Preliminary Mentions↑top

In this guide, we will offer you some quick and practical information for leveling up your Druid from level 85 to level 90. We cover rotation, talents and glyphs. We do not, however, cover statistics, gear, or any information about the zones you should be questing in.

This guide requires a basic understanding of how the Druid class works at level 85. This guide is not meant to reflect how you should play your character at level 90, or in a raid environment or dungeon.

While leveling up, you can complete 4 dungeons:

• Temple of the Jade Serpent;
• Stormstout Brewery;
• Shado-Pan Monastery;
• Mogu'shan Palace.

These dungeons have quests which reward you with vast amounts of experience.

In the next few weeks, we will extend this guide to cover the entire leveling journey, from level 1 to level 90.

In our opinion, you should level your Druid up as either Balance or Feral, since this is much more efficient than using one of the other two specs.

1. Balance Leveling Guide: 85-90↑top

1.1. Level 85

1.1.1. Talents and Glyphs

Before setting out on your leveling journey, you should take these talents and glyphs, for maximum efficiency. Obviously, this is not set in stone, and you have a lot of liberty.

For glyphs, you can choose which ever you prefer in the empty slots. Overall, glyphs provide you with practically no benefit while leveling up as a Balance Druid.

1.1.2. Rotation

You have to adapt your raiding rotation to work against against targets which, generally, will not live very long. As such, you will probably only have time for one or two cycles before the target is dead. This rotation is very similar (practically identical) to your normal raiding rotation. We will summarise this rotation below, but keep in mind that we do not go into cooldown usage, although you should try to use your DPS cooldowns (also listed in the rotation page linked above) as much as possible.

1. Cast Starsurge on cooldown (be on the look-out for its cooldown being reset).
2. Apply Moonfire and Starfire on targets who will live for more than 10 seconds.
3. Use Starfall on cooldown (its cooldown is reset whenever you enter a Lunar Eclipse).
4. Go through your usual eclipse cycle
   • Cast Wrath until you enter a Lunar Eclipse.
   • Cast Starfire until you enter a Solar Eclipse.
   • Cast Wrath until you enter a Lunar Eclipse.
   • And so on.

Against multiple targets, you have several options:

• Place and detonate Wild Mushroom.
• Cast Starfall.
• Apply your DoTs to all of them, benefiting from Lunar Shower in the process.
• Channel Hurricane (or Astral Storm, if you are in a Lunar Eclipse.

Thanks to Nature's Swiftness, you can heal yourself every minute with Healing Touch. As a Druid, you are especially suited at hybrid roles, so do not hesitate to make use of your entire arsenal to help you level up.

1.2. Level 86-90

At level 87 you gain a new ability, Symbiosis. This ability is useless to you if you are leveling on your own. If you are leveling in a party with other players, you should cast Symbiosis on one of them, which will grant you a new ability, depending on the class of the player you cast it on.

2. Feral Leveling Guide: 85-90↑top

2.1. Level 85

2.1.1. Talents and Glyphs

Before setting out on your leveling journey, you should take these talents and glyphs, for maximum efficiency. Obviously, this is not set in stone, and you have a lot of liberty.

For glyphs, you can choose which ever you prefer in the empty slots.

2.1.2. Rotation

You have to adapt your raiding rotation to work against against targets which, generally, will not live very long. As such, you will probably only have time for one or two cycles before the target is dead. This rotation is very similar (practically identical) to your normal raiding rotation. We will summarise this rotation below, but keep in mind that we do not go into cooldown usage, although you should try to use your DPS cooldowns (also listed in the rotation page linked above) as much as possible.

1. Use Mangle to generate Combo Points.
2. Keep Savage Roar up. Thanks to Glyph of Savagery, you can apply a 12-second Savage Roar with 0 Combo Points, which you should do against enemies who will not live for very long. Otherwise, apply Savage Roar with 4 or 5 Combo Points.
3. Keep Rake up on the target.
4. Keep Rip up on the target, with 5 Combo Points.

Against targets who die very quickly, you should use your Combo Points on Ferocious Bite, as a strong Finishing Move, instead of on Rip, which is a bleed.

Thanks to Nature's Swiftness, you can heal yourself every minute with Healing Touch. As a Druid, you are especially suited at hybrid roles, so do not hesitate to make use of your entire arsenal to help you level up.

2.2. Level 86-90

At level 87 you gain a new ability, Symbiosis. This ability is useless to you if you are leveling on your own. If you are leveling in a party with other players, you should cast Symbiosis on one of them, which will grant you a new ability, depending on the class of the player you cast it on.