Guardian Druid Tank Guide - The War Within 11.1

Bill3/26/202513 min

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The Guardian Druid in WoW The War Within is an excellent tank for beginners, as its abilities are intuitive and its rotation is straightforward. Additionally, it consistently performs as a reliable middle-tier option in any season, making it a safe choice if you're uncertain about the 11.0 patch meta. In this WoW: The War Within Guardian Druid guide, we’ll cover the rotation, specialization skills, builds, and best-in-slot gear, along with leveling tips and profession recommendations.

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Table of Contents

    Guardian Druid Overview

    Guardian Druid is a sturdy tank that manages damage intake with strong passive reductions, a large health pool, increased healing from Mastery, and a stackable active mitigation with Ironfur. They are an excellent sponge tank. Once you have acquired enough gear, they are mostly self-sufficient with a unique playstyle, unlike any class. They bring some utility to raid and Mythic+ groups as a tank and very high DPS.

    Guardian Druid tends to excel against encounters where most incoming damage is Physical or Melee damage.

    Guardian Druid Strengths and Weaknesses

    Strengths

    Weaknesses

    • Relatively low initial threat output as most of our damage is a DoT.
    • Talent tree lacks flexibility.
    • Lack of Unique tank Utility.
    • Lack of accessible CC options in tree.

    Guardian Druid Basic Gameplay

    Being one of the tank specializations, your main goal, first and foremost, is to stay alive and to ensure that you have aggro on all of the enemies so that they are not on your weaker party/raid members. To tank efficiently as a Guardian Druid, your goal is to spread as many Moonfire as possible, then generate as much Rage with spells like Mangle and Thrash. This Rage can be spent defensively, with Ironfur and Frenzied Regeneration, or offensively, with Maul. You can learn about all the various Guardian spells that will be at your disposal by reading the Spell Summary page.

    Guardian Druid Changes in Patch 11.1

    The main change for Guardian Druid in Patch 11.1 is the Druid tree rework. This allows access to new talents while maintaining similar pathing in the class tree, with the benefit of picking up two or three extra talents.

    New Talents

    Removed Talents

    Reworked Talents

    Most of these changes are minor for Guardian Druid and have little impact on gameplay. The talent tree pathing remains mostly the same, but players can now select a few additional talents. Raze is no longer a separate button and now deals full damage to single targets, which is a significant improvement. However, it remains in a difficult position within the tree.

    Restoration Druid Leveling Guide for The War Within

    Guardian Druid Leveling Playstyle

    As a tanking spec, Guardian Druid has multiple leveling options. If you prefer dungeons, tank queues are usually the fastest way to level. For solo play, grouping up enemies and using AoE abilities is highly effective. Additionally, in group settings, Guardian Druids excel at gathering and tanking mobs, making it easier for DPS players to focus on damage.

    Gear Options

    While leveling, prioritize quick and easy upgrades with the highest item level available. Stats are not important at this stage, as gear will be replaced frequently. Avoid going out of your way for a single piece of gear since it will soon be obsolete.

    Rotation to Level Up as a Guardian Druid

    1. Buff yourself with Mark of the Wild.
    2. Enter Bear Form.
    3. Maintain Moonfire on the target.
    4. Use Barkskin on cooldown.
    5. Use Berserk on cooldown, ideally against multiple enemies.
    6. Cast Thrash on cooldown.
    7. Cast Mangle on cooldown on four targets or fewer.
    8. Fill downtime with Swipe.
    9. Spend Rage offensively against a single target with Maul.
    10. Spend Rage defensively with Ironfur.
    11. Use Frenzied Regeneration if your health gets below 50%.
    12. Make sure to always be in Bear Form while in combat.

    Guardian Druid War Mode Talents for Leveling

    In this section, we will highlight the most useful War Mode PvP talents to speed up your leveling process.

    • Demoralizing Roar — Demoralizes all enemies within 10 yards, reducing the damage they do by 20% for 8 seconds. Great to further reduce damage taken on big pulls.
    • Overrun — Charge to an enemy, stunning them for 3 seconds and knocking back their allies within 15 yards. Just another charge adding more mobility to your toolkit, allowing you to speed up leveling even more.
    • Emerald Slumber — Causes you to enter a deep slumber for 8 seconds. While sleeping, all other cooldowns recover 400% faster. This is great, as it massively reduces the cooldown of every ability. Try to use it when not getting attacked, as damage will break the slumber effect.

    Guardian Druid Tank Spec, Builds, and Talents

    Guardian Druid Single-Target Build
    Single-Target/Raid Talents
    Guardian Druid Mythic+ Build
    AoE/Mythic+ Talents
    Guardian Druid Delves Build
    Delves Talents

    © Wowhead


    Copy the Guardian Druid talents, paste them into the game.

    Single-Target/Raid Talents

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    AoE/Mythic+ Talents

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    Delves Talents

    CgGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAzYMzMWmHwyMzMGjFGmZWsMgNDjmIzMLmtZmZZMjBAAAAAAzgZAAAAAAAAgxMAsZGM

    PvP Talents (War Mode)

    The Battle for Azeroth expansion introduced a new system called War Mode. Opting into War Mode makes you eligible for open-world PvP while also granting several benefits:

    • World Quests at maximum level provide 10-30% increased rewards.
    • You gain 10-30% increased experience while leveling.
    • Allows you to earn Conquest Points towards weekly gear rewards.
    • Grants access to PvP talents in the open world.

    With these benefits, enabling War Mode is recommended for leveling and PvE content to maximize experience gain and rewards at maximum level. However, keep in mind that enabling War Mode makes you vulnerable to open-world PvP, meaning you may be "ganked" while leveling or completing World Quests.

    Best Hero Talents for Guardian Druid in The War Within

    Raiding Hero Talents for Guardian Druid

    Druid of the Claw

    Druid of the Claw is our strongest Hero Talent for single-target DPS by a massive margin while being very competitive on AoE. This makes it our ideal raiding Hero Talent choice.

    Elune's Chosen

    Elune's Chosen primary strength is a very strong CD you are able to use frequently in Lunar Beam and massive AoE, which it can do slightly better than Druid of the Claw if there are many targets.

    Mythic+ Hero Talents for Guardian Druid

    Druid of the Claw

    Both of our Hero Talent Trees are fantastic and viable in M+. Druid of the Claw excels on smaller pulls in Mythic+, 3-5 targets. It also can deal incredibly high single-target damage to bosses if the boss encounters are a significant factor in certain keys.

    Elune's Chosen

    Elune's Chosen has the power of Lunar Beam on an extremely short cooldown in Mythic+. This ability is often up at the start of a pull, which helps generate aggro quickly and keeps you relatively safe while you start to ramp.

    Guardian Druid Tank Stat Priority

    The Basics of Stats for Guardian Druid

    The stat priority for a Guardian Druid differs depending on whether you are aiming for survivability or damage output.

    Regardless of what you are prioritizing, an item 10 or more item levels above another will almost always be an upgrade due to the sheer increase in stats.

    1. Item Level;
    2. Armor/Agility/Stamina;
    3. Haste;
    4. Versatility;
    5. Mastery;
    6. Critical Strike.

    Armor, Agility, and Stamina are grouped together because they typically appear together on gear, but any one of the "main" stats will be stronger point-for-point than secondary stats.

    Damage Output

    It is important to note that all secondary stats are very close in value. This is a rough estimation, as your stat order may vary depending on your current stat distribution. Agility is also crucial for damage output and often makes the highest item-level piece the best choice. For the most accurate evaluation of which stats are best for you, sim your character for stat weights.

    Stat Priority: Versatility = Haste = Critical Strike > Mastery

    Diminishing Returns on Stats

    Once you reach the highest item-level gear, you may encounter diminishing returns (DR). This occurs when a specific stat reaches 30%, reducing the amount gained by 10-50%, depending on how far over the DR cap you are. It is generally best to balance your stats evenly as a Guardian to avoid DR, as all stats are very close in strength.

    Getting a Better Understanding of Guardian Druid Stats

    Agility is your primary stat. It increases your Attack Power, grants a small amount of Dodge, and converts into Armor due to Ironfur.

    Armor reduces the Physical damage you take. Guardians gain increased Armor (and Stamina) from Bear Form. However, "Bonus Armor" from trinket effects, enchants, or potions is not increased by Bear Form.

    Versatility reduces your damage taken, increases your damage and healing done, and boosts the size of your absorbs. It is the most effective stat for pure damage reduction while also enhancing self-healing abilities like Frenzied Regeneration.

    Mastery (Mastery: Nature's Guardian) increases your maximum health and healing received, effectively functioning as a form of damage reduction. It also increases Attack Power and damage but does not scale as well offensively as other stats.

    Haste provides multiple benefits:

    All of these effects lead to increased Rage generation and damage output, making Haste your best stat offensively and a solid choice defensively.

    While Critical Strike is beneficial for dealing damage, it does little defensively. It increases Dodge chance, but this effect is subject to diminishing returns, making it an unreliable stat for survivability compared to others.

    Most encounters include unavoidable damage, requiring a sufficient health pool to survive before receiving healing. Stamina generally comes from gear, meaning item level is the primary factor in maintaining an adequate health pool.

    Guardian Druid Tank Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities

    Single-Target Rotation for Guardian Druid

    This priority list describes the optimal offensive single-target Rotation for Guardian Druid.

    1. Maintain Moonfire.
    2. Maintain 5 stacks of Thrash.
    3. Cast Heart of the Wild off cooldown.
    4. Cast Barkskin off cooldown.
    5. Cast Maul when possible.
    6. Cast Mangle.
    7. Cast Thrash.
    8. Cast Moonfire with Galactic Guardian proc.
    9. Cast Incarnation: Guardian of Ursoc.
    10. Cast Rage of the Sleeper.
    11. Cast Swipe as the absolute lowest priority if you have nothing else to press.

    Single-Target Opener for Guardian Druid in the War Within

    1. Cast Growl.
    2. Cast Heart of the Wild.
    3. Cast Moonfire.
    4. Cast Thrash.
    5. Cast Incarnation: Guardian of Ursoc.
    6. Cast Thrash.
    7. Cast Mangle.
    8. Cast Thrash.
    9. Cast Rage of the Sleeper.
    10. Cast Maul x3.
    11. Cast Mangle.
    12. Cast Thrash.
    13. Cast Maul x3.
    14. Cast Mangle.
    15. Proceed with your normal rotation according to the priority list below.

    AoE Rotation for Guardian Druid

    This priority list describes the optimal offensive AoE rotation for Guardian Druid.

    1. Maintain 5 stacks of Thrash.
    2. Cast Heart of the Wild off cooldown.
    3. Cast Barkskin off cooldown unless saving for something specifically dangerous.
    4. Cast Raze when possible.
    5. Cast Thrash.
    6. Cast Mangle.
    7. Cast Incarnation: Guardian of Ursoc.
    8. Cast Rage of the Sleeper.
    9. Cast Moonfire.
    10. Cast Swipe as the absolute lowest priority if you have nothing else to press.

    Cooldowns for Guardian Druids

    As a Guardian Druid, you have two important defensive cooldowns.

    Barkskin reduces all damage you take by 20% for 12 seconds on a 60-second cooldown. It is usable when stunned, incapacitated, or asleep. This will be your first line of defense against dangerous spike damage and your primary way of reducing magic damage or simply as risk mitigation to smooth your damage intake for your healers. It has a short cooldown, so use it liberally!

    Survival Instincts reduces all damage you take by 50% for 6 seconds. It has 2 charges and a 3-minute recharge time. This is your major defensive reduction, to be used against lethal spike damage or "tankbuster" mechanics. Its short duration and long cooldown mean it should be used sparingly.

    Rage Generation

    Guardian Druid's primary resource is Rage.

    The Rage bar has a maximum capacity of 100 and is empty by default. Rage decays quickly out of combat, but in combat, it does not decay.

    Rage is generated in the following ways:

    Mastery: Nature's Guardian

    Your Mastery is Mastery: Nature's Guardian. It increases your maximum health, healing received, and Attack Power. The exact increase amount depends on how much Mastery you have. For every 1% Mastery, you gain 1% increased health and healing, and 1.33% increased Attack Power. Guardians start with 4% Mastery baseline.

    Notably, the increased healing component of Mastery: Nature's Guardian does not increase the healing from Frenzied Regeneration or Restoration Affinity. However, both of these spells scale with maximum health, which is increased by Mastery.

    Gore Procs

    Your Thrash, Swipe, Maul, and Moonfire have a 15% chance to trigger Gore, which resets the cooldown of Mangle and causes it to generate an additional 4 Rage. Making quick use of Gore procs is essential to ensuring they are not overwritten by new procs and the Rage is not wasted.

    Catweaving/Ripweaving

    As of Patch 11.0.2, Druid of the Claw has revived Catweaving in a new form called Ripweaving. This currently provides a 20-25% DPS increase over not weaving.

    Ripweaving occurs when you gain a buff after casting Mangle six times with the Wildpower Surge talent. This buff massively empowers your next Rip and Ferocious Bite while generating maximum combo points upon entering Cat Form. You shift into Cat Form by using Rake in Bear Form, thanks to the Fluid Form talent, which allows instant shifting. You then apply the empowered Rip and shift straight back into Bear Form by casting Mangle while in Cat Form. This method of Catweaving is extremely safe and has minimal impact on survivability.

    Ripweaving is viable even while tanking a boss due to the Wildshape Mastery talent, which retains Ironfur and 80% of your health and armor temporarily in Cat Form. Since you will shapeshift regularly, it also synergizes well with Thorns of Iron and spending most of your Rage on Ironfur due to its off-GCD nature.

    Ensure you do not shift to Cat Form too soon after casting Mangle, as it may be on cooldown, delaying your ability to shift back into Bear Form quickly.

    Catweaving is an advanced technique that significantly complicates the rotation. It is not recommended for beginners or when learning a new fight. However, when executed correctly, it provides a significant DPS increase in single-target situations and can be performed with minimal risk.

    Guardian Druid Tank Gems and Consumables

    Best Gems for Guardian Druids in The War Within

    You should use Culminating Blasphemite in one socket. Then, ensure you have one gem of each type in other sockets to maximize the Crit effect, ideally Quick Ruby, Quick Onyx, Quick Sapphire, and Deadly Emerald. Fill in remaining sockets with Versatile Emerald.

    Best Flasks and Potions for Guardian Druids in The War Within

    You should be drinking the Flask of Alchemical Chaos at all times.

    Best Potion for Guardian Druid in The War Within

    Your stat potion should be Tempered Potion. Use these when you will do the most damage with your abilities, likely during your cooldowns and/or Bloodlust / Heroism. You can also obtain Fleeting Tempered Potion from Cauldrons that can be spawned by Alchemists.

    You should keep a stock of Algari Healing Potions to use when at low health, and if you have a Warlock in the group, grab their Healthstones and use them as well. Do not macro these together, they are best used separately! You can also obtain Fleeting Algari Healing Potion from Cauldrons that can be spawned by Alchemists.

    Best Food for Guardian Druid in The War Within

    Since our secondary stats are stronger per-point than our primary stat, you should be eating secondary stat food at all times, either Beledar's Bounty, Outsider's Provisions, Jester's Board, Empress' Farewell personal food, or the The Sushi Special Feast. They are all identical.

    In addition, if you can afford it, you should use Crystallized Augment Rune to increase your primary stat. Augment Runes are expensive, and disappear on death, so use them wisely!

    Best Enchants for Guardian Druid

    Slot Enchantment
    Necklace Magnificent Jeweler's Setting (adds up to 2 sockets to a Ring or Neck)
    Weapon

    Enchant Weapon - Authority of the Depths (Single-Target)

    Enchant Weapon - Authority of Radiant Power (AoE)
    Chest Enchant Chest - Crystalline Radiance
    Bracers Enchant Bracer - Chant of Armored Leech
    Legs Defender's Armor Kit
    Boots

    Enchant Boots - Defender's March
    Rings

    Enchant Ring - Radiant Haste

    Enchant Ring - Radiant Versatility
    Cloak Enchant Cloak - Chant of Leeching Fangs

    Guardian Druid Tank Gear and Best in Slot

    This section will cover everything you need to know about equipping your character correctly.

    BiS Gear for Guardian Druid

    Slot Item Source
    Helm Mekgineer's Mindbending Headgear (678) Operation: Mechagon (665) or, Great Vault
    Neck Semi-Charmed Amulet (678) Rik Reverb in Liberation of Undermine
    Shoulder Jaws of Reclaiming Blight (678) Rik Reverb/Matrix Catalyst/Great Vault
    Cloak Undercircuit Racing Flag (678) Vexie Fullthrottle in Liberation of Undermine
    Chest Robes of Reclaiming Blight (678) Sprocketmonger Lockenstock/Matrix Catalyst/Great Vault
    Bracers Killer Queen's Wristflickers (678) Rik Reverb in Liberation of Undermine
    Gloves Grips of Reclaiming Blight (678) Cauldron of Carnage/Matrix Catalyst/Great Vault
    Belt Hitman's Holster (678) Mug'Zee in Liberation of Undermine
    Legs Moccasins of Reclaiming Blight (678) Stix Bunkjunker/Matrix Catalyst/Great Vault
    Boots Dragster's Last Stride (678) Vexie Fullthrottle in Liberation of Undermine
    Ring #1 Miniature Roulette Wheel (678) One-Armed Bandit in Liberation of Undermine
    Ring #2 The Jastor Diamond (678) Chrome King Gallywix in Liberation of Undermine
    Trinket #1 Reverb Radio (678) Rik Reverb in Liberation of Undermine
    Trinket #2 Mister Lock-N-Stalk (678) Sprocketmonger Lockenstock in Liberation of Undermine
    Main Hand Best-in-Slots (678) One-Armed Bandit (678) in Liberation of Undermine

    Raiding Trinket Tier List for Guardian Druid

    S-Tier

    A-Tier

    B-Tier

    C-Tier

    Mythic+ Trinket Tier List for Guardian Druid

    S-Tier

    A-Tier

    B-Tier

    C-Tier

    Recommended Crafted Gear and Embellishments

    Guardian generally prefers to craft low stat budget, flexible items that can easily be swapped to another embellishment at will.

    The Charged Halberd with the Darkmoon Sigil: Ascension embellishment is a great initial craft unless you have easy access to the first 5 bosses on Mythic and can naturally loot one without hindering your group's progression.

    Flexible armor slots — such as Rune-Branded Armbands and Rune-Branded Kickers — can be incredibly useful as they are great items on their own that can have a multitude of embellishments applied to them, allowing you to swap and try things out frequently. Applying a simple proc embellishment like Elemental Focusing Lens to these makes them quite competitive.

    Adrenal Surge Clasp — crafted by Leatherworkers, the Adrenal Surge Clasp is a tank belt with a primary stat proc from damage taken. This effect can be doubled with the Writhing Armor Banding, consuming both of your embellishment slots.

    Season 2 Tier Set for Guardian Druid

    The Tier Set consists of 5 items, all carrying the of the Greatlynx name. Unique DPS bonuses are unlocked when wearing 2 or 4 pieces from the set:

    The Tier Set Bonus is absolutely mandatory for competitive play, and you should prioritize obtaining it. You can use the Matrix Catalyst to convert regular items (from Mythic+, for example) into Tier Items.

    You only need 4 out of 5 pieces to get both set bonuses. It is recommended to obtain all pieces except for the Head, due to its high Mastery. However, any combination of the 5 pieces is acceptable, as Guardian stats are all quite similar in value. Check out the BiS List for more details.

    Addons for Guardian Druid

    Generic Addons for Druids

    • ElvUI
    • Boss Mods
      • Deadly Boss Mods
      • BigWigs
    • GTFO
    • Parrot or Mik's Scrolling Battle Text
    • WeakAuras
    • Details!

    Macros for Guardian Druid

    Generic Macros for Druids

    Rebirth

    • #showtooltip Rebirth
    • /cast [@mouseover,help]Rebirth;Rebirth

    This macro casts Rebirth on your mouseover target if they are a friendly player. Otherwise, it casts Rebirth on your current target.

    Remove Corruption

    • #showtooltip Remove Corruption
    • /cast [target=mouseover,help,nodead][target=target] Remove Corruption

    Using this macro will cast Remove Corruption on your mouseover target, if they are a friendly player and they are not dead. Otherwise, it will cast Remove Corruption.

    Specific Macros for Guardian Druids

    Blessing of Protection Cancelaura Macro

    • /cancelaura Blessing of Protection

    This macro is handy to have. It allows you to cancel a Blessing of Protection that may have been cast on you, allowing you to resume your attacks. It is also important because, while you are under the effect of Blessing of Protection, mobs will not attack you and instead will just attack the next person the aggro list (usually a DPS player). Macroing this into multiple abilities is recommended.

    Useful Mouseover Macros

    Here are a few macros that allow you to cast some of your spells on your mouseover target.

    • #showtooltip Skull Bash
    • /cast [@mouseover,harm,nodead][]Skull Bash
    • #showtooltip Growl
    • /cast [@mouseover,harm,nodead][]Growl
    • #showtooltip Moonfire
    • /cast [@mouseover,harm,nodead][]Moonfire
    • #showtooltip Remove Corruption
    • /cast [@mouseover,help]Remove Corruption;Remove Corruption

    WeakAuras for Guardian Druid

    WeakAuras is an essential tool for Guardian Druid and Tanks, offering unparalleled customization to enhance your gameplay. Rather than focusing on specific examples, we recommend exploring Wago.io, where you’ll find an extensive library of WeakAuras to suit your needs.

    If you are unfamiliar with WeakAuras, it is an incredibly powerful and widely-used AddOn that allows you to create custom displays for nearly everything in the game. This includes tracking buffs, debuffs, cooldowns, Focus, resources, and much more.

    To import a WeakAura, visit Wago.io and select one that fits your preferences. Click the "Copy WeakAura Import String" button to copy it to your clipboard. Next, log into the game and type /wa in the chat box to open the WeakAuras interface. Navigate to the "Import" section, press Ctrl+V to paste the copied string, and click "Import". You’re ready to go!

    Mastering WeakAuras and customizing it to your playstyle is highly recommended for any serious raider. With countless options available on Wago.io, you can tailor your interface to optimize your performance and focus on what truly matters in combat.

    Guardian Druid Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I Sim Myself?

    Yes, you can simulate your offensive capabilities using SimulationCraft, which supports Guardian Druid DPS. This is the best way to assess whether items, traits, or talents will improve your damage output. For defense, however, simming is not practical. Tanking involves too many variables to simulate accurately, and survivability depends on specific encounters and damage profiles. It’s better to rely on guide recommendations for defensive setups.

    How Good is Guardian Druid in The War Within?

    The War Within has introduced excellent talents that enhance the Guardian Druid’s toolkit. As a result, Guardian Druids are currently in a strong position across all types of content. They perform reliably in both raids and Mythic+ dungeons, offering consistent stability and utility.

    Which Race is Best for Guardian Druid?

    The choice of race for Guardian Druids is more about personal preference for aesthetics and flavor than performance. That said, some races offer slight advantages. Highmountain Tauren provides additional Versatility and damage reduction, while Tauren offer increased Stamina and utility through War Stomp. On the Alliance side, Kul Tirans are excellent for raiding due to Brush It Off, while Night Elves shine in Mythic+ thanks to Shadowmeld.

    What Stats Should I Have as a Guardian Druid?

    Stats for Guardian Druids are all very close in power, so it’s best to focus on increasing your overall item level. Haste and Versatility are favored because they provide a smoother gameplay experience, but the differences are minimal. If maximizing DPS is a priority, simming your character will provide the most accurate results for optimizing stats.

    Is There a Haste Cap for Guardian Druid?

    There is no specific Haste cap or secondary stat goal you should aim for. Instead, prioritize acquiring as many stats as possible. Generally, a higher quantity of stats outweighs having the "right" ones. Even lower-priority stats can be more valuable in larger amounts than smaller quantities of higher-priority ones.

    Should I Play Defensively or Offensively?

    If you’re new to a character or progressing through challenging content, prioritize defensive play. As you gain comfort with the encounter and your character, you can gradually shift to a mixed style, pushing DPS while sacrificing some survivability. Once you’re completely confident and won’t hinder your raid, you can fully focus on offensive play.

    Should I Catweave?

    Catweaving is only viable if you’re highly experienced with both the Guardian specialization and the specific encounter. Improper execution or misjudging the damage profile of a fight can lead to deaths for you or your co-tank. Given the risks and the limited DPS gain, it’s not recommended unless you’re confident. In The War Within Season 1, catweaving is currently not a significant DPS increase.

    What Piece is Better, X or Y?

    Item level is usually the deciding factor when comparing gear, as Guardian Druid stats are all relatively balanced. However, some trinkets or special-effect items may outperform their item level. For fight-specific optimizations, Warcraft Logs can provide insight into setups used by other players.