Tal's Guide to Being A Cataclystic Tree

With the last guide being now out of date, I hope we can put together a decent new guide, and keep it updated, for how to best be a Resto Druid in Cataclysm. Right now we're all still figuring out what to do, so this guide will just be a starting point that we can build off of, based on information we find and learn. This is primarily a PVE Raiding Resto Druid guilde, PVP is something else which we can cover in a separate section.

Please keep in mind too that I'm still figuring this out as well, so if i'm wrong, please let me know, or if you find some better information to add, let me know as well and we'll combine them. This should be a helpfull guide to all the resto druids in the guild.

1. Talent Specs
2. Glyphs
3. Gearing Stats and Stat Priority
4. Pre-Raid Gear
   
5. Gems and Enchants
6. Professions and the Tree
7. Your Spells and You
8. How to Heal the Tal Way
9. Usefull Spell Macros
10. User Interface Tips and Tricks

1. Talent Specs

This will depend on how we work out our healing styles in Cataclysm, but with the change to being more of a tank healer and less a hotbot, I think this spec is the way I'm going to start Cataclysm healing, and we'll see how it goes.

http://www.wowhead.com/talent#0hbhZMZMfzIbcru0ho

I basically fill up everything in the first level of Restoration other than Blessing of the Grove. Rejuvenation is a very efficient spell, but we aren't going to be spamming it anymore, and unless we get used to using it sparingly it'll burn your mana out quickly. We need to unlearn using it too much, and we need to not emphasize it by talenting it.

I also don't take Perseverence. It's more of a PVP talent to reduce the spell damage against you. Won't help your healing in the slightest. Fury of Stormrage is also a PVP talent, you shouldn't be casting damage spells in raids.

Nature's Swiftness. With Healing Touch now having it's cast time reduced, and this still being on a 3 minute timer it's pretty much used to just have an instant battle rez if anything. it's no longer a good talent to take.

Nature's Cure is good, but in a raid hopefully you have other people who can remove magic. This could be better in a 5 man heroics situation, but for a raid you can save the points.

Nature's Ward is more a PVP talent, and doesn't help your healing, while Swift Rejuvenation helps with using Rejuvenation as a core heal, and that's fine if you want to go that way but we need to deemphasize it.

I then take 8 points in balance to get a haste buff from Regrowth, increase the spell crit chance, and most importantly reduce the mana cost of all our healing spells by 9%.

Then in Feral we grab 2 points in Furor to get more mana. If you don't have mana issues you can lose these two points for Nature's Cure maybe, or one of the other Restoration spells.

2. Glyphs

Glyphs seem pretty straightforward now.

Prime Glyphs: Glyph of Lifebloom, Glyph of Swiftmend, Glyph of Rejuvenation. I'm going with Rejuvenation over the Glyph of Regrowth, because generally I prefer things that give a benefit 100% of the time, over things that only give a benefit in conditional circumstances.

Major Glyphs: Glyph of Wild Growth, Glyph of Rebirth, Glyph of Innervate. I don't think there are any other viable glyphs for majors. Keep in mind, and hopefully we remember to mention this later, but the Glyph of Innervate works best if you have more than one Resto Druid in a raid, and they innervate EACH OTHER rather than themselves.

Minor Glyphs: Nothing really that helps your healing. I like Glyph of Unburdened Rebirth because it lets me not have to remember to get a reagent. Otherwise go nuts. I use Glyph of Aquatic Form and Glyph of Mark of the Wild as my other two.

3. Gearing Stats and Stat Priority

I need to do more number crunching and research on this but right now it looks like the best gear for us has Intellect AND Spirit on it. If it's leather, and has Intellect, and Spirit on it, that's our gear. You can use cloth with the same stats, but leather gives you more bang for your buck because of our Leather Specialization. Generally I wouldn't concern myself with actually crunching the numbers of intellect and spirit. Generally you're gonna find that an item with a higher gearscore is going to have more of both so you won't have to choose, however if you're not having mana issues you should prefer intellect, and if you're having more mana issues you should prefer spirit, however overall intellect is the primary stat.

After that you have Haste, Critical Strike, and Mastery in that order. You don't want to ignore any of them, but if you have a choice between haste and crit, go with haste, if you can choose between crit and master, go with crit, etc. Again, generally you're going to just want to throw on the highest GS piece you get, and once you get to higher levels we're pretty streamlined for what gear is ours it looks like. However, if we end up primarily tank healing, mastery might be more important. We'll have to see how that goes, but Mastery is far better for us if we're tank healing, so that might shoot up above Crit.

As far as Reforging, i'm not sure yet. If you are always running out of mana reforge for more spirit. Otherwise if your crit is heavily more than haste, reforge for haste, etc. If you're reforging for something else you're probably doing it wrong, with the possible exception of refroging for extra mastery once we get to raiding levels.

4. Pre-Raid Gear

Gearing up for raids in normals and heroics is going to be key to get into those raids and not die flat on the floor. Here is a list I found of some of the pre-raid gear to help us get off the ground. keep in mind that generally the higher the gear score of the item you get (blue or green) the better it probably is because it has more intellect. Also don't worry about mastery until you're building your actual gearset to pull into raids. Best is at the top of each list and down.

Helm

Camouflage Bio-Optic Killshades Engineering helm, equivalent to T11
Cluster of Stars  costs 2,200 JP in Orgimmar
Cowl of Rebellion drops from Vanessa Van Cleef in Deadmines (H)
Willowy Crown drops from Ascendant Lord Obsidius in Blackrock Caverns (H)
Helm of Reorigination is a reward from the quest Doing It The Hard Way from Blackrock Caverns

Amulet

Yellow Smoke Pendant Exalted with Dragonmaw
Acanthia's Lost Pendant is a zone drop in Blackrock Caverns (H)
Amulet of Tender Breath obtained from Altairus in the Vortex Pinnacle (H)
Celadon Pendant costs 1,250 Justice Points in Orgrimmar
Quicksilver Amulet obtained from Karsh Steelbender in Blackrock Caverns (H)
Pendant of Elemental Balance obtained from Earthen Ring: Honoured

Shoulders

Mantle of Bestilled Winds obtained from Altairus in Vortex Pinnacle (H)
Mantle of Soft Shadows obtained from Anraphet in Halls of Origination (H).
Somber Shawl obtained by spending 1,650 Justice Points in your capital city
Spaulders of the Endless Plains Honoured with Dragonmaw
Mantle of Soft Shadows obtained from Anraphet in Halls of Origination (Normal).

Back

Azureborne Cloak obtained from Drahga Shadowburner in Grim Batol (H).
Solar Wind Cloak obtained from Rajh in Halls of Origination (H).
Springvale's Cloak obtained from Commander Springvale in Shadowfang Keep (H)
Cloak of the Dryads obtained from Guardians of Hyjal: Honoured
Azureborne Cloak obtained from Drahga Shadowburner in Grim Batol (Normal).
Solar Wind Cloak obtained from Rajh in Halls of Origination (Normal).

Chest

Chestguard of Nature's Fury is BOE & craftable by Leatherworkers.
Cursed Skardyn Vest obtained from General Umbriss in Grim Batol (H)
Robes of Forgetfulness costs 2,200 JP in Orgrimmar.
Robes of the Loving Ursine drops from Defias Overseer in Deadmines (H).
Wrap of the Fallen City obtained from quest The Fall of Neferset City in Uldum

Wrist

Oasis Bracers are a BOP zone drop in Lost City of Tol'vir (H).
Oasis Bracers are a BOP zone drop in Lost City of Tol'vir (N).

Gloves

Aessina-Blessed Gloves Guardians of Hyjal Revered
Blessed Hands of Elune costs 1,650 JP in Org
Deep Delving Gloves obtained from Slabhide in Stonecore (H).
Gloves of the Uplifted Cup obtained from Baron Silverlaine in Shadowfang Keep (H)
Gloves of Baleflame obtained from the quest Closing a Dark Chapter in Grim Batol (N)
Deep Delving Gloves obtained from Slabhide in Stonecore (N)

Legs

Leggings of Clutching Roots Earthen Ring Revered
Leggings of Late Blooms 2,200 JP in Org
Leggings of the Path obtained from Siamat in the Lost City of Tol'vir (H).
Leggings of the Path obtained from Siamat in the Lost City of Tol'vir (N).

Waist

Lightning Lash is BOE & craftable by Leatherworkers
Withered Dream Belt Dragonmaw Exalted
Thatch Eave Vines 1,670 JP in Orgrimmar
Underworld Cord obtained from Earthrager Ptah in Halls of Origination (H).
Underworld Cord obtained from Earthrager Ptah in Halls of Origination (N).

Boots

Awakening Footfalls obtained from Temple Guardian Anhuur in Halls of Origination (H).
Decapod Slippers obtained from Mindbender Ghur'sha in Throne of the Tides (H)
Awakening Footfalls obtained from Temple Guardian Anhuur in Halls of Origination (N).
Tarvus's Poison-Scarred Boots obtained from the rare spawn Tarvus the Vile in the southern most cave in Obsidian Forest in Twilight Highlands
Vision-Tainted Treads is obtained from the quest Traitor's Bait (Orgrimmar)

Ring

Ring of the Boy Emperor obtained from Archaeology if you get obscenely lucky with Tol'vir fragments
Band of Life Energy obtained from Ammunae in Halls of Origination (H). (also a normal mode version)
Diamant's Ring of Temperance Therazane Revered
Kibble obtained from Beauty in Blackrock Caverns (H). (also a normal mode version)
Ring of Frozen Rain obtained from Asaad in the Vortex Pinnacle (H). (also a normal mode version)
Ring of the Great Whale is a BOE drop from Throne of the Tides (H).
Veneficial Band obtained from Augh in Lost City of Tol'vir (H).

Weapons

Given that you can enchant all weapons with the same enchants, and a +100 int enchant to off-hands, Staves will be better if you're running out of mana (ie have more spirit) where as a 1 hander and off hand will have more of an intellect and spellpower punch.

1H Weapons

Elementium Hammer crafted by Blacksmithing
Scepter of Power obtained from Setesh in Halls of Origination (H). (also normal mode Scepter of Power)
Torturer's Mercy obtained from Rom'ogg Bonecrusher in Blackrock Caverns (H)
Gurgthock's Garish Gorebat obtained from the Crucible of Carnage event

Off Hands

Apple-Bent Bough costs 950 JP in Orgrimmar
Prophet's Scepter obtained from High Priestess Azil in Stonecore (H)
Divine Companion cratfable by Inscription
Bioluminescent Lamp obtained from Neptulon's Cache in Throne of the Tides (H)

2H Weapons

Staff of Ammunae obtained from Archaeology if you get obscenely lucky with Tol'vir fragments
Staff of Isolation obtained from Lord Godfrey in Shadowfang Keep (H)
Soul Releaser obtained from Earthrager Ptah in Halls of Origination (H)

Relics

Book of Dark Prophecies obtained from High Priestess Azil in Stonecore (H).
Book of the Well Sung Song obtained from Vanessa Van Cleef in Deadmines (H)
Captured Lightning obtained from Asaad in Vortex Pinnacle (H)

5. Gems and Enchants

Use an Ember Shadowspirit Diamond for your Meta. Then socket two Reckless Ember Topaz's to activate the meta. After that socket all Brilliant Infernos UNLESS the socket bonus gives +20 Intellect or more. Then socket either a purified Demonseye, or more Reckless Ember Topaz's

6. Professions

No idea yet.

7. Your Spells and You

Still working on figuring it out, but use Rejuvenation a lot less than you used to and keep Lifebloom on your tanks. more to come.

8. How to Tree Heal the Tal Way

Still figuring this out.

9. Usefull Spell Macros

Meh.

10. User Interface Tips and Tricks

If I get to it.