Healing Approach

Restoration Druids heal differently than most other classes in TBC Classic. Instead of reacting to damage after it happens, you're throwing HoTs (heal-over-time effects) on targets before they take hits. This proactive style rewards players who know the fights and understand how their raid team handles mechanics.

The more familiar you are with specific encounters, the better you'll predict incoming damage and place HoTs efficiently. Reactive healing leads to overhealing and burned mana, while smart HoT placement keeps everyone topped off without wasting resources.

Restoration Druid in Tree of Life Form — Resto Druids excel at proactive HoT-based healing in TBC Classic

Resto Druids make excellent tank healers. You can keep Lifebloom rolling on multiple tanks at once, and since Lifebloom ticks every 1 second (compared to 3 seconds for Rejuvenation or Regrowth), it creates a tighter safety net against spike damage. Sitting in the tank group also lets your party benefit from Tree of Life's healing received buff.

You're flexible enough to handle raid healing too, though. The job comes down to judgment calls: reading the situation, predicting damage, and picking the right heal from your toolkit.

Builds and Forms

Tree of Life Form

Tree of Life requires 41 points in Restoration and defines the standard deep Resto build. Here's what it gives you:

20% reduced mana cost on spells you can cast in this form
Increased healing received for all party members
20% slower movement speed
Can't cast Healing Touch or Tranquility while transformed

Most Resto Druids stay in Tree of Life during dungeons and raids. The mana savings and party buff make it worth the spell restrictions. When you absolutely need Healing Touch or Tranquility, you'll have to drop form first.

Dreamstate and Other Non-Tree Builds

Some players skip Tree of Life entirely, focusing on talents that buff Healing Touch instead. These builds rely on casting different ranks of Healing Touch on damaged targets or precasting heals on people about to take damage (canceling if nothing happens).

You can still use HoTs with these builds, but they'll cost significantly more mana without the deep Resto talents.

Pro Tip

Tree of Life is recommended for most players due to its superior mana efficiency and party-wide healing buff. Only consider Dreamstate builds if you have specific raid composition needs.

Healing Rotations

These rotations assume you're running the standard deep Resto build with Tree of Life.

Tank Healing Basics

When you're assigned to a tank, your main job is keeping all your HoTs rolling while never letting Lifebloom drop. Here's the priority:

Keep 3 stacks of Lifebloom up at all times
Maintain Rejuvenation on the target
Keep a max rank Regrowth ticking
Cast down-ranked Regrowth for extra healing when damage spikes
Hit Swiftmend for burst healing
For emergencies, pop Nature's Swiftness and follow with max rank Healing Touch

Since you can't cast Healing Touch in Tree of Life, down-ranked Regrowth handles your spot healing needs. The HoT portion from a lower rank won't overwrite your max rank Regrowth already on the target, so you're safe to spam it.

You can use Swiftmend right after applying a HoT for emergency burst, or wait until the HoT is about to expire for better mana efficiency. The situation dictates which approach makes sense.

For the Nature's Swiftness plus Healing Touch combo, remember you'll need to leave Tree of Life first.

Raid Healing Basics

Even when you're on raid duty, keeping Lifebloom on the main tank usually makes sense. It's cheap and only costs one GCD every 7 seconds.

Raid healing means making calls about who's going to take damage and for how long. Your approach looks like this:

Keep 3 stacks of Lifebloom rolling on the main tank
Put Rejuvenation on anyone taking consistent damage
Cast down-ranked Regrowth on people who've taken hits (gives them instant healing plus a lasting HoT)
Use Swiftmend for burst healing
Save Nature's Swiftness plus Healing Touch for real emergencies

In a pinch, you can toss an instant Rejuvenation and immediately Swiftmend it for fast burst healing. This burns more mana than having HoTs pre-applied on potential targets, though.

Healing Without Tree of Life

If you're running Dreamstate or another build that skips Tree of Life, your rotation shifts toward Healing Touch:

Keep 3 stacks of Lifebloom rolling on the main tank
Cast different ranks of Healing Touch on damaged targets
Precast Healing Touch on people about to take damage (cancel if the damage doesn't come)
Use Rejuvenation on anyone taking steady damage
Hit Swiftmend for burst (only works if you're actively using HoTs)
Nature's Swiftness plus max rank Healing Touch handles emergencies

Rolling Lifebloom

"Rolling Lifebloom" means maintaining 3 stacks on a target without ever letting it expire. Getting comfortable with this technique separates solid Resto Druids from great ones.

The Timing Breakdown

Lifebloom lasts 7 seconds. To keep it rolling, refresh your stacks around the 6-second mark (adjust for your latency). With a 1.5-second GCD, you've got roughly 4 globals to work with during each 7-second window before haste enters the picture.

How many targets you're rolling Lifebloom on determines your free GCDs for other spells. Understanding this math helps you plan your rotation.

Critical Note

Mastering Lifebloom rolling is essential for high-level Resto Druid play. Practice this technique until it becomes second nature.

One Target

Rolling Lifebloom on one target takes just 1 GCD every 7 seconds. That leaves 3 globals for instants or about 5 seconds for cast-time spells.

Option A (Instant Focus):

GCD 1: Lifebloom on Target 1
GCD 2: Rejuvenation on Target 1
GCD 3: Rejuvenation on someone else
GCD 4: Swiftmend on someone else

Option B (Cast Focus):

GCD 1: Lifebloom on Target 1
GCD 2: Rejuvenation on Target 1
GCD 3 & 4: Regrowth on Target 1

Two Targets

Two targets eat 2 GCDs every 7 seconds, leaving 2 globals for instants or just enough time for a Regrowth.

Option A (HoT Stacking):

GCD 1: Lifebloom on Target 1
GCD 2: Lifebloom on Target 2
GCD 3: Rejuvenation on Target 1
GCD 4: Rejuvenation on Target 2

Option B (Adding Regrowth):

GCD 1: Lifebloom on Target 1
GCD 2: Lifebloom on Target 2
GCD 3 & 4: Regrowth

Alternate between these patterns and you can maintain Lifebloom, Rejuvenation, and Regrowth on both targets, swapping which one gets Regrowth each cycle.

Three Targets

Three targets need 3 GCDs every 7 seconds. You've got just 1 global left for instants.

Standard Pattern:

GCD 1: Lifebloom on Target 1
GCD 2: Lifebloom on Target 2
GCD 3: Lifebloom on Target 3
GCD 4: Rejuvenation

You could squeeze in a Regrowth instead since this rotation takes about 6.5 seconds of your 7-second window. It's risky if you have any latency issues, though.

Four Targets

Four targets consume all 4 GCDs every 7 seconds. Only with enough haste for a 5th global can you fit anything else into this rotation.

Standard Pattern:

GCD 1: Lifebloom on Target 1
GCD 2: Lifebloom on Target 2
GCD 3: Lifebloom on Target 3
GCD 4: Lifebloom on Target 4

With good ping, you can maintain Lifebloom on up to 4 tanks without stacking much haste. When healing three tanks, you can keep Lifebloom on all of them plus Rejuvenation on two (usually the first and second tanks).

Managing Your Other HoTs

Your HoT durations help with planning:

Rejuvenation lasts 12 seconds, covering two full Lifebloom cycles
Regrowth lasts 21 seconds, needing a refresh only every 3+ cycles per target

This timing lets you stagger applications efficiently across multiple targets.

Haste and the Fifth Global

Haste shortens your GCD. Stack enough of it and you can squeeze a 5th global into your 7-second Lifebloom window.

How Much Do You Need?

To get that extra global:

Haste Rating Thresholds

Theoretical Minimum

113 haste rating

Realistic Minimum

~125 haste rating (accounting for latency)

High Latency Situations

Even more haste required

Hitting this threshold adds real flexibility to your rotation, especially when you're rolling Lifebloom on multiple tanks.

Mana Efficiency and Down-Ranking

TBC introduced a down-ranking penalty, but lower-rank spells still have their place. When you only need small heals, lower ranks reduce your chance of overhealing and save mana.

Recommended Ranks

Spell	Rank	Use Case
Rejuvenation	Rank 8	Best efficiency
Rejuvenation	Rank 11	Good balance of healing and throughput
Rejuvenation	Rank 13	Maximum output
Healing Touch	Rank 13	Big heals, usually paired with Nature's Swiftness
Healing Touch	Rank 8 & 10	More mana-efficient for sustained casting

Keep multiple ranks on your bars so you can pick the right strength for each situation.

All Healing Abilities

Your Main Heals

Healing Touch

Long cast, big heal. You can't use it in Tree of Life form, but it's still great paired with Nature's Swiftness for emergencies.

Rejuvenation

Ticks every 3 seconds over 12 seconds total. Swiftmend can consume it for burst healing.

Regrowth

Gives you upfront healing plus a HoT that ticks every 3 seconds for 21 seconds. Also works with Swiftmend.

Lifebloom

Ticks every 1 second for 7 seconds and stacks up to 3 times. When it expires, you get bonus healing (the "bloom"). Keeping 3 stacks rolling without letting them bloom gives you more total healing. Swiftmend can't consume Lifebloom.

Swiftmend (Restoration Talent)

Eats a HoT on the target and converts it to instant healing. Only Rejuvenation and Regrowth work with this (not Lifebloom). It grabs whichever HoT has the least time left, even if another Druid cast it. For emergency burst, throw Rejuvenation and immediately Swiftmend it. For better efficiency, wait until a HoT is about to expire naturally.

Tranquility

Channeled party heal over 8 seconds (ticks every 2 seconds) with a 10-minute cooldown. The long CD means you need to save it for the right moment. Pop Barkskin first to prevent pushback during the channel.

Nature's Swiftness (Restoration Talent)

Requires 21 Resto points. Makes your next Nature spell instant. Pairing this with max rank Healing Touch gives you a strong panic button. Also great in PvP.

Pro Tip

Always use Barkskin before channeling Tranquility to prevent spell pushback from incoming damage.

Utility Abilities

The Important Ones

Innervate

Boosts mana regen and lets it continue while casting for 20 seconds. You can swap to a high-Spirit weapon during this for even more regen. Castable on other players, so coordinate with your raid on who gets it.

Rebirth

Combat res with a 20-minute cooldown. The only in-combat resurrection besides pre-applied Soulstone from Warlocks. Pick your targets carefully.

Faerie Fire

Armor reduction debuff. Someone should keep this up on relevant enemies at all times.

Cleansing

Remove Curse

Dispels 1 curse from a friendly target. Doesn't work in Tree of Life form.

Abolish Poison

Cures 1 poison and leaves a buff that keeps cleansing over time.

Buffs

Mark of the Wild

Single-target buff giving armor, stats, and resistances for 30 minutes.

Gift of the Wild

Raid-wide Mark of the Wild lasting 1 hour. Costs a reagent.

Thorns

10-minute buff reflecting damage to attackers. Usually goes on tanks for extra damage and threat.

Crowd Control

Entangling Roots

Roots the target and deals damage over time. Only usable outdoors.

Nature's Grasp (Balance Talent)

First-tier Balance talent. Puts a buff on you that roots attackers. Outdoors only. Strong in PvP.

Hibernate

Sleeps a Beast or Dragonkin for up to 20 seconds. Great CC for specific mob types in dungeons and raids.

Cyclone

6-second CC that prevents all actions but also makes the target invulnerable. Extremely strong in PvP.

Soothe Animal

Reduces aggro range on Beasts, letting you skip certain mobs.

Defensive

Barkskin

20% damage reduction for 12 seconds. Incoming damage won't cause spell pushback while active. You can use this while stunned, frozen, incapacitated, feared, or asleep. This is a huge upgrade from Classic and makes channeling Tranquility or Hurricane much safer.

Shapeshift Forms

You'll spend most fights in Tree of Life or caster form, but knowing your other options gives you flexibility.

Tree of Life (Restoration Talent)

Your main healing form. 20% mana reduction on castable spells, party healing buff, but limited spell access and 20% slower movement.

Cat Form

Works like a rogue with Combo Points and Energy. Gives you stealth through Prowl and solid mobility with Dash (70% speed boost for 15 seconds, usable while stealthed). Track Humanoids shows enemies on your minimap.

Bear Form / Dire Bear Form

Tanking form with boosted Attack Power, Armor, and Health. Dire Bear is the upgraded version.

Notable abilities include Growl (single-target taunt), Challenging Roar (AoE taunt for 6 seconds), Frenzied Regeneration (converts rage to health), and Bash (4-second stun). Feral Charge from the Feral tree immobilizes and interrupts for 4 seconds, making it strong in PvP.

Travel Forms

Travel Form: 40% speed boost outdoors. You can pick herbs while shifted.

Aquatic Form: 50% swim speed in water. No spellcasting.

Flight Form: 60% flight speed in Outland. Herb gathering works here too.

Swift Flight Form: 280% flight speed (epic flying equivalent).

Moonkin Form (Balance Talent)

Requires 31 Balance points. Gives you and your party 5% Spell Crit plus bonus armor. Only Balance spells and Remove Curse available.

Offensive Abilities

You're a healer, but you've still got damage options for soloing or contributing during low-healing phases.

Wrath: Quick cast, moderate Nature damage.
Starfire: Slow cast, heavy Arcane damage.
Moonfire: Instant Arcane damage plus a 12-second DoT.
Insect Swarm (Balance Talent): Requires 11 Balance points. DoT that also reduces the target's hit chance by 2%. Useful debuff in both PvE and PvP.
Hurricane: 10-second channeled AoE with a 1-minute CD. Deals Nature damage and slows enemy attack speed by 25%. Use Barkskin to avoid pushback.
Force of Nature (Balance Talent): Requires 41 Balance points. Summons treants that deal damage on their own. You can't control them after summoning, which can cause problems if you're not careful about when you use it.

Cooldown Management

Using your cooldowns well makes a big difference in your effectiveness.

Rebirth gives you a combat res. Talk to your raid about who gets priority before pulls.

Innervate restores a ton of mana. Figure out with your group whether you're keeping it for yourself or giving it to another healer or caster.

Tranquility puts out strong party healing but has that long cooldown. Learn fight timings so you know when to use it.

Nature's Swiftness is your panic button. Don't waste it on casual healing.

Beyond healing cooldowns, don't forget your CC. Entangling Roots and Cyclone can save a chaotic situation. Hibernate handles Beast and Dragonkin adds. Part of playing Resto Druid well means knowing your whole toolkit so you've always got the right answer for whatever happens.

Warning

Coordinate Rebirth and Innervate usage with your raid before pulls to avoid wasting these valuable cooldowns on the wrong targets.

Useful Macro

This macro cancels your current cast, drops Tree of Life, activates Nature's Swiftness, and fires off Healing Touch all in one button:

#showtooltip Nature's Swiftness
/cancelcast
/cancelform
/cast Nature's Swiftness
/cast Healing Touch

Makes the emergency heal sequence much smoother when things get hectic.

Core Principles

Key Techniques to Master

Be proactive: Get HoTs on targets before damage hits, not after
Roll your Lifebloom: Keep 3 stacks up on tanks without letting them bloom
Know your GCD math: Understand how many targets you can maintain Lifebloom on
Pick the right spell rank: Down-rank when full power would just overheal

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Reactive healing instead of proactive HoT placement
Letting Lifebloom bloom unintentionally
Staying in Tree of Life when Healing Touch or Tranquility is needed
Poor coordination of Rebirth and Innervate with your raid

Getting good at Resto Druid takes practice, fight knowledge, and familiarity with your raid team. The more you understand damage patterns, the better you'll apply your proactive healing style.