WoW Forever: Restoration Druid
About the Class
A Restoration Druid combines pre-applied healing over time with fast responses to incoming damage. 
Rejuvenation and 
Regrowth sustain allies, 
Swiftmend helps save a chosen target, and 
Wild Growth is meant for group-wide damage. Your choices depend on the situation, so a healer needs an action priority rather than a rigid, repeating cycle.
A druid can shift forms for travel, Stealth and survival. Keep in mind that changing form changes the set of actions available to you: being able to take a hit as a bear doesn't make a caster a real tank without the right talents and gear.
Strengths
- A mix of healing over time, direct healing and group healing.
- Convenient support for allies while on the move.
- Class tools for restoring Mana and bringing allies back into the fight.
Weaknesses
- You have to assess incoming damage in advance.
- Refreshing heals inefficiently drains Mana quickly.
- Shifting forms can cut off access to the healing you need.
Stat Priority
- 1Healing Power
- 2Intellect
- 3Spirit
- 4Mana per 5
- 5Critical Strike
Intellect gives you a Mana pool, Spirit helps you regenerate, and Mana per 5 keeps working while you cast. Factor in fight length and how much resource you actually need.
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.
- 1Rejuvenation on the tank before expected damage
- 2Regrowth or
Healing Touch depending on the situation.
- Rejuvenation — support for a target taking ongoing damage
- Regrowth — a direct heal with a lingering effect
- Healing Touch — a stronger direct heal when you have time to finish the cast
Important Abilities
Ability | What It's For |
|---|---|
 Mark of the Wild | A lasting, useful group buff |
 Rebirth | Bring an ally back into the fight when the right conditions and reagent are available |
 Innervate | Plan Mana regeneration for yourself or a chosen ally |
 Bear Form | Switch roles or survive a situation, depending on your gear and talents |
 Cat Form | Stealthy movement and cat abilities |
Don't save class utility for the end of the fight. Successfully restoring an ally or a healer's resource can be worth more than one more hit of your own.
Best in Slot (BiS)
Best in Slot (BiS)Enchants, Gems, Consumables
Enchants and Enhancements
ConsumablesBest Race
Wind Blessed grants speed, and 
Read Leyline helps with resources. It's a versatile choice for a caster; for Feral Combat, the attack speed is useful too.
The racial abilities help with survivability, movement and setting up attacks from Stealth. Pick this race if those tools and the look of your forms matter to you.
War Stomp provides extra crowd control. If you tank, the larger Health pool is useful too. How much the race matters depends on your role and the specific fight.
Best Professions
Leatherworking together with 
Skinning is convenient for leather gear and armor kits. For Feral Combat, it's an especially practical choice while leveling. Casters can also craft useful items, but they should compare stats for their own role.
Alchemy and 
Herbalism help you keep yourself stocked with consumables. For healers and casters, a supply of Mana restoration is especially important. 
Enchanting lets you improve your gear, and 
Engineering provides extra gadgets.
FAQ
Is it hard to start as a druid?
Playing a druid means getting used to several forms and resources. Until you get Bear Form, the early game differs from the usual animal-form playstyle, and Cat Form unlocks at level 20. Learn one role at a time.
How do I unlock Cat Form?
In Forever, it's tied to a class quest at level 20. Bear Form unlocks earlier, at level 10, and Aquatic Form at level 16. Don't skip class quest chains in favor of regular leveling.
Does a druid need a weapon in animal form?
Yes. In Forever, weapon damage per second increases the base damage of your forms. Weapon and enhancement procs also count, so the old approach of judging a weapon by its stats alone no longer works.
Can I use consumables while shapeshifted?
Yes. Keep the shared potion cooldown in mind and don't leave a safe form just to click an item out of habit.
Can I heal or tank with a single set of gear?
Basic utility is available to every druid, but a full role takes preparation. For healing, stack Mana and Healing Power; for tanking, Defense and Health; for Cat Form, weapon and offensive stats. Separate gear sets make switching roles much easier.
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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