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Feral DPS Basics In Wrath Classic
Cats are going to perform quite well in Classic Wrath of the Lich King. They're near the top of our WotLK PvE DPS class tier list thanks to a fairly substantial class rework. The days of powershifting are gone. Cat gameplay is a hybrid Warlock/Rogue scenario that combines resource management and proper Damage Over Time (DOT) tracking. The memes of the Cat rotation being "John Madden" are there for a reason. If you can master the class, you'll do quite well in Wrath of the Lich King Classic.
This guide will focus specifically on level 80 content and abilities. It will be updated throughout the Wrath of the Lich King expansion as more content rolls out.
Important New and Reworked Talents and Abilities
- Berserk - Your new capstone talent. It reduces the energy of all abilities for 15 seconds, allowing you to go ham and not worry so much about pooling your energy.
- Savage Roar - This is essentially the Cat form of a Rogue's Slice and Dice.
- Ferocious Bite - A huge rework buffs the bonus damage generated while also no longer using up all of your energy. A very welcome change.
- Feral Charge - Cat - Extremely beneficial in any encounter with a lot of movement.
- Furor - Reworked to no longer restore energy when you shift into Cat form. This kills powershifting.
- Primal Precision - Both a free source of Expertise and also makes missing your abilities less punishing.
- Rebirth - Now a 10-minute cooldown.
- Revive - You can now resurrect out of combat. This is not a drill, people.
Best Talent Build for Feral DPS Druids in WotLK
There are two different talent builds for DPS Druids in Classic Wrath.
Standard DPS build
The image above shows the Talents and Glyphs for players that are strictly Damage Dealing 100% of the time.
Off Tank/Hybrid Feral Druid build
The image above shows the Talents and Glyphs for players that would like to be able to switch between Off-Tanking and DPS.
If you're primarily a DPS role, the glyphs are a bit different compared to if you're primarily a tank.
For more information, take a look at our Feral Tank Guide .
Feral Druid DPS Skill Rotation and Cooldowns
Be warned that the Cat DPS rotation is the most complex rotation in all of Wrath of the Lich King Classic.
Feral Druid DPS Rotation - Single Target
- If you have less than 40 Energy, cast Tiger's Fury.
- Cast Berserk if there is at least 15 seconds left on the Tiger's Fury cooldown.
- Cast Savage Roar if you have at least one combo point and the buff has expired.
- Cast Shred if you got a Clearcasting proc.
- Spend 5 combo points to cast Ripif the debuff from Rip has expired.
- Cast Rakeif the Rake debuff has expired.
- Cast Mangle (Cat)if the Mangle debuff has expired.
- Make sure you have enough energy to do everything listed above.
- Cast Shred if you have enough energy to do everything listed above when necessary.
Feral Druid DPS Rotation - AOE
This rotation is just a tad bit easier than the single target one.
- If you have less than 40 Energy, cast Tiger's Fury.
- Cast Berserk if there is at least 15 seconds left on the Tiger's Fury cooldown.
- Cast Savage Roar if you have at least one combo point and the buff has expired.
- Cast Rake if you have no combo points and the trash pack will live through five Swipes.
- Cast Swipe (Cat) while pooling Energy.
Feral Druid DPS Cooldowns
Non Feral Druid specs don't have much in terms of cooldowns in Classic Wrath of the Lich King. Cat has plenty of them, though not as much as Bears.
- Berserk is your most important offensive cooldown that greatly buffs your damage.
- Tiger's Fury is another solid damage cooldown that also regenerates 60 Energy. There's a reason why its at the top of your rotation priority list.
- Survival Instincts is an amazing "oh crap" button that can be used by Cats.
- You'll still have Innervate to give people mana. This has been reworked to no longer be based off of the target's spirit. Instead, the targeted player will regen 225% of your base mana. This opens up more people to see the full effect of Innervate. Please don't use this if you're actively tanking a boss.
- Of course, Rebirth is still a key raid cooldown. For the love of all things holy, don't use this if you're actively tanking a boss.
WotLK Feral DPS Druid Stat Priority
The most important stats for Cat Druids in Wrath of the Lich King Classic are as follows:
- Agility
- Armor Penetration
- Critical Strike
- Strength
- Hit Rating
- Expertise Rating
- Haste
- Feral Attack Power
- Attack Power
Feral DPS Druid Consumables
There aren't many consumables you'll need for Raiding:
- Flask of Endless Rage
- Dragonfin Filet
- Potion of Speed and Free Action Potion provide damage buffs and important utility respectively.
- Don't get about Wild Spineleaf for Gift of the Wild.
Best Wrath Professions for DPS Feral Druids
- Engineering gives you access to both Saronite Bomb and Global Thermal Sapper Charge. You can use these while shapeshifted, providing more damage and, as a result, more threat.
- Leatherworking is a solid second option as it gives you access to Drums, Nitro Boosts, and the ability to craft some key items you'll wear.
Best In Slot Gear For Feral DPS Druids In WotLK
The article below outlines the very best item as well as alternative choices for each equipment slot for both Pre-Raid and Phase 1 of Wrath of the Lich King.