Post by hashmel
Spec0/53/11+8 is the very basic bear build.
- OoC is taken as it procs off both autoattacks and mauls and is a godsend for low rage situations allowing you to maintain respectable threat generation in the absence of rage.
- ILotP is the only talent left that actually offers you more survivability and in fact grants its benefit to all physical dps
Due to the value of these two talents they're generally included in most guides' bear talent builds for
0/55/11+5From 0/55/11+5 you have two options, KotJ or MS.
KotJ offers superior utility, better shifting mana reduction, better burst damage whn needed, and if enrage is used every 60~62 seconds KotJ offers more tps per point than MS.
KotJ =
0/58/11+2 the last two can go into-
- Shredding Attacks if you often go cat otherwise it's quite useless
- Brutal Impact to halve the cd of your only reliable PvE stun/interrupt (strongly recommended if using a KotJ build)
- Nurturing Instincts for increased survivability while soloing (healing ~35k with a tiny mana pool and no +healing is a pain)
-just to name a few.
MS =
0/55/16If you're strictly running content where survivability isn't your top priority and you'd like more dps/tps then you can in fact combine a KotJ and MS build into one but it will lack utility of a KotJ build, the survivability both KotJ and MS builds have via ILotP, and the consistent rage supply from OoC, a KotJ+MS build would look like so,
0/56/15. (Wouldn't recommend this as a raid spec to the inexperienced)
The third major glyph should be Survival Instincts for survivability or Growling for specific encounters where a taunt missing is the difference between loot and a corpse run when under spell hit capped. The other two minor glyphs are preference but Challenging Roar is recommended.
MS offers slightly more dps in the longrun. KotJ offers much more dps when it matters.
Also, looking at them per point invested KotJ offers more gains per point in both damage (if enraged every 60-62 seconds) and mana reduction to shifting while also allowing for added utility with the two leftover points.
Post by rogal
Hashmel,
In your KotJ build, do you think there is value in putting the 2 points into
Feral Aggression? Or is it one of those situations where you either want all 5 points in it or none at all?
Post by hashmel
I'd say 2/5 FA isn't worth it, on trash it isn't really needed and on bosses it'll be overwritten by a more powerful AP reduction such as a Ret/Prot Paladin's Vindication, an Affl Lock's Curse of Weakness (if specced), or an Arms/Fury Warrior's Demo Shout. (if specced specifically to provide it)
Given if nobody is providing the AP reduction meaning you are then 2/5 is better than 0/5 but realistically a bear (or prot warrior) should be the last option for providing an imped AP reduction on bosses seeing as Arms/Fury Warriors, Affliction Warlocks, and Protection/Retribution Paladins can all provide it for less sacrifice than us.
I'd generally put the AP reduction hierarchy as something similar to this-
- Ret Paladin, little to no real sacrifice
- Prot Paladin, sacrifices 2% crit to provide it
- Arms/Fury Warrior, trades providing imp battle/commanding shout for providing imp demo shout
- Affliction Warlock, sacrifices a dps curse
- Protection Warrior/Bear, trades deep wounds/kotj or ms for imp demo shout/roar
Also, feel free to read the 1st post found
here. (I'm much too lazy to make a full sticky worthy guide so I stick to copy+pasting)