Seven Days Out: Druids

The Druid is, of course, the most versatile class in the game. While Paladins and soon Monks can also fill the three official roles, Druids are the only ones who can tank, heal, and do both ranged and melee dps. (In fact, Shamans are the only other class that can be both ranged and melee dps.)

Now, while that's very cool, Druids have a big limitation on this, which is shapeshifting. When you're in Bear form, you are tanking - no exception. Likewise, Moonkin form is actually functionally a lot like Shadowform, forcing you to give up your heals in order to deal more damage.

One of the goals of the talent redesign was to give Druids a bit more incentive to shift forms, rather than just going with your spec-appropriate form and never shifting out. I will have to see more of this in challenging content before I make any judgements on how successful this was.

On a talent front, you'll notice that almost all the talents work in every shapeshift form. I actually love this, because as someone who has played what is now called a Guardian Druid since early Wrath, I always felt like I was missing out on some of the cool druidic magic that Balance gets to play with. I was just a bear, and that was it. Now, however, I can create crazy vortexes and spawn treants and all that fun stuff.

So, let's spec-by-spec. Note: I won't be doing Restoration. Sorry healers.

Balance: The most noticeable change for Balance is that Insect Swarm is gone, and instead we now have Sunfire as a distinct ability from Moonfire, taking IS's place as your go-to Nature DOT. Hurricane now transforms into Astral Storm, which is just the Arcane equivalent, allowing you to use it for AoE when you've got a Lunar Eclipse. Balance mostly feels like the same spec it has been since Cataclysm came out, but there are minor differences.

Feral: Honestly, this is one of those specs I don't have a lot of experience with. My Troll Druid, Tuzaka, is in the 30s. The same basic toolkit appears to be there, though like Moonkin getting agility out of spell power, Feral gets spell power out of attack power, to help with off-healing, or I suppose firing off some Wraths if the boss goes into ranged-only mode.

Guardian: Bear Druids have their own spec now, which is a natural consequence of the new spec system. I remember that when Cataclysm came out, the blues said the reason why crit-immunity was a talent, rather than just a spec bonus, was because Feral Cats weren't supposed to have it. Like Warriors, most of your abilities are now free to cast, with Mangle as your main Rage-generator. Gone is Pulverize (which I kind of liked, actually, though it has little place in this era of Active Mitigation tanking,) and Savage Defense is now what you'll be spending most of your Rage on. This gives you a few seconds of 45% increased dodge, which is still a little RNG-dependant, so we'll see how good it is. As your only AM option, though, you might as well be using it. Like Shield Block, this has a few charges and a "Recharge" time. One last note is that Guardians have a new Mastery (now that Savage Defense is not simply passive.) It very simply raises your armor, which I suppose allows Bears to be the super-armored guys again.

Restoration: ...I love you guys! Thanks for keeping me from dying!

Druids are always going to be a popular class, and particularly with some of the shiny new talented abilities, people will have fun playing them. The real question for Druids is whether this cross-spec ability use will actually be used. If it winds up too powerful, Druids will be able to do too much, but if it's too weak, no one is ever going to switch roles on the fly. It's a delicate balance. Another thing: Balance/Restoration Druids. I'm very sorry, but your monopoly on intellect leather is about to end. Actually, leather-wearers in general will probably have a pain with gear this expansion. We Paladins and Warriors can now stand back and laugh at you, going "Now you know how it feels!" Meanwhile, Subtlety and Assassination Rogues can frolic, arm in arm, rejoicing in the fact that Monks can't use daggers.