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WoW Classic Druid Starter Build and Leveling Guide

WoW Classic Druid Starter Build and Leveling Guide

Check out the best Leveling/Starter build for the Druid class in World of Warcraft Classic

Druid Leveling Guide
for WoW Classic

Druid

If you are planning on joining the World of Warcraft Classic adventure make sure to check out our other related Guides below:

And Starter builds/Leveling Guides for all other character classes:

RogueRogue Leveling Guide HunterHunter Leveling Guide
PaladinPaladin Leveling Guide PriestPriest Leveling Guide
MageMage Leveling Guide ShamanShaman Leveling Guide
WarriorWarrior Leveling Guide WarlockWarlock Leveling Guide
Or if you are done with the leveling process make sure to check our Best WoW Classic Builds for level 60 characters!


Odealo is a secure trading platform for MMO gamers. It is a gamer-driven marketplace for WoW Classic Gold, Items, and Power Leveling services.

 

Druid Class Overview

Druid is, no doubt, the most versatile of all 9 Classic WoW Classes. Thanks to his Shapeshifting abilities, and healing spells, he can fulfill all three of the holy trinity roles, tanking, healing, and damage dealing. However, like other hybrid Classes, He does not excel at any of these roles, but can still pull His weight and be a very valuable asset in any raid thanks to his good utility toolkit. Spells like Innervate and Mark of the Wild and the ability to Combat Ress greatly benefit all Group compositions, so there is always a place for a Druid in Raids (just reconcile yourself with the fact that you will be asked to play as a Healer 90% of the time).

If there is one thing at which Druid really excels, it is the leveling. This is where his wide ability set really shines and enables him to rush through levels like no other (except maybe Hunter) Class can. This happens because of few,  very important, factors. Firstly, Travel and Cat  Forms increase Druid's overall speed by a lot before level 40. Secondly, His Heal over Time Spells allow him to minimize Downtimes. Thirdly, Shapeshift forms do not utilize Mana as a resource, which means that Druid does not have to stop for a drink almost at all (Mana still regenerates when in a Shapeshift form and the 5-second rule still applies, so Druid will be toped up on mana after the Fight ends if he front-loaded his spells beforehand), and fourthly, Druid's Damage in Shapeshift forms is not affected by his Weapon, which means that he is not Weapon (or Gear) dependant, like other Classes are. Moreover, Druid can Tank, Heal and DPS in pre-End-Game group content without resetting his Talents, as long as he brings appropriate Gear. And we didn't mention the Prowl yet... Druid also has the ability to Stealth while in Cat Form, which enables him to cheese out some Quest types, just like a Rogue can. The main weakness of a leveling Druid is the fact that the first Shapeshift Form (Bear) is available at level 10, which means that the first few levels are rather painful to grind through.

This guide will aid you and your Druid on your journey to level 60; it will help you choose a Race, present you with an optimal leveling Talent build, point you towards Dungeons and Quests that award worthwhile Weapons, provide some tips & tricks, and more.

Druid's Strengths and Weaknesses

 Pros  Cons
 Great Sustain  No access to Shapeshift forms below Level 10 makes starting levels quite painful to grind through
 Strong Self-Healing abilities  No access to an out-of-combat resurrection spell
 Excellent mobility  (Traveling Form, improved Cat Form) and the fact that Shapeshifting removes Slows, Immobilizes and Snares makes Druid hard to control in Open World PvP  Mediocre damage output at medium to high levels
 Fast to level thanks to excellent mobility, self-heals, and great Sustain  Lackluster as a Tank in the Eng-Game
 Can use Cat Form's Prowl to sneak past mobs  End-Game DPS in Cat Form depends on a gimmick that requires a lot of low-level Dungeon grinding (we are looking at you, Manual Crowd Pummeler)
 Does not depend on Gear upgrades too much when leveling  
 Can fulfill the role of a DPS, a Tank, or a Healer  
 Combat Ressurection  


Statistics Priority

  1. Agility - Increases Druid's Cat Form total Attack Power (but does not affect Attack Power of the Bear Form), directly affecting his Damage output, and provides him with Critical Strike and Dodge chances, furtherly increasing his offensive and defensive capabilities. Agility is Druid's primary Statistic and it should be looked for in all Item upgrades.
  1. Strength - Increases Druid's Attack Power in both Bear and Druid Forms. It is Druid's secondary statistic, as it directly increases Feral's DPS and in turn lowers kill-times.
  1. Stamina - Improves Druid's survivability by increasing his total Health. Higher HP pool results in higher uptimes. Stamina also scales with Bear Form, making Bear Druid very hard to kill.
  1. Intellect - Increases total Mana pool and provides Spell Critical chance (But HoT and DoT spells can't crit, so Druid does not benefit from the Crit that much). All in all, more Intellect means more in-Combat Healing and Spell-Casting, which is beneficial to overall leveling speed.
  1. Spirit -  Increases your out-of-combat Health and Mana regeneration rate. Do not underestimate Spirit, as it can cut a large portion out of your Downtime, but do not stack it as it is less beneficial to Druid because of the fact that he does not use Mana while Shapeshifted.

Leveling Statistic Priority:

Agility ⇒ Strenght ⇒ Stamina = Intellect⇒ Spirit 

Note:  Items with "Of the Tiger" Suffix are ideal for Druids, as they provide both Agility and Strength. "Of the Monkey" (Stamina and Agility)  and "Of the Bear" (Stamina and Strength) items are strong second choices and you should Need on those, while in a group, as well.

 

The Race Choice

When it comes to Druid Races, there is not much choice, really. If you want to play Alliance, you are forced to pick Night Elf and if you want to play Horde, your only option is Tauren. But... what if you value Racial benefits over factions? Well, in that case, here is a quick comparison for you:

When it comes to Tanking, Night Elf gets 1% extra Dodge, but Tauren has 5% more Health. Neither of them has a Racial that would affect DPS, but Night Elf's Shadowmeld improves Catform's Prowl effect by a little bit, which makes Night Elf marginally easier to level with. Tauren's War Stomp makes him generally better than Night Elf in PvP, on the other hand, and lets him escape danger in PvE more easily. All this means that Night Elves and Tauren are pretty much equal as Druids, so the real choice is between the Alliance and the Horde.

Note: Please remember that a good Player will make all races work well, and a bad player will not get any better thanks to a Race choice. In other words - pick your Race and your Faction as you please, because after all, Fun is the most important aspect of the Game.

 

Talent Build and Talent Allocation Order

Optimal Talent allocation is essential for smooth leveling. Here, we will describe the most optimal leveling spec and lead you through the Talent Trees level-by-level.

Leveling Talent allocation (10-59)
Feral Leveling Spec

  1. Levels 10-14 ⇒ 5/5 Ferocity - great Talent that increases cost-effectivenes of your main Cat and Bear Form abilities.
  2. Levels 15-19 ⇒ 5/5 Feral Instinct - very versatile Talent. It makes you a Better Tank and also improves your Catform's Stealth, making sneaking past mobs much easier and promoting more Roguelike playstyle. If you are more of a Head-on, brute strength kind of Druid Player, you can pick 5/5 Feral Aggression instead.
  3. Levels 20-21 ⇒ 2/2 Feline Swiftness - this Talent makes Druid one of the fastest and most nimble Classes in the Game. 30% movement speed increase is unbelievably strong for just 2 Talent points.

Now, you will want to take a small detour into the Balance Tree:

  1. Level 22 ⇒ 1/1 Nature's Grasp - at around this level, you start to encounter members of the opposite faction (Stonetalon Mountains, Ashenvale, and Hilsbarad Foothills are all highly contested), so this PvP-focused Talent will come in very handy at this point - you can skip it if you play on a PvE server.

Let's go back to the Feral Tree:

  1. Level 23 ⇒ 1/1 Feral Charge - solid combat opener, interrupt and catch-up mechanic for your Bear Form.

Time for another small detour:

  1. Levels 24-28 ⇒ 5/5 Furor - this Talent makes Shapeshifting in combat more viable and enables you to turn Mana into Energy by powershifting forms.

Back to the Feral Tree again:

  1. Levels 29-31 ⇒ 3/3 Sharpened Claws.
  2. Levels 32-33 ⇒ 2/2 Blood Frenzy- this Talent increases your Catform's Combo Point generation, making you more efficient at dealing with mobs.
  3. Levels 34-35 ⇒ 2/3 Predatory Strikes - this Talent provides you with some additional Attack Power each level.
  4. Level 36 ⇒ 1/1 Faerie Fire (Feral) - great PvP and PvE tool, very useful against Rogues, Druids and heavily Armored Targets. Always cast this, before combat, for a flat DPS increase.
  5. Levels 37-38 ⇒ 2/2 Savage Fury - 20% damage increase for your main DPS abilities.
  6. Level 39 ⇒ 3/3 Predatory Strikes.
  7. Level 40 ⇒ 1/2 Brutal Impact - point has to go somewhere, and this offers the most Impact (hehe).
  8. Levels 41-45 ⇒ 5/5 Heart of the Wild - this Talent provides you with a very high Stat boost, which increases your overall effectiveness.
  9. Level 46 ⇒ 1/1 Leader of the Pack - strong party-wide buff that also synergizes with other Feral's Talents.

Now, it is time to switch into the Balance Tree (for good, this time):

  1. Levels 47-50 ⇒ 4/4 Improved Nature's Grasp - this makes your Nature's Grasp trigger instantly when you are attacked.
  2. Levels 51-55 ⇒ 5/5 Natural Weapons - 10% Damage increase for all your Shapeshift Forms (why is this a Balance Talent anyway?).
  3. Level 56 ⇒ 1/1 Omen of Clarity - this provides you with Clearcasting procs and everybody knows how strong "free" Spells and Abilities can be.
  4. Levels 57-59 ⇒ 3/3 Improved Thorns - this Talent offers a passive DPS increase and is quite good for Tanking as it improves your AoE Threat Generation (by increasing Damage that every mob, who is attacking you in melee, takes). If you don't like it, you can go for 3/3 Natural Shapeshifter instead.
After reaching Level 60, you should visit a Class Trainer, reset your Talent Points and spec into an End-Game Build.

 

Noteworthy Druid Gear Pieces

As mentioned before, Druids do not depend on Gear as much as some other Classes do, so regular Item upgrades are not that necessary for them. However, there are some items that are especially great for Druids and going out of one's way to obtain them is definitely worth it. The list includes pre-raid BiS items, leveling pieces, and even some end-game DPS boosters.

Note: There are a lot more great items than those described. We have mentioned just the most interesting ones. BoE items were excluded from the list, as there is a lot of RNG involved in getting them.

Items to go for as a Druid
Triprunner Dungarees
Triprunner Dungarees
  • Factions: Horde Alliance
  • Source: "Rig Wars" Gnomeregan Dungeon Quest, NPC Nogg, Valley of Honor, Orgrimar (Horde) or "The Grand Betrayal" Gnomeregan Dungeon Quest, NPC High Tinker Mekkatorque, Tinkertown, Ironforge (Alliance).
  • Level Required: These Quests require level 25 to obtain and can be completed easily at levels 28-30.
  • Item Bonuses: +3 Strength, +6 Stamina, +18 Agility.
  • Item Type: Lether Pants. 

These Pants will easily last you to level 40 and you can obtain them around the level at which your Cat Form becomes very strong (Furor comes online at level 28 if you follow our Talent progression).

Manual Crowd Pummeler
Manual Crowd Pummeler
  • Factions: Horde Alliance
  • Source: Crowd Pummeler 9-60 Boss in the Gnomeregan. Entrance: Western part of the Dun Morogh. Drop Chance: ~33%.
  • Level Required: This Item requires level 29 to wield and the Boss is a level 32 Elite.
  • Item Bonuses: +5 Agility, +16 Strenght, On Use: +50% Attack Speed for 30 Seconds (3 charges).
  • Item Type: Two-Handed Mace.  

This Mace provides great stats for its level, but this is not why we recommend it. The real reason for this being on the list is its on-use effect. +50% Attack Speed buff provides a massive DPS increase for Druids at all level ranges (Druids do not benefit from Weapon Damage stats, so having a level 29 Mace is just a minor drawback). This item will be used by Raiding Druids in large quantities, and a leveling Druid might use it to solo Elite Quest mobs easily - this is why it is worth running Gnomeregan to get a few copies of it (It does not regain its charges).

Loksey's Training Stick
Loksey's Training Stick
  • Factions: Horde Alliance
  • Source: Houndmaster Loksey Boss in the Scarlet Monastery: Library. Entrance: North-Eastern part of the Tirisfal Glades. Drop Chance: ~13%.
  • Level Required: This Item requires level 31 to wield and the Boss is a level 34 Elite.
  • Item Bonuses: +60 Attack Power when fighting Beasts.
  • Item Type: Staff. 

Be aware that this Staff is also quite good for Warriors (and for Hunters, because every weapon is a Hunter Weapon). +60 AP against beasts is massive and you might even want to reconsider your leveling route after getting this and prioritize grinding beasts for few levels as your kill times against them will decrease.

White Bandit Mask
White Bandit Mask
  • Factions: Horde Alliance
  • Source: World Drop Tailoring Recipe available from level 215 Tailoring.
  • Level Required: 38.
  • Item Bonuses: +11 Agility, +11 Strenght.
  • Item Type: Cloth Helmet.

This is a very straight forward Item. It provides a bunch of offensive Stats that are great for leveling Druid. It also is very cheap to make (5 Mageweave cloth, Bleach, and a Silken Thread), so getting it crafted should not be a problem.

Masons Fraternity Ring
Masons Fraternity Ring
  • Factions: Horde Alliance
  • Source: "Divino-Matic Rod" Zul'Farrak Dungeon Quest available from level 40 from NPC Chief Engineer Bilgewhizzle, Gadgetzan, Tanaris.
  • Level Required: It is a level 47 Dungeon Quest reward, so a 5 man group will be required.
  • Item Bonuses: +5 Stamina, +13 Agility. 
  • Item Type: Ring. 

Just a solid bunch of primary Stats.

Wolfshead Helm
Wolfshead Helm
  • Factions: Horde Alliance
  • Source: Tribal Leatherworking Recipe that requires 230 Leatherworking Skill to make.
  • Level Required: 40. 
  • Item Bonuses: +10 Spirit, 20 Energy when Shapeshifting into Cat Form, 5 Rage when Shapeshifting into Bear Form.
  • Weapon Type: Leather Helmet. 

This Druid Helmet increases your Shapeshifting efficiency and synergizes well with the Furor Talent, making powershifting forms in combat even more viable.

Devilsaur GauntletsDevilsaur Leggings
The Devilsaur Set

  • Factions: Horde Alliance
  • Source: Tribal Leatherworking Recipes that require 290 (Gauntlets) and 300 (Leggings) Leatherworking Skill to make.
  • Level Required: 53 (Gauntlets) and 55 (Leggings). 
  • Item Bonuses
    • Gauntlets: +9 Stamina, +28 Attack Power, +1% Critical Strike.
    • Leggings: +12 Stamina, +46 Attack Power, +1% Critical Strike.
    • Set: +2% Chance to Hit. 
  • Item Types: Gauntlets + Leggings 2 piece Set.

These are quite expensive to make but are definitely worth it, as they are a part of Druid's pre-Raid BiS set and will make last few levels much easier.

Rotations

Your rotation will greatly depend on your level and will get gradually more complex as you progress through content and get access to more tools. 

Rotation Before Getting Bear Form (1-10)

At these early levels, you don't have much choice when it comes to Rotation, so you are forced to use whatever offensive spells you have access to in combination with your melee Weapon:

Remember to maintain all available Buffs

Single Target Rotation:

Wrath ⇒ Wrath Moonfire ⇒ Auto Attack your Target to death

In Multi-Target situations, use Entangling Roots on one Target, eliminate the Second Target with your Single Target Rotation after moving out of first Target's melee range, and then engage the rooted Target. Use Healing Touch and Rejuvenation if needed, and remember to refresh Entangling Roots.

Rotations after obtaining Bear Form (10-19)

This is where your Rotation almost completely changes. From now on, you will front-load all your spells and then use your Shapeshift in order to maximize your in-combat mana regeneration and grinding efficiency.

Remember to maintain your Buffs (Mark of the Wild and Thorns)

Before Combat Starts: Pre-Cast Rejuvenation and Regrowth (if needed)

Single Target Rotation:

Wrath Moonfire ⇒ Bear Form ⇒ Maul until a mob is dead

Multi-Target Rotation:

Pre-Cast Rejuvenation and Regrowth ⇒ Bear Form Demoralizing Roar ⇒ Maul until the fight is over

  • Use Enrage on Cooldown if fighting 1v1
  • Use Bash to interrupt any Spellcasting
  • Use Entangling Roots if you pull too many enemies
Rotations after obtaining Cat Form (20-59)

After you gain access to Cat Form, you will be using it in 1v1 situations, but you will still go back to the Bear Form for Multi-Target fights.

Remember to maintain your Buffs (Mark of the Wild and Thorns)

Before Combat Starts: Pre-Cast Rejuvenation and Regrowth (if needed)

Single Target Rotation:

Cat Form ⇒ If Level 36+: Faerie Fire (Feral) ⇒ Rake Claw*3Ferocious Bite to finish the enemy off/Rip (if facing Higher Level/Elite or Well Armored Target that will not die quickly or if you don't have Ferocious Bite yet)

Multi-Target Rotation: 

Pre-Cast Rejuvenation and Regrowth ⇒ Bear Form  If Level 36+: Faerie Fire (Feral) Demoralizing Roar ⇒ Maul until the fight is over

  • Use Pounce as an Opener if needed
  • Use Bash to interrupt any Spellcasting
  • Use Feral Charge to interrupt any Spellcasting
  • Use Entangling Roots if you pull too many enemies
  • Use Dash to escape Danger or to relocate quickly

 

Professions

Leatherworking Skinning
Leatherworking + Skinning

This combination will enable you to craft yourself some Gear as you progress through Levels. The main problem with Leatherworking is the fact that it does not provide as much profit as other Crafting professions do (except Engineering). However, if you level up quickly and get an opportunity to farm some Devilsaur Leathers, this combination might turn out to be the most profitable out there (Devilsaur Set, crafted by Tribal Leatherworkers, is the pre-Raid Bis for a few Classes and the demand for it will be very high during the Server's first few months)*.

*Just keep in mind that Devilsaurs will be highly contested and Skinning even one of them might be very difficult.

Skinning is the best gathering profession for quick levelers as it does not require you to go out of your way and provides some steady influx of money.

Herbalism + Alchemy
Herbalism + Alchemy

Druid is a Gear-independent Class, so this might be a great alternative if you don't like Leatherworking and plan to take your time leveling*. Alchemy provides a wide range of consumables that will aid you during leveling and will become a great source of Gold in later stages of the game. The main source of Alchemist's income comes from selling large quantities of Flasks, Potions, and Elixirs. Most of them do not require too many rare or expensive ingredients, which makes Alchemy one of the top Gold-making Professions. 

*Gathering Herbs is more time-consuming than farming Leather and does not award any experience, so power-levelers will be better off with LW+Skinning, or even Skinning+a second gathering profession.

Note1: Herbalism is necessary here as it will provide you with materials for Alchemy.

Note2: Many Alchemy ingredients come from Fishing (Oily Blackmouth, Firefin Snapper, and others), so leveling it up as an Alchemist might be a good idea.

If you want to know more about all professions available in WoW Classic, please check out our WoW Classic Professions Guide.

 

Tips and Tricks for Druid leveling

  1. Remember that your Mana regenerates while you are Shapeshifted, and your Shapeshift-specific skills do not affect its regen. This means that you should front-load your spells before or at the start of the engagement (by using HoTs, Roots, and DoTs, for example), and then Shapeshift. This will ensure, that you'll regenerate your mana throughout the whole Combat, and allow you to use more spells after the Engagement without Drinking.
  1. Preserve your Gold. Ideally, you should be able to progress through levels without any Auction House purchases (if you spot a great Weapon upgrade, do not hesitate if it is cheap, however). When it comes to Skills - you should learn just the essentials from Class Trainers.
  1. Ferocious Bite drains all of your Energy, so use it only when your Energy is low, and you have accumulated enough Combo Points to warrant it.
  1. Entangling Roots do not have a DR when used on mobs, so you can keep a mob Rooted at all times.
  1. If you plan to run Dungeons to supplement your leveling, it is a good idea to keep an Intelligence set around. This will make you much more versatile and welcome in Dungeon Groups, as being a Tank, a DPS or a Healer makes an ultimate Party member out of you.


On Odealo multiple sellers compete for your attention. You are guaranteed to find WoW Classic Gold at the best price.

 

END NOTE

Leveling process in the Classic World of Warcraft is different from leveling in the current game versions. This Guide should help you to prepare yourself for that legendary Vanilla Experience and allow you to progress through levels efficiently and with a good amount of fun.

We hope that you have found this Guide useful and informative.  If we have missed a piece of information that is important to you, please let us know! 

Please do note that this is an early version of our guide, and we will be happy to receive constructive criticism, that will help us improve it, so leave your suggestions in the comments section below.

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Blizzard Entertainment Inc.