Restoration Druid 10.2.6 Guide
Introduction
This guide presents an in-depth view of the Druid's Restoration Specialization in WoW Dragonflight patch 10.2.6! You will learn everything about the spec, such as how to gear, prepare, and then min-max your Resto Druid for the most challenging PvE content in World of Warcraft, Season 3.
First, we'll check out the specialization's particularities and see if the Restoration Druid is one of the best healers in Dragonflight's latest season. Then you'll learn how to gear your healing druid, what stats to prioritize, and the best talents and rotations for different circumstances.
Finally, we'll discuss min-maxing your character for the end-game content and teach you what gear to use for Mythic Raiding and Mythic Plus dungeons. By the end of the guide, you will become a master of the Restoration Druid spec! Sounds good, right? Let's get started!
Table of Contents
- Resto Druid: Strengths and Weaknesses
- Restoration Druid Stat Priority
- How to gear your Resto Druid
- Restoration Druid Rotation
- Best Restoration Druid talents for Mythic Raiding and Dungeons
- Restoration Druids in Dragonflight - FAQ
Restoration Druids in Dragonflight: Strengths and Weaknesses
In World of Warcraft, the druid class comes with four specializations: Balance, Feral, Guardian, and Restoration. The Restoration Druids serve the healer role and use Mana as their spending resource.
In World of Warcraft, healers have a major responsibility: they use their healing abilities to buff the allies, keep them alive and save them from death. The Restoration Druid represents one of the best healer classes for Mythic Dungeons and Mythic Raiding in Dragonflight Season 3, providing exceptional healing over time (HoT) for their allies. They channel powerful Nature magic to regenerate and revitalize allies.
Regarding weapons, the Resto Druid mainly uses staffs, daggers, and maces. As for raid gear, druids share the Vanquisher Tier Token with Rogues, Death Knights, and Mages for legacy content. In the Dragonflight's latest expansion raid, they share the Mystic Tier Token with Hunters and Mages.
In the table below, we present the strengths and weaknesses of the Restoration Druid specialization:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| + Strong sustained healing (even while moving) | - Complex rotation that can sometimes be tricky |
| + Exceptional number of impactful cooldowns | - Very punishing in case of mistimed cooldowns |
| + Great damage as a healer | - Lack of raid damage reduction cooldown |
| + Exceptional survivability as a healer | |
| + Great single-target HoT healing |
Best Restoration Druid Races
When it comes to races, with so many options to choose from, you are probably wondering what would be the best race for your Resto Druid. In World of Warcraft, each race has different racial abilities and spells, but no races offer an immediate advantage compared to others regarding the Restoration spec. I highly recommend choosing the race you like the most, aesthetically speaking.
Now, if you want to make an idea of what race players generally choose for their Restoration Druids:
- For Alliance: Night Elf, Worgen, Kul Tiran.
- For Horde: Troll, Zandalari Troll, Highmountain Tauren.
Restoration Druid stat priority
Regardless of the class and spec you roll into in World of Warcraft, the stats are a key component when gearing up and min-maxing your character for the end-game content. Restoration Druids wear Leather gear with Intellect as the main stat.
As a druid, the Intellect stat increases the power of your spells and abilities, in other words - the healing you are providing to your allies and the damage you are dealing to your enemies. Also, please note that a higher and adequate item level will better impact your character's performance than a perfect stat distribution, so always keep an eye on the gear's item level!
Restoration Druid Stats priority for Mythic Raiding and Dungeons
- 1. Intellect
- 2. Haste
- 3. Mastery
- 4. Versatility
- 5. Critical Strike
So, as a Resto Druid, you will primarily value item level for Intellect as the primary stat, then Haste, followed by Mastery, Versatility, and Critical Strike as secondary stats.
In other words: Intellect > Haste > Mastery > Versatility > Critical Strike.
Restoration Druid Stats Breakthrough
Intellect: Increases your spell power and, therefore, all the healing you are providing to your allies
Haste: Lowers the cast time of your heals and your cooldowns
Mastery: Increases the effectiveness of Mastery: Harmony
Versatility: Increases healing and damage dealt and reduces damage taken
Critical Strike: Chance to double the effects of your heals
Moving on to the next chapter, we will focus on how to gear your healer-druid, the tier set, and best-in-slot items for mythic raiding and mythic dungeons.
How to gear your Restoration Druid
In World of Warcraft, gearing is one of the most important aspects that enhances your character's overall performance by providing massive amounts of stats, armor, procs, and set bonuses. This guide will teach you how to properly gear up for the most challenging content in WoW Dragonflight, Mythic Raiding, and Mythic+ Dungeons.
Restoration Druid Tier Set Bonus
To start with, what is a tier set in World of Warcraft?
In WoW, a tier set is a unique class armor set with powerful 2-set and 4-set specific bonuses for each specialization of that particular class. Tier set bonuses change based on the character's active talent specialization, ensuring that the bonus is appropriate and useful to that spec.
So to recap, tier sets are unique pieces of armor that, when equipped simultaneously, provide you with a bonus, different for each spec of the chosen class. This bonus is based on the number of pieces from the set you have equipped, with most tier sets providing bonuses when equipping 2 or 4 pieces.
How to get the Resto Druid Tier Set in Dragonflight Patch 10.2.6
There are three ways you can get tier set items in WoW in the Dragonflight expansion:
- Raids: You can get tier set items found as class tokens from specific bosses in the Dragonflight raids.
- Revival Catalyst: You can craft Tier armor from non-set pieces of the same item level using the Revival Catalyst crafting system.
- Great Vault: You can obtain tier set items from all activities that typically reward Great Vault, such as raiding, Mythic+ dungeons, and PvP.
The fastest way to obtain tier set items is to take advantage of these three sources that can reward you with the Restoration Druid Tier Set items. The best advice is to complete the Vault of the Incarnates raid weekly - this is probably the fastest way to get your hands on the desired tier armor. In case you don't have a team to raid with, complete some Mythic+ Dungeons or some PvP matches.
Mythic dungeons and PvP are highly beneficial because even if you can't drop the set items while participating in these activities, you increase the chances of getting your set items at the Great Vault or the Revival Catalyst console in Thaldraszus. At the revival catalyst console, you can convert the non-set pieces obtained in dungeons or PvP into tier set items.
Let's have a closer look at the Great Vault feature:
And this is what the Revival Catalyst looks like:
Back to our Restoration Druid Tier Set. Now that you learned how to obtain the tier set, let's see some set bonuses and particularities, shall we?
The Resto Druid Tier set is called Lost Landcallers. It comes with the following bonuses for two pieces and four pieces equipped:
- 2-Set: You and your Grove Guardian Nourish casts now heal two additional allies within 45 yards at 40% effectiveness.
- 4-Set: - Consuming Clearcasting (Omen of CLarity) causes your Regrowth to also cast Nourish onto a nearby injured ally at 200% effectiveness, preferring those with your heal over time effects.
In the table below, we present you the sources for Restoration Druid Tier Set items:
| Slot | Tier Piece |
| Helm | Lost Landcaller's Antlers |
| Shoulders | Lost Landcaller's Mantle |
| Chest | Lost Landcaller's Robes |
| Gloves | Lost Landcaller's Claws |
| Legs | Lost Landcaller's Leggings |
The remaining tier set items (Cloak, Wrists, Waist, and Boots) can be obtained by using the Revival Catalyst in Thaldraszus.
As previously stated, you unlock the tier set bonuses for your druid when you equip any two or four pieces of the Benevolent Embersage's Guidance set. For itemization and build optimization, your four pieces of tier set as a Restoration Druid will be the Helm, Shoulders, Chest, and Gloves.
Raid Best in Slot (BiS) Gear for Resto Druids
In the table below, you can find the best item to use in each slot from the raid as a Restoration Druid:
| Slot | Item Name | Encounter |
| Helm | Silent Tormentor Hood | Nymue, Weaver of the Cycle |
| Neck | Eye of the Vengeful Hurricane | Dathea, Ascended |
| Shoulders | Lost Landcaller's Mantle | Smolderon, Echo of Neltharion, Broodkeeper Diurna |
| Cloak | Benevolent Embersage's Featherdrape | Revival Catalyst |
| Chest | Benevolent Embersage's Robe | Nymue, Weaver of the Cycle |
| Wrists | Verdant Sanctuary Bands | Council of Dreams |
| Gloves | Oathbreaker's Obsessive Gauntlets | Scalecommander Sarkareth |
| Waist | Benevolent Embersage's Sagacious Sash | Revival Catalyst |
| Legs | Benevolent Embersage's Leggings | Larodar, Rashok, Sennarth |
| Boots | Hooves of the Autumn Blaze | Revival Catalyst |
| Ring #1 | Onyx Impostor's Birthright | Echo of Neltharion |
| Ring #2 | Seal of Filial Duty | Broodkeeper Diurna |
| Trinket #1 | Ominous Chromatic Essence | The Forgotten Experiments |
| Trinket #2 | Whispering Incarnate's Icon | The Primal Council |
| Main Hand | Raszageth |
Mythic+ Best in Slot (BiS) Gear for Restoration Druids
In the table below, you can find the best item to use in each slot from the Mythic+ Dungeons as a Resto Druid:
| Slot | Item Name | Location |
| Helm | Benevolent Embersage's Casque | Revival Catalyst, Smolderon, Echo of Neltharion, Broodkeeper Diurna |
| Neck | Bromach's Disentombed Locket | Uldaman |
| Shoulders | Benevolent Embersage's Wisdom | Revival Catalyst, Smolderon, Echo of Neltharion, Broodkeeper Diurna |
| Cloak | Potion-Stained Cloak | Algeth'ar Academy |
| Chest | Benevolent Embersage's Robe | Revival Catalyst, Nymue Weaver of the Cycle, Zskarn, Kurog Grimtotem |
| Wrists | Frenzyroot Cuffs | Algeth'ar Academy |
| Gloves | benevolent Embersage's Talons | Revival Catalyst, Igira the Cruel, The Forgotten Experiments, Dathea |
| Waist | Benevolent Embersage's Sagacious Sash | Revival Catalyst |
| Legs | Benevolent Embersage's Leggings | Revival Catalyst, Larodar, Rashok, Sennarth |
| Boots | Treads of Restored Order | Halls of Infusion |
| Ring #1 | Circle of Ascended Frost | Halls of Infusion |
| Ring #2 | Thunderous Downburst Ring | The Nokhud Offensive |
| Trinket #1 | Voidmender's Shadowgem | The Nokhud Offensive |
| Trinket #2 | Spoils of Neltharus | Neltharus |
| Staff | Staff of Trembling Will | Uldaman |
Best in Slot (BiS) Trinkets for Restoration Druids
The best Resto Druid trinkets for end-game content are:
| Tier | Item Name | Location |
| A | Echoing Tyrstone | Dawn of the Infinite: Murozond's Rise |
| A | Sea Star | Throne of the Tides |
| A | Pip's Emerald Friendship Badge | Amirdrassil, the Dream's Hope |
| A | Coagulated Genesaur Blood | The Everbloom |
| A | Idol of the Dreamer | Crafting |
| A | Amalgam's Seventh Spine | Black Rook Hold |
| B | Ominous Chromatic Essence | Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible |
| B | Rashok's Molten Heart | Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible |
| B- | Mirror of Fractured Tomorrows | Dawn of the Infinite: Murozond's Rise |
| B- | Lady Waycrest's Music Box | Waycrest Manor |
| B- | Smoldering Seedling | Amirdrassil, the Dream's Hope |
| B- | Blossom of Amirdrassil | Amirdrassil, the Dream's Hope |
| B- | Time Thief's Gambit | Dawn of the Infinite: Murozond's Rise |
| C+ | Sustaining Alchemist Stone | Crafted |
| C+ | Revitalizing Voodoo Totem | Atal'Dazar |
| D | Leaf of the Ancient Protectors | The Everbloom |
This wraps up everything you should know about gearing your Restoration Druid: the stats priority, how to obtain the tier set, and what items to use in the end-game activities. Moving on to the next section of our guide, we'll teach you what talents and rotation to use as a Resto Druid in Dragonflight patch 10.2.6. Sounds good, right? Let's dive in!
How to level your Restoration Druid. Leveling tips
Before leveling your druid, you must first create and customize the character. That brings us to the first question: what race should you go for when creating the character? Let's find out, shall we?
Best Restoration Druid Races
When it comes to races, with so many options to choose from, you are probably wondering what would be the best race for your druid. In World of Warcraft, each race has different racial abilities and spells, but no races offer an immediate advantage compared to others regarding the Enhancement spec. I highly recommend choosing the race you like the most, aesthetically speaking.
However, in the table below, you can see the top 10 best races for Restoration Druids based on performance gain:
| Race | Performance Gain |
| Night Elves | +2.13% |
| Zandalari Trolls | +2.11% |
| Worgen | +1.63% |
| Highmountain Tauren | +1.62% |
| Tauren | +1.60% |
| Troll | +1.54% |
Now, if you want to make an idea of what race players generally choose for their Restoration Druids:
- For Alliance: Night Elf, Worgen and Kul Tiran.
- For Horde: Zandalari Trolls, Trolls, Highmountain Taurens and Taurens
Best Restoration Druid Leveling Talents in Dragonflight 10.2.6
The best talents to use while leveling to level 60 as an Restoration Druid are:
Restoration Druid Leveling Rotation in Dragonflight
Let's check out how you should prioritize your abilities. Here is the single target rotation for an Enhancement Shaman:
- Restoration Druids in Dragonflight embrace a more fluid approach to healing while leveling, relying on their judgment rather than a rigid rotation. As you pull enemies in, mark them with Moonfire (single target) or Sunfire (groups) to inflict damage. Maintaining both Moonfire and Sunfire on your targets is the key to success – typically applying Moonfire while pulling and then Sunfire once enemies are grouped together.
- When it's time to deal damage, switch to Cat Form and use Rake and Shred for single targets or Thrash and Swipe for multiple enemies.
- Keeping your vitality is important. Refresh Moonfire and Sunfire if they're about to expire and the enemy seems likely to survive a bit longer. Don't forget to cast healing spells on yourself whenever your health drops low.
- For an extra burst of damage, use Starsurge in caster form when enemies won't last long enough for your damage-over-time effects to deal significant damage.
- Unleash Adaptive Swarm on cooldown on your enemy target, and you'll likely benefit from its damage buff as well.
- Use Adaptive Swarm while in Cat Form for a quick burst of damage.
- Finally, casting Moonfire frequently helps prevent Protector of the Pack from reaching its maximum stacks, maximizing your overall damage output.
In the next section of our Resto Druid Guide, we'll present the best talents to use for PvE end-game content, such as raiding and Mythic+ dungeons. In the end game, it's crucial to use the right talents and prioritize the skills you use depending on the activity. Choosing the best talents will significantly impact your performance as a healer!
Best Restoration Druid End-game Talents in 10.2.6
From the PvE perspective, there are two main end-game activities we'll take into consideration: Mythic raiding and Mythic+ Dungeons. We'll treat them separately to keep things clear and avoid confusion.
Best Talents for Mythic Raiding in Season 3 (patch 10.2.6)
In the picture below, you can see the best talents for mythic raiding as a Resto Druid:
Golden Ramps Raid build
Double Blooms Raid build
The abilities on the 2nd and 3rd row are situational, so you can choose whatever would fit better for you.
Best Talents for Mythic+ Dungeons in Season 3 (patch 10.2.6)
As a Restoration Druid, these are the talents you must use to maximize your healing in M+ Dungeons:
Restoration Druid in Dragonflight - FAQ
1. Are Restoration Druids good in Dragonflight 10.2.6?
Overall, the Restoration Druid represents one of the mediocre healer specs in WoW Dragonflight for mythic raiding and mythic dungeons.
2. Is Restoration Druid easy to play?
Yes, the Restoration Druid is one of the easiest-to-play healer specs in the game.
3. What is the stats priority for Resto Druids?
Stats priority for Restoration Druids: Intellect > Haste > Mastery > Versatility > Critical Strike
4. Which druid spec is best for leveling in patch 10.2.6?
The Feral Specialization is the best spec for druid leveling.
5. What is the best race for Restoration Druids in Dragonflight?
- Alliance's best Resto Druid races are Night Elf, Worgen, and Kul Tiran.
- For Horde, the best Restoration Druid races are Zandalari Troll and Highmountain Tauren.
Final thoughts
This wraps up everything you should know regarding the Druid's Restoration specialization in World of Warcraft Dragonflight for Season 3, patch 10.2.6. By reading this guide, you should now better understand the Restoration's spec and particularities and how it performs in certain circumstances and different end-game activities.
