Season of Discovery Phase 3 has been officially confirmed. It brings along a plethora of new features including 10 additional levels, fresh runes, equipment updates in dungeons, PvP sets, profession items, and various other additions. As Phase 3 approaches, it's important to assess the potential impact these changes will have on Druids. Will these enhancements prove beneficial, or will Druids find themselves once again falling short in comparison to other classes?
Talents - PvE Feral
We begin with the addition of 10 new Talent points.
For Feral Druids, there are various allocations to consider, depending on whether we focus on PvE or PvP. In PvE, we now have the opportunity to fully invest in the Feral tree and even opt for Furor. However, I would not recommend this path as we still have 5 talents left to allocate, particularly nowhere else. Therefore, our priority lies in investing in the Balance tree and Natural Weapons to enhance our physical attack damage by 10%. If you want to speed up the process, then make sure you have plenty of WoW SoD Gold.
At the outset, we must choose between Wrath and Nature's Grasp, 2 talents that hold little significance in PvE but are necessary for progression. Upon selecting either, we can then advance to Natural Weapons, where our 10 points will be directed.
Unfortunately, we lack an additional talent to reach Omen of Clarity, a skill utilized in Phase 1. We will have to await Phase 4 for its acquisition.
Talents - PvP Feral
When discussing PvP, there are various builds to consider, each with minor adjustments.
The most notable aspect of this phase is the ability to simultaneously invest in both the full Feral tree and Furor, a capability absent in the previous phase. This enhancement enhances our intellect, crucial for shapeshifting, as well as strength and critical strike. Additionally, we retain our energy when shifting from Furor, providing 4 extra points for allocation elsewhere, such as Nature's Grasp, Feral Aggression for Ferocious Bite, or Feral Instinct.
Alternatively, a Mana-oriented build presents itself as a solution to alleviate the hefty Mana cost associated with shapeshifting. To pursue this route, sacrifices must be made, potentially abandoning the Feral tree, Leader of the Pack, and some points from Heart of the Wild or Faerie Fire, or entirely forgoing Furor.
In my view, Furor remains indispensable for PvP, and I lean towards sacrificing offensive statistics instead. However, dropping 3 points from Heart of the Wild results in an 11% reduction in intellect and a 30% decrease in Mana for shapeshifting, which may not be advantageous. Consequently, opting for Natural Shapeshifter may not be worthwhile for several reasons, particularly in this phase.
Firstly, as previously mentioned, sacrificing intellect for Mana reduction seems illogical. Secondly, Season of Discovery differs significantly from the classic format, favoring burst meta and swift engagements where the utility of extensive shapeshifting remains uncertain, barring encounters involving Rogues.
Talents - Balance
Conversely, Balance and Restoration specializations do not introduce any notable additions in terms of talents.
Presently, acquiring Insect Swarm remains elusive as it necessitates 11 points. Consequently, you'll initially focus on Moonfury, subsequently considering Natural Shapeshifter if you're engaged in PvP, given its effectiveness in maneuvering and adapting during one-on-one encounters. Pairing it with Wild Growth or Lifebloom runes, along with Rejuvenation, renders you formidable while your damage-dealing allies execute their tasks.
Notably, the minimal Mana cost of 200 for your monkey form and 120 for traveling form seems inconceivable considering your substantial Mana pool exceeding 4,000. Following this, you can opt for whatever abilities you deem beneficial. However, significant impact remains elusive, as we await the allocation of the remaining 10 points until reaching level 60 for truly impactful talents.
The Restoration Druid will finally complete the Restoration tree, assuming the role of a healer.
New Abilities
Regarding abilities, at level 44, Barkskin becomes accessible, serving as our final in-game defensive capability.
Its arrival has long been anticipated, as it represents our sole defensive option. As for spells, there is nothing further to discuss. However, attention can be directed towards the advancement of runes, particularly given the confirmation linked to Barkskin.
Runes Confirmed
Thus far, we have confirmed 2 runes: Improved Barkskin and Gore.
Improved Barkskin allows us to cast it on allies while in shapeshifted form without incurring any penalties to our casting time or combat speed. While this feature may not seem particularly remarkable, its utility as a healer, or secondary healer, may prove valuable, potentially hinting at preparations for future arena battles.
The other confirmed rune, Gore, presents a bit of a puzzle. The initial portion mentions the use of Lacerate, which is classified as a Hand Rune. This rune offers a 15% chance to reset Mangle, which is also a Hand Rune. It raises questions about how we can simultaneously utilize 2 distinct runes. Alternatively, it's possible that I am overlooking something crucial.
Using Swipe while tanking could serve as an effective method to frequently trigger this rune, providing a substantial damage bonus and generating additional Rage, a valuable resource that bears struggle to accumulate. Conversely, employing Mangle or Shred as a cat grants a 5% chance to reset Tiger's Fury. When combined with King of the Jungle, this ability restores 60 energy and enhances our damage output by 15%. Such enhancements could significantly amplify damage during boss encounters, particularly when executing Shreds swiftly.
However, I fail to discern a practical application for this rune in PvP scenarios, where typically, only 4 to 5 Shreds are executed at most during a single engagement. Moreover, the rarity of procs in PvP settings presents a challenge. Additionally, both of these runes are designed for the head slot, limiting our options in terms of equipment customization. This lack of variety in equipment slots may force us to make difficult decisions regarding prioritizing runes for PvP and PvE purposes, which is less than ideal.
Runes Unconfirmed
Now, let's delve into the unconfirmed runes, where Barkskin and Gore stood just 3 days ago before their confirmation.
Starting with one that particularly catches my interest: Improved Frenzied Regeneration of the wrist slot. This bear spell is now usable across all forms, enabling the conversion of various resources into health, energy, rage, or mana. I anticipate this rune will serve as an exceptional defensive cooldown, especially beneficial for Feral Druids and Cat Form. Cats typically possess health ranging from 3 to 3.5k without buffs, while bears could reach up to 5k. Picture healing for 300 health every second in Cat Form—a transformative aspect in our PvP strategy. Combined with Barkskin, it empowers us to engage in direct confrontations with melee classes like Paladins, Warriors, and Shamans without succumbing to critical hits. Additionally, imagine a tank bear with abundant stamina and buffs, accruing rage upwards of 70, then activating this ability, yielding 700 health per second for a duration of 10 seconds—a truly staggering prospect. Furthermore, Balance Druids could extricate themselves from precarious situations with this ability, albeit at a cost of 50% mana for 10 seconds. Nevertheless, when paired with Innervate, it forms a potent combination for PvP. This rune harbors immense potential, to say the least.
Another intriguing unconfirmed rune is Elune's Fires, particularly appealing to Boomkins and tailored for PvE. This rune prolongs the duration of damage-over-time effects, enabling Boomkins to cast more Wraths and Starfires while minimizing global cooldowns and instant abilities like Moonfire and Sunfire. Undoubtedly, it serves as yet another damage amplifier, greatly benefiting Boomkins in PvE endeavors. Conversely, for Ferals, the extension of Rip by a mere 2 seconds leaves much to be desired. Why not extend Rake as well? This disparity fuels the perception that Blizzard harbors a bias against Feral in this expansion—an aspect that fails to captivate my interest.
The remaining unconfirmed runes include Gale Winds, augmenting Hurricane's damage output by 100% while reducing its mana consumption—an utterly perplexing concept. It seems to serve solely as a farming rune, a notion that bewilders me. Admittedly, as a Feral, farming poses a significant challenge, but this rune appears more gimmicky than practical.
Lastly, Efflorescence emerges as an unconfirmed rune that would potentially prompt Resto Druids to prioritize Swiftmend over other talents, such as those found in Balance trees or hybrid builds.
Also Read: Revealing The Secrets Of Investing In The Late Phase Of WOW Classic SOD
Itemization
Phase 3 introduces several new features, including updated itemization.
For the first time, PvP sets with active bonuses are becoming available, marking a significant development for all 3 Druid specializations. Considering that Survival Instincts from Phase 2 and the potential rune Improved Frenzied Regeneration in Phase 3 scale independently of HP, this represents a promising enhancement. The significance lies not only in augmenting abilities but also in bolstering stamina overall, particularly pertinent in the current burst-oriented meta. Increased stamina proves advantageous against specific specs such as Rogues, Shamans, and Hunters, among others. With these additions, Druids are less likely to face easy defeat at the hands of Rogues, offering another layer of survivability to mitigate bursts from certain classes, barring any unforeseen complications stemming from PvE items with obscure offensive procs.
Conclusion
In summary, we've received some positive developments, although certain aspects remain unconfirmed, and lingering issues persist.
It's evident that Phase 3 will bring about enhanced defensive capabilities, a matter of particular significance to me as a PvP player. In Phase 2, Druids faced significant challenges in this regard, often necessitating the sacrifice of King of the Jungle to obtain a single defensive ability, Survival Instinct. Now, with the addition of Barkskin and Improved Frenzied Regeneration, the landscape has shifted slightly. Not only will Feral Druids benefit from these changes, but Resto and Balance Druids will also see advantages from PvP gear and the potential inclusion of Improved Frenzied Regeneration.
Another area of concern is mana management. While the pursuit of Natural Shapeshifter for mana reduction appears less likely, it's worth acknowledging that this phase may prove less arduous for Ferals due to the inclusion of all 5 Hard of the Wild talents and a boost in intellect. However, mana issues for Feral Druids will persist until Phase 4. Balance Druids appear to address this challenge in this phase, while Resto Druids demonstrate commendable healing capabilities in battlegrounds and raids, aided by new potential runes and the comprehensive Restoration tree.
Despite these advancements, certain problems persist: a lack of solutions for Feral Druids in PvP, ongoing mana problems during shapeshifting, and the absence of runes that would allow for bonus damage scaling from agility. Nevertheless, the defensive enhancements appear quite substantial.