ok i am getting mixed results on searches regarding stat priority for a feral (bear mainly) druid
i just found out that weapon dps is a non issue (or is it- i am not sure) and is just for stats
i saw somewhere where cats can use strength but bears dont need it?
does strength do anything for bears?
what should i look for as i level my baby bear
thanks and sorry if this has been asked before but it is hard to find answers
Weapons for druid forms are used for their stats only and the damage does not matter on them because while in form damage is based off of your attack power and not your weapons. I typically carry two weapons with me that I swap when I go into caster form with +healing on it and one for melee with high agility or str
Strength will give you 2 ap per 1 point while agility gives 1 ap per point and extra crit/dodge chance. This is debateable but for leveling I like to prioritize agility because you get a chance at dealing more damage and with talents, double the combos. Auto attacks will be a big portion of your damage.
For druid bear you want a good mix of stam/str/agility. If tanking, you want items with defense on it.
For cat you want agility and stength.
That being said, intellect and spirit are not bad stats for leveling. They will allow you more chances for form switching. Spirit will work while you are in combat and in form and with a certain amount it will help your leveling process become smoother.
thanks so much for your response
atm i am only lvl 18
i intended to tank my first rfc run but another druid joined and was a couple levels higher so i let her tank
and, goodness gracious, being an “off druid” (but this is not fair- i rolled druid because of the strength of utilizing shapeshifting as a core gameplay mechanic) is tremendous; two feral druids in lowbie dungeons; i have never seen a more faceroll setup including these mage cleave groups; most stressless runs of all time
——-/
i was wondering… could it be possible to put all point in feral early on and - as a tank tactic- stealth w kitty, open up a stealth attack on a pack, switch out- warstomp- bear form?
to be brutally honest- i really miss the ease with switching forms in retail. being a guardian, bull rushing the pack of mobs, kiting away and (having access to wild growth and some heals- speccing in resto affinity? i forget already retail) not having to switch out to activate magic
but i still want to maintain a very active rhythm of switching forms to maximize the shapeshifter
———-
also- would a main hand weapon (i cannot bypass the veildust medicine pouch offhand for the shtf lowbie instant “mana pot”) with +attack power be beneficial?
and though a weapon’s base dps stats is not used; the stats are and…
a priority of (str,stam,agility, but maintaining int and spirit)
thanks again for helping out
Until you get into level 60 gear you’re mainly going to want gear with as much stamina and armor as possible. It’s going to be best for you to have leather greens with “Of Stamina” > “Of the Monkey” >= “Of the Bear” > “Of the tiger”.
Along the way there are certain pieces like rings or weapons that give armor, these are very valuable for bear and a lot of the endgame +armor items are bis for bear
excellent- thanks for the tips
Actually until you hit level 20 and are willing to spend a gold to respec, balance is the best option for maximum damage output since you can get natural weapons which is 10% increased weapon damage. At level 20 is when you get the 15/30% movement speed from cat form and that will be a big boost to your leveling speed until travel form at 30. Cat form also significantly boosts your time to kill mobs. You can absolutely use a one hand and an offhand, or a 2h mace/staff.
Some of the best druid weapons are 1 handers.
#1 Armor
#2 Stamina
#3 Agility
Your weapon only matters for the stats and feral attack power. Your threat is insane compared to Warriors, so you don’t really need hit (although it is nice to have). What you need is a way to not die to crits/crushings.
I don’t know what you think you are going to accomplish by shifting forms. If you are tanking, going cat is going to kill you. If you are in cat and go bear you won’t accomplish much unless the tank dies.
In classic Strength equates to Attack power for all classes. As such cats need/want it as much as rogues and hunters would.
Bears /can/ have it, but there are better stats to aim for.
Armor>Stam>Agi…follow that priority and you’ll be bear Jesus.
Armor is great, stamina not so much. There’s nothing in dungeons that hits hard enough to 1 or 2 or 3 shot you, the limiting factor is healer mana, not your own EH.
I would prioritise “of the tiger” first for fast leveling speed. You are going to end up with plenty of stamina anyway from dungeon drops/quest rewards.
Grab Gargoyle’s Bite off the AH as soon as you can, it’s ridiculously cheap and will last you well into your 30s.
lol
i grabbed the gargoyles bite off ah for 45s
cant learn polearms apparently so relisted gargoyles for 2g- sold it
now i am a gargoyle bite flipper
Lol yeah, I only realised after I posted this that druids can’t use polearms in classic.
Did the exact same thing!