Guardian Druid Tank Spell Summary (Legion 7.2.5)

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Class Overview
  • 2. Patch 7.2.5 Changes
  • 3. Patch 7.2 Changes
  • 4. Contents
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Easy Mode
  • 1. The Basics
  • 2. Talent Choice
  • 3. Stat Choice
  • 4. Basic Rotation
  • 5. Active Mitigation Abilities
  • 6. Cooldown Usage
  • 7. ChangeLog
• ×Spell Summary
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Main Resource
  • 3. Basic Abilities
  • 4. Important Procs
  • 5. Active Mitigation
  • 6. Cooldowns
  • 7. ChangeLog
• +Builds and Talents
  • 1. Talent Choices
  • 2. Tier 1 (Level 15) Talents
  • 3. Tier 2 (Level 30) Talents
  • 4. Tier 3 (Level 45) Talents
  • 5. Tier 4 (Level 60) Talents
  • 6. Tier 5 (Level 75) Talents
  • 7. Tier 6 (Level 90) Talents
  • 8. Tier 7 (Level 100) Talents
  • 9. ChangeLog
• +Artifact Traits and Relics
  • 1. Artifact Progression
    • 1.1. Shared Path
    • 1.2. Adaptive Fur Versus Gory Fur
    • 1.3. Patch 7.2 Traits
  • 2. Relic Choice
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
  • 1. Single Target Rotation
  • 2. Multiple Target Rotation
    • 2.1. Against 2-3 Targets
    • 2.2. Against 4+ Targets
  • 3. Active Mitigation
    • 3.1. Ironfur
    • 3.2. Frenzied Regeneration
  • 4. Taunting
  • 5. Cooldowns
  • 6. Optional Read: Mastering Your Guardian Druid
    • 6.1. Rage Generation
    • 6.2. Mastery: Nature's Guardian
    • 6.3. Gore Procs
    • 6.4. Detailed Cooldown Usage
      • 6.4.1. Survival Instincts
      • 6.4.2. Barkskin
      • 6.4.3. Rage of the Sleeper
      • 6.4.4. Tier 1 Talents
      • 6.4.5. Tier 3 Talents
      • 6.4.6. Tier 5 Talents
      • 6.4.7. Tier 6 Talents
  • 7. ChangeLog
• +Stat Priority
  • 1. Basics
  • 2. Getting a Better Understanding
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gems, Enchants, and Consumables
  • 1. Gems
  • 2. Enchants
  • 3. Consumables
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Macros and Addons
  • 1. Macros
    • 1.1. Generic Macros for Druids
      • 1.1.1. Rebirth
      • 1.1.2. Remove Corruption
    • 1.2. Specific Macros for Guardian Druids
      • 1.2.1. Hand of Protection Cancelaura Macro
      • 1.2.2. Useful Mouseover Macros
  • 2. Addons
    • 2.1. Generic Addons for Druids
      • 2.1.1. ElvUI
      • 2.1.2. Boss Mods: Deadly Boss Mods or Bigwigs
      • 2.1.3. GTFO
      • 2.1.4. Parrot or Mik's Scrolling Battle Text
      • 2.1.5. Weak Auras
      • 2.1.6. DroodFocus
      • 2.1.7. Recount / Skada / Details!
      • 2.1.8. Grid and GridClickSets (Optional)
    • 2.2. Specific Addons for Guardian Druids
      • 2.2.1. Omen Threat Meter
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gear, Legendaries, and Best in Slot
  • 1. Tier 20 Set Bonuses
  • 2. Legendary Items
  • 3. Loot Competition
  • 4. ChangeLog

General Information

On this page, we list the spells that you will often use as a Guardian Druid.

The other pages of our Guardian Druid guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

About Our Reviewer

This guide has been reviewed and approved by Justwait, a top tank who raids in Method. You can also watch his stream on Twitch and follow him on Twitter.

1. Introduction

If you are new to Guardian, this is a great place to start to get an understanding of how the spec works. On this page we will discuss what abilities you have, what they are used for within the specialisation, how they interact with each other and also with important cooldowns. If you already have experience with Guardian and are comfortable with it in Legion, it is recommended you skip this section and move on to the rest of the guide.

2. Main Resource

Rage is your primary resource, generated by a number of your abilities (most notably Mangle), as well as by your auto attacks. It is used to fuel your active mitigation ( Ironfur), as well as Maul; managing it is crucial for maximising your survivability and damage output.

3. Basic Abilities

These are your core skills that are available regardless of talents, and form the core gameplay of the specialization.

Mangle deals damage to the target (increased against targets that have a bleed active), and generates 5 Rage on use. It is a essential part of both your single target and AoE rotations.

Maul costs Rage to use and deals damage to the target. It is used as a filler spell and to prevent you from capping your Rage, but otherwise using it instead of using your active mitigation abilities is a clear survivability loss.

Thrash costs Rage to use, damaging all enemies in an 8-yard radius, and placing a 15-second bleed effect on them. Using Thrash also generates 4 Rage, and the bleed can stack up to 3 times.

Swipe deals damage to enemies around you, costs no Rage and also generates no Rage, and has no cooldown. This is also used as a filler.

4. Important Procs

Gore causes your Thrash, Swipe, Moonfire, and Maul casts to have a 15% chance to reset the cooldown of your Mangle and to cause your next Mangle to generate an additional 4 Rage.

5. Active Mitigation

Guardian Druids have one active mitigation ability, Ironfur, which is used frequently throughout the encounter to minimise the damage that they take. Aside from this, there is also Frenzied Regeneration, which while not strictly active mitigation, is still similar.

Ironfur costs 45 Rage and increases your armor by 65% for 6 seconds. The ability has a 0.5-second cooldown, and applications of Ironfur can overlap. This means that their armor increase will stack, but their duration will not. For example, if you use Ironfur, and then use it again 3 seconds later, you will have 2 applications of Ironfur for 3 seconds, granting you 130% increased armor. After 3 seconds, the first application will have expired, leaving you with 65% armor for 3 more seconds.

Frenzied Regeneration heals you for 50% of all damage taken in the last 5 seconds, in the form of a 3-second HoT. It costs 10 Rage, has a maximum of 2 charges, and a 24-second recharge time (reduced by Haste). Note that Frenzied Regeneration is not on the global cooldown.

6. Cooldowns

As a Guardian Druid, you two important defensive cooldowns.

• Survival Instincts reduces all damage taken by 50% for 6 seconds. It has 2 charges, and a 4-minute recharge time. It is best used pre-emptively.
• Barkskin reduces all damage taken by 20% for 12 seconds, with a 90-second cooldown. Barkskin is off the global cooldown and it can be used while stunned, incapacitated, or asleep. It is essentially a weaker version of Survival Instincts, and should be used in the same way.

Aside from this, you have Rage of the Sleeper, your Artifact ability, which can be used both defensively and offensively. For 10 seconds, 25% of the damage you take is prevented and redirected back at your attacker.

7. ChangeLog

+ show all entries - show only 10 entries

• 13 Jun. 2017: Fixed an issue where we incorrectly listed the amount of Armor provided by Ironfur.
• 12 Jun. 2017: Updated the page to account for the removal of Mark of Ursol and for changes to Maul in Patch 7.2.5.
• 09 Jan. 2017: Updated Mangle and Ironfur descriptions to account for Patch 7.1.5 changes.
• 17 Dec. 2016: Page added.