Restoration Druid PvP Rotation and Playstyle — The War Within (Season 1)

Last updated on Nov 20, 2024 at 07:29 by Mysticall 15 comments

PvP requires you to perform various actions in the course of a duel, match, or battleground: interrupting/silencing enemies, healing your teammates and yourself, defending yourself, keeping yourself alive, etc.. It is a game mode that fully utilises your kit, especially spells that are rarely used in PvE. On this page, we go through all the spells you need to use in PvP as a Restoration Druid, how you should use them, and we explain what your playstyle should be.

This page is part of our Restoration Druid PvP Guide.

1.

Playstyle for Restoration Druids

The main role of a Restoration Druid, besides keeping your team alive, is to always have your HoTs on your teammates and control the enemy team.

Most of the healing for Restoration Druids are instant casts. This makes it easy for you to heal teammates without getting interrupted. Once you have all of your HoTs ticking on your party members, you will only have to leave a pillar to refresh them.

Use Cyclone Icon Cyclone and Entangling Roots Icon Entangling Roots to control the enemy team. Cyclone should be used on the enemy healer if your team is using offensive cooldowns and trying to get a kill. If you are not, use Cyclone on the DPS you are not focusing to stop damage. If you are playing against melee, Entangling Roots can stop them in their tracks. You also have access to Hibernate Icon Hibernate and Soothe Icon Soothe. Hibernate can be used on Druids that are in animal form or Hunter pets to stop their damage. You can use Soothe to dispel Fury Warrior enrage effects.

1.1.

Before Gates Open

Make sure your team has a strategy for crowd control because you have a large crowd control toolkit, and it is important to take advantage of that.

1.2.

The Opener

Healers do not really have an "opener" as such. As a Restoration Druid, you want to do a few things when the gate opens.

  1. Use Rejuvenation Icon Rejuvenation twice on a teammate that might be the focus for the enemy team to get value from Germination Icon Germination.
  2. Use Prowl Icon Prowl to gain Stealth and prevent the enemy team from getting crowd control or starting on you.
  3. If you can, use Rake Icon Rake to stun the enemy healer and cast Cyclone Icon Cyclone on them.

The other team is going to try to force your trinket in the opener so they have an advantage later in the game. If you are playing against a Mage, any form you are in will negate their Polymorph Icon Polymorph. If you cannot avoid the incoming crowd control, try to use Ironbark Icon Ironbark on the teammate they are focusing.

A large majority of your healing spells are instant. This will prevent you from being interrupted, so take advantage of this. Rejuvenation Icon Rejuvenation, Lifebloom Icon Lifebloom, Cenarion Ward Icon Cenarion Ward, and Swiftmend Icon Swiftmend. The only healing spell you will have to cast is Regrowth Icon Regrowth. Use this after using Swiftmend Icon Swiftmend. You will gain the Soul of the Forest Icon Soul of the Forest buff and have a large Regrowth heal. Use your empowered Regrowth Icon Regrowth with Nature's Swiftness Icon Nature's Swiftness to do even more burst healing.

2.

Healing Techniques

2.1.

Burst Healing

Use this if the enemy team uses their cooldowns to try to kill a teammate.

  1. If you are using Incarnation: Tree of Life Icon Incarnation: Tree of Life:
    • Use Incarnation: Tree of Life Icon Incarnation: Tree of Life.
    • Use Innervate Icon Innervate to make all of your spells cost no Mana.
    • Use Cenarion Ward Icon Cenarion Ward on the teammate taking damage.
    • Use Grove Guardians Icon Grove Guardians. This will summon a Treant that will cast Nourish Icon Nourish. Try to use these charges when there are kicks available or you are falling behind.
    • Use Rejuvenation Icon Rejuvenation two times on your teammate.
    • Use Lifebloom Icon Lifebloom. With the Focused Growth Icon Focused Growth PvP talent, you can put 3 stacks on the same target at once.
    • Use Swiftmend Icon Swiftmend.
    • Use Regrowth Icon Regrowth repeatedly until your team is at high health.
    • You should also get used to instantly rooting enemy melee with Entangling Roots Icon Entangling Roots.
    • Use Nature's Swiftness Icon Nature's Swiftness with Regrowth Icon Regrowth when you have Soul of the Forest Icon Soul of the Forest active to do even more healing if you are still having a hard time recovering.
    • Use Overgrowth Icon Overgrowth when the enemy team is swapping to a teammate that does not have HoTs and you do not have time to swap them.
    • Use Tranquility Icon Tranquility to place another HoT on your teammates (this results in you doing more healing from Mastery: Harmony Icon Mastery: Harmony) and to immune crowd control if you are playing the PvP talent Preserve Nature Icon Preserve Nature.
  2. If Incarnation: Tree of Life Icon Incarnation: Tree of Life is on cooldown or you are not using it:
    • Use Innervate Icon Innervate on yourself.
    • Use Grove Guardians Icon Grove Guardians.
    • Use Ironbark Icon Ironbark. With a relatively short cooldown, this should be the first ability you use when the enemy team is bursting.
    • Use Cenarion Ward Icon Cenarion Ward on the teammate taking damage.
    • If your teammate is low and you do not have time to put HoTs on them, use Overgrowth Icon Overgrowth. If you have a few globals to heal, do the following:
      • Use Rejuvenation Icon Rejuvenation two times on your teammate.
      • Use Lifebloom Icon Lifebloom. With the Focused Growth Icon Focused Growth PvP talent, you can put 3 stacks on the same target at once.
      • Continue with the rest of the rotation.
    • Use Swiftmend Icon Swiftmend. This will give you the Soul of the Forest Icon Soul of the Forest buff.
    • Use Nature's Swiftness Icon Nature's Swiftness to make your next Regrowth Icon Regrowth instant and cost no Mana. Use this when you have a Soul of the Forest Icon Soul of the Forest buff.
    • Use Overgrowth Icon Overgrowth when the enemy team is swapping to a teammate that does not have HoTs and you do not have time to swap them.
    • Use Tranquility Icon Tranquility to place another HoT on your teammates (this results in you doing more healing from Mastery: Harmony Icon Mastery: Harmony) and to immune crowd control if you are playing the PvP talent Preserve Nature Icon Preserve Nature.
2.2.

Sustained Damage Healing

Use this to heal sustained damage throughout the fight (damage done when the other team does not have burst cooldowns available).

  1. You never want your HoTs to expire.
  2. Always maintain two Rejuvenation Icon Rejuvenations on your teammates taking damage.
  3. Use Lifebloom Icon Lifebloom. With the Focused Growth Icon Focused Growth PvP talent, you can put 3 stacks on the same target at once.
    • If you refresh it with a few seconds remaining, you will still get the bloom heal.
  4. Use Cenarion Ward Icon Cenarion Ward on the primary target the enemy team is focusing.
  5. Use Swiftmend Icon Swiftmend. This is great instant healing and gives you the Soul of the Forest Icon Soul of the Forest buff.
  6. Use Nature's Swiftness Icon Nature's Swiftness to make your next Regrowth Icon Regrowth instant and cost no Mana. Use this when you have a Soul of the Forest Icon Soul of the Forest buff.
  7. If Nature's Swiftness Icon Nature's Swiftness is not available, cast Regrowth Icon Regrowth with the Soul of the Forest Icon Soul of the Forest buff.
  8. Use Grove Guardians Icon Grove Guardians. This will summon a Treant that will cast Nourish Icon Nourish. Try to use these charges when there are kicks available or you are falling behind.
  9. Use Overgrowth Icon Overgrowth when the enemy team is swapping to a teammate that does not have HoTs and you do not have time to swap them.
  10. Use Tranquility Icon Tranquility to place another HoT on your teammates (this results in you doing more healing from Mastery: Harmony Icon Mastery: Harmony) and to immune crowd control if you are playing the PvP talent Preserve Nature Icon Preserve Nature.

For more information about your talents, please refer to our dedicated guide.

3.

Defensive Techniques

You have several defensive abilities you can use to help keep you and your team alive.

  • Bear Form Icon Bear Form is going to be your main defensive ability. If an enemy team is focusing you, be sure to use Rejuvenation Icon Rejuvenation, Lifebloom Icon Lifebloom, and Cenarion Ward Icon Cenarion Ward and then sit in Bear Form. Use the ability Frenzied Regeneration Icon Frenzied Regeneration to get even more health back.
  • Thorns Icon Thorns is a PvP talent and should be used versus teams with 2 melee on it. Thorns does a lot of damage and will normally force enemies to swap off of you when it is active. This can be used while in Bear Form.
  • Cyclone Icon Cyclone is a good defensive if the enemy team does not have any interrupts remaining. This stops a player from doing damage and is especially impactful when an enemy is trying to use their burst cooldowns. If the enemy does have interrupts available, try juking them first to gain Precognition Icon Precognition and then start casting it.
  • Ursol's Vortex Icon Ursol's Vortex is great when trying to get away from melee DPS. It is also important to remember that it can be used when in other forms. If you are taking heavy damage in Bear Form Icon Bear Form, you can use Ursol's Vortex Icon Ursol's Vortex and Dash Icon Dash away.
  • Use Druid mobility as a defensive. We mentioned earlier that Restoration Druids have great mobility. They have spells like Travel Form Icon Travel Form and Dash Icon Dash to break snares and get away from enemies. Remembering that shifting between forms also breaks roots/slows.
  • Preserve Nature Icon Preserve Nature is a PvP talent that makes you immune to all harm when channeling Tranquility Icon Tranquility. This is perfect for before or after you leave a stun and need to get your health to a safe spot.
4.

Macros

It is advised to use Macros to use abilities on enemies or allies without having to target them. For this reason, we have a page dedicated to them.

5.

Changelog

  • 20 Nov. 2024: Updated all healing rotations.
    • Updated opener rotation.
    • Updated burst healing rotation.
    • Updated sustained healing rotation.
    • Updated defensives section.
  • 09 Sep. 2024: Reviewed for The War Within Season 1.
  • 29 Aug. 2024: Updated Defensives.
  • 21 Aug. 2024: Updated for The War Within.
  • 23 Jul. 2024: Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
  • 07 May 2024: Reviewed for 10.2.7.
  • 22 Apr. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
  • 15 Jan. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 06 Nov. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.
  • 04 Sep. 2023: Updated all Healing rotations for Patch 10.1.7.
  • 10 Jul. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 07 May 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
  • 21 Mar. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 30 Jan. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 11 Dec. 2022: Updated Healing rotations.
  • 21 Nov. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 01 Aug. 2022: Reviewed for Shadowlands Season 4.
  • 31 May 2022: Reviewed for Patch 9.2.5.
  • 28 Feb. 2022: Updated for Patch 9.2.
    • Added Tier-Set Healing section.
    • Updated Defensives section.
  • 10 Nov. 2021: Reviewed for Patch 9.1.5.
  • 02 Jul. 2021: Reviewed for Patch 9.1.
  • 08 Mar. 2021: Reviewed for Patch 9.0.5.
  • 14 Oct. 2020: Updated for Shadowlands pre-patch.
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