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Guide for Feral & Balance Leveling RevampedFollow

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#1 Nov 30 2007 at 5:04 AM Rating: Good
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Guide for Feral and Balance Leveling (& pvp), v3.1
originally, v.1.12 was posted by Jaegor, 60 Feral Druid, Dark Iron, Panda Attack
Updated and maintained post-2.1 by Lissanna, 70 druid, now on the SENTINELS server.

Has Been moved to Allakhazam by Spiritwalker, 70 Druid, last updated on 12/07

Original post can be found here...hopefully...
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=11601186&sid=1&pageNo=1


Feral and Balance Leveling (& Low-Level PvP)

Intro:
This guide is for new druids starting out. It is specifically geared towards build construction for both PvE and PvP needs. This guide underwent major changes, and I will continue updating it as things change. Keep in mind that this is not a guide for healing or end-game. Also, these are my suggestions. There are other ways to do it, but if you are new to the game, this should be a helpful guide to figuring out how tricky leveling a druid can be.

The first thing to understand is that feral is the most efficient tree for grinding. Mana-less damage means less downtime for drinking or healing, which means more time for exp. I have, however, included a Balance leveling guide along with feral, since Balance is much more viable than it used to be. Keep in mind that low-level balance druids will likely still spend time in Bear form when they run low on mana (or, mele’ing in moonkin form). Restoration is not a good leveling build, so refrain from specing full resto until you are at the level cap.

Sections:
1. Feral Leveling Spec
2. Balance Leveling Spec
3. Low level PvP Battleground advice
4. Q&A: where to level & more! (Includes links to extra resources)
5. Additional Advice (poster suggestions and disagreements)
6. Equipping for PvP/PvE (important stats)
7. Low Level gear for Feral (Str) & Balance (+dmg)


________________________________________

1) Feral tree v.2.3.0:
So you just hit level 10 and got your bear form and first talent point. Congratulations! But where to place that first talent point for maximum benefit?

Level 10-14 = 5/5 Ferocity (-5 rage/energy for Maul/Swipe/Claw/Rake)
By lowering the cost for your primary attack, you increase your DPS by a significant amount.

Lvl 17-19 = 3/3 Feral Instinct (+stealth in catform and +15% threat generation in bear form)
But I dont even have catform yet!?! But you will, and you will spend a lot of time in it. The first rule for rogues and kitties is not to be seen. Night Elfs' Shadowmeld grants them a passive bonus to stealth, however this is still nice for them. Bears will also enjoy the threat generation bonus for tanking in instances.

20! Yay for catform!
Your next points will immediately go into:

Lvl 20-21 = 2/2 Feline Swiftness (+30% to run speed while outdoors or while prowling)
This is the reason you put your first 12 points into Feral. Increased run speed means decreased travel time, which indirectly leads to higher exp gain. It also allows you to outrun those you are chasing or being chased by, which is a nice bonus for pvp.

Lvl 22 = 1/1 Feral Charge (Charge an enemy 8-25 yds away, interrupting the spell they were casting and immobilizing them for 4s)
One of the best talents available to druids. This should be a keystone of any druid build as it allows many different options when paired with 5/5 Furor. You can engage an enemy from a distance, stop a runner/flag carrier, interrupt a spellcaster, or use it as an escape tool (target a mob/critter/player 8-25yds distant and charge).

Lvl 23-27 = 5/5 Furor from the resto tree (100% chance to generate 10 rage/40 energy when shifting)
Some people disagree with taking this talent early in the game. For me, I feel that the rage is invaluable for bear form (see Feral Charge) and the extra energy makes building combo points with cat that much easier. Instant Claw/Rake or wait a tic for a shred. If you are not shifting very often, you may choose to skip this talent, but it really is an important talent for me when I level feral. This is a personal choice, but I highly recommend getting this talent.

At this point you are level 27 and 0/13/5.
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0ZxGMoZV

________________________________________

Feral: Branching Out

Here is the first main division between builds for Ferals. If you are going for Mangle, you should continue putting points in Feral. If you are planning a more hybrid build, it would be advisable to spend the next 16 pts in Resto for Natures Swiftness, if you aren't planning to get mangle.

Some people even recommend skipping all the resto talents (including furor) until after you get Mangle. I'd recommend just respec'ing for mangle at 50 if you picked up points in other trees along the way.

Here are some level 70 specs you can work towards:

1/46/14 (Cat Spec)
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=zzZxGGsfroezioVxhz
Strict DPS build. Good for PvP/PvE leveling. Note that Nature's Grasp works in feral forms now, which is great for pvp. However, you can drop that point and put it somewhere else if you don't like Nature's grasp.

(0/47/14) Bear tanking spec
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=zZxGGsfboeuioVxcz
If you aren't shifting a lot, intensity (to give you more rage) may be more helpful than natural shifter. Savage fury & Nature's Grasp aren't as useful for tanking, so primal tenacity will benefit you more.

Rutenio's "all out dps" build

Quote:

I seriously just went All out DPS on talents. I make up for the thick hide talent by focusing on stam a lot, and my dodge is also very high, so I dont get hit that much.


http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/druid/talents.html?01000000000000000000055300213232210533125105500001000000000000




Edited, Dec 1st 2007 4:15am by SpiritDrinker

Edited, Dec 1st 2007 7:28pm by SpiritDrinker

Edited, Dec 2nd 2007 5:14am by SpiritDrinker
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#2 Nov 30 2007 at 5:05 AM Rating: Good
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2) Balance Leveling v.3.0.1
Okay, so now that the new talents are out, Balance looks like it is finally a viable leveling build, especially at higher levels (40+). Keep in mind that you should shift to bear form and dps when you are low on mana to reduce downtime, until you get Moonkin form and can mele in moonkin for the mana proc. At very low levels, you may not have a lot of mana, so remember that you don't lose your other forms just because you have points in this tree. Keep plenty of water and drink as needed. Keep in mind that your gear matters a lot as a caster (so read parts of section 6 & 7 that apply to balance).

Balance Tree (so you want to be a Moonkin):

Level 10-14 = 5/5 Starlight Wrath (reduces the casting time of wrath and starfire)
This is an important talent. Faster casting time means you can do more damage in a shorter amount of time.

Level 15 = 1/1 Nature's Grasp
A buff that has a 35% chance to cast roots when someone hits you. This increases your survivability by having an instant-cast roots (on a cooldown timer). This is a great talent for PvP servers, but I recommend not maxing it out all the way, especially at very low levels.

Lvl 16-17 = 2/2 Improved moonfire (increases damage and crit chance of moonfire by 10%)
This is a good talent investment for increasing your overall damage. Remember not to spam moonfire. You want to let the dot tick. Wrath should still be your primary “nuke” until you get starfire. They reduced the number of talent points this cost, so it is an excellent investment now.

Lvl 18-19 2/2 Focused Starlight (increases crit strike chance of wrath and starfire by 4%)
More crits means more damage, and you need this talent to unlock Vengeance in a couple levels.

This leaves you as 10/0/0 for the 10-19 WSG.

Lvl 20 = 1/1 Insect Swarm (Does damage over 12 sec)
Having another damage spell (which also decreases your attacker’s chance to hit you) is always a good thing. At this level, you also pick up starfire. So, you now have more tools to help you defeat your opponent.

Lvl 21-22 = 2/2 Nature’s Reach (increases range of your balance spells)
Being able to attack from further away is always good, and this is really your best option for point placement at this point, since Brambles isn’t very helpful, especially at low levels.

Lvl 23-24 = 2/3 Control of Nature (reduces the chance of your roots spell to be interrupted by 70%)
If you root opponents a lot, it is good to invest in the talent that will keep it from being interrupted. You could also put 2 more points in Nature's Grasp if you prefer. I wouldn't recommend taking Brambles at lower levels, however it may be a good investment for higher levels. These two points are a matter of choice.

Lvl 25-29 = 5/5 Vengeance (increases crit strike damage)
This increases your critical strike damage. Normal crits do 50% more damage, so you increase your crit damage to doing twice your normal damage. With all the talents to increase your crit chance lower in the tree, this becomes even better.

Lvl 30 = 1/1 Nature’s Grace (reduces your casting time after a crit)
With all your crits doing big damage, your next spell will cast faster, further increasing your overall damage output. This is a really great talent to have. This also means that as you get higher level, you should look for +spell crit on your gear.

Lvl 31-33 = 3/3 Moonglow (reduces the mana cost of 6 spells)
Since balance druids are known for going Out Of Mana, reducing your mana costs means you can cast more spells before you need to drink. This effects your main damage and heal spells, making this a great well-rounded talent.

Lvl 34-36 = 3/3 Lunar Guidance (increases your +damage/heal by your int)
Intellect should be your main stat at this point, so you will get 25% of your intellect as +spell damage & healing. This is a great talent at high levels, for sure, so you may as well take it now.

Lvl 37-39 = 3/5 Moonfury (increases the damage of starfire, moonfire, and wrath)
This increases the damage done by your 3 main damage spells. It scales with +damage from gear (finally). Three talent points here gives you enough points to unlock…

Lvl40 = Moonkin form (yay!)
Here’s the big feathery form you have been waiting for. Remember that as a moonkin, you can bandage (as well as drink potions) in moonkin form, so leveling first aid and having a stack of health potions will reduce the number of times you will need to shift out to heal yourself.

Here’s what your build would look like at this point.
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0xcrzicshz

Lvl 41-42 = 2/2 Balance of Power (increases your chance to hit with spells by 4%)
Increasing your +hit at this point would be a good idea. It decreases the number of spell resists you will have, and actually increases the probability of roots lasting longer. It also decreases the chance that you will be hit with spells.

Lvl 43-44 5/5 Moonfury
Don’t forget to go back and finish maxing out moonfury for 2 more points.

Lvl 45- 47 3/3 Dreamstate (Regen 10% of your intellect)
You are OOM no longer, with mana regen based on your intellect. If you have 300 intellect, it would give you back 30 mana every 5 seconds.
___________________________________

Branching out:

This is the divergence point for Balance druids. At this point, you can either go into restoration to pick up intensity, or keep investing points in Balance to get treants. However, my personal recommendation is to pick up treants first.

Here are what my favorite final build would look like at level 70 to work towards:

48/0/13 (max damage and mana regen)
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0t0ruiIsguVoZxxc
This is similar to the the build I used to level up from 60-70. It's more pve than pvp oriented.

48/0/13 (pvp oriented)
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0tcrziIsguVoZxMI
Similar to the above build, but more pvp oriented. Notice that both these builds have intensity, which is a great tool when combined with the balance tree for helping you be a BOOMkin and not an OOMkin.

34/0/27 (healer dps hybrid)
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/druid/talents.html?51002221250313213100000000000000000000000050520300501402000000
This is my current post-70 build. I use it for healing in raid instances, 5-mans, and for dps in both instances and solo. I haven't tried it in pvp. I'd recommend a more damage-focused build for pvp. This is a great alternative build for people who are required to heal, but still want to be dps viable.

40/0/21
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=0t0rdicsguMZZxxcbxo
If you just can't give up Nature's Swiftness, but want a little more dps edge than the spec above. (can put points in Nature's Focus instead of subtlety for PvP).

44/0/17 (Stian's Raid DPS build) - subtlety will now reduce the threat generated by healing AND damage spells, making this an important talent for raiding moonkin druids. As Stian is an authority on end-game moonkin dps, I will let the expert's spec speak for its' self.
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=MtMrzicsguVoZxMIL

Edited, Nov 30th 2007 8:24am by SpiritDrinker
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#3 Nov 30 2007 at 5:05 AM Rating: Good
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3) Low level BGs

This is mostly feral advice, as most PvP "twinks" will probably be feral. Feral makes a good flag runner for WSG, especially with the speed increase.

10-19 WSG
You can play! Have fun! Just remember that you are still primarily a caster. You dont have cat form, and your bear damage isn't very good. I suggest tossing heals liberally, followed by roots, hibernating druids/hunter pets, and tapping people (ONCE!) with Moonfire. You can use Fairy Fire on rogues and warriors. Remember to hold enough mana to shift bear form, since this is your primary form of defense against mele classes.

Moonfire spam: DONT!*
*unless it will leave the target dead and allow your team an advantage. (eg. Spamming the turtling flag carrier down in WSG to allow your team to cap the flag.)

20-29 WSG
For this bracket, the 10-19 advice still applies, but remember you have increased survivability at this level with bear, as well as additional DPS in cat form, if you are feral. Try to use your forms to their advantages. Don’t stay in one forever. Utilize cat speed for mobility, as the only ones on the battlefield that are faster than you, with Feline swiftness, are Shamans in ghost wolf form. You have Feral charge to close the distance. Watch your mana pool because it isnt the greatest. Always leave enough to shift for escapes.

Jaegor found that it was best for him to stay hidden as long as possible in cat while the battle develops, then shred some backside or tossing some heals/roots. For alliance, you will likely be the primary flag runner, or you will be support for the flag runner with heals.

20-29 AB
Arathi Basin is becoming more available for low-levels now that cross-server BG's have been released.
Druids with cat form can stealth at a base and use ravage or shift & cast moonfire to interrupt your opponent and prevent them from being able to get your flag. You can use your heals to keep your team members alive. You can use cat form for high DPS as feral, or use wrath and moonfire to your advantage as balance. You can stealth to resource nodes that your opponents control to sneak-attack their flag.

30-39 WSG
Travel form makes you the best flag runner in this level bracket. You can shift out of snares, dash in cat form when you are indoors, and travel form to run away at high speeds once you are in the "great outdoors." I tend to stay in bear form when I'm in the base if I don't intend to burn my dash, to help mitigate mele damage.

Copied Turog's post about level 40-49 pvp. (thanks!)

Quote:
40-49 PVP
I stacked agility more than strength since I kitty form dps a lot. For me I go bear when I want to survive, I go cat when i want to dps, and I go caster when I want to support. (Bear's Key abilites - bash, charge, enrage, frenzied regen).

Wsg:
Dire Bear form becomes a huge help. Cast Regrowth, Rejuv, Barkskin - shift into bear. Garunteed to survive against 8 people long enough to take the flag out from base to tunnel entrance. (Frenzied regen helps here too :D)
When fighting mages who are flag carrying, go bear and bash (DO NOT Feral Charge!) and if/ as soon as they blink out of that, Feral charge them. This should help your team catch up much more quickly than feral charging off the bat, and having to shift out of bear and into cat/travel to catch up.
Cat's track humanoids skill becomes invaluable here. If you are in base on D, you can track humanoid to see where they are coming from, you can stealth to their base and look for their flag carrier with track on. And! if you pick up flag, you can shift to cat, hit dash and track - is there a big group of red dots by their graveyard? Yep, they just respawned, better think of what to do. (For me, I prefer to sit in the base stealthed, wait until they respawn, and when most of them leave from GY, I grab and go along the wall. By them time i get to them, they should have been engaged in battle, and mostly dead.)


AB:
Cat form's new skill (trainable) feline grace becomes handy when assaulting , or defending bs from mill or mines from bs. Just go to cat form, try and jump so you can kinda slide along the wall, and run to bs or hit prowl immediantly as soon as you land. (note, at 49 - falling from bs to mine can be from about 600-800 damage if done right, and from mill's flag to the road below will be about 900-1200 if done right)
Otherwise- ninjaing nodes stays the same. Except this time you have track humanoid in cat form. I cannot stress how important this is. I always do the exact same sequence - mouse button 5 - 5 - -. shift - stealth - track humanoids. Helps tremendously when evaluating nodes, and checking to see if people waiting to respawn have.


More 40-49 PvP hints:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=11601186&postId=320841712&sid=1#42

Edited, Nov 30th 2007 8:33am by SpiritDrinker
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#4 Nov 30 2007 at 5:05 AM Rating: Good
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4. Q&A and links to additional resources

Q. Where can I find more information about being a moonkin? Is this a good spec for me?
A. I suggest you read Efejel's Moonkin FAQ to help you decide if moonkin is a good spec for you, and how to be the best balance druid you can be!
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=2215646573&sid=1&pageNo=1
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=86852121&sid=1
Here is a moonkin gear list:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=106672385&sid=1&pageNo=1
If you can't get instance groups, you can now PvP (non-arena) for gear:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=2766102644&sid=1

Q. I still have more questions about what it means to be a druid. What additional resources are available to me?
A. Here is a link to the Druid forums in Europe. They have a good selection of reading material here:
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=304172583&sid=1
and
http://druid.wikispaces.com/
Also, before you post questions on the druid forum, you can read:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=965749850&sid=1

What is the druid song?
Purple Monster by Ashmai of Nathrezim.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOxkNOdpYPQ

Q: Where do I go to level?
A: Here is a handy leveling guide you guys should take a look at if you ever get stuck wondering where you should be leveling at any point in time. Questing is usually better for druids than straight grinding.
http://wowvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Guides.Detail&id=66
Things to note: Being indoors is bad for druids, so avoid needless grinding in caves. Since we don’t have a good AOE ability, I try to pick off solo mobs rather than taking on big groups at the same time.

Questing is important, and you can see the default zone levels here, to get an idea of where to quest:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/regionlevels.html

Where do I find tanking gear at level 70?
The basics on tanking are here:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=442969657&sid=1
There is a more complete list of tanking gear here:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=12731451&sid=1
This is also a really nice resource for tanking armor (and a little clearer than the forum thread):
http://www.gurgleblaster.net/emmerald/Bear_High_Mitigation/Head.html

Q: Who is ALAMO and how do I learn 2 play Durids?
A: Alamo's original post:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=11491411&postId=115002390&sid=1#0
Alamo Teeches u 2 Burnin croosaid:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=59308423&postId=592133566&sid=1#0

What about resto?
Restoration is not a good leveling build. I recommend not specing heavily into resto until after you hit 70. There is a guide for gearing up for end-game healing stickied at the top of this forum.
There is also a really good guide on understanding Tree Form here:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=110537225&sid=1&pageNo=1
There is also a guide for end-game resto PvP you can find here:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=443120796&sid=1

Q: Why not put your first five points in Imp MotW?
A: Because despite the 1.35xMotW is a minimal gain at that level for the points invested. For MOTW Rank 2, getting +23 AC, and +1 stats is simply not worth 5 talent points compared to the other options available. The only time this is worth the 5 talent points is if you are a) DEEP in the resto tree, b) heavily involved in PvE raiding. In PvP the buff will get purged/cleansed or your target will die. For druids that are primarily feral/pvp, 5/5 Furor will be much more valuable for its effectiveness with cat/bear.

Q: What about 1 point in Improved Shred???
A:
Essentially, the energy returns over time start to equalize. However, the initial attack sequence of Shred>Shred has no benefit from 1/2 Imp Shred. If you were to substitute Claw (40 energy) for Rake, it would look even worse for 1/2 Imp Shred because the cost for an additional attack after the Claw would require the same number of ticks for energy as unimproved shred. Basically Improved Shred is one of those talents that needs to have 2/2 to have an effect.

Q: How about Str x Agil? How can I see a useful chart that can show me?
A: Brisin Wrote:
Quote:
Agi x Str, I would say you look at:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1291/10430...10a764d.jpg

Graph of Critical Strike Chance vs. Attack Power showing the ranges at which +1 strength > +1 agility and +1 agility > +1strength. The three lines each represent the point at which +1 strength = +1 agility, at three different +hit % scores. This data was gathered using Tangedyn's model for sustained feral druid dps

Q: Why not spec x/x/x instead?
A: The guides posted above are merely guides to give you an idea of what I consider good specs and have had success with on the Beta server, but the best spec will always be the one that fits YOUR playing style the best. Feel free to adapt them as needed.

Q: What about Talent:X?
A: Feel free to post questions about why x over y. I will try to respond, and if there are enough questions, I will include a review on more of those talents in this thread. Keep in mind that this guide is geared for a balance between PvE/PvP, and the order I chose talents reflects that.

Q: OMG! N00B!
A: Very succinctly put. However, I’ve been posting on the boards for quite sometime now, reading informative threads, and I’ve put in countless hours testing the new talents on the BC Beta server. I believe Jaegor's guide is the most efficient there was for the 1.8 talents, and I am doing my best to keep his original ideas, and build on them, rather than starting from scratch. I hope that he is proud of what I have done for this thread. I also happen to think it is a lot of fun. Feel free to disagree with anything we've written, as I do take poster comments into consideration.

Q: Sir, you are both a gentleman and a scholar! How can I help inform others?
A: Post responses, or link this post to those with questions. (While Jaegor was a guy, I happen to be female).

Q: What kind of cake do you like?
A: Jaegor likes chocolate with vanilla icing.
Lissanna likes chocolate with Cream Cheese frosting

Edited, Nov 30th 2007 8:41am by SpiritDrinker

Edited, Nov 30th 2007 4:38pm by SpiritDrinker
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#5 Nov 30 2007 at 5:06 AM Rating: Good
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5) Appendix (Poster Suggestions).

There are always different perspectives, and no one correct way to do things. Here's some advice from forum posters:

Tangden: "Personally for PVE, I'd go straight down to grab Feral Faerie Fire before going to Furor.
Since I'm spending a lot of time in cat form when grinding levels, FFF will be really useful so I don't have to shift to put faerie fire on, and mobs die faster."
----------------------------
Bovie: "Personally, I would put 11-14 points into (restoration) right after getting feline swiftness. OOC is a very good tool for healing, dps, and tanking alike - and the extra 10% damage will be welcome."
----------------------------
Abyss - "If you want to do split resto (13 feral, 11 resto, back to feral) and find it hard to lose Furor to respec later for LotP or Mangle, a Wolfshead helm is a great investment. For efficiency, I do split spec to 40, then I get a Wolfshead and spec full feral- the proc on the hat is perfect for charge and you get the best of both worlds. Also- by the time you're 40ish you'll have the gear to make the higher end scaling talents of the feral tree work."
----------------------------
Gku- For 10 thru 20, Balance may actually be faster until you get cat form. You can pick up Balance talents from 10 to 20 and then spec back to feral when you get cat form.
---------------
-Illiyana: "I know it's getting out of the "young" range, but this is definitely worth mentioning...
Once you hit level 30, hop right on over the the AH and pick up the Green Whelp Armor chestpiece. There is *nothing* that works better for soloing/tanking for a good number of levels to come. For those of you unfarmiliar with this armor, every time a melee mob hits you (normal and special attacks), there is a 5% chance that the mob will fall asleep for 30 seconds. Just make sure if you've picked up multiple mobs, get rid of your thorns (as they tend to break the sleep affect instantly)."
----------------------------
Nekrosynergy -"So, you're a bear, and your leveling pattern will not vary from this;
Heal / Heal over time on yourself, Shift to bear Bear, attempt to kill mobs, Shift out of bear, repeat.

The only variation to this is pulling or opening with a starfire / wrath / enrage, but i didn't mention these because once again, that's down to individual playing style. Personally, i think if you're entering combat without a HoT on yourself and opening with starfire (wrath, pre-20's) > moonfire > bear, you are doing it wrong. You should be maximizing your damage not just your bear damage, you have ranged abilities so USE them. Save enrage for when you have to fight several mobs and you've got a couple of seconds before they arrive to attack range. The extra rage gained from it can make or break your game.

Lastly.. because this is how most bear users will be levelling, i chose furor, naturalist and omen of clarity as my 10-20 talents. "
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Sond:
"1. As a young feral druid you must keep the cower skill in your toolbar for when you are in groups, especially if you invest any points feral instinct. Coming from experience of off DPSing in cat form pre-1.8 to now, I've had to rediscover cower the hard way. Learn to use your cower, a well timed cower can be the difference between life and death (in groups).

2. Gear well! For casting/healing for instances grab all the eagle/owl gear you can but also make a nice set of bear/tiger/monkey for your feral rampage. "
-------------------------------------
About Agi x Str, I would say you look at:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1291/10430...10a764d.jpg

Graph of Critical Strike Chance vs. Attack Power showing the ranges at which +1 strength > +1 agility and +1 agility > +1strength. The three lines each represent the point at which +1 strength = +1 agility, at three different +hit % scores. This data was gathered using Tangedyn's model for sustained feral druid dps


Edited, Nov 30th 2007 4:27pm by SpiritDrinker
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#6 Nov 30 2007 at 5:07 AM Rating: Good
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6. Equipping for PvP & PvE (& more info on important stats)

Druids are heavily reliant on their gear to be able to perform whatever role they’ve chosen. Whether you are Feral, Balance, or Restoration, you will be significantly less effective compared to a well-geared druid if you do not carefully select your equipment. Most high level Druids carry at the very least two equipment sets on them at all times, with some carrying as high as seven (with some cross over items). To make it easier to manage your gear, you may want to look for the Wardrobe add-on which will let you easily select your desired equipment.

Here are some stats you should focus on at lower levels. At high levels (60 to 70), other stats will become available that you will want to pick up. By that point, you should be able to figure out the right balance of stats for what you want to do.

Feral PvE:
Primarily STR/STA/AGI/INT. STR is your most important stat, since has a direct effect on your Attack Power (1 STR = 2 AP). Stamina keeps you alive longer, so it is the second stat to look for. In all forms, AGI will give you more crit, as well as a AC and Dodge bonus. Agility helps your Attack Power in cat(1 agi = 1AP), but not in bear. So, agility is better for cat than bear, though strength is still more important than AGI for both forms. For bear, your AC and stamina will be important for tanking. At higher levels, dodge and defense become important for feral tanking. Do not completely neglect your INT stat, so that you have mana available for emergency heals (for yourself or others). Spirit is not a useful stat for feral druids.

Healing PvE:
Yes, even as a Feral Druid, you will be called on to heal perhaps more often than you would like. Primary stats INT/STA/SPI. You should still try to maintain a reasonable HP/Mana balance because a dead healer (or one that runs out of mana) does no one any good. Feel free to use anything with +healing on it. Do not be afraid to throw a couple of cloth pieces in if the stat increase is worthwhile. Also, do not be afraid do drop to bear form if needed. You will still get the higher stamina and AC bonus, allowing you to hold out longer than you would as a caster.

Balance PvE:
Intellect is your friend. We have two talents in the Balance tree now that are based off of intellect, so your want your Int stat to be as high as possible, especially once you hit those talents. Your next best stats are Stamina and Spirit. You also want to invest in +spell damage once this stat is available to you. You shouldn't spend a lot of time in mele, so STR and AGI will not help you very much.

Gearing for PvP:
At lower levels (especially in the 19 & 29 level range), stamina is by far the most important stat in PvP since it will keep you alive. Intellect is important, since a balance of HP/Mana is required to maintain flexibility, as well as be able to shift in and out of snares. For ferals, STR/AGI apply just as in PvE for helping you do DPS. At higher levels, other stats become important.

The following are important formulas
For additional info on stats, see: http://druid.wikispaces.com/Druid_Game_Mechanics#tocDruid_Game_Mechanics0

Here are the basics:
1 str = 2AP
1 AGI = 1 AP cat form only
14 AP = 1dps

1% dodge is 14.7 AGI
1% crit is 25 AGI

1AGI = 2AC

[I am not entirely sure if these stats are correct, please state if they are not so]

Stam:
The base is 1 stam = 10 HP.
Your actual HP increase from 1 stam on a piece of armor, however, can be increased in many ways. The max HP/Stam with talents in bear form for NEs is: 15.45. The max for Tauren druids is: 16.2225

Intellect: (untalented):
1 int = 15 mana.
Like Stam, your actual mana increase from 1 int on you gear will increase with talents.

Other info
Dire Bear and Moonkin armor is calculated as 400% of items (agi bonus, armor kits, and enchants are not included in this calculation) This can be raised with the Thick Hide talent.

Weapon procs listed "on hit" (eg. Crusader/Fiery)do NOT currently proc in forms (moonkin aside).
Trinkets/armor that are listed as "on hit" DO proc in forms (Maelstrom, Elementals decks).
+Atk speed enchants DO work in forms.

When looking for Feral weapons, go for those with the best stats, not necessarily the best DPS, because weapon DPS still will not matter when in forms. You aren't using the weapon itself, but you still get the stat bonuses.

Enchants: (my section was outdated. I may update later).

Druid Speed( what stacks with what)
www.forgoodnotevil.com/druid/speed.html

How to rebind your Shapeshifting Keys
Your shapeshifting keys are default bound to ctrl-F1 through ctrl-F4. Not the most comfortable position for most people.
To rebind them in the default Interface:
Esc
Keybindings
Special Action Buttons 1-4
Bind them as you will.

Edited, Nov 30th 2007 8:45am by SpiritDrinker
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#7 Nov 30 2007 at 5:47 AM Rating: Good
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Low Level "Feral" gear:
This is a guide for people leveling feral druids (between levels 13 & 35) who are having a hard time finding gear with Strength. Below is a list of some of what I believe to be fairly accessible leather armor with +strength on it. Agility gear seems to fall out of the sky and into my lap as I'm leveling, but finding strength gear is much harder, especially at very low levels.

Note: if you think of anything I should add to this list, feel free to post it.

Defias Set (Deadmines): Lvl 13 to 19 - http://thottbot.com/?set=161
Embrace of the Viper (Wailing caverns): Lvl 14 to 18 - http://thottbot.com/?set=162

Chest:
Black Whelp Tunic (crafted) 15 - http://thottbot.com/?i=52058
Prospector’s Chestpiece (world drop) 18 - http://thottbot.com/?i=4364
Thick Murloc Armor (crafted) 29 - http://thottbot.com/?i=8904
Green Whelp Armor (crafted) 30- http://thottbot.com/i7375 (no STR, but the proc is good, especially for PvP)

Feet:
Feet of the Lynx (world drop) 19 - http://thottbot.com/?i=5060
Tromping Miner’s Boots (Uldaman) 33- http://thottbot.com/?i=15305
Draftsman boots (quest reward) 27 - http://thottbot.com/?i=2815

Hands:
Ebon Vise (Scarlet Monestary) 30 - http://thottbot.com/?i=12707
Naga Battle Gloves (Blackfathom Deeps) 22 - http://thottbot.com/?i=9300
Wolfclaw Gloves (Razorfen Kraul) 22 - http://thottbot.com/?i=11325

Helm:
Robust Helm of the Bear (world drop) 26 - http://thottbot.com/?i=14253
Hawkeye helm (world drop) 35 - http://thottbot.com/?i=9129
Humbert's Helm (dun garok rifleman) 25 http://www.thottbot.com/?i=6779

Legs:
Warchief’s Kilt (Scarlet Monestary) 34 - http://thottbot.com/?i=16033
Ferine Leggings (Razorfen Kraul) 29 - http://thottbot.com/?i=9855

Shoulders:
Rigid Shoulders of the Boar (world drop) 21 - http://thottbot.com/?i=7034
Forest Tracker Epaulets (world drop) 26 - http://thottbot.com/?i=3879
Barbaric shoulders (crafted) 30 - http://thottbot.com/?i=2998

Belt:
Forest leather belt (world drop) 18 - http://thottbot.com/?i=7007
Barberic Belt (crafted) 35 - http://thottbot.com/?i=19898 (note: rage should work in bear form now)
Hawkeye cord (world drop) 31 - http://thottbot.com/?i=12127

Bracer:
Bands of Serra’kis (blackfathom deeps) 22 - http://thottbot.com/?i=9823
Murloc Scale Bracers (crafted) 33 - http://thottbot.com/?i=8706
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Low Level Balance +damage gear (taken from the old Balance guides. Thank you Efejel & Stian).

Prior to level 17, we suggest filling each and every slot you can with leather "of the eagle" type gear (Stam and int). If you can find a weapon to use with a little +int modifier that would do nicely, as far as rings and neck any +int modifier would do as well. Intellect will always be your primary stat (especially with the new talents), however the below +spell damage items are pretty good for low level balance druids.

If you need to find out the exact stats of the following items or how to obtain them refer to thottbot.com.

Lvl 17: Gnoll casting gloves
Lvl 18: Advisor's or Lorekeeper's Ring
Lvl 19: Twisted Chanter's Staff
Lvl 20: Magician's Mantle
Lvl 28: Advisor's or Lorekeeper's Ring
Lvl 30: Scorn's Icy Choker
Lvl 33: Robe of Power
Lvl 33: Orb of the Forgotten
Lvl 35: Staff of Jordan (Epic)
Lvl 35: Star Belt
Lvl 35: Robe of the Magi
Lvl 36: Inquisitor Shawl
Lvl 38: Advisor's or Lorekeeper's Ring
215 Engineering: Spellpower Goggles Xtreme (requires Engineering to make/wear)
Lvl 38: Red Mageweave pants
Lvl 38: Black Mageweave gloves
Lvl 40: Dryad's Wrist Bindings
Lvl 40: Dreamweave Gloves
Lvl 40: Dreamweave Vest
Lvl 42: Zumrah's Vexing Cane (not recommended if you already have Staff of Jordan)
Lvl 43: Band of the Unicorn x2
Lvl 43: Southsea Mojo Boots
Lvl 45: Spellshock Leggings
Lvl 45: Dreamweave Circlet (only if you dont have engineering otherwise go for the Spell power goggles)
Lvl 45: Elven Spirit Claws
Lvl 45: Wildfeather Leggings (Only usable by Tribal Leatherworkers).
Lvl 46: Deep Woodland's Cloak
Lvl 47: Spirit of Aquamentas
Lvl 47: Kentic Amice
Lvl 48: Advisor's or Lorekeepers Ring
Lvl 48: Bloodfire Talons
Lvl 49: Ironfeather Shoulders (if no Kentic Amice)
Engineering 270: Spellpower Goggles Xtreme Plus
Lvl 50: Dryad's Wrist Bindings
Lvl 50: Moonshadow Stave (from ST lvl 50 quest. Alternative to Energetic + Aquamentas)
Lvl 53: Ironfeather Breastplate (if Ironfeather Shoulders)
Lvl 54: Energetic Rod (mainhand to go with offhand spirit of aquamentas)
Lvl 55: Tressermane Leggings http://thottbot.com/?i=5348
Lvl 56: Helm of the new moon: http://thottbot.com/?i=53208
Lvl 56: Crystallized Girdle: http://thottbot.com/?i=21417
Lvl 56: Cyclone Spaulders: http://thottbot.com/?i=36021
Lvl 57: Boots of the Shrieker: http://thottbot.com/?i=22218
Lvl 57: Chestplate of Tranquility: http://thottbot.com/?i=35729
Lvl 58: Tunic of the Crescent Moon: http://thottbot.com/?i=53361
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#8 Nov 30 2007 at 5:50 AM Rating: Good
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I may have over looked some glaring mistakes, so if you notice any Please do point them out and ill look into it asap :)

As always, try to post and rate if you find this good or helpfull, all credit goes to Jaegor and Lissanna, I just helped spread their words of wisdom .
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#9 Nov 30 2007 at 6:42 AM Rating: Good
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Rate ups and thanks. I used the prior version of this guide when I first started my druid and it was awesomely awesome. I followed the talent progression exactly up to Furor. After that I went back to the Feral tree after OOC and respecced for Mangle at 50.

The only thing I've done differently is I've always worn more AGI than STR. I've never been sorry but then again I don't tank.
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#10 Nov 30 2007 at 10:37 AM Rating: Excellent
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A Shamless bump for all of my younger druid friends out there :D

Quote:
The only thing I've done differently is I've always worn more AGI than STR. I've never been sorry but then again I don't tank.


The same here when I specced feral to try out some pvp, how did you find that worked for you? Did you dps your crits make up for your lack in dps?
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#11 Nov 30 2007 at 11:37 AM Rating: Decent
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Nice guide you have there.

About Agi x Str, I would say you look at:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1291/1043040621_58f10a764d.jpg

Graph of Critical Strike Chance vs. Attack Power showing the ranges at which +1 strength > +1 agility and +1 agility > +1strength. The three lines each represent the point at which +1 strength = +1 agility, at three different +hit % scores. This data was gathered using Tangedyn's model for sustained feral druid dps

Credits go to: http://flickr.com/photos/75401938@N00/1043040621/
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#12 Nov 30 2007 at 11:48 AM Rating: Good
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SpiritDrinker wrote:

Quote:
The only thing I've done differently is I've always worn more AGI than STR. I've never been sorry but then again I don't tank.


The same here when I specced feral to try out some pvp, how did you find that worked for you? Did you dps your crits make up for your lack in dps?


I think it does, but it should be noted that I'm a casual player playing on EZ Mode: I play solo and don't PVP. I've never had trouble going through mobs fast. If you get a crit while they're still stunned from your pounce, which I often do, they're mostly dead by the time they can turn around. In bear form my damage sucks, so I'm giving up kill speed when it comes to taking on multiple mobs, but I gain dying less in exchange. I dodge more and I wear plenty of STA so I can just sit there and swipe all day. I rarely die and when I do it's almost always because I did something dumb, like panic when I got a bunch of adds and hit the wrong button or whatever.
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#13 Nov 30 2007 at 1:41 PM Rating: Good
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I could see how this would work :) Although, with the new patch any lvl 70 worth his salt has at least some resil on them at any one time =/ Still, for mobs this is a worthy way to deal and grind with them :P

Quote:
Nice guide you have there.

About Agi x Str, I would say you look at:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1291/10430...10a764d.jpg

Graph of Critical Strike Chance vs. Attack Power showing the ranges at which +1 strength > +1 agility and +1 agility > +1strength. The three lines each represent the point at which +1 strength = +1 agility, at three different +hit % scores. This data was gathered using Tangedyn's model for sustained feral druid dps


Brisin, my saviour! I have been looking for one of these for AGES! Thank you here! :D Can I ask, do you mind if I use it in my Guide?

Edited, Dec 1st 2007 8:02am by SpiritDrinker
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#14 Dec 01 2007 at 5:54 AM Rating: Decent
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Another bump! Come on guys! Post comments! :P
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#15 Dec 01 2007 at 10:45 AM Rating: Good
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Sorry, the formating doesn't make me want to read it, and if I understand correctly it's not something you wrote, but rather copy/pasted someone else's work to bring here?

If it's not the case, you might want to specify it more clearly as I don't think it would get you many rate-ups.
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#16 Dec 01 2007 at 4:38 PM Rating: Decent
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Quote:
if I understand correctly it's not something you wrote, but rather copy/pasted someone else's work to bring here?


This is exactly what Im doing.

I followed this guide almost to the teeth as I was leveling my druid, as my first char I didnt know much about stats and was still picking up weapons from the vendor at lvl 30! Because of this I thought I would spread the good word as far and wide as possible, but I also noticed that the druid section of this site had no support for gear and talents for an up and coming druid unlike other class sections, unless somone asks "Is this a good talent / spec" which I know we all hate :)

But I have not just coppied and pasted, some of the links were false, had the websites been deleted or just corrupted, I have read over the talents and have changed them where they are not compatible with the new patch (2.3).

I am not expecting to be rated up for these posts, I'm just looking for this help at least one new druid who is a bit confussed with what gear to choose or spec to pick and who has no where to turn without being painfully annoying to us older druids.

It seems to let all of this knowlage go to waste, but playing almost strictly as a balance druid, I need your help to complete this guide. I need the imput of other feral druids to help me change these posts so that they becomes the best they can be, and most of all help those new druids out there who maybe dont know how to play the game very well and just need help or are just looking for a new spec and are unsure where to put their points.

Edited, Dec 2nd 2007 5:13am by SpiritDrinker
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#17 Dec 03 2007 at 6:21 AM Rating: Decent
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SpiritDrinker wrote:

Brisin, my saviour! I have been looking for one of these for AGES! Thank you here! :D Can I ask, do you mind if I use it in my Guide?

Edited, Dec 1st 2007 8:02am by SpiritDrinker


Heh, this chart was my saviour too. And I don't mind if you put it on your guide, but as I pointed out, it's not mine. I got that link at my guild forum and they took from http://flickr.com/photos/75401938@N00/1043040621/ .
Maybe you should ask for the owner of the flicker.
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