Why does my level 80 druids DPS suck?

Here are some quick items to help a druid, ranged DPS, boomkin excel and generate excellent dps. Some others may have a better strategy than mine and it may be more technically correct, but this one works. Here goes:

1) Make sure your hit rating is at least 265. There are complex formulas but the simple solution is a 265 hit rating which is over the 263 hit cap when fully buffed (like in a proper ICC 25 group). When not fully and properly buffed the hit cap moves up in increments to over 400. If you keep your hit number around 300 you are solid. If you like living on the edge and primarily run ICC, 280 is plenty. Put that extra 20 into spell power, haste or crit.

2) Glyphing your druid.

Primary glyphs:

2-a) Glyph of Focus. This reduces the area of effect of your starfall, concentrating it in a smaller area. This is the most important glyph as it greatly increases the DPS from your starfall and it doesn't pull untanked mobs in raids. If you do not equip this glyph you will wipe a lot of raids.

2-b) Glyph of Wrath: Reduces the pushback of damaging effects by 50% when casting wrath. This is a must glyph.

2-c) Glyph of Hurricane. This glyph reduces the movement speed of your attackers by 20%.

Glyph of Starfall is an excellent optional glyph (reduces your Starfall cooldown considerably). Some guys like this one in lieu if the Wrath glyph and the DPS is similar. I like the Wrath one as it doesn't get you into as much trouble. The standard cooldown when properly used will meet your needs.

Gearing your level 80 Boomkin druid:

1) Go leather but don't be afraid to mix in one or two cloth items, like gloves and leggings. You can pick up nice haste bonuses from doing so. The armor differences for a couple of items is minimal compared to the better DPS from the haste addition. You take more damage per second but the fight is shorter as you kill them quicker. The gain outweighs the loss.

2) You want to buy the Stamina and Intellect gear. Do not buy any gear with spirit unless it is a major upgrade. If you have the option between Stamina and Intellect versus Stamina, Intellect and Spirit, always go with the Stamina and Intellect gear. Spirit is for healers mainly but you do get mana from it. You can't avoid it so do not stack it.

3) Look for spell power, haste, critical strike and hit rating items. Which leads us to:

Gemming your druid. Until Cataclysm comes out gemming is straight forward.

1) Lets start with your head pieces meta socket. Get this one: Chaotic Skyflare Diamond at 21% critical strike rating and 3% increased critical damage. I think it is superior to the Bracing Earthsiege Diamond (25 spell power + 2% reduced threat). Bracing would be my second choice though.

2) Socketing gems: You can socket red, yellow or blue gems in any blue yellow or red slot. What I mean is that it is OK to put a red +23 spell power gem in a blue socket (sometimes). When you do this you will lose the socket bonus. In some situations you do want to stick to matching the gems in an item with the correct sockets. Here is a good example of both sides of the coin:

Your chest piece has a red, yellow and a blue socket. The socket bonus (for socketing correctly) is +4 intellect. Forget the socket bonus. Equip three +23 spell power red gems and forget the bonus.

The other side of the coin is a pair of gloves with two yellow sockets and a socket bonus of +7 spell power. In this case I would go with the two yellow gems at +12 spell power and +10 crit and get the bonus. The result is 31sp + 20 crit versus 46sp. This situation is also good for 12sp and 10 hit, or 12sp and 10 haste.

Always gem 265 hit minimum, then SP, then haste or crit. Nothing else.

I hope this helps some. Happy hunting.

Jettdelrio

Comments to: James@intergalacticnews.com