Do Shamans have a place in end game content?

[Taelas]

That's an awesome point!

Theorycraft often assumes that a skilled and dedicated person will be available for each and every min/max role in the Theory-Raid. But the reality is that finding 25 dedicated people who will show up and go all out for each scheduled raid night is not a cakewalk. I'm not a serious raider anymore, but it strikes me as far easier to try and learn complex encounters with 25 dedicated and skilled off-spec players than 25 undedicated/unskilled perfectly min/max spec players.

Not to mention that skilled off-spec players can be quite smart about min/maxing their off spec*.

Maybe the answer to the original question about Shaman is that there will always be a place in endgame content for a dedicated and skilled player--regardless of their class or spec.

No, it isn't an awesome point.

Why on Earth would I use a talent build which, quite frankly, contributes almost nothing except for class skills and spells? Retribution paladins have two things: They refresh all judgements and they have a +crit aura. That's it. And if you're the only paladin in the raid, the first thing is useless.

I want to be useful and desired when I join a raid--and I want to be that based on the choices I've made, not just my base skills which anyone of the same class will have. If that's the only reason why a Retribution paladin is taken along, he might as well spec Holy and actually contribute something useful aside from buffs and cleanse.