Newb Druid. Is the class as bad as everyone says?

[RDawg816]

Originally Posted by Bummey [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I still don't know what my druid's role is. I can port, I can solo, but in a group I can't really heal before 50 and even then Chloroblast is weak compared to Nature's Touch at 60, skin buffs don't stack with Heroic Bond, mobs don't last long enough for dots to do meaningful damage, nukes are like bixie stings... What I can do is cast strength, a damage shield which tanks click off anyways, and snare fleeing mobs.. Despite all this mediocre utility, I still find myself consistently low on mana, unsure what I spent it all on.

I've never had an issue healing on my druid.
Skin buffs not stacking with cleric buff is irrelevant. If you have a cleric in the group you are not the main healer, either.
I've never come across a tank that clicked off a damage shield unless it was at a raid. That is just odd to do.
If you're in a full group, you shouldn't be dotting (unless it's a rooted add and you are dps).
In a smaller group, dots can be efficient.
Snare is an awesome spell. Preventing adds and damage is good in any situation.

You can fill many roles as a druid. I've even had druids be the main tank and puller in groups.

[Nagash]

Versatility is the name of your game:
Harmony to help pulling in outdoor zones
Back up healing,
Regen to reduce the healing requirement
Skin
Str buff
Port
Snare (mandatory in most places)
Stun to interrupt casters (outdoor only)
Charm animal for silly dps
Direct damage spells (on par with mages if memory serves well)
These are all part of your arsenal. Are you the best at these? No but you are the only classes that can bring all this to the table at the same time. Remember, you are not recruited to DD mobs down, you are recruited for your versatility. The beauty with a druid is that your role will most likely be different in every group you join. In a way you are many characters in one so be schizophrenic today and go hug a tree!

[Pyrion]

There is one other way that a druid can take a lot of stress from a group when the main healer is low on mana or you maybe even don't have a tank: Aggro kiting. Druid has all the tools for it. You snare and flame lick a mob constantly (those spells barely use mana) and run around in front of it. The mob will never hit anybody so no heals are needed while everybody else (rogues especially) stab it to death.

[GreldorEQ]

Originally Posted by Nagash [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Stun to interrupt casters (outdoor only)

We have a lvl 34 indoor stun via velious - lands on lvl 60+ on occasion.

[GreldorEQ]

Originally Posted by Pyrion [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

There is one other way that a druid can take a lot of stress from a group when the main healer is low on mana or you maybe even don't have a tank: Aggro kiting. Druid has all the tools for it. You snare and flame lick a mob constantly (those spells barely use mana) and run around in front of it. The mob will never hit anybody so no heals are needed while everybody else (rogues especially) stab it to death.

If it doesn't summon, root lock with grasping roots for an infinite period of time.

[GreldorEQ]

Originally Posted by Bummey [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Chloroblast is weak compared to Nature's Touch at 60

Chloroblast and NT have almost the exact same efficiency of heal-to-mana. With a GCD cooldown item like star of eyes or shrunken gob ear, you can cast 2 chloro's in a little more than the time it takes to cast 1 NT. You do not need lvl 60 to heal, you need lots of mana and you need to sit between heals.

When you are in a healing role - heals, mana free snares and sitting should be what you're doing. And saving bacon with roots if hell breaks loose, clicky regen if you have spare mana. Only DS the tank when you don't have a slower, otherwise its likely a waste of mana if you're the main healer. And if you're 50+ with no slower, you're in trouble anyways.

[Auvdar]

Partner up with a Shaman in PoH/PoF and charm some mobs there. You are now a top notch DPSer [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Honestly, Druids aren't bad for raiding. You can patch heal easily. PoTG is a nice buff that a lot of people want. Snare/Root for some CCing if needed. You have both Ice and Fire nukes, which can help against some mobs. Indoor stun that sometimes will land on a lvl 60+ mob.

The thing about a druid in raiding however, is it can become boring. But that can be said about a lot of classes raiding.

If you play well, and fit into the role (or learn to adapt to a new role) people will like you. For groups, you're not unwanted, but people will take a lot of other classes over you. The big problem with druids is we really don't get great until late 50's. You don't offer leveling groups a whole lot compared to other classes.

But who cares, you can solo [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Bummey]

Originally Posted by GreldorEQ [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Chloroblast and NT have almost the exact same efficiency of heal-to-mana. With a GCD cooldown item like star of eyes or shrunken gob ear, you can cast 2 chloro's in a little more than the time it takes to cast 1 NT. You do not need lvl 60 to heal, you need lots of mana and you need to sit between heals.

When you are in a healing role - heals, mana free snares and sitting should be what you're doing.

I know this, but those 450 point heals are piddly and require a lot of spam to get someone back up. It requires lots of mana and lots of sitting, as you said, for an underwhelming result. That's what playing a druid in a group or raid boils down to. And I like my druid a lot. :|

[Cecily]

Druids are amazing dps healers for raiding. Clerics are busy with tank. Shamans don't understand that cblast is better than torpor. And Druid heals have way nicer range (200) than cleric heals. As a raiding rogue, druids are my go to healer forming a dps party.

[Tupakk]

I second that.