Question about leveling spec (and LWing)

[TheFishyOne]

'ey guys.

Been working on my nelf Druid, and just wanted to know if Balance is a viable leveling spec from low 20s, and if so, is there a way to spec that I could get Boomkin Form at 40, and then subspec Resto to better heal 5-mans?

My main is a Pally who I plan to try for a Tanking spot in a raid guild, but I also enjoy healing, and Pallyhealing, although fabulous for PvP, can be boring in PvE, and Druids seemed to have the best balance in terms of raid untility and having to think before casting when healing. As I plan to heal with my Druid at 60, I would like to learn the ins and outs of my role on the way there, but am not so foolhardy as to level Resto prior to 52. Feral would likely get me to 60 faster, but I hate tanking with Rage. Plus, although healers and Boomkins use different gear sets, at low levels they are close enough, and still better than healing in Aferal gear. =P

Finally, is there any compelling reason for a Druid to be a LW? My current professions are Ench/Herb, and while I love chanting, Herbing doesn't seem to be the moneymaker I thought it would be.

[Fegan]

Hi Fishy

I wouldn't level as Balance. You'll be oom alot, drinking alot and not dishing around alot of damage just because there isn't any spellpower. Also the itemization (Leather with intellect) is horrendous, so you'll be playing with cloth on while levelling.

I'm levelling myself, for the 12312312th time as a druid, and I always heal in dungeons because I just love it. Yet I am playing as a feral druid. Just make sure you have 10 slot bags asap and keep 1 bag for your offset gear. I have a full healing set that I keep updated while levelling just so I am able to heal those nasty elite quests and dungeons. The feral gear makes me able to level solo at a fast pace (autoattack with kitty & tigers fury). I know you say you want to learn the niche, but you can do that perfectly fine with a feral specc. The talents of a restoration druid mean nothing while levelling, you can do fine without anything special. At a certain point you'll even update your mana pool with feral, so it will even get easier. Just respec at 60 or something to Restoration.

That's my 50 cents.

As for professions, there's nothing worth while really.. Just take a look at the BIS preraid list on these forums!

[Draenin]

Herbing doesn't seem to be the moneymaker

It is, you need to see what is going for a lot and getting it. Once you hit 60 and the freedom to farm herbs and go for black lotus, it will pick up.

Balance is a viable leveling spec from low 20s

There could be an argument for it, but NO. Completely and utterly no, you will need to drink after every fight and it will be the slowest and painfullest way to go. I level as Feral and managed to have a full resto set at 40 to swap in and out of to heal some dungeons. You could probably make a case of going for Moonkin once you get Innervate, but I just wouldn't and stick with feral. You do not need to tank and probably couldn't without the stamina/dodge gear that we so desperately need and then once you hit 60, just go to what-ever you want.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO KEEP THE HEALING RING FROM http://db.vanillagaming.org/?quest=5944
IT'S GOOD -FOREVER-. I didn't and I feel like a absolute retard and also http://db.vanillagaming.org/?quest=4363 THIS. These two rings are better than pre-raid BIS completely, and you will not replace them until you are deep raiding or are lucky, while feral rings you can get from dungeons e-z.

[TheFishyOne]

Awesome, thank you both for the helpful advice!

[Norjak]

it will be the slowest and painfullest way to go.

Regarding Balance, this, pretty much...and you don't really need to put points in Resto while levling unless you want to focus on 5-man healing - you can heal pretty effectively in lower lvl dungeons by just having a +Spirit set of gear & spamming R4 healing touch (you will be using rank 4 as your bread-and-butter healing spell at 60...)
Feral is the way to go for leveling.

[Lorilay]

it will be the slowest and painfullest way to go.

Regarding Balance, this, pretty much...and you don't really need to put points in Resto while levling unless you want to focus on 5-man healing - you can heal pretty effectively in lower lvl dungeons by just having a +Spirit set of gear & spamming R4 healing touch (you will be using rank 4 as your bread-and-butter healing spell at 60...)
Feral is the way to go for leveling.

Unless you go 18 points into resto, spirit does next to nothing for healing because of the 5 second rule. Since you will have heart of the wild, I'd focus instead on picking up +healing and +int gear.