10% spell power on the pull, but it dropped from 366.5 to 363.5 DPS without Savage, and Troll is now only half a DPS behind. Dwarf actually gained: 1% spell hit is worth more to Elemental than 2% critical damage was (360.5 to 362.0). In dungeon gear Skyborne edges ahead, and at level 30 Troll and Skyborne tie.

  • Level 60, Raid List gear: Orc 363.5, Troll 363.0, Dwarf 362.0, Skyborne 360.2, Tauren 358.1
  • Level 60, Dungeon List gear: Skyborne 243.1, Orc 242.9, Dwarf 242.2, Troll 242.2, Tauren 239.5
  • Level 30: Troll 72.3, Skyborne 72.3, Dwarf 71.9, Orc 71.6, Tauren 71.0

Best race for Enhancement Shaman

Troll (403.0), Skyborne (402.7) and Dwarf (402.2) are within one DPS of each other in raid gear. Orc was tied for first before the change (404.2) and is now fourth (400.5). Dwarf is best in dungeon gear and at level 30, where an Enhancement Shaman's hit is far from the cap.

  • Level 60, Raid List gear: Troll 403.0, Skyborne 402.7, Dwarf 402.2, Orc 400.5, Tauren 397.3
  • Level 60, Dungeon List gear: Dwarf 290.0, Troll 289.3, Skyborne 289.3, Orc 288.3, Tauren 285.9
  • Level 30: Dwarf 89.9, Orc 89.5, Troll 89.1, Skyborne 89.1, Tauren 88.5

Best race for Restoration Shaman

Skyborne leads in raid gear (+1.5%); its number didn't move with the haste cut. In dungeon gear and at level 30, Orc is best - Blood Fury's 10% boost on the pull - and Troll and Skyborne add almost nothing there. Dwarf and Tauren now add nothing for healers: heals can't miss, and the critical healing bonuses are gone.

  • Level 60, Raid List gear: Skyborne 1172.2, Orc 1166.4, Troll 1166.1, Dwarf 1155.0, Tauren 1155.0
  • Level 60, Dungeon List gear: Orc 616.0, Skyborne 610.0, Troll 609.8, Dwarf 609.6, Tauren 609.6
  • Level 30: Orc 167.2, Troll 166.3, Skyborne 166.3, Dwarf 166.2, Tauren 166.2

What our sims don't show

  • Cooldowns are used on the pull. In a 60-second fight, a 3-minute racial like Berserking, Blood Fury or Elune's Light is used once and covers a large share of the fight. In longer boss fights, cooldowns count for less and passives for more.
  • Utility: Tauren Plainsrunning, Skyborne's Read Leyline and Skysight, and racials that only work against Beasts or Elementals (Troll, Dwarf, Skyborne) don't count against a single boss. Read Leyline's mana regeneration could matter for a healer in long fights.
Our take: the October 26 changes leave Shaman races closer together than ever - every spec's top three is within about one percent. Pick Orc or Troll for Elemental and Enhancement, Skyborne for Restoration, and don't sweat the difference. Dwarf is the surprise: it's now a real damage choice, especially while levelling.
Sim your own Shaman: paste your armory link or addon export into the rotation simulator and compare races under Options. More race guides: Mages, Warlocks, Hunters, Priests, Rogues and Warriors.

Sources

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