how to make a cat

[Robbyn Jonathan]

Someone needs to make a "pure" druid cat build, and out damage the rogues

Here's how:


Set Level: 60
Current: 51

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Balance: 11
Feral Combat: 35
Restoration: 5


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Balance Talents (11 points)


Nature's Grasp (1/1)
- 50 Mana
Instant cast
1 minute cooldown

While active, any time an enemy strikes the caster, they have a 35% chance to become afflicted by Entangling Roots (Rank 1). Only usable outdoors. 1 charge. Lasts 45 seconds.

Level 18: Entangling Roots (Rank 2)
Level 28: Entangling Roots (Rank 3)
Level 38: Entangling Roots (Rank 4)
Level 48: Entangling Roots (Rank 5)
Level 58: Entangling Roots (Rank 6)

Improved Nature's Grasp (4/4)
- Increases the chance for your Nature's Grasp to entangle an enemy by 65%.

Natural Weapons (5/5)
- Increases the damage you deal with physical attacks in all forms by 10%.

Omen of Clarity (1/1)
- 120 Mana
Instant Cast

Imbues the Druid with natural energy. Each of the druid's melee attacks has a chance of causing the caster to enter a Clearcasting state. The Clearcasting state reduces the Mana, Rage or Energy cost of your next damage or healing spell or offensive ability by 100%. Lasts 5 min.


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Feral Combat Talents (35 points)


Ferocity (5/5)
- Reduces the cost of your Maul, Swipe, Claw, and Rake abilities by 5 Rage.

Feral Aggresion (5/5)
- Increases the Attack Power reduction of your Demoralizing Roar by {0} and the damage caused by your Ferocious Bite by 15%.

Thick Hide (4/5)
- Increases your Armor contribution from items by 8%

Feline Swiftness (2/2)
- Increases your movement speed by {0} while outdoors in Cat Form and increases your chance to dodge while in Cat Form by 4%.

Sharpened Claws (3/3)
- Increases your critical strike chance while in Bear, Dire Bear or Cat Form by 6%.

Improved Shred (2/2)
- Reduces the Energy cost of your Shred ability by 12 .

Predatory Strikes (3/3)
- Increases your Attack Power in Cat, Bear and Dire Bear Forms by 150% of your level.

Blood Frenzy (2/2)
- Your critical strikes from Cat Form abilities that add combo points have a 100% chance to add an additional combo point.

Savage Fury (2/2)
- Increases the damage caused by your Ravage, Claw, Rake, Maul and Swipe abilities by 20%.

Faerie Fire (Feral) (1/1)
- Instant cast
30 yard range
Requires Cat Form, Bear Form, Dire Bear Form

Decrease the armor of the target by 175 for 40 sec. While affected, the target cannot stealth or turn invisible.

Heart of the Wild (5/5)
- Increases your Intellect by {0}. In addition, while in Bear or Dire Bear Form your Stamina is increased by {1} and while in Cat Form your Strength is increased by 20%.

Leader of the Pack (1/1)
- While in Cat, Bear or Dire Bear Form, the Leader of the Pack increases ranged and melee critical chance of all party members within 45 yards by 3%.While in Cat, Bear or Dire Bear Form, the Leader of the Pack increases ranged and melee critical chance of all party members within 45 yards by 3%.


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Restoration Talents (5 points)


Improved Mark of the Wild (5/5)
- Increases the effects of your Mark of the Wild spell by 35%.


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[Sorcha'Rei]

I've got a pure cat specc druid. Her name is Devorah and she can't out-damage rogues, although she can stay more or less even with most of them, given equivalent gear. But given an extremely skilled rogue, she can't beat him for damage. Now, come the Burning Crusade, I have high hopes for her . . .

When the WoW site comes back up, I'll put her specc up for you to see. She's currently wearing ZG and AQ20 blues, along with a few epics from AQ20. She does okay. The biggest gain to her damage lately was the Ferocious Bite book that falls off the Beast in UBRS.

[Sorcha'Rei]

Here is Dev's current specc.

A couple comments on how it differs from the one you've suggested:

1. I loathe Ferocity for Cats. It's a great talent for Bears, because the 5 points is a 33% reduction in the cost of the Bear talents. However, the same 5 points buys you only an 11% reduction in the cost of the Cat talents.

2. Cats often need to heal during raids and in PvP, so I put the restoration points in Furor. I also dumped points in Natural Shapeshifter, because in fights where I have to shift baack and forth, saving mana for the heal(s) matters (and in her Cat gear, Dev's mana pool is pathetic).

3. I had then one point left, so it went in Brutal Impact. In PvP, it's handy when I'm working with a rogue to hold back and do my opener when his wears off, thus getting a second initial stun on the same target.

4. I didn't improve armor contribution from items, since Cats (like rogues) should not be getting hit.

[Fechak]

I figured that a cat couldn't out-damage a rogue with equal gear... thanks for both of your thoughts, my mind still isn't made up 100% where I want to take my little one. My original intention was to make a bear, and still get enough of the cat stuff to be able to switch up if there's a better equipped warrior. We'll see though... I love tanking, and I've already been there done that with the rogue thing. Anyway, good information for all regardless - thanks again.

[Sorcha'Rei]

This is what Dev was before her guild got a serious Bear tank -- it let her OT successfully (she could be in an aggro fight on bosses like Mandokir or Kurinnaxx just fine) and it let her keep pace with moderately good rogues.

It's not as good a PvP specc as her current one -- you kind of have to pick a form and stick to it for an entire fight, as there is no support for shifting. On the other hand, the best use for a druid in BGs is flag carrier in WSG, and this specc supports that just fine.

I've been toying with a Balance & Feral specc on my fourth druid lately, which I am starting to think might be the best PvP specc until Burning Crusade.

[Fechak]

I'm still having a blast with my drood. I'm now level 32 and god bless the two new cat strikes I got. However, I would mention one thing with regards to Ferocity. Yes, if you get down with the percentiles it might seem like less. But if you are specced, you only need to wait for 2 ticks for the cat sinister strike (forget what it's called). Unspecced it's 3 ticks, and that's a lifetime in a solo toe-to-toe fight. I'd imagine in a group situation I'd be backstabbing, so that would be different perhaps. But my plan is to take my guy bear in the end. Regardless, I thought I'd put in my 2cp.

[Sorcha'Rei]

Agreed, and it makes it worthwhile for leveling, especialy if you ever play a bear. At 60, it wasn't worth it for me, so I dropped it. It's a great talent for bears all the way to the wall, though.

[Fechak]

So there were changes to weapon skill in the patch - in feral form, does it have any bearing on anything for druids?

[Fechak]

Improved Leader of the Pack... worth it or no?