What spec shoukd i take for a combat druid?

[Aurorax]

I've decided to make a combat druid, aiming for 41 nature.
I don't really like healing all the time, but I need to have some power into it though, to rezz, cure diseases and heal people to save their but, but mainly concentrate on combat. Now are non-healing druids accepted in RvR groups? Cuz I think a druid is a character very capable of 1. being a heal char and 2. being a combat char, so are they accepted and what spec should I choose?

 

[Sarnat]

Umm... why dont you make a warden or something if you want to fight?

 

[Cernos]

File under Battle Bard

 

[Aurorax]

Originally posted by Sarnat
Umm... why dont you make a warden or something if you want to fight?

I didn't ask you that did I.

I don't want a Warden cause they 1. Don't have a pet 2. Have no DoT's 3. They fight mostly melee if they do.

 

[old.Fenixen]

Originally posted by Aurorax

I don't want a Warden cause they 1. Don't have a pet 2. Have no DoT's 3. They fight mostly melee if they do.

Sounds like you wants a Light Mentalist to me...

1. got pet 2. Have both spec and base dots 3. Don't melee (Well some loco may but that doesn't count)

 

[old.Kladen]

im going for 41 nature 35 regrowth 3 nuture

 

[Fluids]

3 Nurture?!

Won't be very good in combat unless you have a buffbot classic combat druid spec is high nat/nurt. However since Ip etc its important to have good instas, therefore I've gone

Nurt:19
Nat:36
Reg:35

Many druids have respecced into this spec. However you spec, you can still be good in solo combat, just look at lourker.

 

[Jonaldo]

Originally posted by Fluids
just look at lourker.

but not for too long... he's no supermodel y'know

 

[bone_idle]

Are you level 50 already because most people think druids are for healing and if your in a group and go head on into battle in PvE i think you'll get some strong words from your group asking wtf you are doing and why arent you healing?. I'm sure you'll make a great battle druid but i think 98% of people in hib think you are there for CC / buffs and healing. Good luck to you.

 

[err0r]

I also think 36 nature / 35 regrowth / 19 nurture is the only viable "battle druid" spec. Yes, I've played 41 nature too.

Leaving your nurture to 3 makes you only a mentalist with a lousy pet and couple of instants, with the 19 nurture buffs you can at least do some melee in addition to DoT:ting.

 

[)nick(]

Bugger regrowth and go: 31 nurt, 25 regrowth, 36 nature.

 

[Uncle Sick(tm)]

Originally posted by Cernos
File under Battle Bard

Bah, BattleBard spec work(ed) just fine.

So do Nature specced druids.... baseline heals are good enough for PvE. And the DoT and pet (except for the ae-stun) do help in combat.

What the fuck is all that blabber about "no, you are not xxx-specced, don't want you in the group"?
Am I/my guild the only one(s) taking non-cookie chars into groups?

Gee, we had group constellations like: Light Chanter (moi), Nature spec druid (guildie) and two or three NS'/Ranger's.
If you don't overly gimp your char every spec works.
I am really getting sick and tired of the "spec your char like this or that to get good groups" comments.

That's why people get bored with the game quickly.

Spec your char to have fun. Battle druid works - go do it, have fun and send me a pm if you need help.

 

[Cernos]

Originally posted by Uncle Sick(tm)

I am really getting sick and tired of the "spec your char like this or that to get good groups" comments.

That's why people get bored with the game quickly.

Spec your char to have fun

Yeah, good idea. Bumholes to spec'ing my character so I can look after druids and bards in my group as best a tank possibly can. All the druids and bards can go battle spec if they like and abandon healing and support, and I'll go spec my Hero for pure fun too. Will ditch shields and go 50 LW / 50 spear / rest in parry so I no longer need to worry about guarding, slamming or intercepting anyone and can then just chase casters around all day long like every other tank does

Cernos
50 Celt Hero, Raven Ardent, Hib Prydwen

 

[Jonaldo]

Originally posted by Uncle Sick(tm)
What the fuck is all that blabber about "no, you are not xxx-specced, don't want you in the group"?

Stop swearing so much and use more numbers and 1337 speak!

ffs!!1 if j00 dont talk pr0per I wont talk 2 u n0 m0re!!1
(this is a joke btw, kinda making a mockery of the 'if you're not specced' right type y'know? please don't give me a hard time)

 

[Falcon]

"What the fuck is all that blabber about "no, you are not xxx-specced, don't want you in the group"?
Am I/my guild the only one(s) taking non-cookie chars into groups?"

It goes something like this:
Druid: ANY SPACES FOR A DRUDI!!!?111?!!1?
Group: Ah a healer, let's get him in the group
Druid: THX FOR GRP!!111
Group: Yes...
<Hib group encounters 1fg Albs, fight procedes, only druid, hero and armsman left, Hero has 10% hps>
<Druid starts hitting Armsman, Armsman laughs repeatedly and kills druid in a few hits, then finishes off Hero>
Group: WTF didn't you heal???
Druid: I ARE TEH COMBTA DRUID!!!11111
Group: If we wanted a gimp fighter we'd have grouped Sharwyn (Sorry Shar, couldn't resist, love you really )
Druid: BUT I HAEV TEH SINGEL TARGET DOT AND TEH GREEN CON PET!!111111
Group: Er, great.

So here we have it, a scenario that's all too close to real happenings. These "combat" druids join groups under the pretense of being Healers, however, although they have some heal spec, they don't use it, because they're too busy fighting. On keep defences, instead of resing the corpses on the balconies, they run to the edge of the balconies, attempt to cast a DoT at a random target then procede to get chain nuked and PA'd from the assassins.

The morale of the story? Druids, if you wanna be combat druids kindly go use your "uber" combat spec alone, and stop screwing groups over by joining under the pretense of being healers. If you do decide to join a group, please at least make it clear you have NO intentions of healing whatsoever before hand, if they let you join anyway, fair enough.

 

[VidX]

Alb went through this problem way back at the start, with Clerics speccing nearly full Smite, and ignoring the other 2 lines to the extent that they gimped their class to a chain wearing caster.

Guys, if you want ubar pets, play an enchanter or mentalist, if you want to melee, play a tank, if you want to cast DoT's play a Mentalist, primary DoT'er in the realm. If you want to heal and melee, play a Warden. Just please don't play a Druid with a lack of trains in a specline that will make you non-group friendly in both RvR and PvE.

Face it, Druids primary reason for being in the game is to heal, buffs are secondary. They are NOT meant to ignore healing and jump into the fight when people are needing healed.

<hears faint echoes of "I can't heal you, I Smite'd away all my power">

Hell, it's like making a full Enc specced Enchanter and saying you refuse to cast because your brilliant damage add allows you to excellent damage in melee.

Yes, at the end of the day, it's your subscription, it's up to you how you play. But People won't like it much if you rush into fight while the only Naturalist class in a group

 

[Uncle Sick(tm)]

That much from our professional players...

like I said before - spec your character the way you want.
It's all about having fun... it's hard enough to find a group nowadays, so roll a char who can solo if need arises.

Green con pet? Well, the greencon Matriach, Patriarch, tree thingie, fully buffed (omfg!! buff teh tanks!!1) can take out a caster in no time + it will keep said caster busy or the tank trying to save the caster.

DoT might not be as powerful as a Mentalists but a Mentalist doesn't wear scale and has also considerably less hp.

And what a nice "smite rocks!" stereotype.
An intelligent player knows when to disengage in PvE, for example, and heal.

RvR? It's all about the zerg, isn't it? AE root shout is nice, isn't it?
I never claimed that a nature specced druid can solo a tank...

I claim that playing a game is to have fun. Not to satisfy some die-hard players needs.

Every spec works.

 

[Dook_Pug]

Originally posted by Uncle Sick(tm)
Green con pet? Well, the greencon Matriach, Patriarch, tree thingie, fully buffed (omfg!! buff teh tanks!!1) can take out a caster in no time + it will keep said caster busy or the tank trying to save the caster.

Maybe if he's AFK, sitting down, with no mana and solo. Heh.

 

[Uncle Sick(tm)]

:sleeping:

 

[old.Kian]

Originally posted by Uncle Sick(tm)

And what a nice "smite rocks!" stereotype.
An intelligent player knows when to disengage in PvE, for example, and heal.

If only more of the smite clerics had been intelligent players, I might have kept my old friar alt - I got tired of being forced to be primary healer for a group time and again which wasn't what I wanted rom playing a friar (with the best will in the world, keeping 4 tanks alive with even half level Rejuve spec as a friar is a pretty stressful experience).

Spec how you want, I'm as tired of cookie cutter characters as the next person. But you have to take the consequences of your choices too - for smite clerics or battle druids, that means facing the fact that groups will choose a more conventional healer over you any day. The problems come when people lie about their spec in order to get a group and then seven people get shafted.

 

[)nick(]

50 nature and ae root like there's no tommorow!

 

[Teh Krypt]

Originally posted by -nicolas-
50 nature and ae root like there's no tommorow!

LOL

 

[old.Kladen]

Originally posted by Falcon
"It goes something like this:
Druid: ANY SPACES FOR A DRUDI!!!?111?!!1?
Group: Ah a healer, let's get him in the group
Druid: THX FOR GRP!!111
Group: Yes...
<Hib group encounters 1fg Albs, fight procedes, only druid, hero and armsman left, Hero has 10% hps>
<Druid starts hitting Armsman, Armsman laughs repeatedly and kills druid in a few hits, then finishes off Hero>
Group: WTF didn't you heal???
Druid: I ARE TEH COMBTA DRUID!!!11111
Group: If we wanted a gimp fighter we'd have grouped Sharwyn (Sorry Shar, couldn't resist, love you really )
Druid: BUT I HAEV TEH SINGEL TARGET DOT AND TEH GREEN CON PET!!111111
Group: Er, great.

So here we have it, a scenario that's all too close to real happenings. These "combat" druids join groups under the pretense of being Healers, however, although they have some heal spec, they don't use it, because they're too busy fighting. On keep defences, instead of resing the corpses on the balconies, they run to the edge of the balconies, attempt to cast a DoT at a random target then procede to get chain nuked and PA'd from the assassins.

The morale of the story? Druids, if you wanna be combat druids kindly go use your "uber" combat spec alone, and stop screwing groups over by joining under the pretense of being healers. If you do decide to join a group, please at least make it clear you have NO intentions of healing whatsoever before hand, if they let you join anyway, fair enough.

the player can play how he feels like, if he doesnt want to heal he doesnt have to, the game is meant to be enjoyable, the group should tell the druid what they want him/her to do. and if the druid dont agree then boot him.

 

[Cernos]

DaoC group RvR is a team game. Like any team game, different team members have different roles they are expected to perform.

A small analogy: a football team has attackers, midfielders, defenders and a goalkeeper. They are all expected to perform certain roles, sometimes with a bit of crossover. But you don't expect to find your goalkeeper up the other end of the pitch trying to score goals. If you do, you probably will pick a different goalkeeper next match. That's unless your team is so awesome they can afford the luxury of picking an outfield goalkeeper, in which case fine. But most teams need their goalkeeper to do what they're best at.

 

[Gaal66]

Originally posted by Falcon
"It goes something like this:
Druid: ANY SPACES FOR A DRUDI!!!?111?!!1?
Group: Ah a healer, let's get him in the group
Druid: THX FOR GRP!!111
Group: Yes...
<Hib group encounters 1fg Albs, fight procedes, only druid, hero and armsman left, Hero has 10% hps>
<Druid starts hitting Armsman, Armsman laughs repeatedly and kills druid in a few hits, then finishes off Hero>
Group: WTF didn't you heal???
Druid: I ARE TEH COMBTA DRUID!!!11111
Group: If we wanted a gimp fighter we'd have grouped Sharwyn (Sorry Shar, couldn't resist, love you really )
Druid: BUT I HAEV TEH SINGEL TARGET DOT AND TEH GREEN CON PET!!111111
Group: Er, great.

So here we have it, a scenario that's all too close to real happenings. These "combat" druids join groups under the pretense of being Healers, however, although they have some heal spec, they don't use it, because they're too busy fighting. On keep defences, instead of resing the corpses on the balconies, they run to the edge of the balconies, attempt to cast a DoT at a random target then procede to get chain nuked and PA'd from the assassins.

The morale of the story? Druids, if you wanna be combat druids kindly go use your "uber" combat spec alone, and stop screwing groups over by joining under the pretense of being healers. If you do decide to join a group, please at least make it clear you have NO intentions of healing whatsoever before hand, if they let you join anyway, fair enough.

hehe this is funny coz we had a "Battle Druid" in our group not long ago, and... it didn't work at all
Don't know if the person was specced for it, but she was certrainly telling us she was a combat druid. No heals, no roots, no buffs, just storm in like a tank and try to melee with her uber weapon skill. Needless to say that group didn't last long.

Seriously, if you want to be a "Battle Druid" go to Midgard and play a Cave specced shammie. (sorry mids)

 

[old.Patrick-S]

got a lvl 25 (i think lol) cave specced shammy they are great fun chuck a few aoe dots in aoe disease then if any tanks give u hastle hit em with ur hammer with that ur dmg add (not great but hey) and the dots doing good dmg u shud actually win lol but if u want to play in hib id give the valewalker in xpack a go sounds fun caster/tank wears cltoh but gets armour + self buffs instant cast spells think a dot sounds like a laugh

 

[old.Mug]

Can I just say that being a 'Combat Druid' does not have to entail the nurture spec line. Tbh regrowth is probably the best spec for combat because the instas are a life saver.

Also, yes the pet maybe green but (after last patch) has some very nice abilities including a self proccing BT, 2 self buffs and the stun which has been fixed from non-AE (but still doesn't work )

<In dream-like trance>

Oh for the days pre-IP when druids could solo any class in RvR (apart from the odd caster if you get seen first) even with a shite pet and DoT.

My advice:
Go for whatever spec you want, but the 19/35/36 specc mentioned before is excellent.

 

[Flimgoblin]

methinks there's the good old confusion between

1. strange spec char
and
2. utter fuckwit

The nature druid that steps back and heals as necessary, throws roots and pets and dots around is #1.
The one that runs in with their UBAR damage add and smacks things whilst everyone else dies is #2.

The olde smite cleric that nuked the monster to death, decreasing the time to get xp, stopping occasionally to lob the odd backup heal is #1.
The smite cleric that yelled 'healer lfg' then proceeded to futilely nuke away at a purple whilst it killed his groupmates is #2.

As is the hero that consistently breaks mezz, the nurture warden that refuses to run pbt because they're saving their power. The mana bomb that runs in and pbaoes away before any tanks have aggro. The paladin that refuses to run healchant because 'he might get aggro and die'. The paladin that refuses to _drop_ healchant so his fellow tanks can taunt the aggro off because 'it keeps him alive'.

Your spec doesn't define how good you are - it might define how well you are at a particular role... but if you pigeonhole a number #1 you may end up with a number #2.

Anyway, enough about toilets.

Edit: just so you know the above examples are all pretty acceptable up to about level 30 tis a learning curve after all.

Personally I think doing that after level 20 = powerlevelled moron, after level 30 = clueless powerlevelled moron, after level 40 = ebayed moron.

 

[Uncle Sick(tm)]

What the goblin said.

RAH!

 

[Flimgoblin]

Originally posted by Uncle Sick(tm)
What the goblin said.

RAH!

hang on this is a bitchy backbiting thread - I can't have pwned it that much can I?

get biting some back, you parasites.