A Review of Talents for the Feral Druid: A Step in the Right Paw Direction

Mid-March, Blizzard introduced 12 new Hero Talent Trees in a sneak peek at the upcoming expansion, The War Within. Today, we will be reviewing the Druid of the Claw Hero Talents, a tree that combines Feral and Guardian Druids. This new system, called Hero Talents, is designed to explore class fantasy by providing a third talent tree separate from your class and specialization. Let's dive into the details and see how the Druid of the Claw Hero Talents fare.

The War Within Hero Talents Overview

Before we jump into the review, let's have a quick overview of the Hero Talents system in The War Within. These talents are like an expansion pack for your talent tree, offering two additional talent trees connected to your other specs. As you level up, you can fill out the entire tree, making choices between the two different hero talent trees and any choice nodes along the way.

Druid of the Claw Feral Druid Review

With the introduction of the Druid of the Claw Hero Talents, Feral Druids will have access to a new tree that combines elements from both Feral and Guardian specs. Let's take a closer look at what this tree has to offer.

• Thematic Column

In this new talent tree, the left column focuses on shapeshifting and utility. One standout talent in this column is Wildshape Mastery, which enhances Bear Form as a defensive tool while retaining some tank stats in Cat Form. This talent adds depth to the gameplay and offers interesting possibilities for defensive strategies.

Another notable talent is Empowered Shapeshifting, which allows Feral Druids to cast Frenzied Regeneration in Cat Form for energy and reduces magic damage in Bear Form. This talent provides increased survivability and utility in different situations.

• Keystone Column

In the keystone column, the talents revolve around modifying Massive Attack, a new ability in this tree. One talent, Dreadful Wound, not only adds a bleed effect to Massive Attack but also reduces damage taken from the target. This talent offers a unique gameplay element and can potentially increase overall damage output.

Another talent in this column is Killing Strikes, which guarantees a Massive Attack proc after using Tiger's Fury and increases agility. This talent synergizes well with burst damage and can enhance your overall performance.

• Filler Column

The last column consists of filler talents that add minor improvements or modifications to existing abilities. For example, Packs Endurance increases the duration of Stampeding Roar, while the choice node Strike for the Heart enhances the critical chance and damage of Swipe and Shred.

Verdict

The Druid of the Claw Hero Talents provide a compelling mix of Feral and Guardian abilities and offer interesting choices for Feral Druid players. While the tree leans heavily into Ferocious Bite, which may not be ideal for some players, it overall improves upon the Wildstalker tree.

However, there are areas where this new talent tree falls short. Some abilities feel uninspired or encroach on existing talents, and there could have been more done to fully capture the fantasy of a Feral/Guardian combination. Additionally, Feral Druid's baseline design poses some challenges that limit the potential of this tree.

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