Restoration Druids have historically been a highly effective and intuitive class in the Healer role in World of Warcraft. Happily, that hasn’t changed in The War Within, so here’s everything you need to know about building and playing the specialization.
Resto Druid has universal appeal, largely thanks to its high ceiling for competitive play while offering a forgiving learning curve for players new to the class, spec, or role. The spec has also been streamlined since Dragonflight, making the latter even more accurate than it was previously.
There have been some changes to the class that will see it slightly worse off in a Mythic+ setting, but it remains a strong pick overall in the broader landscape of Healing specs. With a high emphasis on healing over time, it’s an advantageous choice for those who take the time to master its intricacies.
With all that in mind, this is the complete guide to Restoration Druid in The War Within.
Restoration Druid class changes in The War Within
One of the most noticeable changes for those who played the spec during Dragonflight is the removal of Luxuriant Soil. Though this does remove an element of Resto that was too reliant on RNG, it does mark a significant shift in how this spec approaches specific encounters (more on that later).
You will now have to choose between Flourish and Photosynthesis, with the latter having also been nerfed in the latest patch. Again, this is situational, with Photosynthesis usually serving as the better pick in Mythic+, but both will get some usage.
Moonkin is now specific to Balance Druid and will no longer appear on the talent tree for a Resto Druid. Happily, Master Shapeshifter got a hefty buff to offset this change, alongside further buffs for Abundance, which is critical with the amount the spec now has to lean on Regrowth.
Restoration Druid talents, Hero Talents, and build
As experienced Druid players will know, the main class tree features a heady mix of abilities that cover everything from damage to healing to overall utility. Rip and Rake are reliable sources of damage in Cat form, while Skull Bash gives a spellcasting interrupt (particularly useful in Season 1).
On the healing side of the equation, Resto Druid gets access to Wild Growth, Rejuvenation, and Renewal via the main Druid tree, all of which serve important roles in the rotation. It also unlocks several elemental spell staples, including Starfire and Sunfire, which always come in handy during DPS checks and more general solo play.
Throughout the tree, several passive nodes provide important stat boosts to the character. Nurturing Instinct is a straight buff to Magic damage and healing, Rising Light, Falling Night has varying buffs based on the time of day, and Lycara’s Teachings provide a 6% stat boost depending on which form you’re in.
The rest of the tree is designed to provide as much utility as possible. Incapacitating Roar is a great option to alleviate some pressure on the rest of the group when needed, while Soothe serves as a rage dispel. Heart of the Wild is the big node to build towards at the end of the tree, as empower will be responsible for a large portion of outgoing HPS.
The Restoration tree is designed to give access to as many healing options as possible and increase their effectiveness. The whole tree starts with Lifebloom, which will get some usage as a robust single-target heal in Mythic+ and raids. Efflorescence serves as an excellent additional option for small-group healing in Mythic+.
Convoke the Spirits is a highly potent, if a little chaotic, choice that automatically casts 16 Druid spells and abilities in six seconds (towards automatically assigned and appropriate targets). Though this is a little RNG-dependent, the volume of spells thrown out makes it invaluable when it’s difficult to prioritize.
Most of the Resto tree is almost entirely passive and offers significant tangible boosts to areas where the spec may fall short. Grovetending, Improved Regrowth, Budding Leaves, Wild Synthesis, and Rampant Growth all help improve the raw healing numbers or reduce cooldowns to keep HPS up.
There is also an additional avenue for personal survivability and Tank improvement via nodes like Ironbark, allowing Resto Druid to serve as a more well-rounded support character in dungeons and raids. Lastly, keep an eye out for random proc passives like Cenarius’ Guidance, which add to the overall tapestry that the spec has to offer.
Hero Talents
Wildstalker
In an unusual break from the pattern of dominance for one tree that other specs have seen, both Hero Talent trees should see some usage for Resto Druid players. Keeper of the Grove is the standout choice in a raid setting, thanks to its ridiculous burst healing, without being too much of a drain on resources. At the time of writing, however, Wildstalker is preferred in Mythic+ thanks to Symbiotic Blooms, so it is that tree that this guide prioritizes in the first instance.
Unusually for a Hero Talent tree, Wildstalker gives four choice nodes where it’s possible to make the build your own. In the first slot, the pick is Flower Walk over Entangling Vortex. Flower Walk grants a 10% increase in movement speed under the effect of Barkskin, and then, for 10 seconds, leaves a trail of healing flowers in the Druid’s wake. This is an excellent option for premade groups or those aware of how the mechanic works related to positioning.
In the second slot, go with Bond With Nature over Harmonious Constitution. This grants a 4% increase to all healing received from any source. This is more universally applicable than the alternative 35% increase to the personal effects of Regrowth and should provide more consistent background healing in group activities.
Resilient Flourishing is the play in the third slot for the additional duration of Symbiotic Blooms and Bloodseeker Vines. The former, in particular, will feature heavily in the overall healing toolkit and the consistent 2-second boost is well worth having. Root Network provides 2% increased healing for Symbiotic Blooms, but this isn’t tuned highly enough to warrant inclusion.
Leaning further into Symbiotic Blooms, the fourth slot is reserved for Implant, which spawns once Swiftmend is used against a target. Twin Sprouts don’t seem to proc quite often enough, though the overall theme is worth keeping an eye on if it’s tuned further.
Keeper of the Grove
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If you decide to go with Keeper of the Grove, there are some solid options with a clear overall theme for the spec. In the first slot, the best play is to build into into Durability of Nature. This provides additional healing every time Nourish or Swiftmend is cast by applying a Cenarion Ward that heals the target for 160% of Spell Power.
Slot 2 is a 9% healing buff for key parts of the rotation in Regrowth, Wild Growth, and Swiftmend. It also boosts the damage from Wrath and Starfire by 10%, again providing more range in solo content and DPS checks. Potent Enchantments is poor by comparison and not worth consideration in any scenario in its current form.
The third slot is best used as Bounteous Bloom, which gives Grove Guardians a 30% increase in their healing. Early Spring reduces the cooldown of Grove Guardians by 3 seconds, but the additional downtime isn’t worth mitigating if it means sacrificing such a tangible increase to outgoing healing.
In the final slot, the chosen node boosts the Keystone ability in this tree, Dream Surge. Power of the Dream provides an additional Dream Petal, taking the total up to three. This marks a 50% increase in the overall efficacy of the ability, and it’s a lot easier to manage than the needlessly complex current iteration of Control of the Dream.
Stat priority
As is the case with most spellcasters in World of Warcraft, Intellect is the Primary stat for Restoration Druids and should serve as the focus for most of the gear you’re grinding for. It vastly increases Spell Power and the damage and healing done by your abilities.
Outside of that, you’ll want to focus on building the following secondary stats in this order of precedence:
- Haste
- Mastery
- Versatility
- Critical Strike
Haste should always be the priority for Resto Druids and casters more generally, with the stat being responsible for reducing the cast time of spells, as well as the Global Cooldown. It also adds extra ticks to each of the spec’s HoT effects, and building heavily into it is critical to getting the most out of the spec (though pay attention to diminishing returns.
Mastery improves the overall efficacy of Mastery: Harmony, which provides additional outgoing healing to any target currently under a HoT effect. Resto Druid gets a lot out of improving this as much as possible because so many abilities in the spec’s toolkit fill this requirement.
Versatility, as with any class in WoW, offers a flat boost to healing and damage done in any scenario. This boost is useful but should take on less of a priority in your thinking compared to Mastery and Haste.
Critical Strike gives an increased chance at abilities and spells doubling their effectiveness when it procs. Again, this is nice to have, but it is less valuable than both Haste and Mastery. Be aware that Druid isn’t beholden to RNG here, thanks to the raw volume of spells Resto Druid uses.
Rotation
The best way to make use of the build above is to lean into the direction that Wildstalker tries to take Resto and maximize the effectiveness of Symbiotic Blooms. The big thing to do is maintain Efflorescence as much as possible from the start, both because it’s a highly effective HoT ability and it spawns Symbiotic Blooms.
Then, take regular advantage of Regrowth and Wild Growth for the same reason, prioritizing based on whether single-target or AoE feels more appropriate. Make sure to also take advantage of any Omen of Clarity procs, which causes the next Regrowth cast to cost no mana.
Swiftmend should mostly be reserved for medium to high damage situations or when one character suddenly succumbs to a large portion of their total health. Don’t forget to keep your Grove Guardians up with regularity as well, but make sure to be aware of exactly where you are concerning the ability’s cooldown.
If you have everything under control, then make sure to pitch in with some damage. In particular, Wrath should be your go-to for DPS, though don’t be afraid to dip into your elemental abilities when needed. Tactical Surge can be saved again for high-damage phases for the increased Crit chance while making regular use of Barkskin will also allow you to take advantage of Flower Walk.
Restoration Druid Tier Set breakdown
Tier Sets are powerful armor items that provide unique class/spec bonuses based on how many pieces you are wearing. These bonuses kick in at 2 and 4-piece sets. In the first season of The War Within, Druids can jump into the Mane of the Greatlynx set. This provides the following bonuses to Restoration Druids:
- 2-piece set – Regrowth, Wild Growth, and Swiftmend healing increased by 10%.
- 4-piece set- Healing is increased by 8% when consuming Soul of the Forest’s bonus and for 6 sec afterward.
The 2-piece bonus is a nice generic efficacy buff, particularly considering how Swiftmend is generally used. In raids especially, those high-pressure, high-damage moments will be a little easier to account for and play around.
The Soul of the Forest buff that the 4-piece provides has the potential to be overlooked but, as it’s quite easy to consume the Soul of the Forest bonus with regularity, this additional 8% is significant. Overall, getting the tier set early is a no-brainer, and it’s one of the better put-together offerings available to any spec in WoW.
Gems and Enchants
As has been the case with most expansions in World of Warcraft, there are some standout Enchant choices to be aware of when finally your best gear. The best options for Restoration Druid in every slot are as follows:
| Slot | Best Enchant |
| Weapon | Enchant Weapon – Authority of Fiery Resolve |
| Cloak | Enchant Cloak – Chant of Leeching Fangs |
| Chest | Enchant Chest – Crystalline Radiance |
| Bracers | Enchant Bracer – Chant of Armored Leech |
| Legs | Sunset Spellthread |
| Boots | Enchant Boots – Defender’s March |
| Ring | Enchant Ring – Radiant Haste |
In the hands of a Resto Druid, the Authority of Fiery Resolve is an absolute monster, particularly in a raid setting. It gives a proc chance to call upon the Authority every time the Druid heals an ally, in turn triggering a radiation healing effect that affects the Druid and their four closest allies.
The other big Enchant to look out for is in the Chest slot, where Crystalline Radiance increases Resto Druid’s Primary stat (Intellect) by 745. Elsewhere, there are several buffs to Secondary stats where possible, as well as some tertiary options like Leech.
That’s the complete guide to Restoration Druid in The War Within! To see how the spec is stacking up against other Healers in the game right now, check out our complete tier list. There are also tier lists for DPS and Tank players if you feel like checking out how the other half live.
