WoW Forever Hunter and Druid: Blizzard Deep Dive

Blizzard launched its “Class Deep Dives” (detailed class breakdowns) series for WoW Forever on September 30. The first episode, published on the official World of Warcraft site, covers the Druid and the WoW Forever Hunter: baseline abilities, pets, talent trees, and the development team’s reading of each class. Everything below comes from that text, line by line, with the official English names from the game.

First, the common framework. Talents unlock at level 10 and keep the 2006 structure: the same number of rows, one-point talents at tiers 11, 21 and 31, joined by a new tier at 16 points. Some talents stay identical to patch 1.12, others are tweaked, and several class buffs once tied to a talent become baseline, like the paladin’s Blessing of Kings or the improved version of Mark of the Wild. To change talents, you must visit a class trainer in a capital city, and dual specialization arrives at level 40.

Blizzard stresses that everything can still change during the beta. Some Druid talents are not even in the game yet: they arrive with next week’s test build. To try the full trees, our WoW Forever talent calculator follows the client data.

WoW Forever Hunter: more flexibility, a better-defined pet

In its official Class Deep Dive, Blizzard presents the WoW Forever Hunter as a ranged fighter with a trusty pet, with specializations built around the pet, precision shooting, traps and melee. The class’s foundation stays what players know. The changes aim to give it more freedom.

Three changes define the WoW Forever Hunter. Aimed Shot becomes a baseline ability at level 20, traps can now be used in combat, and pets gain identity: stats tied to the Hunter’s gear, wider access to abilities, an ability unique to each family and a new family, the Fox.

On the talent side, each tree gets new tier talents: Summon Hawk for Beast Mastery, Sniper Shot for Marksmanship, Lacerating Strikes for Survival.

Baseline abilities

The Hunter no longer has to choose between Aimed Shot and Arcane Shot, and their traps become a combat tool. Find all the spell pages in the WoW Forever Grimoire.

• BaselineAimed Shot is granted to all Hunters from level 20.
• ChangedArcane Shot no longer shares its cooldown with Aimed Shot.
• ChangedMulti-Shot now shares its cooldown with Aimed Shot.
• ChangedDisengage has its threat reduction effect doubled.
• ChangedAspect of the Beast now also grants melee attack power.
• ChangedTraps: they can be used in combat, but their cooldown rises to 30 seconds.
• ChangedFrost and Fire traps: they now have separate cooldowns.
• ChangedScorpid Sting reduces the target’s chance to hit by 2%, instead of reducing its Strength and Agility.

Pets

The pet gains definition. Its stats follow the Hunter’s gear, it no longer benefits from player buffs that raise its stats, and each family has an ability of its own. A new family arrives: the Fox.

• ChangedPet stats: they now scale with their Hunter’s gear.
• RemovedPlayer buffs: pets can no longer receive player buffs that increase their stats.
• ChangedBite and Claw: each family can learn one or the other, sometimes both.
• ChangedDive and Dash: each family can learn one or the other.
• NewFox family: a new pet family, with its own ability.
• NewTrickster’s Dance: the Fox’s ability, it increases the pet’s dodge chance and attack speed for 12 seconds.

Each family also has an entirely unique ability:

• NewBat: Sonic Blast deals damage and slows the target’s spellcasting.
• NewBear: Swipe is an attack that hits 3 targets.
• NewBird of Prey (formerly Owl): Mine! deals damage and disarms the target.
• ChangedBoar: Charge makes the pet charge the target, immobilizes it and grants attack power for its next attack.
• ChangedCarrion Bird: Demoralizing Screech hurts nearby enemies and reduces their melee attack power.
• ChangedCat: Prowl makes the pet stealthy and increases the damage of its next attack from stealth.
• NewCrab: Pinch deals damage and slows the target’s movement.
• NewCrocolisk: Dismember deals damage and reduces healing received by the target by 50%.
• NewGorilla: Thunderstomp hurts enemies in an area.
• NewHyena: Tendon Rip slows the target and inflicts a bleed over time.
• NewRaptor: Savage Rend inflicts a bleed over time on the target.
• ChangedScorpid: Scorpid Poison inflicts stacking damage over time on the target.
• NewSpider: Web immobilizes the target and deals damage over time.
• NewTallstrider: Dust Cloud reduces the target’s armor.
• ChangedTurtle: Shell Shield reduces damage taken and attack speed for 12 seconds.
• ChangedWind Serpent: Lightning Breath is an attack that deals damage at 20 yards range.
• ChangedWolf: Furious Howl increases the melee attack power of party members.

Beast Mastery

The specialization stays centered on the pet, but it opens up to a playstyle closer to melee, like Survival’s. It also gains a 16-point tier talent that summons hawks, and the pet talents benefit from these new allies.

• ChangedDeadly Aspects (formerly Improved Aspect of the Hawk) also gives melee attacks a chance to increase attack speed while Aspect of the Beast is active. This supports the more melee-oriented builds you will see in Survival.
• ChangedEndurance Training absorbs the old Thick Hide talent and therefore grants Health and Armor to the pet.
• NewFocused Fire increases all damage you and your pet deal while the pet is active.
• ChangedAspect of the Monkey grants twice as much dodge, and the pet receives half of that benefit.
• ChangedPathfinding moves from row 3 to row 2 of the tree.
• ChangedUnleashed Fury: the pet’s damage bonus decreases slightly, but it now also benefits the newly summoned hawks.
• ChangedImproved Mend Pet also reduces the mana cost of Mend Pet.
• ChangedFerocity: the pet’s critical strike bonuses decrease, but now also benefit summoned hawks.
• NewSummon Hawk (16-point tier talent) deals instant damage and summons a hawk that attacks the Hunter’s current target for 18 seconds. The Hunter can have up to 2 hawks active at the same time. The cooldown is shared with Arcane Shot.
• ChangedIntimidation now requires Bestial Swiftness as a prerequisite and also gives the pet an additional 100% critical strike chance on its next attack.
• ChangedBestial Discipline also grants the Hunter Spirit-based mana regeneration while casting spells (or spending mana).
• BaselineEyes of the Beast: the Improved Eyes of the Beast talent is removed, because this ability becomes baseline.
• RemovedThick Hide is merged with Endurance Training.

Marksmanship

The tree is largely reworked: several talents move up the tree, others appear, and two tier talents (11 and 31 points) add a petless style and a new heavy shot. Between the two, Trueshot Aura moves up three rows to become the 21-point tier.

• ChangedHawk Eye moves from row 3 to row 1.
• ChangedLethal Attacks (formerly Lethal Shots) moves from row 2 to row 1 and now grants a critical strike chance bonus to all attacks.
• ChangedImproved Stings (formerly Improved Serpent Sting) moves from row 4 to row 2. The damage bonus to Serpent Sting is higher, the Viper Sting cooldown is shorter and the duration of Scorpid Sting increases.
• ChangedEfficiency moves down from row 1 to row 2. Its mana cost reduction is greater and applies to stings and melee abilities, in addition to shots.
• NewCareful Aim increases melee and ranged attack power by 20/40/60/80/100% of the Hunter’s Intelligence.
• NewRapid Killing reduces the cooldown of Rapid Fire. When you kill an enemy, or it dies while affected by your Serpent Sting, you gain Rapid Killing, which increases the damage of your next shot.
• ChangedImproved Arcane Shot now reduces the cooldown of Arcane Shot by up to an additional 0.5 seconds.
• NewLone Wolf (11-point tier talent) grants the Hunter 20% additional damage with all attacks while no pet is active.
• ChangedTrueshot Aura moves from row 7 to row 4 and becomes the 21-point tier talent. New lower-level ranks are added, the rest is unchanged.
• ChangedMortal Shots now has Careful Aim as a prerequisite.
• NewRapid Recuperation is a prerequisite of Rapid Killing. It grants Spirit-based mana regeneration while casting after hitting a target with Serpent Sting, and more during Rapid Killing.
• ChangedBarrage: the damage bonus decreases, but now also applies to Aimed Shot, in addition to Multi-Shot and Volley.
• NewSniper Shot (31-point tier talent) is a prerequisite of Trueshot Aura. It grants a new shot with a 4 second cast and a 15 second cooldown, which deals even more damage than Aimed Shot. Its base range is 45 yards and it increases the range of your next 3 shots by 10 yards.
• RemovedImproved Hunter’s Mark and the Aimed Shot talent disappear from the tree: their effects become baseline.

Survival

Survival takes a melee and traps turn. It merges several talents, redesigns its strikes and adds tier talents at 16, 21 and 31 points. Blizzard sees in it builds that let you switch from shooting to melee and back.

• NewImproved Tracking combines the Monster Slaying and Humanoid Slaying talents: the Hunter deals more damage to any type of creature they are tracking.
• ChangedEntrapment (slight rework) now always triggers when the Hunter’s trap triggers. Extra talent points extend the duration, rather than the chance.
• ChangedSavage Strikes (rework) now increases all melee damage by 2/4%, instead of increasing Raptor Strike and Mongoose Bite by 10/20%.
• ChangedSurvivalist moves from row 3 to row 2.
• ChangedImproved Wing Clip now only requires 3 talent points to reach the maximum 20% chance.
• ChangedSurefooted moves from row 4 to row 3. Its hit chance bonus applies to all attacks and it reduces the duration of movement-impairing effects, instead of increasing their chance to miss the Hunter.
• ChangedSurvival Tactics (formerly Trap Mastery) also increases the hit chance of Feign Death, in addition to that of traps.
• NewPredator’s Edge increases the critical strike damage bonus of melee attacks and off-hand damage when dual wielding.
• ChangedCounterattack moves from row 5 to row 4 and becomes the 16-point tier talent.
• NewResourcefulness reduces the mana cost of all traps and all melee abilities, and gives your critical strikes a chance to allow Spirit-based mana regeneration while casting.
• NewExpose Prey: melee and ranged attacks on the target of your Hunter’s Mark have a chance to activate Mongoose Bite as if you had dodged an attack.
• NewSurvivalist’s Discipline reduces the cooldown of traps and Deterrence.
• NewStrider Kick (21-point tier talent) is an instant weapon attack that also increases your movement speed by 30% for 3 seconds.
• ChangedLightning Reflexes: the Agility bonus decreases to make room for the new talents.
• NewLacerating Strikes (31-point tier talent): Mongoose Bite also makes the target bleed for 21 seconds, for damage that depends on the strength of the Mongoose Bite hit.
• RemovedWyvern Sting, Killer Instinct and Improved Feign Death are merged into the new Resourcefulness talent.
• RemovedMonster Slaying and Humanoid Slaying are merged into the new Improved Tracking talent.

Strengths and limits

Blizzard reminds us that the WoW Forever Hunter keeps its strengths and weaknesses. It has only one combat role, damage, but its pet can act as a tank in solo and small group play. It has by far the longest range of any class, except in the “dead zone”: its ranged abilities are unavailable within 8 yards of the enemy.

Traps, now usable in combat, are still only placed at the Hunter’s location. The Hunter has a toolbox of Aspects and attacks to solve problems, but can neither stun nor interrupt. The new trees let it push ranged shooting and the pet to the limit, give up the pet, or add skills that alternate between range and melee.

WoW Forever Druid: smoother forms, three strengthened trees

For the Druid, Blizzard keeps versatility as its foundation. In the official Class Deep Dive, the team explains it wants to make shapeshifting more fluid and useful everywhere in the game, while strengthening each of the three paths: Balance, Feral Combat and Restoration.

In animal form, the Druid can use more consumables, benefit from weapon effects, interact with more objects and use racial abilities without leaving form. Nature’s Grasp and Omen of Clarity become baseline class abilities, Lacerate joins the feral toolkit and Revive finally gives the Druid an out-of-combat resurrection spell.

On the talent side, Restoration receives Wild Growth at the 31-point tier, Balance gains Insect Swarm and Eclipse, and Feral Combat inherits Berserk. The full detail is in the lists below. Our video and article on the Druid’s modified spells and talents also gives an overview in video.

Baseline abilities and shapeshifting

Shapeshifting becomes less restrictive: the Druid no longer has to return to human form to perform a large share of everyday actions.

• ChangedConsumables: all potions and almost all similar consumables can now be used in animal form without canceling the shapeshift. Rage potions and Thistle Tea are also usable by Druids.
• ChangedEngineering bombs: most remain unusable in animal form. A few new recipes are exceptions, the SAF-T and EZ-Thro recipes.
• ChangedWeapon enchantments and triggered effects: they all work in animal form, including weightstones, the Crusader enchant and the Windfury Totem.
• ChangedAuto attack in Bear Form, Cat Form and Dire Bear Form: melee damage per second is now that of the equipped weapon, with an attack speed of 1.0 or 2.5 seconds depending on the form. Abilities that deal weapon damage use the same values.
• ChangedDoors and objects: most can be opened or used in animal form without canceling the form.
• ChangedRacial abilities: they are usable in animal form, notably Shadowmeld, War Stomp and Walk on Air.
• RemovedTiger’s Fury: the spell is removed, replaced by a new talent specific to the feral path, Shifting Power, presented below.

Modified spells

Spell adjustments touch all three paths. Feral Combat mostly gets damage, threat and cost tweaks, Balance sees Wrath reworked and several spells become castable in animal form or indoors, and Restoration gains a resurrection spell.

• ChangedClaw (Feral Combat): damage greatly increased, to avoid needing a new combo point generator talent to replace it.
• ChangedCower (Feral Combat): the threat reduction effect is doubled.
• ChangedDemoralizing Roar (Feral Combat): tuned to be roughly as effective as Demoralizing Shout, and identical to it at level 60.
• ChangedEnrage (Feral Combat): now generates 10 rage on cast.
• ChangedFrenzied Regeneration (Feral Combat): now restores 100% of the Druid’s maximum health over time, provided there is enough rage.
• ChangedGrowl (Feral Combat): cooldown reduced to match that of the warrior’s Taunt.
• NewLacerate (Feral Combat): new baseline ability learned at level 42. It applies a bleed that deals damage over 15 seconds and stacks up to 5 times. If the target is already affected by Lacerate, it additionally deals 10% of weapon damage per existing stack. Generates high threat.
• ChangedRake (Feral Combat): now benefits more from attack power.
• ChangedShred (Feral Combat): damage greatly increased, to be effective with less talent support.
• ChangedSwipe (Feral Combat): now benefits more from attack power. Remains usable only in Bear Form and Dire Bear Form, and hits 3 targets.
• NewRevive (Restoration): new out-of-combat resurrection spell, learned at level 12.
• ChangedRegrowth (Restoration): cost greatly reduced. The mana cost now depends more on the initial heal and less on the healing-over-time ticks that follow.
• ChangedBarkskin (Balance): usable in animal form.
• ChangedEntangling Roots (Balance): can now be cast indoors.
• ChangedHurricane (Balance): the cooldown is removed.
• ChangedFaerie Fire (Balance): can now be cast in Bear Form, Cat Form or Dire Bear Form. It costs no resource, but gains a 6 second cooldown.
• BaselineNature’s Grasp (Balance): becomes a baseline ability for the whole class, learned at level 10. It can also be cast in animal form and indoors.
• ChangedThorns (Balance): while the spell is active, it now benefits from the caster’s spell power. Thorns and spell power have a dedicated article.
• ChangedWrath (Balance): reworked, with a much lower mana cost and much lower damage to compensate.
• BaselineOmen of Clarity (Balance): becomes a baseline ability for the whole class, learned at level 20. The Clearcasting effect is also never consumed by Wrath, whose mana cost has become very low.

Balance

The Balance tree changes deeply. Damage talents apply to all offensive spells instead of a few specific ones, several talents move up the tree, and two gold tiers arrive: Nature’s Splendor at 11 points and Insect Swarm at 16 points.

• ChangedImproved Wrath: now also reduces the mana cost of Wrath.
• NewGenesis: new row 1 talent. Increases all periodic damage and healing of the Druid’s spells and abilities.
• ChangedMoonglow: moves up from row 5 to row 2. Now reduces the mana cost of all damage spells, but no longer affects healing spells.
• ChangedImproved Moonfire: now costs only 2 talent points instead of 5, for the same effect.
• NewNature’s Majesty: new row 2 talent. Increases the critical strike chance of all spells and melee attacks.
• ChangedNature’s Reach: moves up from row 3 to row 2. Also grants increased hit chance and applies to all your damage spells.
• ChangedImproved Entangling Roots: moves down from row 2 to row 3 and is redesigned. It no longer prevents interruption, but significantly increases the damage dealt and reduces the chance that other damage breaks the effect early.
• NewNature’s Splendor: 11-point tier talent. Requires Nature’s Majesty. Increases the duration of Moonfire, Rejuvenation, Regrowth and Insect Swarm.
• NewInsect Swarm: 16-point tier talent. Grants a new spell that deals Nature damage over 12 seconds and reduces the target’s hit chance.
• ChangedVengeance: now applies to all damage spells.
• NewOvergrowth: new row 5 talent. Allows up to 3 targets to be affected by Entangling Roots at the same time.
• ChangedNature’s Grace: slightly redesigned. The effect now lasts 3 seconds, grants casting haste and reduces your global cooldown.
• NewEclipse: new row 5 talent. Casting Wrath reduces the cast time of your next 2 Starfire spells, with up to 4 stacking charges.
• ChangedMoonfury: now applies to all your damage spells.
• ChangedMoonkin Form: the party’s critical strike chance bonus now applies to all spells and attacks, not only spells. It does not stack with the same effect from Leader of the Pack. All non-healing spells can now be cast, not only Balance spells. Finally, in this form, Omen of Clarity is twice as likely to trigger.
• RemovedRemoved or merged talents: Nature’s Grasp and Improved Thorns become baseline abilities, as does Omen of Clarity. Natural Weapons is folded into the Restoration talent Naturalist, and Natural Shapeshifter moves into the Restoration tree.

Feral Combat

Feral Combat is built around two 16-point tier talents: a cat side with Shifting Power and a bear side with Primal Bite. At the top, Berserk arrives at the 31-point tier. Tank Druids also benefit from the rework of Thick Hide, which brings them closer to other tank classes.

• ChangedFerocity: now also applies to the new talent ability Primal Bite.
• ChangedHeart of the Wild: moves up from row 6 to row 1. The Intellect and Strength increase is reduced, while the Stamina increase in Bear Form is unchanged.
• ChangedFeral Swiftness: moves up from row 3 to row 2. The movement speed bonus in Cat Form now works indoors, and the dodge bonus applies permanently, not only in Cat Form.
• ChangedFeral Instinct: no longer increases threat in Bear Form, but increases Swipe damage. Stealth bonuses are unchanged.
• ChangedBrutal Impact: now also reduces the cooldown of Bash.
• ChangedThick Hide: redesigned. Grants more armor in Bear Form, Cat Form, Dire Bear Form or Moonkin Form, and this armor depends on the Defense skill bonuses from enhancements and gear. It can also be multiplied by each form’s own armor multipliers. Tank Druids thus benefit from Defense skill items, like other tank classes.
• ChangedSavage Fury: moves up from row 5 to row 3. Now also applies to Shred, with a lower damage bonus.
• ChangedFeral Charge: this 11-point tier talent now also gives a version usable in Cat Form. In that case the cooldown is 30 seconds and the target is neither interrupted nor immobilized.
• ChangedSharpened Claws: now costs 2 talent points instead of 3, for the same effect.
• ChangedShredding Attacks: formerly Improved Shred. Reduces the energy cost of Shred more strongly and also reduces the rage cost of Lacerate. The talent moves from row 4 to row 3. The source specifies that this move is not yet in the beta and arrives with next week’s build.
• NewShifting Power: new 16-point tier talent, which requires Shredding Attacks. Cat-oriented, it instantly grants 40 energy, but at a high mana cost. Its starting cooldown is 16 seconds, and other talents can reduce it. The source indicates that this talent is not yet in the beta and arrives with next week’s build.
• NewPrimal Bite: the other 16-point tier talent, bear-oriented. A melee attack costing 20 rage in Bear Form or Dire Bear Form, which deals 100% of weapon damage plus a bonus and generates very high threat. Requires Savage Fury. Blizzard chose this ability over Mangle.
• ChangedBlood Frenzy: the effects of the old talents Primal Fury and Blood Frenzy are combined into this single 2-point talent.
• NewImproved Shifting Power: new row 5 talent, which requires Shifting Power and brings its cooldown down to 8 seconds. Not yet in the beta.
• ChangedLeader of the Pack: this 21-point tier talent is modified like Moonkin Form. The critical strike chance bonus now applies to all spells and attacks, and does not stack with that of Moonkin Form.
• NewPredatory Strikes: new row 5 talent, which increases your critical strike damage bonus by up to 20%.
• NewNatural Reaction: new row 6 talent, bear-oriented. Increases dodge chance and gives a chance to gain 5 rage on each dodge.
• NewRend and Tear: new row 6 talent. Increases the damage of your melee abilities against bleeding targets.
• NewBerserk: new 31-point tier talent, inspired by its original Wrath of the Lich King version. Usable in Bear Form, Cat Form or Dire Bear Form, it lasts 15 seconds with a 3 minute cooldown. It removes fear and grants immunity to it, removes the cooldown of Primal Bite and makes it hit up to 3 nearby targets, and increases the critical strike chance of all Cat Form combo point abilities by 100%.
• RemovedRemoved or merged talents: Feral Aggression, whose Demoralizing Roar improvement becomes baseline, and Primal Fury, merged with Blood Frenzy. Feral Faerie Fire becomes a baseline ability.

Restoration

Restoration gains an area heal-over-time spell with Wild Growth at the top of the tree, and Swiftmend becomes a 16-point tier talent, easier to reach. Furor is reworked to eliminate “bear-weaving” (alternating between bear and cat).

• ChangedNature’s Focus: moves up from row 2 to row 1. Now applies to interruption while casting all Arcane and Nature spells.
• ChangedFuror: the Cat Form part is redesigned. At 5 talent points, the Druid regenerates energy outside Cat Form as if in it, but all that energy is lost if they shift into Bear Form, to prevent the “bear-weaving” known from Classic versions. Blizzard acknowledges that this removes the “power shifting” some players enjoyed, and reintroduces it in a more accessible way with the Shifting Power talent of the Feral tree.
• ChangedNaturalist: formerly Improved Healing Touch. Now also increases all damage dealt by a certain percentage.
• ChangedSubtlety: moves up from row 3 to row 2. Now also reduces all threat from Arcane and Nature spells, not only that of healing. The cost goes from 5 to 3 talent points, for a maximum threat reduction of 30%.
• ChangedNatural Shapeshifter: arrives from the Balance tree, in row 2 of the Restoration tree.
• ChangedReflection: mana regeneration while casting increases significantly.
• ChangedGift of Nature: moves up from row 5 to row 3.
• NewGift of the Earthmother: new 11-point tier talent. Reduces the global cooldown of Rejuvenation, Swiftmend and Wild Growth by 0.5 seconds.
• ChangedSwiftmend: moves from row 7 to row 4 as a 16-point tier talent. Redesigned, it no longer consumes the Rejuvenation or Regrowth effect on the target.
• NewLiving Spirit: new row 5 talent. Increases Spirit by a certain percentage.
• ChangedImproved Tranquility: now also reduces the cooldown of Tranquility, by up to 60%.
• ChangedImproved Regrowth: now requires Improved Rejuvenation as a prerequisite.
• NewWild Growth: new 31-point tier talent, inspired by that spell from the original Wrath of the Lich King, with slightly different behavior. It targets any party or raid member and places a heal over time (HoT) on all members of that player’s group, pets included. The effect is strong at the start, heals every second for 7 seconds and decreases each second. 6 second cooldown and high mana cost.
• RemovedRemoved or moved talents: Improved Mark of the Wild and Improved Enrage become baseline abilities. Insect Swarm has been moved to the Balance tree.

Strengths and limits

According to Blizzard, the Druid remains an extremely versatile class, able to fill any combat role with the right gear and talents. That versatility has a price in non-damage utility: the Druid cannot slow its targets, nor silence or interrupt, and its crowd control is weaker and less reliable.

As a healer, the Druid can be powerful, but its toolkit is narrower than the priest’s and relies on heals over time (HoT) that demand more anticipation. It fully holds its role as tank or fighter, but lacks the long utility toolkits of the rogue, warrior or mage. For raids and dungeons, it will need to rely on other classes to complete the group’s toolbox.