Which spec to level
Level Feral and play the cat. This is the advice of Warcraft Tavern, Mobalytics and Icy Veins: the cat gets Prowl and Dash early, single-target damage and self-healing between fights. Against several enemies, switch to the bear.
Pace estimates differ: the leveling tier list gives Druid an A with an asterisk (from C to A), because many key abilities open after level 30. Balance spends mana on both damage and healing all the time. Restoration while leveling is, per Mobalytics, surprisingly strong, but slower than the cat.
| Spec | When to take it | Downside |
|---|---|---|
| Feral | Solo and dungeons, the whole way to 60 | Slow until level 20 (Cat Form) |
| Balance | Fans of ranged combat | Mana for both damage and healing |
| Restoration | As a second specialization from 40 | Little damage solo |
Talents by level
Icy Veins order for Feral (updated Oct 18). Levels 31–60 are closed on the beta: this is the source’s plan, and we will check it on live after Nov 4.
| Levels | Talent | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 10–14 | Ferocity | 5 |
| 15–16 | Brutal Impact | 2 |
| 17–18 | Feral Swiftness | 2 |
| 19 | Feral Instinct | 1 |
| 20–21 | Savage Fury | 2 |
| 22–24 | Shredding Attacks | 3 |
| 25 | Shifting Power | 1 |
| 26 | Primal Bite | 1 |
| 27 | Feral Charge | 1 |
| 28–29 | Feral Instinct | 3 |
| 30 | Leader of the Pack | 1 |
| 31–32 | Improved Shifting Power | 2 |
| 33–34 | Sharpened Claws | 2 |
| 35–36 | Blood Frenzy | 2 |
| 37–38 | Natural Instinct | 2 |
| 39 | Predatory Strikes | 1 |
| 40 | Berserk | 1 |
| 41–45 | Genesis | 5 |
| 46–47 | Nature's Reach | 2 |
| 48–49 | Nature's Majesty | 2 |
| 50–51 | Predatory Strikes | 3/3 |
| 52–56 | Rend and Tear | 5 |
| 57–60 | Heart of the Wild | 4 |
TipMobalytics (Oct 9, before the Oct 15 patch) takes Heart of the Wild 3/5 after Ferocity 5/5, and Feral Swiftness earlier: +30% speed in cat form, dodge in all forms. Warcraft Tavern skips Shredding Attacks. The Legacy Talented perk gives talents up to 5 levels earlier.
Abilities and trainer
| Level | What to take | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wrath, Mark of the Wild, Healing Touch | Damage, a buff, healing |
| 4 | Moonfire, Rejuvenation | Instant damage and healing |
| 6 | Thorns | Damage to those who hit you |
| 8 | Entangling Roots | Hold an enemy |
| 10 | Bear Form (quest), Maul, Demoralizing Roar | The first form |
| 12 | Regrowth, Revive | Healing, out-of-combat resurrection |
| 14 | Bash | A stun |
| 16 | Swipe; Aquatic Form (quest) | Area damage in bear form |
| 18 | Faerie Fire | Pull an enemy without leaving your form |
| 20 | Cat Form (quest), Claw, Prowl, Rip, Shred; polearms from the weapon trainer | The main leveling form |
| 24 | Rake | A bleed |
| 26 | Dash | Running |
| 30 | Travel Form | Travel speed 10 levels before a mount |
| 32 | Ferocious Bite | A strong finisher |
| 40 | Dire Bear Form, Innervate, riding, dual specialization | — |
| 44 | Barkskin | Defense in combat |
- 1Before the fight
Mark of the Wild and Thorns (Thorns last 10 minutes); on a strong enemy, Regrowth in advance: the 21-second heal over time will keep going in combat.
- 2Opening
Faerie Fire or Moonfire from range, then Claw; from behind, Shred.
- 3In the fight
Rake, Rip at 4–5 combo points; don’t waste bleeds on a dying enemy.
- 4Several enemies
Bear Form: Demoralizing Roar, Swipe on several, Maul on one.
Until level 10: Moonfire on two enemies, Rejuvenation on yourself, Wrath with spare mana, finish with the weapon. Thorns from level 6 make a fight against two enemies worthwhile (Mobalytics).
Solo, duo, group
Heal outside combat and don’t hesitate to leave your form: shifting breaks roots and slows. Carry water: forms cost mana. Innervate lets you keep pulling without drinking.
Druid fills any gap in a pair: the bear tanks, the cat hits, and in the pauses it heals both. Put Mark of the Wild and Thorns on your partner.
The bear tanks early dungeons, and Mobalytics writes that you can heal them too. Leader of the Pack from level 30 strengthens both you and the group.
Stats and gear
The cat’s and bear’s damage in Forever scales with the weapon: take the weapon with the highest damage per second (Mobalytics). For leveling, Warcraft Tavern notes Wolfshead Helm, Manual Crowd Pummeler and the Embrace of the Viper set from Wailing Caverns; Idol of Shifting Tides gives the quest for aquatic form.
Class profession pairings and camp objects are in the professions guide.
How Forever differs from Classic
| What | In Forever |
|---|---|
| Forms | Cat and bear damage scales with weapon damage, and there is its own weapon skill. You can drink potions in form. |
| Faerie Fire and Nature's Grasp | Baseline from the trainer, no talents needed. |
| Entangling Roots | Works indoors. |
| Weapons | Polearms from level 20. |
| Revive | New: out-of-combat resurrection from level 12. |
| Regeneration | Mana and energy regenerate smoothly, without a jump every 2 seconds. |
| Combo points | Per Mobalytics they carry over to the new target. Icy Veins (about the Rogue) writes that they stay on the previous one: we will check at launch. |
| New talents | Berserk, Shifting Power, Primal Bite. |
| Dual specialization | From level 40. |
Questions
Which Druid spec should I level in WoW Forever?
Feral as a cat: Warcraft Tavern, Mobalytics and Icy Veins recommend it.
When do the forms appear?
The bear at level 10 (quest), aquatic form at 16 (quest), the cat at 20 (quest), Travel Form at 30.
Cat or bear?
The cat against one enemy, the bear against several (Icy Veins).
Why is the Druid slow at the start?
There are no forms until levels 10 and 20, so you have to hit with spells and spend mana. After 20 the pace picks up noticeably.
Can one Druid tank, heal and deal damage?
Yes. From level 40, dual specialization lets you keep, for example, Feral and Restoration.
