Spend points where they solve problems

Talents and Build Choices

Enhancement in TBC has one core tree and two common sub spec variants. This page explains why those variants exist and gives you a talent calculator with shareable builds.

44 points in Enhancement Sub Elemental Sub Restoration Shareable links
Build planning

Enhancement variants and presets

Enhancement in TBC has one job and one core engine. The last points are where you solve your constraint. Sub Elemental pushes more value into shocks and fire totems or into passive totem throughput. Sub Restoration trades some ceiling for hit, mana efficiency, and smoother totem workflow. These are not different roles. They are different solutions to real raid problems.

Family

Sub Elemental

Choose this when hit is already comfortable and you want your extra points to pay out in damage or totem impact. Sub Elemental can be shock driven, fire totem driven, or totem focused through deeper Enhancement.

  • Shock and fire scaling when you can spend globals consistently.
  • Stronger passive fire totems when fights or mana limit shocks.
  • Totem focused variants when raid buffs and uptime matter most.
Family

Sub Restoration

Choose this when you want consistency: hit to reduce misses, lower totem costs, and better totem coverage. It is the practical baseline when gearing is still in progress or when you are doing heavy totem work.

  • Hit and stability from
  • Lower totem costs for longer fights and frequent twisting.
  • More forgiving coverage when positioning is not perfect.
Universal flex slot: In every preset below, the two points we place in can be swapped into without changing the build identity. Take for movement and quality of life. Take for sturdier utility totems.

Preset breakdown

Pick the preset that matches your constraint, then adjust for your raid and assignments.

17/44/00 Sub Elemental

Shock Focused
Shock tempo Clearcasting value Mana smoothing
Calculator preset
17/44/00 Sub Elemental — Shock Focused

Purpose: Maximize shock driven damage when you can spend globals consistently and manage mana.

Key differences
  • Leans into shock cadence and shock scaling.
  • Uses style value to keep the shock plan affordable.
  • Best when your play pattern supports frequent shocks without rotation collapse.
Pick it when
  • Your hit situation is already solved through gear and raid buffs.
  • Encounters reward active global usage and you can keep shocks on pace.
  • You are pushing personal damage and can manage mana pressure.
Tradeoffs
  • More sensitive to mistakes in shock usage and mana management.
  • Less totem focused than the deeper Enhancement variants.
  • Not the best choice when you are frequently forced off your shock plan.

17/44/00 Sub Elemental

Fire Totem Focused
Fire totem value Passive damage Simpler shock demands
Calculator preset
17/44/00 Sub Elemental — Fire Totem Focused

Purpose: Shift more of your Sub Elemental value into fire totems when shock uptime is not always realistic.

Key differences
  • More passive fire damage that keeps paying out even when globals get tight.
  • Less dependent on shock cadence to justify the Elemental points.
  • Often feels smoother in movement heavy fights or when mana is stressed.
Pick it when
  • You do a lot of fire totem management and want that damage to matter more.
  • Fights or assignments limit shock usage.
  • You want a strong baseline that is less punishing when globals get disrupted.
Tradeoffs
  • Lower shock driven ceiling than Shock Focused in perfect play.
  • If you overcast shocks anyway, mana can still become the limiting factor.
  • Less specialized than the deeper Enhancement totem variants for raid buff impact.

15/46/00 Sub Elemental

Weapon Totem Focused
Weapon totem power Totem throughput Lower shock dependence
Calculator preset
15/46/00 Sub Elemental — Weapon Totem Focused

Purpose: Maximize the impact of your weapon totems while still keeping Elemental support for fire totems.

Key differences
  • Deeper Enhancement points convert directly into weapon totem value.
  • Damage and raid value lean more on totems and less on perfect shock cadence.
  • Excellent when your assignment is buff uptime and group value, not just personal meters.
Pick it when
  • Your party gain from weapon totems is high and uptime matters.
  • You want steadier output that is not tied to constant shocks.
  • You are optimizing raid contribution while staying in Sub Elemental.
Tradeoffs
  • Lower shock driven ceiling than the 17 point Elemental variants.
  • More of your value is locked into totem choices and assignments.
  • If your group does not benefit from weapon totems, the payoff shrinks.

15/46/00 Sub Elemental

Balanced Totem Mix
Mixed totem buffs Steady value Lower shock dependence
Calculator preset
15/46/00 Sub Elemental — Balanced Totem Mix

Purpose: Spread your points across melee buff strength, weapon totems, and fire totems to get broad totem value without relying on a shock heavy playstyle.

Key differences
  • Splits investment between Improved Weapon Totems and Improved Fire Totems rather than maxing one lever.
  • Uses Enhancing Totems to raise the value of your melee buff totems for the group.
  • Leans on passive totem contribution, so it holds up when globals or mana make shock cadence inconsistent.
Pick it when
  • Your party benefits from multiple totems and you want broad value rather than a single specialty.
  • Your assignment changes often and you want a flexible baseline.
  • You want steadier contribution that is not tied to constant shocks.
Tradeoffs
  • Does not maximize weapon totem value like a 2 point Improved Weapon Totems setup.
  • Does not maximize fire totem value like a 2 point Improved Fire Totems setup.
  • If you can execute a shock heavy plan consistently, shock focused builds can beat this on ceiling in stationary fights.

03/44/14 Sub Restoration

Consistency and efficiency
Hit and stability Totem mana Totem coverage
Calculator preset
03/44/14 Sub Restoration

Purpose: Solve hit and mana constraints while making totem work easier and more reliable across long encounters.

Key differences
  • Hit from reduces misses and frees up gearing choices.
  • Totem cost reduction improves long fight stability and frequent twisting.
  • More forgiving totem coverage when positioning is imperfect.
Pick it when
  • You are early in gearing or hit constrained.
  • You are twisting often and want the most efficient totem workflow.
  • You value a stable baseline that performs well in most raids.
Tradeoffs
  • Lower Elemental throughput, so shocks and fire totems scale less than Sub Elemental.
  • Lower personal ceiling, but smoother consistency and easier execution.
  • Less payoff from perfect shock usage compared to shock focused Sub Elemental.

Every preset is a starting point. Load one, then adjust points based on your job, your raid buffs, and what your logs show. The important part is matching the build to the constraint you are solving.

Tool

Talent Calculator

Use a preset as a baseline, then adjust talents to match your gear, your raid buffs, and your job. Hover talents for details, left click to add points, and right click to remove points. The link button creates a shareable URL for your current build.

1

Load a baseline build

Pick Sub Elemental or Sub Restoration from the preset dropdown to start from a proven template.
2

Spend points with intent

If a point does not buy damage, mana, hit, or group value for your situation, it is a candidate to move.
3

Share and iterate

Use the share link to send builds to your raid, compare variants, and keep notes on why you chose each point.