Newish to the Druid class having recently hit max level with an alt and I’m just wondering: is there an “optimal” way to use your shapeshifting forms whilst in combat?
I ask because if I’m in Balance spec, which I mostly default to, I always feel like I’m missing something when I constantly prefer to be in Moonkin Form all the time when in combat knowing that I have all my arsenal available to me. Same with Resto (only specs I’ve meaningfully tried out so far).
I also find it jarring that some spells change your form meaning having to switch back and forth anyways so, I always think that there shouldn’t be any point to switching forms except for specific needs/reasons e.g. chickening out and running away in Cat Form for the speed or maybe facing a random hard-hitting mob in Bear Form for the tankiness so I’m less likely to die etc.
I basically want to be as useful as can be expected for the content I do on him like World Bosses, farming, assaults etc and low M+ eventually to practice healing.
Cheers
Kass
P.S. Just in case: I’m not talking about the specs on their own…just the “form dancing” itself within the specs.
For most specs there is no form-weaving in PvE. Welcome to the shape-shifter class that doesn’t shape-shift that much if not at all.
The notable exceptions being:
Resto Druids with the Feral Affinity cat-weave in order to do dps, in M+ content(which is actually the most notable form-weaving play-style out of all).
Balance and Feral with the Resto Affinity might pop out and heal in the very rare situations that might prove more beneficial than keeping on dpsing, in M+ content.
Guardian Druids with the Resto Affinity might do that too if they have a rare occasion they wont get one-shotted from switching to caster form, in M+ content.
Guardian Druids with the Feral Affinity that for some bizarre reason they preferred it over Resto Affinity, in order to do dps while not actively tanking, in Raid content.
Resto Druids with the Guardian affinity, switching to Guardian form for the extra tankiness to absorb some really strong boss or mob ability, in M+ content.
Switching to Feral or Travel form to traverse terrain faster while moving from one encounter to the next, while not having access to a mount, in M+ and Raid content.
Long story short you wont be switching out of your spec form all that often if not at all in PvE, with the most notable exception being Resto Druids with Feral Affinity in M+ content.
I tried to cat weave with my bear but it felt cluncky and i believe my dps was hurt because if this(thanks to azerite traits and the shift costing me a cooldown, this gcd change is the worst!).
It was much more work and didnt feel as good (because i got hurt more, my dps didn’t increase and i had to manage 3-4 bleed affects. Thrash, moon, rake, rip. Being only bear i could easily thrash, maintain iron fur which doesnt work on your cat, and so on).
That’s brilliant - exactly the info I was looking for! And the exceptions are great for expanding my knowledge!
At least learning new classes/specs is fun so I shouldn’t run out of things to discover.
Thanks a lot
Yeah, it definitely feels clunky weaving into and out of different forms too much.
And thinking about it, even though combat is pretty important, I realise that it is only half the story - most of the other times, I’ll be form weaving as much as I want so, limiting your form in combat, which is basically what the specs do anyways, isn’t so bad.
