Season of Discovery Druid Guide - Best Builds, Runes, and Rotation

Welcome to our in-depth and extensive WoW Season of Discovery Druid guide. This latest version of the game marks a significant evolution in the classic gameplay, introducing a host of thrilling changes and innovations. Among the most notable is the introduction of runes, a groundbreaking feature that revolutionizes class dynamics. These runes empower classes to adopt roles and functions that were previously beyond their traditional scope, dramatically altering the landscape of gameplay strategies. This shift has profound implications, reshaping raid team compositions and class builds and opening up a myriad of strategic possibilities.

Prepare to enhance your Druid skills and conquer the challenges of WoW with our in-depth guide. We'll explore all the crucial aspects of mastering the Druid class to make you a formidable player in the game. We'll explore the pros and cons of choosing a Druid Season of Discovery, helping you understand the strengths and weaknesses inherent to this versatile class. Additionally, we'll guide you in selecting the best race for your Druid, ensuring that your choice aligns with your gameplay style and objectives.

Our guide also covers stat priorities, offering insights into optimizing your character for peak performance. For players focused on leveling, we provide practical tips to streamline your progression. However, if you don't have the time to waste on the leveling grind, you can always buy Season of Discovery Powerleveling service from SkyCoach. Our professional players will quickly get your character to the desired level so you can enjoy your build and experiment with runes to your heart's content. That said, let us delve into the best Druid build for various playstyles, whether you're interested in dominating in PvP, excelling in raids, or exploring the world of Azeroth. With our guide, you'll have all the tools and knowledge at your disposal to thrive as a Druid in the Season of Discovery.

 

 

SoD Druid Phase 4 Changes

Druids can finally use their full potential with more talent points available at level 60 and the new runes that give them that extra edge in whatever build you choose. Here's a sneak peek of the new runes in Phase 4:

There are also 10 new talent points available in patch 1.15.3, allowing Feral Druids to finally fill out any skill tree entirely. For example, Restoration Druids can now complete the Restoration tree and grab the long-awaited Barkskin ability.

While some players are hoping for even more impactful changes, these new options will definitely give Druids more tools to play with and potentially optimize their builds in Phase 4. If you want to know how to find all runes, including new ones, you can check out our dedicated article.

 

Druid PROs and CONs

When it comes to the Druid PROs and CONs in Season of Discovery, you could expect the unexpected. Let’s dive right into it so you can see for yourself.

The Druid PROs include:

• Improved Balance spec: B. Druids should have a better time in the Season of Discovery than in previous versions, indicating improvements in viability and effectiveness.
• Versatility and Flexibility: Druids continue to be versatile and capable of fulfilling multiple roles effectively. This versatility is further enhanced with new talents and runes.
• Engaging Gameplay: Druid gameplay, especially in specs like Feral DPS, is considered fun and engaging, with complex and fast-paced rotations.
• Defensive Abilities: Druids possess a range of good defensive abilities, adding to their survivability in various situations.

But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, and there are some drawbacks. The Druid CONs include:

• Drawbacks in Balance Druids: Despite improvements, Balance Druids still face some drawbacks compared to other classes, which might limit their effectiveness in certain scenarios.
• Complex Target Switching: Feral Druids, in particular, require time to switch targets efficiently, which can be a disadvantage in fast-paced combat situations.
• Resource Management Challenges: Managing resources effectively can be tricky for Druids, requiring a good understanding of the class mechanics.
• Limited Utility: Relative to other classes, Druids might have lower utility, which could affect their desirability in certain group compositions.

These points should help you decide whether or not Druid class is for you in this iteration of WoW.

How to Play Druid in WoW Season of Discovery

To answer the question of how to play Druid in WoW SoD, one must first understand what makes this class so unique. The key is versatility and understanding special class mechanics, making strategic choices in talents and gear. Druids are one of the most versatile classes in WoW, capable of performing as tanks, healers, melee DPS, and ranged DPS. A key feature of the Druid class is the ability to shift between different animal forms, each offering unique abilities and playstyles. The bear form is the tanky one, the Cat form is the catnip-infused DPS, and the Moonkin form is for ranged DPS.

In the Season of Discovery, utilizing the updated talent calculator is crucial for planning your build, including selecting runes that enhance your chosen playstyle. These new additions, Druid best runes, offer significant enhancements to the class abilities and should be chosen to complement your role in a group. For leveling, typically, a Feral Druid in Cat form is faster due to its higher DPS and mobility. BLOG20

In your role as a Druid, if you're tanking, focus on maintaining aggro and mitigating damage. As a healer, prioritize healing and support spells to keep your team alive. If you're in a DPS role, maximize your damage output while managing your position and cooldowns. The key to excelling as a Druid is flexibility and adaptability to any given situation, and being prepared to switch roles if needed to adapt to the needs of your group or raid. By mastering these aspects, you can effectively navigate the activities, whether in solo play, WoW Season of Discovery Druid PvP, dungeons, or raids.

Druid Best Race in WoW Season of Discovery

The Druid class is unique in its racial restrictions, with only one race available for each faction. So it’s not a question of what is the best Druid race in WoW SoD but rather which side you want to play on.

This table provides a quick overview of the key differences between Night Elves and Taurens as Druids. Each race offers unique benefits and abilities that can influence your play style and strategy.

Druid Stat Priority

Understanding the Druid stat priority is crucial for optimizing performance in various roles. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of stat priorities for Feral Druid Tanks, Balance Druid DPS, and Restoration Druid Healers.

Stat Priority for Feral Druid Tank in Season of Discovery

1. Hit Chance
2. Haste
3. Crit Chance
4. Strength
5. Stamina
6. Agility
7. Attack Power and Feral Attack Power
8. Defense
9. Armor
10. Dodge Chance

The ranking of each stat is based on its overall value, considering contributions to effective health pool (EHP), avoidance, and aggro per second (TPS). For instance, 1% Hit provides more value than 1% Haste, and 1 Stamina more than 1 Agility. The value of a stat is a weighted average of its impact on EHP, avoidance, and TPS. Some Druid stats, like Stamina and Hit Chance, contribute to one metric, while others, like Agility, contribute to multiple metrics. The ranking is calculated by valuing EHP more than avoidance for survivability and equating survivability with TPS, which is suitable for most vanilla raid content.

When deciding what gear to keep and what to throw away or sell, take into account not just the hierarchy of stats but also what bonus each actually provides. For example, 1% Haste is only marginally more valuable than 1% Crit, whereas 1 Attack Power is significantly more valuable than 1 Armor. 

Stats for Balance Druid DPS

1. Spell Hit Chance
2. Spell Damage
3. Spell Critical Strike Chance
4. Intellect
5. Spirit

No matter the WoW Season of Discovery Druid PvE content or PvP content, Spell Hit Chance is paramount to ensure your spells hit the target. At lower levels, Spell Damage is more valuable than Spell Crit. With the introduction of Fury of Stormrage, the mana pool is less limiting, so Intellect and Spirit are lower in priority. Most gear in this level bracket primarily features base stats like Intellect, Spirit, and Stamina.

Stats for Restoration Druid Healer

1. Intellect
2. Spirit
3. MP/5 (Restore X mana per 5 sec.)
4. Spell Healing
5. Spell Damage
6. Crit %
7. Hit Chance

For Restoration Druids, Intellect and Spirit are the most valuable stats, enhancing mana pool and regeneration. Hit Chance is also important for the best Druid SoD, especially for maintaining spells like Faerie Fire and Insect Swarm. The effectiveness of Fury of Stormrage depends on Hit Chance, as it requires Wraths to land to trigger the rune effect. 

In summary, the stat priorities for Druids vary based on their role and specialization, with a focus on balancing damage output, survivability, and mana efficiency. BLOG20

Druid Season of Discovery Best Runes

In World of Warcraft's Season of Discovery, Druids have access to a range of impactful runes. Here are the best Druid Season of Discovery runes, rewritten from the provided descriptions:

• Fury of Stormrage (Chest): This rune completely removes the mana cost for Wrath and offers a 12% chance to make your next Healing Touch instant after dealing damage with Wrath. It's incredibly effective for mana management and rapid healing response, suitable for various Druid roles.
• Savage Roar (Legs): A key rune for Feral Druids, Savage Roar significantly enhances physical damage output in Cat Form. The duration of this damage increase varies with the number of combo points used, making it a dynamic tool for maximizing damage in combat.
• Sunfire (Gloves): Particularly beneficial for Balance Druids, Sunfire replaces Moonfire in Bear, Cat, or Dire Bear Form. It inflicts initial Nature damage followed by additional damage over time, enhancing AoE damage capabilities and making it easier to manage multiple targets.
• Mangle (Gloves): Crucial for Guardian Druids, Mangle increases aggro generation and overall survivability. It replaces Claw and Maul, dealing enhanced damage and causing targets to take more damage from Bleed effects and Shred, making it an essential ability for tanking.
• Wild Strikes (Chest): This rune boosts the combat ferocity of party members in proximity when in Cat, Bear, or Dire Bear Form. Each melee hit has a chance to grant an extra attack with increased Attack Power, enhancing the group's overall melee combat effectiveness.

Each rune offers unique enhancements, catering to the diverse roles and playstyles of Druids, from damage dealing and healing to tanking and group support.

 

Druid Leveling in WoW Season of Discovery

You will enjoy Druid leveling in WoW Season of Discovery as it will offer a unique and varied experience. Druids are known for their adaptability, capable of filling multiple roles such as damage dealers, healers, or tanks. This guide will provide you with essential tips, tricks, and consumable recommendations to efficiently level your Druid character.

Consumables for Leveling

• Swiftness Potion: Boosts movement speed for 15 seconds, ideal for quick escapes or reaching objectives faster.
• Healing Potion: Provides instant health recovery, crucial for surviving tough encounters.
• Food and Drink: Essential for health and mana regeneration. Keep a variety of high-level food and drink for quick replenishment.
• Elixir of the Mongoose: Enhances critical strike chance and attack power, beneficial for challenging fights.

These consumables will significantly aid in your leveling journey, ensuring that you can handle various challenges and maintain efficiency. Alongside these, adopting the right strategies and understanding the nuances of the Druid 1.15 class will further enhance your leveling experience.

Leveling Tips and Tricks

• Efficient Questing: Focus on quests close to your level for optimal experience gain. Complete multiple quests in the same area to reduce travel time.
• Grouping for Elite Quests: Team up with other players for difficult quests involving elite monsters.
• Useful Addons: Addons like QuestHelper can streamline your questing process.
• Optimize Talents: Choose talents that boost your leveling efficiency. Adjust your build as needed.
• Rested XP: Log out in inns or cities to accumulate rested experience, doubling your XP gain for a period.

Incorporating these tips and tricks into your gameplay will ensure a smoother leveling process. Druids have the unique advantage of being able to adapt to various situations, whether it's solo questing or participating in group activities. Understanding and leveraging your Druid's strengths in different scenarios is key to efficient leveling.

Druid Specific Strategies

• Balance (Ranged DPS): Focus on AoE spells for efficient mob clearing. Utilize Sunfire to enhance your AoE damage capabilities.
• Feral (Melee DPS/Tank): Use Savage Roar to boost your damage output. For tanking, Mangle enhances aggro generation and survivability.
• Restoration (Healer): Keep yourself and your allies healed during group quests or dungeons. Fury of Stormrage can enhance your healing abilities.
• General: Wild Strikes is beneficial for all Druids, focusing on physical attacks.

Leveling Zones and Methods

• Questing: Follow zone quests and minimize downtime. Druids can quickly travel between objectives using their travel forms.
• Grinding Mobs: Find areas with high mob density. Balance and Feral Druids can efficiently handle multiple enemies.
• Running Dungeons: Group up for dungeons, a great source of XP and gear. Druids can fill any role needed in a group.

By utilizing the right consumables, adopting efficient leveling strategies, and exploiting the Druid's unique abilities, you can enjoy a smooth and rapid leveling journey. BLOG20

Best Druid Builds Season of Discovery

In this next part, we’re about to show you a list of the best Druid builds for WoW SoD which will contain their description and talents up to level 50.

Feral Druid Main Tank

This Druid build is designed for Feral Druids serving as main tanks in raid teams. You're mainly going to be leveling the Feral combat tree with a few talents from the Balance tree. Your goal here is to get Leader of the Pack - which increases the melee crit chance for all party members when you're in one of the forms. But you're going to skip a few talents, namely:

1. Feral Agression
2. Brutal Impact
3. Feline Swiftness
4. Improved Shred
5. Blood Frenzy

Instead of these, you're going to want to grab - Improved Nature's Grasp and Natural Weapons. This build will be perfect for completing Sunken Temple at lvl 50.

You can see the list of recommended runes on the right side of the screenshot. It includes runes from Phase 4.

Balance DPS Druid

As this isn’t strictly a Druid DPS guide Season of Discovery, the build is designed for Phase 4 of WoW Season of Discovery and focuses on optimizing the Druid's damage potential while offering some utility. Compared to the last phase, you can see an addition of a few new talents. To be specific, this time around, we're adding Natural Weapons, Omen of Clarity, and Moonglow. Plus, one level of Improved Mark of the Wild. The list of chosen runes has also grown from 5 to 7.

As you can see, you’re putting all of your points into the Balance tree. Furthermore, pay attention to the chosen Runes.

Pure Resto Healing Build

This Druid Healer build offers flexibility based on healing demands and raid composition. The Pure Resto build resembles the classic Resto Druid, ideal for consistent healing. In contrast, the Hybrid DPS Healer build provides efficient DPS with free Wraths and spot healing via instant Healing Touch. It's suitable for intense healing requirements but focuses on mana efficiency, emphasizing ImprovedHealing Touch. Using HoTs strategically to pause casting is essential for mana regeneration.

It's worth mentioning that this build also includes several talents from Balance tree to give yourself some tools of defending yourself.

Druid Best in Slot Gear WoW Season of Discovery

The following list of the Druid Best in Slot gear is pretty much final. While it would be easy to draw inspiration from the classic version of the game, the true BiS gear will depend on the chosen build. As such, Feral, Resto and Balance druids get completely different BiS. This table is a mishmash of BiS gear for all roles.

As you can see, the best choice for a helm is actually the one that comes as the ranked PvP reward. If PvP isn’t your cup of tea, there is an alternative: the Mask of the Unforgiven. If you want to get your BiS items, buy Molten Core Boost at SkyCoach. This is the fastest and most affordable way to get the raid loot at no cost to your time.

Druid Rotation

Your WoW Druid rotation Season of Discovery will depend on the build that you have chosen for yourself. The following rotation is for the Tank build, which we described earlier in this guide.

Single Target Rotation:

1. Queue Maul on every auto-attack.
2. Use Swipe if you have extra Rage.
3. If not enough Rage for Swipe, cast Faerie Fire (Feral) when available.

Here your goal is to build the highest aggro Per Second (TPS) against a single target. You begin by queuing Maul on every auto-attack, as it benefits from an inflated aggro modifier and scales well with gear. If you have extra Rage, you should fill as many Global Cooldowns (GCDs) as possible with Swipe, which adds to your aggro. However, if you lack sufficient Rage for Swipe, you should use Faerie Fire (Feral) when available to contribute to aggro generation.

AoE Rotation:

1. Cast Maul on the current target.
2. If sufficient Rage, use Swipe on the current target.
3. Tab to a new target and repeat the sequence.

The AoE rotation for Feral Druid tanks is quite similar to the single target rotation because Maul remains the primary aggro generator, even when dealing with multiple targets. You start by casting Maul on the current target, which continues to benefit from its aggro modifier. If you have enough Rage, you can use Swipe on the current target to deal additional damage and generate aggro. Then, you tab to a new target and repeat the sequence. This rotation maintains consistency in generating aggro across multiple enemies.

Offensive aggro cooldowns are essential to establishing an initial aggro lead and managing early DPS variance. Feral Druids can enhance aggro generation by using on-use activated trinkets like Earthstrike or Engineering consumables like Goblin Sapper Charge at the start of encounters. These cooldowns provide a buffer against sudden damage bursts, ensuring that you maintain aggro on your target.

Maintaining optimal uptime on certain consumables is crucial for effective tanking. Manual Crowd Pummeler should be equipped for its Haste buff, which boosts your attack speed and helps with aggro generation. Additionally, keeping Greater Stoneshield Potion ready and using it during challenging encounters, such as those with high boss damage like Ragnaros and Broodlord Lashlayer, is vital for survivability. Ensuring you have these consumables available and using them wisely is integral to successful tanking.

Druid Best Professions in WoW Season of Discovery

When it comes to Druid best professions in WoW SoD, it usually doesn’t matter what build you’re using. The choice of professions is unified and works for all of the roles. Here’s what you should pick:

• Engineering: a vital profession for tanks in both PvE and PvP. In PvE, it provides access to the potent consumable Goblin Sapper Charge, which helps mitigate pull variance and is invaluable for holding aggro on boss encounters. It's especially useful for Feral Druids because it can be instantly used with powershifting. Additionally, Engineering offers the fantastic bear trinket, Gnomish Battle Chicken, which grants a Haste buff benefiting both personal and raid-wide DPS. It has become essential for competitive raiders, enhancing overall performance.
• Enchanting: Enchanting is necessary for crafting the Bind-on-Pickup (BoP) trinket, Smoking Heart of the Mountain. This trinket ranks as one of the best mitigation options available, particularly when facing encounters with a mix of physical and magical damage. Feral Druids who opt for Blackhand's Breadth over Mark of Tyranny in certain situations, such as attuning for Onyxia's Lair, find this trinket invaluable. Once crafted, Enchanting can be dropped for another profession without losing access to the trinket.
• Blacksmithing: Blacksmithing is a valuable profession for Feral Druid tanks, offering the utility trinket, Glimmering Mithril Insignia. This trinket is especially beneficial for Horde Ferals due to the absence of Fear Ward for fear mechanics in Horde raids. Fear mechanics can be troublesome for tanking raid bosses as they cause the boss to briefly switch targets. Blacksmithing helps mitigate these fears and regain control of your character. Additionally, this profession allows Ferals to craft their Iron Counterweights, enhancing their attack speed and aggro Per Second (TPS) while shapeshifted, making it a practical choice.

Druid Best Consumables

As for the list of the best Druid consumables to go for, it all depends on the type of content you’re trying to do. Below is the list of all consumables that you will need for any type of content you’re playing. The list is mainly dedicated to the best PvE Druid tank role.

1. Catnip - increases the attack speed.
2. Manual Crowd Pummeler — This engineering item provides a significant Haste buff when used, greatly increasing attack speed and aggro generation for Feral Druids.
3. Goblin Sapper Charge — This engineering explosive is crucial for quickly generating aggro on multiple enemies, making it valuable for tanking and crowd control situations.
4. Gift of Arthas — This buffing item enhances your chance to hit with melee attacks, improving your overall DPS and aggro generation.
5. Free Action Potion — This potion grants temporary immunity to movement-impairing effects, allowing you to maintain control and positioning in combat.
6. Flask of the Titans — This long-lasting flask provides a substantial boost to your maximum health, improving your tanking capabilities and survivability.
7. Elixir of the Mongoose — This elixir enhances your critical strike chance and agility, increasing your damage output and survivability.
8. Greater Stoneshield Potion — This powerful potion grants a substantial boost to your armor, improving your damage mitigation and overall tanking effectiveness.
9. Iron Counterweight — This enchantment for weapons increases your attack speed, aiding in aggro generation and DPS output.
10. Juju Power— This consumable item increases your attack power, enhancing your damage-dealing abilities.
11. R.O.I.D.S. / Lung Juice Cocktail — These items provide a significant strength and stamina boost, increasing your overall tanking capabilities and aggro generation.
12. Juju Might / Winterfall Firewater — These consumables increase your attack power, improving your damage output and aggro generation.
13. Blessed Sunfruit — This food item provides a well-rounded stat boost, enhancing your overall performance in various aspects.
14. Elixir of Superior Defense — This elixir boosts your armor and provides damage reduction, increasing your survivability and tanking effectiveness.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Druid class in WoW Season of Discovery offers a diverse range of playstyles and roles, from tanking and healing to ranged and melee DPS. With their unique shapeshifting abilities and versatile toolkit, Druids bring adaptability and utility to any group or raid composition. Whether you choose to embrace the wilds as a Feral Druid, harness the power of nature as a Balance Druid, or dedicate yourself to healing as a Restoration Druid, Season of Discovery provides exciting opportunities for Druid players to shine. By mastering the class-specific mechanics, talents, rotations, and consumables discussed in this guide, Druids can excel in their chosen roles and contribute to the success of their teams. So, whether you seek to protect your allies, unleash the power of the elements, or become a force of nature on the battlefield, the Druid class offers a fulfilling and dynamic experience in WoW Season of Discovery.

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