Feral Druid DPS Guide (Legion 7.3.5)

Table of Contents

• ×Introduction
  • 1. Class Overview
  • 2. What has changed with 7.3.2 Antorus launch for Feral Druids?
  • 3. What has changed in Patch 7.3 for Feral Druids?
  • 4. What has changed in Patch 7.2.5 for Feral Druids?
  • 5. Feral Druid's Strengths
  • 6. Feral Druid's Weaknesses
  • 7. The Viability of Feral Druids in the Current Patch
  • 8. Contents
  • 9. ChangeLog
• +Easy Mode
  • 1. The Basics for Feral Druids
  • 2. Talent Choices for Feral Druids
  • 3. Stat Choices for Feral Druids
  • 4. Basic Rotation for Feral Druids
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Spell Summary
  • 1. Spell Summary of a Feral Druid
  • 2. Feral Druid's Main Resources
  • 3. Feral Druid Artifact Ability
  • 4. Basic Abilities of a Feral Druid
    • 4.1. Bleeds
    • 4.2. Other Abilities
    • 4.3. Offensive Cooldowns
    • 4.4. Additional Utility
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Builds and Talents
  • 1. Talent Choices
  • 2. Talent Cheat Sheet for Feral Druids
    • 2.1. Open World, Levelling and Questing
    • 2.2. Dungeons and Raids
      • 2.2.1. Single Target
      • 2.2.2. AoE
  • 3. Tier 1 (Level 15) Talents for Feral Druid
  • 4. Tier 2 (Level 30) Talents for Feral Druid
  • 5. Tier 3 (Level 45) Talents for Feral Druid
  • 6. Tier 4 (Level 60) Talents for Feral Druid
  • 7. Tier 5 (Level 75) Talents for Feral Druid
  • 8. Tier 6 (Level 90) Talents for Feral Druid
  • 9. Tier 7 (Level 100) Talents for Feral Druid
  • 10. ChangeLog
• +Artifact Traits and Relics
  • 1. Artifact Progression for Feral Druids
    • 1.1. Early Progression
    • 1.2. Patch 7.2 Progression
  • 2. Feral Druid Artifact Ability
  • 3. Relic Choices for Feral Druids
    • 3.1. Ideal Relics
    • 3.2. Secondary Choices
    • 3.3. Sharpened Claws/Thrashing Claws
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Netherlight Crucible Relic Paths
  • 1. Optimization between Light/Shadow Tier 2 and Relic Tier 3 Choices for Feral Druids
  • 2. Tier 2 Priorities for Feral Druids
    • 2.1. Best
    • 2.2. Good
    • 2.3. Average
    • 2.4. Weak
  • 3. Tier 3 Priorities for Feral Druids
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
  • 1. Feral Druid Single Target Rotation
  • 2. Feral Druid Opening Sequence
  • 3. Multiple Target Rotation for Feral Druids
    • 3.1. Ashamane's Frenzy
    • 3.2. Brutal Slash
    • 3.3. Long Duration Adds
      • 3.3.1. 2-3 Targets
      • 3.3.2. 4-8 Targets
      • 3.3.3. 9+ Targets
    • 3.4. Short Duration Adds
    • 3.5. Priority Targets
  • 4. Feral Druid Cooldowns
  • 5. Mastering Your Feral Druid
    • 5.1. Mastery: Razor Claws
    • 5.2. Combo Points and Energy
    • 5.3. Single Target Rotation in Detail
      • 5.3.1. Bleeds & DoTs
      • 5.3.2. What to do the Rest of the Time
      • 5.3.3. Energy Management
      • 5.3.4. When to Refresh Bleeds
      • 5.3.5. When to Refresh Savage Roar
      • 5.3.6. Ferocious Bite
    • 5.4. Detailed Cooldown Usage
      • 5.4.1. Tiger's Fury
      • 5.4.2. Fury of Ashamane
      • 5.4.3. Berserk
      • 5.4.4. Tier 1 Talents
      • 5.4.5. Tier 5 Talents
      • 5.4.6. Tier 6 Talents
      • 5.4.7. Tier 7 Talents
  • 6. Tier 19 Set Bonuses for Feral Druid
  • 7. Tier 20 Set Bonuses for Feral Druid
  • 8. Tier 21 Set Bonuses for Feral Druid
  • 9. ChangeLog
• +Stat Priority
  • 1. The Basics of Stats for Feral Druids
    • 1.1. Incarnation/Moment of Clarity Builds:
    • 1.2. Bleed Builds
  • 2. Getting a Better Understanding of Feral Druid Stats
  • 3. Advanced Feral Druid Stats
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Gems, Enchants, and Consumables
  • 1. Gems for Feral Druids
    • 1.1. Incarnation Builds:
    • 1.2. Jagged Wounds Builds:
  • 2. Enchants for Feral Druids
  • 3. Consumables for Feral Druids
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Macros and Addons
  • 1. Feral Druid Macros
    • 1.1. Generic Macros for Druids
      • 1.1.1. Rebirth
      • 1.1.2. Remove Corruption
    • 1.2. Specific Macros for Feral Druids
      • 1.2.1. Regrowth Macro
  • 2. Recommended Addons for Feral Druids
    • 2.1. Generic Addons for Druids
      • 2.1.1. ElvUI
      • 2.1.2. Boss Mods: Deadly Boss Mods or Bigwigs
      • 2.1.3. GTFO
      • 2.1.4. Omen Threat Meter
      • 2.1.5. Parrot or Mik's Scrolling Battle Text
      • 2.1.6. Weak Auras
      • 2.1.7. Recount / Skada / Details!
      • 2.1.8. Grid and GridClickSets (Optional)
      • 2.1.9. TellMeWhen
    • 2.2. Specific Addons for Feral Druids
      • 2.2.1. DotFocus
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gear, Legendaries, and Best in Slot
  • 1. Raid Best in Slot List for Feral Druid
    • 1.1. Trinkets
    • 1.2. Tier 20 Bonus Combinations
    • 1.3. Evaluating Upgrades with dynamic Item Levels
  • 2. Racial Bonuses for Feral Druids
  • 3. Legendary Items for Feral Druids
    • 3.1. 7.1.5 Legendaries
    • 3.2. 7.2 Legendaries
    • 3.3. 7.2.5 Legendaries
    • 3.4. 7.3.2 Legendaries
    • 3.5. Recommended Choices
  • 4. Loot Competition for Feral Druids
  • 5. ChangeLog

General Information

Welcome to our Feral Druid DPS guide for World of Warcraft Legion 7.3.5. Here, you will learn everything you need to know about playing a Feral Druid in a raid environment and in Mythic+ dungeons.

About Our Author and Reviewer

This guide has been written by Wordup, a frequent theorycrafter involved in a number of class communities. He is also an experienced player who has been in the world top 100 since the days of Sunwell, currently raiding in Echoes. You can also follow him on Twitter.

This guide has been reviewed and approved by Xanzara, a top-ranking Feral Druid, who sometimes streams on YouTube.

1. Class Overview

Feral, the Melee DPS specialisation for Druids, forms its core gameplay around balancing two separate resources whilst also leveraging those to apply powerful Bleed Damage over Time effects on targets. In terms of single target DPS, Feral is powerful and can often shine in these situations. When it comes to multiple target situations, Feral performs exceptionally in burst and sustained cleave with DoT applications, but sustained is less ideal.

2. What has changed with 7.3.2 Antorus launch for Feral Druids?

Feral remains similar to previous patches, with the addition of new items from Antorus and the Tier 21 set bonuses, alongside the new legendary ring Insignia of the Grand Army.

3. What has changed in Patch 7.3 for Feral Druids?

• Feral has received significant changes leading into patch 7.3 to ease the gameplay difficulty for new players, allowing for a smoother entry into the spec.
• All damage has been increased by 33%.
• Significant changes to Talent strength and positions on the tree which is addressed on the Talent page.
• Predatory Swiftness is no longer a requirement to cast Rebirth.
• Rebirth can now be cast instantly in any form.
• Energy cost of Swipe and Thrash has been reduced by 5, and Thrash now generates one Combo Point.

4. What has changed in Patch 7.2.5 for Feral Druids?

• Tier 20 bonuses have now been added with the opening of the Tomb of Sargeras, opening up new gearing options.
• Ferocious Bite has received a damage buff increasing its value as a finisher.
• Soul of the Forest has been reworked to now also increase the damage of finishers by 5%, but generate less Energy per combo point.
• Two new legendary items have been added, the Behemoth Headdress headpiece, and the Soul of the Archdruid ring.

5. Feral Druid's Strengths

• Solid single target damage.
• Very high mobility and flexibility in a Raid environment.
• Incredibly strong burst AoE using Brutal Slash
• Powerful low target cleave achieved through maintaining DoTs on multiple targets.
• Flexible talent choices allowing for advantages in different fight archetypes.

6. Feral Druid's Weaknesses

• Can require ramp up to reach full damage on priority targets.
• Gameplay relies on pooling and smart resource management, and can be punishing.
• Can be slightly cooldown reliant due to Incarnation: King of the Jungle burst windows.

7. The Viability of Feral Druids in the Current Patch

With the rework in 7.3 to bring Feral up, the chance for it to shine is definitely there if fights allow it. Between Incarnation: King of the Jungle for single target burst, and Brutal Slash for AoE burst, Feral has the tools to be strong when needed. To compliment this, it works great in Mythic+ with Predator resets, and the survival tools available are excellent. Mobility and tools to help the raid are looking to remain strong in Antorus and a lot of the different damage profile tools available to Feral should allow for it to prospectively perform very well compared to Tomb.

8. Contents

To make it easy to navigate the guide, we have split it into 10 pages:

• Easy Mode: TL;DR to own without reading much;
• Spell Summary: see a summary of all your useful spells;
• Builds and Talents: learn how to choose your talents;
• Artifact Traits and Relics: discover how to level up your Artifact;
• Netherlight Crucible Relic Paths: choose the right paths on your Netherlight Crucible;
• Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities: master your rotation and your cooldowns;
• Stat Priority: read up on the respective values of your statistics;
• Gems, Enchants, and Consumables: choose the best gems, enchantments, etc.;
• Macros and Addons: step up your game with useful macros and addons;
• Gear, Legendaries, and Best in Slot: find the best gear you can wear.

9. ChangeLog

• 06 Feb. 2018 (easy mode page): Made a small update to the stat priority.
• 18 Jan. 2018 (stats page): Adjusted for shift to Moment of Clarity and Shred focus.
• 18 Jan. 2018 (artifact page): Updated to indicate new relic values.
• 18 Jan. 2018 (Netherlight Crucible page): Updated for new relic values assuming new Moment of Clarity oriented build.
• 16 Dec. 2017 (gear page): Updated for Antorus trinket changes.
• 29 Nov. 2017 (Netherlight Crucible page): Updated for Antorus release values.
• 28 Nov. 2017 (talents page): Updated for Antorus release.
• 28 Nov. 2017 (this page): Updated for Antorus launch.
• 28 Nov. 2017 (stats page): Updated for Antorus release.
• 28 Nov. 2017 (rotation page): Updated for T21 Antorus changes.
• 28 Nov. 2017 (gear page): Updated for Antorus release.
• 28 Oct. 2017 (enchants page): Updated to show Versatility options for Incarnation builds.
• 25 Oct. 2017 (gear page): Added note to indicate Convergence of Fates is still relevant after 7.3.2.
• 21 Oct. 2017 (gear page): Updated the Soul of the Archdruid discussion slightly.
• 17 Oct. 2017 (gear page): Updated gear list to lean toward Versatility instead of Mastery.
• 17 Oct. 2017 (talents page): Updated to show Moment of Clarity parity with Bloodtalons.
• 09 Oct. 2017 (gear page): Updated Trinket sims to reflect Brutal Slash & Incarnation builds.
• 18 Sep. 2017 (easy mode page): Updated to remove Sabertooth note.
• 12 Sep. 2017 (Netherlight Crucible page): Added Netherlight Crucible page for Feral Druid.
• 29 Aug. 2017 (artifact page): Updated relic section for Patch 7.3 changes.
• 29 Aug. 2017 (easy mode page): Updated talent recommendations for new 7.3 trees and updated stat priority to match that of the stats page.
• 29 Aug. 2017 (rotation page): Updates to all affected abilities and effects for 7.3, including updated use of Savage Roar, and details of new talent combinations.
• 29 Aug. 2017 (gear page): Added note regarding Convergence of Fates for Incarnation builds in 7.3.
• 29 Aug. 2017 (talents page): Updated for new 7.3 talent tree layout changes with new build recommendations.
• 29 Aug. 2017 (spells page): Adjusted for new Thrash/Swipe cost changes and Thrash now granting Combo Points.
• 29 Aug. 2017 (stats page): Updated with notes for Incarnation stat priority in 7.3.
• 28 Aug. 2017 (this page): Updated for 7.3 Feral rework updates.
• 28 Aug. 2017 (enchants page): Added Lightforged Augment Rune and new 7.3 epic gems.
• 03 Jul. 2017 (artifact page): Small formatting change in relics.
• 16 Jun. 2017 (rotation page): Updated page for new Tier 20 bonus values.
• 16 Jun. 2017 (gear page): Updated 4pc/2pc combinations following Tier 20 set bonus nerfs.
• 14 Jun. 2017 (gear page): Added note regarding Tier 19/20 2/4pc combinations.
• 12 Jun. 2017 (artifact page): Updated for Patch 7.2.5.
• 12 Jun. 2017 (gear page): Updated with Tomb of Sargeras gear and 7.2.5 Legendaries.
• 12 Jun. 2017 (easy mode page): Page reviewed and deemed updated for 7.2.5.
• 12 Jun. 2017 (spells page): Page reviewed and deemed updated for 7.2.5.
• 12 Jun. 2017 (this page): Added summary of Patch 7.2.5 changes.
• 12 Jun. 2017 (enchants page): Page reviewed and deemed updated for 7.2.5.
• 12 Jun. 2017 (talents page): Updated for 7.2.5.
• 12 Jun. 2017 (stats page): No changes needed for Patch 7.2.5.
• 12 Jun. 2017 (rotation page): Updated for 7.2.5 with new Set Bonus information.
• 22 Apr. 2017 (talents page): Clarified that Wild Charge when in Travel Form causes you to jump to the location of an ally, and not to fly to them.
• 28 Mar. 2017 (enchants page): Changed food recommendation to Lavish Suramar Feast.
• 27 Mar. 2017 (stats page): No changes needed for Patch 7.2.
• 27 Mar. 2017 (this page): Added summary of Patch 7.2 changes.
• 27 Mar. 2017 (rotation page): Added section regarding Fury of Ashamane.
• 27 Mar. 2017 (gear page): Updated for 7.2 with new Legendary changes.
• 27 Mar. 2017 (artifact page): Added path for the Artifact traits added in Patch 7.2.
• 27 Mar. 2017 (talents page): No changes needed for Patch 7.2.
• 05 Mar. 2017 (gear page): Updated note on Fiery Red Maimers to indicate they are no longer bugged.
• 28 Jan. 2017 (talents page): Adjusted leveling talents and updated Lunar Inspiration note.
• 16 Jan. 2017 (talents page): Updated to indicate Moment of Clarity being the dominant talent.
• 10 Jan. 2017 (gear page): Added trinkets.
• 10 Jan. 2017 (artifact page): Updated for new trait values.
• 09 Jan. 2017 (gear page): Updated gearlist for Nighthold - Trinkets pending.
• 09 Jan. 2017 (enchants page): Checked and confirmed for Patch 7.1.5.
• 09 Jan. 2017 (rotation page): Added Tier 19 set bonus section.
• 09 Jan. 2017 (talents page): Updated for Patch 7.1.5.
• 09 Jan. 2017 (easy mode page): Checked and confirmed for Patch 7.1.5.
• 09 Jan. 2017 (this page): Updated for 7.1.5 with new changes.
• 09 Jan. 2017 (stats page): Checked and confirmed for Patch 7.1.5.
• 26 Nov. 2016 (easy mode page): Added section for easier playstyle.
• 25 Nov. 2016 (gear page): Updated trinket simulations.
• 25 Oct. 2016 (rotation page): Replaced mentions of Healing Touch with Regrowth (the latter has replaced the former for non-Restoration Druid specs).
• 25 Oct. 2016 (talents page): Patch 7.1 updates
  • Added a mention that Incarnation is now off the global cooldown.
  • Updated Guardian Affinity's description (Thick Hide now passively reduces damage by 6%, down from 10).
  • Updated Bloodtalons' description (Regrowth has replaced Healing Touch for non-Restoration Druid specs).
• 25 Oct. 2016 (gear page): Added Karazhan trinket to the trinket simulations.
• 25 Oct. 2016 (enchants page): Added a mention about Potion of Prolonged Power.
• 25 Oct. 2016 (addons page): Replaced mentions of Healing Touch with Regrowth (the latter has replaced the former for non-Restoration Druid specs).
• 21 Sep. 2016 (enchants page): Made Potion of the Old War the potion of choice.
• 18 Sep. 2016 (enchants page): Page was inexplicably advising to gem/enchant Crit, when our stat priority said otherwise.
• 29 Aug. 2016 (gear page): Updated for Legion's launch.
• 29 Aug. 2016 (spells page): Added.
• 29 Aug. 2016 (enchants page): Updated for Legion's launch.
• 29 Aug. 2016 (stats page): Updated for Legion's launch.
• 29 Aug. 2016 (artifact page): Added.
• 29 Aug. 2016 (this page): Updated for Legion's launch.
• 29 Aug. 2016 (rotation page): Updated for Legion's launch.
• 03 Aug. 2016 (enchants page): Updated the enchants page to match the new stat priority.
• 30 Jul. 2016 (talents page): Updated tier 1 talent discussion.
• 30 Jul. 2016 (rotation page): Made a few tweaks and improvements to the bleed refreshing section, and removed a few archaic elements.
• 25 Jul. 2016 (addons page): Removed DroodFocus addon since it is no longer being maintained.
• 22 Jul. 2016 (talents page): Improved tier 1 talent discussion slightly.
• 22 Jul. 2016 (rotation page): Made slight fixes and improvements, without affecting rotation.
• 20 Jul. 2016 (talents page): Updated the amount by which Bloodtalons increases the damage of the next 2 abilities to 40%.
• 19 Jul. 2016 (talents page): Updated some small details regarding Soul of the Forest and Savage Roar to account for changes that came about in a recent hotfix.
• 18 Jul. 2016 (enchants page): Updated for the Legion pre-patch.
• 18 Jul. 2016 (rotation page): Updated for the Legion pre-patch.
• 18 Jul. 2016 (addons page): Updated for the Legion pre-patch.
• 18 Jul. 2016 (this page): Updated for the Legion pre-patch.
• 18 Jul. 2016 (gear page): Updated for the Legion pre-patch.
• 18 Jul. 2016 (talents page): Updated for the Legion pre-patch.
• 18 Jul. 2016 (stats page): Updated for the Legion pre-patch.

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