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Three Classes Of Cataclysm Guide

Shamans were the first to get a look at what was in store for their class in the Cataclysm expansion and Blizzard certainly did not disappoint, dishing out a myriad of promising ideas including an arsenal of new spells (most available at relatively low levels) including:

Primal Strike - Available at level 3 this spell is a weapon-based attack that was added to make leveling as Enhancement more viable. Most players tend to level Elemental, as it is currently the easier leveling method. This new strike may be the key to allowing players to level whatever spec they choose with ease.
Healing Wave - Available at level 4 the name of this spell can be deceiving, as it is not the Healing Wave Shamans know and use so well. The Healing Wave Shamans have access to now will be renamed, making these two spells much akin to Priest’s Lesser Heal and Greater Heal. Implementing two distinctive Healing Wave spells should give Shamans more of an interactive experience while healing, allowing them to choose which healing spell is appropriate for the situation.
Unleash Weapon - Available at level 81 this spell is something like a Paladin’s various Judgment’s as it will allow the Shaman to unleash the power of the Shaman’s weapon enchants (Windfury Weapon, Flametongue Weapon, Earthliving Weapon) for additional effects. Dual-wielding Enhancement Shamans will be able to use the effects on both of their weapons. The spell is instant cast and has a 30 yard range with a 15 second cooldown, and promises to give Shamans of all specs a little extra boost.
Healing Rain - Available at level 83 this is a brand new area effect HoT that will bring down rain in a selected area (think Tranquility) healing all players within it. Shamans have always been powerful AoE healers, but this spell has the potential, depending on how powerful it turns out to be, to put Shaman healers on a level all their own.
Spiritwalker’s Grace - When this self-targeted buff is active, the Shaman’s spells are no longer interrupted by movement and possibly even by their own attacks.

Spells….no…longer…interrupted…need I say more? This is an amazing new spell that will give a serious advantage to Shamans. Bust out your mugs to collect the tears that inevitably will be shed by other classes.
Other changes that look should make Shamans squeal with joy include:

Totem of Wrath will be replacing Flametongue Totem. The dropping of Totem of Wrath will buff the group’s Spellpower by 4%. Elemental Shaman will have access to a talent that will allow all Fire totems to provide 10% Spellpower. This is something Elemental Shamans have been clamoring for for ages and it appears that Blizzard has finally answered their prayers. Elemental Shamans will no longer be constrained to which Fire totem they choose to drop.
Enhancement global cooldowns will be freed up to make the spec more dynamic to play. To do this Blizzard is thinking of increasing the cooldown of Lava Lash, so Shaman have time to work in other abilities. While this will mean that Lava Lash slides a little further down the usefulness totem pole, overall this idea could be promising and perhaps offer a boost in DPS. I am interested to see what Blizzard has in store here, as there is much potential for great failure or success.

The Priest class like the two classes before it was introduced to several new spells that are in my personal opinion the most likely of the three classes to see major changes before Cataclysm is actually released. The pending spells are as follows:

Heal - Available at level 16 and being introduced to make the existing Heal more useable since it becomes mostly obsolete at higher levels. Heal is intended to be the Priest’s go-to direct healing spell unless a bigger heal is needed. Heal is in essence Blizzard’s attempt to give Priests more spells to choose from when healing. It should also help perpetuate Blizzard’s attempts to turning Priests into more rounded healers. This could be a good or bad thing for the class, I’ll personally make the judgment call when I see it in action.
Mind Spike - Available at level 81 this spell is supposed to give a much needed fix to the Shadow Priests among us. The spell does Shadowfrost damage and puts a debuff on the target that improves subsequent Mind Spike damage. This spell has the potential to be great, finally giving Shadow Priests a way to do some quick damage where a normal rotation just won’t cut it, and also provides the Priest with a go to spell when their normal Shadow spells get locked out. Honestly though Mind Spike sounds a lot like Frostfire Bolt, and Fel Flame introduced in the Warlock preview. To say the least I’m a little discouraged at Blizzard’s lack of imagination here.
Inner Will - Available at level 83 This buff is exclusive with Inner Fire and increases the Priest’s movement speed and reduces the mana cost of instant-cast spells. Obviously a spell meant to use on a more situational basis, Inner Will will should give Priests an extra edge on high movement fights or PvP, while still allowing them to make use of Inner Fire in other situations. All part of making Priests a little more interesting to play.
Leap of Faith - Available at level 85 and if it makes it into the expansion without any changes it will probably be one of the most epically abused spells of all time. When used Leap of Faith will pull a party or raid member to the Priest’s location. I think this spell is a little underwhelming for level 85 but when used correctly this could be a great way to rescue group members who are having a noob moment. In all honestly though all I can keep thinking about is the hilarity that is sure to ensue if this spell is actually released.

Other notable (and good) changes that may be heading to a Priest near you are:

Discipline Priests will be getting Power Word: Barrier, which is supposed to be something like a Power Word: Shield. This is pretty awesome and I’m sure Disc Priests will be pleased they will have another option other than shielding players one by one. Perhaps it will make Disc Priests more viable for raid healing?
Holy Priests that cast Prayer of Healing, Heal or Renew three times in a row will enter an improved healing state (Holy Form?). Ok this talent sounds pretty awesome as is, but I think the awesomeness of it could be greatly improved by granting the Priest who enters this state, let’s say, laser beam eyes or something. As we all know, laser beams coming out of random orifices makes everything better. I am curious if when in this state the Priest will have restrictions on what they can cast much like Shadowform or if they will be free to cast at will.