Totemic Call

Totemic Call is the shaman's basic Hero Power.

Strategy
Of all the Hero Powers, Totemic Call is the most random. While it has the potential to prove quite useful, it introduces a large measure of RNG to the player's actions. While this can be fun, it can also prove frustrating, and unreliable. Making the most of Totemic Call requires the ability to predict the possible outcomes of using it, and improvise effectively in response to which minion is summoned.

Totemic Call is a great dump for shamans' spare mana. The 'lucky dip' nature of this Hero Power makes it ideal for non-critical expenditure. It is most similar to the paladin's Reinforce, but offers a far wider range of strategic uses as well as less reliably combat-usable minions.

The one-of-each-totem limit generally prevents players from acquiring multiple instances of a given totem, but also allows players some degree of predictive ability when anticipating the results of using Totemic Call; players who already have a Searing Totem and Stoneclaw Totem active have a 50% of gaining a Healing Totem, and a 50% chance of gaining a Strength Totem. This can be useful when calculating the odds of obtaining the desired totem.

Strategically, players can preferentially preserve existing totems in order to increase the odds of summoning a different totem next turn. Even within a turn, a player might choose to use Totemic Call prior to trading a totem against an enemy minion, in order to increase the chances of summoning a different totem; or after trading the totem in the hopes of gaining another of the same kind.

While most of the totems have 0 Attack, effects like Flametongue Totem, Bloodlust and Defender of Argus can allow them to be used to attack and/or as Taunts.

Healing Totem
Healing Totem is very useful when used in conjunction with several other minions. It works especially well with high-health minions, since these have more room to take damage without being destroyed entirely. Healing Totem is most useful for maintaining board control, and rewards trading cleverly with the opponent's minions.

The Totem restores health at the end of your turn. Since this takes places before your opponent has the chance to act, its healing can be taken into account when planning attacks.

Searing Totem
Searing Totem can be useful for poking down weak minions or strong injured minions for no card loss. This outcome of Totemic Call is very similar to the paladin Hero Power Reinforce.

Searing Totem is the only one of the totems that can be used to attack (without improvement from another effect), but is also the weakest.

Stoneclaw Totem
Stoneclaw Totem is a useful Taunt minion. While it cannot attack, its 2 Health provides good protection against weak attackers, and wastes a valuable round for stronger minions.

Strength Totem
Strength Totem has the same effect as Master Swordsmith. Functionally, its uses are similar to Healing Totem - it benefits from having other minions on the board, though instead of restoring Health, it buffs Attack. Unlike the Healing Totem, it only affects one random minion at a time, so it can be more difficult to plan around ; on the other hand, it offers a more offensive utility, helping minions trade up or contributing to attack the enemy Hero, similarly to Searing Totem.

It should be noted that though the Attack boost is small, some specific minions, such as Divine Shield or Windfury ones, can make use of it in very significant ways.

Trivia

 * The artwork for this card comes from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game "Wrathgate" series, for the card Fusion Totem.

Patch changes

 * Wrath of Air Totem replaced with Strength Totem.