Feral Bear Druid WotLK Guide
Feral Bear Druid tank guide for WotLK 3.3.5a: threat rotation, cooldowns, the 0/60/11 talent build, glyphs, stat priority and BiS gear for ICC and Ruby Sanctum.
The Bear is the Druid tank, and it is a real main tank for raid bosses. It wears leather, and Bear Form turns stamina and armor into a very large pool of health, which the guides we read call effective health. It handles large, infrequent hits very well, thanks to Savage Defense, and it has one of the simplest threat rotations of the game.
This guide covers the threat priority, the cooldowns, the talents and glyphs we run, the stats to reach and the fights where the Bear matters. It is written for Icecrown Citadel 25 and Ruby Sanctum on 3.3.5a. The short overview is in the class guide.
1.How the Feral Bear Druid plays
Your threat comes from Maul, which is your main ability, along with Mangle, Faerie Fire and Lacerate. A Bear does not generate rage by hitting: it generates rage by taking damage, so your threat depends on your gear and on the fight, and a well-geared Bear tanks bosses easily.
Compared to other tanks, a Bear uses Savage Defense for occasional large hits, and a Warrior or Paladin uses Shield Block for many small ones, which makes the Bear ideal for boss tanking. The talents also give you critical immunity, so you do not need to work for a defense cap.
2.Threat priority
- Faerie FireKeep it on the boss. It is a raid debuff and it gives you threat without rage.
- MangleOn cooldown. It keeps the bleed debuff on the boss.
- LacerateKeep the stacks up on the target.
- MaulYour rage spender, and your main threat ability.
- SwipeOn groups of enemies, for area threat.
Bear Druids are considered one of the easiest rotations in the game, which lets you focus on positioning and on the raid. Growl is your taunt, and you need hit for it to land.
3.Cooldowns and raid utility
A Bear has a small set of defensive cooldowns, and each one does a different job.
Raises your maximum health for a short time. Use it before a big hit.
Reduces the damage you take for a short time. It is a cheap cooldown you can use often.
Turns your rage into health. Use it when you need a quick heal.
Makes your Mangle hit up to three targets and removes its cooldown for a short time. A threat tool.
A single-target taunt. You need hit for it to land.
A short stun. Learn which fights ask for it.
4.Talents and glyphs
Our recommended Bear build is the 0/60/11 in the calculator, built around Protector of the Pack, Natural Reaction, Improved Mangle, Survival of the Fittest, Berserk and Primal Gore.
The major glyphs are Survival Instincts, Mangle and Maul.
Increases your attack power by 6% and reduces the damage you take by 12%, while in Bear or Dire Bear Form.
Increases your dodge while in Bear Form or Dire Bear Form by 6%, and you regenerate 3 rage everytime you dodge while in Bear Form or Dire Bear Form.
Reduces the cooldown of your Mangle (Bear) ability by 1.5 sec., and reduces the energy cost of your Mangle (Cat) ability by 6.
Increases all attributes by 6%, reduces the chance you'll be critically hit by melee attacks by 6%, and increases your armor contribution from cloth and leather items in Bear Form and Dire Bear Form by 33%.
When activated, this ability causes your Mangle (Bear) ability to hit up to 3 targets and have no cooldown, and reduces the energy cost of all your Cat Form abilities by 50%. Lasts 15 sec. You cannot use Tiger's Fury while Berserk is active. Clears the effect of Fear and makes you immune to Fear for the duration.
Grants the periodic damage from your Lacerate and Rip abilities the ability to critically hit.
Your Survival Instincts ability grants an additional 15% of your maximum health.
Increases the damage done by Mangle by 10%.
Your Maul ability now hits 1 additional target.
5.Stats, gems and gear
The priority is stamina, then armor (through agility gear), then hit for Growl, and expertise up to the soft cap of 26. A Bear with a lot of stamina and armor has the effective health that makes tanking bosses simple.
The best items are in the BiS list below.
The only Horde option. Endurance (+5% base health) helps Bear tanking and general survival, and War Stomp is a genuine AoE-stun utility.
The only Alliance option. Quickness (+2% dodge) helps Bear tanks, and Shadowmeld is a useful threat-drop / mechanic-dodge button.
Wrathful Gladiator's Greatstaff
Idol of the Crying Moon
Satrina's Impeding Scarab
Sindragosa's Flawless Fang
Sanctified Lasherweave Headguard
Ikfirus's Sack of Wonder
6.Common mistakes
• Tanking a boss with your back to the raid. Turn the boss away.
• Using all your cooldowns at once.
• Ignoring your hit, and losing taunts.
• Not keeping Faerie Fire and Lacerate up.
• Forgetting that your rage comes from taking damage.
7.On the bosses
The Bear is a strong main tank. A few notes:
Tank in a corner, and use your cooldowns for the biggest hits.
Use Survival Instincts for the big hits and pick up the Blood Beasts. See the Icecrown guide.
Line up your cooldowns with the Frost Breath, and keep your threat up.
Watch your cooldowns through the phase changes. See the Ruby Sanctum guide.
8.Questions people ask
Yes. It has excellent effective health, and it is especially good for boss tanking.
No. The talents give you critical immunity.
From taking damage, not from hitting.
Survival Instincts, Mangle and Maul.