FERAL DRUID ADVANCED TIPS

ONE TALENT THAT COULD BENEFIT YOUR GAMEPLAY!

Did you know there's a Feral Druid talent that barely gets picked, but it can be an alternative choice for new Feral Druid players or even pro players as well? It's the alternative choice from Blood Talents, being Lion Strength.

What it does is it gives a flat-out buff to your rip and ferocious bite by 15%, which just increases your overall damage by quite a big margin. Now the benefits of this talent is that you can use low combo point rips, and you won't overcap your combo points when you compare it to Blood Talents.

Sometimes when you're playing with Blood Talents, you're simply just forced to use a finisher without Blood Talents or use combo points without it. This is going to never happen when you play with Lion Strength, allowing for more ease of gameplay, which can be excellent for new Feral Druid players.

You can also spam Shred and Bite during Incarnation, especially with Apex Predator, as you can increase every bite damage. Numbers-wise, we know Blood Talents is technically the better choice here, but not every arena game will be a 100%.

You can also use it to get a 100% PVE damage rotation that you can get away with. Now for that reason, we recommend that you could try out Lion Strength if you're unable to utilize Blood Talents fully, and if you want to have an easier time playing Feral Druid.

INCARNATION TIPS

Incarnation isn't just a part of your win condition, it is your win condition, and in this guide we're going to be teaching you how to use it most effectively. We're going to split this guide into three parts, okay?

Answering how and when to use Incarnation, and then some min-maxi tips on increasing its consistency. First, let's answer when, which has a pretty straightforward answer here.

Use it every single time it's available, assuming we can line it up with Tiger's Fury at the very least. The best Feral Druids will Incarn in the opener of Solo Shuffle since it enables them to generate huge early game momentum.

This is why when we made our Bursting Guides, they were essentially our openers too. By opening with Incarn, you can get the ball rolling immediately and can force early game defensives that could potentially convert to a kill later on.

Sometimes you can even win in the opener with your Incarn too. And the best part is two minutes later when Incarn is ready again, Dampening will already be stacking pretty dang high, which means you're going to have the ability to close out the game with its second press.

This second Incarn is so dang powerful that we need to remind you of one key mindset to think about. Live for your second Incarn.

But more on that in just a bit. Before we get into it, let's answer the question of how to use Incarn.

There's a basic checklist that we really want to follow here. Number one, we want to ideally make sure the target we're aiming to kill is off Stun DR.

Number two, we want to have Tiger's Fury, Feral Frenzy, and optionally Adaptive Swarm all available at some point during our Incarn, preferably at the start. And finally, at number three, we want maximum uptime during our Incarn window.

Going through these one by one. We need to wait until our target is off Stun DR.

As in order to make sure our burst window is truly effective, it's going to need to be combined with Lockdown. We don't want our target to act freely during our burst.

Stunning will prevent them from using some defensives or can prevent them from porting away. Again, this is why we always Incarn in the opener in Solo Shuffle as there are no DRs we have to deal with.

We can get the ball rolling with maximum Lockdown during our burst. But at the two minute mark when we can Incarn in solo shuffle, we can get the ball rolling with maximum Lockdown during our burst.

But at the two minute mark when we can Incarn in solo shuffle, we can get the ball rolling with maximum Lockdown during our burst. But at the two minute mark when we can Incarn in solo shuffle, we can get the ball rolling with maximum Lockdown during our burst.

The more stuns we can get out, the better. We're going to also want to once again use our second Incarn with as many modifiers as we possibly can.

Tiger's Fury is the bare, bare minimum here. It's not the biggest deal if we don't have Feral Frenzy up immediately with our second Incarn, but we're going to be wanting to use it sometime before our Incarn window is over.

And finally, we don't necessarily have to wait for Bleeds to be on the target before we use our second Incarn, as we're going to be reapplying Rake and Rip anyway while it's active. Finally, we want to make sure we maximize uptime during our Incarnation.

Part of this means being willing to use our PvP Trinket on any undispellable stuns that land on us during our first Incarn. This might seem a little bit reckless here, but we should try and aggressively Trinket CC during the opener of every round so that we can get full value out of our biggest CD.

Doing so is going to mean that you're going to have your PvP Trinket up during the opener of every round, and that's Trinket ready for your next Incarn automatically since both share a 2-minute CD, enabling you to have guaranteed momentum in the late game.

We should also prioritize keeping targets locked down during our Incarns, and even saving gap closers and even using our Vortex to stay connected. We need maximum pressure during that time.

Now, earlier we said to live for your second Incarn. But what does that really entail?

Well, now that we're getting into the territory of maximizing the consistency of our Incarn windows, the number one problem we want to avoid is being forced to shift into Bear during our Incarnation. This is going to absolutely tank the pressure.

So, in order to make sure that this doesn't happen, we should be very, very liberal with our Defensives during Incarnation, and more conservative with our Defensives leading up to our Incarn window.

The dream scenario that we want to achieve, is entering our second Incarn with both Bark Skin and Survival Instincts available, as they're going to provide us with the safety nets to stay in Cat form for as long as possible.

And as a final way to increase the consistency of our second Incarnation here, we should also aim to use it when we're already on CCDR.

Now, it's not the end of the world if you can't, assuming you have your PvP Trinket ready, but if we can enter our second Incarnation with every Defensive ready and on CCDR already, then we have the ingredients. For a god mode finishing cooldown.

FERAL FRENZY, ADAPTIVE SWARM, AND TIGER’S FURY

So at this point we've taught you how to get value out of your incarnation windows, but now let's shift our focus a little bit to get value out of our microburst windows. Every 45 seconds we're able to create big, big pressure with our Feral Frenzy.

This is, by definition, a microbursting ability, applying a massive bleed to the target while also giving us 5 combo points. Now while this does seem good on its own, there's definitely a few things we can do to increase its value.

For one, we want to try and pair every Feral Frenzy with both Tiger's Fury and Adaptive Swarm. Do note that all of these abilities have dish-jointed cooldowns, but we should always try and use them together.

If that means delaying our Feral Frenzy by a few seconds, then it's really going to be totally worth it in the end. Here ordering does matter.

We're going to want to send our Adaptive first in order to get the dot modifier, and then once it's up, we're going to Tiger's Fury into Feral Frenzy, which in sure is buffed.

With that said, if you're extremely close to landing a kill, sure, then just send your Feral Frenzy even without both of these other modifiers, but only if you're really confident the game is going to end by doing so.

In order to squeeze maximum value out of our Feral Frenzy, we're going to also want to make sure the enemy player can't proactively use cooldowns while it's up. To do this, we can exploit the fact that Feral Frenzy grants us 5% of our Feral Frenzy.

We're going to also want to make sure that our enemy player can't proactively use cooldowns while it's up, but only if we're really confident the game is going to end by doing so. In order to do this, we can exploit the fact that Feral Frenzy grants us 5% of our Feral Frenzy.

We can exploit the fact that Feral Frenzy grants us 5% of our Feral Frenzy. So, you have two options here.

Either you Feral Frenzy on 0 Combo Points and then Maim when it grants you 5. Or you can Maim, then go back to 0 Combo Points using Feral Frenzy to get back to 5.

This second route is going to be more consistent. This is because by leading with Maim first, you're going to ensure the kill target can't control their character while Feral Frenzy is up, preventing them from preusing a defensive CD to deny its damage.

This will also mean we can now instantly use a finisher, either Ferocious Bite or Rip if needed. This is going to also, in some cases, help deny some of the counterplay options that a select few specs have to counter Feral Frenzy.

Survival Hunters can remove all bleeds with Mending Bandage every 25 seconds. Evokers can Cauterizing Flame every other Feral Frenzy.

And finally, the two Dwarven races can remove bleeds every two minutes with their racials. But again, if any of these classes are our kill targets, the simple workaround for that is going to be to make sure they're hard CC'd first before committing our Feral Frenzy.

We might not get full value once the CC is over, but it's better than nothing.

SNAPSHOTTING WITH BLOODTALONS AND TIGER’S FURY

Alright, in Modern WoW, almost all dots update their damage dynamically. Feral Druids are a little bit unique however, utilizing an old relic of the past through a mechanic called Snapshotting.

So let's find out how Snapshotting works. Say an Affliction Warlock gets a Trinket proc while their dots erupt.

They're going to instantly start doing more damage on every target. And once the buff fades, the dots go back to doing their normal values.

And speaking of Warlock here, let's take a trip back to Cataclysm. And don't worry, we're going to tie this back to Feral Druid in just a second here.

In Cata, all dots and hots Snapshotted, quote unquote. Which meant their damage did not automatically update with a new Trinket proc or other damage modifier.

Instead, in order to get those big dots out, you needed to apply or refresh them with the buffs on your character. This sounds annoying, but what this did was allow the damage in Cata to be updated with a new Trinket proc.

So let's take a look at this. So let's take a look at this.

So let's take a look at this. And it says, Anyway, Feral Druid is one of the only specs left in the game with this mechanic.

And you have it through Blood Talons and Tiger's Fury. These effects will not retroactively buff the damage of existing dots on your target.

But instead, what this means is that your dots can be empowered for their full duration. duration if and only if you apply them with Blood Talons and Tiger's Fury active.

This is why whenever we want to apply any of our dots, any of them, we should do so with Tiger's Fury up, since they're going to be empowered even after the Tiger's Fury buff fades. And this is also why whenever we rip, we should aim to have both Blood Talons and Tiger's Fury up first.

We promise you that if you learn to play around this relic of the past, you're really going to see your damage increase as well.

BLOODTALONS

One of the biggest learning curves for playing Feral Druid is learning how to deal with Blood Talons. We get it, it's difficult.

This single passive will either make or break your damage, and for the uninitiated, this is a buff that you're going to get that increases the damage of your next three finishers. And in order to proc it, you need to use three unique combo point generators within a four second window.

The abilities that we mostly care about that can proc Blood Talons include Rake, Moonfire, Shred, Brutal Slash, and even Feral Frenzy. If we don't have the buff active, we need to use at least three of these within four seconds, but this is definitely really going to be easier than you might think it is.

Keep in mind that Blood Talons is a three stack buff with a fairly long duration, which means you don't really need to be thinking about it that often. As long as you use any of the openers we suggested earlier in our damage course, you're going to automatically proc Blood Talons at the same time.

And that's why Blood Talons is so important. Blood Talons is a three stack buff, and it's a three stack buff that you can use within a four second window.

Blood Talons is a three stack buff, and it's a three stack buff that you can use within a four second window. Start of each game.

And better yet, if you stick to our sustained damage priority, then there is a very high chance you're going to get Blood Talons automatically in the mid game once you need it again. Now, if you really want to, you can use a week order to make it easier to track which generators you've used.

And hey, there's no shame in doing that.

LOOK FOR RESTEALTHS

There is one simple thing 90% of Feral Druids don't even care about, which is losing them a ton of damage and a ton of control. Now, it is so stupidly dang easy and obvious you're going to be kicking yourself if you aren't doing this already.

It's abusing re-stealth. Yes, this simple act of dropping combat is worth a deeper dive and having its own video.

We can do this in two different ways. The first is less obvious to many players, but centers around the fact that virtually every fear effect in the game lasts six whole seconds, which is precisely the amount of time needed to drop combat.

If you ever get feared by a Warlock, a Priest, or a Warrior, or even sleptwalked by an Evoker or cloned by another Druid, there's a chance you're going to drop combat around the time the CC breaks, allowing you to get a re-stealth immediately. The second way involves... well... kiting.

As we're going to discuss this a little bit later, a huge part of becoming a better Feral Druid is recognizing when we have to play a little bit evasive. And while we're kiting around the pillar or running away, we should be checking our combat to see whether or not we can re-stealth.

Getting these re-stealths is going to be crucial, as it means we can benefit from pouncing strikes, giving a Rake or Shred increased damage, while also allowing us to potentially stun the target too. So, if you aren't sure what to do, you can just go ahead and do it.

If you aren't already doing it, look for those re-stealths whenever you can get them. Now as an added bonus here too, going stealth is also going to remove you from the focus frame.

It's a win-win, no matter what.

BARKSIN OR SURVIVAL INSTINCTS?

In this course, we are going to be diving deep into defensive play and cooldown management. Surviving isn't just as important as dealing damage.

Rotating defensives properly means more uptime, more pressure, and more chances to secure the win. One of the most common questions new Feral Druids ask is, should I use Bark Skin or Survival Instincts?

Well, here's the short answer. If you're stunned and healthy, just use Bark Skin.

But if everything's on cooldown, your healer's in crowd control, and you're about to get bursted, then you should trade out Survival Instincts. Now again, that was the short answer.

Here's the long answer. It really depends.

If you're low on health, but your healer's out of CC, Bark Skin can often be enough, especially since it increases your healing received. On the other hand, Survival Instincts is your last resort cooldown, and you only get one use in most matches, so we really want to make sure we're getting the most out of it.

Bark Skin is an incredible cooldown, especially because it can be used while stunned. This makes it a lifesaver when your Trinket is on cooldown.

On top of that, it increases your healing received, which means if you've got Hots on yourself, it can be just what you need to survive a bursty situation. But Bark Skin isn't just for stuns.

You can use it proactively as well. Here we see the Feral taking heavy damage from the enemy team, and the Mage has Icy Veins active.

Instead of just sitting there and tanking the burst, they shift into bear form and pop Bark Skin. This ends up being a perfect play, as the Wind Walker follows up almost immediately with Leg Sweep on the whole team.

Now as a general rule, if you see the enemy pop offensive cooldowns, you can safely trade Bark Skin thanks to its short cooldown. Survival Instincts is more of a traditional defensive wall, since you can't use it while stunned, but it does give a solid 60% damage reduction.

And let's be real here, though. That's usually going to be enough to keep you alive through just about anything.

The main drawback is that it has a three minute cooldown, so in most games you're really only going to get one cast. As we talked about earlier, though, Survival Instincts should be a last resort, and this clip is a perfect example of why.

Here the Feral is getting bursted by the Balanced Druid's Incarnation, all while their healer is stuck in Paralysis. Even when the healer gets out of CC, the Monk pops Storm Earth 4, and the Windwalker is chunking the Feral with every single global.

Bark Skin is on cooldown, and even though the healer is out of CC, they don't have a way to top the Feral off. To save their healer's Spirit Link and stay aggressive, the Feral walls here, which gives their healer enough time to recover.

MORE THAN CC

Nothing is more frustrating than getting cycloned right as you go in for a kill, good god it's frustrating, or getting rooted when you're trying to chase down your target. As a feral, your crowd control isn't just for setting up kills, it's also a powerful tool for peeling for your team and keeping yourself alive.

Knowing when and how to use it can make all the difference between living and dying. Whenever you don't have a go, your focus should shift to peeling for your team, a simple root using your instant cast procs from predatory swiftness can make it incredibly difficult for the enemy team to secure a kill.

But one of the most effective ways to peel is cycloning enemy cooldowns. If you see the enemy setting up a big go, you can line of sight, avoid any CC, and then peek out and land a clutch clone to completely shut it down.

You can also use maim and bash defensively when needed as well. Ideally you want to land a full stun to set up a counter go.

However, if your survival is up to par, you can use a stun to counter the enemy cooldowns. However, if your survival is on the line here, don't hesitate to use a DR stun as even a short stun can buy enough time for your healer to recover.

This can also be used to stop important cast and further CC from landing when you don't have a kick. Watch how the Feral perfectly utilizes the tools we mentioned earlier.

Seeing his hunter dropping low, Calamity knows he needs to CC at least one of the DPS as soon as possible. Noticing that neither of the enemy DPS have their trinket, he first goes for a cyclone on the mage straight into a wild charge maim on the rogue.

This allows them to swiftly recover and even reverse pressure the mage with a bash.

BEAR FORM TIPS

Welcome back to another installment in our Feral Druid course. In this video we're going to be continuing to break down our defensives with Bear Form, providing you with a comprehensive breakdown on how this ability works and the rules behind using it.

Bear Form isn't exactly a cooldown or a traditional defensive, but it can absolutely save your life when it's used properly. However, you need to be really strategic with it.

Staying in Bear Form for too long means you're sacrificing a butt-ton of damage, but if you stay in Cat Form all game, you're probably going to end up dead. It's all about knowing when to switch into that Bear Form.

You're often going to hear high-rated Ferals talk about pre-Bearing. The concept here is simple.

Go into Bear Form just before you get stunned to take advantage of the extra armor and the extra health. This makes it much harder for the enemy to burst you down, especially if you can squeeze in a frenzied regeneration right before the stun lands.

It's all about minimizing the damage taken by the enemy. It's all about minimizing the damage taken by the enemy.

It's all about minimizing the damage taken by the enemy. Even if you can't pre-Bear, though, using Frenzied Regeneration out of CC is still going to be a fantastic way to survive here.

This becomes even more potent with the Verdant Heart talent, which boosts your healing received by a massive 20% while Frenzied Regeneration is active. The real kicker, though, is when you also have Heart of the Wild active, as you can use two charges of Frenzy back-to-back.

This combo can make you extremely hard to kill. Outside of stuns, Bear Form is your go-to when you notice your healer is in trouble and you've run out of options to kite the enemy team.

Sure, kiting is always the better option, but when you have no choice, don't be afraid to sit in Bear Form. You'll buy your healer the time they need to recover.

STOP STANDING STILL

In our final video we're going to be diving into the importance of kiting and knowing when to kite. A common mistake many new ferals make is standing still and tanking damage in bear form.

Sure, bear form's great, but it's not a bubble and just sitting there taking damage can absolutely drain your healer's mana fast. So let's talk about when it's best to kite.

First things first, just because you're taking damage doesn't mean it's time to run away. And just because you're not taking damage doesn't mean you shouldn't kite.

Damage alone isn't the deciding factor when you should kite. Instead, you really need to pay attention to your healer's cooldowns and whether they're CC'd.

Your healer's ability to keep you alive determines if you need to kite. So let's take a look at this clip right here.

The feral is taking some pretty big damage from the hunter and the warrior, but they're not running away just yet. They're continuing to deal damage because they've got a stun for the hunter and more importantly, they're taking damage from the hunter.

So let's look at this clip right here. The feral is taking some pretty big damage from the hunter and healer is not in crowd control.

However once they see Chimerial Sting applied to the healer, they immediately go into bear form and retreat behind a pillar to avoid dying. This is a great move, because they're not just sitting there hoping to survive, they're thinking ahead.

When the Chimerial Sting switches over to silence, the Feral comes out of hiding, dispels the poison, and jumps back into action. Rather than just sitting in the middle and waiting for their healer to be silenced, they used smart positioning to stay alive and get back into the fight when it was safe.

So as we discussed earlier, damage isn't the main factor when deciding if it's time to kite. Instead, we focus on crowd control on the healer and whether they can keep us alive.

Now you might be wondering in all this why the Feral went into bear form while kiting. The reason is simple, if the warrior were to leap on top of them, bear form would help mitigate that damage.

While it's always an option to dash and stay in cat form to try and get away, in this particular situation, the safest play was to go into bear form and line of sight behind the pillar. This gave them the best chance of surviving.

Cat form and dash do work best against classes with low mobility, like Retribution Paladins, Death Knights, Shadow Priest, or any other class that struggles to reconnect once you've broken away. If you need that extra gap closer, Wild Charge is an excellent option.

It's a great way to get out of the way of the enemy. It's a great way to get out of the way of the enemy.

If you have no other choice but to leap from a target quickly, this can help you maintain distance.

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