“I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework.”
Lily Tomlin
Raiding Resto – Normal vs Heroic
Nota Bene: I’ll be starting the heroic version of Emerald Nightmare next week as I’m pretty sure we’ll down Xavius on Sunday. Confidence is high, I repeat, confidence is high.
We have plenty of choices and variables for our Talent Tree, it is a blessing from Elune. I think that there are factors within the specific fights that dictate choices and factors outside the fights like gear and raid composition. Players will also make choices based on comfort with each spell and talent.
We are delighted to read Z is for Zeirah and this most recent post called Heroic Emerald Nightmare as a Resto-Druid Bosses 1-3 with a specific breakdown of each fight and the talent choice rationale. Brilliant. We need more blogs like this all of the time. Read, learn and compare your own choices and needs!
My variables are a little different and let me try to justify.
I feel that I am locked into (for this month) the combination of Prosperity with it’s extra Swiftmend charge and the synergy with Soul of the Forest. With this use and adding the spell from my Artifact, Essence of G’Hanir AND my legendary ring Tearstone of Elune (which can add a Rejuv to those receiving Wild Growth). I think this combination is too powerful to walk away from yet.
Added to that is my sloooow progress on my Artifact trait choices. Early on I have chosen Dreamwalker and Power of the Archdruid; both which trigger off of Wild Growth. Once I get Tranquil Mind, I will surely feel a little more flexible.
This is also based on my experiences in Normal with which Heroic may force some change due to refocused needs; meaning the Tank vs Group Heals.
Like almost everybody, I also choose Displacer Beast and Typhoon. I’d guess the players who also tank might choose Mighty Bash; a five second stun and interrupt.
I’ve been running as Balance Affinity mostly out of habit. The extra five yards is appealing and I quest as Resto in Balance, so it is my default. After reading Z is for Zeirah, I think I’ll choose the wisdom of Guardian Affinity for the 10% damage reduction — it will sure help on Spew Corruption!
The Level 90 Talent row deserves a long look and I think will be fight dependent. Which and when? Germination is strong but really takes a lot of mana. I like Spring Blossoms when we can get some stacking and “stand still for a bit” action. And I don’t have Tranquil Mind yet.
It has to be fight dependent, really. The Spider/Roc fight, the three minute Tranquility lines up perfect for those nasty Mighty Winds; for example.
Finally Stonebark vs Flourish. I have been running Flourish full time but I typically use Stonebark in dungeons, I’m comfortable with change. In general, our two tanks are pretty strong.
With Heroic, the dynamic changes a bit in that the group is generally set and that there is an assumption, when pugging, that the fights will be known. On Normal, I use my mushroom circle to “suggest” where to put trash or to stack on Ursoc; especially when a-pugging. Not so much on Heroic and clearly the priorities change.
Following other writers and seeing their choices and solutions is like mining gold.
Coffee Cakes and Crits 
Firstly… GRATS on your tearstone of Elune.. I am happy for you and envious all in at once in one druid-shaped package. I am so hoping that I might see that drop for me before the expansion ends.
I’m in love with Tranquil mind, it has saved so many wasted casts of tranq when I’ve had to make the choice to either move or take a hit if I plant my feet.It was my main focus in the whole artifact tree. I’m still at least 200k points (rough estimate, I’ve got 1 last rank in a trait to go before the link to it is active and I’m about 30k from that so another 170k? from that) away from POTA .
Stonebark is phenomenal in dgns, especially with a squishy tank or dps that like to stand in things, though I do find myself wishing for flourish at times if there’s a lot of aoe because it can be a big mana and gcd saver to pop it and see all your hots refreshed.
hehe, I like to try to shepherd my groups around via circle placement too. Sometimes it’s a bit of a game with me.. I’ll place it here and hopefully all the melee/tank will run to where I want it. While I do pug into dgns I haven’t in a while, mainly running with the same set of guildies who are trained now to stand in the circle, I’ve even asked the tank to pull back to my circle at times if mana is low and I’ve just placed it and they are standing just outside of it. People that run away from my efflo and stand just outside it are the biggest pet peeve to me lol.
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Running with friends is the best. It is what really keeps me logging in every day!
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