Under the leadership of Thrall, the Orcs have rediscovered their ancient Shamanistic traditions. In an attempt to rid the Horde of its demonic corruption, Thrall banned the use of Warlock magic and necromancy. Now, all Orc magic users practice Shaman magic which draws its power from the natural world and the elements.
Information[]
The Orc Shaman is one of the most powerful spellcasters besides the Human Sorceress. The Shaman is powerful because of his Bloodlust ability mainly. Shamans can Bloodlust any friendly organic unit, including allied units, Orc units, and themselves. They cannot Bloodlust mechanical or magic-immune units like Demolishers and Dryads. You can further enhance this damage with Heroes and a Kodo Beast. Shamans can also slow escaping enemy units with Purge and wreak havoc with Lightning Shield on shadowmelded or tightly packed groups of enemy units. There are several methods of using Shamans. Many players build Grunts then work up to Shamans and use the two together. Shamans are also good when used with Wind Riders, or with Tauren, or with both.
Remember to research Adept and Master Training. Besides just giving extra spells, these upgrades also increase mana capacity and mana regeneration, which is exactly what you want on spell casting units.
Spells and abilities[]
Purge[]
- Removes all buffs from a target unit. Enemy units are also immobilized for 3 seconds and their movement speed is reduced by a factor of 5; they will slowly regain their movement speed over 15 seconds. Deals 400 damage to summoned units.
| Duration (Hero) | Cooldown | Mana Cost | Range | Allowed Targets | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 (5) sec. 3 (1) sec. immobilization. | 1 sec. | 75 | 70 | Air, Ground, Ward | Spells removed, Movement Speed slowed, 400 damage to summoned units |
Purge is useful for removing enemy spell effects. An example would be enemy Sorceresses Polymorphing your units.
Use Purge to prevent enemy units and Heroes from running away.
Lightning Shield[]
- Forms a shield of electricity around a target unit, dealing 20 damage per second to units around it. Lasts 20 seconds.
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Lightning Shield is useful for casting on groups of tightly packed enemy units. Cast Lightning Shield on an enemy unit surrounded by other units. The enemy player will be forced to move this unit away or it will kill off or damage surrounding units.
You can also cast this on your own units but be warned that good enemy players typically run away until it wears off.
- Lightning Shield Counters
Select the unit with Lightning Shield on it and run it away from other units to prevent the Lightning Shield from hurting them. Use the Lightning Shield against the enemy, move a unit with Lightning Shield next to enemy units.
Bloodlust (Autocast)[]
- Increases a friendly unit's attack rate by 40% and movement speed by 25%.
| Duration | Cooldown | Mana Cost | Range | Allowed Targets | Effect | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 sec. | 1 sec. | 40 | 60 | Air, Ground, Friend, Organic, Self | Attack Rate +40%, Movement Speed +25% | Shaman Master Training |
Like in Warcraft II, Bloodlust is one of the uber spells in the game. Orc players should almost always try to build up to Bloodlust because it can greatly enhance their Grunts, Tauren, or Wind Riders. In physical view, you will see your hero,unit, etc. will have their size increased. This is made for the best melee attackers such as Blademasters, Grunts, Taurens.
It's best to turn off the autocasting of Bloodlust when you don't need it. That way your Shaman will have built up Mana for Bloodlust, Purge, and Lightning Shield.
Upgrades[]
- Shaman Adept Training
- Increases mana capacity by 100, mana regeneration rate by 30%, hit points by 40, and gives Shamans the ability to cast Lightning Shield.
| Research Cost | Researched At | Requirements | Upgrade Time |
|---|---|---|---|
100  50  |
Spirit Lodge | None | 60 sec. |
- Shaman Master Training
- Further increases mana capacity by 100, mana regeneration rate by 30%, hit points by 40, and gives Shamans the ability to cast Bloodlust.
Research Cost Researched At Requirements Upgrade Time 100 150 Spirit Lodge Shaman Adept Training, Fortress 75 sec.
Patch Changes[]
| Patch 1.01 (07/03/2002) |
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| Patch 1.03 (10/09/2002) |
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| Patch 1.06 (06/04/2003) |
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| Patch 1.10 (07/01/2003) |
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Global
The Frozen Throne
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| Patch 1.15 (05/11/2004) |
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Trivia[]
- In the the third chapter of Sentinels campaign in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, during the scene where Gul'dan enters in the tomb, he is followed by group of Shamans. Howewer, there is Shamanism during the First War, and shamans have been replaced with warlocks. This is the probably the oversight by Blizzard Entertainment.
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