Alright, I’ve hit 70, I’ve spent some time gearing up, and I’m finally getting around to typing up a bit of a gear list. This likely won’t have as many options for each slot as the original guide, simply because there aren’t as many items (as there aren’t as many instances), and there’s usually an obvious choice; also none of the drop rates are too bad, and none of the instances are considered “not worth the time” by half the classes in the game (the way DM used to be).

Stats are the same as they used to be, with the exception of spirit gaining a huge buff for druids speccing resto. Spirit is now my second favored stat under +healing, before MP/5 and way ahead of int. I’m sure you can find breakdowns and math elsewhere, suffice it to say that our spirit regen formula was buffed, and we’ve now got a talent increasing our spirit value, and a new form which relies heavily on spirit to buff the healing of an entire raid.

Eventually I'll make changes to the stat and technique portions, particularly addressing tree of life, but for now I'm just posting the items. I'll also come back and format this for readability, but not now; I've already been typing for about 4 hours and I really need a break.

No matter what your spec you will be called upon to heal. Maybe not all of the time, but you still want to be properly geared. This isn't nearly as difficult as you might think. This guide will give you an idea of what things to look for for each slot, where to get them, and why they're so good.

A word on stats:
Until you hit 60 all you need for a healing set is int, but after 60 this becomes one of the least valuable stats. Why? Because the only time that your int value matters is when your mana bar is full. The focus shifts to other stats, which increase the efficiency of your mana and the rate at which you gain mana while in combat, because while one person may come into a fight with 7000 mana, if they have low spirit and mp/5 they'll run out of mana quickly compared to somebody who has 4000 mana, decent spirit, some mp/5 and some +healing. What are the stats you should be looking for and in what order? Read on.
+healing: By far the most important stat for a healing druid (and really, any healing class) is +healing. This is because once you begin to get it in large quantities you can begin to use lower ranked heals, giving you much more health per mana, and much more staying power in the longer fights. For example: once you get around 400 +healing your rank 4 Healing Touch will be hitting for around 900, almost twice what it healed for originally, but at the same mana cost. Far and away the thing to look for and stack.
mp/5: X mana per 5 seconds. A very important stat. Druids don't get as much regen from spirit as mages and priests do, so we make up for it by stacking mp/5 items, which have the added benefit of continuing to regenerate mana even within the five second rule, while spirit is relegated to only outside the five second rule (with the exception of the 15% bonuses each from Reflection and 3/8 Stormrage). Over the course of a fight this regen really adds up. I have about 40 mp/5, this means that in a 5 minute fight I will regen 2400 mana from my mp/5 alone.
Int: You know what it does. Bigger mana pool, more frequent crits (though crits when healing aren't always a good thing). Slightly more useful for ferals because of the HotW bonus, which can give them a gargantuan mana pool, it makes a tradeoff for a bit of int vs a bit of +healing not as much of a one sided decision.
Spirit: It makes your mana come back, although the mechanics involved are a bit more complicated than mp/5. It's not something you should be stacking, but it does have its use and having a decent amount of spirit is always a good thing.

Raid healing vs. Healing in 5 mans:
While leveling healing was easy. Cast rejuv, use your highest rank of healing touch (maybe you downranked a bit because you heard people talking about it, but you probably didn't know why), maybe a regrowth if things get hairy, never running out of mana because of your huge mana pool but always having to stop and drink after a fight. You hit 60 and thingschange. You aren't learning new skills anymore, your highest rank of healing touch will become less and less useful, but still burn through your mana bar quite quickly. What do you do to mitigate this? You become more efficient and more powerful by focusing on +healing. You gain endurance by collecting mp/5 and spirit. As you collect +healing your big heals become more powerful, but you rely on them less, focusing on the lower ranks, say 4-7. Your "bread and butter" healing touch rank should be hitting for a solid 900-1100, whatever rank fits in that target zone should be the one you use when healing the tank. You should always have at least 3 or 4 ranks of HT bound to your hotbar, I use 3, 4, 6 and 11 and cast them situationally. Trash pull? I'll chain cast rank 3 on the tank, and use 6 if I need to spot a rogue who pulls aggro. Tank in a boss fight? Chain rank 3 and 4 as needed, if he drops too low toss an 11 out there to pull him back up. But that's me. Your numbers will be different, your style may be different. It's something you'll have to learn for yourself, but these pointers should set you down the right path.



On to the items. I’m not listing anything from heroic instances, rep grinds or raids. These are all quest rewards, craftables or normal dungeon drops. Maybe later I’ll add more sections.

On sets:
Moonglade is decent. Yes, the druid dungeon 3 is actually alright for healing this time around, but the budget is somewhat squandered on some strength and agility. In general the pieces are solid for healing and mediocre for other purposes. Pick it up if you can, but you’ll usually find something quite a bit better for that slot.
Hallowed Raiment is amazing. If there’s no priest in your group, take it. It’s often the best or second best option for each slot. If there IS a priest in your group, don’t you dare roll against them. If you even think about it you’re a horrible person.

Normal, non-heroic loot:

Helm:

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?witem=29505&locale=enUS;source=live
Hood of Primal Life (37 int, 31 spi, 34 stam, 68 healing) – CRAFTED. Guess what this thing takes a lot of? Expensive, but farmable, and incredibly good. I’m working towards one of these myself, but I need to find somebody who can make it…

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?witem=27410&locale=enUS;source=live
Collar of Command (22 stam, 23 int, 29 spi, 66 healing) – CLOTH; Shirrak the Dead Watcher, Auchenai Crypts. Nice helm if you don’t mind cloth. Easy to get, a whole lot of spirit, a nice helping of healing, what’s not to like? Oh, right, the graphic. It’s a stupid “priest collar” sticking up behind your head. I went from the DGC to this… good thing I like my characters hair.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=28348
Moonglade Cowl (24 str, 8 agi, 18 stam, 25 int, 13 spi, 53 healing; blue, meta 4 spi) – Warp Splinter, final boss of Botanica. Decent, like the rest of the set. Best option outside of the crafted hood, if you’re sticking to leather.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=30297
Circlet of the Starcaller (17 spi, 18 int, 27 stam, 47 damage/healing, 18 spellcrit) – Dimensius the All Devouring, quest in Netherstorm. It’s alright, but not nearly as good as the Moonglade piece. Not a bad piece of damage gear though.

Shoulder:
Slim slim pickings here. Good thing they’re good ones.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=28340
Mantle of Autumn (24 stam, 31 int, 27 spi, 68 healing) – Laj, fourth boss in Botanica. Wow. These are amazing. Plus they’re very leafy, which excites me as a druid. I hear they’re getting nerfed pretty severely, but they’ll still be the only real shoulder option in leather; we’ll see how bad it is.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?witem=28250&locale=enUS;source=live
Vestias Pauldrons of Inner Grace (24 stam, 25 int, 48 healing, 8 mp/5) – CLOTH; Cache of the Legion, chest in Mechanar. Get the key fragments from the two gate-watcher minibosses and combine them to open it. A good choice, not as good as the Mantle of Autumn in its current form, we’ll see about after the nerf.

Chest:

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=29781
Lifewarden’s Breastplate (25 int, 27 stam, 28 spi, 64 healing) – Destroy Naberius, quest chain in Netherstorm. Very solid chest, definitely the best option to start raiding with. The only downside is that it makes you look something like a ninja turtle with nipple rings… Something easily remedied with a tabard. The quest chain for it is somewhat long, but definitely worth the trouble (plus it nets a ton of XP and/or gold). It starts in the village of Kirin Var in the southern part of Netherstorm, talk to the NPC ghosts by the tower there.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=28202
Moonglade Robe (25 str, 16 sta, 17 int, 14 spi, 55 healing, 17 crit; red, yellow, blue, 4 crit) – Pathaleon the Calculator, final boss of Mechanar. Eh, it’s decent, but pales in comparison to the Lifewarden’s Breastplate. Looks a lot nicer though.

Wrists:
This is a problem slot. There are hardly any options for healing bracers in BC. You’re probably going to stick with whatever you were using beforehand.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=29955
Mana Infused Wristguards (12 stam, 8 int, 7 spi, 25 healing) – A Fate worse than Death, quest in Netherstorm. These are alright, if you have nothing from pre-BC raids. The quest is from an ethereal in northeastern Netherstorm, I can’t say much more because I never did the quest.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?witem=18525
Bracers of Prosperity (8 sta, 10 int, 5 spi, 22 healing) - King Gordok, DM north. Yeah, these are still a solid option if you never got any raid bracers. Sad, huh?

Belt:
Another problem slot. There are few belts available that are significantly better than the pre-BC options.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=28398
The Sleeper’s Cord (18 stam, 24 int, 21 spi, 53 healing) – Wrath Scryer Sothoccrates, one of the two mod-bosses in Arcatraz. Very nice belt, tough instance. Definitely the one to get, but it will take some doing.

Gloves:

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?witem=29506&locale=enUS;source=live
Gloves of the Living Touch (18 int, 22 spi, 16 stam, 77 healing) – CRAFTED. Very expensive mats, but definitely farmable. Get these, as the other options aren’t even close to as good.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?witem=28304&locale=enUS;source=live
Prismatic Mittens of Mending (23 stam, 26 int, 55 healing, 7 mp/5) – CLOTH; Commander Sarannis, first boss of Botanica. Great gloves if you don’t mind the cloth. I still favor the crafted ones above, but otherwise this is your best bet for pre-raid gloves.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=29327
Cryo-mitts (22 int, 16 spi, 57 healing) – Someone Else’s Hard Work Pays Off, quest in Mana Tombs. These are pretty good, and can be picked up early, around level 65 or so. The quest is rather tough, so bring a good group (you need to escort an ethereal back out of the Mana Tombs, and are ambushed many times along the way). Worth the effort though, as these are probably the best option for leather gloves pre-raid.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=27468
Moonglade Handwraps (19 str, 13 agi, 18 stam, 20 int, 17 spi, 40 healing) – Blackheart the Inciter, second boss of Shadow Labyrinth. Not a bad option, but they have a very very low drop rate. Not much else to say here.

Legs:
Another problem slot. Yay.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=27873
Moonglade Pants (25 str, 16 agi, 24 stam, 25 int, 23 spi, 55 healing) – Aeonus, Final boss of Black Morass in Caverns of Time. Not bad at all, really, though the instance is a bit tough. Get these unless you have a holdover from pre-BC raids.

Boots:

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=28251
Boots of the Glade-keeper (21 stam, 24 int, 20 spi, 53 healing) – Cache of the Legion, chest in Mechanar. The key drops in two pieces off of the two minibosses on the first floor of the Mechanar. These are awesome. Get them and wear them and be happy.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=27914
Moonstrider Boots (21 stam, 22 int, 25 dmg/healing, 6 mp/5, 20 spellcrit) – Darkweaver Syth, first boss of Sethekk Halls. Decent alternative to the above, with some nice MP/5 on them. Also great for the pewpew.

Cloak:

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=28373
Cloak of Scintillating Auras (12 stam, 16 int, 18 spi, 42 healing) – Zereketh the Unbound, first boss of Arcatraz. Great healing cape, my first choice for pre-raid. Lots of healing with some well-rounded stats to back it up.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=27946
Avian Cloak of Feathers (18 int, 12 spi, 5 mp/5, 42 healing) – Talon King Ikiss, last boss of Sethekk Halls. Another very good choice. I favor the above for the higher spirit with the bit of stamina, but it’s really a toss-up. Definitely a solid option.

Ring:

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=29322
Keeper’s Ring of Piety (18 spi, 42 healing, 7 mp/5) – Hero of the Brood, quest upon completing the Black Morass. This is a phenomenal ring; lots of regen and lots of healing. You’ll be doing this for raid attunement, it would be foolish not to pick this one up.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=28259
Cosmic Lifeband (57 healing, 7 mp/5) – Nethermancer Sepethrea, second boss of Mechanar. Another very nice ring; lots of healing and some solid mp/5. Definitely a great choice for your second ring slot.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=29814
Celestial Jewel Ring (13 int, 55 healing, 4 mp/5) – Hitting the Motherlode, quest in Netherstorm. A solid ring, this can be obtained from the Farahalite quest chain in Stormspire.

Trinkets:

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?witem=28370&locale=enUS;source=live
Bangle of Endless Blessings (Keep reading) – Warp Splinter, final boss of Botanica. This is practically a must-have. It has a 15% chance (I think) on spellcast to proc and give you an additional 15% mana regen from spirit for 15 seconds. This stacks with talents, and if you are casting many instant or short spells it is up near constantly. Additionally it has a use which gives you an additional 150 spirit (again, modified by the Living Spirit talent) for 20 seconds. Use this when you innervate and your ticks will be enormous. Use it when your innervate is on cooldown for a mid-battle refresh. This trinket is simply fantastic, and nobody should go without.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=28190
Scarab of the Infinite Cycle (70 healing, Equip: Your healing spells have a chance to increase your spell haste rating by 320 for 6 secs) A good choice for a feral druid or a non-tree resto druid. The haste will decrease your HT cast to around 2.2 seconds, and it procs somewhat frequently, around 5-10% chance on cast.

Two handed weapons:
There are a ton of choices, I’m only going to list the few standouts. These are the two best, and aren’t too difficult to come by, I don’t see any reason to list others but if you care to search you can find them on Allakhazam.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=28033
Epoch Mender (37 stam, 35 int, 227 healing, 12 mp/5) – Temporus, second boss of Black Morass. Great healing staff, especially for the HT-spamming druids. A ton of healing, int, and mana regen. This is probably the best choice for ferals who are filling a healing role.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=27791
Serpentcrest Life-Staff (27 stam, 27 int, 46 spi, 227 healing) Mekgineer Steamrigger, second boss of Steamvaults. Loads of spirit. This is a fantastic spirit-stick, and a great all-around staff for tree druids. Ferals won’t see the whole benefit of this staff, as spirit will do little for them, but for a resto druid this is a better choice than the Epoch Mender.

One handed weapons:

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=28257
Hammer of the Penitent (16 int, 13 spi, 227 healing, 6 mp/5) – Mechano-lord Capacitus, first boss of Mechanar. Great one-hander. Probably the best pre-raid one-hander from a dungeon. Easy boss to farm too, if you can get a group to do so.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=27538
Lightsworn Hammer (12 stam, 11 int, 227 healing, 8 mp/5) – Kargath Bladefist, final boss of Shattered Halls. Another good one, favoring int and slightly more mp/5, making it better for ferals than the Hammer of the Penitent.

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?source=live;witem=28322
Runed Dagger of Solace (24 stam, 227 healing, 21 resilience) – Thorngrin the Tender, third boss in Botanica. Not as good as either of the above, but it’s a decent third option. The resilience and stam make it good for PvP healing, if that’s your thing.

Off-hand:

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?witem=31493&locale=enUS;source=live
Netherwing Spiritualist’s Charm (15 int, 15 spi, 33 healing, 6mp/5) – Zuluhed the Whacked, lengthy quest chain in Shadowmoon Valley. The quest chain starts in the Netherwing Fields in southeastern Shadowmoon, talk to the NPC there. Fun chain, with great rewards for all classes. This is the best (and practically only) choice for an off-hand. If you can’t get this, stick with a staff for healing.


Yup. That's it for now. At some point I'll definitely come back and make this more readable, with indentation and whatnot. Tentatively I'll add rep rewards, heroic loot, maybe PvP stuff too. As always, feedback is appreciated, and I'll check this thread every few days.

Reserved (You never know)

I'd just like to mention one thing@druids.

If I were in a group with a druid, and they told me they were going to be rolling on cloth healing gear..

/script leaveparty. -or- explain to them why I think they shouldn't, and then leave if they disagree

'nuff said.

I was in a group, once, with a druid. Not sure of the name. This was when Padre's Trousers would have been an upgrade for me. They drop, the druid says 'oh I might need them someday when I have to heal.'
So, he rolls with me. (I won, but that's not the point.) The whole party agreed that he shouldn't roll as they were cloth, and an upgrade for me. Regardless of wether or not they were an upgrade for him or not, unless I already had them, he shouldn't have rolled. Cloth = classes who can only wear cloth first. I mean, if I could, there are a few things I'd love to take that are leather. But, I can't, because I can't wear leather. eg: Salamander Scale Pants, or whatever they are called. I'd not take them now, because what I have are better, but I would if I could.

This isn't meant as a flame but more as an advisory to druids.. please, please don't roll against cloth wearers - who can ONLY wear cloth - when it is an upgrade for them, or if they don't already have them.

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Q u o t e:
I'd just like to mention one thing@druids.

If I were in a group with a druid, and they told me they were going to be rolling on cloth healing gear..

/script leaveparty. -or- explain to them why I think they shouldn't, and then leave if they disagree

'nuff said.

---

First, I will never, ever wear cloth.

HOWEVER, if the playerbase is going to pigeonhole many druids into the healing role, regardless of their will, and Blizzard is going to continue in many cases to make cloth healing gear better than leather healing gear (which is undoubtedly the case with most pre-raid healing gear), a Druid has every right to compete with a Priest for cloth healing gear.

Regarding the use of cloth by restoration druids I think it's really only a problem for pre-raiders. Once you get past the awkward 5-mans and join a raiding gulid it's not such a big deal in a DKP system to bid on cloth items as a druid. I mean you're spending the same if not more DKP for the item and you're going to be using it just as much as the priest so why not?

As for 5-mans personally I don't think it's a good group set up to have a priest and druid both healing 3 other people as it would cut back on needed DPS. The only reason druids can't main heal is due to the 30 minute cooldown on Rebirth which can easily be fixed by using a paladin (If you'r'e alliance) or shaman (if you're horde) who can DPS and back up heal/ressurect if needed.

Like the above poster said if 90% of the playerbase on all realms are going to only invite druids into groups to heal they have a right to roll on the best gear they can get.

Woot, it's back! Sticky this time!

Nice guide, ty :D

In all honesty, for me, it would really depend on the situation. Padre's Trousers is one of the specific pieces of cloth gear that I would seriously want - not just as an off-the-cuff, "Hey, I should get that for healing" comment, but as a "That's some of the most +heal I can get on a pair of pants, I should get that for my +healing set." What I would rather say to druids is that if you want a piece of cloth armor, then know what you want before the instance starts, and if there are other healers in your group, let them know at the outset of the run that you want to roll on them and why. If they really argue about it, make a decision to fight them out over it, or even bow out and just wait for the next group. After all, it's not like a priest wouldn't want to stick around in DM West to get a shot at an Emerald Flame Ring anyway.

Thank you for the informative post! I am building my healing set right now.

I know that the Wildheart set is in some ways statistically inferior to a patchwork healing set - but I really prefer the look and feel of a matched set. Any restoration druids using the Wildheart set while they start working on Tier 1?

You can't close your eyes and throw a rock without hitting some healing leather in this game.

Nice effort but eh...

---

Q u o t e:
I'd just like to mention one thing@druids.

If I were in a group with a druid, and they told me they were going to be rolling on cloth healing gear..

/script leaveparty. -or- explain to them why I think they shouldn't, and then leave if they disagree

'nuff said.

I was in a group, once, with a druid. Not sure of the name. This was when Padre's Trousers would have been an upgrade for me. They drop, the druid says 'oh I might need them someday when I have to heal.'
So, he rolls with me. (I won, but that's not the point.) The whole party agreed that he shouldn't roll as they were cloth, and an upgrade for me. Regardless of wether or not they were an upgrade for him or not, unless I already had them, he shouldn't have rolled. Cloth = classes who can only wear cloth first. I mean, if I could, there are a few things I'd love to take that are leather. But, I can't, because I can't wear leather. eg: Salamander Scale Pants, or whatever they are called. I'd not take them now, because what I have are better, but I would if I could.

This isn't meant as a flame but more as an advisory to druids.. please, please don't roll against cloth wearers - who can ONLY wear cloth - when it is an upgrade for them, or if they don't already have them.

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For the most part, I agree. If you notice there are only three pieces of cloth gear on that list, that's because with those three exceptions there are no cases where healing cloth is significantly better than healing leather for a slot. However, in those three cases the cloth is a huge upgrade from the leather. In the situation you described, yeah, he was wrong. But if a druid is running instances specifically for healing gear and tells you that if X item drops he will be rolling on it, I think that's perfectly fair, though it's still your decision to drop group or not.

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Q u o t e:
You can't close your eyes and throw a rock without hitting some healing leather in this game.

Nice effort but eh...

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Yeah, but for some reason a lot of people have trouble finding it, and when they do they often don't know which pieces are better than others. This guide outlines the best healing leather. Collect the best pieces for each slot and you'll have a hell of a healing set before you even start raiding.

Nice, the focus seems to be on +heal gear. Might be worth breifly explaining the benefit of +heal as opposed to going for an int/mp-5 build (even I'm not sure).

great guide ! just got 60 about 2 weeks ago and into a guild just starting zg/mc , but still wanting to try and get pre raid healing gear to help us progress faster thanks this is very useful

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Q u o t e:
Nice, the focus seems to be on +heal gear. Might be worth breifly explaining the benefit of +heal as opposed to going for an int/mp-5 build (even I'm not sure).

---

Ask and you shall recieve. If you think something needs more clarification I'd love to know. I want this to be as useful as possible.

You missed Luminary Kilt for legs, very nice for druids with 5/5 HOTW:
http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?witem=11823

Added the kilt. I could have sworn I had that in there before... I guess not. Thanks for pointing it out!

Also, if you feel that this is worthy of a sticky I'd ask you to click the biohazard symbol and put in a sticky request, that's the best way to get it done.

I rolled for my cloth boots last night in a BRD pug. No one wanted them. They wanted to DE them. I agreed to a roll with an explanation that I wanted the boots as is.

There is jack-all for healing leather boots in the game. Take a look above. 1 decent set of boots off a rare spawn. Sorry. But I'll take +20 more healing at the cost of some more cloth, that'll get me the healing gear I need to keep the PUGs alive until I can upgrade to get a leather upgrade.

Note: I'm not going to roll AGAINST a cloth wearer who wants the stuff. But if no one else wants it, I'll sink to cloth for an extra +20 or so.