Lightning Bolt or Chain Lightning: deliberate area choice
Use Lightning Bolt normally; Shift chooses Chain Lightning against a living enemy mouseover or target.
This macro is based on research and still needs testing in game. Check the requirements and known limits before trying it.
Exact macro text
Lightning
HARMLightning Bolt
HARMChain Lightning
#showtooltip
/cast [mod:shift,@mouseover,harm,nodead][mod:shift,harm,nodead] Chain Lightning; [@mouseover,harm,nodead][harm,nodead] Lightning Bolt146 UTF-8 bytes · 146 characters · Version 1.0.0
Lightning Bolt: recorded level 1; Chain Lightning: recorded level 32. Confirm acquisition and other requirements in Details.
How this fits a Shaman key layout — compare shared keys and dedicated controls before choosing your pack.
Build and validation
- Status
- Researched
- Target builds
- 1.60.1-beta, 1.60.1.70009
- Tested builds
- No recorded client test
- Class / profile
- Shaman / Damage
- Specializations
- Elemental, Enhancement, Restoration
Targeting and features
Shift: Chain Lightning on enemy mouseover, then enemy target → Otherwise: Lightning Bolt on enemy mouseover, then enemy target
ModifierMouseover
Requirements
- Learned Lightning Bolt; the source records its first rank at level 1. Each higher rank must be learned separately.
- Learned Chain Lightning; the source records its first rank at level 32. Each higher rank must be learned separately.
- Requirements apply to the branch you choose; other unlearned modifier branches do not prevent use of an available action.
Known limitations
- Research-supported design for beta 1.60.1.70009; no recorded in-client macro tests. English spell names require localization on other clients.
- The first matching target branch wins; an out-of-range, line-of-sight, immune or otherwise invalid recipient does not fall through to another target.
- Modifier keybindings can intercept the combination. Spell selection is manual; an unlearned or unavailable modifier action does not fall back to the default spell.
- Area damage can pull extra enemies and break crowd control. The macro does not inspect nearby targets or choose a safe placement.
- Maelstrom Weapon and Lightning Overload are passive talents; this macro cannot check stacks or select a spell in response to a proc.
Notes
- Spell IDs identify the sourced first-rank reference; unranked names request the learned rank selected by the client. A spellbook tab is not a specialization lock.
- Talent and level records are provisional beta extraction, not proof of spell acquisition.
- Spell and talent data attribution: Chris Baldwin / Talents Forever, CC BY 4.0. Icon artwork remains Blizzard property; research does not imply affiliation.
Abilities
- Lightning Bolt
- Chain Lightning
Spell IDs
- 403
- 421
Modifiers
- Shift: Chain Lightning
Sources
- Talents Forever — all class spellbooks, talent trees and icon mappingsTalents Forever / Chris Baldwin · 1.60.1.70009; export generated 2026-09-26
- Macros: Essential InformationAdreaver / Blizzard community forums · General WoW secure macro syntax; Forever compatibility untested