Hey guys. My name is Flux and I wanted your thoughts on my Spec ideas. I recently just started playing the game and such so I am still a little new to it. I did my research on the talents and here is what I think I am going with.

I am speccing mainly Feral and a minor Balance.

Feral - Major

Ferocity - 5
Feral Instinct - 5
Thick Hide - 5
Feline Swiftness - 2
Sharpened Claw - 3
Predatory Strikes - 3
Savage Strikes - 2
Faerie Fire - 1
Heart of the Wild - 5
Leader of the Pack - 1

Balance - Minor

Nature's Grasp - 1
Improved Nature's Grasp - 4
Natural Weapons - 5
Natural Shapeshifter - 3
Nature's Reach - 2
Improved Thorns - 3
Omen of Clarity - 1

I specced this with the mind set of dishing out good damage and being able to tank fairly on par with a warrior hopefully. Thing is, I have been turned down for groups on my server because I specced Feral and not Resto. I do not think it is right to deny me intro into a group just because I do not wanna play like someone else wants me to play. I do not mind healing in a group but I do not wanna go respec. I actually got told that I couldn't get into a WC group unless I went to my trainer and respecced into resto. I can't believe that I get turned down sometimes for the mere fact that I specced feral. Do some people just not like it? It is not like I do not know how to play my character. I tanked all of WC at level 20 and again at level 22 with one healer. I try to keep up-to-date sets of healing and feral gear and change them out when I need to for what ever I am doing. Like I said, I do not mind healing but I am not going to change my specs just because someone else told me to. Anyways, I am lvl 27 and I play a Tauren with the name Flux of course on Steamwheedle Cartel. I am also looking for a tight-knit guild that is casual but can get serious when the time comes. Hit me up if you know a guild like that on my server or if you ever wanna group. Thanks. :elfbiggri

First off, anyone telling you to respec in your 20s is an idiot. You simply don't have enough talent points to really matter where you put them yet.

Second, as you level you will find more players with a better understanding of the game. In general, higher level characters are played by more dedicated serious players who wouldn't make such a ludicrous suggestion.

Third, feral spec can heal fine, especially once you get HotW. As you play more and more you will keep bumping into the same people from time to time and get a reputation for how you play not what spec you play. Just keep adding good players to your friends list and try to group with mature reasonable people whenever possible.

Fourth, as to your actual spec suggestion, I like the OoC ina dedicated feral build, you will really shred with all that free energy/rage. However I would recommend moving the points from Nature's reach and Improved thorns over into the resto tree for furor for even more free rage/energy. The extra range won't help you much in feral, and the improved thorns are nice, but won't have the kind of impact the instant rage will on shift. (furor lets you shift and instantly bash of charge without having to wait for rage to build)

I see what you are saying. I thought Improved thorns would help in general with damage in PvE thus causing more threat for tanking and also for those pesky rouges in PvP. Nature's reach was just for longer distance for healing and pulling with moonfire. Any other suggestions. Also, Thanks for the advice on the whole grouping thing.

I agree 100% with GW on his build advice. It looks like a solid build and I think you will have fun with it. I was feral up until I hit 40 when I respecced to moonkin. It may take a little longer to find a group and like GW said people will get to know and you will be able to get into more groups easier. The problem with a lot of people especially lower levels is they do not understand the druid class and therefore just go on what they know and that is we can heal. Stick with your play style the maturity and acceptance of players will come.

I used to run the 14/32/5 spec, and you REALLY want that extra rage when you drop down into bear. It's not a HUGE deal in your 20s but as you get higher and you have more AC than most warriors ( unless they're totally epic'd out ) you want to be able to drop into bear and have that 10 rage so you can instantly charge or growl or whatever to hold aggro off your DPSers and healers.

As gwmort said, anyone that tells you that you have to spec to resto anywhere before end game is a freaking idiot. Even at end game, we don't HAVE to be resto and can still get good groups together. I did respec from 14/32/5 to 0/30/21 a while after I hit 60. With my healing gear at +200 I am still a viable healer in a group and with the flip of some gear I can drop down into bear with nearly 9k armor and off tank.

Don't let others dictate how you play the game. You'll find people that will play with you the way you want to play the game. It just may take some time and getting your reputation out there as a versatile character.

I now get tells from tons of people asking me to off tank or dps or heal depending on what they need. It's pretty freaking cool.

And when you get that battle rez and can rez a downed priest to save a wipe, people will love you :)

I see what you are saying. I thought Improved thorns would help in general with damage in PvE thus causing more threat for tanking and also for those pesky rouges in PvP. Nature's reach was just for longer distance for healing and pulling with moonfire. Any other suggestions. Also, Thanks for the advice on the whole grouping thing.

Improved thorns doesn't generate significantly higher aggro, its enough that the mob takes any damage from your regular thorns to keep bumping the threat list.

I did respec from 14/32/5 to 0/30/21 a while after I hit 60.

I am considering that at this point. I have used OoC maybe...2-3 times over the past week, when I actually could shift out and cast a heal. Often the problem is when it does go off I cannot shift out to utilize the clearcast. Natural Weapons and Natural Shapeshifter are really....really nice and I am going to be hard pressed to give them up, especially as I push to exalted in WSG. I do miss Natures Swiftness big time, but most often when I did use it I was killed shortly after using it anyways. I really dig the LotP buff and so do most of the people who I group with, crits play a huge role in combo points and rage generation that it's hard to really cast that aside. 14/32/5 is pretty much an ideal build for me at the moment, 0/30/21 would be nice if I didn't spend 98% of my time in bg's =)

Welcome to WoW Flux. And congratulations on choosing one of the best classes there is. I have been around since the game was in stress and played all of the classes. The druid is the most adaptive to about any situation. When I decided to make a druid, I knew I wanted to go feral. After hitting level 10 I started spending my talent points accordingly. It wasn't until the late 50's when I started making trips into the end game instances that I decided to try out another build. So I switched to full resto. I had heard they can be very good healers. But that didn't last long because while yes, they are great healers, I just missed my feral WAY too much.

I'm now back to my happy 14/32/5 build which is basically this....

Balance (14)
-Natures grasp +4
-Natural weapons
-Shapeshifter
-Omen of Clarity
A little on Omen of Clarity. This is invaluable. Combat with this skill is like this. It's a buff, so keep it up at all times. It can proc multiple times during combat randomly. When it does, pop up, barkskin, and then regrowth(mana free), the drop back down and finish the fight. If your in a raid, you can use this strategy to get free tranquility or healing touch off on a tank etc.

Feral (32)
Your after Heart of the Wild and Leader of the Pack. Everything leading to that increases your feral ability. You have to make a decision about halfway down whether you want more rage or extra points for cat. Be sure to grab the 2 bash points. Those are invaluable for stunning the target. Between that and pounce, you can do a good job of keeping targets stunned.

Resto (5)
Furor allows you to gain precious energy or rage when you switch forms, so your not waiting for it to build up. Again, invaluable. Switch to bear and charge, or bash, or growl.

I am shifting forms often to adapt to the situation and will be in cat to open and bear to finish or off tank. Our ability and strategy is limitless. Your job as a feral druid is to prove to the ignorant that we are a HUGE asset to the group.

For the person above that only recalls getting an OoC proc 2-3 times in a week??? I can only think you are forgetting to recast it on yourslef. When I play my druid things just become automatic. When I proc OoC I usually pop up to regrowth and when I do, I jus t rebuff it. It's become second nature. In cat form it procs very often and in bear I get it 1-2 times every fight.

Warriors will be jealous.
<Roar>

14/32/5 is pretty much an ideal build for me at the moment, 0/30/21 would be nice if I didn't spend 98% of my time in bg's =)I consider a 30/21 to be a much more pvp-oriented build than 14/32/5. If you spend most of your time in BGs, that's all the more reason to switch.

Dudes, you guys do realize you can use the OoC procs in feral forms right? You don't have to shift out to cast a spell, you can use it like free rage or energy.

I have found that I am better in PvE instances with my 0/30/21 than prior. I can heal ( well ) and still tank. Yes ( *cry* ) I miss OoC, natural weapons and natural shape shifter ( I REALLY miss shape shifter and OoC for the free energy and rage *cry* ).

I must say, I never did use OoC to cast a free heal, I always stayed in feral and used it for a big bite in cat or an extra maul in bear.

Dudes, you guys do realize you can use the OoC procs in feral forms right? You don't have to shift out to cast a spell, you can use it like free rage or energy.


It's a beautiful thing. It would be hard to give up OoC. But the pop up and regrowth & recast of the OoC makes me unstoppable in PVE. I have been collecting ruggeds and warbear leather in Winterspring. No stopping, no pots, dew, nothin.

OoC FTW!

Dudes, you guys do realize you can use the OoC procs in feral forms right? You don't have to shift out to cast a spell, you can use it like free rage or energy.

Hm...thats probably why I never see the clearcasting....

This is my first go around with OoC so please be gentle!

About the comparison between 0/30/21 and 14/32/5 in pvp, I really think it depends on your playstyle as to which is more effective, and which BG's you are running as well.

With 14/32/5 I would always cast OoC and then go cat or bear. In bear ( due to slow attack speed ) I had OoC proc 2 to 3 times per pull. In cat, I never kept count, but having the talents where for each crit you get an extra combo point and every few swings getting an extra "free energy" move, is just deadly.

Now that you have been given such information you have to promise not to use it against me in BGs ;)

Last night I tanked most of BFD in cat mode but had to switch to bear for the hydra. I generate so much threat due to DPS in Cat Form that it is hard for the warriors to keep aggro. It is alittle rough keeping the aggro from higher level mobs in bear form as they tend to wander off after my taunt wears off especially if I get rooted. *_* Did BFD and SFK last night. Looking to go to the Scarlet Monastary soon in a few levels and maybe RFK. Anyways, thanks for all the suggestions guys. Peace out.

Hi new to WoW, have read the great discussion here. Have a lvl 16 Druid want to focus on the 14/32/5 build. Need some direction as to the most important / effective skills for the teens - twenties grind.

I currently have Ferocity-5, Thick Hide-1, Improved Mark of the Wild - 1 (Was before I read up on the Druid talents).

I have plenty of gold (33 Mage 100+ gold) so a respec is not an issue. If I were to respec I am thinking Ferocity-5, Furor-2 ATM.

Thoughts?

The Ferocity/furor option is what I used to lvl once you have furor maxed I would focus on getting to feral swiftness through feral instinct this will give your cat form speed to use until you can get travel form. follow feral swiftness with feral charge IMO from there it depends if you want to focus on bear or cat.

You can heal just fine in the earlier levels and due to my exp on my new server a lot of groups tend to hurt for either a tank or healer. I have tanked a lot more than being healer for my groups. I specced ferocity and then Feral Instinct followed by Feral Swiftness. I then started putting points into thick hide. It really just matters on how you want to advance. For me, I went for damage and threat since I enjoy tanking and DPSing more than healing. Groups luv a good tank who can also work as a backup healer.

I have a current build like this:

Balance
Nature's Grasp Rank 1
Improved Nature's Grasp Rank 4
Natural Weapons Rank 5
Natural Shapeshifter Rank 3
Balance Total: 13
Feral Combat
Ferocity Rank 5
Feral Instinct Rank 5
Thick Hide Rank 3
Feline Swiftness Rank 2
Sharpened Claws Rank 3
Predatory Strikes Rank 3
Savage Fury Rank 2
Faerie Fire (Feral) Rank 1
Heart of the Wild Rank 5
Leader of the Pack Rank 1
Feral Combat Total: 30
Restoration
Improved Mark of the Wild Rank 5
Furor Rank 3
Restoration Total: 8
Total
Total Points Spent: 51
Level Required: 60

I have found it to be quite efficient... Tho I don´t know if I should respec... I do both BG and instances... In raids I am up there with the rogues in the dammage tables... But LotP does alot to their output aswell...

If I should go for OoC what should I take away?

drop 3 ranks of improved mark, put one in OOC and put the other two in furor, you will notice a big difference in your damage.

With that type of build imho you are missing out on a lot of free rage/energy without OOC. I would pull one out of furor or IMoTW.