Balance, Excited for 5.2?

[Bonsaii]

With the high levels of gear that will be available in 5.2 are you guys thinking we'll be creeping up on single target damage? Of course we'll still be better with multiple targets, but I can sure see us doing some heavy DPS with the way crit scales.

[Kilma]

With the high levels of gear that will be available in 5.2 are you guys thinking we'll be creeping up on single target damage? Of course we'll still be better with multiple targets, but I can sure see us doing some heavy DPS with the way crit scales.

I think we will be alright next tier. Probably one of the best things for the next tier are crazy amounts of crit. I think going for the 5273 Haste plateau and then spamming crit will be our best option. I also think we'll start gemming Intellect again too.

As a result of spamming Crit and the synergy from T15 set bonuses(2pc 10% crit to starsurge, 4pc 1000Crit/Mastery on Nature's Grace) our issue with movement may significantly decrease as we'll be able to have an instant starsurge like 70% of the time.

It's crazy how good the 2Pc T15 seems... DoT crits, Starsurge proc -> Starsurge Crit, Longer Duration DoTs -> DoT crit. Cycle continues!

[Bonsaii]

I'm wondering if we'll hit the point where you can do a full eclipse cycle without a dot falling off.
Eg. Moonfire, cast out of lunar eclipse, hit solar, go through solar, hit lunar, reapply moonfire before it falls off.

Well I've had it happen with some lucky crit strings, but I mean consistently.

I also wish they'd give us the PvP 4 piece as a passive effect. Seems like that would really help with movement too. It's not a large increase, but it's definitely a nice little bump.

[Liax]

Chicken's scale amazingly with gear.

[Fleuria]

I'm wondering if we'll hit the point where you can do a full eclipse cycle without a dot falling off.
Eg. Moonfire, cast out of lunar eclipse, hit solar, go through solar, hit lunar, reapply moonfire before it falls off.

Well I've had it happen with some lucky crit strings, but I mean consistently.

I also wish they'd give us the PvP 4 piece as a passive effect. Seems like that would really help with movement too. It's not a large increase, but it's definitely a nice little bump.

Had it at the end of t13, when I had roughly 35% unbuffed crit, pretty much never had to refresh a dot outside of eclipse

[Kadde111]

Since people are starting to talk about gemming int and with the changes to vigil, do you think the 6% int from WotH will start being superior? Just damagewise, or even counting the extreme tranq one could pull of during a fight?

[Reyzzz]

I'm not gemming int until I have proof that 1 int > 2 crit

[ro9ue]

Might go back to boomkin for my dps OS instead of cat for the first time since ICC. Was a lot easier being able to basically use the same gear. (I'm resto MS)

[Kadde111]

I'm not gemming int until I have proof that 1 int > 2 crit

I hate to just flat out call people dumb, or well not really but seriously. Till someone tells you 1 int >2 crit? its a matter of where YOUR own gear is at, with more gear int may pass crit during 5.2.

[Yazgot]

I hate to just flat out call people dumb, or well not really but seriously. Till someone tells you 1 int >2 crit? its a matter of where YOUR own gear is at, with more gear int may pass crit during 5.2.

And it will, due to crit DR.

[Reyzzz]

Till someone tells you 1 int >2 crit?

That's not what I said, so don't judge me just because you interpreted my reply wrong.

[Keiyra]

On a side note, with NV being weakened a bit and the SOTF change being underwhelming...has anyone taken a look at Force of Nature for balance. Have they buffed it at all? (I heard the resto version was stronger than current)

If they have, maybe a FoN+HoTW could be viable, certainly would be more sustained and less bursty. just relies on whether or not the PTR FoN is doing more damage. Anyone test it out?

[Sunfyre]

I'm not gemming int until I have proof that 1 int > 2 crit

If you're not in almost near heroic gear, 1 int > 2 crit. Want proof? Use WrathCalcs.

[Kilma]

If they have, maybe a FoN+HoTW could be viable, certainly would be more sustained and less bursty. just relies on whether or not the PTR FoN is doing more damage. Anyone test it out?

I believe the only time FoN would have been viable is if it benefited from solar eclipse. Since it doesn't and the somewhat iffy AI that FoN has makes it still lackluster as before.

As for HoTW, I think its intention will be for our "hybrid" status (although I'd rather be pure dps) as it will give us a somewhat burst healing cd as well as the 6% Int benefit. With the NV change I think it will help on constant raid damage since the CD is only 90 seconds had they didn't reduce the healing that it does and its benefit is the 10% damage increase that can stack with InC.

NV also turned into a quasi defensive cd for PvP that also give a dmg increase.

[Sunfyre]

If they have, maybe a FoN+HoTW could be viable, certainly would be more sustained and less bursty. just relies on whether or not the PTR FoN is doing more damage. Anyone test it out?

FoN has two issues:

As Kilma said, it doesn't scale with Solar Eclipse.

Also, there's a delay after you dropping them until it gets it's first cast off. This causes it to lose a few casts from it's hypothetical maximum. If it were to begin instantly casting the moment you summoned them (or the duration was extended to account for it), combined with Solar Eclipse, it might be okay. Currently each treant loses 1-2 casts a piece (so 3-6 casts, which is a considerable amount).

[Nephyron]

Another problem, from my pov, is that players used to spam abilities like me, will try to click the ground as fast as possible with the result of losing your target because you clicked the ground :S

I'd prefer the treants to be summoned like mage's mirror images do

[Royalite]

Another problem, from my pov, is that players used to spam abilities like me, will try to click the ground as fast as possible with the result of losing your target because you clicked the ground :S

I'd prefer the treants to be summoned like mage's mirror images do

It made sense back in the day when you wanted to reduce travel time cause they were melee. Or in pvp you wanted them be immediately next to your pvp target to snare/stun (which ever they used to do) again cause they were melee.

Now there isn't a point... is there? Just another reticle targeting tool to an already reticle dependent spec (ie hurricane, treants, mushrooms). One of the things I like dislike most about druids is all the green circle requiring spells.

[Saerise]

I want to be excited, but I haven't really seen anything in the patch notes thus far that gives me much hope.

[Toucanio]

Seeing our scaling, I don't think they will even check our damage in the tuning pass.

I would say that FoN makes Mastery feel even more useless, as the Eclipse damage Bonus won't modify the Treant's Wrath damage. Even if a Moonkin shouldn't be gearing for Mastery, at least it gets a bit better with SoTF and Incarnation, specially with the latter and the way stacking CDs works on the damage.

Personally, I would add an % of damage based on our Mastery to the Trees if it's mechanically impossible for them to read our Eclipse buffs.

[Kilma]

I can tell you one thing... Unerring Vision of Lei Shen

just broke all caster classes with DoTs - Starsurge Procs Galore, Warlocks with full set of DoTs that crit, Fire Mage with 100% crit combust?!?