Comments on: Boldly going where this Bear ain’t gone before

By: Mama Druid

Mama Druid — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:13:48 +0000

I got chills reading this! So true, and why druids are TEH AWESOME!

Boy, how some of that would come in handy in RL. Kiddo starts talking back at ya? BAM! Solar Beam your ass and see if you try that again. If only…

By: Kaleesh

Kaleesh — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:29:53 +0000

By the way, Moonkin were created directly by Elune- you know, the Moon Godess, so it makes sense to me.

By: Kaleesh

Kaleesh — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:28:51 +0000

Oh my God. I have been wishing you’d try the spec since I started reading your blog. YAY.

By: bigbearbutt

bigbearbutt — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:18:01 +0000

That is what I had happening when I was testing it, which is why I described it as I did. I was testing on mobs that simply didn’t live long enough to matter, and for the first while I was moving it back and forth well prior to hitting Eclipse.

Clearly, after I hit Eclipse I didn’t stay up late enough to find out it was a one way street after that.

No worries, it’s becoming a lot of fun. I’m having a good time using AoE when fully buffed by the right Eclipse state, and things like that. And Typhoon really IS a lot of fun!

By: Rakhman

Rakhman — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 08:10:29 +0000

I’ve recently switched off spec to moonkin and it’s a lot of fun. The caster thing is a lit different to feral – stay at ranged, keep casting a spell, any spell. Boy is typhoon fun too! The depth to the spec is apparent once you read tips on EJ, not that I have mastered it at all.

It just feels a bit odd to have to game eclipse in an AOE situation, then spam sunfire. When am I going to get to use hurricane (and rock that trash like a hurricane)? I’ve not used hurricane since I first learned the spell, tickled some critters with it, and thought it did little damage for all it’s visual splendor.

By: Elynea

Elynea — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 06:56:39 +0000

…and now, you see my absolute love at work. :)

I understand what you mean when you talk about “I personally see the Eclipse thing as being more appropriate to an Astrologer-style Mage…”, but think of it this way:

Everything in nature responds to the pull of the power of the Sun and the Moon. Therefore, the most nature-based class should absolutely be able to translate that seasonal surge. As far as spell themes, again, look what you’ve got (at 85): in lunar eclipse, moonfire, starfire and starfall…in solar eclipse, sunfire, wrath and hurricane. You throw typhoons and cyclones. Trees follow your command. Mushrooms grow and explode at your whim. Roots rise from the ground to hold off your enemies. You can use the power of the Sun to silence your tormentors.

You are nature, incarnate. And the fury of Mother Nature is legendary. :)

By: bzznzzhs

bzznzzhs — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 04:33:30 +0000

(I have a druid alt that raids balance … sometimes… and haven’t paid much attn to 4.2 yet)

You certainly can game your solar / lunar power … and sometimes you should. Specifically, when you are in an aoe situation, you want to be in solar eclipse (to buff nature spells) and throwing dots and ‘shrooms like crazy. This could apply to boss fights and trash. Aoe in this state is vastly more powerful than either of the other ones.

However, outside of aoe you ideally want to spend as much time in an eclipse state as possible casting your most powerful nukes. This means refreshing dots and fiddling around right as you enter eclipse and then RACING AS FAST AS YOU CAN to the other side to trigger another one

Hope you enjoy the boomer. It definitely plays quite unlike any of the other casters!

By: Nashamire

Nashamire — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 02:09:44 +0000

My main throughout WOTLK was Nashamire in boomkin spec. So if you need any help. Let me know.

By: Solitudeone

Solitudeone — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 01:24:15 +0000

I certainly wish you the very best as you venture into the world of “Moonkin.”

As I borrow a few words from your post: “in the hands of a reasonably competant player…” , is obviously why Sol never quite got it right. Gaming the eclipse factor just never clicked for me. Before the eclipse implementation, all was great. I think it’s hard to manage eclipse, but I certainly hope it comes to you much easier. And the fully loaded toolbox does make things very interesting as well.

By: Aimli

Aimli — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:44:55 +0000

Rohan is correct for the most part but there is an exception to the rule, there are times your eclipse power will reset (although I am not sure when that is, logging in, some times between combat, etc) and you can move each way along the bar until you get to an eclipse and then it will only go one way. I use X-Perl and it appears on the bar as a diamond shape when it can go either way and an arrow once you get an Eclipse and will only go one way.