World of Warcraft at Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMOG Gamers to the Next Level!

Level Range	Zone	Continent	Zone Control
1-10	Mulgore	Kalimdor	Horde
1-10	Teldrassil	Kalimdor	Alliance
10-25	The Barrens	Kalimdor	Horde
10-20	Darkshore	Kalimdor	Alliance
18-30	Ashenvale Forest	Kalimdor	Contested
25-35	Thousand Needles	Kalimdor	Contested
30-40	Desolace	Kalimdor	Contested

The druid class in WoW is a very solo friendly class, as are most classes in this game, but with its enhanced level of survivability it may be one of the most forgiving classes to solo. I tried several specs from levels 1 to 40 but my primary solo focus was as a feral druid. Nothing quite beats sneaking up on a mob and slapping them in the ass to get the party started. I will start by making a couple of general recommendations that transcend all specs and play styles. Grab QuestHelper. It’s a damned handy mod that benefits everyone, from the newest of noobs to the most seasoned vets that have more alts than Bret Michaels has women. The second recommendation goes hand in hand with the first - level primarily via quests; solo grinding is fine in mommy's basement when you're 14, but not so much in WoW.

Feral

Soloing as feral is the preferred method for most druids as they level up, combining rapid killing and low down time for one of the most efficient soloists in WoW.  Feral druids are excellent against any mob but you will find the casters tend to fall much quicker as you can deliver rapid attacks for maximum spell push and their lack of armor class plays right into your claws. You can start your life as a feral DPS machine at level 10 when you get bear form. Though its much slower than cat form, which comes at level 20, it will give you the feel for the combat style.  Unlike many classes there is no ONE preferred rotation for feral DPS, especially at lower levels as your options are very limited, many mobs won't survive long enough to stack five combo points on them before delivering the big hurt. You will quickly learn which abilities deliver maximum results for the specific mob you are hunting.

The solo game from 10-20 as feral is fairly bland as it consists mainly of a toe to paw slugfest between you and whatever unfortunate enemy you're mauling. It does pick up at level 20, though, and steadily increases in fun and power with nearly every level. You will really see the strength of feral soloing when you gain the prowl ability for cat form. With this abilitiy, you can begin to sneak up on your opponents and deliver high damage openers, and this really expands your arsenal, greatly increasing your ability to stack combo points quickly.

You will need to do the 'Body and Soul' quest in Moonglade to obtain your first shapeshift form. It’s a fairly easy quest to complete and Moonglade is the hub of druidic activities in Azeroth, so use that new teleport spell and get to work!

Balance

The bulk of the balance tree, and the true power of the spec, really doesn’t begin to shine until the 30s. One of best ways to solo as balance is to open with your root spell, adhering the mob to the ground and keeping it off of you. Once you have your mob parked at a safe distance you can apply Moonfire and then begin casting Wrath to finish it off. At around level 30 Insect Swarm is added to your arsenal if you chose to purchase it and is a second DoT you can add into your rotation. The bulk of the Balance Druid's damage is reliant on critical strikes; many of the talents enhance your spell critical chances with various spells, unfortunately the early level gear you will get from quests and soloing is laden with critical strike enhancement making balance a path that has a much steeper curve than feral.

As with feral, levels 10-20 are fairly repetitive. Adding to the early level doldrums is the slower relative speed of leveling with this specialization. However, if you stick with balance long enough it really becomes a lot of fun to solo. The addition of insect swarm really speeds up the rate you kill you enemies and can enhance the damage from other spells if you spend some talent points. I still recommend a feral build at this stage in the game but if your heart is set on balance it can definitely be done.

Restoration

Restoration soloing is the least popular of the specializations as it mainly addresses the predominantly group oriented task of healing. The upside here is that much like a cockroach, you are damn near impossible to kill. As with any spec you are never locked into one role at all times; ferals can stand and pew pew with wrath if they desire; balance druids can jump into bear form and deliver a mauling, you just won't excel at it. Most players staying in the resto “tree” will tend to solo much the way a balance druid does as it allows easiest access to your heal spells without constant shapeshifting. Find what works best for you and roll with it.

A nice bonus of a deep resto build is the Nature’s Swiftness talent. Used as a get out of jail free card, it can keep you alive when a trip to the spirit healer seems all but inevitable. If you are a fairly adept gamer you may find that you can dish out your damage in feral forms and pop in and out of the forms to cast your instant heal over time spell. As a Tauren, the addition of your stomp ability can give you a couple extra seconds to get off a larger heal spell, or throw out a massive heal instantly with your Nature’s Swiftness. As I stated with the balance spec, I still recommend a feral build if your going to solo exclusively.

Solo Recap 10-40	Balance	Feral	Restoration
Strengths	Ability to cast all spells  without having to shapeshift. Strongest against melee mobs.	High DPS. Excellent itemization. Limited downtime.	Excellent survivability
Weaknesses	Lack of early itemization. Poor against other casters and multiple mobs. Extended downtime due to mana issues.	Weak against casters. Survivability more skill dependant than other builds.	Limited DPS Susceptible to downtime issues due to mana Slowest of leveling builds traditionally

Conclusion

However you choose to spec your character, always remember that a druid is never locked into one style of play. It’s probably the biggest upside to this class, so be creative and have fun with it. I encourage everyone to enjoy the many great lower level dungeons that Blizzard has included with this game, but I know many play WoW primarily because it is so solo friendly. I suppose YouTube and other less reputable sites  have shown us that many find it much more enjoyable to play with themselves while others watch, I personally play MMO’s for the group dynamic, but to each their own. Until next week, have fun in Azeroth and stay safe.