In this article, we explain what the best statistics are for Guardian Druids (WoW MoP 5.3), how the class benefits from each of them, and what your reforging strategy should be. We also detail what the various caps are and why they should be attained. The statistics priority is important as it influences reforging strategies as well as itemisation choices (gear, enchants, and gems).

Make sure to check our Gear Optimisation Guide, which serves as a support guide for this article.

The other articles of our Guardian Druid guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

This guide has been reviewed and approved by Arielle, (@riftmaker), a prominent Guardian Druid theorycrafter and the main author of The Inconspicuous Bear (a very respected Guardian Druid resource).

1. Basics↑top

The stat priority for a Guardian Druid is:

1. Stamina (until you have enough, see below);
2. Hit Rating (until 7.5%);
3. Critical Strike Rating;
4. Expertise Rating (until 15%);
5. Haste Rating.

These statistics have been obtained by combining common sense, in-game testing, and simulations using Simulation Craft.

If you are unsure what the optimal reforging strategy is for the above priority, you can Ask Mr. Robot for a personalised optimisation of your character's gear, by filling the form below.

2. Getting a Better Understanding↑top

Most encounters have abilities that cannot be mitigated or avoided. Also, you need to have a decent amount of health, in order to give yourself the chance to be healed before a subsequent attack kills you. As such, you need a minimum amount of Stamina. This amount will, in most cases, simply come from the Stamina found innately on your gear. Therefore, you should never have to go out of your way to gem for Stamina.

Hit Rating and Expertise Rating improve your threat generation as well as your survivability, because they allow you to land more hits and thus generate more rage, which can then be used on Savage Defense and Frenzied Regeneration. In the case of Hit, you will want to aim at reaching the 7.5% cap. For Expertise, the 15% cap is reachable, and it is something you should try to get.

Critical Strike Rating greatly increases your rage generation, which in turn allows you to use Savage Defense and Frenzied Regeneration more often.

Haste Rating also improves your rage generation, indirectly boosting your survivability. It also provides you more auto attacks, which increases the amount of procs from Tooth and Claw that you will get.

Agility is a very strong survival statistic. It increases your chance to dodge and it also increases your Critical Strike chance (which improves your rage generation and, therefore, allows you to use survival cooldowns more often). This will be present innately on all your gear, but in terms of optimisation (gemming most specifically), it is outweighed by the secondary statistics we mentioned above.

Dodge Rating and Mastery Rating provide excellent damage reduction, but we do not currently advise prioritising them over rage generation-increasing stats.

3. Changelog↑top

• 20 May 2013: Patch 5.3 update: nothing to change.
• 05 Apr. 2013: Added mention that Expertise Rating should be taken until the 15% cap (which is easily reachable in Tier 15 gear).