Feral Druid Compendium
Written by: Crazymeow
News
Feral Druid in 11.2 is mostly just more of the same. The various buffs we have received have no gameplay impact. That being said, the removal of 11.1 tier set means 
Apex Predator's Craving is no longer mandatory in raid.
This go-around, Tier Set bonuses are based on which hero tree you have selected. Once you acquire 2 pieces, Druid of the Claw will be the hero talent of choice for all PvE Content.
Druid of the Claw Tier Set
2 Set:
Ravage increases your haste by 10%, chance to critically strike by 10%, and the damage your bleeds deal by 30% for 5 sec.
4 Set:
Ravage has a 40% chance to make you Ravage your target again 4 sec later at 100% of the initial power.
2p2p results in a ~8.9% gain in single target over old 4p, switching the point from Apex Predator's Craving to 
Carnivorous Instinct. Getting the full 4p nets a ~14.6% gain in single target.
Wildstalker Tier Set
2 Set:
The rate at which Bloodseeker Vines grow is increased by 40%. Tiger's Fury causes Bloodseeker Vines to grow on up to 3 valid nearby enemies.
4 Set:
Bloodseeker Vines have a 20% chance to trigger Bursting Growth every 2 sec at 100% effectiveness. Each stack of Bloodseeker Vines on an enemy increases Bursting Growth damage taken by 30%.
Going to 2p2p results in a ~6% gain in single target, and switches your build off of Apex Predator's Craving back to the L-Build we played in season 1. Gaining the 4p bonus leads to roughly an 11.4% gain in single target, putting it behind Druid of the Claw even in single target.
Rotation
Single Target
What is a priority list?
When reading the priority lists below, you should not think about these as steps to follow in a specific order. At any given point in combat, you should cast the first thing in the list that you are able to cast.
The way this section is written is very formulaic and has the same structure as the Action Priority List (APL) used in sims.
Pre-Combat:
Select which talents you have to filter the priority list:
TIP
Uncheck 
Bloodtalons if you want a simpler builder priority.
Single Target Priority List:
Highest Priority: Cooldowns
- Tiger's Fury at 5 combo points or if you're missing 35+ energy, whichever happens first.
-
Ferocious Bite with Apex Predator's Craving procs if it won't disrupt procing Bloodtalons. - Ferocious Bite with Apex Predator's Craving procs.
-
Adaptive Swarm when:
-
Rip is up. AND - There isn't an Adaptive Swarm heading to your target, AND
- Adaptive Swarm is either missing or about to expire with 1/2 stacks. For example, with 3 stacks, you would refresh as soon as Adaptive Swarm falls off.
-
- Adaptive Swarm conditions change based on the amount of Adaptive Swarms you have out:
- If you have 3 Adaptive Swarms with at least 2 stacks out, then you will target allies with priority 1 stack > 0 stack > 2 stacks.
- If you have 2 or fewer Adaptive Swarms of at least 2 stacks, cast on your enemy target when swarm is not on them, and is not traveling towards them.
- If you have 3
-
Incarnation with Tiger's Fury. -
Berserk with Tiger's Fury. You can hold this for 
Convoke if for whatever reason they are misaligned, and you won't lose a cast doing so. -
Feral Frenzy with 1 or no combo points. 2 combo points is also acceptable during Incarn. - Feral Frenzy with 1 or no combo points. 2 combo points is also acceptable during Berserk.
- Convoke when:
- Rip is up. AND
- Tiger's Fury is up. AND
- You have 2 or fewer combo points outside Berserk or 3 or fewer inside Berserk. (or if you must cast it now to have the entirety of convoke within berserk.)
- You may also Convoke if the fight is about to end. Usually you want to Convoke with Berserk if you can do so without losing a cast.
- If you have no stacks of Bloodtalons and can trigger Bloodtalons with your next spell, then do so.
Second Priority: Finishers
- There are 2 scenarios where you can use 3+ combo point rips:
- Rip is in pandemic range near the start of Tiger's Fury
- Rip wont last until the next Tiger's Fury in the last 3 seconds of Tiger's Fury
- Rip if all of these are true:
- You have 5 combo points.
- Rip is missing or in pandemic range.
- Tiger's Fury is up, or won't be up before Rip expires.
- Bloodtalons is up.
- Use a builder if you are inside Incarn/Berserk, and you are lacking either
Ravage or 
Coiled to Spring. - Ferocious Bite when:
Last Priority: Generators
Bloodtalons, if you have 0 or 1 stacks of Bloodtalons remaining.-
Shadowmeld into 
Rake if all of these are true:
- You do not have a
Sudden Ambush proc. - Rake is in pandemic OR you would be upgrading Rake's snapshot value.
- Tiger's Fury is up.
- You do not have a
- Rake if any of these are true:
- Rake is in pandemic and Tiger's Fury is up.
- Rake is in pandemic and will expire before Tiger's Fury is up. Delay as long as reasonable if you are downgrading its snapshot value.
- You are in stealth.
- You have a Sudden Ambush proc, and you would be upgrading Rake's snapshot value.
- Rake if you are not in Incarn/Berserk and any of these are true:
- Rake is in pandemic and Tiger's Fury is up.
- Rake is in pandemic and will expire before Tiger's Fury is up. Delay as long as reasonable if you are downgrading its snapshot value.
- You are in stealth.
- You have a Sudden Ambush proc, and you would be upgrading Rake's snapshot value.
- Use Shred with Sudden Ambush procs during Incarn/Berserk
- Use
Brutal Slash if it will cap on charges within the next 4 seconds. - Use Lunar Inspiration
Moonfire if it is in pandemic. - Cast
Thrash if it is in pandemic range, outside of Incarn/Berserk 
Shred with 
Clearcasting procs.- Brutal Slash.
- Shred.
- If you still need Bloodtalons proc it with this priority:
Multi Target
What is a priority list?
When reading the priority lists below, you should not think about these as steps to follow in a specific order. At any given point in combat, you should cast the first thing in the list that you are able to cast.
The way this section is written is very formulaic and has the same structure as the Action Priority List (APL) used in sims.
Pre-Combat:
- Stack as many Adaptive Swarm's as you can.
Prowl- Rake from stealth.
Select which talents you have to filter the priority list:
TIP
Uncheck Bloodtalons if you want a simpler builder priority.
AoE priority list (2+ targets):
Highest Priority: Cooldowns
Special Note: Use single-target spells on higher priority/higher healthed mobs
- Tiger's Fury at 5 combo points or if you run out of energy, delay a few seconds as needed for Incarnation/Berserk.
- Ferocious Bite with Apex Predator's Craving procs if it won't stop Bloodtalons from proccing.
- Ferocious Bite with Apex Predator's Craving procs.
- Adaptive Swarm when all of these are true:
- There isn't an Adaptive Swarm heading towards your target.
- Adaptive Swarm is not on your target.
- Rip's from
Primal Wrath are up.
- There isn't an
- With Unbridled Swarm talented, use Adaptive Swarm as often as you can with this priority:
- An enemy target has 2 stacks of Adaptive Swarm.
- An enemy target has 1 stack of Adaptive Swarm.
- An enemy target does not have Adaptive Swarm.
- An enemy target has 2 stacks of
- Incarnation. This should always be paired with Tiger's Fury.
- Berserk. This should always be paired with Tiger's Fury.
- Feral Frenzy with 1 or no combo points outside Incarn, or 2 or fewer inside Incarn.
- Feral Frenzy with 1 or no combo points outside Berserk, or 2 or fewer inside Berserk.
- Convoke when:
TIP
Sending Adaptive Swarm on allies with Unbridled Swarm is a very minor loss, the main thing is to not overthink its use.
Second Priority: Finishers
- Ferocious Bite at 5 combo points and both of these are true:
- If inside Incarn/Berserk, Primal Wrath is not in pandemic. Otherwise Rip's from Primal Wrath have at least 6.5s remaining.
- You have a Ravage proc and there are fewer than 8 targets.
- A target has
Bloodseeker Vines and there are fewer than 7 targets.
- If inside
- Primal Wrath with 5 combo points if any of these conditions are met:
- Rip's from Primal Wrath have 6.5 seconds or less remaining outside of Incarn/Berserk.
- Rip's from Primal Wrath are missing or in pandemic range inside Incarn/Berserk.
- There are 2 or more targets.
-
- Rip on targets without Rip that will live for a decent amount of time.
- Please, I beg you, if you are using Rip on multiple targets; you should seriously be talenting Primal Wrath. It's as close to mandatory as it gets.
- Please, I beg you, if you are using
- Ferocious Bite at 5 combo points with either 50 energy or inside Incarn/Berserk.
Last Priority: Generators
Bloodtalons if you have 0 or 1 stacks of Bloodtalons.- Thrash if it's either missing or in pandemic range.
- During Incarn/Berserk, Brutal Slash if you have any charges. Yes ignore Bloodtalons for this.
- During Incarn/Berserk, Brutal Slash if you have any charges starting at 3t. Yes ignore Bloodtalons for this.
- During Incarn/Berserk, ignore Bloodtalons and
Swipe. - During Incarn/Berserk, ignore Bloodtalons and Swipe starting at 3t.
- Brutal Slash if it will cap on charges within the next 4 seconds, or mobs will die in the next 4 seconds.
- Swipe if there are 5 or more targets.
- Prowl into Rake on a target where Rake is either missing, in pandemic range, or can be upgraded as long as you don't have a Sudden Ambush proc.
- Prowl into Rake on a target where Rake is either missing, in pandemic range, or can be upgraded.
- Shadowmeld into Rake on a target where Rake is either missing, in pandemic range, or can be upgraded as long as you don't have a Sudden Ambush proc.
- Shadowmeld into Rake on a target where Rake is either missing, in pandemic range, or can be upgraded.
- Refresh Rake's that are either missing, or in pandemic range if you're not capped on Clearcasting stacks.
- Swipe if there are 3 or more targets.
- Rake if you have no Rake's out. We want at least one Rake rolling for the sake of proccing Bloodseeker Vines.
- Refresh
Moonfire's that are either missing, or in pandemic range if you're not capped on Clearcasting stacks. - Rake if it's either missing, or in pandemic range.
- Brutal Slash
- Swipe
- Swipe
- Shred if Sudden Ambush is not up.
- Shred
- Thrash
- If you still need Bloodtalons, proc it with this priority:
- If you have a Sudden Ambush proc, Rake the target with the lowest remaining Rake duration.
- Lunar Inspiration Moonfire on the target with the lowest remaining Moonfire duration.
- If you have a Sudden Ambush proc, Rake the target with the lowest remaining Rake duration.
- Shred
- Rake a target without a Pouncing Strikes snapshot.
- Thrash
- If you have a
Talents
Class Talent Explanations
Optional Nodes Explained
Lore of the Grove: If you talent Lunar Inspiration, you should be talenting this as well.
Remove Corruption: Always take if you need poison or curse dispel, which is not every dungeon, and isn't all that common in raid either.
Maim: In dungeons, if you don't take Remove Corruption, this is the standard alternative.
Nurturing Instinct: You put points into this if you are playing Lunar Inspiration (or technically Convoke) and have nothing else to put points in. It is an extremely minor dps increase.
Feline Swiftness: You only drop this if you need another talent point to play something else.
Perfectly-Honed Instincts: Can take if there isn't anything else you want, or if the fight timers suit 90s defensive cooldowns better.
Incapacitating Roar: Often picked in keys as a soft aoe-kick. In raid this is pretty niche.
Ursine Vigor: Mostly keys-only talent for when you need a stronger 
Bear Form. Niche use in Raid.
Fluid Form: Highly recommended talent to reduce global wastage from shapeshifting. If you don't find yourself shapeshifting much, this talent is much less valuable.
Typhoon: If you need a knock, or think the knock will be more useful than 
Ursol's Vortex
Ursol's Vortex: Excellent kiting tool that wont leave mobs spread out all over the place. Can also pair with Typhoon as a poor mans mass grip, or just to use typhoon as a soft-kick without splaying the mobs all over the place.
Mass Entanglement: More of a niche option compared to Ursol's Vortex, Mass Entanglement can be good if you want to root a group of mobs that the group does not intend to attack.
Innervate: If your healer told you to talent this. Well that or you want 
Nature's Vigil and/or 
Forestwalk.
Nature's Vigil: Strong healing during your cooldown windows, particularly in keys. Pair this with Berserk a vast majority of the time.
Forestwalk: Decent survivability bump, given that you're receiving healing and pressing Regrowth, particularly against rot.
Improved Stampeding Roar: For when you want to 
Stampeding Roar more often than its 2 minute cooldown allows.
Lycara's Inspiration: A bit more stamina never hurt anyone.
Niche Options Explained
Heart of the Wild: For cutting-edge levels of keys where you either need a stronger Bear Form to cover damage events, or just another charge of 
Frenzied Regeneration
Hibernate: Almost exclusively used in keys, and rarely so. This is essentially a sap that only works on beasts and dragonkin, essentially you only chose this talent if you have a specific target to hibernate in mind.
Mighty Bash: If you don't need Incapacitating Roar but do need a single-target stun, and can afford to take this instead of Maim. In PvE, Mighty Bash is generally preferred over Maim because it doesn't cost combo points and energy to cast, and is niche enough that the cooldown difference isn't as relevant.
Starfire -> 
Moonkin Form: This is exclusively for access to Moonkin Form's 
Wild Charge for when you cannot Wild Charge inside 
Travel Form. Often combined with 
Flap for more distance.
Gale Winds: If you have the talent point to spare, Gale Winds makes Typhooning mobs easier when mobs are spread out.
Incessant Tempest: If you find yourself in a scenario where you need to knock twice in less than 30 seconds, this talent lets you do that.
Raid Talents
Wildstalker and Druid of the Claw are similar in strength once you acquire 2 pieces of the new tier set-- with DOTC being about 1% ahead in single target, varying a bit depending on gear. This means you could play either hero tree and perform well.
So, how do you choose? Druid of the Claw is swingier, and thus has a higher capacity for high-rolling. It sims higher in single target, and its also stronger in AoE-- given that you can take advantage of its Berserk windows.
Wildstalker, on the other hand, gets more passive cleave in its full single-target build than Druid of the Claw does, and is more consistent (Lower potential for underperforming). Its AoE potency in cooldowns does not hold up to scrutiny however, especially in a raid environment where you can't properly set up your dots/vines. Lastly, Wildstalker manages forced downtime better than Druid of the Claw, particularly on fights where you can talent Lunar Inspiration.
That being said, you should think of Druid of the Claw as the default tree for all PvE content.
Mythic Manaforge Omega Raid Builds
[!ERROR] These builds are largely guesses based on ptr testing (which is incredibly liable to change). Dimensius especially. This will change with more information.
Please note you can significantly customise the above, see the talent write-up in the following M+ section. Or take inspiration from the given Mythic Raid talents.
WARNING
These have not been updated yet, as they are low priority.
Liberation of Undermine
Neru'bar Palace
Dungeon Talents
Feral goes into 11.2 with much of the same talent choices as last season. Most notably, Wildstalker is more competitive in this game mode than ever before, though admittedly still a bit lacking relative to DOTC.
Talent Explanations
Root Network for Wildstalker is good for large-aoe dungeons, I would generally default to Resilient Flourishing.
Section 1 Options Explained
Tireless Energy: Less single target than Merciless Claws but equivalently more AoE damage as well. Highly recommend at least the first point.
Double-Clawed Rake: Strong AoE only talent. Only reason its a choice is because this provides zero single-target value. Gains value with Wildstalker-- enough so to make it required (in my opinion)
Merciless Claws: This represents the most single target, the least AoE, and the most burst of the three options (excluding the 1st point of Tireless Energy) due to its synergy with Berserk: Frenzy. Gains value with Druid of the Claw.
Thrashing Claws: Niche option if running Lunar Inspiration, frees up more globals to Moonfire. Video guide here.
Section 2 Options Explained
Raging Fury vs Tiger's Tenacity: Both are good for Druid of the Claw-- though Raging Fury is a niche pick for more AoE when you talent into x2 Carnivorous Instinct. Tiger's Tenacity is otherwise locked in.
Sudden Ambush: This is a solid all-rounder talent with synergy to Double-Clawed Rake. It's almost always preferred over 
Savage Fury though, but can rarely be dropped in dungeons with significant AoE, allowing Savage Fury to shine. Most notably Priory.
Savage Fury: Great burst and great for larger pull sizes, however a bit less effective on single-target in comparison to Sudden Ambush. Longer travel time between packs in some dungeons can give time for TF to reset, thereby giving talents like this higher overall uptime as well. Also of note, one of the m+ affixes this season gives cooldown reduction, which this talent greatly benefits from.
Moment of Clarity: Fairly strong single-target and an excellent all-rounder, can help if you are struggling with energy too. Niche for Druid of the Claw as your points in the middle-section are pretty locked, likely replacing the last point in the bottom section if at all.
Lunar Inspiration: strong single-target and low target cleave as Wildstalker, and can help proc Bloodtalons more often. Unplayable as Druid of the Claw.
Brutal Slash vs 
Wild Slashes: Brutal Slash is always better, largely due to it being a relevant dps gain in Single Target, unlike Wild Slashes. That being said, Wild Slashes has a straightforward way of playing, and is decent enough to comment on. Do NOT pair Wild Slashes with Double-Clawed Rake, these talents are anti-synergistic.
Section 3 Options Explained
Incarnation: Avatar of Ashamane vs Convoke the Spirits:
This one is tricky, and the option only exists for Druid of the Claw. Essentially, Incarnation: Avatar of Ashamane technically never surpasses Convoke the Spirits on any target count (though its basically equal in large AoE). So why is it a choice? Well in dungeons, you can drop combat on trash packs making use of the in-combat Prowl. This generates an additional Ravage via Killing Strikes, netting a large amount of value with the tier set. Essentially, you can play Incarnation: Avatar of Ashamane in big AoE keys, particularly if your group is chain pulling and the single target loss is palatable. Main reason you'd consider doing so is to take advantage of the utility of Prowl interrupting casts/channels on you, combat drop etc. I wouldn't consider it in lower keys where things die too fast.
Bloodtalons vs 
Lion's Strength:
I would always play Bloodtalons. Optimizing Bloodtalons is a very small gain in single target, so even as a new player you will see ~2% more damage there. In AoE, the talents are much closer in overall value, and Lion's Strength even wins in burst AoE, so in that regard you can justify Lion's Strength, especially since it is easier to play.
Adaptive Swarm: Great for both Hero trees, being one of the single best options you can take for pure single-target. I would recommend running it all the time as Wildstalker, and most of the time as Druid of the Claw.
Unbridled Swarm: Solid single-target with incredible low/mid cleave damage as well. It is partially due to its single-target strength that Feral Frenzy has seen a lot less play this expansion.
Carnivorous Instinct: Excellent burst option, with particular strength in large AOE. Gains more value if playing Raging Fury. The first point is stronger than the second.
Feral Frenzy: Solid single-target/prio option for both Hero trees, and okay in AOE as well, as it lets you cast more Ferocious Bites. Only taken if you want more single-target and already have Adaptive Swarm talented.
Rip & Tear vs 
Veinripper:
Rip & Tear offers more overall damage-- enough so that it should be considered the default. Nichely, Veinripper nets more priority damage.
Saber Jaws: A pure single-target option for Druid of the Claw, its value will vary significantly based on dungeon. Mutually exclusive with the Rip & Tear vs Veinripper node. I consider this niche, as if you want more single-target, Adaptive Swarm is your choice. If you want more single-target beyond that? Usually Feral Frenzy. Its lack of AoE value makes the talent tough, though possible, to justify.
Sample Builds
Consumables
| Type | Consumable |
|---|---|
| DPS Potion |  Tempered Potion |
| Healing Potion |  Invigorating Healing Potion is the best health potion available. |
| Food |  Beledar's Bounty or any other secondary stat food. |
| Flask |  Flask of Alchemical Chaos |
| Oil/Stone |  Algari Mana Oil |
| Augment Rune |  Crystallized Augment Rune |
Gearing
Stat Priority
WARNING
Sim yourself using Raidbots Top Gear. Do not follow any stat priorities.
Gems and Enchants
| Slot | Gem/Enchant |
|---|---|
| Gems | 1x  Elusive Blasphemite or  Culminating Blasphemite and a mixture of the other gems based on your sims. It is not worth slotting in a Stamina gem. Personally don't think Elusive Blasphemite is necessary as a Feral Druid, given that we already have a lot of speed, but it would be a disservice to not mention it. |
| Weapon |  Authority of the Depths begins as our best single-target enchant, with increased gear or increased target count, any of the secondary-stat enchants will overtake. For example, Stonebound Artistry. |
| Chest | Crystalline Radiance |
| Cloak | Chant of Winged Grace |
| Legs |  Stormbound Armor Kit |
| Wrist | Chant of Armored Avoidance |
| Boots | Defender's March or Scout's March |
| Ring | You should always sim your own character to determine what enchant to use in this slot. They tend to be very close. If you don't want to sim, Radiant Mastery is usually a safe choice. |
TIP
Don't forget to add sockets to your rings and necklaces using 
Magnificent Jeweler's Setting!
Crafting
NOTE
The biggest question is whether or not to craft a weapon, or gamble on acquiring a myth track weapon early on. (for example 
Obliteration Beamglaive from the first boss of the raid, if you'll enter Mythic quickly.) If you do get one, then skip crafting a weapon.
Crafting Order:
Charged Halberd (or any crafted 2h agi weapon) with 
Darkmoon Sigil: Ascension. If you already have a myth track weapon, you can skip this.- Sim the best slot for your gear using
Writhing Armor Banding (if you have weapon with Darkmoon Sigil: Ascension) or 
Dawnthread Lining/
Duskthread Lining - Can continue doing the above. Ever since the crest requirement for crafted gear got nerfed this route is equally efficient in that regard.
By the end of the patch, the two embellishment items will be on Wrists and Belt.
Trinkets
These trinket lists are in rough order of strength, assuming the highest item level version of the items. You should always sim your own character to determine which trinkets you should equip.
NOTE
Araz's Ritual Forge is so dominant, that the For-Raid list assumes you have it already. If you don't, then 
Unyielding Netherprism is your next best on-use. From dungeons its 
Signet of the Priory instead. That being said, the Normal and Heroic versions of Araz's Ritual Forge are better, so even if you're m+ only, you'll want it.
For use in Raid:
| Tier | Trinket | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SS Tier | Araz's Ritual Forge | 2 min on-use trinket. Macro to berserk, so strong that even a lower item level version of this can be better than your other options. |
| S Tier |  Astral Antenna | Passive crit proc. |
| A Tier |  Improvised Seaforium Pacemaker | Cyclical Crit proc. |
 Sigil of the Cosmic Hunt | Damage proc trinket + execute | |
 Ara'kara Sacbrood (WS) | Strong passive agility proc. Better for Wildstalker than DOTC due to the haste on the trinket. | |
 Ticking Sac of Terror | Solid damage proc | |
| B Tier |  So'leah's Secret Technique | True stat stick, sim default is haste. |
| Ara'kara Sacbrood (DOTC) | A little bit worse for DOTC, but still a solid passive trinket. | |
 Empowering Crystal of Anub'ikkaj | Passive stat proc. | |
 Incorporeal Warpclaw (WS) | Passive damage proc. Easily replaceable. |
For use in Mythic+:
| Tier | Trinket | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| S Tier | Unyielding Netherprism | Macro to Berserk, best in mid-count dungeons, ideally with not a lot of single-target. Dont die. If you plan to, dont use this trinket. |
| Araz's Ritual Forge | Macro to Berserk | |
| A Tier | Astral Antenna | |
| B Tier | Empowering Crystal of Anub'ikkaj | |
| Improvised Seaforium Pacemaker | ||
| So'leah's Secret Technique | Sim which secondary is best, but odds are its mastery. Arguably should be rated higher for consistency + ally benefit. | |
| Sigil of the Cosmic Hunt | Can arguably be rated higher, as its main benefit is single target. | |
| Ara'kara Sacbrood | ||
 Void-Touched Fragment | If you find things are dying fast, this moves up the list. (mostly just easier keys). Comes from Delves and is strong for its item level in this content. |
WARNING
Unyielding Netherprism value assumes a clean run. The more you die, the worst this trinket is.
Trinket FAQ
Q: How do I select a different secondary than Haste for Soleah's Secret Technique?
A: In the Custom APL box of your sim, paste in shadowlands.soleahs_secret_technique_type="mastery" or whatever stat you want. Alternatively, in quick sim you can paste the following into Expert Mode: Post-Combination Actors:
profileset."Crit"+=shadowlands.soleahs_secret_technique_type="crit"
profileset."Mastery"+=shadowlands.soleahs_secret_technique_type="mastery"
profileset."Versatility"+=shadowlands.soleahs_secret_technique_type="versatility"
The default profile would use Haste.
Q: Should we be playing double on-use trinkets?
A: No, Feral will typically play just one on-use; though you should always sim just in case.
Q: How many buffs does Signet of the Priory assume?
A: By default, none. You can add the buffs yourself by pasting thewarwithin.signet_of_the_priory_party_stats=crit/haste/mastery/versatility into the Custom APL box of your sim. Remove whatever ally stat you dont want to sim.
Q: Void-Touched Fragment is simming better than some of the higher item level stuff on this list for me, should I use it?
A: Absolutely. This trinket is particularly potent for its item level in Mythic+.
Q: Why do damaging items deal more damage as Wildstalker?
A: The Wildstalker Hero Talent Vigorous Creepers also buffs the damage of non-druid effects.
Q: Unyielding Netherprism is simming much higher than Araz's Ritual Forge in dungeonslice, why is it in the same tier?
A: Unyielding Netherprism cheats a bit by not having any on-pull value. Since dungeonslice starts with a single-target boss, this means all of its uses are in AoE. To get a better idea of this trinkets value in comparison to Araz's Ritual Forge, try dungeonroute instead. But also, dying is a fact of life, and that affects this trinket a lot more than the other.
D.I.S.C Belt
This belt is approximately equivalent to a fully upgraded hero-track belt (710 item level). That being said, belt is a likely craft location, and thus will be replaced by a crafted belt.
Any of the secondary effects can be the best for your character. You can use top-gear's '+' menu to quickly compare all 4 of them. The options:
Static Charge (versatility buff)
Critical Chain (crit buff)
Electric Current (mastery buff)
Spark Burst (haste)
Everything else is poorly tuned and should never be used.
Cyrce's Circlet
Replace this immediately upon logging in. The nerfed version is not competitive with season 2 rings.
Miscellaneous
What is snapshotting?
Snapshotting refers to the process of continually ensuring that your strongest bleeds are ticking on your targets. The strength of feral bleed ticks is snapshotted (calculated) at the moment of application and lasts for the duration of the bleed. If certain buffs are active when the bleed is applied, such as Tiger's Fury, its snapshot will be stronger.
Tracking the strength of different bleeds manually requires a lot of mental-overhead, so we recommend the use of Weak Aura bleed packages such as those found here. All of our WA packages follow the same general format:
- If the bleed's icon is highlighted in green or its number is higher than 100: applying now results in a stronger bleed than the one you currently have active.
- If the bleed's icon is highlighted in grey or its number is equal to 100: equal value bleed
- If the bleed's icon is highlighted in red or its number is lower than 100: applying now results in a weaker bleed than the one you currently have active.
Note: You will not necessarily upgrade every snapshot. Please review the rotation section.
Which bleeds snapshot which buffs?
| DoT | Tiger's Fury | Pouncing Strikes | Bloodtalons | Moment of Clarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rake | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Thrash | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Rip | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Primal Wrath | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Lunar Inspiration | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Adaptive Swarm | First Jump Only | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
 Dreadful Wound | Upgrades and extends | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
TIP
Pouncing Strikes can be applied via Shadowmeld/Prowl/Sudden Ambush
A dot will ideally be applied only when 30% or less of the prior dot remains. This triggers a mechanic known as “pandemic,” which is common to most damage over time spells.
What is “pandemic range?”
This term refers to a DoT mechanic in WoW. The baseline duration of a DoT can be extended by up to 30% if a target is already affected by that DoT. Due to the 30% cap on extension, DoTs generally shouldn't be refreshed too early, as potential ticks will be lost. The ideal window of time to refresh a DoT is known as its “pandemic range.”
Let’s use an example. Consider a 10 second DoT:
- Refresh with 1s remaining: the new DoT will be 11s long (10s baseline duration + 1s from prior DoT)
- Refresh with 3s remaining: the new DoT will be 13s long (10s baseline duration + 3s from prior DoT)
- Refresh with 8s remaining: the new DoT will still be 13s long (10s baseline + up to 30% from prior DoT)
It is therefore most efficient to wait until 70% or more of your bleed has ticked to refresh its DoT.
Fun trivia: the name “pandemic” derives from an old warlock passive that was eventually integrated as a baseline feature of damage over time spells.
What is “clipping?”
Clipping refers to refreshing a dot prior to its pandemic window. Sometimes you will want to do this with Feral because of snapshotting and/or Bloodtalons.
Macros
Here, we provide a list of helpful macros. These macros are not required, but may be of use to you. Customize them as you see fit.
Cast Ursol's Vortex at your cursor location (@cursor macro):
#showtooltip
/cast [@cursor] Ursol's Vortex
Use your trinket(s) and/or weapon at the same time as an ability:
Some trinkets and weapons should be used with a major cooldown. A lot of players will bind these items with Berserk.
- 13 is the top trinket slot
- 14 is the bottom trinket slot
- 16 is your weapon slot
If you would like to use all three items with Berserk, use this macro:
#showtooltip
/use 13
/use 14
/use 16
/cast Berserk
This macro may be modified. For example, the macro below only uses the 2nd trinket with Berserk:
#showtooltip
/use 14
/cast Berserk
Cast Entangling Roots on your mouseover target:
This macro casts Entangling Roots on your mouseover target. If your mouse is not hovering over a target, the macro instead casts Entangling Roots on your current target.
#showtooltip
/cast [@mouseover, harm, nodead] [] Entangling Roots
Dispel/Soothe on the same bind:
This is the classic help/harm macro, but using mouseovers as well.
#showtooltip
/cast [@mouseover, harm, nodead] Soothe; [@mouseover, help, nodead] Remove Corruption; [harm, nodead] Soothe; Remove Corruption
Skull Bash your Focus target:
This macro casts Skull Bash on your focus target. If you have not set a focus target, the macro instead casts Skull Bash on your current target.
We recommend creating a keybind that will assign a target as your focus with one click. This option can be found in the game's keybind settings.
#showtooltip
/cast [@focus, harm, nodead] [] skull bash
Cast Adaptive Swarm on your ally or enemy mouseover target:
This macro casts Adaptive Swarm on a friendly mouseover target. If your mouse is not hovering over a target, the macro instead casts Adaptive Swarm on your current target.
Many abilities that are cast on allies - Rejuvenation, Regrowth, Innervate, etc - may be macro'd in this fashion. To make those macros, simply replace the term "Adaptive Swarm" with your spell of choice. If you want mouseover to work for both friendly and enemy targets, replace 'help' with 'exists'. If you want it to only work on enemy targets, replace 'help' with 'harm'.
#showtooltip
/cast [@mouseover, help, nodead] [] Adaptive Swarm
Cast Rebirth on an ally:
This macro casts Rebirth on your current friendly but dead mouseover target. If your ally is alive, the macro instead casts Mark of the Wild.
#showtooltip
/cast [@mouseover, help, dead] Rebirth; Mark of the Wild
Why does my mouseover macro not work?
You probably have it bound to a mouse button, which doesn't allow mouseover macros by default. To fix this, you can use an addon like Clicked, or just map the mouse-button to a different key. Backtick (`)/Tilde (~) can also have this issue. If you don't have it bound to a mouse-button and it still doesn't work, then there is likely an issue with the macro itself. In this case, it's almost always the ommission of help, harm or exists in the brackets containing mouseover.
Useful WeakAura(s) and Addons
Full WeakAura Packages for Feral
Each package contains multiple WeakAuras that work with each other to help you understand what's happening in combat. No package is superior to the others in the list. We recommend you try out several, and settle on your favorite. (If you want your weakaura package added, feel free to ping me in dreamgrove discord)
Common Standalone WeakAuras and Addons
None of these WeakAuras or Addons are required, but using them may elevate your gameplay.
Feral Bleed Power by Oi This WA will make it easier to track the power of your next bleed compared to the currently active one. For more details, check out the WA description.
Rake Plater mods by Sretnuh This links to a collection of Rake mods for the Plater addon. Their purpose is to help you track which targets have Rake at a glance. No listed mod is superior to the others. We recommend you try out several, and settle on your favorite.
Clearcasting Glows by Sretnuh
This WA generates a glowing icon on your Shred, Thrash, Swipe and Brutal Slash buttons when Clearcasting procs. For more details, check out the WA description.
Apex Predator's Craving by Marvel
This WA produces a glowing icon + sound cue when Apex Predator's Craving procs for a free bite. For more details, check out the WA description.
Adaptive Swarm Helper by KnewOne, updated by Drufearr
This WA assists with proper use of 
Adaptive Swarm. It also includes Unbridled Swarm support for casting on allies. For more details, check out the WA description.
Bloodtalons Tracker from Fore's pack
This WA tracks your progress towards crucial procs of Bloodtalons. Bloodtalons is procced when you cast three different combo point generation abilities within 4s. This WA displays the 4s timer. For more details, check out the WA description.
Bloodtalons Tracker from Cheesey's pack
This WA is another alternative for tracking crucial procs of Bloodtalons. For more details, check out the WA description.
Focus Skull Bash This WA tracks when your Skull Bash interrupt is off cooldown and ready for use on your Focus target. For more details, check out the WA description.
Innervate Frame-glow (requires healer to whisper) by Drufearr This weakaura checks for a whisper input, (ie 'innervate me') and puts a glow on the whisperer's raid frame, alongside an icon telling you who to innervate. Also plays a sound when someone calls for innervate.
