…We have the Technology!
In my last post, I gave a brief outline of my major balance tree talent selections and the reasons why I chose those over others. Like druids, however, balance is not meant to stand alone. There are actually quite a few options available to the industrious mana turkey as to where to place their remaining talent points.
Some choose to pile even more into the already stuffed(haha) balance tree, giving added PVE/PVP survivability through Nature’s Grasp, Celestial Focus, and perhaps another point into Balance of Power. These turkeys are usually PVE focused casters or “Panzerkins”. Another choice is that of 11 points into Feral to grab Feral Charge, giving druids a valuable spell interrupt and escape method. However, I still feel that a druid’s strength lies in healing(yes, I said it) and I wanted to improve upon that as much as possible without diminishing my caster dps viability. Enter 21 points into Resto.
Furor vs Improved MOTW: *sigh*
Pre-BC, it was quite normal to see resto or even balance druids with 5/5 Imp MOTW. In raids, it provided that much better buffs and really, who wanted instant rage in a raid as a healer? But, now that we’re big level 70’s and MOTW was only given one extra rank, the investment of 5 talent points for such a small buff is laughable at best. In PVP, it’s downright suicidal. With Furor, you can easily shift into bear, give your opponent a stunning slap to the noggin and follow up with a cyclone/root combo. There’s just too much potential to pass up for a few more resistance points.
2/5 Naturalist and 3/3 Natural Shifter
As I mentioned in my previous post, I like my mana bar. I live by my mana bar and anything that helps me keep that blue bar of rage from disappearing, I wholeheartedly endorse. Natural Shifter is an amazing talent that makes druids a true shapeshifting class. Rooted? Shift out. Slowed? Shift out. About to be polymorphed? Shift. Notice a pattern? I noticed you noticing. But, these constant shifts have a cost and without Natural Shifter, are a huge drain on your mana.
Naturalist was simply a better choice to me than Nature’s Focus. 28% chance to resist knockback on heals? If you even think about trying anything longer than a regrowth behind a pillar, you’re going to look pretty silly stunlocked and dying while you keep jamming that heal button. Atleast with Naturalist, if you are for some reason left alone, you can get off a big heal that much quicker and maybe save a friend.
Intensity and Subtlety
Intensity is the other part of the fabulous mana-saving triumvirate that is Dreamstate, Moonglow, and Intensity. With these three talents, you’ll go much farther on your mana pool and may even win the mana battle with other healers or caster dps in Arenas.
Subtlety’s benefits are, well, subtle. Yes, less threat is good in PVE, but what about PVP benefits? 40% reduced chance to dispel your spells? Are you drunk? It means that averaged over a fight, an enemy dispeller needs to spend almost twice almost half again(sorry, I can’t do math) the mana normally required to get your HoTs, roots, and buffs off your team and his. With careful ordering of spells, you can make this even worse for him. Want him rooted until he dies from old age? Cast roots, FF(Rank 1), IS(Rank 1), Moonfire(Rank 1), and watch him go through his mana like a murloc at a sushi buffet trying to get through to that root spell. That’s right, Buffs/Debuffs operate on a FILO(First In Last Out) principle. In your face, Paladins! 
Nature’s Swiftness vs “Cookie-less Trees”
Ah, here comes the pride and joy of druids.. and the other pride and joy of druids. How awkward. One of these fine talents is going to go home with our lovely contestant and the other.. well, I hear sawdust is the new fiberglass for insulation.
When it came down to the choice between a DoT with HP over an instant-cast heal, I had to think long and hard about this. Force of Nature is definitely a useful spell in several situations. Keeping that caster in combat and providing continual knockback on healers comes to mind immediately. However, since druids are also a healing class and a balance druid’s healing is fairly mediocre, I knew that this was the talent that would give me that extra shot of gumption to tip the balance in arenas. Even if I only use it once a game, it’s still something that causes the situation to do a complete 180.
Tags: resto talents pvp balance spec
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