Shamans account for only 2% of the top 100 players, there was only one Troll Shaman to be found, only one and he unsurprisingly was a restoration shammie'. From the list there was three Shamans and two trolls: a Tauren Shaman (Enhancement) ranked 24th, a Troll Shaman (Restoration) ranked 26th, Orc Shaman (Elemental) ranked 41st and a Troll Rogue (Combat) ranked 57th, that's it, that's pitiful.

I'm still in Feralas and the weather hasn't been particularly kind. I'm level 50 now and beginning to understand why other people don't play Shamans, they struggle to tackle mobs and don't regenerate mana quickly enough. Grinding these past seven days has been hard work, I've raised three levels but I've got 10 more to go.



I decided to leave Feralas and head for the coast, a holiday of sorts. I wanted to tackle every kind of critter along the way to the Veiled Sea, how capable and adaptable was my lovely Troll I wonder? My trip to Feathermoon Stronghold and the Isle of Dread, sounds delightful already, was about finding out why I play the most unpopular race and class combination in the game.

The reason people don't play Shamans is because they don't excel in one distinct area, even if you throw all your talent points in one tree, a Shaman is still the Swiss Army knife of the WoW world. When you want someone to inflict as much damage as possible, you ask the 15-year-old Dutch kid who plays a Warrior and can't tank properly.

People haven't got the patience or mindset to understand how great Shamans really are, they're like Rachel Weisz, understated and elegant beauties. Don't let the smell of fish or the tusks fool you, if you're facing a Troll Shaman you better not take your eye off them else you'll have a raspy-voiced lizard dancing over your corpse in no time.

A Cobalt Crusher swings back and forth as I jog away from Camp Mojache. The two-handed mace is my first choice weapon as an enhancement Shaman, I might switch to a one-handed mace and a shield if I've time, when facing a mob, otherwise my timing has to be perfect. It's slow and unwieldy but gives the greatest possibility of damage when I smash skulls with Stormstrike. I could use two-handed weapons and consistently generate more critical hits but I prefer the all out glory option, killing opponents as fast as possible is more important when I'm by myself.

I pass through the forests of Feralas and stumble across something completely unexpected, like a page ripped out of the Lord of the Rings and splattered across my screen, now the Balrog wasn't strictly a dragon but being pedantic doesn't diminish the surprise of finding a level ?? elite dragon on a bridge in the middle of the forest.

The irony of course is that 'Anachronos', the dragon's name, also means something taken out of its proper place and time. I stood and watched as the dragon gave chase to a handful of level 70 players, all of which were fighting against one another. I stood and watched on, eventually giving into my childish desires to get close to the beast.



As you can imagine it didn't end well. After healing one of the level 70 horde characters, who was running back and forth between combat, an alliance gnome looked unfavorably upon my help and promptly struck me down in two blows. Hah, you dirty little pervert, two blows, what kind of level 70 are you? Suffice to say I was as surprised as he was and by the time I had returned from the graveyard, there was no sight of the party.

I carried on and challenged everyone to a fight like an intoxicated charv protecting his territory. Lightning Bolt, Flame Shock, Frost Shock and that almighty mace. I only need one critical hit and the battle is over, additional attacks and attributes stack upon one another, my mace explodes like an damn bursting. This is why I play as a Troll Shaman, such variety and unpredictability. Almost all of my spells are instant cast meaning I've more time to adapt and counter. No other class or race can possibly be this much fun, it's just not possible. I spend hours away from settlements and only return when I can't carry any more loot.



As I swim across the sea I spot high level elves, I learn from my previous lesson and stay well clear. Advice from one Troll Shaman to another: when in Rome, kill the locals and take pictures. We might be short on numbers but there's no reason not to leave their beaches full of dead.

Wish you were here.