Analysis of Druid changes in 3.1
by Eliah Hecht 
Feb 5th 2009 at 1:00PM
Earlier today, Eyonix released some details on some changes that we can expect in patch 3.1. They're not exactly earth-shattering like some classes' changes, but there is still some interesting stuff in there. Let's get down to analysis.
Savage Defense – this is a new passive ability. When a druid in Dire Bear form deals a melee critical strike, the druid gains a damage shield equal to 25% of their attack power. The next hit completely removes the shield regardless of how much damage was done.
Survival of the Fittest has had its bonus armor reduced to compensate for the above increase in damage mitigation.
I'm going to take these two points together, because they're inseparable. Savage Defense is interesting, and you certainly can't call it a direct copy of some other class's ability (an issue that's plagued us in the past).
Let's look at the numbers involved, since it's hard to make sense of the ability straight off the bat (at least for me). In Dire Bear form with my heroic and crafted blues and epics, self-buffed, I have right around 4,000 AP. So when I crit with a melee ability (I have a 27% crit chance), I get a shield that absorbs up to 1,000 damage from the next hit.
If I'm using a melee skill every GCD (which I am, more or less), as well as auto-attacking every 2.5 seconds, I should get (on average, with my crit rate), roughly 17 shields per minute, absorbing up to 17,000 damage in that minute. I'll get a lot more shields if I'm swiping multiple targets.
That's quite a respectable amount, although remember that each shield is removed after one hit regardless of how much the hit is for. Also note that armor from SotF is getting nerfed, which will mean our overall mitigation will probably stay roughly the same (maybe more on magic because the shields presumably work on magic too, whereas armor does not).
A few clever commenters in the post breaking the 3.1 changes pointed out that this is a lot like giving Druids a shield, such as Warriors and Paladins have. Every so often we simply take less damage from an incoming attack. Possibly more importantly, it causes our mitigation to scale at least somewhat from crit and AP, stats that bears currently aren't paying a lot of attention to but that Blizz wants to be able to put on leather for Rogues and cats.
Faerie Fire (and similar debuffs) now reduces armor by 5%. See Sunder Armor in the warrior update below for additional details.
The additional details are as follows: "Creature armor has been globally reduced so that debuffed targets should take about the same damage from physical attacks that they did before this change. The net effect should be that this debuff is slightly less mandatory in PvE and is not disproportionately more powerful against cloth targets in PvP." I don't think we'll see a huge change here.
Thorns and Nature's Grasp can be cast in Tree of Life form.
Really? You couldn't cast Thorns as a tree before?
Survival Instincts now works in Moonkin form.
So Moonkin who choose to got 11 into Feral, presumably for PvP purposes, can now get their Owl Last Stand too. Seems fair enough, although I suspect it's still not going to be a very popular talent choice.
Replenish – to avoid confusion, this talent has been renamed "Revitalize." It now also works with Wild Growth.
This looks like a nice buff to a previously somewhat lackluster talent. Resto druids do still seem to be using Wild Growth all the time, and despite the fact that like every other healer they don't seem to be having mana problems right now, more mana never hurt anyone. Update: It has been pointed out to me that I misread this talent somewhat. Extra mana/rage/energy/runic power for everyone WG hits? Very tasty indeed. [thanks, Venerus]
We are also looking at increasing the sustained (not burst) damage of feral druids in cat form.
I read this as "more damage on bosses." Sweet. If I was Blizz, I'd probably do this by making Rake last longer, and possibly giving us some way to scale (better) from Haste.
Patch 3.1 brings us Ulduar, dual specs, significant changes to all the classes, and more! We've got you covered from top to bottom with our Guide to Patch 3.1.Filed under: Druid, Patches, Analysis / Opinion
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
xb Feb 5th 2009 1:11PM
So if i remember correctly when i first bought this game and rolled a shaman. Jack of all trades. When did druid become shaman? and why on earth do they need to do everything?
Donaar Feb 5th 2009 2:15PM
...th....that's a joke, right, xb? O_o You're...asking when the shapeshifting hybrid class became a hybrid?
Nic Lake Feb 5th 2009 1:19PM
Uh, Shamans can tank now? Since when?
xtemplarx Feb 5th 2009 1:35PM
Whaa?? Druids have ALWAYS been the true jack-of-all-trades class. Since when was a shaman EVER a truly good tank?
Carebear Feb 5th 2009 1:37PM
shamans never tanked well like druids and mostly pre tbc
druids have always been the "WeCanDoEverythingButNeverShine" kind of class
Heilig Feb 5th 2009 1:41PM
While I disagree with the QQ aspect of this comment, there is a definite note of concern that no one ever addresses, especially in PvP. A healer being able to instantly throw on plate armor when he is focused is nuts. A caster (already in plate) being able to stealth out and stun someone for an opener is crazy OP in PvP.
It doesn't fit from a lore standpoint either. Druids weren't crazy multi-form shapeshifters like they are today. They were fully attuned to the spirit of ONE creature. Druids of the Claw turned into bears, Druids of the Talon turned into Ravens, Druids of the Fang turned into snakes, etc.
IMO, druids should have to make a choice on forms around level 40. At that point you have had enough time to decide what you want to be. Tree of Life, Moonkin form, Dire bear, and cat form should all be talents that buff you significantly when you're shifted (which druids already are) and lock you out of any other forms except travel form. You can shift into your chosen form or cheetah out, but that's it. No more going from cat to tree to bear as needed in PvP. If you want the buff that comes from being a moonkin, a tree, a cat (which would need a new dire cat form or something), or a bear, you have to forego the other forms. All the other classes have to choose their role and accept the penalties that come along with it. Druids don't really have to make that choice, at least not to the same extent the other classes do.
Lish Feb 5th 2009 2:15PM
Like everyone else is saying: druids have ALWAYS been the jack-of-all-trades class. Since when? Since day 1. Why did you ever think that of Shamans? They've NEVER held that distinction.
Heilig is a Dumbass Feb 5th 2009 2:23PM
To Heilig:
"IMO, druids should have to make a choice on forms around level 40. At that point you have had enough time to decide what you want to be. Tree of Life, Moonkin form, Dire bear, and cat form should all be talents that buff you significantly when you're shifted (which druids already are) and lock you out of any other forms except travel form. You can shift into your chosen form or cheetah out, but that's it. No more going from cat to tree to bear as needed in PvP. If you want the buff that comes from being a moonkin, a tree, a cat (which would need a new dire cat form or something), or a bear, you have to forego the other forms."
This seems a bit too much, you complain about shifting into bear in PvP and shifting to travel and tree and play all those roles to its full potential. Are you mentally ill? Druids who are healers in PvP can heal exceptionally well due to not having to stand there and cast, but guess what! Dk's can take away our HoTs! Druids who heal in PvP can stun you for a short period but will not do a great amount of damage during that time since they have spell power gear and not ap, so the stun is nothing more than annoying. People who are feral and PvP have very low mana and cannot shift and heal themselves without running out of mana really fast.
As for choosing one form and only one form is completely ridiculous. Take away a druids forms and what is left? A tank who can only dodge but has a lot of health?, might as well just bring a warrior since all you can do is tank since you chose to be a bear and nothing else. If you choose to be a cat you are pretty much a sub-par rogue. If you choose to be a tree all you can do is heal and thats it? since you restrict the moonkin spells to moonkin form. Yeah druids need their forms since that is what makes them worth while in raids, being able to tank and put out some form of dps. DRUIDS NEED ALL OF THEIR FORMS end of story.
" All the other classes have to choose their role and accept the penalties that come along with it. Druids don't really have to make that choice, at least not to the same extent the other classes do."
Really? Druids dont have to worry about choosing their role? There are no consequences when druids choose a certain role? Non at all? Yeah I dont think so, druids that are spec to tank can tank well and put out sub-par dps, much like a prot warrior trying to dps. Moonkins can dps and heal a litle bit if needed but those heals are extremely weak and in no way can be counted upon if the healer die. Trees can heal, they can do dps but it would be extremely laughable. What is that I see? Druids having penalities for choosing a certain role? OMG like no wai! And yes druids take the same penalties the other classes have to do and yes to the same extent.
Overall know a little something about the class before you attempt to come up with completely idiotic ideas that will "balance" the class to your needs because you do not know how to play your class. Yes skilled players can kill druids in PvP and unskilled players will not, am i safe in assuming that you are the unskilled player who is QQing about not being able to kill them? Yeah I thought you were.
Jardal Feb 5th 2009 2:44PM
@Heilig
No.
Kyle Feb 5th 2009 3:51PM
I suppose you think Warriors should pick ONE stance at level 40 and lose access to their other stances too, eh?
Athlete Feb 5th 2009 4:05PM
"A healer being able to instantly throw on plate armor when he is focused is nuts. A caster (already in plate) being able to stealth out and stun someone for an opener is crazy OP in PvP."
You make it sound like ALL druids do this. Wouldn't you prefer this than a feral druid doing massive damage then turning into a tree and healing? Or a cat bursting on you then blasting you down from range as a boomkin?
We do choose forms and resto druids are not nearly what they used to be. And if you think it's bad that a resto druid can shift into a form that has plat on, then QQ more about Pallys that have plate on AND a shield all the time, kthxbye.
Ashvoyager Feb 5th 2009 4:40PM
Wow Helig, I didn't know that someone could be so incomprehensible ignorant of another class. You might as well be talking about how rogues are too good at healing or warriors do too much spell damage.
E#lzreth Feb 5th 2009 5:23PM
To Heilig:
You have clearly never fully leveled a Druid and tried differing talent specs. As a resto Druid shifting into Dire Bear is not like tossing on Plate all of a sudden. Dire Bear for a resto or balance Druid does not suddenly turn me into a viable Tank. It is more like putting up a Priest's PW:S to reduce incoming MELEE damage (emphasis on melee as armor only mitigates physical damage) when running away from unwanted or unmanageable aggro. Effectiveness in forms is largely spec and gear defendant. To be remotely effective in bear or cat you need to wear Rogue leathers, not caster leathers required for balance or resto specced Druids.
Note also that to heal ourselves we can only be in our standard race form or in Tree of Life form. To cast balance damage spells the druid can only be in standard race form or Boomkin form. The Boomkin and Tree of life forms are part of their respective talent trees and require deep enough commitment that they do not allow very much cross-over utility if multi-speccing with another talent tree (i.e. restokin).
In the future please try to garner a full and complete understanding of a class before commenting on it. Just cause when you PvP the "kitty says BOOM" and you roll over and die does not mean that Druids are OP. Learn to play your class and get some better gear while you are at it. If you want to QQ about healers that are hard to kill then QQ about the healer class that ACTUALLY WEARS PLATE!
~Elzreth:Staghelm
Athinah Feb 5th 2009 5:38PM
wow dude, everything? you deffently don't have a feral druid if you think they get everything, for starters you have three choices Melee, dps spell, healing, you can not do all three at the same time (which somepeople do) and another thing, feral druids used to stink before wrath, we were no better off then palidens, sure we got a buff like they did but they got MEGA buffed while we got to meh status. and most people that roll druids can't even get past lvl 20 because its to hard for them
Feral druids have come a long way but they are still lacking things that allows a lot of other classes to kick there tail in pvp and take there places in pve (more the pvp though)
Just because we can dps and take damage for tanking dosn't mean we have everything, only a skilled druid tank (but hey if you get your druid to 80 you generaly are skilled by then) to tank mutliple mobs and such.
AND further more we can NOT take damage and deal it at the same time. when in cat you deal damage but you don't have very much health and armor to take damage while in bear we take damage but we don't do all that damage.
So plz dont' say we have EVERYthing because we don't and it makes me sick to my stomach when people say things like that.
Jojo Feb 8th 2009 12:56AM
Haha... shaman...
Shaman tank?
No...
Druids can do everything Shams can, but better, and they can tank.
Druids are THE hybrid class.
Their heals are absolute necessities in raids.
They make excellent tanks.
And they can choose which flavor of dps to deal out.
I love my druid.
Not to say Shamans aren't important and versatile, just not as versatile.
Macbook Feb 5th 2009 1:12PM
Only thing I find cool here is the Owlkin Last Stand...looks fun at the very least, especially since I've been increasingly interested in attempting to Moonkin tank things, for a video for my blog.
Macbook, http://Moonkin.info
Kevin Feb 5th 2009 1:13PM
Where's the Boomkin love?? QQ;
kozom Feb 5th 2009 10:35PM
i think they're just being spiteful now...moonkins compalined the most and all we got was a feral talent, QQ, QQ!!!!!
LiQiuD Feb 5th 2009 1:16PM
the thorns thing used to drive me nuts...i can't wait for that change. I hate casting thorns on my tank, and getting bounced out of tree form, and then switching back to tree...some wasted mana there.
vexis58 Feb 5th 2009 6:42PM
"Really? You couldn't cast Thorns as a tree before?"
NO. And it's annoying as hell. Previously, Blizz had said they weren't likely to change it because "they want to give druids a reason to shapeshift" or something stupid like that. It only lasts 10 minutes, so I have to refresh it right before the tank pulls... and then go back into tree form.
Is it sad that this is the change I'm most excited about? The replenish change is nice too... I guess. But Blizzard going back and fixing something annoying that they previously said they wouldn't? THANK YOU.