Druid Guide for Midnight - Patch 12.0.1

Druid Guide for Midnight Quick Summary:

• Druids have four specs: Balance, Feral, Guardian, and Restoration.
• Druids are the only class that has specs for all roles in the game, so it’s a very flexible class.
• Each Druid spec has its own special resource: Rage for Guardian, Combo Points for Feral, Astral Power for Balance, and Energy for Restoration.
• Builds for Druid specs differ a lot based on the type of content you want to do: raids, m+, or delves.
• Druids have some of the best utility spells among all classes that are highly desired in group content.

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Druid Changes in Midnight

Druid is the most intense class if you’ve never played it. It’s got four specs, which is one more than other classes, and it can do any role you want. The Midnight pruning and changes have touched all four specs, so let’s start with the list of the most important changes.

Balance

• Eclipse - now an active ability instead of passive.
• Total Eclipse - a new talent that gives you a chance to proc the opposite Eclipse additionally when you press that button.
• Meteor Storm - a new talent that makes Starfall deal full damage faster.
• Elune’s Challenge - new talent that triggers reduced casting time for Wrath and Starfire whenever you have less than 40 Astral Power upon exiting Eclipse.
• Keeper of the Grove - overall, less Astral Power generation.
• Harmony of the Grove - damage nerfed
• Denizen of the Dream - reduced damage by 15%

Feral

• Frantic Frenzy - new talent that handles your AoE
• Omen of Clarity - auto attacks no longer have a chance to make Thrash cost no Energy. Only Shred.
• Chomp - new talent/ability that can only be used when you have less than 30 energy.
• Bloodtalons, Adaptive Swarm, Brutal Slash - gone

Guardian

• Tooth and Claw, Earthwarden, Rage of the Sleeper, Pulverize, - gone
• Harnessed Rage - a new talent that gives Mangle an extra charge
• Sundering Roar - allows 5 additional stacks of Thrash
• Red Moon - a version of Moon Fire with DoT damage
• Heart of the Wild - reworked

Druid Midnight Overview

Druids use the power of nature and animals. They’re a very unique class that can shapeshift into different beasts, each of which has its own benefits and playstyle. But changing form isn’t the only thing Druids are good at. Unlike other classes, this one has a total of four different specs.

• Balance - ranged DPS
• Feral - melee DPS
• Guardian - tank
• Restoration - healer

So, not only do you get different sets of abilities with a different form, but you can also literally be anything in group content. And if you think that Druids aren’t good at what they do, you’re wrong. Every Druid role is meta, and you can often hear each of the specs ranked highly in all sorts of tier lists.

Each specialization is like its own class with a unique resource to show for it. I’ll get to explaining how each one plays in my “how to play” section. But for now, there’s more about this class you should know.

Druids also have other unique qualities. They don’t have to switch the specialization to change the form; that’s handled separately. Shapeshifting can be done mind-combat, which actually also saves you from any movement-impairing effects! And while most of the abilities require you to be in a specific form, switching it is a valid tactic in different situations. Oh, and let’s not forget that just like Worgens, Druids have a specific Travel form, which is essentially a unique mount for riding on the ground, flying, or swimming. So, that’s a total of 4 forms that druids can take:

• Bear form - for tanking in Guardian spec
• Cat form - for melee DPS with Feral spec
• Moonkin form - for the ranged DPS with Balance spec
• Travel form - for getting around

You might be wondering - well, what about the Restoration form? Doesn’t it have a dedicated animal form? Well, no, if you choose to play as a healer, you’ll be doing it in your regular form or “caster” form of the race you’ve chosen.

What else? The unique utility skills include Mark of the Wild - the biggest group buff for movement speed, which is mandatory in instanced content. Stampeding Roar is another similar buff often required in raids because it makes the movement between packs faster. Wild Charge is a mobility skill that changes the way it works based on your current form.

Druid Pros & Cons

Should you play Druid in Midnight? I’ve asked myself the same question, because on one hand you got an amazing and unique class that can be anything you want, but on the other hand it also comes off as pretty difficult, because you’re essentially learning 4 different classes instead of 1, even if they’re all pretty simple (actually not). Right here, I came up with 3 pros and 3 cons for Druids that could help you make the right decision.

Pros

1. The best utility a class can have - that’s a big plus if you want to enjoy group content. The buffs and utility you bring to the table are irreplaceable.
2. Great AoE damage or healing on all specs - Both DPS specs have that, the healer can heal multiple party members, and the tank has its own tools for that.
3. Increased survivability - this is most important on the melee DPS and healer specs, because these are usually the squishiest.

Cons

1. Each spec has its own set of problems you will have to work around - Balance has to spend time before starting to deal high AoE damage and weak talents. 
2. Feral is a melee spec, so nobody really wants it. 
3. Guardian struggles to get initial aggro because of DoTs. Finally, resto requires setup and timing, so it can be difficult to master.

Yeah, I kind of cheated here by giving you 3 instead of 4 cons, but let’s be honest here - they’re part of the same problem that is no spec is ideal. Yes, they’re all good enough, solid S, A, or B tier when it comes to the tier list per roles, but they do still have their own issues. At the end of the day, I decided to pick up and learn this class because I love the fantasy of being a nature protector, and besides, it's got some of the coolest abilities.

How to Play Druid in Midnight

Like I said before, each Druid spec has its own form and unique abilities that the form can use. More importantly, they all have a unique resource that is spent on using the big abilities for damage or healing. In this section, I’ll explain how each of the specs plays and go over the main abilities you’ll be using.

Balance Druid Playstyle

This is the ranged DPS spec of the class, and to be frank, the preferred DPS Druid spec in group content. The whole playstyle revolves around manipulating the sun and the moon to do ranged damage, switching between Arcane and Nature magic schools. It is preferred to use the Moonkin form for this spec.

The unique resource for this spec is called Astral Power, and it is used to power some of the important spells. Generally speaking, building it up and spending it is the main playstyle of this spec, aside from Moon/Sun switching.

This spec has a lot of damage over time spells, which means you’ll have a lot of time to move around, change shapes, or do other stuff when you need it. On top of that, your DoT spells don’t take time to cast, which means you can move around more than other ranged casters. Now, let’s talk about the main buttons you’ll be pressing:

• Moonfire & Sunfire - both accumulate the resource, deal damage, and apply DoT.
• Shooting Star (talent) - uses the DoT provided by Moonfire & Sunfire and deals lots of damage, generating even more resources.
• Wrath - deals Nature damage and generates Astral Power
• Starfire - an AoE filler spell that also generates the resource.
• Starsurge - spends the resource and deals damage to the target.
• Starfall - also costs Astral Power but is an AoE damaging spell
• Fury of Elune - a powerful damage over time spell that generates the resource.

While these are the main spells that you’ll be using, this is the time to talk about the unique mechanic that this spec has - Eclipse. This is the switch that increases the damage of either Nature or Arcane spells (Solar or Eclipse, respectively).

• Celestial Alignment - makes it so that both eclipses are on and also gives you an extra haste for 15 seconds.
• Convoke the Spirits - casts multiple spells depending on your current form. Can also generate Rage.
• New Moon - deals Astral damage and generates the resource.

Moving on to the choice of Hero talents. Elune’s Chosen empowers the Fury of Elune or New Moon by increasing their effectiveness. The main talent is the Boundless Moonlight, which can then be further upgraded with more talents from the same tree. As the Keeper of the Grove improves the Wrath or Starfire, making them deal AoE Nature damage. It also lets you summon more trents that can cast the same abilities.

Feral Druid Playstyle

Feral spec is a melee DPS version of Druids with lots of mobility and fluid combat. The unique resource is called Combo Points, and your effectiveness depends on how much damage you can deal per point spent. So, your job is to accumulate points and then spend them on something else. A simple enough concept that gets trickier once you take a look at the abilities that deal with these points.

• Shred, Rake, and Swipe - are your basic damage-dealing abilities that build up Combo Points.
• Rip - spends the resource to deal damage and apply Bleed over time.
• Ferocious Bite - a finishing move that deals a lot of damage at the cost of Combo Points.
• Primal Wrath - spreads Bleed damage of the target to nearby enemies.
• Tiger’s Fury - a buff that restores Energy and increases all damage dealt.
• Berserk - generates Combo Points over time and gives you bonus points for using different abilities.
• Convoke the Spirits - casts multiple spells depending on your current form. Can also generate Rage.
• Feral Frenzy - a short cooldown that deals burst damage and applies Bleed.
• Frantic Frenzy - a new AoE attack, works similarly to Feral Frenzy
• Chomp - a new ability that can only be used when you’re low on energy.

When it comes to Hero talents, you can choose between the Druid of the Claw or Wildstalker. The first one gives you Ravage, a new finisher move with lots of damage. The second option gives you Bloodseeker Vines, which trigger from Thriving Growth. These are additional DoTs applied on top of the Bleed.

The Apex talent is called Unseen Predator. When using a Ferocious Bite, you have a chance to jump to a different enemy and attack them with Unseen Slash, which causes Bleed. Higher ranks make it so that the Unseen Slash also increases your damage. The final rank makes it so that Tiger’s Fury also triggers this effect.

Guardian Druids Playstyle

As any tank should, the bear has a huge health pool, but also the highest armor in the game, which helps you mitigate all physical damage! This spec has great defensives and self-sustain that make it really hard to kill. Therefore, Guardian is also considered the easiest tank to play because of how this spec works.

Guardian’s resource is called Rage, the same one that warriors have. And just like warriors, your job is to build up Rage and then spend it. You have talents and abilities like Ursoc’s Guidance that work off how much Rage you spent. And to keep building up rage, you need to make sure you’re always pressing your buttons, so they’re constantly on cooldown. Now, the notable abilities and spells:

• Mangle and Thrash are the main abilities that build up Rage.
• Maul and Raze - damaging abilities that require Rage.
• Ironfur - stackable ability that increases your armor in exchange for Rage.
• Frenzied Regeneration - costs Rage but restores a lot of your health, which is helpful when you’re taking magic or bleed damage, which ignores armor.
• Barkskin and Survival Instincts - both are defensive abilities that mitigate damage taken.
• Berserker - reduces cooldowns and can also be upgraded to have defensive properties with the right talents.
• Convoke the Spirits - casts multiple spells depending on your current form. Can also generate Rage.

As for the Hero talents, Guardian can choose between Druid of the Claw, which gives you access to Ravage, which will be the main single-target and AoE ability in your rotation, or Elune’s Chosen, which gives you the Lunar Beam and a lot more Arcane damage.

The Apex talent is called Wild Guardian, which gives you the ability to double-cast Maul, Ironfur, and Frenzied Regeneration. At the first rank, the additional casts are 50% less effective, but by the highest rank, these are 150% more effective.

Restoration Druid Playstyle

Restoration Druid is the kind of healing spec that prepares its heals before taking damage. This makes them very versatile since they have a lot of healing over time spells. The nature of these spells lets you spend that downtime doing damage instead of constantly hitting the healing buttons nonstop. You can also shapeshift into different forms to dodge dungeon or raid mechanics, get around the place faster as a cat, etc. The best thing is that when you shapeshift, you aren’t losing any healing spells. This means that you can shapeshift as often as you want to escape those movement-impending abilities, get more health, or any other form-specific bonus.

Let’s take a look at some of the most important spells and talents of Resto Druids:

• Lifeblom, Rejuvenation, and Regrowth - all 3 specialize in single-target healing and apply HoT.
• Swiftmend - consume any HoT on a target for an instant heal.
• Wild Growth - an area of effect heal over time (or AoE HoT).
• Efflorescence - puts a healing point that heals everyone who stands in its radius.
• Mastery: Harmony - increase all healing on a target if that target already has HoT effects on it.
• Convoke the Spirits - casts multiple spells depending on your current form. Can also generate Rage.
• Tranquility - an AoE heal that can also extend the duration of active HoT effects with Flourish talent.
• Ironbark - a defensive that reduces all damage taken. It can be applied to yourself or any allied target, which will also increase the incoming healing received by them.

Restoration Druids can choose between Keeper of the Grove or Wildstalker hero talents. The Keeper buffs Grove Guardian trents, making them create healing Dream Petals on targets for extra healing. Wildstalker gives you access to Bloodseeker Vines and Symbiotic Blooms that apply to targets and heal over time.

Everbloom is an Apex talent that makes Lifebloom stack 3 times every 5 seconds on the first rank. Higher ranks make Lifebloom heal nearby allies.

Druid Stat Priority

Druid’s primary stat changes by spec. Balance and Restoration scale with Intellect, while Feral and Guardian scale with Agility. In general, higher item level upgrades come first while gearing. You can start looking into these stats once you cap out the ilvl. Use this table as a quick reference for Midnight Season 1.

Priority	Balance	Feral	Guardian (Survival)	Guardian (DPS)	Restoration
1	Intellect	Agility	Agility	Agility	Haste
2	Mastery	Mastery	Haste	Haste	Mastery
3	Haste	Haste*	Versatility	Versatility	Versatility
4	Versatility	Critical Strike*	Critical Strike	Critical Strike	Intellect
5	Critical Strike	Versatility	Mastery	Mastery	Critical Strike

• Feral note: Druid of the Claw favors Haste over Critical Strike, while Wildstalker flips Critical Strike ahead of Haste.

Balance centers around Intellect for raw spell power, with Mastery amplifying Nature and Arcane damage. Haste smooths Astral Power flow and DoT ticks.

Feral prioritizes Agility for Attack Power scaling, while Mastery heavily boosts bleed damage. The slight variation between Hero Talent builds affects Haste and Crit ordering.

Guardian keeps Agility as its dominant stat due to Ironfur scaling. Haste improves Rage generation and rotational speed, while Versatility strengthens both mitigation and damage.

Restoration stands apart by valuing Haste as its strongest throughput stat, enhancing HoTs and cast speed. Mastery follows closely for amplified healing on HoT-stacked targets.

 

 

Best Druid Builds for Midnight

If you think there are too many specs to master as a Druid, wait till you see the amount of viable builds on this class. In this section, I will not be putting you through the torture of giving you too many builds to remember or even care about. Instead, I’ll give you one build for each spec that I consider to be the best.

Balance Starweaver Build

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This build is suited for raids, of which there are going to be 3 just in the first season. It revolves around Starweaver. The biggest advice for this spec is to accumulate as many free casts of your abilities as you can before enabling Eclipse, and keep in mind that Solstice works only 6 seconds after you’ve enabled Eclipse. This will give you the most damage you can dish out. The build also includes some useful utility talents, such as Improved Stampeding Roar and Innervate to buff your healers.

Feral Wildstalker Build

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This hero talent tree and build that’s based on it gives you more DoT damage, which is good for Mythic+ dungeons. The major talents here are  Primal Wrath,  Apex Predator's Craving, and Rampant Ferocity. Other than that, you can make a lot of adjustments, as this is one of the most flexible builds out there. Switching talents up doesn’t make the build any less effective. Therefore, you can go for more single-target damage if that’s what you feel this build is lacking.

Guardian Druid of the Claw Build

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We’re using Druid of the Claw hero talents because they give you extra damage, which is what the tank Druids lack sometimes. To get that damage, this build uses Killing Blow to its full potential. That is achieved by using Raze or Maul when you have more than 80 Rage. Harnessing Rage will keep your rotation smooth and continuous. In some situations, you can switch Ursoc’s Guidance talent for Flashing Claws.

Restoration Cat Healer Build

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This build motivates you to deal single-target damage in the cat form, hence the name. Although it is not necessary with the Wildstalker hero tree on this build. But when it comes to healing, you have your very traditional playstyle - maintain Lifebloom, blanket Rejuvenation before damage, use Wild Growth proactively, and convert HoT coverage into timely Swiftmend windows.

 

 

Druid Best in Slot Gear in Midnight

This section is “Work in Progress”. I need a bit more time to come up with the list of BiS gear for each spec that isn’t just another copy of the Pre-Patch BiS. Stay Tuned!

Best Druid Professions

There aren’t any professions that Druids “must have”. The most useful options include:

• Leatherworking - This lets you craft your own armor pieces, and some crafted items can be very close to best-in-slot.
• Alchemy - This helps you supply your own consumables, saving gold and keeping you raid-ready.
• Enchanting - This lets you enchant your own gear without relying on the Auction House.

The start of the expansion is when the prices for crafted items will be so high that you will be able to set yourself up for the rest of the expansion.

Best Consumables for Druid

All four Druid specs share the same core consumable kit in Midnight, even though Balance leans caster throughput, Feral and Guardian care more about melee scaling, and Restoration sometimes needs mana tools in raids. Here’s a unified list of consumables that work well across Balance, Feral, Guardian, and Restoration in Season 1:

• Combat potion: Light’s Potential / Draught of Rampant Abandon / Potion of Recklessness - Light’s Potential is the clean all-round stat potion pick for Balance and a common fallback for Feral and Guardian if you dislike mechanics, Draught of Rampant Abandon is the main throughput potion for Feral and a strong option for Guardian, and Potion of Recklessness is the go-to performance potion for Restoration in Mythic+.
• Situational potion: Lightfused Mana Potion - A practical raid fallback for Restoration on longer fights or heavy healing checks when mana is the limiter.
• Health potion: Silvermoon Health Potion - The default emergency heal for every Druid spec in all PvE content.
• Weapon buff: Thalassian Phoenix Oil - Universal weapon oil for Balance, Feral, Guardian, and Restoration, so you never need to swap oils between specs.
• Augment rune: Void-Touched Augment Rune - Best rune for all Druids, but usually saved for progression pulls and high keys due to cost.
• Flask: Flask of the Magisters / Flask of the Shattered Sun / Flask of the Blood Knights - Magisters is the common Balance flask, Shattered Sun is the main Feral pick, and Blood Knights is the standard choice for Guardian and Restoration, with exact “best” often coming down to your current stat spread.
• Food: Harandar Celebration / Blooming Feast - Harandar Celebration is the most consistent shared feast option across specs, while Blooming Feast is a strong alternative that shows up as best for Feral and also works fine for other specs when it’s available.

Consumables are optional in casual content and low keys. Once you push higher Mythic+ or do serious raiding, they become the expected baseline for performance and consistency.

Read our other WoW guides:

• Leveling Guide
• Gearing Guide
• Mythic+ Guide
• Best Professions

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