The Problems with the Druid Class Talent Tree in The War Within - Shared Issues Across 4 Specs

The War Within Posted 2024/07/23 at 10:32 AM by Pumps

Our Class Writers share their expert opinions based on rigorous testing and theorycrafting in hopes of contextualizing the changes coming in future patches of the War Within. Check out all of our released editorials in our new Editorial Section.

Wowhead Editorials

The War Within Beta Development Notes

DRUID

All talent trees have had many talents move locations or have had their pathing updated.
New Talent: Oakskin – Survival Instincts and Barkskin reduce damage taken by an additional 10%.
New Talent: Fluid Form – Shred and Rake can be used in any form and shifts you into Cat Form. Mangle can be used in any form and shifts you into Bear Form. Wrath and Starfire shifts you into Moonkin Form, if known.
New Talent: Ursoc's Spirit – Stamina in Bear Form is increased by 10%.
New Talent: Instincts of the Claw – Shred, Swipe, Rake, Mangle, and Thrash damage increased by 5/10%.
New Talent: Lore of the Grove – Moonfire and Sunfire damage increased by 5/10%. Rejuvenation and Wild Growth healing increased by 3/5%.
New Talent: Starlight Conduit – Wrath, Starsurge, and Starfire damage increased by 5%. For non-Balance, Starsurge's cooldown is reduced by 4 seconds and its mana cost is reduced by 50%.
Improved Swipe has been removed from the talent tree and its benefit added to Swipe by default.
Moonkin Form has been removed from the talent tree and is now learned at level 10 for Balance Druids.
Swiftmend has been removed from the talent tree and is now learned at level 11 for Restoration Druids.
Heart of the Wild now reduces the global cooldown of affected Balance cast-time spells.
Cat Form now increases the range of auto-attacks and melee abilities by 3 yards.
Feline Swiftness now increases movement speed by 15%. Now a 1-point talent.
Thick Hide now reduces damage taken by 4%. Now a 1-point talent.
Natural Recovery now increases healing received by 4% and no longer increases healing done. Now a 1-point talent.
Astral Influence now increases the range of all your spells by 5 yards and no longer increases auto attack or melee ability range. Now a 1-point talent.
Primal Fury now also increases critical strike damage of Mangle by 20%.
Ursine Vigor now increases Stamina and armor in Bear Form by 15% for 4 seconds. Now a 1-point talent.
Guardian Druid improved Bear Form Stamina bonus decreased to 10% (was 20%).
Lycara's Teachings is now a 2-point talent that grants 3/6% of various secondary stats.
Forestwalk now increases your movement speed and healing received by 8% for 6 seconds. Now a 1-point talent.
Well-Honed Instincts' effect now occurs once every 120 seconds. Now a 1-point talent.
Mass Entanglement now roots targets for 10 seconds (was 30 seconds).
Tireless Pursuit has been removed.

State of the Druid Class TreeGlaring Shared Issues

Forced pathing through talents that have no benefit to your specialization

Incredibly weak point by point nodes comparatively to other specializations

Lacking useful utility and competitive defensive nodes

Pathing through what should be baseline abilities

Lackluster capstones

Overall poor pathing. Requires going through too many "filler" nodes to get to anything functional for your spec.

Pathing ProblemsInnervateSootheCycloneUrsol's VortexsharedConvoke the SpiritsspecializationsharedAvenging WrathAbomination LimbAvatarTaxes Too HighWell-Honed InstinctsRejuvenationRemove CorruptionRenewalRising Light, Falling NightInnervateNature's VigilMoonkin FormDruid DefensivesIronfurSootheInstincts of the ClawBear Form bottomall 3 raidsBear FormUrsine VigorLycara's TeachingsUrsoc's SpiritFrenzied RegenerationBear FormNature's Vigil"Feeling" of TalentsStarfireSunfireRejuvenationWild GrowthRising Light, Falling NightStarfireSunfireRejuvenationRejuvenationWild GrowthInstincts of the ClawLore of the GroveBerserkConvoke the SpiritsFeral FrenzyApex Predator's CravingHeart of the WildHeart of the WildHeart of the WildHeart of the WildProposed Solutions / WishlistDefensives

Remove the Bear Form amp nodes in favor of passive HP nodes

Stronger self healing and self sustain, baseline Ysera's Gift and a buffed Well-Honed Instincts would be nice

Adding another defensive button to the Druid kit

Bake Baseline Affinities into Starter Nodes

Balance Affinity - Moonkin Form, Starsurge, Starfire, Sunfire/Improved Sunfire

Feral Affinity - Rip, Rake, Feline Swiftness, Maim

Guardian Affinity - Thrash, Ironfur, Frenzied Regeneration, Thick Hide

Restoration Affinity - Remove Corruption, Rejuvenation, Wild Growth, Natural Recovery

Baseline UtilityMark of the Wild

Innervate

Stampeding Roar

Reworking Talents

Improved Rejuvenation

Ursoc's Spirit - I mention this because it was baked into bear for Guardian then removed and added as a talent recently. Removing a passive and making it a talent is the opposite of quality of life. As a whole, Bear Form does not feel great to press as a defensive and alternative defensive tools should be created so that druid can become less reliant on Bear Form to live for specializations other than Guardian.

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Real defensive nodes

Quality of Life improvements

Bonus Druid fantasy

AoE CC Utility

Potentially strong shared cooldowns like Convoke the Spirits or Incarnation.

Final Thoughts

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Comment by RavenoflogicThat's enough Shamans and Hunters! You got two weeks that's enough. We need to dedicated 6 months to Druid.Comment by WildnightshadeI have to spend too many points to get skull bash.
On my resto shaman, I get Wind Shear on the second row of my general tree.Comment by gusttWe NEED druid getting normal flight for flight form while mounts could stay with skyriding.Comment by GwildorrPlease do not repeat this article topic for all specs. Wowhead please don't do it...Comment by MarkElfThat's enough Shamans and Hunters! You got two weeks that's enough. We need to dedicated 6 months to Druid.Comment by Setsuna665We NEED druid getting normal flight for flight form while mounts could stay with skyriding.Comment by MorbeaverEveryone repeat after me: &*!@ Druids.Comment by ThereckThis is bottom tier of importance coming into TWW. Rogues still don't even spend all hero talent points because it is a DPS loss. Disc priest voidweaver is nonfunctioning. Priests have essentially zero use in M+ outside of Shadow DPS. Demon Hunter's only have 1 partially functioning hero talent tree, Monk's Conduit of the Celestials is pulling random out of combat trash packs(as is Archon Priest), Prot Paladins have recieved a nuke from orbit.

Please cover something more important than a fully functional class that has all their trees functioning decently. This is not something that needs attention drawn to it right now.Comment by EversionThat's enough Shamans and Hunters! You got two weeks that's enough. We need to dedicated 6 months to Druid.Comment by GodsFaithlet druids be bad for one season, i begComment by CatisfactionThat's enough Shamans and Hunters! You got two weeks that's enough. We need to dedicated 6 months to Druid.Comment by Lunae067The druid class tree have too many active abilites (some of them should be baseline ability) and few passives compared to the other tank-heal-dps hybrid classes. Monks have 13 active and 35 passive nodes on their tree, paladins have 14 active and 30 passive on their tree. Meanwhile druids have 25 active and 24 passive. I understand that we have 1 more spec to choose from, but that doesn't justify having less talents that passively buffs us or our abilities. Give the "extra" active abilities baseline, or their respective specs like Wild Growth to Restos. This "button bloat" class tree is a problem since DF alpha, and haven't been solved yet.Comment by RevanADExcluding the absolute bottom talents of our tree (where you obviously can't continue) the druid class tree has NINE dead end nodes. This is more dead ends than every other talent tree in the game PUT TOGETHER.Comment by TastelikelemonDruid went through constant massive class and specializaion tree changes and additions literally every single patch throughout DF. I dont know whats causing so much changes , but the class devs should deffinitely have in depth talks with some class writers in what should be changed to make the specs have less issues. I can bet money till TWW release we gona have another talent scramble in druid trees , lets hope for the best this time.Comment by WyldewolfYes, the rework where I'm still spending potentially 4 or 5 points on beserk/incarn as a bear. Hard to sit and not take issue with how druids feel in the beta when you can ctrl+f and search guardian and no matches for the spec pop up. Only a note in the general tree of our bonus stamina in bear form being reduced. They did this too for the Dragonflight alpha/beta. Only thing we got was a last second damage buff so we could actually play the game and not be a detriment to raids and keys after ignoring all feedback.Comment by dlbert2000 bear form is an on-demand defensive with no CD. That's not bad at all. Comment by lifethiefI agree with the thoughts of this article.Comment by BakhadiFinally somebody adressing the issues druids face. People don't realize how little iteration druid actually got because they saw the tiny changes the spec trees got over DF. I support the druid class tree rework as top priority for Blizz.Comment by KryplixxWAHHHHHH Druids whining is music to my ears. The real hero class, Druids, JUST received a MASSIVE portion of the expansion devoted to them.

"Stronger self healing and self sustain, baseline Ysera's Gift and a buffed Well-Honed Instincts would be nice
Adding another defensive button to the Druid kit"

lol Yep. That's what they need.

Nerf Cyclone.Comment by PacmonkLol bear is tank ? Does tanks even exist ? Let the healers cover that role they want more stuff to do , see ya next season maybe , kite +auggy=m+

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