Is my bear squishier in S4?

Classes Druid
1

I am not a druid main and don’t frequent this section of the forums. I only tank here and there for my friends. But I gotta say I feel quite a bit squishier since the start of S4. Is it just me or is there something different?

Note: I realize both my trinkets have been nerfed but it feels like more than that.

2

My experience so far, and take it with a grain of salt since I’ve only grouped with a couple bear tanks this season, is that you’re immortal during CDs then get slapped when they’re not up.

I realize to an extent that’s true for most tanks, but it feels a lot more obvious with bears.

4 Likes
3

Ive actually switched back to nf recently because of that.
Incarn is way to long of a cd now especially without urh. Just feels really lame to have a 3min cd bee the main source of tankiness and dmg a bear can do.

2 Likes
4

I see no difference between S3 and S4 outside of the fact that if you’re doing a +15 key, that is equal to a +18 key from last season so you have to make sure you’re comparing the damage profile appropriately.

5

It’s one of those things where now it’s more about aligning big pulls up with your tank cds. Most of your DPS has 1m or 2m cds and so it’s not that difficult to do a few smaller but reasonable pulls and then at the Incarn mark do a massive pull.

I’ve had no issues still playing Venthyr but I also run with a Destro/Surv player who pumps on either spec when we do major pulls so its rarely a concern for us.

6

That’s what I had thought going in, the 3 level difference roughly, but it’s just felt off to me. I could do a 15 before without too much of a beating it felt like but I did a 10 grimrail this morning and felt like I was just getting slapped. Somewhat during cds but really bad outside of them.

Especially in the groups I run with it takes us a little longer to clear a mob and when my cds are out my healer starts panicking lol.

7

Can you give me examples of which pull? Is it possible due to getting the boomer’s 5 stack debuff that chunks any tank if you don’t strafe out of it?

8

I have no doubt me and my group are taking some avoidable damage. Just to be clear I am by no means a professional lol.

The guys on the ramp after the first boss, while dodging a lot of the junk on the ground. The packs with the boomers of course and with the big guys wailing on me. And the dreadlords, the hit the crap out of me lol.

I’m sure some of it has to do with gaining familiarity with the new dungeons. I’m just feeling like I’m running out of cds more often (losing urh def hurts) and having more panic situations.

9

Yee i pug the majority of my keys.

10

They stack a nasty debuff on the tank, requires DPS not to sit on cooldowns, requires the healer to actually heal, that’s not a tank problem but everyone else.

I believe the priority order is Grenaders > Boomers in those pulls. The big brute can be soothed, so don’t forget to soothe him when his stacks hit 5 or higher.

The vampiric claws will do that on pretty much all tanks, I believe the only way you can avoid it is if you somehow parry or block some of the damage, neither of which a Guardian druid can do. I wish they would have made this a frontal you can strafe but I don’t think that’s possible.

Maybe this will help you:

  1. First pull, 3 packs, includes 2 Shrouded guys.
    I use my pre-dungeon Incarn/Frenzy chained into an Incarn/Frenzy.
  2. Use Frenzy/Incarn on first pull after first cut-scene.
    If possible, chain into the next pull with what’s left of Frenzy/Incarn.
  3. Next car has the 3 pack, now I prefer to pull the first two packs together and use defensives there, but that’s entirely your prerogative if you want to do those separately. The only thing that usually hurts it the Brute, which we can soothe the enrage effect off.
  4. Final pull in that car before boss, I use Incarn/Frenzy. This is by far the hardest of the three pulls in there. Now you can do all 3 packs together if you have good dps and if you are good about getting out of the ground effects, dodging boomers frontals, and soothing but it can be a lot of damage on your group if your healer isn’t prepared.
  5. After 3rd boss, pull the shaman separately. Once its almost dead, chain pull into the rest of the final car as a single pull with Incarn/Frenzy.

I find it super easy as a Guardian druid in there but you do need to think about your Incarn/Frenzy placement more than you do in some of the more recent SL dungeons.

1 Like
11

All I can say to that is “I’m sorry.”.

The PUG scene is quite brutal unless you’re pushing in the +20 ballpark with players who actually care about the group rather than themselves and who have a desire to do well rather than be carried.

12

Oh ye ik, pugging is rough but man i find it much more entertaining to pug. Just playing bear amd dealing with pug nonsense is kinda bleh sometimes.

13

Oh absolutely, that’s the one thing with Bear, most keys that the average population does, those keys are trivial for bears. We don’t really have any super engaging gameplay or buffs to really watch for and so you can see some of the silliest stupidity sometimes :slight_smile: and just giggle throughout the entire dungeon.

14

Same, and same reason I stay NF as bear and Resto. Convoke is a pug saver a lot of times.

I wish I could set up a steady group. But my play time is too erratic.

15

I have a pretty good guild i run with but by the time we usually stop raiding im exhausted annd head too bed. I doo run a decent amount on sundays though, really good day for that.

16

the trash mobs inside the train on Grimrail slap hard, they have a fire cone you have to dodge and a fire puddle. Both will wreck you very quickly, even with incarnation.

17

Personally, I find train easy on the Bear, it’s all about where you use Incarnation.

18

the mobs will delete you even in incarnation if you don’t dodge the abilities.