Here’s some more information from MMO-Champion as I try to catch up on some Mists of Pandaria.  Here’s some of the changes made to the talent calculator on Feb 16th, as well as new abilities:

• Feline Swiftness now increases your overall movement speed by 15%
• Displacer Beast teleports the Druid up to 20 yards forward and activates Cat Form and Prowl.
• Wild Chargenow has a 15 sec cooldown for all variations of the charge.
  • Non-Shapeshift no longer reduces the mana cost of your next healing spell.
  • Bear Form no longer increases haste by 30%.
  • Cat Form no longer causes your Ravage to be useable with no Energy cost.
  • Moonkin Form no longer grants you 20 Solar or Lunar energy.
  • Aquatic Form no longer reduces damage taken by 20% and duration of the charge effect is now 5 seconds.
  • Travel Form no longer reduces damage taken by 20%
• Nature’s Swiftness now only has a 1 minute cooldown but no longer affects Mass Entanglement.
• *NEW* Soul of the ForestAessina’s blessing grants a benefit which varies by your combat specialization.
  • Balance
    When a Lunar Eclipse ends you gain 20 Solar Energy and when a Solar Eclipse ends you gain 20 Lunar Energy.
  • Feral
    Your finishing moves grant 2 Energy per combo point.
  • Guardian
    Mangle now generates an additional 2 Rage.
  • Restoration
    You gain 50% haste for your next spell when you cast Swiftmend.

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There’s been some more details on Symbiosis, although the exact implementation is still in the dark.  This data comes compiled for us from MMO-Champion.  It looks like Symbiosis will grant the target (non-Druid) player with a Druid ability, and that druid a ability from the target player (specific to the role of the druid).  Whether this works for ALL class combinations for all specs remains to be seen.  Here’s the details.

• The Druid will select a raid or party member and cast Symbiosis on them.
• The target cannot be another Druid.
• The target gains a buff that tells them what spell they have temporarily learned, and that spell temporarily appears in their spellbook, and they can drag it to an action bar.
• The Druid’s Symbiosis button will become the ability they gained from the target class.
• The Symbiosis link is cancelled if: the Druid clicks off the Symbiosis buff, or the Druid or the target changes continents or enters or exits an instance, or the Druid or the target changes talent specializations.
• Symbiosis fails to cast if Symbiosis is already active on that target.
• Symbiosis cannot be cast in combat.
• For the non-Druid target, the icon will revert to a placeholder (uncastable) Symbiosis icon when Symbiosis ends, but will become the Symbiosis-granted ability again the next time Symbiosis is cast on that target.
• The ability gained from Symbiosis is always something chosen to match the Druid’s specialization and the target’s combat role.
• The target always gets the same spell unless they change combat roles. A Druid of a given specialization always gets the same spell from each different class. If there is a change of specs, there is a change of spell.

Here are some examples of spells gained through Symbiosis. The spells shared focus on utility, cooldowns, and survival. (Adding Fireball to a Moonkin’s rotation sounds cool on paper, but wouldn’t actually be fun in the long run.)

Balance: Chains of Ice, Mirror Image, Mass Dispel
Feral: Feign Death (Play Dead!), Frost Nova, Soul Swap
Guardian: Ice Trap, Fear Ward, Consecration
Restoration: Ice Block, Hand of Sacrifice, Leap of Faith
Hunter: Dash
Warlock: Rejuvenation
Holy Paladin: Rebirth
Arms/Fury Warrior: Enrage
Enhancement/Elemental Shaman: Solar Beam

There are a lot more coming, but we’ll keep some surprises for now, and many are still subject to change after testing. Including all of those just listed.

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Class Q&A was happening yesterday, and here’s the recap for druids and upcoming MoP changes. I’m curious to know what you guys think about the hybridization of the druid, the good ol’ hybrid tax debate and everything else that’s mentioned. Lots of changes coming our way, does it scare you ? Do you anticipate it ? (source : Mmo-Champion recap)

• The new Druid talent trees are trying to bring back the hybrid part of the druid class.
• Resto Druids will get a baseline replacement for Barkskin that will be able to be cast on other players.
• The Nurturing Instinct talent will be baseline to both Feral and Guardian Druids.
• A new talent which grants attack power based on Intellect for Restoration and Balance Druids will be added.
• Incarnation for Balance transforms the Druid in to the Chosen of Elune Form, which currently increases spell damage done and Solar and Lunar energy generated.
• In 5.0 Mangle will no longer cause a bleed damage debuff, and will be usable from any facing.
• Guardians (bears) will have Mangle, but not Shred. Mangle and Shred will both exist for Feral (cats).
• Shred will offer slightly more overall DPS compared to Mangle if you are able to stay behind the target. Once Glyph of Shred works from Mangle as well as Shred, the difference between a Mangle and a Shred rotation is actually fairly small (in the 5% range).
• Feral Charge and Stampede are becoming part of Wild Charge, so you can select not to have that complexity with Ravage.
• A possible level 87 ability for all Druids called Symbiosis that will add flexibility, utility, and survivability for the Druid.
• Heart of the Wild is intended for encounters where there is a period where increased healing is needed. Master Shapshifter is for encounters where the Druid would need to switch between healing and DPS. Disentanglement is for when less shifting is needed but a well timed one would help.

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One of the questions from the Q&A today was what the developers plan to do to address the problem with Eclipse, including how we have to sit in Solar to cleave and do decent AoE damage.

It was revealed in 5.0 that Hurricane would now have a ‘Arcane’ component while in Lunar Eclipse.  Now, let’s hope they actually buff Hurricane, because lord knows we don’t use it as is for most AoE.  I shall call this new ability Hurarcane! (get it?).

I think I would be satisfied if they returned the splash component to Starfall.  Right now, it does the same damage across 2 or 200 targets.  If Starfall could actually splash, we’d have decent Arcane AoE back.

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The Talent Q&A has finished, and there’s some interesting news as a result.

• An entire class will share one common talent tree.
• Talents will be at every 15 levels, starting at level 15.
• Every tier of talents has three talents available.  You will have to choose one of the three.  You cannot have more than one per tier.
• Talent changing will be much easier, similar to glyph changing.
• A lot of Druid talents morph depending on your spec, current form, etc.
• Many talents force you into the form that’s required, which makes things a bit easier.
• Most core abilities have been baked into a spec.  You will no longer need to talent into them.

I will outline each tier of talents below, as well as my opinions on the individual abilities and the tiers.  While there are a lot of COOL things that I currently see with Druids, it still looks like, for most fights and min/max, there is going to be one clear winner.  That being said, some tiers seem to be more PVP or flavor, and not really important for PvE scenarios.

First, here’s a screenshot of all the talents:

Tier 1 (Level 15): This tier revolves around movement speed and escaping.  A PVP tier, mostly.

• Feline Swiftness: Increases your movement speed by 10% and by an additional 20% in Cat Form
• Displacer Beast (3 min cooldown): Teleports the Druid up to 20 yards in a random direction, purging all periodic damage effects and providing stealth for 10 sec. Attacking or taking damage cancels this effect.  Using this ability activates Cat Form.
• Tireless Pursuit (3 min cooldown): Removes all roots and snares, and increases movement speed by 70% while in Cat Form for 15 sec.  Does not break prowling.  Using this ability activates Cat Form.

While Displacer Beast looks amazing for PVP, especially as a Feral (think blink and vanish together), and Tireless Pursuit looks really viable for balance druids and restoration druids, I think the clear winner for a PvE environment would be Feline Swiftness, simply as it’d get rid of any movement speed increases we’d need on boots.

Tier 2 (Level 30): A healing cooldown tier.  Not too impressive for DPS.

• Nature’s Swiftness (3 min cooldown): When activated, your next Cyclone, Entangling Roots, Healing Touch, Hibernate, Nourish, Rebirth or Regrowth becomes instant, free and castable in all forms.  The healing and duration of this spell is increased by 50%.
• Renewal (2 min cooldown): Instantly heals the Druid for 30% of maximum health.  Useable in all shapeshift forms.
• Cenarion Ward (30 sec cooldown): Protects a friendly target, causing any damage taken to heal the target for 2660 every 2 sec for 6 sec. Gaining the healing effect consumes the Cenarion Ward.  Useable in all shapeshift forms.  Lasts 30 sec.

First off, I’m not concerned with actual raw numbers (outside of percentages).  Cenarion Ward is obviously not tuned yet, or the tooltip shown is for a very low level.  That being said, Nature’s Swiftness is no longer “Nature spell”, and Wrath is out.  This makes it not very viable in a PvE setting.  Renewal looks to be a great tank cooldown, and also a great cooldown for PvP, but probably not effective in PvE.  Cenarion Ward looks to be promising as another tank cooldown, and we’ll need to see real numbers.

Tier 3 (Level 45): Crowd Control

• Faerie Swarm: Decreases the target’s armor by 12% for 5 minutes and reduces the target’s movement speed by 50% for 15 sec.  While affected, the target cannot stealth or turn invisible.  Deals 49 damage when cast from Bear Form.  Useable in all shapeshift forms, but incurs a 6 sec cooldown while in Bear Form or Cat Form.  This talent replaces Faerie Fire.
• Mass Entanglement (1 min cooldown): Roots all enemies within 12 yards of the destination for 8 sec.  Damage caused may interrupt the effect.  Cannot be cast while in Bear Form or Cat Form.
• Typhoon (20 sec cooldown): Summons a violent Typhoon that strikes targets in front of the caster within 30 yards, knocking them back and dazing them for 6 sec.  Useable in all shapeshift forms.

Faerie Swarm looks to be more of a tank/melee type ability, and mass entanglement looks amazing for PVP.  That being said, I think the only real viable option would be Typhoon, but that’s all dependent on raid mechanics as well.

Tier 4 (Level 60): A cooldown tier that gives unique abilities depending on your current form or spec.

• Wild Charge (cooldown not listed): Grants a movement ability that varies by shapeshift form:  Moonkin: Bound backward and gain 20 Lunar or Solar Energy, whichever is more beneficial to you.
• Incarnation (3 min cooldown):  Activates a superior shapeshifting form appropriate to your specialization for 30 sec.  (Tooltip did not list one for Moonkin, but think of this as comparable to Tree of Life for Resto Druids, it will be a “super moonkin” form.)
• Force of Nature (3 min cooldown): Summons 3 treants to assist in the Druid’s current combat role.  Treant capabilities vary by specialization.  Useable in all shapeshift forms. (Think Guardian of Ancient Kings for Paladins).

I think Wild Charge will be very interesting in PVP, as it’s form based and not spec based.  This could add a lot of utility depending on what you’re currently doing, whether it be defensive and needing to escape, or offensive, such as chasing down a flag carrier.  Incarnation will hard to be beat in PVE (and PVP), if the scale that they applied to Tree of Life for Restoration is now applied to Moonkin.  I’m interested in seeing what it provides for us.  I’d love to cast on the run.  Force of Nature will be interesting too, and we’ll need to see what it provides.  I think it’ll come down to Incarnation or Force of Nature in PVE, but hard to make a call until we get further information.

Tier 5 (Level 75): Another crowd control tier

• Demoralizing Roar (30 sec cooldown): The Druid roars, disorienting all enemies within 10 yards for 4 sec.  Using this ability activates  Bear Form.
• Ursol’s Vortex (30 sec cooldown): Conjure a vortex of wind that pulls all enemies within 15 yards towards your own location.  Useable in all shapeshift forms.
• Bear Hug: (1 min cooldown): Melee attack that stuns the target and deals 10% of the Druid’s health in damage every 1 sec for 3 sec.  Effect canceled if the Druid moves away, attacks, or takes any other action.  Using this ability activates Bear Form.

All of these talents look pretty cool in a PVP scenario.  I can’t wait to see AoE deathgrip, and that’s probably the option I’d take in PVP, especially in a CTF type scenario.  None of these really look that great for PVE.  Demoralizing Roar might be a great cooldown on AoE/add type fights, but that’s about it.  Bear Hug just looks.. awesome.. especially for bears with huge health pools.

Tier 6 (Level 90): Hybridization tier

• Heart of the Wild (6 min cooldown):  Dramatically improves the Druid’s ability to serve combat roles outside of normal specialization for 45 sec.  Balance:  Healing spells generate Lunar or Solar Energy and benefit from Lunar and Solar Eclipse.  In addition, 50% of Intellect as Agility, 100% of hit rating as expertise rating, and increases armor by 95% while in Bear Form.
• Master Shapeshifter:  Improves the Druid’s effectiveness at briefly switching between forms.  Your melee abilities increase your spell damage by 10% and your non-instant spellcasts increase your attack power by 10%.  Both effects stack up to 3 times and last 15 sec.  Each ability used which benefits from one of these effects consumes one application of that effect.
• Disentanglement: Shapeshifting now removes roots.  In addition, shifting into a form heals the Druid for 20% of maximum health.  This heal cannot be received more often than once every 30 sec.

All of these talents sound pretty cool for hybridization, and disentanglement looks pretty great for PVP, but I’m really not happy.  For every other class, Tier 6 is their “uber” talent tier, where they get really cool abilities.  I play balance druids to be a spellcaster DPS, not to be a healer, or to be a feral druid.  I want abilities that further enhance my balance play, and not abilities that still make me a watered down healer, melee DPS, or tank.  I really hope Blizzard looks into this.  I know a lot of people WANTED hybridization, and I’m glad that there’s a viable option now, but I don’t want to be FORCED into it.  Heart of the Wild looks great for that aspect.  Master Shapeshifter looks really weak, and I hope they consider giving us an ability for our main spec.  The shaman tier 6 suffers from ‘luke warm’ tier 6 as well, although the Paladin tier is incredible.  I don’t see any other class being FORCED into hybridization besides Druids.

Anyways.  This is my opinion.  What do you all think?

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The opening ceremonies of BlizzCon have just ended.  Mists of Pandaria is official!

Here’s what we know so far:

• New race: Pandaren
• New class: Monk
• New continent: Pandaria
• Focused on war between Alliance & Horde
• Level Cap increased to 90
• Challenge Mode Dungeons
• PVE Scenarios
• Pet Battle System
• New Talent System

Here’s the cinematic in-case you missed it:

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