Guides about the Druid Class.
When I first began playing WoW, I became a Druid. I chose this class because I wanted to heal. The trouble is, I wasn't very good at it, so this guide is designed to help you heal at a low level on a druid. First, I will talk you through a few useful spells.
Healing Spells
Healing Touch: Your basic healing spell. Has a 1.5 second cast at the start, which increases to 3.5, so make sure that you don't use this at the last minute.
Rejuvenation: Instant cast Healing-Over-Time spell. You might want to put this on the tank at the start of a big pull or boss, just to be safe. This spell can be effective if used properly, as you can put this on whoever is losing health, and then Healing Touch.
Regrowth: Probably my favourite healing spell in the Druid's arsenal, as it has a fast cast time, and it heals both instant and over-time. Very useful for making sure a tank stays alive. What you might want to do in a very big pull is, put Rejuvenation on the tank, followed by this, followed by Healing Touch.
Cure Poison: Does exactly what it says on the tin.
Rebirth: Druid ressurection spell. Fast cast time, can be used in combat, BUT it has a 20 Minute Cooldown and take Regeants. If everybody but you dies, make sure you Ressurect another healer to get the rest Live and Kicking!
Abolish Poison: Exactly the same as Cure Poison, but this makes you lose poison effects for 8 seconds afterwards.
Remove Curse: Dispells a curse...
Tranquillity: VERY useful spell when used correctly. It's an AoE healing spell, with high mana cost, high threat and 10 minute cooldown. Really if you want to use this spell you should invest two talent points in Improved Tranquillity, which will basically delete the Threat.
Lifebloom: Don't get this spell till level 64, so I have never used it. Basically, it is an instant cast Healing-Over-Time that when the duration finishes, it heals the target. Kind of like a Backwards Regrowth.
Buff Spells
Mark of the Wild: Your basic Buff. Gives the Target Armour, Stats and Reistance. What more could you ask?
Thorns: Makes anyone that hits you hurt. Very low damage, I don't know why I bother using it.
Gift of the Wild Don't learn till 50. Just a better version of Mark of the Wild.
So that just about covers all the spells you'll need for healing in Instances. Let's move onto Gear now.
Gear
For a Healer I reccommened HIGH Intellect, and HIGH Spirit. Also you might want to get some +Healing items. But while you're concentrating on these stats, make sure you get some Stamina (to make sure you stay alive).
Weapon: For a weapon I suggest a staff, as they mainly have good Intellect and Spirit boosts.
Armour: As far as armour goes, all a Druid needs is Leather. Some Druid healers like to get cloth gloves and/or boots, because they have the least armour in the first place, but I prefer to just stik to Leather. If your buying things off the AH, I recommend that Armour is the last thing you look at, but that doesn't mean you should completly neglect it.
Rings/Necklace: I tend to get +Healing and Damage spells on my rings, and just normal stats on Necklace, No real reason for that, it's just what I do.
Trinkets: If your getting a Trinket, you have to ask yourself 'Am I actully going to use this?' because most Trinkets you have to use. I stay away from the Use ones, and try to focus on the Equip ones.
** In Progress **
This guide will take you through the three talent trees of a Druid, helping you to decide which one to take.
Balance:
The Balance Talents are intended to make a Druid into a more capable caster. It becomes easier to root enemies, while more damage/more efficient damage is dealt due to improvements to Wrath, Moonfire and Starfire. The end point of the Balance Talents is the ability to shapeshift into Moonkin Form. This allows casting Druids to use their Balance attack abilities from a form that is much more survivable.
Feral Combat:
Feral Combat Talents allow your Bear Forms to survive longer, mitigate more damage, and disrupt enemies more easily. They also allow your cat form to deal more damage and and act with greater stealth. The line culminates in an aura that raises physical critical rates in your nearby group by 3%. This is the fastest Talent line for leveling your character because of the reduced down time. Solo Druids benefit tremendously from the Feral Combat line.
Restoration:
Though lowest on damage and survivability, the Restoration Druid line turns characters into healers. Greater mana efficiency, faster healing times, reduced interruption chances and threat from heals, and other such Talents are in this line. Druids that work with dungeon groups get the most use of the Restoration line, while solo druids have perhaps the least to gain from it.
Thanks for reading this guide, keep a look out for guides explaining all the other classes Talent Tree's and hopefully helping you to decide which one to choose!
Zerox's Feral Druid Guide
I've been playing a druid for some time, and being feral specced is very good for leveling. Here are some tips I have for feral specced druids:
This is taken from the allaince perspective, but it shouldn't matter in most cases.
Battle Strategys:
Cat Form:
1.
-Pounce
-Shred if possible
-Faire Fire (feral)
-Mangle
-Rake
-Claw until 5 combo points
-Rip
-Tigers Fury
2.
-Ravage
-Claw until 5 combo points
-Ferocious Bite
-Tigers Fury
Bear Form
1.
-Enrage
-Feral Charge
-Demoralizing Roar
-Faire Fire (feral)
-Mangle
-Maul until dead
Talent Spec's
Leveling
-Ferocity 5/5
-Thick Hide 3/3
-Brutal Impact 2/2
-Feral Swiftness 2/2
-Sharpened Claws 3/3
-Predatory Strikes 3/3
-Primal Fury 2/2
-Fairie Fire (feral) 1/1
-Savage Fury 2/2
-Nurturing Instinct 2/2
-Heart of the Wild 5/5
-Leader of the Pack 1/1
-Improved Leader of the Pack 2/2
-Feral Charge 1/1
-Primal Tenacity 1/3
-Predatory Instincts 5/5
-Mangle 1/1
-Primal Tenacity 3/3
-Survial of the Fittest 3/3
-Feral Agression 5/5
-Shredding Attacks 2/2
-Furor 5/5
-Natural Shapeshifter 3/3
Race
The Night Elves and the Tauren are the races that are able to be Druids in World of Warcraft. That's one Alliance race and one Horde race. So, the key thing to look at is: if you want to play Alliance, you have to make a Night Elf; if you want to play Horde, you need to make a Tauren.
Night Elf:
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17 Strength
28 Agility
20 Stamina
20 Intellect
21 Spirit
55 Armor
46 Health
85 Mana
Racial Triats:
Shadowmeld (active)
-Activate while immobile and out of combat to enter stealth mode
-Lasts until canceled
-10 second cooldown
Quickness (passive)
-Dodge chance increased by 1%
Wisp Spirit (passive)
-Become a wisp when dead with a movement speed increase of 50%
-25% faster then normal ghosts
Nature Resistance
-+10 to nature resistance
Night Elves start in Teldrasill. Shadowmeld is a great move, it allows you to eat/drink and do other things you do not want to be interupted in, while in the middle of the wildernesss. Quickness is handy, and more noticable then it seems. Wisp Spirit is definitly a big plus, as you will be runnig back to your corspe a lot. The extra nature resistance is always good.
Tauren:
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26 Strength
15 Agility
22 Stamina
17 Intellect
24 Spirit
35 Armor
78 Health
67 Mana
Racial Traits:
War Stomp (active)
-Activate to stun up to 5 opponents within 8 yards
-Lasts 2 seconds
-2 minute cooldown
Endurance (passive)
-Max health increased by 5%
Cultivation (passive)
-Herbalism increased by 15
Nature Resistance (passive)
-+10 to nature resistance
Tauren start in Mulgore. War Stomp is arguably one of the best racial traits in the game. It allows you to stun multiple enemys; Druids lack stun abilites. The extra health is always good, especially when in bear form. Cultivation is only useful if you have herbalism, but it does help to do the Driud poison quest. The quest requires earthroot, and you need 15 herbalism to pick earthroot. Tauren start with 15 herbalism. The extra nature resistance is always good.
Your equipment, talent spec and playing style makes most of your Druid, your race doesn't matter too much. Neither race makes that much of a better druid.
Professions
Professions don't affect you too much, but they will be a major helping hand in the game.
Alchemy and Herbalism
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Alchemy allows you to make potions. These can range from simple health and mana potions to potions that buff your stats. Herbalism is used to gather the main ingredient for alchemy, herbs. Alchemy is useful because you will have all the potions you need, but isn't really a big money maker. Alchemists can also transmute ores into other ores. Transmuting can make a bit of money, but only high level alchemists can transmute.
Mining and Engineering
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Engineerers can make all sorts of gadgets and gizmos. They can also make guns and bullets for Hunters. The only problem with engineering is that for some reason, most things you make can only be used by engineers. So, don't expect big money here. Mining allows you to mine ores required for engenieering.
Leatherworking and Skinning
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Using the skins from beasts, you can create your own leather armor. It is nice to be able to make your own armor, but eventually it will become obsolete. Skinning doesn't require a tracker so that's a plus. At level 225, you can branch off into three different schools of leatherwork. Tribal is considered a continuation of your basic leatherwork, Elemental adds resistances to your armor and Dragonscale creates mail armor.
Enchanting
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Using enchanting, you can put enchants, or stat boosts, on items. The only problem is, you need to dis-enchant green items or better, to get the materials. Enchanting takes a long time to level, and is probably not good for your first character. Enchanting can make a lot of money when you get to the higher level enchants.
Blacksmithing and Tailoring
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These two professions are not suited for Druids. We can't wear mail armor, and cloth armor is below us. The weapons you can make in blacksmithing are not worth the time it takes to gather the reagents.
Secondary Professions
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First Aid:
Even though Druids can heal, first aid is still useful. It can reduce a lot of downtime, and save mana. First aid uses the cloth and wool drops from humanoid monsters to create bandages that replenish health and mana, and cure poison.
Fishing:
Fishing is fairly useless, and very boring. It is a must have for alchemists, as alchemists need the oils from special fish.
Cooking:
Cooking is needed to cook the fish you catch. Some foods you can cook give special 'Well Fed' buffs, that increase your stats.
-Zerox