2.3 Druid To-Do's

Patch 2.3 is great for druids! Thank you Blizzard. Here are some highlights and reminders for the next few days.

Need to test /cast Dire Bear or Cat or ToL while in these forms when polymorphed or trapped. The rumor is that this will break the morph/trap without needing to change form, but costs some mana. CONFIRMED. Natural Shapeshifter has become a much more interesting talent with this change.

Need to check all those macros with /cancelstance as the initial command. Many old macros that allowed the functions such as: Change form>Cast a spell>Use an item- are now obsolete. Now, druids can /cast Regrowth, which will cause you to leave your form and cast Regrowth instantly. Here are some forum insights into new possibilities. Here are some problems with the new macros/stances/forms. Per Blue, druids are not supposed to be able to shift out of form, use a potion and instantly shift back into form.

The effect of these Macro changes will be that we can:
-Reduce the number of macros we currently have dedicated to Change Form + Action macros.

-Initially it was thought that druids would be able to "virtually" use potions and items while in Cat, Bear or ToL, because we could use items and return to form so very quickly (never been a Boomkin, I don't know if we can already use items/pots there) with macros such as:
/cancelform
/use Super Healing Potion
/cast Dire Bear Form

Caveat: you will be stuck in caster if a Global Cooldown is activated with the use of your item.

-Stun for a very long time: Pounce:Maim:Bash:Cyclone with admixed Mangle and Lacerate will be very deadly in PvP.

-Heal very quickly. Try: "/cast Regrowth" while in Dire Bear Form.


Remember to:
-Go get all those Heroic keys. Especially Lower City key for Sethekk Hall so you can do the quests for druid Flight Form without the preceding reputation grind.
-Remap your healing UI to include Abolish Poison if you are a Resto druid or Remove Curse if you are a Moonkin.
-Re-evaluate all those + Attack Power items. They are now more powerful for Cat Form in 2.3.
-Get your Fishing Tracker! Those who know fishing will know how huge this is!

I hope to give you some numbers on the effectiveness of the old Dreamstate build and the Moonkin build as a healing build now that we have improvements to Intensity.

Update: Global Cooldown (GCD) is oh so broken! Check out this post from a highly rated rogue who describes this very nicely from where it first appeared on the PTR.