PvE Feral Druid DPS

The Feral specialization for Druids in Mists of Pandaria is a DPS specialization focusing on bleed damage over time effects and powerful direct strikes in Cat Form, having one of the most intense and complicated playstyles in the game.

Feral Druids in Mists of Pandaria Classic have quite a few overhauls to their kit, receiving tweaks to their old spells and many new ones to utilize. They keep their identity as the primary Bleed effects specialization, inflicting multiple DoTs on their targets.

However, Mangle no longer represents a Bleed Damage enhancer, while Thrash is now one of the strongest DoTs they can apply besides Rip. Shred also became a situational ability based on whenever Berserk is available, while Mangle replaced it as the main Combo Points generator. Glyph of Bloodletting is also a thing of the past, with Rip now only being refreshed by Ferocious Bite on low HP targets.

The new abilities gained through the Talent System revamp also add a new difficulty level to their complicated playstyle. Depending on the build they choose, they can either have proc-based gameplay through the Dream of Cenarius effect, a caster-like sequence with Heart of the Wild, or a very powerful opener with Incarnation & Nature’s Vigil. Of course, those effects can be mixed and matched for even crazier combinations.

In addition, a new mechanic, Symbiosis, allows them to gain many effects from their allies while granting them some in return.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

• Strong Damage Output
  Feral Druids have a very strong Damage Output when properly played, displaying impressive numbers in the hands of a master. The specialization has many tools in its kit, featuring quite a variety of ways to be played through new effects such as Incarnation, Force of Nature, Soul of the Forest, Dream of Cenarius, Heart of the Wild, and Nature‘s Vigil.

• Amazing Off-Healing & Utility
  Like their brethren, Feral Druids have incredible Off-Healing and utility! Their kit contains abilities such as Typhoon, Ursol’s Vortex, Rebirth, Innervate, Cyclone, Stampeding Roar, Healing Touch, Remove Corruption, and Mark of the Wild. They also gain a massive variety of additional spells through Symbiosis.

• Great Mobility & Repositioning
  With new tools such as Feline Swiftness, Displacer Beast, Wild Charge, and the old Dash, Feral Druids benefit from extreme mobility in MoP Classic.

Weaknesses

• Stat & Gear Dependent
  Feral Druids perform poorly when under-geared and depend on high amounts of Mastery, Critical Strike Chance, and Haste. Without enough of those, their Energy regeneration barely picks up, while their DoTs and Direct Damage abilities seem to scratch their targets barely.

• Very Hard to Master
  Feral Druids are notorious for being one, if not the hardest, specialization in the game to play properly. The specialization can be daunting due to the overly complicated rotation relying on bleeds, combo points, and procs. Furthermore, effects such as Incarnation, Dream of Cenarius, and Heart of the Wild make their already complicated rotation even more difficult.

• Awkward Itemization
  While Feral Druids have a linear way of optimizing their gear and stats for most parts, some items in the game force them to flip their stats and depend entirely on procs to perform.

Best Races

While racial effects were extremely important in previous versions of WoW, their importance has been overall reduced in MoP Classic. The effects now act as slight bonuses instead of actual game-changing mechanics. Trolls are the only exception to this due to the Berserking active effect, which is very strong for DPS specializations.

Horde

The best race for Balance Druid for Horde is Troll with Regeneration/Berserking. Tauren is the only other viable option, but it doesn’t grant any special benefits to the Feral specialization.

• Troll: Berserking, Da Voodoo Shuffle, Regeneration, Beast Slaying, Bow Specialization, Throwing Specialization.
• Tauren: Endurance, Cultivation, Nature Resistance, War Stomp.

Alliance

The best Alliance race for Balance Druid is Worgen due to Viciousness. Night Elf is the other viable option, although it doesn’t grant any specific benefit for the Feral specialization.

• Worgen: Darkflight, Flayer, Viciousness, Aberration.
• Night Elf: Elusiveness, Quickness, Shadowmeld, Wisp Spirit, Nature Resistance.