Druid tactics

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Druid tactics for Mists of Pandaria are presented below. Be advised that the rest of the article is significantly out of date, and that while it may contain some strategies and advice that is still relevant to the current game, much of its content may no longer be accurate.

Mists of Pandaria

Balance

Rotation and general advice:

• Pre-combat:
  • Remember to maintain [Mark of the Wild].
  • Try to stay in [Moonkin Form] unless you're flying or riding around a lot and only fighting weak foes.
  • Use [Astral Communion] before tougher pulls to enter an [Eclipse] state.
  • If you're building up Solar Energy, in a Lunar Ecplise or your [Eclipse] bar is empty, open with [Starfire]. If you're building up Lunar Energy or in a Solar Eclipse, open with [Starsurge] (or [Wrath] if Starsurge is on cooldown).
• Pre-Eclipse rotation:
  • Maintain [Moonfire] and [Sunfire].
  • Use [Starsurge] on cooldown.
  • Spam [Wrath] to build Lunar Energy or spam [Starfire] to build Solar Energy.
  • Cast [Starfall] when you're close to hitting a Lunar Eclipse, since Lunar Eclipse resets its cooldown.
• Solar Eclipse rotation:
  • Use [Starsurge] on cooldown.
  • Maintain [Sunfire] and [Moonfire].
  • Spam [Wrath].
  • Continue this rotation until you reach Lunar Eclipse.
• Lunar Eclipse rotation:
  • Cast [Starfall].
  • Cast [Starsurge] on cooldown.
  • Maintain [Moonfire] and [Sunfire].
  • Spam [Starfire].
  • Continue this rotation until you reach Solar Eclipse.
• [Celestial Alignment] rotation:
  • Cast [Starfall].
  • Use [Starsurge] on cooldown.
  • Use [Moonfire] to maintain the [Moonfire] and [Sunfire] DoT debuffs.
  • Spam [Starfire].
• If you're moving around, you can use [Sunfire] in place of [Wrath] and [Moonfire] in place of [Starfire].
• AoE advice:
  • [Starfall] is your most efficient AoE spell.
  • Multi-DoTing with [Moonfire] and [Sunfire] is quite efficient while fighting several foes. You should cast them back to back to benefit from Lunar Shower.
  • [Hurricane] and [Astral Storm] hit hard, but they're pretty expensive, so unless they're an emergency, you should hold off on using them until you're in an Eclipse state.
• Remember, glyphs, talents and set bonuses may affect your rotation.

Cooldowns and situational abilities:

• [Entangling Roots] lets you root a target for up to 30 seconds.
• [Barkskin] gives you 20% damage reduction for 12 seconds with a 1 minte cooldown.
• Use [Astral Communion] to enter an Eclipse state before tougher battles. It has no cooldown, so you can use it as often as you please.
• Use [Solar Beam] to interrupt and shut down tougher enemy casters.
• If you're in a party with a physical attacker, you should use [Faerie Fire] against tougher foes to weaken their armour.
• You can cast [Innervate] to restore 20% of your mana over 10 seconds, or to restore 10% of an ally's mana over 10 seconds.
• [Soothe] dispels Enrage buffs.
• [Hibernate] lets you CC a beast or dragonkin for 40 seconds.
• [Celestial Alignment] lasts 15 seconds, gives you the simultaneous benefits of Lunar and Solar Eclipses, causes your Moonfire spell to apply both the Moonfire and Sunfire DoT debuffs and prevents you from gaining more Lunar or Solar Energy while the buff is active. Ideally, it should be used while you're low on Lunar / Solar energy and not in an Eclipse state. It has a 3 minute cooldown.
• [Cyclone] lets you CC a target for 6 seconds.
• [Symbiosis] gives an ally a druid-themed ability based on the ally's spec, and gives you an ability based on your spec and the ally's class.

Feral

Rotation, cooldowns and general advice:

• Pre-combat:
  • You're generally best off using a two-handed agility weapon.
  • Remember to maintain [Mark of the Wild].
  • You're generally best off fighting in [Cat Form].
  • You should activate [Prowl] before tougher pulls and open with [Ravage], which stuns and inflicts a heavy bleed DoT.
• Combo point builders (use until you hit 5 CP):
  • Maintain [Rake].
  • Spam [Mangle] (or [Shred] if you're in a party and can get behind the target).
• Finishers:
  • Ferocies Bite is the hardest hitting of the three finishers.
  • Maim damages and stuns a target for up to 5 seconds, making it a good example when fighting a single, tough foe. Keep in mind that most dungeon bosses and many elites are immunet to stuns.
  • [Savage Roar] provides a 30% physical damage buff for up to 42 seconds. It may be beneficial to try to keep up Savage Roar, checking some of the major theorycrafting websites for futher details after each major patch is recommended.
• Spam Swipe for AoE.
• Miscellaneous abilities:
  • Use [Faerie Fire] when you're fighting tougher foes, or when you're out of energy and have a free GCD.
  • Use [Tiger's Fury] whenever you're low on Energy.
  • Dash gives you a brief but powerful speed boost with a 3 minute cooldown.
  • When [Predatory Swiftness] is active, you can get a free, instant cast of [Healing Touch], [Cyclone] or [Entangling Roots] available in any form.
  • [Barkskin] gives you 20% damage reduction for 12 seconds with a 1 minte cooldown.
  • [Berserk] halves the cost of your Cat Form abilities for 15 seconds with a 3 minute cooldown.
• You can use [Innervate] to give some mana to an ally.
• [Survival Instincts] reduces all incoming damage by 50% for 12 seconds with a 3 minute cooldown.
• [Soothe] dispels Enrage buffs.
• Stampeding Roar gives the entire party a brief but powerful speeed boost with a 2 minute cooldown.
• [Symbiosis] gives an ally a druid-themed ability based on the ally's spec, and gives you an ability based on your spec and the ally's class.
• Remember, glyphs, talents and set bonuses may affect your rotation.

Guardian

Tanking

Please add any available information to this section.

Soloing

Rotation, cooldowns and general advice:

• Pre-combat:
  • You're generally best off using a two-handed agility weapon.
  • Remember to maintain [Mark of the Wild].
  • You're generally best off fighting in [Bear Form].
• Use [Mangle] on cooldown to build Rage.
• Use [Faerie Fire] on tougher foes to weaken their armour.
• Use [Lacerate] when you've got a free GCD and nothing better to do.
• Rage dumps:
  • Spend Rage on [Maul] to take out weaker foes more quickly.
  • Spend Rage on [Savage Defense] when fighting tougher physical attackers.
  • Spend Rage on [Frenzied Regeneration] when you need healing.
• AoE rotation:
  • Use Thrash to keep the bleed DoT and Weakened Blows on your foes.
  • Spam Swipe.
• Cooldowns and situational abilities:
  • [Bear Hug] stuns that target for 3 seconds and inflicts damage equal to 30% of your maximum health. It has a 1 minute cooldown.
  • [Barkskin] gives you 20% damage reduction for 12 seconds with a 1 minute cooldown.
  • You can use [Innervate] to give some mana to an ally.
  • Use [Skull Bash] to interrupt casters.
  • [Survival Instincts] reduces all incoming damage by 50% for 12 seconds with a 3 minute cooldown.
  • [Soothe] dispels Enrage buffs.
  • [Might of Ursoc] raises your current and maximum health by 30% for 20 seconds, with a 3 minute cooldown.
  • Enrage gives you 20 rage plus an additional 10 rage over 10 seconds, with a 1 minute cooldown.
  • Stampeding Roar gives the entire party a brief but powerful speeed boost with a 2 minute cooldown.
  • [Symbiosis] gives an ally a druid-themed ability based on the ally's spec, and gives you an ability based on your spec and the ally's class.
• Remember, glyphs, talents and set bonuses may affect your rotation.

Restoration

Healing

Please add any available information to this section.

Soloing

Please add any available information to this section.

General tactics

Druids have four specializations — Balance, Feral, Guardian and Restoration — and each leads to radically different play styles and tactics; however there are some general principles that apply to all druids.

Shifting

• Any specialization of druid can shapeshift. All shapeshifting breaks roots and snares, and grants immunity to polymorph and will break polymorph effects.
• Shifting out of a form is a not a spell, nor an action, and can be done anytime (unless under Mind Control). It can be done while stunned, feared, etc but it does not break the effect. It can even be done while skinning/mining/gathering (e.g. to prepare for a heal). Shifting in to a form is an action however and cannot be done while stunned, feared, etc. Shapeshifting is not a spell, so can be done while silenced or locked out of your nature school.
• Shapeshifting is an instant ability, so it can be used during movement. This is useful when falling to switch to [Cat Form] to take advantage of [Feline Grace] to avoid fall damage, or to [Flight Form].
• While in an animal form you count as a beast for the purposes of spells and abilities, and are vulnerable to [Hibernate] and [Scare Beast], but not to abilities that only affect humanoids, such as Mind Control. Shifting out of an animal form while the spell is being cast upon you will cause it to fail as you are no longer a valid target. However attempting to shifting after it has taken effect will not break it (for example, you will remain asleep even if you shift back to humanoid form after being hibernated).
• Most spells and effects that change your appearance are canceled by shifting. Some, however, are not affected and allows for some entertaining displays (especially if you have obtained [Flight Form]). Feel free to experiment, particularly with 'disguise' style quests.

Spells and abilities

• Cat form has the ability to [Prowl] and [Dash], which can be useful regardless of specialization.
• [Bear Form] greatly increases your armor and HP, which can also be useful regardless of specialization.
• [Rebirth] works in combat and brings someone up with significant or full health and mana (depending on if  [Glyph of Rebirth] is equipped). It can prevent a wipe if used properly. It can also be used as a form of wipe recovery.
• [Barkskin] both mitigates damage and can be used to avoid most types of interruptions. It is especially useful for casting [Healing Touch], [Tranquility], or [Hurricane] while in close combat. It can also be cast in feral forms for the damage reduction or when escaping.

Partying & Raiding

A tauren druid fighting with a draenei warrior.

Historically, there was no place for non-Restoration Druids in end-game raiding. Today, Druids in the top-tier instances will often be called upon as healers, tanks, or DPS. Ultimately, the choice of specialization is your preference.

A large part of a druid's raid utility is their adaptability. If you go to an instance with a group or raid and you have Dual Talent Specialization, you should bring another set of spec appropriate gear so you can switch spec/roles depending on the raid's needs. Generally unless you have the specialization and the appropriate gear, a Druid can not fulfill two roles successfully in a raid environment at the same time and in emergency situations can only fulfill other roles in a limited capacity/time. A Balance Druid would not last long in [Bear Form] against a raid boss but could provide some clutch heals before quickly going oom.

Druids also possess 3 highly desired abilities:

• [Innervate] can regenerate mana for yourself or a party member quickly during a long fight.
• [Mark of the Wild] is a very useful buff.
• [Rebirth] for returning a dead player to combat.

Even when you are the main tank keep an eye open for an emergency that requires the above abilities.

Soloing

For players who have not yet attained access to Outland, it is very strategic to place your  [Hearthstone] in the Eastern Kingdoms (for Horde, Undercity or Kargath; for Alliance, Ironforge or Stormwind); since you can easily access Kalimdor through the spell [Teleport: Moonglade], learned at level 10. This acts as a second hearthstone. From Moonglade, you can fly for free to Darnassus (Alliance) Silva Fil'naveth or Thunder Bluff (Horde) Bunthen Plainswind from the FlightMaster located around (44,45), in the very southwest corner of the town, Nighthaven. There is also a normal flight path in the south/southwest of the zone with connections to various places (Darkshore, Felwood, Winterspring). This can decrease the amount of time you spend waiting for transport between continents.

A method for soloing mobs much stronger than yourself (such as elites), is to simply alternate [Starfire] with whatever crowd control option is open to you (backing up after each cast), repeating until the mob is dead. While time consuming, this enables a druid of any spec to take out mobs that cannot be soloed head on. When facing a mob much stronger than yourself, it is usually unwise to use [Moonfire], as this has a tendency to break crowd control. If both crowd control options work on a particular mob, you must compare the two; [Entangling Roots] is less likely to break than Hibernation, and sometimes a druid can squeeze two or three Starfires in before having to recast it. However, if a mob manages to close the gap, Hibernation will prevent it from hitting you, whereas Entangling Roots will not. A smart druid can typically kill anything that can be put to sleep or rooted in place.

This tactic should not be Underestimated: In Vanilla wow, the Druid Tier 0 boots (The Wildheart Boots.) used to be regularly solo farmed from Mother Smolderweb in Lower Blackrock Spire. It is possible to stealth to her, then kill her using a hibernate/starfire cycle.

PvP

Main article: Druid PvP guide

General

Druids are very versatile in combat and can therefore approach a fight in many different ways. Healing is very tricky against a smart opponent or a class with spell interrupts.

You will often find that against another player you will find most of your abilities useful at various times regardless of talent specialisation — a feral druid will benefit greatly from using [Cyclone] and healing spells alongside their animal form abilities, and a balance or restoration druid will find [Travel Form] and Dash similarly useful.

Spells and tactics

• Rooting: Entangling Roots is very handy for keeping melee opponents at bay and making casters stay put so that you can attack them in Bear or Cat form. It has an instant cast variant in [Nature's Grasp] that will root someone attacking you in melee. Be aware that there are many items and abilities that break root. If you rely too much on the spell, it will get you in trouble.
• Kiting: Travel form can be used to put distance between you and your enemy, which can be very useful while they are affected by DOTs (i.e. Moonfire, Rip). You can also use this tactic to run far enough away from them that they cannot catch up before you can get a heal off.
• [Hibernate]: This ability can be used against Shamans in Ghost Wolf form, Hunter pets, and other Druids in beast forms. This spell can give you time to heal or restealth in a one-on-one battle, reopening the battle with a Ravage or Pounce. In group PvP, hibernate is invaluable, as it takes an opponent out of the fight. Be careful who you hibernate, however, as hibernate will be broken if one of your teammates attacks your target. It is safer to hibernate an opponent with full health, as this usually means they are not currently under attack, and the probability that one of your teammates will engage that person at the exact same time you put them to sleep is low.
• [Innervate]: A nice mana boost. Be careful using it around an enemy Mage, Priest, Shaman, or Felhunter, as having it dispelled is incredibly frustrating and wastes the timer. In a fast paced battleground, use it as often as possible (read: as soon as it is cooled down) to maximize the number of innervates (and thus the amount of mana regained) per round. If you are a feral druid, cast this on healers whenever you get a chance, since you probably won't be using it, and a single healer typically has more sway in group PvP than any DPS class does.
• Debuff Removal: Rogues and Warlocks will use a lot of poisons and curses on you. It is generally a good idea to remove them as soon as you see them. Cure Poison and Remove Curse are cheap compared to many of the effects they remove.

Other

• Buff Removal: Mages, Priests, Shamans and Warlocks (Felhunter) can use [Dispel Magic]/ [Purge]/ [Devour Magic] on you to remove your own buffs. This includes [Nature's Swiftness] and [Nature's Grasp] among others. Having these buffs removed will start the respective cooldowns. This makes it a generally bad idea to precast buffs against these classes. Fighting against these classes is mostly a battle of mana so be careful about reapplying mana expensive buffs like [Mark of the Wild] ( [Glyph of Mark of the Wild] helps). Note that Druid shapeshift forms are not considered a magic ability and cannot be dispelled.
• RAWRbomb
  To perform RAWRbomb, use [Flight Form], fly over your unaware target, change to [Bear Form]/ [Cat Form] and [Feral Charge] to player who stands in ground. This will give you valuable surprise-effect, because you came out of nowhere. Charging just before you hit ground will remove the falling damage, so RAWRbomber will not die on fall damage.
  NOTE: RAWRbomb requires perfect timing. If timed wrong, it will turn from deadly surprise attack to miserable failure; RAWRsplat.