Druid PvP

Rotations & Guide · PvE · PvP · Builds · Abilities · Talent Calculator · Changes vs Classic

Druids are shapeshifting hybrids that can heal, tank in bear form, fight in cat form or cast as Moonkin. Forever adds a real bear toolkit with Lacerate, Primal Bite and a trainable Feral Charge, and gives Restoration Wild Growth and the out-of-combat Revive. Insect Swarm is still a Restoration talent.

Balance Druid PVP guide

Balance in PvP is a ranged caster that wins by keeping melee players away and landing Starfire. Nature's Grasp and Entangling Roots stop melee players, Bear Form breaks slows and Polymorph, and Moonfire is your damage on the move. At 20 your burst is modest, so control and positioning decide most fights.

Burst

• Starfire: Open with it from max range on a target that hasn't seen you. It's too slow to cast while someone is hitting you.
• Moonfire: Instant: cast it as soon as Starfire lands, and again whenever you have to move. The damage over time lasts 12 sec.
• Wrath: Your fastest cast, and cheap with Improved Wrath. Keep casting it while the target is rooted.

Control

• Nature's Grasp: Cast it before a melee player reaches you: their first melee hit roots them. It lasts 45 sec and you can cast it in Bear Form too.
• Entangling Roots: Root a melee player and step out of reach. Rank 2 lasts up to 15 sec, and Improved Entangling Roots lets it take more damage before it breaks.
• Faerie Fire: On a Rogue or another Druid, it stops them stealthing for 40 sec.
• Hibernate: Only works on Beasts and Dragonkin: use it on a Hunter's pet if it's a Beast, for up to 20 sec of sleep.
• Bash: In Bear Form, stun a caster or healer for 2 sec. Enrage gives you the Rage for it.

Staying alive

• Bear Form: Shifting frees you from Polymorph and movement-impairing effects, and the form adds 180% armor from items and extra health. Use it to break a slow or to survive a melee burst.
• Enrage: In Bear Form it instantly gives 10 Rage, enough for Bash. It also lowers your base armor by 27% while it lasts.
• Rejuvenation: Instant, and it can now crit: put it on yourself before you start kiting.
• Regrowth: Cast it once your attacker is rooted or stunned: a heal now plus more over 21 sec.

Battlegrounds

In a battleground you're ranged damage and control. Stay behind your front line, Moonfire whoever your team is attacking, and cast Starfire when nobody is on you. Your roots are strongest on defense: root an enemy flag carrier or an attacker running at a control point, and Faerie Fire Rogues and Druids so they can't slip in stealthed. Put Mark of the Wild and Thorns on your team before the fight, and drop back to heal with Regrowth and Rejuvenation when your healers go down. Leave flag carrying to faster classes; you have no speed boost at 20.

Open-world PvP

On the PvP ruleset, keep Nature's Grasp up while you quest in contested zones: if someone jumps you, their first melee hit roots them and you can back off and cast. Against a stronger player, root them, shift to Bear Form to break any slow, and walk away; Bear Form's armor and health buy time, and Aquatic Form swims 50% faster if there's water to escape into. When you start the fight, open with Starfire from max range before they notice you, then Moonfire. Near quest objectives, clear the mobs first: a player plus two mobs is a fight you usually lose.

Matchups

• vs Warrior: Warriors want to stand on you. Charge stuns you for 1 sec and Hamstring slows you, so keep Nature's Grasp up and their first hit roots them. Shift to Bear Form to clear Hamstring, then shift back, step away and cast. Charge can't be used in combat, so once rooted they can't close the gap quickly. Retaliation only counters melee attacks, so it does nothing against your spells.
• vs Rogue: At 20 a Rogue opens with Sap (only on targets out of combat) or Gouge, which incapacitates you for 4 sec if you're facing them; Cheap Shot and Kidney Shot come at 26 and 30. Faerie Fire them at once so they can't restealth, keep Nature's Grasp up, and root them when Gouge ends. Kick locks one school for 5 sec: if it hits a Wrath, switch to Starfire or Moonfire.
• vs Mage: Polymorph can't hold you: your forms protect you from it and shifting frees you from it. Frost Nova roots you, and Forever's new Ice Lance deals 300% more damage to frozen targets, so shift out of the root before the Ice Lance lands. Mana Shield only absorbs physical damage, so your spells go straight through. Counterspell at 24 locks one school; you always have Arcane or Nature left.
• vs Hunter: Hunters kite with Concussive Shot, and Forever pets can slow or immobilize you with abilities like Pinch and Web. Hibernate the pet if it's a Beast, then trade spells with the Hunter; Nature's Reach adds 20% range to yours. Their shots have a minimum range, so a Hunter who gets close to you is weaker, not stronger. Don't chase them across open ground: Freezing Trap freezes the first enemy that walks into it.
• vs Warlock: Fear has a 20 yd range and your spells reach 30 yd, more with Nature's Reach, so fight from the edge of your range. You have no Fear break at this level, and a feared druid takes DoT damage the whole time. Keep Rejuvenation up against Corruption and Bane of Agony, root the Voidwalker or Succubus rather than fighting it, and from 24 use Remove Curse on curses and banes.
• vs Priest: Priests shield themselves, and Power Word: Shield stops damage from interrupting their casts. Psychic Scream fears 2 enemies within 8 yards, so stay at range. Dispel Magic can strip your Rejuvenation or Thorns. Moonfire's damage over time keeps pressure on a Priest who stops to heal, and a Starfire right after the shield breaks does the most damage.
• vs Paladin: Paladins are hard to kill at 20. Hammer of Justice stuns you for 3 sec from 10 yd, Divine Protection makes them immune for 6 sec, and Blessing of Freedom makes them immune to movement-impairing effects for 10 sec, so don't waste Entangling Roots while it's on them. Keep your distance, root them once Freedom ends, and don't spend mana into Divine Protection.
• vs Shaman: Earth Shock interrupts and locks one school for 2 sec; Frost Shock and Earthbind Totem slow you. Earthbind Totem has 5 health, so one Moonfire kills it. Purge can remove your Rejuvenation or Thorns. When Earth Shock locks Nature, keep going with Starfire and Moonfire, which are Arcane.

Stats

Stamina, Spell Power, Intellect, Critical Strike, Hit, Spirit. Stamina comes first: a caster who dies before the second Starfire does no damage. Spell Power still drives your damage, and Intellect pays for the shifts, roots and heals a PvP fight asks for. Crit gets better at 30 with Vengeance and Nature's Grace. Hit matters less than against dungeon bosses, which are often above your level.

Tips

• Your spells come in two schools: Starfire and Moonfire are Arcane; Wrath, Entangling Roots and your heals are Nature. Kick, Earth Shock, Shield Bash and Counterspell lock one school, so switch to the other.
• Keep Nature's Grasp up whenever you're in contested ground. It lasts 45 sec and can be cast while shapeshifted.
• Put Thorns on yourself: melee attackers take Nature damage on every hit, and Blizzard's notes say it now scales with your spell power.
• Bear Form isn't just for Ferals. Shifting breaks Polymorph and movement-impairing effects, and Enrage plus Bash gives you a stun.
• Every shift into Bear Form costs 55% of your base Mana. Shift when it saves the fight, not every time you're hit.

Feral Combat Druid PVP guide

Feral in PvP mixes two forms: Bear Form for control and toughness, Cat Form for damage and speed. At 20, Feral Charge and Bash let you reach and stop a caster, Brutal Impact halves Bash's cooldown, and Feral Swiftness makes your Cat Form fast enough to chase down runners. Your damage at 20 is only Claw and Rip, so most wins come from control.

Burst

• Moonfire: From range, before you close in: instant damage now and more over 12 sec while you run at them.
• Cat Form: Shift once you're close. Cat Form adds your Agility to your attack power.
• Claw: Your only combo point builder at 20. Build to 4 or 5 combo points.
• Rip: Spend the combo points on Rip, a bleed over 12 sec. Use it early in the fight so it has time to finish.

Control

• Feral Charge: Bear Form only. From range, charge a caster or healer: it's immobilized and its cast interrupted for 4 sec. It can't be used on someone already next to you.
• Bash: Stuns for 2 sec; Brutal Impact makes it longer and halves the cooldown. Save it for a heal or a big cast.
• Entangling Roots: From caster form, root a melee player and walk away, or root a runner you can't catch.
• Faerie Fire: On a Rogue or another Druid, it stops them stealthing for 40 sec.
• Demoralizing Roar: In Bear Form, it lowers the melee attack power of nearby enemies for 30 sec. Use it when a Warrior or Rogue is on you.

Staying alive

• Bear Form: When you're focused, shift: 180% armor from items and extra health. Shifting also frees you from Polymorph and movement-impairing effects.
• Enrage: Instant 10 Rage for a Bash or Feral Charge, but it lowers your base armor by 27% while it lasts.
• Feral Swiftness: Cat Form moves 30% faster. When a fight turns, shift to Cat Form and run; the shift also clears slows.
• Regrowth: Once your attacker is rooted or stunned, shift out and cast it: a heal now plus more over 21 sec.

Battlegrounds

Feral is the Druid's chaser and hunter of enemy healers. In Cat Form, Feral Swiftness makes you fast enough to run down an enemy flag carrier or to carry the flag yourself, and when defenders catch you, shift to Bear Form for its armor and health; every shift also clears slows. On defense, Feral Charge and Bash stop a carrier or a player trying to take a control point, and Entangling Roots holds them while your team arrives. In team fights, go for healers and casters: Feral Charge interrupts the cast, Bash stops the next one, then shift to Cat Form for damage.

Open-world PvP

Prowl lets you pick your fights: it slows you by 40%, and Feral Instinct makes you harder to spot. Stalk a questing player, wait until they're fighting mobs or low on health, then attack. When someone jumps you, shift to Bear Form to take the first hits, Bash them, then decide: fight in Cat Form or run with Feral Swiftness. Feral Swiftness makes Cat Form 30% faster, which is often enough to get away, and Aquatic Form gets you across water. Near busy quest objectives, keep Faerie Fire ready for Rogues and other Druids waiting in stealth.

Matchups

• vs Warrior: Warriors hit hard in melee, but you have more ways out. Demoralizing Roar in Bear Form lowers their attack power, and a shift clears Hamstring. Charge can't be used in combat, so once you've disengaged they can't close the gap quickly until Intercept at 30. When they use Retaliation, it counters melee attacks except from behind, so stop hitting or get behind them until it ends.
• vs Rogue: At 20 Rogues have Gouge, Kick, Evasion and Sprint, but not Cheap Shot (26) or Kidney Shot (30). Faerie Fire stops them restealthing. Evasion raises their dodge by 50% for 15 sec, so shift to Bear Form and wait it out or root them and use Moonfire, then Bash and burn them in Cat Form. Blizzard's notes say Sap now flags the Rogue for PvP when used on a PvP-flagged target.
• vs Mage: Your forms protect you from Polymorph, and every shift frees you from Polymorph and from Frost Nova's root, so a Mage can't lock you down for long. Close the gap with Feral Charge in Bear Form, which interrupts their cast, and Bash the next one. Blink frees them from stuns and roots, so expect it after a Bash; Feral Swiftness catches up. Mana Shield absorbs physical damage, which is all of your cat attacks.
• vs Hunter: Hunters want range, and their shots have a minimum range. Feral Charge in Bear Form puts you on top of them and immobilizes them, then stay close: in melee their own attacks are Raptor Strike, Wing Clip and Mongoose Bite. Shift to clear Concussive Shot and Wing Clip slows. Hibernate the pet from caster form if it's a Beast, and watch for Freezing Trap at their feet.
• vs Warlock: Close the gap fast: Feral Charge interrupts a Fear cast and Bash stops the next one. Warlocks win long fights with DoTs and Drain Life, so the fight has to be short. You have no Fear break at this level, so keep Bash for Fear if you can't kill them first. Kill the Warlock, not the pet, and from 24 Remove Curse clears curses and banes.
• vs Priest: Power Word: Shield stops damage from interrupting a Priest's casts, but it doesn't stop Feral Charge or Bash. Use Feral Charge to interrupt a heal and Bash the next one, then go in with Claw and Rip. Psychic Scream fears 2 enemies within 8 yards, so time Bash for when they reach for it. Dispel Magic can remove your Thorns or Rejuvenation.
• vs Paladin: Paladins have Hammer of Justice (a 3 sec stun), Divine Protection, and Blessing of Freedom, which makes them immune to movement-impairing effects for 10 sec. Forever also gives them Voice of Truth at 20: 6 sec of immunity to silence and interrupts, so hold Feral Charge's interrupt until it ends. Wait out Divine Protection in Bear Form instead of wasting Energy.
• vs Shaman: Lightning Shield strikes anyone who hits the Shaman with Nature damage, so expect extra damage in Cat Form. Earth Shock interrupts and Frost Shock slows you; shift to clear the slow. Earthbind Totem has 5 health, so kill it. Their heals are casts: Feral Charge or Bash them. Purge can remove your Thorns and Mark of the Wild.

Stats

Stamina, Agility, Strength, Attack Power, Critical Strike, Hit. Stamina first: you take hits in both forms and your heals cost you a shift. Agility is your main damage stat because Cat Form adds it straight to your attack power. Strength and Attack Power help both forms. Crit and hit are rare on gear at this level, so take them when you find them. Armor on gear counts for more in Bear Form.

Tips

• Feral Charge needs Bear Form and some distance: it can't be used on a target already next to you. Step back first, or open with it.
• Plan your shifts. Each shift into Bear or Cat Form costs 55% of your base Mana, so two or three can empty you at this level.
• Rip is a 12 sec bleed, so use it early. Against a healer who can outheal it, keep Clawing and save Bash for their heal.
• Blizzard's notes mention a Feral Charge (Cat), and the trainer spell's tooltip has a 'Leap behind an enemy' line, but the client doesn't show how or when a cat gets it. Check your spellbook in Cat Form.
• Moonfire and Entangling Roots from caster form are part of your kit: tag a runner with Moonfire, or root a melee player, before you shift.

Restoration Druid PVP guide

Restoration in PvP is a healer that's hard to kill and hard to stop. Rejuvenation and Regrowth are your heals under pressure, Nature's Focus helps you finish casts while you're being hit, and Bear Form, Entangling Roots and Bash let you handle a melee player on your own. At 20 you have no instant big heal; Nature's Swiftness arrives at 30.

Burst

• Rejuvenation: On the player being focused the moment the attack starts: instant, and it can now crit.
• Regrowth: Your main heal under pressure: a heal now plus more over 21 sec.
• Healing Touch: Your biggest heal but a long cast. Only start it when nobody is hitting you, or it will be pushed back or interrupted.
• Insect Swarm: Put it on the melee player hitting your teammate: they miss more often, and it deals Nature damage over 12 sec.

Control

• Entangling Roots: Root the melee player on your teammate or on you. Damage may break it, so tell your team to switch targets.
• Feral Charge: In Bear Form, charge an enemy healer or caster to interrupt their cast for 4 sec.
• Bash: Stuns for 2 sec: use it to stop an enemy heal.
• Faerie Fire: On a Rogue or another Druid, it stops them stealthing for 40 sec.
• Hibernate: Only works on Beasts and Dragonkin: put a Hunter's Beast pet to sleep for up to 20 sec.

Staying alive

• Nature's Focus: Gives a 14% chance to avoid interruption from damage while casting Arcane and Nature spells, which covers every heal you have.
• Rejuvenation: On yourself before you kite: it heals over 12 sec while you move.
• Bear Form: When a melee player is on you and nobody helps: 180% armor from items and extra health, and the shift breaks Polymorph and slows.
• Enrage: In Bear Form, instant 10 Rage for a Bash. It lowers your base armor by 27% while it lasts.

Battlegrounds

You're the healer your team fights around. Stay behind your front line, keep Rejuvenation on whoever is focused, and cast Regrowth when nobody is on you. On defense at a flag or control point you're hard to remove: root attackers, Faerie Fire Rogues and Druids so they can't slip in stealthed, and keep your defenders alive. Heal your own flag carrier on the move with Rejuvenation. Put Mark of the Wild and Thorns on your team before the fight. If you're focused, root the attacker, shift to Bear Form and run to your team rather than trying to heal through it alone.

Open-world PvP

Restoration kills slowly, so choose your fights in the open world. Against one attacker you can often outlast them: Rejuvenation on yourself, root them, Insect Swarm, then Moonfire and Wrath for damage while your heals tick. Against two, leave: root the closest, shift to break slows, and use Aquatic Form to escape across water. When a friendly player is being ganked nearby, a heal on them or a root on the attacker can turn the fight.

Matchups

• vs Warrior: A Warrior will try to stay on you. Keep Rejuvenation on yourself, root them with Entangling Roots, walk away and heal, and put Insect Swarm on them so they miss more. Shift to Bear Form to clear Hamstring. Charge can't be used in combat, so once they're rooted they can't close the gap quickly until Intercept at 30.
• vs Rogue: A Rogue opens from Stealth. Gouge incapacitates you for 4 sec if you're facing them, and Kick locks one school for 5 sec; all your heals are Nature, so a Kick on Regrowth stops your healing. Have Rejuvenation ticking before they reach you, use Moonfire (Arcane) while locked out, and Faerie Fire them so they can't restealth. Insect Swarm makes them miss more.
• vs Mage: Mages can't Polymorph you for long: your forms protect you and shifting frees you. Frost Nova roots you and Ice Lance deals 300% more damage to frozen targets, so shift out of the root. From 24, a Counterspell on a heal locks Nature for 10 sec, which is every heal you have; get Rejuvenation up before they start casting, and use Moonfire while locked.
• vs Hunter: Forever gives Hunter pets new abilities, including Dismember, which reduces healing on you by 50% for 10 sec, and Web, which immobilizes. Hibernate the pet if it's a Beast. Insect Swarm lowers the Hunter's chance to hit, and Rejuvenation and Regrowth's heal over time keep you up while you walk out of their range or back to your team.
• vs Warlock: Warlocks stack DoTs and Fear you. Rejuvenation and Regrowth's heal over time are your best answer to the DoTs, and from 24 Remove Curse clears curses and banes. Feral Charge in Bear Form interrupts a Fear cast. Fear has a 20 yd range, so stay beyond it when you can.
• vs Priest: A Priest heals too, so a one-on-one can last a long time. Insect Swarm and Moonfire keep damage on them, and Feral Charge or Bash stops a Flash Heal. Dispel Magic can strip your Rejuvenation, and Mana Burn at 24 drains your mana, so later fights are about mana. Psychic Scream fears you within 8 yards.
• vs Paladin: Paladins are sturdy and heal themselves. Hammer of Justice stuns you for 3 sec, so keep Rejuvenation ticking before they reach you. Blessing of Freedom makes them immune to Entangling Roots for 10 sec, so root them after it ends. Insect Swarm lowers their chance to hit. Don't try to kill a Paladin alone; outlast them or bring help.
• vs Shaman: Earth Shock interrupts and locks your Nature heals for 2 sec, and Purge can remove your Rejuvenation. Feral Charge or Bash stops their heals. Frost Shock and Earthbind Totem slow you: shift to clear the slow, and kill the totem, which has 5 health. Keep your distance and let your heals over time do the work.

Stats

Stamina, Healing Power, Intellect, Mana per 5 sec, Spirit. Stamina first: the enemy team goes for the healer, and a dead healer heals nothing. Healing Power makes each heal count, Intellect pays for the extra shifts and roots PvP asks for, and Mana per 5 sec and Spirit keep you going through long battleground fights.

Tips

• All your heals are Nature. Kick, Earth Shock, Shield Bash and Counterspell lock one school, so a well-timed interrupt stops all your healing; Moonfire (Arcane) still works while you wait.
• Rejuvenation is instant and can now crit: it's your best heal while moving or being hit.
• Keep Thorns on yourself; melee players who hit you take Nature damage back.
• Bear and Cat Form cost 55% of your base Mana each shift. Only shift to break a slow or to survive, and drink between fights.
• Blizzard's Deep Dive recap says Improved Mark of the Wild is becoming baseline, but the client still lists it as a talent. If it's baseline in game, move those points to Furor.

Checked against WoW Forever beta build 1.60.1.70009.

Druid abilities

• Frenzied Regeneration
• Healing Touch (level 1)
• Mark of the Wild (level 1)
• Wrath (level 1)
• Moonfire (level 4)
• Rejuvenation (level 4)
• Thorns (level 6)
• Entangling Roots (level 8)
• Bear Form (level 10)
• Demoralizing Roar (level 10)
• Growl (level 10)
• Maul (level 10)
• Teleport: Moonglade (level 10)
• Enrage (level 12)
• Regrowth (level 12)
• Revive (level 12)
• Bash (level 14)
• Cure Poison (level 14)
• Aquatic Form (level 16)
• Swipe (level 16)
• Faerie Fire (level 18)
• Hibernate (level 18)
• Cat Form (level 20)
• Claw (level 20)
• Feral Charge (level 20)
• Prowl (level 20)
• Rebirth (level 20)
• Rip (level 20)
• Starfire (level 20)
• Shred (level 22)
• Soothe Animal (level 22)
• Rake (level 24)
• Remove Curse (level 24)
• Primal Bite (level 25)
• Abolish Poison (level 26)
• Abolish Poison Effect (level 26)
• Dash (level 26)
• Challenging Roar (level 28)
• Cower (level 28)
• Tranquility (level 30)
• Travel Form (level 30)
• Ferocious Bite (level 32)
• Ravage (level 32)
• Track Humanoids (level 32)
• Pounce (level 36)
• Pounce Bleed (level 36)
• Dire Bear Form (level 40)
• Feline Grace (level 40)
• Hurricane (level 40)
• Innervate (level 40)
• Moonkin Aura (level 40)
• Wild Growth (level 40)
• Lacerate (level 42)
• Barkskin (level 44)
• Gift of the Wild (level 50)