Review of Farseer Hero Talents - Unveiling the Ancestral Healing of Restoration Shamans

Written by WowCarry

An In-Depth Look at the Farseer Shaman Hero Talents

In mid-March, Blizzard gave us a sneak peek at the upcoming The War Within expansion, revealing 12 new Hero Talent Trees. As a Restoration Shaman guide writer, I am excited to offer you an early review of the Farseer Shaman Hero Talents. These talents allow you to call upon the power of your ancestors to aid you and your allies. However, in this blog post, we will explore what exactly these ancestors do and why there aren't more ties to existing ancestral spells.

The Concept Behind Hero Talents

Hero Talents serve as an extension of the existing Talent system in World of Warcraft, offering a third talent tree that explores the class fantasy beyond your main class and specialization. Blizzard has provided an early preview of Hero Talents coming in The War Within expansion, and our Guide Writers have already started sharing their first impressions. You can find reviews of all the Hero Talent Trees we have released so far in our new Editorial Section on Wowhead.

• Farseer Restoration Shaman Review

When I first looked at the Farseer Shaman Hero Talents, I could see the direction Blizzard was heading, drawing similarities to the Holy Priest's Divine Image. However, upon further examination, it feels like the tree is unfinished. The nodes in this Hero Talent Tree do not mention any of the spells related to ancestors that we already have in our spellbook. Additionally, the choice nodes feel more like a simulation problem than an actual playstyle choice. The defensive node is weak, and the capstone talent lacks the impact you would expect. It didn't exactly make me excited to be a Farseer Shaman.

Gameplay and Power of the Farseer

• How Powerful is Farseer?

Determining the actual power level of the Farseer Shaman Hero Talents is difficult because we don't have much information about the Ancestors we will be summoning. We can summon Ancestors through various means, including Unleash Life and talents like Nature's Swiftness. These Ancestors are expected to mimic the type of spells you cast rather than copying your exact actions. For example, if you cast an AoE heal, they might also cast a generic AoE heal. Similarly, if you cast a single target damaging spell, they might cast a generic single target damaging spell. It is similar to the concept behind the Holy Priest's Divine Image.

Aside from the Ancestors' abilities, the rest of the Farseer tree seems quite weak. The healing increase talents and defensive choices are not particularly powerful, suggesting that most of the power will come from the Ancestors themselves. However, one question that remains unanswered is whether the healing done by the Ancestors will feed into abilities like Cloudburst Totem.

• Is it Fun?

Unfortunately, the Farseer Shaman Hero Talents do not bring much excitement or change to gameplay. The tree does not offer many new interactions or ways to enhance your gameplay experience. While passive effects can be beneficial, Farseer doesn't significantly alter your gameplay style. If you were hoping for a refreshing gameplay experience, Farseer might not be the right choice for you.

• Pros of Farseer Shaman Hero Talents

• Does not introduce new buttons, reducing button bloat for Restoration Shamans.
• You no longer need to talent into Echo of the Elements, saving a talent point in your spec tree.
• Increases the effectiveness of Resurgence.

• Cons of Farseer Shaman Hero Talents

• The talent tree lacks excitement and does not introduce major gameplay changes.
• Seems more geared towards raiding rather than Mythic+ content.
• The choice nodes do not offer meaningful choices, mostly relying on passive effects.
• Buffing Chain Heal via Offering From Beyond may make the spell overpowered compared to other spells in the Restoration Shaman's toolkit.
• Some talents, like Routine Communication and Spiritwalker's Momentum, introduce elements of randomness, which can be frustrating for healers.

Farseer Shaman Hero Talents: Theme and Lore

• Shaman Themed, Yes! Farseer Themed - Kind of?

The Farseer Shaman Hero Talents focus on the summoning of Ancestors to assist in combat, aligning well with the shaman class's connection to ancestral spirits. Shaman already have many spells in their toolkit that reference ancestors, including Ancestral Spirit, Ancestral Guidance, and more. Therefore, summoning ancestors through core spells thematically fits the shaman class. However, it is worth noting that the name "Farseer" doesn't entirely match the direction the talents take. Recent examples have shown a stronger connection to elementals rather than ancestors. This minor inconsistency could potentially be resolved by summoning small elementals or by having the Ancestors cast spells from different elements.

• What Exactly is a Farseer in WoW?

Farseers have been present in the Warcraft universe since Warcraft III and have occasionally appeared in World of Warcraft. In Legion, shamans had their own Order Hall Campaign dedicated to their class, which concluded with receiving a Farseer transmog set and mount depicting various elements. Farseers are typically associated with elementals, but the Farseer Shaman Hero Talents do not have any direct reference to elementals, despite the significant role they played in previous campaigns. While restoration shamans currently lack elementals, it is peculiar to see no mention of them in the Farseer Hero Talent Tree.

Conclusion

The Farseer Shaman Hero Talent Tree is a safe and straightforward choice, but it lacks excitement and fails to bring anything new to the spec's gameplay. While it aligns thematically with the class and offers some benefits, it does not offer new interactions or impactful gameplay mechanics. Compared to other healer Hero Talent Trees, the Farseer talents seem less innovative. However, without more information about the Ancestors' abilities and overall power level, it is challenging to make a definitive assessment. Overall, the Farseer Shaman Hero Talents may be underwhelming for players seeking significant changes to their gameplay experience. The situation can always change and it's better to get prepared for the new addon with gearing up. Our WowCarry team glad to help with Gearing Boost service just for you!

About the Author

This page is maintained by Theun, a Restoration Shaman playing for Fun Detected on Area52 (US). Theun has been playing the spec since the Nighthold raid and achieved up to the world 4th ranking as part of BDG in Shadowlands. They are also an MVP and theorycrafter in the Restoration Shaman specific Discord Server and a moderator in the Shaman Class Discord. Theun is actively involved in both communities and is available for questions and discussions on Discord and occasionally streams on Twitch.