V1.8 Balances focused "Moonkin" Druid

[nobbie]

I've just tested the new 1.8 patch with a level 60 Druid and was really fascinated with the new fifth form for Druids, the "Moonkin" form :)

A Feral (re-)specced Druid will most likely be the choice for many Druids when patch 1.8 goes live, but I think the new "Balance" tree doesn't look that bad either. So, this is my current Balances focused "Moonkin" Druid on the EU test server:

Balances (31 points)

Nature's Grasps/Improved Nature's Grasp 5/5

Improved Moonfire 5/5

Natural Weapons 5/5

Improved Thorns 3/3

Omen of Clarity 1/1

Vengeance 5/5

Nature's Grace 1/1

Moonfury 5/5

Moonkin Form 1/1


Restoration (20 points)

Improved Mark of the Wild 5/5

Furor 5/5

Nature's Focus 5/5

Improved Enrage 2/2

Insect Swarm 1/1

Improved Rejuvenation 2/3


Feral Combat (0 points)

What do you think about the build, and what are your plans for patch 1.8?

[lemekim]

1) If you are going for mostly moonkin and balance, why invest into Furor and Enrage?

2) Why no Carrion Swarm? Or did you just omit it by accident.

3) Why Nature's Grace if you don't seem to plan on using Wrath and Starfire? And if you are using them, why didn't you get Improved Wrath or Starfire? You can get extra points from investing less into restoration tree. Yes, you might have to live without 2/3 Imp. Regrowth.

Just wondering about reasoning behind those choices.

[kandrathe]

I was thinking for a Balance build more like;

Balance Talents - 31 points

# Improved Wrath - rank 5/5
# Improved Moonfire - rank 5/5
# Improved Thorns - rank 3/3
# Nature's Reach - rank 2/2
# Vengeance - rank 5/5
# Improved Starfire - rank 4/5
# Nature's Grace - rank 1/1
# Moonfury - rank 5/5
# Moonkin Form - rank 1/1

Restoration Talents - 20 points

# Improved Mark of the Wild - rank 5/5
# Improved Healing Touch - rank 5/5
# Reflection - rank 2/3
# Subtlety - rank 5/5
# Improved Rejuvenation - rank 3/3

Edit: Or...

A tankable Restoration druid, like;

Feral Combat Talents - 18 points

# Ferocity - rank 5/5
# Feral Instinct - rank 5/5
# Feline Swiftness - rank 2/2
# Sharpened Claws - rank 3/3
# Blood Frenzy - rank 1/2
# Primal Fury - rank 2/2

Restoration Talents - 33 points

# Improved Mark of the Wild - rank 5/5
# Improved Healing Touch - rank 5/5
# Improved Enrage - rank 2/2
# Reflection - rank 1/3
# Insect Swarm - rank 1/1
# Subtlety - rank 5/5
# Improved Rejuvenation - rank 3/3
# Nature's Swiftness - rank 1/1
# Gift of Nature - rank 5/5
# Improved Regrowth - rank 5/5

[nobbie]

1) If you are going for mostly moonkin and balance, why invest into Furor and Enrage?

2) Why no Carrion Swarm? Or did you just omit it by accident.

3) Why Nature's Grace if you don't seem to plan on using Wrath and Starfire? And if you are using them, why didn't you get Improved Wrath or Starfire? You can get extra points from investing less into restoration tree. Yes, you might have to live without 2/3 Imp. Regrowth.

Just wondering about reasoning behind those choices.
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1.) From my experience, (the improved) Furor and Enrage are the two talents that make the use of either Bear or Cat form much more easy. My Druid will use the Feathermoon Headdress (level 58) in the end-game and give up the Wolfhead (basically Furor on gear).

2.) I've just seen and chosen Insect Swarm as support tool. Where is Carrion Swarm located, and what does it do?

3.) I plan to use Wrath and Starfire too, but also wanted to have the aforementioned basic Restoration talents :)

[lemekim]

1.) From my experience, (the improved) Furor and Enrage are the two talents that make  the use of either Bear or Cat form much more easy. My Druid will use the Feathermoon Headdress (level 58) in the end-game and give up the Wolfhead (basically Furor on gear).

2.) I've just seen and chosen Insect Swarm as support tool. Where is Carrion Swarm located, and what does it do?

3.) I plan to use Wrath and Starfire too, but also wanted to have the aforementioned basic Restoration talents :)
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Ah yes, I did mean Insect Swarm. You didn't list it as one of the talents you have chosen.

And I really would try to get improved wrath - the DPS boost is very nice, and with Nature's Grace it becomes 1 second cast on crits, which is huge.

I just think you should decide on what you want to do more - are you going to be almost always in Moonkin form? Are you going to use bear form and cat form a lot still? And if you are, then why get the moonkin form at all?

[nobbie]

Ah yes, I did mean Insect Swarm. You didn't list it as one of the talents you have chosen.

And I really would try to get improved wrath - the DPS boost is very nice, and with Nature's Grace it becomes 1 second cast on crits, which is huge.

I just think you should decide on what you want to do more - are you going to be almost always in Moonkin form? Are you going to use bear form and cat form a lot still? And if you are, then why get the moonkin form at all?
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Insect Swarm has now been added - my fault ;)

I don't plan a too heavy focus on any form, but wanted the fifth shapeshifting form (Moonkin). I think that Moonkin is a.) great for parties in instance raids and b.) a nice Mage/Priest by itself. You get 360% armor boost in Moonkin form, lots of spell improvement through the prerequisite talents, plus additional spell crit chance through the form. That is basically a robust "Mage/Priest in Mail armor" - not the DPS potential of a Mage, but much more durable, flexible, and with powerful healing ability. Moonkin form seems to be the perfect addition and now makes the Druid really a good allrounder.

[Warlock]

Moonkin locks out healing - it's like the Priest Shadow form in that regard. Of course you can easily drop out of the form and start healing.

There are claims on the Bliz forums that staying in ordinary form (can't call it caster any more!) gives higher spell DPS than using Moonkin because the second instant cast DOT of Insect Swarm gives more net DPS than the 3% crit chance. I haven't run the numbers but it sounds plausible. YMMV.

Lots of new build options for Druids this patch.

[nobbie]

Moonkin locks out healing - it's like the Priest Shadow form in that regard. Of course you can easily drop out of the form and start healing.

There are claims on the Bliz forums that staying in ordinary form (can't call it caster any more!) gives higher spell DPS than using Moonkin because the second instant cast DOT of Insect Swarm gives more net DPS than the 3% crit chance. I haven't run the numbers but it sounds plausible. YMMV.

Lots of new build options for Druids this patch.
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Interesting .. I have to look deeper into that :) Being a more powerful (single-target) "Mage" in unshifted "Caster" form (DPS-wise) might be the trade-off for getting a robust "Mage in Mail armor". Makes sense.

[TheWesson]

Interesting .. I have to look deeper into that :) Being a more powerful (single-target) "Mage" in unshifted "Caster" form (DPS-wise) might be the trade-off for getting a robust "Mage in Mail armor". Makes sense.
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my druid's a L40 Moonkin now.

for ordinary grinding, one same-level mob at a time, might as well stay in normal form. You get hit harder by melee but with a Rejuv always ticking, you end up less damaged than the Moonkin does (and Moonkin shift, untalented, seems to cost about the same as a Rejuv or two.)

The Moonkin is a great "oh crap" form though. Multiple +1 mobs on you? Cast Regrowth, go to Moonkin, keep Moonfire ticking on all of them, get some additional DPS in with Imp Thorns and a good dagger.

edit: naturally Moonkin would be dumb for fighting mages at range!

I was doing mixed healing/DPS in Scarlet Monastery and got an add on me. Instead of waiting for someone to take it off me, I switched into Moonkin and tanked it with dagger + Moonfire DoT, while keeping an eye on the health of my group members so I could switch out and heal them if necessary.

so you might consider Moonkin to be much like Bear but with more/different tricks (Hibernate, Roots) and maybe higher DPS. (And much better armor than normal Bear at lvl 40!! - more like Dire Bear.)

By the way, my Moonkin armor with mostly leather & a little cloth, and MoTW etc, is ~2800. At 40, that is 40-45% damage reduction. I'll be at about 45% when I'm all leather. All armor buffs (kits, potions, MoTW) are added AFTER your basic armor is multiplied by moonkin bonus.

I use a dagger and offhand because I need a quick weapon because apparently casting anything on my target (Moonfire, Faery Fire) resets my weapon swing, and I don't want to wait 3 seconds for my staff or 2H mace to come down again. And of course I want Omen of Clarity to proc as often as possible; I believe that happens more often if you swing more often. Looking forward to OOC.

I'm contemplating a Spi/Str/Sta build for grinding. Unfortunately from my trips to the AH it seems that Spi/Sta or Spi/Str gear is not that common.

[savaughn]

I'm contemplating a Spi/Str/Sta build for grinding.  Unfortunately from my trips to the AH it seems that Spi/Sta or Spi/Str gear is not that common.
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It just doesn't sell well - or at least hasn't in the past. I've had so much gear go unbought in the AH that at this point if it's got spirit on it, I pretty much assume it's vendor trash (exception: int/spr cloth gear).

[TheWesson]

It just doesn't sell well - or at least hasn't in the past.  I've had so much gear go unbought in the AH that at this point if it's got spirit on it, I pretty much assume it's vendor trash (exception: int/spr cloth gear).
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Yah. I looked up the suffixes and +Spi/+Sta = "of the Whale" (don't see it too often) and +Spi/+Str = "of the Boar" (which I can hardly recall seeing.)

In any case I always vendor anything +Spi which isn't +Int as well. Until now ...