MoP Classic Guardian Druid — Guide (Phase 5)
viewsAbout the Class
The Guardian Druid is a tank who spends the entire fight in 
Bear Form and spends rage. In Mists of Pandaria, Guardian became a fully separate specialization with its own set of abilities.
Defense here is active: rage goes either into 
Savage Defense, which sharply raises dodge, or into 
Frenzied Regeneration when you need to heal up. Rage comes from auto-attacks, 
Mangle and 
Enrage, and critical strikes return it through Primal Fury. The rotation is simple, and the druid's utility is the best among tanks.
Strengths
- The best utility among tanks:
Rebirth, 
Innervate, 
Stampeding Roar, 
Symbiosis. - A simple and clear rotation.
- Scales excellently toward the end of the expansion as you gather gear.
- A huge health pool and high damage thanks to Vengeance.
- Strong area threat through
Thrash and 
Swipe. - A good kit of personal cooldowns:
Barkskin, 
Survival Instincts, 
Might of Ursoc.
Weaknesses
- Less damage than the old hybrid tank and some of the MoP tanks.
- While your gear is weak, damage reduction works inconsistently.
- Active defense is hungry for rage: a rage shortfall immediately hits your survivability.
- Fewer specialized cooldowns against magic damage than other tanks have.
Stat Priority
- 1Stamina
- 2Hit Rating (up to 7.5%)
- 3Expertise (up to 7.5%, then to 15%)
- 4Critical Strike Rating
- 5Agility
- 6Haste
- 7Mastery
- 8Dodge
Critical strike for a bear isn't about damage: each crit returns 15 rage through Primal Fury, and rage is what keeps the Guardian alive. Expertise up to 7.5% removes dodges, up to 15% removes parries.
Talents
Rotation (Ability Priority)
The opener is a set sequence of abilities you use as you engage an enemy. Memorising it helps initiate your rotation in the most optimal way possible.
- 1
Mark of the Wild - 2Bear Form
- 3
Faerie Fire - 4Enrage
- 5Mangle
- 6Thrash
- 7
Lacerate - 8Lacerate
- 9Lacerate
- 10
Berserk - 11
Maul - 12Savage Defense
- Enrage — on cooldown, it's pure rage
- Mangle — the main source of rage, damage and threat
- Berserk — a damage cooldown, best on multiple targets
- Savage Defense — spend rage here while you're taking physical hits
- Frenzied Regeneration — when health has dropped or Savage Defense isn't needed
- Maul — dumps excess rage, free with a
Tooth and Claw proc - Lacerate — build up and keep 3 stacks
- Thrash — a filler, applies a bleed and holds threat
- Faerie Fire — keep the debuff up, it's also handy for pulling
Key Abilities
Best in Slot (BiS)
Best in Slot (BiS)Tier 16 Set — Battlegear of the Shattered Vale
Tier 16 Set — Battlegear of the Shattered ValeThe BiS build wears 4 pieces of the set, with the shoulders taken by the
Ricocheting Shoulderguards.
Enchants, Gems, Consumables
Enchants
Gems
ConsumablesRaces
Best Professions
Socket Bracer and 
Socket Gloves — two extra gems, which are more valuable to a tank than fixed damage procs.
Synapse Springs gives a burst of agility, and Nitro Boosts help with positioning.
Fur Lining - Agility on the wrists is stronger than the standard enchant.
Up to three 
Smooth Serpent's Eye gems give more secondary stats than ordinary gems.
Author
Fouren
Fouren has been playing World of Warcraft for over 15 years. He is an active player with 12 Cutting Edge achievements under his belt, and has reached the top 1% and 0.1% multiple times on various classes. His main classes are healers, particularly Holy Paladin.
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