Restoration Druid PvP Guide — The War Within (11.0.7)

Last updated on Dec 15, 2024 at 16:00 by Mysticall 15 comments
General Information

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to play Restoration Druid in a PvP environment. The guide will cover everything from talent choices, PvP talents, gameplay and rotation, and useful racial bonuses. It is most applicable to Arena content, but most talents and racial bonuses will work in Rated Battlegrounds and skirmishes.

If you were looking for TBC Classic content, please refer to our TBC Druid PvP guide.

1.

Restoration Druids in the Current Meta

Restoration Druids are the jack-of-all-trade healers. They are the best healer to date and continue to dominate other healers in the Arena. With high mobility, strong single target, spread healing, and powerful defensives, they are unmatched. With all of these tools, they are also the hardest healer to master. It is not a healing spec that can be learned in a day.

2.

Restoration Druid Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths icon Strengths
  • +Great control and crowd control
  • +Good mobility
  • +Very hard to kill
Weaknesses icon Weaknesses
  • -Runs out of Mana quickly
  • -Hard to heal against teams with strong spread damage
  • -Struggle against teams with a Purge Icon Purge ability
3.

Notable 11.0.5 Changes to Restoration Druid

  • New Talent: Reactive Resin Icon Reactive Resin – When your Restoration heal over time effects are removed by enemies, they are replaced with Reactive Resin, healing an ally over 6 seconds. Multiple stacks may overlap.
  • New Talent: Twinleaf Icon TwinleafNature's Swiftness Icon Nature's Swiftness now has 2 charges.
  • New Talent: Wildwood Roots Icon Wildwood RootsAbundance Icon Abundance now also reduces the cast time of Regrowth Icon Regrowth by 5% per stack. Cenarion Ward Icon Cenarion Ward's cooldown is reduced by 10 seconds and its duration is increased by 2 seconds.
  • New Talent: Renewing Surge Icon Renewing Surge – The cooldown of Swiftmend Icon Swiftmend is reduced by up to 40%, based on the current health of the target. Cooldown is reduced more when cast on a lower health target.
  • New Talent: Forest's Flow Icon Forest's Flow – Consuming Clearcasting Icon Clearcasting now causes your Regrowth Icon Regrowth to also cast Nourish Icon Nourish onto a nearby injured ally at 60% effectiveness, preferring those with your heal over time effects.
  • Dream of Cenarius Icon Dream of Cenarius has been redesigned – Wrath Icon Wrath and Shred Icon Shred transfer 50% of their damage and Starfire Icon Starfire and Swipe Icon Swipe transfer 33% of their damage into healing onto a nearby ally. This effect is increased by 200% while Heart of the Wild Icon Heart of the Wild is active.
  • Nature's Swiftness Icon Nature's Swiftness healing bonus is now 40% less effective in PvP combat.
  • Cenarion Ward Icon Cenarion Ward healing is decreased by 20% in PvP combat.
  • Renewing Surge Icon Renewing Surge is 75% effective in PvP combat.
  • Forest's Flow Icon Forest's Flow is 50% effective in PvP combat.
4.

Notable 11.0 Changes to Restoration Druid

  • New & Changed Druid Class Talents:
    • New Talent: Oakskin Icon Oakskin
    • New Talent: Fluid Form Icon Fluid Form
    • New Talent: Ursoc's Spirit Icon Ursoc's Spirit
    • New Talent: Instincts of the Claw Icon Instincts of the Claw
    • New Talent: Lore of the Grove Icon Lore of the Grove
    • New Talent: Starlight Conduit Icon Starlight Conduit
    • Feline Swiftness Icon Feline Swiftness now increases movement speed by 15%. Now a 1-point talent.
    • Thick Hide Icon Thick Hide now reduces damage taken by 4%. Now a 1-point talent.
    • Natural Recovery Icon Natural Recovery now increases healing received by 4% and no longer increases healing done. Now a 1-point talent.
    • Tireless Pursuit Icon Tireless Pursuit has been removed.
  • New Restoration Druid Talents:
    • New Talent: Dream of Cenarius Icon Dream of Cenarius
    • New Talent: Call of the Elder Druid Icon Call of the Elder Druid
    • New Talent: Thriving Vegetation Icon Thriving Vegetation
    • New Talent: Prosperity Icon Prosperity
    • Courageous Impulse Icon Courageous Impulse
    • Shadowboxing Treads Icon Shadowboxing Treads
    • And many more.
  • New PvP Talent: Tireless Pursuit Icon Tireless Pursuit
  • High Winds Icon High Winds has been redesigned – Increases the range of Cyclone Icon Cyclone, Typhoon Icon Typhoon, and Entangling Roots Icon Entangling Roots by 5 yards.
  • Swiftmend Icon Swiftmend has been removed from the talent tree and is now baseline for Restoration Druids.
  • Tranquility Icon Tranquility initial healing increased by 400%.
  • Rejuvenation Icon Rejuvenation healing increased by 30%.
  • Grove Guardians Icon Grove Guardians healing reduced by 15%.
  • Verdant Infusion Icon Verdant Infusion now extends the duration of heal over time effects by 8 seconds (was 12 seconds).
  • Soul of the Forest Icon Soul of the Forest and Heart of the Wild Icon Heart of the Wild added to Personal Resource Display.
  • Adaptive Swarm Icon Adaptive Swarm, Unbridled Swarm Icon Unbridled Swarm, and Luxuriant Soil Icon Luxuriant Soil have been removed.
5.

Changelog

  • 15 Dec. 2024 (races): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.7.
  • 15 Dec. 2024 (macros): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.7.
  • 15 Dec. 2024 (playstyle): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.7.
  • 15 Dec. 2024 (comps): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.7.
  • 15 Dec. 2024 (blitz): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.7.
  • 15 Dec. 2024 (gear): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.7.
  • 15 Dec. 2024 (talents): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.7.
  • 15 Dec. 2024 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.7.
  • 15 Dec. 2024 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.7.
  • 20 Nov. 2024 (playstyle): Updated all healing rotations.
    • Updated opener rotation.
    • Updated burst healing rotation.
    • Updated sustained healing rotation.
    • Updated defensives section.
  • 20 Nov. 2024 (comps): Updated best 3v3 team compositions.
  • 20 Nov. 2024 (blitz): Updated recommended talents.
  • 20 Nov. 2024 (gear): Updated recommended enchants.
  • 20 Nov. 2024 (talents): Updated recommended talents.
    • Updated talent descriptions.
  • 20 Nov. 2024 (this page): Updated weaknesses.
  • 20 Nov. 2024 (this page): Updated weaknesses.
  • 21 Oct. 2024 (comps): Updated for Patch 11.0.5.
  • 21 Oct. 2024 (gear): Updated for Patch 11.0.5.
    • Updated Recommended Gear.
    • Updated Recommended Gems.
  • 21 Oct. 2024 (talents): Updated for Patch 11.0.5.
    • Updated Recommended Talents.
    • Updated Recommended PvP Talents.
  • 21 Oct. 2024 (this page): Updated for Patch 11.0.5.
  • 21 Oct. 2024 (this page): Updated for Patch 11.0.5.
  • 29 Sep. 2024 (gear): Updated Recommended Gear.
  • 16 Sep. 2024 (gear): Updated Recommended Gear.
    • Updated Recommended Embellishments.
    • Updated Recommended Enchants.
  • 15 Sep. 2024 (blitz): Updated Recommended Talents.
  • 12 Sep. 2024 (talents): Updated Recommended Talents.
  • 09 Sep. 2024 (races): Reviewed for The War Within Season 1.
  • 09 Sep. 2024 (macros): Reviewed for The War Within Season 1.
  • 09 Sep. 2024 (playstyle): Reviewed for The War Within Season 1.
  • 09 Sep. 2024 (comps): Reviewed for The War Within Season 1.
  • 09 Sep. 2024 (blitz): Updated for The War Within Season 1.
  • 09 Sep. 2024 (gear): Reviewed for The War Within Season 1.
  • 09 Sep. 2024 (talents): Reviewed for The War Within Season 1.
  • 09 Sep. 2024 (this page): Reviewed for The War Within Season 1.
  • 09 Sep. 2024 (this page): Reviewed for The War Within Season 1.
  • 29 Aug. 2024 (playstyle): Updated Defensives.
  • 29 Aug. 2024 (blitz): Page added.
  • 21 Aug. 2024 (races): Reviewed for The War Within.
  • 21 Aug. 2024 (macros): Reviewed for The War Within.
  • 21 Aug. 2024 (playstyle): Updated for The War Within.
  • 21 Aug. 2024 (comps): Reviewed for The War Within.
  • 21 Aug. 2024 (gear): Updated for The War Within.
  • 21 Aug. 2024 (talents): Updated for The War Within.
  • 21 Aug. 2024 (this page): Reviewed for The War Within.
  • 21 Aug. 2024 (this page): Reviewed for The War Within.
  • 26 Jul. 2024 (talents): Updated Recommended Talents.
  • 23 Jul. 2024 (races): Reviewed for The War Within Pre-Patch.
  • 23 Jul. 2024 (macros): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
  • 23 Jul. 2024 (playstyle): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
  • 23 Jul. 2024 (comps): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
  • 23 Jul. 2024 (gear): Reviewed for The War Within Pre-Patch.
  • 23 Jul. 2024 (talents): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
  • 23 Jul. 2024 (this page): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
  • 23 Jul. 2024 (this page): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
  • 19 May 2024 (gear): Updated Recommended Gear.
  • 19 May 2024 (talents): Updated Recommended Talents.
  • 07 May 2024 (races): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
  • 07 May 2024 (macros): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
  • 07 May 2024 (playstyle): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
  • 07 May 2024 (comps): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
  • 07 May 2024 (gear): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
  • 07 May 2024 (talents): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
  • 07 May 2024 (this page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
  • 07 May 2024 (this page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
  • 22 Apr. 2024 (races): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
  • 22 Apr. 2024 (macros): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
  • 22 Apr. 2024 (playstyle): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
  • 22 Apr. 2024 (comps): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6
  • 22 Apr. 2024 (gear): Updated Recommended Gear for Patch 10.2.6.
  • 22 Apr. 2024 (talents): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
  • 22 Apr. 2024 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
  • 22 Apr. 2024 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
  • 04 Mar. 2024 (gear): Updated Recommended Gear.
  • 04 Mar. 2024 (talents): Updated Recommended Talents.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (races): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (macros): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (playstyle): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (comps): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (gear): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (talents): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (races): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (macros): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (playstyle): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (comps): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (gear): Updated for Patch 10.2.
    • Updated Recommended gear.
    • Updated Tier Set bonuses.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (talents): Updated for Patch 10.2.
    • Updated Recommended Talents.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.2.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.2.
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (races): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7.
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (macros): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7.
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (playstyle): Updated all Healing rotations for Patch 10.1.7.
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (comps): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7.
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (gear): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7.
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (talents): Updated Recommended talents.
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.1.7
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.1.7
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (races): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (macros): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (playstyle): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (comps): Updated for Patch 10.1.5.
    • Updated Best 2v2 and 3v3 Team Compositions.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (gear): Updated for Patch 10.1.5.
    • Updated Recommended Gear.
    • Added Embellishments section.
    • Updated Gems and Enchants section.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (talents): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 30 May 2023 (gear): Updated Recommended Gear.
    • Added Embelishments section.
  • 07 May 2023 (races): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
  • 07 May 2023 (macros): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
  • 07 May 2023 (playstyle): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
  • 07 May 2023 (comps): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
  • 07 May 2023 (gear): Updated for Patch 10.1.
    • Updated Recommended Gear section.
    • Updated Tier-Set section.
  • 07 May 2023 (talents): Updated for Patch 10.1.
    • Updated PvP Talents section.
  • 07 May 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.1.
  • 07 May 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.1.
  • 21 Mar. 2023 (races): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 21 Mar. 2023 (macros): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 21 Mar. 2023 (playstyle): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 21 Mar. 2023 (comps): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
    • Updated best 2v2 team compositions.
  • 21 Mar. 2023 (gear): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
    • Updated Recommended Gear.
    • Added Trinkets to Recommended Gear.
    • Added Tier-Set section.
  • 21 Mar. 2023 (talents): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
    • Updated Talent Tree.
    • Updated PvP Talents.
  • 21 Mar. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 21 Mar. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 31 Jan. 2023 (talents): Updated Recommended Talents.
  • 30 Jan. 2023 (races): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 30 Jan. 2023 (macros): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 30 Jan. 2023 (playstyle): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 30 Jan. 2023 (comps): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 30 Jan. 2023 (gear): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 30 Jan. 2023 (talents): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 30 Jan. 2023 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 30 Jan. 2023 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (races): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (macros): Updated Macros.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (playstyle): Updated Healing rotations.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (comps): Updated Best 2v2 and 3v3 team compositions.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (gear): Updated Gear section.
    • Updated Enchants and Gems sections.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (talents): Updated Best Talent build.
    • Updated Best PvP Talents.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (this page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (this page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 21 Nov. 2022 (races): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 21 Nov. 2022 (macros): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 21 Nov. 2022 (playstyle): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 21 Nov. 2022 (comps): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 21 Nov. 2022 (gear): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 21 Nov. 2022 (talents): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 21 Nov. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 21 Nov. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 01 Aug. 2022 (races): Reviewed for Shadowlands Season 4.
  • 01 Aug. 2022 (macros): Reviewed for Shadowlands Season 4.
  • 01 Aug. 2022 (playstyle): Reviewed for Shadowlands Season 4.
  • 01 Aug. 2022 (comps): Reviewed for Shadowlands Season 4.
  • 01 Aug. 2022 (gear): Reviewed for Shadowlands Season 4.
  • 01 Aug. 2022 (talents): Reviewed for Shadowlands Season 4.
  • 01 Aug. 2022 (this page): Reviewed for Shadowlands Season 4.
  • 01 Aug. 2022 (this page): Reviewed for Shadowlands Season 4.
  • 31 May 2022 (races): Reviewed for Patch 9.2.5.
  • 31 May 2022 (macros): Reviewed for Patch 9.2.5.
  • 31 May 2022 (playstyle): Reviewed for Patch 9.2.5.
  • 31 May 2022 (comps): Reviewed for Patch 9.2.5.
  • 31 May 2022 (gear): Reviewed for Patch 9.2.5.
  • 31 May 2022 (talents): Reviewed for Patch 9.2.5.
  • 31 May 2022 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 9.2.5.
  • 31 May 2022 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 9.2.5.
  • 28 Feb. 2022 (races): Reviewed for Patch 9.2.
  • 28 Feb. 2022 (macros): Reviewed for Patch 9.2.
  • 28 Feb. 2022 (playstyle): Updated for Patch 9.2.
    • Added Tier-Set Healing section.
    • Updated Defensives section.
  • 28 Feb. 2022 (comps): Updated for Patch 9.2.
    • Updated Best 3v3 team compositions.
  • 28 Feb. 2022 (gear): Updated for Patch 9.2.
    • Updated Recommended Gear.
    • Added Tier Sets section.
    • Removed Shards of Domination section.
  • 28 Feb. 2022 (talents): Updated for Patch 9.2.
    • Updated PvP Talents.
  • 28 Feb. 2022 (this page): Updated for Patch 9.2.
    • Added Notable Changes section.
  • 28 Feb. 2022 (this page): Updated for Patch 9.2.
    • Added Notable Changes section.
  • 10 Nov. 2021 (races): Reviewed for Patch 9.1.5.
  • 10 Nov. 2021 (macros): Reviewed for Patch 9.1.5.
  • 10 Nov. 2021 (playstyle): Reviewed for Patch 9.1.5.
  • 10 Nov. 2021 (comps): Updated Best 2v2 team compositions.
  • 10 Nov. 2021 (gear): Reviewed for Patch 9.1.5.
  • 10 Nov. 2021 (talents): Updated PvP Talents.
  • 10 Nov. 2021 (this page): Updated for Patch 9.1.5.
  • 10 Nov. 2021 (this page): Updated for Patch 9.1.5.
  • 02 Jul. 2021 (races): Reviewed for Patch 9.1.
  • 02 Jul. 2021 (macros): Reviewed for Patch 9.1.
  • 02 Jul. 2021 (playstyle): Reviewed for Patch 9.1.
  • 02 Jul. 2021 (comps): Reviewed for Patch 9.1.
  • 02 Jul. 2021 (gear): Updated gear suggestions and added Shards of Domination section.
  • 02 Jul. 2021 (talents): Reviewed for Patch 9.1.
  • 02 Jul. 2021 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 9.1.
  • 02 Jul. 2021 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 9.1.
  • 08 Mar. 2021 (races): Reviewed for Patch 9.0.5.
  • 08 Mar. 2021 (macros): Reviewed for Patch 9.0.5.
  • 08 Mar. 2021 (playstyle): Reviewed for Patch 9.0.5.
  • 08 Mar. 2021 (comps): Reviewed for Patch 9.0.5.
  • 08 Mar. 2021 (gear): Reviewed for Patch 9.0.5.
  • 08 Mar. 2021 (talents): Reviewed for Patch 9.0.5.
  • 08 Mar. 2021 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 9.0.5.
  • 08 Mar. 2021 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 9.0.5.
  • 27 Dec. 2020 (talents): Updated PvP Talents.
  • 10 Dec. 2020 (comps): Updated best team compositions.
  • 10 Dec. 2020 (gear): Updated Recommended Gear.
    • Updated Best Trinkets.
    • Added Gems and Enchants section.
  • 10 Dec. 2020 (talents): Updated PvP Talents.
  • 10 Dec. 2020 (this page): Updated for Shadowlands Season 1.
  • 10 Dec. 2020 (this page): Updated for Shadowlands Season 1.
  • 23 Oct. 2020 (talents): Updated Talent Table.
  • 14 Oct. 2020 (races): Updated for Shadowlands pre-patch.
  • 14 Oct. 2020 (macros): Updated for Shadowlands pre-patch.
  • 14 Oct. 2020 (playstyle): Updated for Shadowlands pre-patch.
  • 14 Oct. 2020 (comps): Updated for Shadowlands pre-patch.
  • 14 Oct. 2020 (gear): Updated for Shadowlands pre-patch.
  • 14 Oct. 2020 (talents): Updated for Shadowlands pre-patch.
  • 14 Oct. 2020 (this page): Updated for Shadowlands pre-patch.
  • 14 Oct. 2020 (this page): Updated for Shadowlands pre-patch.
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