Guardian Druid Evaluation of Elune's Chosen Hero Talents - Solid Fantasy with Some Inconsequential Choices

This past week, Blizzard unveiled eight new Hero Talent Trees in a sneak peek at the exciting new system that will be introduced with The War Within expansion. Our Guardian Druid expert, Pumps, has provided an early review of the Elune's Chosen Druid Hero Talents for Guardian, delving into the strong lunar theme that complements the Guardian toolkit. However, the new talent tree also features some filler talents that don't quite live up to the heroic theme. Hero Talents are an exciting addition to the Talent system, offering players a third talent tree focused on class fantasy, separate from their class and specialization. Blizzard has given players a glimpse of what's to come with early previews of the Hero Talents for each class in The War Within expansion. Check out our initial impressions below.

Chosen of Elune Guardian Druid Review

Blizzard has recently provided a preview of the Elune's Chosen talent tree for Guardian Druids, which focuses heavily on Arcane damage and spells. This raises the question of whether spells like Lunar Beam will become baseline abilities for Guardians in the future, as it plays a crucial role in this Hero talent tree but is currently located in a less accessible part of the spec tree.

Another interesting query is the inclusion of Fury of Elune, a balance spell that Guardians currently do not have access to. This could potentially lead to adjustments in the talent tree to make it more feasible for Guardians to utilize these important Hero talents.

One of the core themes of this talent tree is the enhancement of arcane spells, resulting in increased damage and bonus effects such as Fury of Elune. The combination of these effects has the potential to achieve a high uptime on Lunar Beam, especially in AoE situations. While this is only one of the two Hero Talent Trees available to Guardian Druids, it's exciting to see the focus on the Lunar Bear playstyle, which many players find enjoyable.

• Node by Node Analysis

Let's take a closer look at the individual talents within the Elune's Chosen talent tree, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each:

Thumbs Up

• Leeching: This talent allows you to leech life equal to 10% of all damage dealt to enemies within the Lunar Beam, which can be particularly potent when combined with the healing granted by Rage of the Sleeper and the potential reduced cooldown on the beam.
• Elune's Favored: By making Thrash deal arcane damage, this talent introduces a fantastic concept that could significantly increase self-healing for Guardians, addressing one of their main weaknesses.
• Lunar Amplification: The mastery boost provided by this talent makes Lunar Beam a formidable offensive and defensive cooldown with a short cooldown duration, which is always desirable.
• The Light of Elune: This talent adds an exciting dimension to gameplay by giving Moonfire a chance to call down Fury of Elune, resulting in increased rage generation and additional damage.

Thumbs Down

• Moon Dust: While the slowing effect on enemies affected by Moonfire may have situational use, it feels like a filler talent that lacks the impact expected of a Hero talent.
• Stella Command: This talent, which only enhances Lunar Beam and Fury of Elune, competes with potentially stronger options and doesn't offer enough versatility or excitement to be considered a truly heroic talent.
• Arcane Affinity: A mere 3% increase in arcane damage is underwhelming and fails to capture the spirit of a Hero talent.
• Lunar Calling: This talent provides a minor increase in Thresh's damage but lacks the creativity and impact necessary for a Hero talent.

Final Thoughts

The first iteration of the Elune's Chosen Hero talents for Guardian Druids is a step in the right direction. However, there is room for improvement, particularly when it comes to some of the filler talents. These talents could be replaced with more engaging and impactful options that truly embody the heroism associated with Hero talents. Overall, the talent tree is straightforward and doesn't drastically change gameplay or burden players with additional maintenance buffs or effects. While there may be room for improvement, we can look forward to what the second Hero tree has in store.

• About the Author

This guide was written by Pumps, a dedicated Guardian Druid player hailing from the guild Honestly on the Frostmourne server (US). Pumps is an active member of the Dreamgrove Discord and always willing to answer any questions you may have. With an impressive second-place finish in the First World of Warcraft Mythic Dungeon International event, Pumps is a valuable resource for all things Guardian Druid. Be sure to catch their livestream on Twitch during progression.

• Elune's Chosen Guardian Druid Talent Tree: