WotLK Classic Feral Druid DPS Guide

Last updated on Jan 02, 2024 at 22:44 by Seksixeny 3 comments

Welcome to our Feral Druid DPS guide for WotLK Classic, tailored for PvE content. Here, you will learn how all you need to know to play Feral Druid DPS proficiently. Click the links below to navigate the guide or read this page for a short introduction.

1.

Introduction

Druids are the only class in the game capable of fulling all four roles: tank, healer, ranged DPS, and melee DPS.

Feral DPS Druids are one of the best single-target DPS specializations in Wrath Classic, but lack in the mandatory utility department as their only unique buff is Improved Leader of the Pack IconImproved Leader of the Pack. They do still bring Innervate IconInnervate and Rebirth IconRebirth, and have the easiest time of all specializations when swapping between DPSing and tanking with the same talents, allowing them to put out great damage on fights that only need a second tank for short periods.

In PvP, Feral Druids are a high potential, high skill requirement melee class with stealth, high burst damage, and high mobility which prevents their targets from escaping. Barkskin IconBarkskin, Survival Instincts IconSurvival Instincts, Travel Form IconTravel Form, and Dire Bear Form IconDire Bear Form also make them exceptionally tough and slippery, especially against melee enemies. Predatory Strikes IconPredatory Strikes enables the use of spells during melee combat and is a large part of what makes Feral so strong in Wrath PvP.

If you would like to see where Feral Druids fall in the overall rankings among DPS specs for both PvE and PvP in Wrath Classic, we have created pages dedicated to explaining what classes and specializations are the best of the best through multiple factors. However, ultimately, you should not let these lists dissuade you from playing what you enjoy.

2.

Strengths and Weaknesses

V Strengths
  • +Very high single-target damage with high survivability due to talents such as Predatory Instincts IconPredatory Instincts.
  • +Great Physical group support with Leader of the Pack IconLeader of the Pack and the unique Improved Leader of the Pack IconImproved Leader of the Pack.
  • +Best tank / DPS hybrid class, as most talents, and even gear, can be shared between both roles without requiring a respec.
X Weaknesses
  • -Utility brought tends to either be weak or able to be brought by more meta classes;
  • -Area damage is limited to Swipe (Cat) IconSwipe (Cat) and Bearweaving Mangle IconMangle with Berserk IconBerserk active;
  • -High skill-cap class, requiring good Energy and DoT management, with multiple advanced techniques for filling in global cooldown gaps.
3.

Best Races for Feral DPS Druids

Unlike other classes, Druids do not have a choice when it comes to race. If you want to go Alliance, you must be Night Elf. If you want to go Horde, you must be Tauren. Thus, your only choice is which faction you want to choose, which you should make based on your guild, friends, or cosmetic and lore preferences.

3.1.

Night Elf

  • Nature Resistance IconNature Resistance reduces the chance you are hit with Nature spells by 2%.
  • Quickness IconQuickness reduces the chance you are hit by melee and ranged attacks by 2%.
  • Shadowmeld IconShadowmeld is an ability that allows you to become stealthed while standing still when used, on a 2-minute cooldown. It can be used in combat.
  • Wisp Spirit IconWisp Spirit causes you to transform into a wisp upon death, increasing your movement speed by 75% while dead.

Shadowmeld IconShadowmeld is a powerful ability which allow you to instantly drop threat (temporarily) in PvE or cancel enemy casts on you in PvP. Nature Resistance IconNature Resistance and Quickness IconQuickness are also very useful defensively.

3.2.

Tauren

  • Cultivation IconCultivation increases your Herbalism skill by 15.
  • Endurance IconEndurance increases your total health by 5%.
  • Nature Resistance IconNature Resistance reduces the chance you are hit with Nature spells by 2%.
  • War Stomp IconWar Stomp is a 2-minute cooldown that stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yards for 2 seconds, with a 0.5-second cast time.

War Stomp IconWar Stomp is quite reliable in PvP, often allowing for a surprise Cyclone IconCyclone cast, but has little PvE uses. The 5% increased health from Endurance IconEndurance is minor, but often useful, as is Nature Resistance IconNature Resistance.

4.

Best Professions for Feral DPS Druids

In Wrath all professions have unique stat bonus benefits, with gathering professions giving the lowest and Engineering and Jewelcrafting (before Epic gems) having the most powerful and flexible benefits, especially in early phases. Blacksmithing also catches up later when Epic gems are introduced.

Engineering is great because of the unique Hyperspeed Accelerators Icon Hyperspeed Accelerators tinker, which gives 340 Haste for 12 seconds every minute. By using this extra Haste during your cooldowns or on difficult parts of a fight, you can get more benefit than the static stats of other professions. Engineering also provides multiple explosives for extra damage and Nitro Boosts Icon Nitro Boosts for a burst of speed!

Jewelcrafting is also great because while most other professions force you to take Attack Power, you can pick from any stat with Jewelcrafting's Epic gems, allowing you to adjust your stats as needed.

5.

Best Druid Macros and Addons

Using macros and addons makes your life significantly easier when playing Wrath Classic, and they can improve your experience a lot, depending on how skilled you are at customizing them.

If you are interested in learning more about addons and macros suited to Feral DPS Druids, check out our guides below:

6.

Changelog

  • 02 Jan. 2024 (gear page): Updated for Phase 5.
  • 04 Oct. 2023 (pre-raid gear page): Updated for Phase 4.
  • 04 Oct. 2023 (gear page): Updated for Phase 4.
  • 30 Jun. 2023 (enchants page): Updated with more nuanced info on how to min/max gems.
  • 30 Jun. 2023 (stats page): Adjusted for Phase 3 and the now attainable soft Armor Penetration cap.
  • 22 Jun. 2023 (talents page): Removed PvP talent and glyph references.
  • 13 Jun. 2023 (talents page): Added Glyph of Omen of Clarity and associated explanation.
  • 08 Jun. 2023 (pre-raid gear page): Added P3 best in slot items and new page layout.
  • 28 May 2023 (gear page): Added P3 best in slot items and new page layout.
  • 23 May 2023 (enchants page): Updated for Phase 3.
  • 04 Apr. 2023 (rotation page): Added Faerie Fire to the rotation after recent hotfix made it proc Omen of Clarity.
  • 04 Apr. 2023 (talents page): Revamped talents after Faerie Fire Feral got hotfixed to proc Omen of Clarity.
  • 04 Apr. 2023 (spells page): Added info on Feral Faerie Fire now activating Omen of Clarity.
  • 18 Jan. 2023 (pre-raid gear page): Reviewed for Phase 2 release ahead of Ulduar raid release.
  • 18 Jan. 2023 (gear page): Reviewed for Phase 2 release ahead of Ulduar raid release.
  • 18 Jan. 2023 (enchants page): Reviewed for Phase 2 release ahead of Ulduar raid release.
  • 18 Jan. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Phase 2 release ahead of Ulduar raid release.
  • 18 Jan. 2023 (rotation page): Reviewed for Phase 2 release ahead of Ulduar raid release.
  • 18 Jan. 2023 (talents page): Reviewed for Phase 2 release ahead of Ulduar raid release.
  • 18 Jan. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Phase 2 release ahead of Ulduar raid release.
  • 18 Jan. 2023 (this page): Reviewed for Phase 2 release ahead of Ulduar raid release.
  • 20 Sep. 2022 (pre-raid gear page): Page added.
  • 20 Sep. 2022 (gear page): Page added.
  • 20 Sep. 2022 (enchants page): Page added.
  • 20 Sep. 2022 (stats page): Page added.
  • 20 Sep. 2022 (rotation page): Page added.
  • 20 Sep. 2022 (talents page): Page added.
  • 20 Sep. 2022 (spells page): Page added.
  • 20 Sep. 2022 (this page): Page added.
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