Shaman Guide: The Nuke

So the general usefulness of a Shaman are their powerful Single Target attack elemental spells. They are the fastest magic casters, and like Blademasters are quite useful against bosses.

Some of their debuff spells can also be quite useful against Bosses.

Builds:

2 wis 1 agi: This is a generally standard build for all magical classes. However, because Shammys can cast so fast they usually will not need the agi.

Pure Wis: Usually is best so that you have more MP and stronger attacks. If you are going to be in a PARTY most of the time, this is the way to go. Don't worry about agi or dex because that's where MUSE buffs help you.

Skills:

Skill Tree 1: taken from domocamp.com

Seasonal Magic

All Seasonal Magic require Wands.

* Snow Shower : Single Target; Attacks target with Metal elemental damage.

* Ides of March : Single Target; Attacks target with Wood elemental damage.

* Tidal Torrent : Single Target; Attacks target with Water elemental damage.

* Heatstroke Hex : Single Target; Attacks target with Fire elemental damage.

* Coming of Autumn : Single Target; Attacks target with Earth elemental damage.

* Blizzard : AoE; Attacks multiple targets with Metal elemental damage.

* Blackthorn : AoE; Attacks multiple targets with Wood elemental damage.

* Acid Rain : AoE; Attacks multiple targets with Water elemental damage.

* Summer Solstice : AoE; Attacks multiple targets with Fire elemental damage.

* Scorched Earth : AoE; Attacks multiple targets with Earth elemental damage.


Shaman's don't get their first AoE until lvl 29. So you're stuck with single target spells from Page 1 of seasonal magic. You cannot get the AoE of a specific element until you get to lvl 4 of the single target spells.

For a PARTY shaman, get all your single target spells to lvl 4 Then put the rest of the points into your AoEs.

Skill Tree 2:

Nature Magic

* Summer Sun : Single Target; Decreases target's magic defense for a short duration (1/2 duration against players).

* Hoar Frost : Single Target; Decreases target's defense for a short duration (1/2 duration against players).

* Spring Cleaning : Buff; MP recovery over time.

* Heavy Frost : Debuff; Stops target's movement for a short time (1/2 duration against players).

* Heatstroke : Debuff; Deals damage over time.

* Deep Heat : Single Target; Deals non-elemental damage and reduces target's magic defense.

* Frostbite : Single Target; Deals non-elemental damage and reduces target's defense.

* Malicious Mirror : Buff; Reflects an enemy's skill or spell.

* Choking Climber : Debuff; Roots target, preventing it from moving for a short duration (1/3 duration on players).

* Swarm : Single Target; Deals non-elemental damage and poisons target, making it lose HP over time.


So generally you don't need most of these unless you are going to SOLO, but there are a few useful ones to get.

Malicious Mirror - Similar to a Muse's Echo Guard skill, this has a chance of reflecting an enemy's damage to you. Even in a party, this skill can be quite useful as when you AoE you will be likely to get aggro every now and again and since shammys have low physical defense you will need it.

Spring Cleaning - Not the best MP regen skill but useful to have if you can't use inner or any other MP regain skill. You need to get it to a certain Lvl in order to get Malicious Mirror.

Shaman Skills (Passive) taken from AKFrost's Shaman Skills Thread

Equip Wand
Allows Subbed Job to equip Wands
Level Required Points Required
30 15


Mega Magic
Increases MP
Prerequisite Points Required
None 3

Yin-Yang Transform
Increase MP Recovery Effects on you. Effect is halved when subbed onto other jobs.

Equip Wand: [i]If you tend to sub wiz/shaman skills all the time, you will need Equip Wand from this set. Wizard doesn't have equip wand, you get it from Shaman.

Yin-Yang Transform: I suggest you try to max this as it is helpful in speeding up your standing MP recovery when you use MP recovery skills like Spring Cleaning, Inner Magic or Cataclysmic Converter. I believe this can work when Mystic Mantra is cast on you as well.

And that's about it!

Shaman Life Quest Guides:

Mythyc's Shaman Guide - At the bottom of the first post

Uhh this is just for me to refer back too... seeing how I forget it all the time.

What does the "makes" part mean? Makes it stronger?

the makes thing is something thats not in the game but is referenced in the shaman lvl 30 life quest. in the actual system based on mythology or whatever is that element makes the next one stronger.

zeke wrote:
What does the "makes" part mean? Makes it stronger?

Uhh sorry I didn't notice this before but um...to explain what they mean by "Makes"....

It means one element can "make" another, or add to it. Some are easy to understand:

Water "makes" wood because it causes it to grow.

Wood "makes" fire because it is needed for a flame to start.

Fire "makes" earth where fire creates ash, and ash becomes soil which is earth.

Earth "makes" metal because many types of metals are created within the earth.

Metal "makes" water because it condenses upon metal.

Here is a general reference to the Onmyou Tradition here.