Cataclysm Classic Restoration Druid Guide

Restoration is a flexible healer with tools to handle all types of damage at all ranges, making it one of the few Cataclysm healers capable of good spread raid healing through their heal over time effects, such as Rejuvenation. They also have powerful cooldowns to help them heal better with Tranquility and Tree of Life, and are the only healer capable of combat resurrecting allies with Rebirth.

Originally, Restoration Druid was one of the best healers in Cataclysm until the final Dragon Soul raid phase. Unfortunately we will be getting the final phase, which includes a Wild Growth 20% healing nerf and 2 sec extra cooldown introduced to Glyph of Wild Growth, but Restoration's throughput should still be fairly good, especially in encounters requiring lots of mobility or heavy raid spreading.

Strengths

• Excellent mobility as you can do most of your healing while moving;
• Shared gear with Balance allows for easy swapping between healing and damage between encounters;
• Extremely Mana efficient tank healing through applying and refreshing Lifebloom and using Omen of Clarity procs;
• Heals-over-time such as Rejuvenation can be spread across raid members within 40 yards, making Druid an excellent spread raid healer.

Weaknesses

• Comparatively weak stacked raid healing and low burst healing in general;
• Utility brought tends to either be weak or able to be brought by more meta classes;
• No damage reduction or absorption effects and Lifebloom has a significant ramp time, which is significant for tank swaps.

Trolls can now play as Druid. They are the best Horde race, bringing Berserking which has no equivalent counterpart on Taurens.

Alliance Druids should roll Worgen as they are vastly superior to Night Elf due to Darkflight and Viciousness.

All professions are viable for healers, but if you want to go the extra mile, we recommend taking the best DPS professions for when you need to off-spec Balance or Feral: Engineering and Tailoring.

Addons and Macros can greatly improve your quality of life during Cataclysm. Listed below are some of our recommendations on Addons and Macros to help get the most out of your time playing the game.