Feral Druid DPS Phase 1 Best in Slot (BiS) – WoW Classic: Season of Mastery

dps bis feature image feral
  • Author: Oxykitten
  • Date: November 19, 2021
  • Updated: December 23, 2021
  • Expansion: WoW Classic

Welcome to our Phase 1 BiS guide for Feral DPS in WoW Classic: Season of Mastery. The purpose of this guide is to present the very best items available in Phase 1 of Season of Mastery. This guide will present multiple sets depending on the amount of PvP gear available to the player. PvP gear is very strong, but requires a significant time investment to attain which may be unrealistic for a lot of players.

I am also working on a complete Phase 1 BiS guide for Feral Tanks, as well as guides for other facets of Feral gameplay; these will all be published in due course, so stay tuned!

Phase 1 BiS

The tabs below will show and discuss BiS items for each slot. The first tab shows the true BiS gear from all available pieces in Phase 1. The second tab excludes all epic PvP gear from rank 12-13 and from exalted reputations. The final tab excludes all PvP gear. The first section in each tab will show the complete set; each following section shows enchants, alternative options, and the rationale for each choice in every slot.

Note that the names listed for PvP gear are Alliance-specific. Each item has an exact Horde replica with a slightly different name.

Wolfshead Helm is the only head slot item a Feral DPS should ever use, as it generates an extra 20 energy when powershifting. I go into great detail on why this is so important in my powershift rotation guide.

Arcanum of Voracity is the best helm and leg enchant available for Feral DPS. Arcanum of Rapidity is about half as good, but usually far cheaper if you cannot afford Voracity.

Onyxia Tooth Pendant is the Best in Slot neck option for Feral DPS. It is received as a reward from the Head of Onyxia, which is a guaranteed drop off Onyxia. However, it is very contested and may take a while to receive. Until then, Pendant of Celerity makes a good alternative.

Truestrike Shoulders are the Best in Slot shoulder option for Feral DPS. They are rare and highly contested, but are definitely worth trying to get. Both PvP options are nearly as good, but they take a long time to get; you should focus on Truestrike early on.

Cloak of the Shrouded Mists is the recommended Best in Slot back option for Feral DPS. Cape of the Black Baron is technically marginally more DPS, but the stamina on Shrouded Mists makes it worth wearing. Blackveil Cape is quite close in value and much easier to get as an alternative.

Field Marshal’s Dragonhide Breastplate is the Best in Slot chest option for Feral DPS. If you have Rank 13, you don’t need to worry about alternatives; otherwise check the sets in the other tabs above.

Forest Stalker’s Bracers are the Best in Slot wrist option for Feral DPS. They are a reward from reaching Exalted reputation with the Warsong Gulch faction: Silverwing Sentinels on Alliance and Warsong Outriders on Horde. Wristguards of Stability are a good alternative from Molten Core, but are quite contested. The pre-raid options listed are quite strong but fall behind the BiS pieces.

Marshal’s Dragonhide Gauntlets are the Best in Slot hand options for Feral DPS. If you have Rank 12, you don’t need to worry about alternatives; otherwise check the sets in the other tabs above.

Note that the best hand enchant for DPS is Agility, whereas the best enchant for tanks is Haste. These are close in value for DPS, so I suggest using Haste if you are using the same gloves for both roles.

Molten Belt is the Best in Slot waist option for Feral DPS, and can be crafted by an Elemental Leatherworker using materials found in Molten Core. It will likely be available to buy on the Auction House. Cloudrunner Girdle is a very close alternative. However, it is quite rare, with an 8% drop chance off Quartermaster Zigris in Lower Blackrock Spire. Adventurer’s Belt of the Tiger and Serpentine Sash are fairly easy alternatives but are significantly worse than the previous choices.

Marshal’s Dragonhide Legguards are the Best in Slot leg option for Feral DPS. If you have Rank 12, you don’t need to worry about alternatives; otherwise check the sets in the other tabs above.

Marshal’s Dragonhide Boots are the Best in Slot feet option for Feral DPS. If you have Rank 12, you don’t need to worry about alternatives; otherwise check the sets in the other tabs above.

While Greater Agility is theoretically more DPS than Minor Speed, this assumes the Druid does not need to move in an encounter. In practice, Minor Speed makes a noticeable difference to your gameplay; I strongly recommend always using this enchant.

Band of Accuria is by far the Best in Slot ring. It is a rare and contested drop from Ragnaros, the last boss of Molten Core. As it is unique, Don Julio’s Band is the Best in Slot option for the other ring slot, though it is far worse. This is a reward for reaching Exalted reputation with your Alterac Valley faction: Stormpike Guard for Alliance and Frostwolf Clan for Horde. The recommended alternative to these rings is Tarnished Elven Ring; these are easily attainable by running Dire Maul: Tribute or simply paying a Hunter, as they can solo the instance. Quick Strike Ring is similar in value, but far better for Warriors.

Blackhand’s Breadth and Rune of the Guard Captain are the Best in Slot trinkets for Feral DPS. However, Rune of the Guard Captain is only available on Horde side, making Hand of Justice the best second trinket for Alliance players. Heart of Wyrmthalak and Counterattack Lodestones are the only other trinkets that provide any value to Feral DPS, but they are far worse than the BiS choices. Keep in mind that Mark of Tyranny and Blackhand’s Breadth are rewards from the same quest, so if you chose Mark of Tyranny for tanking you will not have access to Blackhand’s Breadth. This is why I recommend all Feral druids choose Blackhand’s Breadth.

Gnomish Battle Chicken is a trinket made by Gnomish engineers that, when used correctly, increases the melee haste of all party members by 5% for 5 minutes. This is an absolutely massive buff, making it by far the best trinket in the game when used. I do not list it as BiS because it has a 30 minute cooldown (meaning you’ll want other trinkets while it is on cooldown), but it is absolutely worth leveling engineering for and using as often as possible. Note that while you can craft Smoking Heart of the Mountain and then drop enchanting, but continue using the trinket, you must be an engineer to use Gnomish Battle Chicken.

Manual Crowd Pummeler (MCP) is the best weapon in the game for Feral Druids. Its on-use effect increases haste by 50%, which increases the Druid’s damage in Cat Form by around 10%. There is no true alternative to it, as not even Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian beats the damage provided by MCPs. However, note that the difference in DPS for a cat using MCP is far less than the difference in damage and threat for a tank using MCP. Although 10% damage is a lot to gain from a single slot, not using MCPs is not completely game-changing for a Feral DPS. Additionally, MCPs only have 3 charges, and therefore many must be farmed from Gnomeregan to use in raids. Because of this, it is not feasible for a druid to use MCPs in every dungeon and on every raid trash mob.

The Unstoppable Force is the best non-MCP weapon option for Feral DPS. This is a reward for reaching Exalted reputation with your Alterac Valley faction: Stormpike Guard for Alliance and Frostwolf Clan for Horde. Bonecrusher is close in value and easily attained from a Dire Maul quest.

BiS: Idol of Ferocity

Idol of Ferocity is the only relevant idol for a Feral DPS, and even then it provides no value whatsoever in the vast majority of cases. I would generally recommend keeping Idol of Brutality equipped at all times for tank value, unless using the 2/5 Ferocity spec (which will be covered in my talent guide) where you swap between Ferocity and Brutality depending on which form you are in. Even then, Ferocity is generally unimportant as Claw is not a regular part of the Feral DPS rotation (in group content).

Wolfshead Helm is the only head slot item a Feral DPS should ever use, as it generates an extra 20 energy when powershifting. I go into great detail on why this is so important in my powershift rotation guide.

Arcanum of Voracity is the best helm and leg enchant available for Feral DPS. Arcanum of Rapidity is about half as good, but usually far cheaper if you cannot afford Voracity.

Onyxia Tooth Pendant is the Best in Slot neck option for Feral DPS. It is received as a reward from the Head of Onyxia, which is a guaranteed drop off Onyxia. However, it is very contested and may take a while to receive. Until then, Pendant of Celerity makes a good alternative.

Truestrike Shoulders are the Best in Slot shoulder option for Feral DPS. They are rare and highly contested, but are definitely worth trying to get. Dark Warder’s Pauldrons can be farmed with two druids, or a druid and a rogue. Wyrmhide Spaulders are an easily accessible quest reward.

Cloak of the Shrouded Mists is the recommended Best in Slot back option for Feral DPS. Cape of the Black Baron is technically marginally more DPS, but the stamina on Shrouded Mists makes it worth wearing. Blackveil Cape is quite close in value and much easier to get as an alternative.

Knight-Captain’s Dragonhide Chestpiece is the Best in Slot chest option for Feral DPS without Rank 13. This is because of the strong set bonus when paired with Knight-Lieutenant’s Dragonhide Treads. If you have reached Rank 8, you do not need to worry about alternatives; otherwise, check the last tab above.

Wristguards of Stability are the Best in Slot wrist option for Feral DPS who are not Exalted with their Warsong Gulch faction. They drop from Molten Core, but are quite contested. The pre-raid alternatives listed are quite strong and easier to get.

Devilsaur Gauntlets are the Best in Slot hand option for Feral DPS without Rank 12. Although the alternatives listed are, in a vacuum, better than Devilsaur Gauntlets, the set bonus when worn with Devilsaur Leggings makes the Devilsaur set the best option.

Note that the best hand enchant for DPS is Agility, whereas the best enchant for tanks is Haste. These are close in value for DPS, so I suggest using Haste if you are using the same gloves for both roles. If you can afford two pairs of gloves for different enchants, this is ideal.

Molten Belt is the Best in Slot waist option for Feral DPS, and can be crafted by an Elemental Leatherworker using materials found in Molten Core. It will likely be available to buy on the Auction House. Cloudrunner Girdle is a very close alternative. However, it is quite rare, with an 8% drop chance off Quartermaster Zigris in Lower Blackrock Spire. Adventurer’s Belt of the Tiger and Serpentine Sash are fairly easy alternatives but are significantly worse than the previous choices.

Devilsaur Leggings are the Best in Slot leg option for Feral DPS without Rank 12. This is because of the strong set bonus when paired with Devilsaur Gauntlets. Plaguehound Leggings are BiS if using a different item in the hand slot. The 3 best leg items are all bind on equip and can be bought on the Auction House.

Knight-Lieutenant’s Dragonhide Treads are the Best in Slot feet option for Feral DPS without Rank 12. If you have Rank 8, you do not need to worry about alternatives as the set bonus from these paired with Knight-Captain’s Dragonhide Chestpiece makes them BiS. If you have only reached Rank 7, pair these instead with Knight-lieutenant’s Dragonhide Grips and wear Plaguehound Leggings instead of Devilsaur. Otherwise, refer to the final tab above.

While Greater Agility is theoretically more DPS than Minor Speed, this assumes the Druid does not need to move in an encounter. In practice, Minor Speed makes a noticeable difference to your gameplay; I strongly recommend always using this enchant.

Band of Accuria is by far the Best in Slot ring. It is a rare and contested drop from Ragnaros, the last boss of Molten Core. As it is unique, Tarnished Elven Ring is the Best in Slot option for the other ring slot for those who have not reached Exalted with their Alterac Valley faction. These are easily attainable by running Dire Maul: Tribute or simply paying a Hunter, as they can solo the instance. Quick Strike Ring is similar in value, but far better for Warriors.

Blackhand’s Breadth and Rune of the Guard Captain are the Best in Slot trinkets for Feral DPS. However, Rune of the Guard Captain is only available on Horde side, making Hand of Justice the best second trinket for Alliance players. Heart of Wyrmthalak and Counterattack Lodestones are the only other trinkets that provide any value to Feral DPS, but they are far worse than the BiS choices. Keep in mind that Mark of Tyranny and Blackhand’s Breadth are rewards from the same quest, so if you chose Mark of Tyranny for tanking you will not have access to Blackhand’s Breadth. This is why I recommend all Feral druids choose Blackhand’s Breadth.

Gnomish Battle Chicken is a trinket made by Gnomish engineers that, when used correctly, increases the melee haste of all party members by 5% for 5 minutes. This is an absolutely massive buff, making it by far the best trinket in the game when used. I do not list it as BiS because it has a 30 minute cooldown (meaning you’ll want other trinkets while it is on cooldown), but it is absolutely worth leveling engineering for and using as often as possible. Note that while you can craft Smoking Heart of the Mountain and then drop enchanting, but continue using the trinket, you must be an engineer to use Gnomish Battle Chicken.

Manual Crowd Pummeler (MCP) is the best weapon in the game for Feral Druids. Its on-use effect increases haste by 50%, which increases the Druid’s damage in Cat Form by around 10%. There is no true alternative to it, as not even Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian beats the damage provided by MCPs. However, note that the difference in DPS for a cat using MCP is far less than the difference in damage and threat for a tank using MCP. Although 10% damage is a lot to gain from a single slot, not using MCPs is not completely game-changing for a Feral DPS. Additionally, MCPs only have 3 charges, and therefore many must be farmed from Gnomeregan to use in raids. Because of this, it is not feasible for a druid to use MCPs in every dungeon and on every raid trash mob.

Bonecrusher is the best Non-MCP weapon option for Feral DPS who have not reached Exalted with their Alterac Valley faction. It is easily attained from a Dire Maul quest.

BiS: Idol of Ferocity

Idol of Ferocity is the only relevant idol for a Feral DPS, and even then it provides no value whatsoever in the vast majority of cases. I would generally recommend keeping Idol of Brutality equipped at all times for tank value, unless using the 2/5 Ferocity spec (which will be covered in my talent guide) where you swap between Ferocity and Brutality depending on which form you are in. Even then, Ferocity is generally unimportant as Claw is not a regular part of the Feral DPS rotation (in group content).

Wolfshead Helm is the only head slot item a Feral DPS should ever use, as it generates an extra 20 energy when powershifting. I go into great detail on why this is so important in my powershift rotation guide.

Arcanum of Voracity is the best helm and leg enchant available for Feral DPS. Arcanum of Rapidity is about half as good, but usually far cheaper if you cannot afford Voracity.

Onyxia Tooth Pendant is the Best in Slot neck option for Feral DPS. It is received as a reward from the Head of Onyxia, which is a guaranteed drop off Onyxia. However, it is very contested and may take a while to receive. Until then, Pendant of Celerity makes a good alternative.

Truestrike Shoulders are the Best in Slot shoulder option for Feral DPS. They are rare and highly contested, but are definitely worth trying to get. Dark Warder’s Pauldrons can be farmed with two druids, or a druid and a rogue. Wyrmhide Spaulders are an easily accessible quest reward.

Cloak of the Shrouded Mists is the recommended Best in Slot back option for Feral DPS. Cape of the Black Baron is technically marginally more DPS, but the stamina on Shrouded Mists makes it worth wearing. Blackveil Cape is quite close in value and much easier to get as an alternative.

Cadaverous Armor is the Best in Slot chest option for Feral DPS without Rank 8. Breastplate of Bloodthirst is a strong alternative, but not easy to get; however, if you are already getting it for tanking, it can serve you well for both roles. Grizzled Pelt from the Druid class quest in Sunken Temple (starting with Torwa Pathfinder) is an easy alternative.

Wristguards of Stability are the Best in Slot wrist option for Feral DPS who are not Exalted with their Warsong Gulch faction. They drop from Molten Core, but are quite contested. The pre-raid alternatives listed are quite strong and easier to get.

Devilsaur Gauntlets are the Best in Slot hand option for Feral DPS without Rank 12. Although the alternatives listed are, in a vacuum, better than Devilsaur Gauntlets, the set bonus when worn with Devilsaur Leggings makes the Devilsaur set the best option.

Note that the best hand enchant for DPS is Agility, whereas the best enchant for tanks is Haste. These are close in value for DPS, so I suggest using Haste if you are using the same gloves for both roles. If you can afford two pairs of gloves for different enchants, this is ideal.

Molten Belt is the Best in Slot waist option for Feral DPS, and can be crafted by an Elemental Leatherworker using materials found in Molten Core. It will likely be available to buy on the Auction House. Cloudrunner Girdle is a very close alternative. However, it is quite rare, with an 8% drop chance off Quartermaster Zigris in Lower Blackrock Spire. Adventurer’s Belt of the Tiger and Serpentine Sash are fairly easy alternatives but are significantly worse than the previous choices.

Devilsaur Leggings are the Best in Slot leg option for Feral DPS. This is because of the strong set bonus when paired with Devilsaur Gauntlets. Plaguehound Leggings are BiS if using a different item in the hand slot. The 3 best leg items are all bind on equip and can be bought on the Auction House.

Boots of Ferocity are the Best in Slot boot option for Feral DPS without Rank 7. They depend on a player in the group doing or having done the dungeon set questline. Any of the alternatives are suitable until then, though Swiftwalker Boots can be difficult to attain as they require you to kill the Princess in Blackrock Depths (who is usually saved to complete a quest), and Mongoose Boots can be expensive. Swiftfoot Treads are very close in overall value and easy to get.

While Greater Agility is theoretically more DPS than Minor Speed, this assumes the Druid does not need to move in an encounter. In practice, Minor Speed makes a noticeable difference to your gameplay; I strongly recommend always using this enchant.

Band of Accuria is by far the Best in Slot ring. It is a rare and contested drop from Ragnaros, the last boss of Molten Core. As it is unique, Tarnished Elven Ring is the Best in Slot option for the other ring slot for those who have not reached Exalted with their Alterac Valley faction. These are easily attainable by running Dire Maul: Tribute or simply paying a Hunter, as they can solo the instance. Quick Strike Ring is similar in value, but far better for Warriors.

Blackhand’s Breadth and Rune of the Guard Captain are the Best in Slot trinkets for Feral DPS. However, Rune of the Guard Captain is only available on Horde side, making Hand of Justice the best second trinket for Alliance players. Heart of Wyrmthalak and Counterattack Lodestones are the only other trinkets that provide any value to Feral DPS, but they are far worse than the BiS choices. Keep in mind that Mark of Tyranny and Blackhand’s Breadth are rewards from the same quest, so if you chose Mark of Tyranny for tanking you will not have access to Blackhand’s Breadth. This is why I recommend all Feral druids choose Blackhand’s Breadth.

Gnomish Battle Chicken is a trinket made by Gnomish engineers that, when used correctly, increases the melee haste of all party members by 5% for 5 minutes. This is an absolutely massive buff, making it by far the best trinket in the game when used. I do not list it as BiS because it has a 30 minute cooldown (meaning you’ll want other trinkets while it is on cooldown), but it is absolutely worth leveling engineering for and using as often as possible. Note that while you can craft Smoking Heart of the Mountain and then drop enchanting, but continue using the trinket, you must be an engineer to use Gnomish Battle Chicken.

Manual Crowd Pummeler (MCP) is the best weapon in the game for Feral Druids. Its on-use effect increases haste by 50%, which increases the Druid’s damage in Cat Form by around 10%. There is no true alternative to it, as not even Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian beats the damage provided by MCPs. However, note that the difference in DPS for a cat using MCP is far less than the difference in damage and threat for a tank using MCP. Although 10% damage is a lot to gain from a single slot, not using MCPs is not completely game-changing for a Feral DPS. Additionally, MCPs only have 3 charges, and therefore many must be farmed from Gnomeregan to use in raids. Because of this, it is not feasible for a druid to use MCPs in every dungeon and on every raid trash mob.

Bonecrusher is the best Non-MCP weapon option for Feral DPS who have not reached Exalted with their Alterac Valley faction. It is easily attained from a Dire Maul quest.

BiS: Idol of Ferocity

Idol of Ferocity is the only relevant idol for a Feral DPS, and even then it provides no value whatsoever in the vast majority of cases. I would generally recommend keeping Idol of Brutality equipped at all times for tank value, unless using the 2/5 Ferocity spec (which will be covered in my talent guide) where you swap between Ferocity and Brutality depending on which form you are in. Even then, Ferocity is generally unimportant as Claw is not a regular part of the Feral DPS rotation (in group content).

Thank you for taking the time to read our Feral DPS Phase 1 BiS guide for Season of Mastery. I hope it was helpful, and if you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to leave a comment below, or find me as Oxy on the Druid Classic discord.

 

About the Author

Oxykitten

I've been an avid WoW player since Vanilla. At 6 years old, I was slowly progressing through Blackfathom Deeps and levelling up with my brothers. Since Classic Wow launched, I've found a new way to enjoy the game; participating in Feral Druid theorycrafting communities and performing well in an underdog class has been a fun challenge. I hope to be able to share all I've learned with anyone who shares that interest!
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