Post by erdluf on Aug 27, 2012 15:20:59 GMT -5
TLDR: Open with Pounce or Wrath+Moonfire. Use the kitty rotation (Rake+Mangle+Ferocious Bite(5 combo points, 50 energy). Throw in a Rejuv if necessary and a Faerie Fire when out of energy. Stop Mangle and use FB if it will kill your target. If a single cat cycle won't kill your target, read the rest of this post.
The original ironman Druid thread has lots of great advice that is still applicable. However a lot has changed, so it deserves an update.
Right now this is theorycraft. As we gain some practical experience, this will be updated. Things look very straightforward until you get into Cata zones and have Mobs with very high health pools.
Damage:
Open with Wrath(1)+Moonfire(3) or Pounce(32), based largely on where you want to start the fight (and if you have pounce yet). I believe that at most levels, the Wr+MF opener will result in a slightly faster kill, but you burn a bit more mana and usually take a bit more damage because you have no stun. Edit: After a bit of experience, I prefer to open with Pounce if the positioning allows it. For normal trash mobs, no incoming damage for the first five seconds means I can wait to finish the fight before I heal (that also means a faster kill). No mana except an end-of-fight Rejuv (plush 1 shapeshift) means no need for consumables between fights. Also, the strong Pounce DoT is likely to quickly kill a mob that runs away.
Apply Faerie Fire(24) in cat form, the first time your energy is below 100 (ie after your first Pounce or Rake).
Maintain damage with Rake(6), Mangle Cat(6) and Ferocious Bite(6). If FB isn't going to kill your target, be sure to only use it at 4 or 5 combo points, and 50+ energy. Be sure Pounce, Rake or Lacerate is ticking to increase the FB crit chance.
When your Energy is below 35 (meaning you can't use a cat ability), and your next FB is not going to kill your target, go to Bear(8) for one Mangle if you don't have Lacerate, or two if you do. Lacerate between Mangles. Rule of thumb for Rage: Use Maul(8) if you have more remaining health than your opponents, otherwise use Frenzied Regeneration.
AoE: Swipe (22) and Hurricane (42) appear to be very weak for an IronMan. Unless you have many very-low-health targets, I recommend more reliance on CC and burning down one target at a time. At 76 (where a green mob might have ~9k health), Swipe Bear does roughly 100 damage, and Swipe Cat does roughly 200.
CC: Entangling Roots(10), Nature's Grasp(52), Soothe(60), Hibernate(66). Cyclone(78), Maim(82)
Maim looks very weak compared to FB so I'm calling it a CC.
Hibernate is a shorter cast and lasts longer than Roots. It also prevents ranged attacks.
For any named MoB, cast Roots before the fight. If the MoB is immune, it is quite likely that you should skip the fight.
In Cata, most mobs broke roots after losing 20% health. That usually means you want to root the MoB that you aren't attacking.
In rare circumstances Wrath/Root/Back Away/Wrath/Root/... may be viable (same tactic can be used with Hibernate). This will burn through your mana quickly.
Heals:
Rejuvenation(4) is strong enough that you'll usually wait to take some damage before casting it. Otherwise you'll get too much overheal. Be sure that Rejuv is on a keybind available in any form.
Healing Touch(26) and Tranquility(74) are slow enough and expensive enough that you really don't want to use them. If at all possible, use CC and bandages before these spells. In a last-ditch situation I'd recommend Barkskin(44)+HT if Barkskin is available. That gives you a very large heal in 2.5s. Otherwise prefer Tranquility to HT. In a pushback situation, Tranquility will tick at 2s and 4s. HT might take 3.5s to land.
A rough ordering (may vary depending on your level, and how much armor your target has) of how much damage our abilities do to a single target (full duration for DoTs):
Ferocious Bite(5 CP, 50 energy) > Pounce > Maim(5CP) > Hurricane > Moonfire > Wrath > Mangle(Bear) > Rake > Mangle(Cat) > Swipe(Cat) > Lacerate > Swipe(Bear) > Maul >>> Faerie Fire(Bear)
The original ironman Druid thread has lots of great advice that is still applicable. However a lot has changed, so it deserves an update.
Right now this is theorycraft. As we gain some practical experience, this will be updated. Things look very straightforward until you get into Cata zones and have Mobs with very high health pools.
Damage:
Open with Wrath(1)+Moonfire(3) or Pounce(32), based largely on where you want to start the fight (and if you have pounce yet). I believe that at most levels, the Wr+MF opener will result in a slightly faster kill, but you burn a bit more mana and usually take a bit more damage because you have no stun. Edit: After a bit of experience, I prefer to open with Pounce if the positioning allows it. For normal trash mobs, no incoming damage for the first five seconds means I can wait to finish the fight before I heal (that also means a faster kill). No mana except an end-of-fight Rejuv (plush 1 shapeshift) means no need for consumables between fights. Also, the strong Pounce DoT is likely to quickly kill a mob that runs away.
Apply Faerie Fire(24) in cat form, the first time your energy is below 100 (ie after your first Pounce or Rake).
Maintain damage with Rake(6), Mangle Cat(6) and Ferocious Bite(6). If FB isn't going to kill your target, be sure to only use it at 4 or 5 combo points, and 50+ energy. Be sure Pounce, Rake or Lacerate is ticking to increase the FB crit chance.
When your Energy is below 35 (meaning you can't use a cat ability), and your next FB is not going to kill your target, go to Bear(8) for one Mangle if you don't have Lacerate, or two if you do. Lacerate between Mangles. Rule of thumb for Rage: Use Maul(8) if you have more remaining health than your opponents, otherwise use Frenzied Regeneration.
AoE: Swipe (22) and Hurricane (42) appear to be very weak for an IronMan. Unless you have many very-low-health targets, I recommend more reliance on CC and burning down one target at a time. At 76 (where a green mob might have ~9k health), Swipe Bear does roughly 100 damage, and Swipe Cat does roughly 200.
CC: Entangling Roots(10), Nature's Grasp(52), Soothe(60), Hibernate(66). Cyclone(78), Maim(82)
Maim looks very weak compared to FB so I'm calling it a CC.
Hibernate is a shorter cast and lasts longer than Roots. It also prevents ranged attacks.
For any named MoB, cast Roots before the fight. If the MoB is immune, it is quite likely that you should skip the fight.
In Cata, most mobs broke roots after losing 20% health. That usually means you want to root the MoB that you aren't attacking.
In rare circumstances Wrath/Root/Back Away/Wrath/Root/... may be viable (same tactic can be used with Hibernate). This will burn through your mana quickly.
Heals:
Rejuvenation(4) is strong enough that you'll usually wait to take some damage before casting it. Otherwise you'll get too much overheal. Be sure that Rejuv is on a keybind available in any form.
Healing Touch(26) and Tranquility(74) are slow enough and expensive enough that you really don't want to use them. If at all possible, use CC and bandages before these spells. In a last-ditch situation I'd recommend Barkskin(44)+HT if Barkskin is available. That gives you a very large heal in 2.5s. Otherwise prefer Tranquility to HT. In a pushback situation, Tranquility will tick at 2s and 4s. HT might take 3.5s to land.
A rough ordering (may vary depending on your level, and how much armor your target has) of how much damage our abilities do to a single target (full duration for DoTs):
Ferocious Bite(5 CP, 50 energy) > Pounce > Maim(5CP) > Hurricane > Moonfire > Wrath > Mangle(Bear) > Rake > Mangle(Cat) > Swipe(Cat) > Lacerate > Swipe(Bear) > Maul >>> Faerie Fire(Bear)