This post is currently a work in progress! As the game is going to keep transforming as new content is put out! BWL incoming!
Introduction
Druids on Primal-WoW are very strong, and are considered often considered the best healer option in-game, with other classes closing in quickly as they get more gear. With the current design of the healing debuff, healers are required to use more mana per health healed. As such the vast amount of mana regeneration druids receive through talents, and the base healing values of Druid spells makes them one of the best (plus a battle rez never hurt).
This guide is going to focus on the Mp5 Dreamstate build I have tested thoroughly in many MCs with top-end players. My original goal was to stack as much Mp5 as possible, and while the core idea is still there I've come to some conclusions on what exactly player should be aiming for in current content. This will be reassessed come BWL.
Talents
Dreamstate Restoration
http://wotlk.openwow.com/talent#0VGcuoIohZZfVouMub
Notable talents in the Balance Tree:
- 3% Spell Haste
- 12% of Intellect as Spellpower
- 10% of Intellect as Mp5
Notable changes in that tree are the single extra point you have, I throw that in the Balance threat reduction talent because of Innervate actually generating threat. I max Bramble to put on Thorns on tanks however you could put 2 points into the Balance threat reduction talent to further mitigate innervate threat.
Notable talents in the Restoration Tree
- 50% mana regeneration continues while casting.
- 15% Rejuvenation increase.
Why is Dreamstate Better?
A while back, Swiftmend in the restoration talent tree was bugged and ignored the healing debuff limitations set by Prime and his team. As such it was incredibly competitive with Dreamstate, offering slightly less in terms of overall healing but providing a powerful “panic button” should things go south rather quickly. This was changed in a more recent patch, now Swiftmend is also changed by the healing debuff and as such Dreamstate pulls very far ahead in efficiency.
This changes itemization heavily, and as such below I'll include a BiS list, that as always, is not a set of requirements... But rather just a list of guidelines to maximize your efficiency.
Stats
Currently there seems to be two schools of thought regarding healing gear itemization for all classes. Mp5 vs Spellpower, the whole never-ending argument of short bursts of big heals vs continuous smaller heals.
Mp5 vs Spellpower
In Vanilla players had the ability to down rank, cast lower ranked version of their healing spells to increase efficiency. These spells would be modified by spellpower just as effectively as their higher ranked counter-parts so healers could itemize less for mana regeneration and more for spellpower. However, WOTLK removed down-ranking reducing mana costs, so it forces you to use the max rank spell.
This server however is special in the fact that it is a WOTLK client, with the down-ranking changes but without the passive mana regeneration from Replenishment and other skills. Add on top of that the current healing debuff which makes spellpower way worse than normal and you have a recipe for a harder healing environment where mana is king (which is great!).
Stat Priority
Now with all the preliminary explanation out of the way here is the TLDR version of it.
Spirit > Mp5 > Intellect > Haste > Spellpower > Crit
Spirit is 4 to 1 mp5 with Intensity
Intellect is ~10 to 1 mp5
Spirit and Mp5 are very close together, Spirit edges out Mp5 very slightly because of the mechanics of Intensity and the fact that it scales with buffs. But the thing they both have in common is; GIEF MORE MANA REGEN.
TIP: I've estimated ~7-8 spellpower is worth one mp5 for pre-raid healers. As you get more gear this number goes down, but for what I've listed it's pretty accurate I think.
How Much Mp5 is Enough?
Like in all parts of life, too much of a good thing can end up being bad for you. In this case Mp5 can become poisonous if you sacrifice too much spellpower for it. It's the idea of throughput. While this section is going to be some more advanced theorycrafting specifically targeted for very well raid (T1+ etc) geared healers.
The current train of thought I have is that 275-300 Mp5 raid buffed is the current target for all Druid healers. After you hit this mark you are able to focus on throughput (spellpower). This is of course for MC, for Onyxia you're wanting be at 300 Mp5 no exceptions, I think this will carry into BWL.
When making these decisions, I believe the player has to look forwards toward the progression content, rather than the meters of the now. BWL fights will be long, and bosses will be smacking your tanks for amounts nearly untankable... As such player should amass a set of gear for both spellpower and Mp5 focus.
What About Dropping Talent Points in Dreamstate?
Once again this section is for highly geared, T1+ druids who are at the ~290+ Mp5 in combat threshold.
To achieve 3/3 Dreamstate, we as Druids sacrifice raw increased healing. Removing one, or even two points as gear gets better from Dreamstate, and gaining 2-4% raw healing output may be more valuable than changing your gearing patterns. However I can assure you that you will always have atleast one point in Dreamstate for a long while to come.
As for specific breakpoints when you can look into Dreamstate talent point reduction? I'd say about 325+. Unbuffed I have ~330 intellect which equates to 33 Mp5. Raid buffed that number only goes up. Sacrificing 3% of that, lowering it down to about ~23 Mp5 unbuffed in exchange for 2% overall healing may begin to be an attractive choice.
However I don't foresee this happening for a while to come. Food for thought eh?
Pre-Raid BiS
Consolidated into a spreadsheet for convenience, has item links too!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... =129852168
As a bonus I've included a work in progress BiS list for the other popular healing classes. Shaman/Paladin are one in the same.
On Darkmoon Necklace: While the Darkmoon Necklace offers a raw 8 Mp5, Jewled Amulet scales with kings and as such may end up being superior. Will run more tests when it releases, and am open to changing the list.
Special thanks for Mazzuru for compiling a list of locations since Open-WoW doesn't clarify on some pieces. Changes have been made to the document.
Ending Notes
Armory: http://www.primalwow.org/armory/charact ... Disconnect