Like Keredria, I’m among the fortunate minority of players who enjoys the Fishing tradeskill. I find it to be not only relaxing but lucrative. An hour’s worth of dedication can provide enough piscine consumables to cover a week’s worth of raiding, often with enough to share with needful guildmates. I primarily fish the Sporefish and Steampump Debris pools of Serpent Lake in Zangarmarsh, gathering a stack or two of Sporefish to bake up into Blackened Sporefish (which, according to previous calculations, are twice as valuable to me as Golden Fish Sticks).

Today is my birthday, and knowing my love for Fishing, my friend Valenna camped E-Bay for two weeks to get me the following:

Fishing Chair Binds when picked up Use: Right Click to set up a comfy fishing chair.

This item is acquired by redeeming a code from a special card sometimes included in decks of the “Through the Dark Portal” expansion to the World of Warcraft TCG. As you might imagine, it’s a pretty rare item, and I’m the first I’ve seen on Scarlet Crusade to have one. A few things I’ve discovered in my brief time using it:

• Its duration is limited to three minutes. Unfortunately, if you’re in the middle of a cast when it poofs, you’ll lose your line.
• No one else can sit in your chair.
• If you set up your chair too far into the water, you may not be able to sit in it, even if you were able to stand in that spot.
• The chair can be used anywhere that’s considered “outdoors.”

I really love my chair. It’s going to make fishing that much more interesting and enjoyable. Along those same lines, wouldn’t it be great if Druids in Cat Form could catch fish by swimming through pools and activating an ability? The necessary dynamics are already in the game and first seen in the Red Snapper – Very Tasty! quest in the Draenei starting area. I really enjoyed that quest on my Draenei, and it seems a shame not to reuse the work that went into coding it.

Search E-Bay for a Fishing Chair of your own!

Related Posts

• Gearing for Arenas
• Mana Management
• WTS Riding Crop – Like New!

Once upon a time, there was a set of classes that could neither use nor equip weapons in their ranged slot. No wands, no guns, bows or crossbows, no throwing knives or axes or anything of the sort was to be found on these characters.

Thematically it seemed appropriate that a Paladin would not carry a gun, that a Druid would not draw a wand, and a Shaman would not string a bow… right?

Well, no, it never made any sense at all.

At the time, all three classes were fairly marginalized and shoehorned into end-game healing and cleansing and buffing. They got cast-off gear and their class sets were all specifically healing sets.

Prior to the advent of the Burning Crusade, however, the change was made to allow these classes to equip certain items in the ranged slot. This became known as the relic slot for them and allowed them to equip Librams, Idols, and Totems.

There was much rejoicing, even if the best Resto Idol was from the Dungeon 2 quest chain and the stats on them were singular. Oddest of all was the fact that so few of them existed.

Time progressed and more relics were introduced to cover the roles, thus removing any concern for this previously unused slot.

Originally the [Idol of Brutality] provided a reduced Rage cost for bear tanks. Not long after, itemization changes were made and Burning Crusade launched and the Idol found itself in its current state. Speculation and, I believe, CM comments stated that it was to ensure that there were idols worth upgrading to over the next 10 levels.

Unfortunately, nothing has surfaced that really replaces the idol.

I am a Bear tank and I have had this idol since I was 60. I still use this idol. Certainly the [Idol of the Wild] is an option but the biggest reason to talk about it at all is to discuss what’s wrong with hybrid itemization.

Each of the Idols available to Druids give a single bonus to 1 or at most 2 abilities. The Paladin Librams and Shaman Totems are similar.

On the surface this may not seem to be a big deal, but consider what other classes can gain from these slots, even if they never attack with the weapon in question.

It is generally held that the [Idol of Brutality] is the best general tanking idol available due primarily to the Swipe bonus (swipe threat was nerfed hard not long ago).

Looking just at guns, I found the following items requiring level 70 and having Stamina on them. This list does not include ranged weapons “of the Champion” or in other flavors.

Jumping out at me are two options. First is the [Gyro-Balanced Khorium Destroyer], a weapon with 27 Stamina and a Yellow socket with a Stamina socketing bonus. Almost better is [The Boomstick], a weapon with 21 Stamina and 13 Defense! Now, one is expensive and craftable and the other is a Heroic drop that only unlocks with a Druid that has done or is doing the epic flight form quest, but the fact remains that these are options Druid tanks do not have.

Ranged sockets serve as stat blocks and secondary attribute boosters to every class but 3, who make do with boosts to individual abilities more often than not, abilities that are often not necessarily the best choice.

When the Idols sported +50 to Rejuv or -3 Rage pre-Burning Crusade, they were amazing and justified the focused itemization. Now, however, Druid tanks are still hitting raid instances sporting a L60 blue Idol, or worse a quested green one.

It seems a little thing to people not playing the class, but it is a facet that will stare you in the face every time you watch something amazing drop that could go in a ranged slot, you open your character sheet and look at +10 damage to your Swipe and wonder to yourself why you can’t at least equip a [Windspear Longbow] in Monkey, Beast or Champion flavors… anything to fill in the gaps we continue to see in itemization.

I’m still looking for the new tanking idol the nerfs to the [Idol of Brutality] should have facilitated.

Related Posts

• Mailbag: Idol of the Raven Goddess
• Achilles What?
• Idol Chatter

As a responsible raider, you should carry with you a bag of consumables. Alongside an assortment of Elixirs and foodstuffs, you should have a few stacks of Mana Potions. Mana Potions come in all shapes and sizes (but Alchemist Regulation apparently requires the addition of FD&C Blue 1) and from a variety of sources. To give you an idea, I regularly carry 15 Super Mana Potions, 10 Combat Mana Potions, and 5 or more Unstable Mana Potions. However, I’ve recently added a new type of Mana Potion to my arsenal — the Fel Mana Potion:

Fel Mana Potion Requires Level 60 Use: Restores 3200 mana over 24 sec, but at a cost.   Also reduces spell damage by 25 and healing done by 50 for 15 min.

The Good: The Fel Mana Potion grants its imbiber 3200 Mana over 24 seconds. Compare that to the values for it’s closest equivalent, the Super Mana Potion, which ranges from 1800 to 3000 Mana (average 2400) and delivers instantly. That represents an average percent increase of 33% (with a maximum increase of 78% if you were really unlucky)! The Bad: Because many people are turned off by the reduction of spell damage and healing, these are less commonly created by alchemists. Hunters, however, love them since they aren’t affected by the potion’s drawbacks. Consequently, it may be harder to find them on the Auction House. I recommend buying the materials and having them crafted in batches, preferably by a Potion Master you’ve schmoozed into giving you the extras. The Ugly: Ugly because it involves math, not because it’s a serious drawback. I hope to demonstrate that, while the 15-minute reduction of +Healing by 50 might sound horrible, the extra mana gained more than offsets it, at least when used later in the fight. After all, most would agree that losing +50 Healing over 60 seconds is worth gaining an average of an additional 800 Mana (and a maximum of 1800) over that same time period:

((3200 – 1800) + (3200 – 3000))/2 = 800

To determine when it’s appropriate to use a Fel Mana Potion instead of a Super Mana Potion, we need to compare the relative values placed upon MP5 and +Healing. This will vary based upon your method of healing, and I demonstrate how to perform this calculation for yourself in the earlier MP5 vs. Healing article. The MP5 of these potions is determined by the amount of time remaining in the encounter. The shorter the amount of time remaining in an encounter, the greater the MP5 afforded by a Fel Mana Potion:

MP5_FMP = 3200 Mana/t

Because the value of +Healing vs. MP5 varies by fight and the method by which you heal, we will evaluate the comparative value of FMPs vs. SMPs for different ratios and based on different amounts of time remaining until the encounter concludes (at which point, the +Healing debuff will no longer matter). In performing this calculation, we have to subtract the equivalent value of MP5 from any +Healing that’s lost due to the Fel Weakness debuff (which lasts 15 minutes or until death). Here’s the formula used:

Mana Gain_FMP = Mana return from FMP – Mana equivalent lost due to Fel Weakness over remaining fight duration OR Mana Gain_FMP = 3200 – ((50/Value of +Healing equal to 1 MP5) * 12 * (Minutes Remaining))

I used the 11 +Healing = 1 MP5 value derived in my previous article. I also graphed 6 +Healing = 1 MP5 and 18 +Healing = 1 MP5 for the sake of contrast (and because this value does vary by encounter). I measured the return when used with 1 minute remaining to 15 minutes remaining (at which point the debuff expires). I also graphed the average mana return of a Super Mana Potion (2400):

From the figure above, we can see that, at the value of +Healing vs. MP5 calculated previously (11 +Healing = 1 MP5), the total mana return from a Fel Mana Potion exceeds that of an average Super Mana Potion even when the fight lasts almost the entire duration of the Fel Weakness buff! At a more conservative estimate (6 +Healing = 1 MP5), it’s still advantageous to use a Fel Mana Potion rather than a Super Mana Potion as long as there are 8 or fewer minutes remaining in the fight. Keep in mind that the Fel Weakness buff stacks up to 7 times, but if the tradeoff is a wise one to make the first time, it should subsequently be a wise one to make for additional debuff applications (since essentially nothing about the tradeoff changes). (However, studies indicate that repeated consumption of Fel Mana Potions may cause liver damage in rats. But those rats were from Gnomergan and had a liver to spare.) Additional Considerations To properly leverage a Fel Mana Potion, you must anticipate needing the mana well in advance since, unlike the Super Mana Potion, the restoration is not immediate and takes place over 24 seconds. Druids are experienced at anticipating the use of Innervate, however, and should find this caveat no great hardship. Finally, as pointed out by commentor, Mike, while the threat associated with the consumption of a Super Mana Potion is an immediate 900-1500, the threat that would be garnered from the consumption of a Fel Mana potion would be a gradual 67 threat per second for 24 seconds. This figure is more manageable for tanks than a 900-1500 Threat spike.

Download the Spreadsheet used to calculate these values.

Related Posts

• Mana Management
• 2.4 Mana Regen: Valuing +Healing
• Arrrghhh!!! Trinkets!!!

Luarana of Feathermoon writes:

I am a full Restoration Druid and I very rarely PvP. While watching your blog over the past few months I have realized how wrong I was about Resto Druids and PvP, and I would love to get started in an Arena team! I am using your blog for the main re-building of my character for days I’m not in Karazhan; All the tips & tricks, Talents, etc. One thing I’m not sure what to do, is about my gear. I think it would be fantastic if you could some how post about what type of gear for a resto druid in arena. I am pretty sure I don’t want to stick with all my healing gear, for example, but I don’t want to lose all the healing bonuses, and such.

For a great list of starter Arena gear by slot, Mookysolo’s Arena Guide just can’t be beat. I wouldn’t presume to think I know more than he does, but I will share what I have learned are some good general guidelines to follow for PvP gear!

Cloth is for Tissues

Which is what you’ll need if you continue wearing cloth armor in PvP. If you’ve been healing primarily in PvE, you probably have a fair number of cloth pieces. You’ll want to replace these pieces with something made of leather as soon as possible. As a Restoration Druid, you’ll often find yourself retreating to the mitigation of Bear Form when attacked by melee (Rogues, Warriors, Feral Druids, Retribution Paladins, or Enhancement Shamans), so every bit of armor counts!

Before I was able to replace my cloth gear with leather healing items, I even wore two pieces of Heavy Clefthoof. While these items have no +Healing, Intellect, or MP5 on them, they do have incredibly high armor values and just beg to be slotted with +12 STA Solid Stars of Elune. Don’t feel bad about investing in these items as they’ll serve you well should you ever decide to give Feral a try (Heavy Clefthoof is generally regarded as a great starting set for Bear tanks just hitting 70). Leatherworkers also use these recipes to raise their skill so they shouldn’t be too expensive.

Battlegrounds

Don’t discount the value of Battlegrounds. They’re a great source of PvP-oriented items and offer items for slots that Arenas do not. Your first acquisition should be the Medallion of the Alliance, popularly known as the “PvP-trinket.”

Medallion of the Alliance Binds when picked up Unique Trinket Classes: Druid Requires Level 70 Equip: Improves your resilience rating by 20. Use: Removes all movement impairing effects and all effects which cause loss of control of your character.

The Medallion will cost you 16983 Honor Points. There is a less expensive version called the Insignia of the Alliance, but it’s on a longer cooldown (5 minutes versus 2) and doesn’t have the 20 Resilience that the Medallion has. In my opinion, you’re better off saving toward the Medallion than spending 3300 Honor on an item you’ll eventually replace.

After you’ve purchased the PvP trinket, the best piece to acquire from Battlegrounds are the Veteran’s Kodohide Boots:

Veteran’s Kodohide Boots Binds when picked up Feet Leather Equip: Improves your resilience rating by 26. Equip: Increases healing done by up to 70 and damage done by up to 24 for all magical spells and effects. Equip: Restores 8 mana per 5 sec.

I recommend getting the boots first because leather +Healing boots are hard to find, and feet are one of slots with the highest armor yield (your other options include bracers and belt, both of which typically have lower armor values). Getting these boots will also justify paying someone to enchant them with Boar’s Speed, an enchant that grants +9 Stamina and an 8% run speed increase.

After the Boots, what you pick up is really up to you. Be sure to replace any of your cloth pieces first, though. The bracers are a good choice since it can be difficult to find healing bracers that aren’t cloth.

Arena Gear

Because the seasonal Arena gear is built on Tier 4 and Tier 5 points, you will likely find pieces that are upgrades for both PvE and PvP, especially if you don’t rely heavily upon Spirit (a statistic that is thankfully absent from our Arena sets) and if your guild isn’t much further than Karazhan in terms of progression. I recommend picking up the pieces that are PvE upgrades first, followed by those that would be the largest upgrades over what you currently wear for PvP.

For many classes, the Arena gloves provide must-have bonuses, but the Druid bonus is a measly 0.1 seconds off the cast time of Cyclone, so don’t feel like you need to pick those up first. On the other hand, our 4-piece set bonus (15% speed increase in Cat, Bear, and Travel forms) is so good, I’m surprised it isn’t a class feature of level 20 Warlocks. Get four pieces of the current seasonal set as quickly as you can for a huge boost to your survability, both through mitigation and avoidance.

You’re No Melee

So don’t act like one! A Restoration Druid benefits less from a weapon upgrade than does a melee class like Rogue or Warrior. In the beginning, you’ll want to focus on raising your defenses. Arena weapons — while often superior to those available in PvE — will avail you little in your quest to stay alive long enough to do your job. At the same time, they’re the most expensive items available. Pick up a PvP weapon only after you’re comfortable with where you are Armor wise.

Resilience, Stamina, and Armor or “Dying Less Quickly”

In general, any item you see with Resilience on it is likely to be considered “PvP-oriented” item. You’ll want to get your Resilience up as quickly as you can as it’s one of the stats that can limit your Arena progression. Obviously, the Battlegrounds and Arena gear will be your best source of items with Resilience on them, but there are a few exceptions:

• Resolute Cape: with 349 Armor, 30 Stamina, and 21 Resilience, this cape is an amazing addition to any Druid’s PvP set. When shifted into Bear Form, this item will give you 1745 Armor (1920 Armor if you have 3 points in the Thick Hide Feral talent). This is a crafted item requiring a Nether, 10 pieces of Primal Mooncloth, and 12 Primal Earth. The downside to this item is that it can be very hard to find a tailor with the recipe (an epic world drop) so expect to spend some time searching.

  Resolute Cape Binds when equipped Back Equip: Improves your resilience rating by 21.

  A cheaper, dropped alternative to the Resolute Cape is the Thoriumweave Cloak which has 390 Armor and 35 Stamina (but no Resilience). This item drops from Mechano-Lord Capacitus in the Mechanaar.

• Seal of the Exorcist: This ring is purchased with 50 Spirit Shards (obtained from all bosses in Auchidoun instances while your faction holds the Terrokar PvP objective). While it isn’t pure +Healing, the other stats make this ring a nice PvP item when just starting out.

  Seal of the Exorcist Binds when picked up Unique Finger +24 Stamina Requires Level 67 Equip: Improves spell hit rating by 12. Equip: Improves your resilience rating by 11. Equip: Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 28.

• A’dal’s Recovery Necklace: This item is a quest reward for killing Harbinger Skyriss in Tempest Keep’s Arcatraz. It’s obvious lack of Stamina makes it inferior to the Heroic Badge necklace that’s available, but if you’re doing the quest, you may as well hold onto it until you find something better.

  A’dal’s Recovery Necklace Binds when picked up Neck Equip: Improves your resilience rating by 24. Equip: Increases healing done by up to 51 and damage done by up to 17 for all magical spells and effects.

• Exorcist’s Wyrmhide Helm: Another Auchidoun PvP reward, this item also isn’t a pure +Healing. Nonetheless, at only 21 Spirit Shards, this is a great starting helm.

Roar Softly and Carry a Big Stick

Since shifting to Bear Form is one of our most frequently used means of defense, you should invest in a high armor weapon that you can automatically swap in when you shift. An easily acquired option is the Braxxis’ Staff of Slumber:

Braxxis’ Staff of Slumber Binds when equipped Two-Hand Staff 130 – 223 Damage Speed 3.00 (58.9 damage per second) 550 Armor +39 Stamina Durability 100 / 100 Requires Level 64 Equip: Increases attack power by 292 in Cat, Bear, Dire Bear, and Moonkin forms only.

Assuming 3/3 Thick Hide, equipping this staff in Bear Form will yield a staggering 3025 Armor! You should be able to pick this item up from the Auction House for approximately 50 gold; definitely a worthwhile investment! To set the staff to autoequip on shift, use a macro something like the following:

/cancelform [modifier:ctrl]
/cast [nomodifier:nostance] Dire Bear Form
/equip [nomodifier,stance:1] Braxxis’ Staff of Slumber

The above macro will switch you to Bearform when pressed the first time then equip your staff on the second click, but only once you’ve shifted. It’s important that you shift before swapping weapons because changing weapons activates the Global Cooldown and can prevent you from shifting altogether. Hold down CTRL and hit this button to shift out of Bear Form; requiring a modifier prevents you from accidentally deshifting. (I didn’t include a weapon swap when deshifting because you may need to instantly access abilities and may not be able to wait for the Global Cooldown.)

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Gear can be a tremendous barrier of entry to Arenas. When you first start out, sacrifice healing-oriented stats for defensability. As you unlock better gear through Arenas and Battlegrounds, your PvP healing stats will begin to more closely resemble those of your PvE gear. But you’ll need to survive long enough to get to that point.

I hope this guide is helpful to those considering or just starting out in Arena PvP. Thank you, Luarana, for the question!

Related Posts

• Mailbag: Zul’Aman Healing Chests
• Guest Post: Balance vs. Restoration Gear
• Armor Values on PvP Gear

Vispiritus of Anetheron has put together a guide on Druid speed in different forms at various levels and with different gear and enchants. While it won’t make or break your Arena play simply knowing how fast you’re capable of moving, it can help steer you in the right direction for optimizing your get away!

Related Posts

• Peesontrees’ Resto Arena Guide
• Line of Sight in Arenas
• 15% Speed Bonus (Not) Restored