Post by MegaVolt
Whether or not Improved Mangle is 'extremely useful,' every pure-dps spec should have it for the same reason as Feral Aggression -- There's no other choice available for increasing your DPS (
EDIT: It's also necessary on fights like Kologarn when Mangle becomes your primary attack). They both add benefits to buttons we don't push all that often, but that's still better than taking something that is literally worthless (i.e. PotP, Infected Wounds, etc.).
While I could see a possible debate about ILotP or Nurturing Instinct -- since they do bring some benefit -- they do nothing for your bottom line.
I don't really agree. Check
this spec. All dps improving talents have been taken and there is no point left. For 3/3 Improved Mangle you'd have to take 3 points out somewhere. I just don't see any talent that you could skip to free up those two points without losing more then you gain by having Mangle.
ILotP helps your healers a LOT. Only if you always have a second Druid in your raid you should think about skipping it.
Feral Aggression is a bad talent ... but it still is a (very minor) dps increase. More so then Improved Mangle.
Feral Charge is awesome. It doesn't increase your dps but it increases your overall damage done by allowing you to get to the boss faster. More time in the fight equals more damage done.
So ... where do you want to take the points from to boost Mangle?
Post by Cenan
Whether or not Improved Mangle is 'extremely useful,' every pure-dps spec should have it for the same reason as Feral Aggression -- There's no other choice available for increasing your DPS (
EDIT: It's also necessary on fights like Kologarn when Mangle becomes your primary attack). They both add benefits to buttons we don't push all that often, but that's still better than taking something that is literally worthless (i.e. PotP, Infected Wounds, etc.).
While I could see a possible debate about ILotP or Nurturing Instinct -- since they do bring some benefit -- they do nothing for your bottom line.
I don't really agree. Check
this spec. All dps improving talents have been taken and there is no point left. For 3/3 Improved Mangle you'd have to take 3 points out somewhere. I just don't see any talent that you could skip to free up those two points without losing more then you gain by having Mangle.
ILotP helps your healers a LOT. Only if you always have a second Druid in your raid you should think about skipping it.
Feral Aggression is a bad talent ... but it still is a (very minor) dps increase. More so then Improved Mangle.
Feral Charge is awesome. It doesn't increase your dps but it increases your overall damage done by allowing you to get to the boss faster. More time in the fight equals more damage done.
So ... where do you want to take the points from to boost Mangle?
Feral instinct is unnecessary for many fights, although it can be useful for some. (Anub heroic, Thorim arena, Yogg, Razorscale.)
Improved Mangle is useful in every fight if you do not have an arms warrior, (Which most guilds will not, since fury is clearly ahead in dps now.) or a bear tank. A bear tank isn't guaranteed to be on your target, or even to be in the raid. Mangle is also very useful for situations like Anub, where there are many small adds that aren't always grouped up for aoe. Kologarn, where shredding is impossible. Faction champions, where you aren't going to be able to shred 100% when you should be able to. Beasts, killing snobolds, since getting behind them is difficult. Jarraxus, for portal/volcano switches.
ILOTP does not help the healers as much as you believe it does. Looking at numbers for a recent 10 man (Normal and heroic TOC 10.) LOTP accounted for 3.5% of the healing, which may seem useful. However, approximately 50-60% of that, varying for each raid member, was overhealing. It also does not even affect ranged. However, it can be taken for a max dps build, and can help if you're the only feral.
So the clear answer is to drop Feral Instinct for Improved Mangle, and alter your spec for the very limited fights where you are going to be swiping, which is mainly Anub heroic.