Cat and TalentsFollow

Your 2 points goes into Feral Swiftness. You should try aiming for a final build like this if you're going to be a full Feral http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/druid/talents.html?01000000000000000000050323213232210530125105503001000000000000

You could use your kitty, Prowling up to Claw every so often, but I found it particular boring... Or you could still stick to playing Balance till 30+ so that you get your FFF & Pounce. There's no right or wrong way to play the Druid at this point since all ways till 36 (at least for me) was particular painful... =)

At least it got way better after that...

Edited, Nov 2nd 2007 4:34pm by Bloodthunder

Not quite true. He does get Shred in a level, and it's not bad to get that off first since it does give you a little more DPE than Claw.

Agreed. Speed boost in the early 20s contributes greatly to escapability and speeds up leveling.

If you respec at some point, though, move those three points spend on Thick Hide over to Feral Instinct. Since it's percentage based, Thick Hide helps a lot more when you get to higher level. The added sneakiness of Feral Instinct can be helpful, and the threat boost is invaluable for tanking in a party. In large part, you need those points to get you to Feral Swiftness.

After that, all the feral talents (except for Nurturing Instinct) pretty much rock the house, so it's hard to mis-step. While at endgame most talents benefit cat and bear, while leveling some favor one for more than the other.

Feral charge matters only for bear form, obviously.

Feral Faerie Fire is usable/useful in both, but it's biggest value is for pulling when you're in bear form tanking.

Shredding Attacks only matters for cat for your foreseable future, because you don't get Lacerate until 66.

Savage Fury is just cat stuff.

Sharpened Claws benefits cat mostly because that's where you're focused more about DPS, but helps bear through rage generation of Primal Fury and self-healing when you get tier 7 talent Improved Leader of the Pack.

Predatory Strikes and Primal Fury are both great for both forms.

I agree that you don't want to be stealthing around, wasting time while grindng, just for a teeny bit more damage.

Even at 66, I get as close to my target as I can unstealthed, stealth at the last minute, and Pounce (which IS worth it - they can't hit me for a while, I shred them).

But from 20 til whenever, play more like a "swords rogue." Also keep in mind that you really don't want to go INTO a target rich environment at lower levels. Even when you get a nice opener from st like Ravage, there are many situations where you don't want to use it.

Classic example: you're fighting humanoids who run, and there are lots of 'em around. A rogue can risk going in there and opening w/ ambush. Why? If he pulls adds, he can Gouge, Blind at higher lvls, or just use burst damage to kill his primary - then Vanish and get out of there. After 20 or so he can crip poison so his target can't go get help when low on health (it's too slow).

Lower level druids have to switch to caster form, root, all of which takes time and is inconvenient, at least imho. Root at lower lvls doesn't always last long enough. We can't snare or slow movement. So if you get adds you have to either run or Regen, go bear, and slowly, slowly grind them down. Again, imo it takes too long. (edit, and root only works outdoors)

So when I'm fighting runners in a target rich environment as a druid, I find or clear a "safe spot" and pull them to there. Even if it means opening w/ starfire, wrathing and mooning as they charge (find the right # of these to cast so you don't run out of mana and have to drink too much) - and starting melee portion w/ no energy for cat - it still seems faster.

Once you get feral fairie fire (try saying that really fast 20 times!), get it - then you can pull in cat form. Then you can stay in cat form longer, and pull with a full energy bar.

I've found using cat against slightly weaker mobs works best. Low yellows. You can kill them pretty fast. Or casters w/ low ac and hp. You have to heal more, but if you can get in 2-3 fights between heals, you will likely have enough mana regen'd and not have to drink. Just think about what you're doing and try to set up a routine or pattern that works well for you. GL!





Edited, Nov 8th 2007 2:46pm by IponemaGirl

On my new Druid, level 33 at the moment, I use Rake if I fail to stealth before reaching my target. (Sometimes I wait too long cause I hate walking around slowly)

I'll use Rake to build combo points faster to drop a Rip and the two DoT's together are helpful enough to compensate for the lack of big opening. (Ravage, Shred, Pounce)

EDIT: But I do agree, in raid settings where you try to maximize your damage/energy ratio, Rake is a waste.

Edited, Nov 8th 2007 3:25pm by Selverein