I was recently honored to have been interviewed by Lisa Poisso of WoWInsider for the 15 Minutes of Fame column. In it, I answer questions about why I believe certain people gravitate toward the healing role, what I predict for the future of Druids in Wrath of the Lich King, and my motivation for creating Resto4Life. Here’s a snippet from the article:

Who’s the healing flavor of the month right now? Why? Do you think that will change in Wrath?
Though I don’t have any personal experience in Sunwell, my understanding is that there’s a lot of raid-wide "splash" damage going around. In this type of environment, smart targeting and AoE heals like Chain Heal and Circle of Healing really shine. With the addition of the 51-point Restoration talent Flourish and Paladins’ raid heal Beacon of Light, it’s pretty safe to say that we haven’t seen the end of this encounter dynamic.

You can read the whole interview (with pictures) over at WoWInsider. Thanks, Lisa!

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After wimping out last week, I have lots of neat things to share with you this week, including a Resto-oriented update to Rawr, a new Boomkin forum, and mobile-phone versions of the Armory!

Recommended Reading

• Starfire vs. Wrath by Graylo of Gray Matter
  Like Lincoln vs. Douglas, Sampson vs. Delilah, and Beatrix vs. Bill, so too do these two spells do battle. Graylo takes a detailed look at the dynamics affecting these two spells in live right now with a portion of analysis devoted to the changes coming in Wrath of the Lich King.
• Out of Dates by Megan of Out of Mana
  An interesting and entertaining take on the “life” cycle of a Warlock’s soul shards.
• Recruit a Friend (or Yourself) by Runycat of Unbearably HoT
  Runy reveals the best way to exploit make use of as intended the new Recruit-a-Friend program to powerlevel two brand-new level 70 characters for the low, low price of $243.89! Who said corporate America was dead? (No one, that’s who.)
• Viable DPS by Razorbax of Three Druid Noob
  Razorbax explores the additional utility afforded a raid when bringing along along a Feral Druid. (Two Innervates? SWEET!)
• The Time is Now by Bellwether of 4Haelz
  Many players may find themselves adrift as their raiding guilds crumble from the apathy garnered by WotLK’s impending release. In this 5-Part series, Bellwether shows you the way to find a new home.

Seiunchin by Liodain

PEW PEW! Goes the Chicken

Balance Druids will enjoy the Moonkin Repository, a new message forum community for Laser Chicanery. From the forum’s administrator:

This forum is a open repository for all things Moonkin. It’s purpose is to provide a centralized source of information, links, and focused discussion to assist and entertain Moonkin Druids.

Thanks to Graylo of Gray Matter for originally sharing it!

RAWR! Goes the Tree

The formerly Feral- and Balance-specific application, Rawr!, has been updated to include data and analysis for the Tree of Life spec! Reader and Rawr-enthusiast Adremma of Sentinels (US) asked me to pass on the following issues that exist with its Resto model so far:

• The various options (the tab, not Tools > Options…) require that particular attention be paid to them; this is particularly true of the rotation options, which are set up by default to assume a single tank.
• Many of the default gemmings may be inaccurate and are due to be tweaked. In the meantime, it may leave apparent item rankings somewhat incorrect. Fortunately, when using the optimizer, it can be told to pick from the gems of your choice.
• [The Resto developer] went to all the trouble of implementing things like the Bangle of Endless Blessings and Darkmoon Card: Blue Dragon… and then didn’t actually manage to get them added to the default item list. Thankfully, they can be added manually (Tools > Edit Items… > the Add… button in the lower left; the item numbers for those two are 28370 and 19288 respectively), and any character imported from the Armory wearing one will also cause it to be added.

I admittedly haven’t taken the time to play much with it, yet, but if it follows the pattern of previous Rawr modules, it will be a wonderful resource for theorycraft. You can read more about it here or download it here.

New World Tree Additions

There are six new Druid-oriented blogs to share this week! Read one a day and on the seventh day you can come back here and rest. ^_^

• Bullshifter
  A Tauren Druid bullshifting about all things WoW. We don’t make these things up, people (well usually we do, but this byline was awesome enough on its own to serve as the site description).

Druid by Tryn

• Dazed and Confused
  From reader Rusco comes Dazed and Confused, a blog featuring an eclectic mix of Druid- guild- and generally game-related topics!
• The Druid Team
  TDT is the first blog of which I’m aware with an author from each of the three Druid talent specs: Feral, Balance, and Restoration. All three appear to be still leveling up, and so far posts have focused on their adventures (and misadventures) in doing so.
• Feral Tenacity
  Annderia of Arathor (US) brings us a brand new blog about a Feral Druid on a quest to acquire her own Nether Drake! How a cat is going to ride a dragon, though, I have no idea.
• Leader of the Pack
  Myze of Sisters of Elune (US) brings us the currently unique perspective as the guild leader of a guild focused solely on 10-man raiding.
• What Now, Kow?
  Miztickow of Azgalor (US) shares several great guides on much of TBC’s content, all written from a Moonkin’s point of view!

Also, a special “WELCOME BACK” message goes out to Karthis of the blog Of Teeth and Claws. So far, he’s said that he’s considering returning, but once the bug bites you on your big bear bottom, there’s no avoiding it. I’m sure he’ll be back and sharing more great Feral theorycraft soon!

Tree of Life Stores

Kalfurion, sometimes mentioned by Saresa of Destructive Reach wrote in to share the photograph at right he snapped at a local mall (click to enlarge). Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to dig up any more information on the type of merchandise sold by this clothing store (there are a number of shops by that name, but none whose logo appeared to be a match), although the scarf on the left side looks pretty epic to me!

Armory-on-the-Go

Picture this: You pull up to a stoplight on your way home from work. Ten seconds later, you feel a “love tap” from another, less thoughtful motorist. Both of you hop out of your cars and the subject of World of Warcraft inevitably comes up (maybe they notice your Resto4Life license plate). Immediately you abandon your discussion of liability and insurance and start comparing gear. But what if you can’t remember the name of that item you picked up from Archimonde last week? That’s where WoWIArmory or MicroArmory come in to save the day!

• WoWIArmory is developed by SaladFork of Omen of Clarity and is an IPhone-specific version of the official armory site we’ve all come to know and love find faster alternatives to. It’s got the typically sexy Mac-style interface and is quite fast. Highly recommended to any lucky owners of an IPhone (like Mr. Phae /glare). WoWIArmory is still considered in beta so if you’d like more information, visit the WoWIArmory category over at OOC or contact SaladFork!
• For the rest of us non-IPhone users (we’re the ones who get rear-ended in a ‘99 Ford Escort), there’s MicroArmory.com, a sleek and simple character lookup perfectly suited to mobile phone users. According to the author, Greyhammer of Hydraxis (US), “You can view your character profiles, reputations, skills, talents, gear, stats, even PVP and Arena stats! It will keep track of your character searches so you can hit them later with one click.” As a bonus, it includes images of the items when available from WoWHead. So even if you’re still wearing Kara gear, you can show the person who hit your car how chic your gnome looks in his [Ruby Slippers].

Resto4Life Mousepads

You can now purchase your very own Resto4Life mousepad through the Tree-Shirts store, featuring the beautiful artworks of Andrige (the Tree of Life shown on the left side of the page) and Valenna (who created the site’s logo)! At just $12.90, these would make a fun desk addition. Available in lavender with flowers and a darker blue-violet with no flowers.

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• Community Spotlight
• Community Spotlight
• Community Spotlight

Last week’s Community Spotlight with highlighted articles got such a great reception that I think it’s something I’ll try to continue. Hopefully you’ll enjoy the gems I’ve set aside for you (they’re 11 +Healing, 5 Spirit)!

Recommended Reading

Another fantastic set of posts to educate, entertain, and edify you!

Staff of the Golden Salamander by Orsolya Berecz

• Best Looking Druid Set from Horns of YAOWN
  Horns gives further evidence of his secret love affair with Druids with his poll of what the best-looking set of Druid armor is. I won’t spoil the surprise of who the winner is, but I must express disappointment that Nordrassil didn’t fare better than it did.
• Nature’s Swiftness (for Shamans) from Anna of Too Many Annas
  Ever notice how all the races who can play Shamans have funny feet? Hmm. Anyway, in this article Anna explores and encourages the use of Nature’s Swiftness for Shamans.
• So What are You Wearing? from Runycat of Unbearably HoT
  This week Runy writes about the advantages and best methods of optimizing multiple gear sets with an eye toward maximizing DPS and threat for Ferals. And with that post title, she’s sure to double your entendre!
• The End Heal of Lifebloom Generates No Threat from Lume the Mad
  A must read for Restoration Druids, this article details controlled tests he performed to determine that the end heal of Lifebloom generates no threat whatsoever, either for its caster or its recipient. This article is preceded by Lume’s also useful Threat Mechanics post.
• Druids Dance with So Little Provocation from a Scary Bear
  So true. I know the first thing I did when speccing into Restokin last night was to /dance /dance /dance the night away. And then I Moonfire-spammed a squirrel.
• No More Salvation? What to Do! from Rollin’ Horde
  Learn about the new threat mechanic that will replace the Paladin’s Blessing of Salvation in Wrath of the Lich King!

Arena Pole Dancer Shirt

To celebrate her blog’s 100,000th visitor, Megan from Out of Mana decided to give away an autographed PvP-themed T-Shirt to the lucky winner. She had some great ideas and, in thanks for letting her sell the design myself, I offered to execute my favorite: Arena Pole Dancer. Here’s a preview of the shirt, both front and back (not to scale):

Arena Pole Dancer Shirt Front	Arena Pole Dancer Shirt Back

This shirt is now available within the Resto4Life Tree-Shirts store, albeit without the “Out of Mana” design on the back because printing two designs on a shirt increases the shirt price significantly. I prefer this design on red, yellow, brown, white, or even black shirts, but free color selection is enabled for all of them. You can read more about the T-Shirt winners (all four of them) at Megan’s post #100,000 Winnars, Shapeshifted Indeed.

New Blogs the World Over

And here are some new or newly-discovered additions to the blogosphere!

Emerald Dream by Orsolya Berecz

• Grumble ‘N’ Autumn
  Written by a husband and wife who play Hunters on the Shandris server, Grumble ‘n’ Autumn details their in-game explorations.
• Hoofed Hybrid
  Formerly the author of the blog entitled Lifebloom, Boudi of Feathermoon (US) now writes about both her Druid and her baby Shaman on Hoofed Hybrid!
• An Old Druid’s New Druid
  The Alliance welcomes a Tauren-become-Night Elf Druid who enjoys raiding casually and apparently enjoys Druids enough to roll a second.
• Secret Agent Cat
  Tigerfeet writes an entertaining and cleverly-themed Feral blog. They’ve give her a Mangle and taken away her Mane.
• ThinkTank
  This blog explores the role of tanking from the perspective of multiple tanking classes. There seems to be a plethora of great Feral-related articles, though!
• Unpack Your Adjectives
  You did pack your adjectives, right? After all, you never know when you’re going to need words like: Feral, Wry, and PvP-oriented. In fact, those words would come in handy if asked to describe this blog!

Featured Artwork

This week’s Featured Artwork comes from Orsolya Berecz.  Be sure to check out all of her great work at her DeviantART gallery under username ShakSaag. (Wow, can you tell I listened to NPR on the way into work this morning?)

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• Community Spotlight
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I generally try to write these on Saturday or Sunday mornings, but I missed this weekend, so here you are!

Community Contributions

Some great articles have been posted in the past week, despite the temptation to copy-and-paste class-specific patch notes. Here are a few of my favorites:

Warcraft Card: Annissa by StarintheGutter

• I Want You to Hit Me as Hard as You Can by Runycat of Unbearably HoT
  An extremely thorough and entertaining analysis of the value of hit-capping your Bear and Cat Form. The Fight Club-themed images alone make it worth a look, even to those who aren’t Feral!
• l2pvp: The Trinket by Horns of Yet Another Warlock Nerf
  An essential guide to the best use of your PvP trinket, both in Battlegrounds and Arenas. Recommended for anyone that PvPs, casually or otherwise.
• Spellpower — What does it mean to you? by Saresa of Destructive Reach
  A review of the change to +Healing and +Spell Damage we can expect in Wrath of the Lich King.
• Wrath Mana Regen Calculations by Sylvanra of Moon Chicken
  An examination of the mana regeneration that a Moonkin can expect to see from his new Moonkin aura as well as a Balance-application of the information presented in my Omen of Clarity article. With math!
• 3 Ways to Get Your Arena Mingle On by Megan of Out of Mana
  Looking to polish your PvE skills through a little PvP? Megan shows you how to meet like-minded (and similarly geared) individuals who might be interested in teaming with you!
• Death Knight Tutorial by Lume the Mad
  If you have no compunctions about spoilers and can’t get enough information about your future plate-wearing, disease-causing, gravelly-voiced DK, this tutorial will walk you through the entire 4-5 hour questline. Very thorough (I admit, however, that I only skimmed since I want to be surprised)!

Project Lore

You might also enjoy Project Lore, a site that includes video “walkthroughs” of various TBC dungeons such as Hellfire Ramparts and Heroic Slave Pens. The videos are well-edited and fun, and I especially enjoyed hearing the conversation that resulted from a wipe. In addition to their gameplay videos, they have a frequently updated blog and some as yet rudimentary class guides. Their site is advertisement heavy (2-3 large banners), but it’s worth checking out.

Blogroll Additions

This week I have four new Druid blogs to share with you! Welcome to the World Tree, you guys!

• For the Herd! For the Horde!
  Bumwaller of Vashj (US) writes primarily about Druids but includes some topics related to his Hunter and Shaman alts.
• Leveling a Hordie
  Ithilien of Arathor (EU) has recently switched alliances and is rerolling her Night Elf Druid as a Tauren! /moo
• Moon Chicken
  Sylvanra of Smolderthorn (US) joins the rank of plucky (get it? cause she’s a chicken!) Balance bloggers with Moon Chicken, a blog that contains theorycraft, class news, and spec commentary.
• Trizophenie’s Weblog
  Trizophenie of Forscherliga (EU) plays a Feral Druid in an SSC/TK-level raiding guild.

“I Healed AV” by Rusco of Moonrunner (US)

This is a rewrite of “I Kissed a Girl (and I Liked it)” from Katy Perry and and tells the story of a Feral Druid who discovers a love for healing one day in Alterac Valley. It was written and submitted by Rusco, author of Dazed and Confused.

This was never the way I planned Not my intention I got so brave, deaths at hand Lost my discretion It’s not what, I’m used to Just wanna try it out I’m curious for it Caught my attention I healed AV and I liked it The look of my resto hots tick I healed AV just to try it I hope my GM don’t mind it It felt so good It felt so right I might even respec tonight I healed AV and I liked it I liked it No, I don’t know what I’m doin’ It doesn’t matter This is my experimental game Just night elf nature It’s not what, good droods do Not how they should go raid My head gets so confused Hard to obey

I healed AV and I liked it The look of my resto hots tick I healed AV just to try it I hope my GM don’t mind it It felt so good It felt so right I might even respec tonight I healed AV and I liked it I liked it Us droods we are so magical Dark skin, soft fur, so huggable Hard to resist so versatile Too good to deny it Ain’t no big deal, it’s innocent I healed AV and I liked it The look of my resto hots tick I healed AV just to try it I hope my GM don’t mind it It felt so good It felt so right I might even respec tonight I healed AV and I liked it I liked it

Related Posts

• Mailbag: Patch 3.0.2
• Community Spotlight
• Community Watch or “Yet More Blogroll Additions”

The photo above was sent in by reader Jhestaur of Gnomeregan (US) who writes:

I enjoy your blog and read it frequently, and figured you would get a kick out of this.

Recently, I rerolled Horde on a new server to play with my fiancee, who had real life friends on Gnomeregan. I decided to play a Druid… and have been hooked on healing ever since. I plan on making my Druid my first character to 80 when Wrath hits, branches and all.

So much so, in fact, that when I recently purchased a new (used) car I decided to adorn it with something descriptive of my lifestyle:

Wow, I must say that I’m quite jealous. I’d love to have one of these vanity plates, especially if it came attached to a swanky silver Saab! Thanks, Jhestaur! That’s really awesome!

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• Featured Artwork: Nebelmond and Gondwana
• Community Spotlight