hmm doing some fast math here it looks like a nerf to dps actually.

assuming +1000dmg (so like 840 spell dmg plus 55relic plus 101 wrath of air)

proposed LB:
(603+(1000)(2.5/3.5))*1.05 = 1383 LB hit

assuming 35 crit.
(.65)(1383) + (.35)(1383*2) = 898.95 +968.2 = 1867 avg dmg before LO

1867*1.1(LO is .2 but dmg is halved) = 2053 average dmg from LB with LO


current:
(603+1000*(3/3.5))*1.05 = 1533 LB hit
assuming 35 crit
(.65)(1533)+(.35)1533*2) = 996.45 +1073= 2069 before LO
2069 *1.05 = 2172 average dmg from LB with LO


end result. NERF. I'm sure it will get worse as you get more and more +dmg. 840+dmg isn't all that high either....
Unless I messed up on the math which is quite possible since I did this in like 2 mins.

It's a slight DPS nerf, but the DPS done before OOM is going to go up significantly with the change to Elemental Focus. It also makes Lightning Mastery considerably less "required" to do reasonable amounts of damage, which will make Resto-Elemental synergy a bit better (the lack of LO probably hurts nearly as much now). It also puts greater emphasis on Lightning Overload, which will probably lead to more people taking Totem of Wrath.

Considering how hilariously overpowered the -1 second cast time talents made +damage scale, this is probably a pretty reasonable compromise.

Why is dps done before going OOM an issue? Is there any super long fights other than maybe Kael where this is an issue? And even if you are not lucky enough to raid with a shadow priest, there is ways to draw out your mana on long fights. The badge totem, demonic runes, chugging super mana pots, mageblood pots, drums of restoration. All this does is make a class whose only group buff is 3% spell hit/crit worse dps. At a time where they are not competitive at all and certainly don't dominate enhancement. This plus buffs to enhancement will just lead to most shamans being resto/enhancement.

This is at 840 spell dmg... it gets worse as you get more +dmg. End game ele sham have 1100+ spell dmg.. its a rather huge nerf. Usually you are in a spreist group as well so mana is not an issue. This is only really any good if you dont' have a spreist or never raid past kara

I'm grabbing a copy of my shamandps calcs (left my version at home)
I'll do a 2.2 v 2.3 and upload it today/tomorrow.

At 1000 +damage and 35% crit this is about a 5% reduction in DPS. The sky isn't falling.
There's a pretty wide trend in the 2.3 patch to decrease reliance on consumables as a source of mana regen. Between the Mana Spring changes and the laundry list of changes, there is going to be a considerable difference in sustainability for elemental.

I don't think anyone in SSC or above is having sustainability issues as an elemental shaman, unless you're just weaving in CL without a care in the world. But we do want to make sure our raid spot is justified, and nerfing our overall damage is not really doing that. What is extremely disturbing though, is that they were attempting to pass this off as a dps buff. Are the devs wrong? Is there some other change here? Were the CMs misinformed about this "buff"? They flat out said "testing" had shown a dps increase, which is clearly not the case.

2020/2142 = .943
I checked your math on the previous page, it's correct. I'd like to know how you get a 10% nerf from that, it looks an awful lot like 5.7%.

Regarding your comment on the previous page that enhancement is being buffed: the treeis getting extremely minor changes that are not going to alter DPS significantly. The threat cap change (which really only brings Shamans on par with Warriors) is far more important than the talent replacing 2H weapons, and the extra +dmg is negligible since it will end up being 13% of AP to shock damage and all but requires the removal of points from healing interrupt protection. Twisting WF/GoA is still more likely a larger DPS benefit than spamming shocks even after this change.

1050 spell dmg after relic and totem of wrath is very middle of the road as far as gear goes. end game shamans would have 1100+85relic+101wrath+75flask or 1361 spell dmg. pretty huge nerf for anyone in BT gear.

It's because of consumables. Add another 145 from consumables and I get my spell damage at basically 1200.

This gives me average LB of 1628, crit factored in 2215, LO brings it to 2326.
It also gives me average CL of 1738. crit factored in 2364, LO brings it to 2482.

New system.

Average LB of 1457x1.36x1.1 gives me 2180.
Average CL of 1565x1.36x1.1 gives me 2341.

2180/2326 = 93%, or a 7% reduction. So it wasn't quite 10% for me and you are right in that. But I have no pieces of T5 or T6 loot. All my stuff is crafted, heroics, kara and arena. For those shamans in T5/T6 gear I'm sure the numbers are much closer to 10%.

Edit: One other thing I forgot to add in is trinkets. Trinkets like icon and shiffar will take a big hit. Surprisingly TLC shouldn't be much affected since its not a + dmg trinket. Once you factor in + dmg trinkets and actual top end gear unlike mine, the nerf is 10%.

Ok, playing around with shamandps.

If we assume that new LB cost = 275 (2.5/3 * 330) the initial dps is about 95% of 2.2 for the first three minutes, but increases over the next three to 114%.

In short, initial burst dps nerf, sustainability buff. Means that we can start dropping some of those regen tricks we've been using.

Also, making some initial changes to elerotations, there's a decrease in damage output, but the 3LB/1CL rotation becomes more practical (sitting at 28 mps saving, with a loss of 51 dps)

So, I guess it's a bit of a buff, but a bit of a nerf too, but in a good way as it's buffed the right bits, and the nerfs compensate for those buffs overall. Without the cast-time changes, we'd be seeing a 104%->125% increase in DPS rather than the 95%-114% increase.

Note that this does not take into account the Water Shield change either.

Elemental was just too good a raiding spec, it had to be nerfed for the love of god!

/facepalm

Note that they even nerfed the PVP aspect through burst dmg nerf.. wtf is elemental gonna do now, I don't know.

What did you guys expect? We got our hopes up about changes (like we always do) and then they crush them in an instant. Thanks again, Blizzard.

Not a nerf to LB coefficient, I can tell you that much.

It's not like there's excessive amounts of raid spots going to ELE shamans AFAIK...

Yeah, I guess nobody was...another sad day for the Shaman class.

Keep in mind that the change to LO is nearly a straight up 5% buff so be sure to factor that into any calculations to do with the worsened coefficient.

As well, the improvement to elemental focus allows you to knowingly weave in CL for the second clearcast charge and the buffs to water shield and mana spring will allow you to use a more aggressive spell rotation.

Put me in the 'wait and see' column.

Taking mana out of the equation, it's roughly a 5% damage nerf to LB spam.

I'm going to add in CL to get some rotation comparisons going as well, as 2.2 LB Spam < 2.3 3 LB/1CL rotation (which should be practical rather than only when you've got an spriest).

I rather like the changes. Overall it means that casters might actually be able to get away from that mana pot dependance and start using Destruction pots more.

In a raid, nobody cares if you have to pop pots to keep your mana up. What people care about is your DPS output, and buffs to the raid/group. This is a nerf to Elemental viability in raiding, which was already not the best.

My calculations included consumables and Lightning Overload at my level of gear (950 nature damage) and it at best for me a 7% nerf. For people with more gear its closer to 10%. Now one could say that this makes shamans less reliant on shadow priests, which is true, but then again potting and using the heroic badge totem along with max consumables did it. It is a heavy nerf to elemental raiding, and sadly as gear gets better the nerf gets worse.

QFT - And I don't have time to reroll anymore. Bleh.

It can always change.

But since I'm only in Kara, I won't be noticing the nerf so much. Plus, with my measely 600 spell dmg and 125mp5 buffed, I won't be chugging as often. I never expected to be anywhere near the top of the dms.

At 39% crit, 960spell damage self buffed, this is a nerf. I NEVER have mana issues with a spriest in my group (which I always do).

I'd love to see the reasoning behind the cast time change. Our dps was never OP and yet they decide to nerf us even more :\

PvP wise... our burst damage has decreased but our survivability has increased (FS DR change and water shield).

Sad day for elemental Shamans.