Druid - Restoration - PvE

[Rizwan]

This is a translation of: http://forum.wow-freakz.com/Restoration-Druid-PVE-Guide-4.0.6-t99113.html

In this Guide you will find discussion about: spec ; glyphs ; gems ; etc.

The Druid is one of the few classes that have most of its spells instant, which makes it very easy-to-play, you don't lose too much time standing, you can run from "problems" and at the same time you can cast heal and the fact that most of the important spells are instant HoT "Healing over time" makes the Druid one of the best healing class. You can notice this in the mass AOE damage encounters.
The best race for Restoration Druid would be the Troll for its Haste Racial, but i preffer Tauren.

The first thing that we will debate will be:
Spec
There are dozens of specs for Resto Druid, each one of you can make your own personal spec.
For example: defensive spec, mana conserv, single target heal, AOE heal.

First spec - mana conserv (Low gear):
(8/2/31)
Moonglow Rank (wowhead link) 3/3 Reduce mana cost of your damage and healing spells by 9% (a huge percent when you have low gear and low mana)
+ other talents for mana.

Second spec - single target heal(for Tank heal):
(8/0/33)
I chose 2/3 for Furor (wowhead link) and i overlookedSwift Rejuvenation (wowhead link) (because its used for AOE healing)
Living Seed (wowhead link) it's verry good for target healing + Nature`s Bounty (wowhead link) increases your proc chance.
Nature`s Swiftness (wowhead link) 1/1 in case that the situation is overwhelming (the tank recieves huge damage , so NS + HT are good enough) or a Swiftmend.

Keep the Rejuvenation (wowhead link) up , 3x Lifebloom (wowhead link) up , and refresh withRegrowth (wowhead link) or Nourish (wowhead link). Don't waste your mana on Healing Touch (wowhead link) , if it's an AOE fight use Wild Growth (wowhead link) on tank (actually it's adequate to use Wild Growth anytime you can, every CD)
If your mana & mana regen are good enough, replace 3/3 Moonglow (wowhead link) with 3/3 Genesis (wowhead link) for extra heal on Swiftmend (wowhead link) and HoT`s.

Third spec - AOE heal:
(10/0/31)
This spec is for AOE healing and should be used when your gear is decent.
If you have problems with your mana, replace 3/3 Genesis (wowhead link) with 3/3 Moonglow (wowhead link).
I have replaced Naturalist (wowhead link) because it sucks at AOE, you don't have time to castNourish (wowhead link) and no way to useHealing Touch (wowhead link), Nature`s Swiftness (wowhead link) is very good Empowered Touch (wowhead link) helps at Nature`s Swiftness (wowhead link) with a very simple macro:
/cast Nature`s Swiftness
/cast Healing Touch

Efflorescence (wowhead link) Rank 3/3 : best talent for AOE.
Gift of the Earthmother (wowhead link) 3/3 : here i don't care about the finalization of Lifebloom (wowhead link) instead i care about the instant heal from Rejuvenation (wowhead link) because you use 30% - 50% Rejuvenation (wowhead link) in AOE encounters, so 3 talent points are welcome.

Cast Wild Growth (wowhead link) and Swiftmend (wowhead link) every cooldown for Effloresncence proc (wowhead link) , Regrowth (wowhead link) and Lifebloom (wowhead link) when you have time. Don't forget about Rejuvenation (wowhead link) which rocks with Swift Rejuvenation (wowhead link)
And, don't forget about Tranquility (wowhead link) which is something like an "emergency button"

Glyphs

The Glyph system changed radically from WotLK to Cataclysm.
To be more exact, there are 3 types of glyphs.
1. Prime Glyphs
2. Major Glyphs
3. Minor Glyphs

Prime Glyphs:
Glyph of Rejuvenation
Glyph of Regrowth
Glyph of Swiftmend

Major Glyphs:
Glyph of Innervate
Glyph of Rebirth
Glyph of Wild Growth

Minor Glyphs:
Glyph of Mark of the Wild
Glyph of the Treant (well, this one is random, depends on your prefferences)
Glyph of Unburdened Rebirth

Stats and Gems:

Most important stats are:
Intelect , Spirit , Haste , Crit , Mastery
Intelect gives Spellpower + Mana
Spirit gives regen
Haste remained unchanged , reduces GCD or cast.
Mastery (Symbiosis) is unworthed. It only worths in 4.2 when it will be replaced with Harmony (wowhead link)

Let's talk about Haste
I think everyone knows that haste not only reduces your GCD or reduces your cast time but also helps on your HoT time in this way:
(In WotLK it was only for Rejuvenation (wowhead link) the "ticks" withGlyph of Rapid Rejuvenation)

Rejuvenation (wowhead link) have 4 ticks. As long as you have more haste, the ticks number increase:
~1000 haste (~12%) 5 ticks
~4000 haste (38%) 6 ticks
(WARNING: Haste doesn't affect Rejuvenation GCD, because it alredy have 1s with Swift Rejuvenation (wowhead link))

Wild Growth (wowhead link) have 7 ticks
~260 haste (~7%) 8 ticks
~2000 haste (~21.4%) 9 ticks
~3746 haste (~35%) 10 ticks

Regrowth (wowhead link) have 3 ticks
~1400 haste (~16%) 4 ticks

Lifebloom (wowhead link) have 10 ticks
~0 haste (5% Raid buff) 11 ticks
~1200 haste (~15%) 12 ticks
~2400 haste (~25%) 13 ticks
~3180 haste (35%) 14 ticks

Soft cap for haste is ~1000
The thing is, haste cap is around 3800 , but you get at x2 ticks for Wild Growth (wowhead link) with Nature`s Grace (wowhead link)
After you get at 1s GCD remove the Swift Rejuvenation (wowhead link) talent and use the point for something else.

Now, with this new expansion you will be able to change 40% from "Haste, Spirit, Crit, Mastery, etc" with any stats that you need except Agi, Str, Stamina, Int.
So, you can go and reforge Mastery in Spirit or Haste depends what you preffer (Get rid of mastery, it's useless)

Gems
Druids is based on Int and Haste. You can make ~1000 haste from your gear.

Professions; i have Jewelcrafting and Enchanting for
gems to be more specific -> Brilliant Chimera's Eye and the ring enchants.

BiS Items:

Head: Stormrider's Helm
+578 Stamina
+325 Intellect
+237 Spirit
Meta Socket (socket intelect)
Blue Socket (socket intelect)
Equip: Increases your haste rating by 217.

Neck: Wyrmbreaker's Amulet
+322 Stamina
+215 Intellect
+143 Spirit
Equip: Increases your critical strike rating by 143 (Reforging in haste.)

Shoulders: Stormrider's Mantle
+429 Stamina
+266 Intellect
+191 Spirit
Yellow Socket (socket intelect)
Socket Bonus: +10 Intellect
Equip: Increases your mastery rating by 171 (Reforging in haste.)

Chest: Stormrider's Robes
+578 Stamina
+345 Intellect
Yellow Socket (socket intelect)
Blue Socket (socket intelect)
Equip: Increases your critical strike rating by 217.
Equip: Increases your mastery rating by 257 (Reforging in haste.)


Back: Drape of the Twins
+322 Stamina
+215 Intellect
+143 Spirit
Equip: Increases your haste rating by 143.

Wrist: Manacles of the Sleeping Beast
+322 Stamina
+215 Intellect
+143 Spirit
Equip: Increases your mastery rating by 143 (Reforging in haste.)

Hands: Stormrider's Handwraps
+429 Stamina
+266 Intellect
+191 Spirit
Red Socket (socket intelect)
Socket Bonus: +10 Spirit
Equip: Increases your haste rating by 171.

Waist: Belt of the Nightmare
+429 Stamina
+266 Intellect
+171 Spirit
Blue Socket (socket intelect)
Equip: Increases your critical strike rating by 191 (Reforging in haste)

Legs: Leggings of Consuming Flames
+578 Stamina
+345 Intellect
+247 Spirit
Red Socket (socket intelect)
Blue Socket (socket intelect)
Equip: Increases your mastery rating by 227 (Reforging in haste.)

Feet: Nightmare Rider's Boots
+458 Stamina
+266 Intellect
+164 Spirit
Blue Socket (socket intelect)
Red Socket (socket intelect)
Increases your mastery rating by 204 (Reforging in haste.)

Ring #1: Security Meansure Alpha
+322 Stamina
+215 Intellect
+143 Spirit
Equip: Increases your critical strike rating by 143 (Reforging in haste.)

Ring #2: Planetary Band (has random enchant)
...of the Undertow (20.2% chance)
+321 Stamina, +214 Intellect, +143 Haste Rating, +143 Spirit

Main Hand / Staff: Andoros, Fist of the Dragon King
+247 Stamina
+165 Intellect
+110 Spirit
Equip: Increases spell power by 2207.
Equip: Increases your mastery rating by 110 (Reforging in haste.)

Off Hand: Scepter of Ice
+322 Stamina
+215 Intellect
+143 Spirit
Equip: Increases your mastery rating by 143 (Reforging in haste.)

p.s. Do not socket with haste, you can have it from reforging.

Trinket #1: Fall of Mortality
+363 Intellect
Equip: Your healing spells have a chance to grant 2178 Spirit for 15 sec.

Trinket #2: Jar of Ancient Remedies
Equip: Your healing spells grant Inner Eye, increasing spirit by 116 for 15 sec and stacking up to 5 times.
Use: Grants 7260 mana, but consumes all applications of Inner Eye and prevents Inner Eye from being triggered for 30 sec. (2 Min Cooldown)

(soon i will add enchants and more)


Addons

I use these since WotLK
Grid
Where I set Icon Show for "Rejuvenation (wowhead link) , Regrowth (wowhead link) , Wild Growth (wowhead link)" with priorities Rejuvenation 99 , Regrowth 98 and Wild Growth 97
using these priorities you can set which spell will show on Grid as an Icon if there are many of these casted on the same person)

In the end
Druid in Raids

As a Resto Druid, your first priority in an AOE encounter is to keep Rejuvenation up on as many as possible, use Wild Growth and Swiftmend on CD.
Use Decurse and Abolish Poison when it's needed.

In any raid, a druid is very usefull.