Druid
From SeagisWiki
At the most basic level, a druid is a "hybrid" class, which like other hybrids is capable of performing more than one of the basic roles of healer, tank, melee dps, and ranged dps. Unlike other hybrids, a druid, if properly specced, can perform each of these roles remarkably well. Unlike other hybrids, however, druids can typically spec and gear for one of these roles at a time, which means that it is harder for a druid to switch, for example, between dps and healing effectively than a priest, shaman, or paladin. However, a druid specced and geared for healing is arguably one of the best healers in the game, while the same druid specced and geared for tanking is one of the best tanks in the game. This ability to shift between roles is the greatest strength of the druid, both as a solo class, as well as in groups. While a druid will rarely be able to be the best at any one role, the ability to switch from one role to another and experience the game from a completely different perspective with only the cost of a respec and swapping out some gear makes a druid an attractive choice for players who enjoy a variety of play styles.
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General Tips
Leveling
Leveling as a druid can be relatively easy (or somewhat painful), thanks to the versatility of the class. In the early levels, you will primarily use casting and some melee to take down your opponents, and should try to take advantage of your wide range of abilities. However, as you start focusing into one talent tree, you will likewise want to focus your strategies based on the tree you have chosen.
The following are some tips for leveling using talents from each of the trees.
Balance
First, keep in mind that I leveled Feral, so a lot of this information is based on my impressions of playing Balance for most of my time as a 70 druid. Even so, I think the advice here should keep you pointed in the right direction.
Leveling as Balance can be effective, though the Balance tree doesn't really come into its own until you get the Moonkin talent. Even then, the lack of good low level items for a Balance druid can make leveling one somewhat challenging. To increase your caster abilities, you will typically end up using cloth gear, which will make you a relatively squishy target, even in Moonkin form, and much of the pre-BC gear will tend to focus on one school, rather than helping both your arcane and nature schools. You will also be highly dependent on drinking to keep your mana pool up, so be sure to stock up on the highest level water that you have available to you at all times.
Despite the challenges, leveling as Balance can be very effective. Essentially, you will want to try to attack mobs as if you were a mage, utilizing your Entangling Roots to keep your target far away from you, and casting from a distance. Typically you will want to be sure to keep Moonfire (and Insect Swarm once you get it) on your target at all times to maximize your dps, keep your target rooted as much as possible (which is also a DOT), then fire from a distance using Wrath. While Starfire can be a more mana efficient spell, Wrath works faster, and since hits for high damage have a greater chance of breaking your roots, you may find that your roots break after every Starfire, while you can probably get off a couple Wraths before they break. When root does break, either root them again, use travel form to gain some distance, then start with the Wrath spam again, or if they are pretty close to death you can save some mana and switch to bear form to beat them down. You might try cat as well, but since you'll likely be wearing cloth caster gear, bear form will give you far more survivability, and without the Feral talents, the added dps of cat form isn't worth the trade off, in my opinion.
As far as talents to shoot form, you'll want to pick up Insect Swarm as soon as possible since it is, without a doubt, the single most mana efficient dps spell in the game, regardless of class. As an added bonus, it'll even increase the target's chance to miss, which improves your survivability even more. Nature's Reach and Control of Nature are also key talents, since you'll be rooting a lot, and being able to do it and cast from a farther distance is very useful. Note that I didn't mention Nature's Grasp. It's primarily a PvP talent, and even then it's only useful if you put all five points into it (when you need it to go off, you typically need it to go off RIGHT NOW). That being the case, Starlight Wrath is a better choice for those first five points.
You'll also want to target talents that increase your chance to crit, since that is where your big damage will typically come from. This includes talents like Focused Starlight, Improved Moonfire, and Vengeance. You'll also want to pick up Nature's Grace, which procs when ever you crit, so those talents will help each other out quite a bit.
Going further down the tree, it's almost easier to list the talents you won't want, rather than the ones you will (almost all Balance talents are very useful to a Balance druid). I already mentioned Nature's Grasp, which really won't help leveling all that much. You can also safely skip Brambles (the increased damage isn't worth the talent points). Celestial Focus is another talent that is marginally useful, but only in PvP. You'll also want to skip Improved Faerie Fire while leveling, since by the time you're able to get it, you will almost never be using melee in combat. It does have a place, however, if you're grouping or raiding, but since a lot of your leveling time will be solo, you can probably skip the talent.
As Balance, you can skip all of the Feral talents. Looking in the Resto tree, however, there are a couple useful talents. Intensity is an amazing talent for Balance druids, who are often short on mana, while Subtlety will not only reduce your agro while in groups, but will make your root spell harder for mobs to resist. Unfortunately, both of these are tier 3 talents, so you'll essentially need to waste 10 points in Resto in order to get to them, the the price is usually worth it. To get there, I would typically put five points into Improved Mark of the Wild, since Furor is useless for a Balance druid, three points into Natural Shapeshifter, the allocate the remaing two points wherever you feel they would be the most useful. You should focus on your Balance talents first, but once you've obtained everything useful there, you should have about 15-18 points to spend in Resto tree. The example Balance build at the end picks up all the key Balance talents, and spends the remaining 17 points to pick up these two great Resto talents.
Feral Combat
Restoration
The exhilarating feeling of leveling as Resto is very similar to the feeling of slamming your head into a desk drawer repeatedly. The best advice I can give is to pick a different spec, then switch to Resto when you hit 70. If, however, you insist on torturing yourself, I would recommend grouping almost exclusively throughout your leveling, especially in instances. Beyond that, you will find leveling as Resto to be a slow and arduous process.
Raiding
PvP
Talents
Balance
Tier 1
Starlight Wrath
Nature's Grasp
Improved Nature's Grasp
Tier 2
Control of Nature
Focused Starlight
Improved Moonfire
Tier 3
Brambles
Insect Swarm
Nature's Reach
Tier 4
Vengeance
Celestial Focus
Tier 5
Lunar Guidance
Nature's Grace
Moonglow
Tier 6
Moonfury
Balance of Power
Tier 7
Dreamstate
Moonkin Form
Improved Faerie Fire
Tier 8
Wrath of Cenarius
Tier 9
Force of Nature
Feral Combat
Tier 1
Ferocity
Feral Aggression
Tier 2
Feral Instinct
Brutal Impact
Thick Hide
Tier 3
Feral Swiftness
Feral Charge
Sharpened Claws
Tier 4
Shredding Attacks
Predatory Strikes
Primal Fury
Tier 5
Savage Fury
Faerie Fire (Feral)
Nurturing Instinct
Tier 6
Heart of the Wild
Survival of the Fittest
Tier 7
Primal Tenacity
Leader of the Pack
Improved Leader of the Pack
Tier 8
Predatory Instincts
Tier 9
Mangle
Restoration
Tier 1
Improved Mark of the Wild
Furor
Tier 2
Naturalist
Nature's Focus
Natural Shapeshifter
Tier 3
Intensity
Subtlety
Omen of Clarity
Tier 4
Tranquil Spirit
Improved Rejuvenation
Tier 5
Nature's Swiftness
Gift of Nature
Improved Tranquility
Tier 6
Empowered Touch
Improved Regrowth
Tier 7
Living Spirit
Swiftmend
Natural Perfection
Tier 8
Empowered Rejuvenation
Tier 9
Tree of Life
Talent Synergies
Talent Builds
Balance
Restoration
Other Builds
Additional druid builds can be found at WoWWiki
