NEW I'm baaaaack

Well obviously if you've been following me on MMO-Champion you know I'm still around and I even got promoted to moderator!

I've also started working with some friends on another website: Warcraft Professional

It'd be awesome if you stopped by and said hi.

I'm no longer main spec bear, but I still try to give wisdom to whatever I know and I do remember almost everything there is to know about being a bear!

Thanks,
Claw

Sad Faice =(

Sadly all good things come to end, even more sadly this didn't even grow into a good thing. I don't really think I'm cut out for the whole blogging thing. I've been reading a lot of other blogs and see how much effort they put into their posts and I think I've only put that much effort into my lists. It's been hard to come up with ideas and topics to talk about, but mainly it's just not that fun. I had originally planned on making this a joint experience with blogging and youtube videos, but I don't think I can do both and I'm much more interested in videos.

Sorry if I did have any "fans" out there, but I'm not going away for good. I'll be back for Cataclysm making youtube videos of some kind.

Oh and another reason is because my guild already has one of the best druid tanks I've ever seen. He's what got me interested in tanking in the first place. There is no way I'd be able to raid with them come cataclysm if I'm trying to tank as well. I'll hopefully be able to grab a spot as a healer or DPS and whatever it is I'll be able to talk about it.

I'm staying on MMO-Champion forums and I'll keep my lists updated there, but this site is going to be a dud after this post. Always remember if times get hard, Just Bear with it!

Off Spec Schmoff Spec

Ok, I have had a dilemma with my offspec recently. I've jumped between Cat, moonkin, and tree more times than they have nerfed paladins. I feel like it should be easy to make this decision!

I should go Cat because the gear is the same!...but the gems are different
I should go Tree because it's fun!...But when will a group not need a tank and need another healer?
I'll go Boomkin and kill everything! But I suck at caster DPS

So I thought long an hard about it. It took me awhile to get a good grasp on what I was thinking. I eventually came to a conclusion.

All of them.

It decided I would make a set for each spec and play them all. This way I will never get extremely bored of one thing and it keeps more interested in the game. I saw a quote somewhere that I feel every druid should live by.

"Why am I a druid? So that I can let any person in the raid know that I'm only 5 seconds away from being better at their job than they are"

Perfection never sounded so cool.

Apologies!

Alright, Since I notice a lot of people are coming to this site now I should probably warn everyone that I am a very bad web designer. I am trying my best to come up with some design scheme that doesn't hurt my eyes, blends fluidly, and looks nice. I still don't think I have come up with a decent design and I'm just wanting to apologize for all the sudden changes. If you have any suggestions let me know!

I'd also like to know if anyone would interested in a few additions to the site. Just leave a comment on what you'd like to see or not see here.

Videos?
Forums?
Something else?!

One last thing, I don't know when this is going to happen, but if I can persuade my friend to help me with this project I may be able to create a website that does something nifty. I can't tell you what it is yet, however I can say it's Wow-related and not druid specific. I do believe it will change the world...of warcraft as we know it. So you'll just have to stick around to see what it is =)

/update

EDIT: Just noticed I broke tooltips while I was editting the site, sorry for that too! Fix't

Best in Slot list Bear tanking for Cataclysm

 This is the Best in slot list for the first tier of raiding in cataclysm. Items are subject to change, but for the most part this is what you'll be wearing.

HEAD
1. [Stormrider's Headpiece]
2. [Tsanga's Helm]

NECK
1. [Necklace of Strife]

SHOULDER
1. [Stormrider's Spaulders]

CLOAK
1. [Cloak of Biting Chill]

CHEST
1. [Sark of the Unwatched]

WRIST
1.[Parasitic Bands]

HANDS
1. [Stormrider's Grips]
2. [Double Attack Handguards]

WAIST
1. [Belt of the Fallen Brood]
2. [Wind Stalker Belt] (Best Random Enhancement would be Crit and Mastery)

LEGS
1. [Stormrider's Legguards]

FEET
1. [Storm Rider's Boots]

RINGS
1. [Dargonax's Signet] (Yes it has STR, but it also has Crit/Mastery and the only ring with a socket so far)
2. [Lightning Conductor Band]
3. [Mistral Circle] (There are 5 rings with random enhancements and the one that gives Agil/Stam/Crit/Mast might be better than the Dargonax's Signet)

TRINKETS
1. [Vial of Stolen Memories]
2. [Essence of the Cyclone] (Threat)
3. [Symbiotic Worm] (Survivability)

WEAPONS
1. [Malevolence] (Totally itemized for bear tanking, but of course hunter's will try and take it ala Journey's End)

RELIC
1. [Vicious Gladiator's Relic of Triumph]

The Nerf Stick!

Here are a few recent blue posts:

• "Savage Defense is massively overpowered on beta and has been dealt with accordingly. Many of the reports of beta raid bosses two-shotting tanks were because that was how much damage the bosses needed to do in order to challenge Feral tanks. With less damage absorbed, the boss damage can be adjusted downwards. We've reduced the multiplier for attack power on the absorption effect (from 65% to 35%, still modified by mastery) and it no longer procs from periodic critical hits." 

• Survival Instincts -- Damage reduction changed from 60% to 50%. Cooldown reduced from 5 minutes to 2 minutes. Duration still 12 seconds. 

• Bear Form -- Stamina bonus lowered from 20% to 10% and Heart of the Wild health bonus from 10% to 6%. Bear health should be close to plate tank health with this change.

What does this mean? Probably nothing. I knew tanks would end up a lot more symmetrical before Cataclysm rolled around, but I was going to assume they would buff the other tanks to the level of where druids were. Instead it's the other way around and that just means we actually have a pretty hard job on our hands. I'll list a few ways I hope to be challenged by...

A boss enrages for 15 seconds and casts 3 fireballs that would normally do enough damage to kill us. We have to proc our "survival shield wall" right before the first one finishes casting or else we die and the raid wipes.

Some mechanic throws the tank in the air high enough to if he's not an engineer a mage/priest needs to save him with slow fall.

Less taunt back and forth bosses. Unless during the downtime the tank gets to do something interesting such a small gauntlet/debuff cleansing triathlon.

Giant ground stomps that we get to use stampeding roar for! - Literally going to be my favorite ability.

So yeah! I am very excited about cataclysm still and I have no worries about these nerfs and if you are a true druid at heart you'll be honest with yourself and know that we sort of needed it.

Pre-heroic Bear tanking list

 IMPORTANT: I'm currently an author on www.warcraftprofessional.com if you like my articles come on over for more updated articles and a much better site atmosphere.

Alright bear druids here is a list of bear tanking gear that you should use before tanking heroics. I am not on the beta, but I searched through all the data that the beta has to offer and mainly used Wowhead.

The numbers correlate with the best. Number 1 is the best item pre-heroics.

KEY
C = Crafted
Q = Quest
N = Normal Dungeon
R = Reputation
JP = Justice Points
PvP = PvP/Honor/Arena

HEAD
1. [Mask of Vines] (JP)
2. [Helm of Secret Knowledge] (Q)

NECK
1. [Entwined Elementium Choker] (C)
2. [Acorn of the Daughter Tree] (R)

SHOULDER
1. [Embrace of the Night](JP)

CLOAK
1. [Razor-Edged Cloak] (C)
2. [Twilight Dragonscale Cloak] (C)

CHEST
1. [Darkbrand Chestguard] (C)

WRIST
1. [Poison Fang Bracers] (N)
2. [Bloodied Leather Bracers] (C)

HANDS
1. [Liar's Handwraps] (R)
2. [Sticky Fingers] (JP)
3. [Thartuk's Inimitable Gauntlets] (N?)

WAIST
1. [Sash of Musing] (JP)
2. [Quicksand Belt] (R)
3. [Red Beam Cord] (N)

LEGS
1. [Leggings of the Impenitent]/[Swiftflight Leggings] (R)
2. [Leggings of Fragmented Hope] (Q)

FEET
1. [Bloodthirsty Gladiator's Boots of Cruelty] (PvP)
2. [Bloodied Leather Boots] (C)
3. [Crafty's Gaiters] (N)

RINGS
1. [Elementium Destroyer's Ring] (C)
2. [Terrath's Signet of Balance] (R)
3. [Ring of Blinding Stars] (N)
4. [Ring of Dun Algaz] (N)

TRINKETS
1. [Lifebound Alchemist Stone] *Alchemists only*
2. [Figurine - Earthen Guardian] (C) *JC ONLY and currently not unique so stack em*
3. [Mirror of Broken Images]/[Mirror of Broken Images] (R)

WEAPON
1. [Elementium Poleaxe] (C)
2. [Staff of Draconic Pacification] (Q)

RELIC
1. [Bloodthirsty Gladiator's Relic of Triumph] (PvP)
2. [Silver Inlaid Leaf] (C) *Inscription only*
3. [Exhausted Flashgrowth Mote]