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View Full Version : Asking for expertise - Druid building


RagingSamster
04-12-2005, 10:53 PM
I reached a poijnt in my druid's growth that I have found two distinctly different functions that I can perform equally well. When I'm supported by marginally attentive healer I can tank all day long, I've asked and I am being told I'm doing what I should - keeping aggro off the casters while bringing down the mobs before the healers run out of mana. I tanked on a dwarve killing quest outside of the wetlands, and was taking out mobs 3-6 levels above me, died only twice toward the end due to stupid pulls. Although pulling in caster then switching to bear rocks! - I was having a superb gameplay experience (well worth the price of admission.)

A few days ago I had the roles switched with a party in Black Fathom Depths, I performed as a healer, which while fun was incredibly hard - trying to keep track of four team mates was doable, but you throw in pets (2 cats) and I was REALLY busy monitoring health and bufs not to mention my mana supply ( there is never enough mana!)

Serving in pure healer mode taught me one lesson that helped me as a tank - keep the agro off the healers! as a tank I was constantly using taunt almost to the exclusion of other talents as the priest would heal I'd pop a taunt to keep the mob on me and before they died they'd invariably head towards the caster, usualy just a swat or two from death.

Currently I'm liking tanking more than healing because it's easier, but maybe it may have been the agro support that would allow me to be more effective and more enjoyable (spelled survivable)

The question is this, should I expect to be an effective tank in the levels above? or should I focus on developing more healing skills? Or should I just shut up and enjoy the game and respeck when it becomes impossible to do both and have fun?

Ghryphen
04-13-2005, 09:34 AM
I like to tank myself, Faerie Fire is a precision pulling tool. You just have to do what you like.

Jadal
04-13-2005, 12:19 PM
The following, is from the greatest Druid to ever live: :groovy:

1) Feral tree imo doesnt really offer enough to put points into
2) Balance can give you some nice crits on wrath, moonfire......
3) Restoration is better healing and mana regeneration


Now first off, I dont like to use the feral forms. You cant use any spells that make being a druid special whether Bal/Rest specced. So no feral form (except cat to use invis to sneak around).

Balance will give you some NICE damage output in the short term. When your mana is gone your damage output goes with it. You're then left with no mana to heal even yourself with or your party. At that point you become a leather wearing warrior, ouch!

Restoration doesnt have the damage balance does, BUT will allow you to "tank" forever when solo because of Omen of Clarity and Innervate. For me it goes something like this: Wrath, Moonfire, melee, OC Proc, Moonfire, OC proc, heal, OC proc, moonfire. In caster form fighting melee the mob doesnt drop quick but you will be able to handle upwards of 5 mobs at the same time depending.

I have never seen where the damage from bear/cat outweighs the damage of caster?

If you plan on doing pick up groups for raids (and you will start getting alot of PMs in game at around 59) they will probably expect you to back up heal with some damage thrown in. People dont like to die in the game and then look over to see the druid has full mana :imu:

In conclusion, you can tank without bear and your ability to outlive your opponent is your best asset.

Skillet
04-13-2005, 03:38 PM
I went through level 60 in the Balance tree. I really liked the damage and made a good support nuke role. The problem was I ran out of mana very fast, and when your out.....your dead. I have recently changed to a restoration spec and I'm loving it to death. The damage isn't quite as high instantly, but in the long run greater simply because you can last longer.

I would say play what is fun for you, but do give restoration a try when you get a chance. I had no intentions of even trying it until I started dueling and kept die'n from no mana.

In the bigger instances tanking will be little to no option. I had 6800 armor the other night in Scholo and had to have 2 preist healing me to keep me alive :) (thx dane and cb!) Any bigger instances and there is just no chance, they hit too hard. Granted I have 0 feral talents, but I just don't think there is enough to make up the difference of a pally or warrior. I carry a second set of armor/weaps that has +stm/+agi/+str for my feral form. They seem to do okay in regular questing as far as helping my tanking stats a bit.

Thats just my 2 cents. Play what is fun, experiment, and find what fits your playing style :)

Ferion
04-14-2005, 03:31 PM
Yeah plenty of druids to give u input on this. Freaking druids and their secret society. Tree huggers. :P

Stang
04-14-2005, 04:13 PM
:devil:

RagingSamster
04-15-2005, 09:40 AM
Awesome stuff, I was using FF last night after Skaara left (awesome wipage d00d!) the mobs are slightly higher than I'm used to (28 and up) but if it's one to two on one I have no prob ff ing both, then when they aproach poping demo roar, cure poison and cure curse are starting to pay off too.

Ohcrapitschris
04-26-2005, 12:01 PM
Hey hey..im not a lvl 60 druid..just a lvl 47..and what ive experienced with balance tree is really useful in raids and group PvPing..and you can still act as a healer in instances..i have no problems doing it and some can vouch i do a good job at it..but it is true once you run out of mana you are SoL.have to depend on your starfire criting and moonfires and wraths..

Fearce
04-28-2005, 07:10 AM
Druids in the high-end instances are forced to have a minimum of 31 points in the Restoration tree for the #1 ability/spell we get, Innervate. You will be innervating the priest during healing rotations.

It is sad we are classified as primary healers and yet combat rez and innervate are really the only two things that are needed by druids in the high-end instances.

No druid is there to nuke. :( I'm sure you can argue well if we have 6 druids, we can have a couple to nuke while others who are specced in Restoration can assist the priests, but that is simply not the case. A mage will be chose over a balanced druid any day of the week when it comes to these raiding instances.

Blizzard really needs to give the druid more of a role in high-end instances or give us better abilities (healing) to make us that acclaimed "primary healer" role.

Obviously this is my opinion, but I am just giving insight to a druids role when it comes to raiding Onyxia, MC, and the other 30+ people raids.