This week the Blog Azeroth Shared Topic comes from Resto Dude and he wonders what we as players/characters can do for the group that is outside our primary roles as DPS/Tanks/Healers. Now most of my post will reflect a lot back at BC when we were not only required to heal but to CC as well. But I still think these methods hold true today.

 When I First Felt Important.

When my husband and I first started playing together, he was a Hunter. Back in times of Steam Vaults, I pulled a lot of aggro. I have no idea why but I just always did while healing. Ever time a mob would come rushing at me, They would be frozen in the blink of an eye. I figured this was a Hunter trapping but I had this sense of importance. A dps was going out of their way to make sure my tree butt did not die.

I started to notice more and more things of this nature coming from other DPS classes. Mages would cast Frost Nova when adds would run towards the healers, letting the tanks get aggro back and saving our butts. Plate DPS would taunt an add knowing you would die faster then they would. Tank and DPS Pallys would bubble the healer preventing and untimely death. All of these occurences in instances and raids were great. I felt the DPS and Tanks really cared if the Healers died. Which I understood, I worked my butt off to heal them, and they wanted to keep me alive to continue to do so. But they seemed to be going out of their way to do so, and I was grateful.

The Druid Arsenal

So I began to think, as  Resto Druid, what can I do other than to make the lives of everyone about me easier? I feel we have many spells that easy the life of those around us.

Faerie Fire – A spell I feel most Resto Druids do not even look at. I know this is not mandatory in fights where you have a Boomkin or a feral druid. I think this is a fun spell to throw out there to get a little extra oomph. Plus it is an instant cast! And since most of the time mana is not an issue anymore, this is not very costly.

CC:

Druids have a ton of CC, and most of the time as Resto we are not able to use it. There are fights that if I have to continue shifting in and out of Tree form to cast a CC I will be out of mana during the tough healing spots of the fight. But there are some that there is really no issue.

Cyclone – I love using this spell, especially in Lady Deathwhisper hard. CCing the mind controlled target before it can kill another healer is pretty fun. Plus most of the time in this fight our DPS get a little DPS crazy and forget this mind control is running around reeking havoc on the raid. I feel almost accomplished when I get my cyclone off before the target gets to cast anything.
 
Hibernate –  A spell that was useful in SSC back in the day makes another appearance in ICC and in RS! Those pesky Blood Beasts can be Hibernated before they kick the crap out of a DPS or Healer. Sleeping the dragonkin is very useful in trash throughout RS. CC is something that most are not used too since we have not had the need since BC, but getting back in the habit is great, especially with the xpac coming up.
 
Entangling Roots – Making sure a mob does not beat up its non-tank target is useful! Or saving yourself when you pull too much healing aggro.
 
DPS??!!
  
 
Everyone has been through this situation, the boss is at 3%, everyone else is dead but you and the tank. Do you just stand there and let the tank try to kill the boss? Or do you pop out of Tree and blast him with a Moonfire and Wrath Bomb barrage?  How proud do you feel when the boss falls to your hands? 
  
Man Bear Tree
 
Have a lot of incoming damage? Know the healers will have problems healing you? Bear form! That little extra health may keep you from looking like mush on the floor.
 
Bash – Ever get sucked into the sword during Lich King? If you ever do shift to Bear, Enrage, and bash that little ghosts butt when he is about to cast. This can really help slow down damage to let you heal more effectively. Plus you will have a less chance to die causing a raid wipe.
That is all I can think of that I have done for now. I am sure there are many other combos and abilities that a Resto Druid can use to save someone or help a raid out. What do you do that goes above and beyond?