Restoration Druid WotLK Guide
Restoration Druid healing guide for WotLK 3.3.5a: spell priority, cooldowns, the 18/0/53 build, glyphs, stats and BiS gear for ICC and Ruby Sanctum.
The Restoration Druid is a heal-over-time healer. It puts Rejuvenation and Lifebloom on people before the damage, it heals a whole group with Wild Growth, and it stacks Lifebloom on the tank for efficient healing. It also brings Innervate for its own mana and for others, Rebirth to bring a player back in combat, and the Tree of Life form with its healing bonuses.
This guide covers the healing priority, the cooldowns, the talents and glyphs we run, the stats to reach and the mistakes that cost the most. 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 Restoration Druid plays
The idea is prevention. You apply your heals over time before the damage happens, so the raid takes damage with heals already ticking, instead of waiting for a large heal. That is why the guide we read says "don't spam Nourish mindlessly, we're a HoT healer, not a tank healer."
Lifebloom at three stacks on the tank is very efficient, and it returns mana when it ends. Rejuvenation and Wild Growth cover the group, Regrowth and Nourish are your direct heals, and Swiftmend is an instant heal that consumes a heal over time. The spec needs a moderate amount of skill: multiple heals over time, predicting damage, and avoiding clipped refreshes.
2.Healing priorities
- Lifebloom Keep Lifebloom at three stacks on the tank, and refresh it before it ends so it does not bloom by accident.
- Rejuvenation Put Rejuvenation on players who will take damage soon, and on the tank.
- Wild Growth Use Wild Growth on a group, on cooldown when the raid takes damage.
- Swiftmend Use Swiftmend for an instant heal on someone in danger.
- Regrowth and Nourish Use Regrowth and Nourish as direct heals when a heal over time is not enough.
Stay flexible: a Restoration Druid can heal a tank, a group or the whole raid, but it heals best when it has time to place its heals before the damage. Do not clip your refreshes, and keep watching the damage patterns of the fight.
3.Cooldowns and raid utility
Restoration has a few unique tools that a raid values.
Gives a lot of mana back. Use it on yourself or on another healer when it helps the most.
Brings a dead player back during combat. A raid save on long fights.
A raid-wide healing channel. Your emergency button for raid damage.
An instant heal that consumes one of your heals over time. Your reaction tool.
Makes your next nature spell instant. Use it with a large heal in an emergency.
Reduces the damage you take for a short time, and it can be cast while stunned.
4.Talents and glyphs
Our recommended Restoration builds are the 18/0/53 and the 11/0/60 in the calculator, built around Wild Growth, Gift of the Earthmother, Revitalize, Improved Tree of Life, Empowered Rejuvenation and Swiftmend.
The major glyphs are Wild Growth, Rejuvenation and Nourish.
Heals up to 5 friendly party or raid members within 15 yards of the target for 686 over 7 sec. The amount healed is applied quickly at first, and slows down as the Wild Growth reaches its full duration.
Increases your total spell haste by 10% and reduces the base cooldown of your Lifebloom spell by 10%.
Your Rejuvenation spell has a 15% chance to restore 8 Energy, 4 Rage, 1% Mana or 16 Runic Power per tick.
Increases your armor contribution from items while in Tree of Life Form by 200%, and increases your healing spell power by 15% of your spirit while in Tree of Life Form.
The bonus healing effects of your healing over time spells is increased by 20%.
Consumes a Rejuvenation or Regrowth effect on a friendly target to instantly heal them an amount equal to 12 sec. of Rejuvenation or 18 sec. of Regrowth.
Wild Growth can affect 1 additional target.
While your Rejuvenation targets are below 50% health, you will heal them for an additional 50% health.
Your Nourish heals an additional 6% for each of your heal over time effects present on the target.
5.Stats, gems and gear
The priority is haste, enough to reach a one-second global cooldown, then spell power, then spirit, then critical strike. The faster global cooldown is what makes a heal-over-time healer feel responsive.
The best items are in the BiS list below.
- Intellect
- Haste
- Spell Power
- MP5
None
Healing spells don’t need hit — never intentionally itemize around it as Resto.
None
None
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.
Archus, Greatstaff of Antonidas
Idol of the Black Willow
Althor's Abacus
Glowing Twilight Scale
Sanctified Lasherweave Helmet
Sanguine Silk Robes
6.Common mistakes
• Spamming Nourish as if you were a tank healer.
• Clipping your refreshes and losing healing.
• Not placing your heals over time before the damage.
• Letting Lifebloom bloom by accident.
• Forgetting Innervate and Rebirth because they are not on your main bar.
7.On the bosses
Restoration Druids are strong on fights with steady, predictable damage. A few notes:
Put your heals over time on the raid before the Bone Storm, and keep Lifebloom on the tank.
Use Wild Growth on the groups, and keep Lifebloom on the tank taking the burst.
Pre-place your heals before the breaths, and plan Innervate for a long fight.
Heals over time help a lot with the Infest, and keep the tanks up. See the Lich King healing guide.
8.Questions people ask
Yes. It is a strong heal-over-time healer, with Innervate and Rebirth as extra tools for the raid.
Three, on the tank. It is very efficient and it gives mana back when it ends.
Enough to reach a one-second global cooldown.
Wild Growth, Rejuvenation and Nourish.