Feral Druid
PvE Talent Guide & Calculator (Cat DPS)
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Balance
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Feral Combat
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Restoration
0Feral Druids are one of TBC's most versatile melee DPS specs. As a Cat, you deal competitive melee damage while bringing Leader of the Pack (5% melee crit aura) to your group. The 0/47/14 build goes deep Feral for Mangle — your primary combo point generator that also debuffs the target for increased Bleed damage — while dipping into Restoration for Omen of Clarity (free ability procs) and Intensity for mana regeneration. Ferals can also off-tank in a pinch by shifting to Bear Form.
Key Talents
Mangle (Cat)
Mangle the target, inflicting damage and causing the target to take 30% additional damage from Bleed effects for 12 sec. Awards 1 combo point. Your bread-and-butter ability.
Leader of the Pack
While in Cat or Bear Form, your critical strike chance and that of all party members within 45 yards is increased by 5%. Essential raid buff.
Survival of the Fittest
Increases all attributes by 3% and reduces the chance you'll be critically hit by melee attacks by 3%. Huge stat boost and crit immunity for tanking.
Omen of Clarity
Each melee hit has a chance of causing the caster to enter a Clearcasting state, making the next ability cost no mana, rage, or energy. Huge DPS and efficiency boost from the Restoration tree.
Stat Priority
- Hit Rating (until 9% / 142 rating)
- Expertise (until 6.5% / 26 rating)
- Agility
- Strength
- Critical Strike Rating
- Attack Power
Feral Cat DPS in TBC revolves around maintaining Mangle's bleed debuff, building combo points with Shred from behind, and keeping Rip active. Powershifting (shifting out and back into Cat Form) with a Wolfshead Helm provides extra energy ticks for higher throughput.
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Mangle (Cat) — Apply and maintain the debuff (+30% bleed damage for 12s). Use as your primary combo point builder when Shred is unavailable.
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Shred — Main combo point builder. Must be used from behind the target. Higher damage than Mangle when the bleed debuff is already active.
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Rip — Your primary finisher. Keep this DoT active at all times at 5 combo points. Benefits from the Mangle bleed debuff. -
Rake — Use as a filler when Mangle debuff is active and you have energy to spare. Benefits from the Mangle bleed bonus. -
Ferocious Bite — Only use at 5 combo points when Rip is active with more than 8 seconds remaining. Dump excess combo points. -
Tiger's Fury — Use when energy is low for a burst of energy and bonus damage. Cannot be used while in Cat Form in TBC — use during powershifting.
Best gear obtainable from heroic dungeons, crafting, reputation, and quests before entering Karazhan. Many leather rogue items are excellent for Feral Druids.
| Slot | Item | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Stag-Helm of Malorne | Quest — The Cipher of Damnation (Shadowmoon Valley) |
| Neck | Choker of Vile Intent | Heroic Shadow Labyrinth — Murmur |
| Shoulders | Wastewalker Shoulderpads | Heroic The Steamvault — Hydromancer Thespia |
| Back | Blood Knight War Cloak | Heroic Shattered Halls — Warchief Kargath |
| Chest | Wastewalker Tunic | Heroic Slave Pens — Quagmirran |
| Wrists | Felstalker Bracers | Leatherworking (Crafted) |
| Hands | Wastewalker Gloves | Heroic Underbog — The Black Stalker |
| Waist | Primalstrike Belt | Leatherworking (Crafted) |
| Legs | Heavy Clefthoof Leggings | Leatherworking (Crafted) |
| Feet | Edgewalker Longboots | Heroic Mana-Tombs — Nexus-Prince Shaffar |
| Ring 1 | A'dal's Command | Sha'tar — Exalted |
| Ring 2 | Ring of Umbral Doom | Heroic Shadow Labyrinth — Ambassador Hellmaw |
| Trinket 1 | Abacus of Violent Odds | Heroic Mechanar — Pathaleon |
| Trinket 2 | Bladefist's Breadth | Quest — Overlord (Hellfire Peninsula) |
| Weapon | Braxxis' Staff of Slumber | Heroic Underbog — Swamplord Musel'ek |
| Idol | Idol of the Wild | Cenarion Expedition — Revered |
Best endgame gear from SSC, Tempest Keep, Hyjal, Black Temple, and Sunwell Plateau. Focus on Hit (9%) > Expertise > Agility > Strength > Crit > AP.
| Slot | Item | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Thunderheart Cover | Black Temple — Archimonde (Hyjal T6 token) |
| Neck | Choker of Serrated Blades | Zul'Aman — Nalorakk |
| Shoulders | Thunderheart Pauldrons | Black Temple — Mother Shahraz |
| Back | Thalassian Wildercloak | Sunwell Plateau — Trash Drop |
| Chest | Thunderheart Chestguard | Black Temple — Illidan Stormrage |
| Wrists | Bracers of the Pathfinder | Sunwell Plateau — Kalecgos |
| Hands | Gloves of Immortal Dusk | Sunwell Plateau — Felmyst |
| Waist | Belt of One-Hundred Deaths | Sunwell Plateau — Brutallus |
| Legs | Thunderheart Leggings | Black Temple — Azgalor (Hyjal T6 token) |
| Feet | Boots of Utter Darkness | Black Temple — Teron Gorefiend |
| Ring 1 | Hard Khorium Band | Jewelcrafting (Crafted) |
| Ring 2 | Band of the Eternal Champion | Hyjal Summit — Exalted |
| Trinket 1 | Madness of the Betrayer | Black Temple — Illidan Stormrage |
| Trinket 2 | Berserker's Call | Zul'Aman — Timed Chest (4th boss) |
| Weapon | Pillar of Ferocity | Black Temple — Gurtogg Bloodboil |
| Idol | Idol of Terror | Zul'Aman — Hex Lord Malacrass |
Essential Feral Druid macros for TBC Classic. Powershifting is the core advanced technique.
Powershift (Cat Form)
#showtooltip Cat Form
/cancelaura Cat Form
/cast Cat Form
Re-enters Cat Form instantly to gain energy from Furor talent. Core Feral DPS technique.
Mangle + Trinkets
#showtooltip Mangle (Cat)
/use 13
/use 14
/cast Mangle (Cat)()
Pops trinkets with Mangle for burst windows. Mangle increases bleed damage.
Bear Form Emergency
#showtooltip Dire Bear Form
/cast [nostance:1] Dire Bear Form
/cast [stance:1] Frenzied Regeneration
Shifts to Bear Form or uses Frenzied Regen if already in bear. Emergency survival button.
Faerie Fire (Feral)
#showtooltip Faerie Fire (Feral)()
/cast Faerie Fire (Feral)()
Applies -610 armor debuff. Keep this up on the boss at all times if no other class is applying it.
- Master powershifting — canceling and re-entering Cat Form gives you energy from Furor, massively increasing DPS.
- Keep Mangle debuff up at all times — it increases Shred and Rip damage by 30%.
- Don't use Rip and Ferocious Bite at the same time — pick one finisher based on fight duration.
- Don't forget to use Faerie Fire (Feral) — the armor reduction benefits all physical DPS in the raid.
- Hit cap is 9% (142 rating). Expertise soft cap is 6.5% (26 rating).
- Feral Druids can off-tank while still dealing competitive DPS — your hybrid flexibility is your biggest strength.
Meta Gem
— +12 Agility, +3% Critical Strike Damage. Requires more red gems than blue.
Gem Priority
Use Delicate Living Ruby (+8 Agility) in red sockets. Use Glinting Noble Topaz (+4 Agi / +4 Hit) in yellow sockets when you need hit rating. Use Shifting Nightseye (+4 Agi / +6 Stamina) in blue sockets to activate meta requirement.
Enchants
Flasks & Elixirs
Food
Other
