Druid or Shaman Booster in May 2012 ?

[Grail]

Hail!

I did search this and read a number of posts, but many seem to be from 2009-2010. Are these both equally viable? Is one much faster or more difficult than the other? I understand some people recommend shaman for AOE damage and heals, and also feel the ghostwolf ability speeds up running through dungeons and gathering mobs. I also understand that over the years the druid's bear form has changed in how many mobs can be effectively tanked; ie. if only three mobs can be hit at once or limitless.

I will be 5-boxing RAF using instances mostly. After my first group, I will also have a Paladin at my disposal for boosting.


Also, do granted levels still count as earned levels? And therefore result in even more grantable levels? Reading alot of posts on inviting to RAF like A>B> etc, I think this is the part I never understood. It seems at least at some point this was the case.

Thanks so much,

-Grail

[3box]

Druids are pretty good boosters, definitely better than shamans imo. Paladins probably still the best though.

I never bothered with RAF, I'm sure someone will respond to help you with that.

[zenga]

Till theTBC dungeons an ele shaman is the fastest by miles, closely followed by a frost mage. If you are really good as ele and you have the right gear, it's still a good booster till the first wotlk dungeons, but as soon as I hit the first tbc dungeon i'd go for a feral druid. They have swipe, which is brainless aoe damage in a 360° cone on a 3s cd, and they have a ton of survivability.

[keteran]

Ive found an arcane mage to be fastest for me up until 70 or so.

[Scelesti]

I currently use my raiding warlock to boost. Has worked well through level 60. I'll try to remember to give an update once I hit BC/WotLK dungeons. Basically i just spam Fel Flame until Armory in SM, then i just spam corruption and use shadowflame on c/d. Also helps that I have 77208

[Grail]

Thanks everyone!

3box, I appreciate the input :)

Zenga, thanks for the info on druids and swipe.

Keteran, I definitely am enjoying my mage right now. Unfortunately, she is only 17 :)

Scelesti, can druids get that weapon? ;)

I forgot to mention, I am using a Scroll of Resurrection on an old account, so that is why I don't know the two classes that well now, but will
have an opportunity to start with a 80 booster.

Anyone know the answer to my last question? "Also, do granted levels still count as earned levels? And therefore result in even more grantable levels? Reading alot of posts on inviting to RAF like A>B> etc, I think this is the part I never understood. It seems at least at some point this was the case."

-Grail

[Ualaa]

Whichever toon is better geared, or you're more familiar with, will be the better choice.

It's hard to think of any combination of level 60ish mobs.. say in Hellfire Ramparts...
As being a major threat to a level 85 character, even with just quest gear.




In general, I've found:
Prot Pally = Ret Pally = Feral Druid > Other Tanks > AoE Casters > Other Classes

But when I did the RAF, level 70 was the cap.
And a level 70 could easily be overwhelmed by pulling all of Scarlet Monastery at once.
Sure a half geared Prot Pally was okay at that, but there would be no chance at all for a Hunter to survive pulling the entire SM instance in one go.

Once the boosting dungeon is higher, in relation to the tanks health...
Then defensive skills (more health, higher armor, mitigation factors) become a factor in the boosting.
Since RAF is to 80th now, the question is how well your toon can solo WotLK era dungeons.

[Grail]

Thanks Ualaa,

This is why I don't want to use my hunter who I love. Unfortunately, I can't answer your last question as I don't have the 80 yet. But I do think they are supposed to come with decent gear. I am leaning druid or shaman and then on the second round of RAF switching to my Paladin after 70 or so.

Oh, wait, Ualaa, before you go... do granted levels still count as earned levels and therefore equate more grantable levels?

Thanks!

-Grail

[Ualaa]

Yes, granted levels cascade.

In an: A > B > C chain.
A boosts four toons on BC.

C gives two to B.
B gives two to A.

B then gives one more to A, because of receiving two from C.

It's actually 39 levels granted, for a toon who went from 1st to 80th.
So 39x2... (40-1 x2 = 80-2).. 78 granted levels.
Ideally, you'd level a toon... who will be receiving granted levels to 2nd.
And have them very close (90%+) towards being level 3.
Then grant them 78 levels, and you've got a level 80, who is 90%+ through 80th already.

[Mokoi]

UMMM... Frost DK is the fastest BY FAR to boost with... and I have all the mentioned classes. no way a paladin is anywhere as close as just aoe frosting everything so with a DK.. lol Feral druids are good too, but the DMG od a frost DK is just so high, and so great.

And I just boosted 2 teams from 1-80 on the weekend.

[Pazgaz]

I boosted a total of 45 chars to 80 using a ret pally in a little over a month.
The good thing about ret pally is divine storm which is great for grabbing aggro + healing any damage the slaves take.

[zenga]

Also helps that I have 77208


Scelesti, can druids get that weapon? ;)
l

It's a trinket that drops in dragonsoul, can drop from any of the first bosses. Everyone can obtain it, but only spellcasters and disc priest healers should use it. Don't count on it unless you are extremely lucky. I've seen the heroic version drop 3x now, and since my guildies know i want it so badly, they all roll on it and ninja it time after time :p Either way it's a very nice aoe trinket.

[zenga]

@ everyone saying this or that toon is the fastest booster

... up for a challenge? I say that until you hit the tbc dungeons an ele shaman is the fastest. We could make a video of some of the more important boosting dungeons with a simple chrono. Would be fun to do and it could bring some spice in this end expansion era.

[dfwfire]

@ everyone saying this or that toon is the fastest booster

... up for a challenge? I say that until you hit the tbc dungeons an ele shaman is the fastest. We could make a video of some of the more important boosting dungeons with a simple chrono. Would be fun to do and it could bring some spice in this end expansion era.

This actually sounds like fun. Kinda like a guide to boost them from X to X at X dungeon then move on to Y Dungeon. I have about 2.5 months of Raf left on my 2nd 5 accounts so maybe I can try this.

For the OP-

My personal experience with boosting is limited to Prot Pally, Feral Druid, And Frost/Arcane Mage. I would agree that until TBC dungeons they all- along with Elemental Shaman- are good boosters. I prefer the Feral Druid over the others after TBC. My Prot Pally and Feral Druid are fairly equally geared and tear through TBC dungeons at about the same rate. Once I get into WotLK dungeons however- the Druid far surpasses the Paladin. Considering how easily the Druids mechanics work- rage generation along with ease of macro'ing AoE to one button and single target to one button- he has absolutely no problems through WotLK content. The paladin can take a bit more abuse- however I find myself waiting on spells for longer periods of time with his macros.
While Both the Pally and the Druid have a lot of good defensive and healing abilities, and it may come down to preferred playstyle, the Druid does get my final vote. I have not tried a Frost DK, however I have heard they are quite good as well.

[Mokoi]

recorded all of my boosting today. I'll post a video tomorrow.. sleepy time now! :)

[Apps]

hi Dan. Videos or GTFto sleep

Ive boosted with pallies... suck

Druids...meh

Mages...WOW

Shammys... couldnt get the hang of it

Warrior... FAIL

Rogue... Worse than a warrior

Lock... nice!

S Priest. WTF PEW PEW!? awesome!


Never did it with a DK

[Grail]

Sorry, typed reply and it stuck my reply to a different thread here...?

-Grail

Ok. I didn't realize this was still my thread as I read Mokoi's last post on page one, and then saw all of the posts on page two not realizing that my thread "Had" two pages. I really like the fresh discussion. I was hesitant to ask my original question as I knew this has been asked through the years, but after reading many many threads, I now find my own thread (all of ours really) the most clear for me to understand. I really appreciate all of the input and different perspectives. I also am glad to belong to a site where there is so little hate. Just a good honest effort to get at the truth, or offer custom tailored advice for the newcomer. After all we all have different likes and playstyles, and that is where the custom tailoring comes in. You are a group of people who care.

I do want to add that to date I only have a 76 Hunter as my highest character. I keep trying to remember that that would have made me a God in 2006. *wink* Therefore my first 80 will be through the Scroll of Resurrection and will not be 85 and heavily geared.

I also want to add on a brief personal note that this sit,e and you all, give me hope that one day I might finally be able to enjoy the game (dungeons in particular) via this miracle of multi-boxing. I never did find 5 good people to adventure with. But I know I will never do myself wrong. So I thank you.

(Also, I love Zengas idea of a spirited competition. But people should remember that even if a dk comes in a hair faster to 70 or 80 than whoever else, another class might have done as well or better in the right person's hands.)

I think what I might do is take an 80 shaman and dual-box my 30 paladin to 80. Then I learn the dungeons and quests. Then take them both to 85. Then...run up groups with shaman to 70 and Paladin to 80. But you all are making other choices sound so palatable, like mage, druid, dk, and even warlock; and I never thought I would go warlock.

I know in the end the decision is mine to make, but believe it or not, you have made it easier. And hey, after the first team I can use one of the other classes I had just run up. Not like I will be stuck with a rogue for four runs to 80.

Thanks!

-Grail

[Pazgaz]

Ret pally all the way. Divine storm with normal dw tentacle weapon one shots everything up to late tbc. In wotlk, I pull non-stop (10-15) mobs at all times. Slowing down only for quest items etc. no need for defensive CDs with healing from divine storm.
With RAF you need one run per instance and you're done. Don't forget the arena quests in tbc and wotlk (ring of blood etc), with RAF they are worth a level at least if you do them as soon as they are available.

[Grail]

Pagaz, thanks for the mention about arena quests. Didn't know about them, I will try to look them over. Also, do some people still advise doing BG's 70-80 to work toward heirlooms? By the way, depending how long this takes I only plan to run up two groups, unless it is really really easy. A good mixed group for dungeons (and enough chars for a few variations thereof) and a team of 5xDruids for pvp. Really more rp-pvp.

Thanks!

-Grail

[Apps]

I personally like Isle of Conquest for 80-84 bracket. IF... your team can execute the WS and camp your own keeps respawn point after opposition takes the keep... you can Farm honor MUCH faster than doing a couple BGs combined.

[Scelesti]

It's a trinket that drops in dragonsoul, can drop from any of the first bosses. Everyone can obtain it, but only spellcasters and disc priest healers should use it. Don't count on it unless you are extremely lucky. I've seen the heroic version drop 3x now, and since my guildies know i want it so badly, they all roll on it and ninja it time after time :p Either way it's a very nice aoe trinket.
Yes, you should never count on getting that trinket, unless you are in a raiding guild. And even then, your chances of getting it are low. I have not seen it drop on Heroic yet(we're 6/8), and if it did, I'd probably pass since I already have the normal version.



@ everyone saying this or that toon is the fastest booster

... up for a challenge? I say that until you hit the tbc dungeons an ele shaman is the fastest. We could make a video of some of the more important boosting dungeons with a simple chrono. Would be fun to do and it could bring some spice in this end expansion era.
I'm in no way saying a warlock is the best means of boosting, it's just the character I have the most geared and have had the most success with. Go with what works for you. I don't see how ele is the best, but then again I have not seen ele at all this expansion, and am probably missing something that makes it ridiculously easy. I might be interested in FRAPSing an LBRS run to show you how fast I can boost that place(I have some really nice spots to send my slaves to). But like I said, whatever works for you is the best.

A kind of off-topic question: Do you guys move your slaves from spot to spot or do you keep them on follow? I find it more frustrating to have them on follow, but I think if I was more efficient with the way I pull mobs and avoid face pulling mobs with the lowbies that it would be a lot more efficient.

[Mokoi]

As for Why I think a DK is superior to all other boosters (assuming equal gear and availability) is as follows:

1. For boosting, you want AOE damage, and you want to be able to hit from range, to minimize the travel time inside the instance, as well as being easier. Paladins have aoe, divine storm is nice.. but its not ranged. DKs do this 4 times every 8 seconds. Howling Blast will hit every target, and even with crappy gear should one shot every mob up to BC. (assuming you have frost fever talent) other classes can aoe better, but none of them have their aoe instantly and on such a short cooldown as a DK. You can target one mob in a pack of 6, and then you are done. Hit howling blast, and you win.

2. You don't want to rely on aggroing all the mobs and letting them follow you around the instance, to kill them in one spot near your alts. Many mobs in these dungeons have tether mechanics that break if you go to far, and they reset. this is a pain in the butt, especially if you have to run your alts around the instance to get quest items etc later. Also, you have 5 instance runs per hour, so you will be hitting this cap every single hour except for some of the large instances like UBRS/LBRS. Every mob needs to die! /evilgrin

I think.. some instances, you CAN just collect all the mobs, run around as fast as you can, and then aoe them all down in one-shot, but i run at 115% speed on my DK, as fast as any other class and i never stop to kill anything until about UK.


A kind of off-topic question: Do you guys move your slaves from spot to spot or do you keep them on follow? I find it more frustrating to have them on follow, but I think if I was more efficient with the way I pull mobs and avoid face pulling mobs with the lowbies that it would be a lot more efficient.

I think that's a totally on-topic question.

My (not necessarily the right.. or only) answer is this:

10-15: Deadmines - yes, move them to the first boss when you kill him, stay there until second boss is dead etc. Leave them at the mouth of the final cave for all the exp and then collect them for the run back (through the instance, it's faster than going outside again)

15-23: Stockades - Don't move unless you are getting / turning in quests

23-33: SM Cathedral - Yes, I move them to the first door, and then leave them there the whole instance (you can pull the last boss out of the cathedral to get full exp)

33-42: Scholomance - Yes, but only 10 feet in to the area with the quest givers. Then stay there for the second-best boosting area in the game.

42-48: BRD - I usually just follow my main through the instance. Be careful of patrols, they will one shot a fresh no gear no talents lvl 42 lol.

48-57: LBRS / UBRS - Yes, for LBRS, I clear the first room (patrol and the pack at the back) and head to LBRS with my main, alts following. Then I drop them off at the first ledge you see in the main .. area of LBRS (you will see on the video) Clear LBRS, and then I follow my main through UBRS, but staying a boss behind, so they dont pull aggro and die so easily.

57-63: Hellfire Ramparts - nope.. enter.. kill.. leave repeat. then WAIT a long time because instance timers will ramp up fast.

63-65: Sethekk Halls - Yes, follow the main again staying one boss behind, so you don't pull aggro when you are new. (You CAN skip this if you like, but it's actually faster to go here than to slug through another instance lock of Hellfire to get the last couple levels in there.

65-68: Magister's Terrace - Yes, I move my alts to where i killed the first set of mobs, and then leave them there. GREAT EXP!!

68-71: Utgarde Keep - Yes, I have my alts auto-run about 20 seconds after my DK, so they both just basically auto-run through the whole instance. DK stops to kill, but he has unholy aura, so he's faster anyway. This is a good spot to stop boosting.

71-80: Quest.. or Dungeon Finder if you have enough gear and an appropriate group (I never plan that far ahead, and I'm always naked when I get here haha) I find questing from 71-80 a lot more interesting, since you no longer get a lvl or two per run, I find grinding UK and other WotLK instances really REALLY boring. And if you have RAF... it's really easy and you can skip most collection quests.

[Scelesti]

Hey Mokoi thanks for the response.

Now for my lazy half-assed question: Can you give me a link to your LBRS boosting video or any other videos you've made for boosting? I'm really interested to see where you ditch your toons? I thought you needed to keep the slaves viewable on the minimap, and that was the XP range, but if anyone could provide further insight on this that would be great. I found I could leave my slaves on the bridge in the first ogre part until I get to the area with the Worg bosses. Then I move them to the platform where theres like 6-8 ogres and leave them there for the rest of the instance. But if the range is further than I think it is, then I could probably stretch it even more. I feel like I'm moving my slaves too much prior to getting to the bridge.

I haven't boosted BC instances yet, and I can see how WotLK instances wouldn't be the most efficient to boost in. However, I've been running the BC heroics working on my Outland Dungeonmaster on my warlock and have had zero issues. Some of them go pretty quickly.

[Mokoi]

Yeah my video will show where I ditch my alts. I was going to just do a speed run video since that's what I wanted to show, but apparently there's a need for a more in-depth video so I'll do a big one with all the instances I use.

[Grail]

That video could be epic. As in ultra valuable.

-Grail

[Scelesti]

I'm about to record my LBRS run. Just realized I could ditch them at the ogre room for the entire run.

http://www.twitch.tv/scelesti/b/317863440

Sorry, forgot I had my sound turned on. I really want to see a zenga video.

And for the record, I'm not trying to flex my dick. I honestly want to see how other people do it.

[Pazgaz]

With RAF + BOA (Not sure if they stack, but I have them), and assuming you do the quests in each dungeon, my path in WotLK is (starting at 70):
UK
Nexus
AZN
Old Kingdom
Zul'drak
Ring of Blood thingy.
Instance in Dalaran (forgot the name)
Other troll instance (again forgot the name)
Halls of Stone
Halls of Lightning
UP
I usually need to reset UP, go in again and kill up to the first boss and then I ding 80.
Did this for a few weeks and got all 5 accounts full (10 chars at 80+ each).
And yes, felt like killing myself when I was close to the end, but I kept hearing Ualaa saying "Told you to level as many during RAF, didn't I?" :)

[heyaz]

Feral druids are extremely good boosters due to two feral charges, two sprints, and two skull bashes. You can just skate through an instance with unlimited mobs trailing you, then back into a corner and berserk+swipe them all down in a few seconds. I started my last boost with a DK - takes much longer to gather up all the mobs at running speed, and there's no way to break a snare or get distance when you're doing massive pulls.

[Mokoi]

fair enough Heyaz, but my point in my video, was that you one-shot every single mob up to lvl 70+ with howling blast, and you do not need to be in melee range for it. You can also run at 15% speed, almost as fast a feral, and kill everything where it spawns, and not train it around the instance, saving you not only armor, but also saving you from forgetting about mobs that break the train and run back to their spawn (ie: hellfire mobs)

Feral is also very nice, and may in fact have better times than a DK in some dungeons, but if you have to run your alts after your main, you really can't afford to lose any mobs while you are training them around.

ALSO.. I think more people have geared DKs around here than ferals, but those of you who do, please make a video, my druids haven't been geared since BC...

[heyaz]

fair enough Heyaz, but my point in my video, was that you one-shot every single mob up to lvl 70+ with howling blast, and you do not need to be in melee range for it. You can also run at 15% speed, almost as fast a feral, and kill everything where it spawns, and not train it around the instance, saving you not only armor, but also saving you from forgetting about mobs that break the train and run back to their spawn (ie: hellfire mobs)

Feral is also very nice, and may in fact have better times than a DK in some dungeons, but if you have to run your alts after your main, you really can't afford to lose any mobs while you are training them around.

ALSO.. I think more people have geared DKs around here than ferals, but those of you who do, please make a video, my druids haven't been geared since BC...

It could come down to preference. I always preferred giant pulls, in instances where mobs didn't reset. I never wanted to move the toons. DK had some advantages, but I picked instances where feral was better for the pulls. My technique was do the biggest pulls as fast as possible without moving alts - Ferals move at 130%, sprint twice at 230%, charge 4 times, etc. I'd gather as much as possible, bring them back, swipe down. I'd just wait out the reset timers. Another technique is to have the alts follow and get everything down - Frost DK is clearly superior there. Feral just can't ranged pull that much, and swipe has limited use.

So I did BRD in 2 pulls (most of it at least), LBRS one giant pull of the lower level, Underbog - another giant pull up to the Hydra boss. Then 71-80, I really just did each instance once - the quests were getting the alts 50% or more of a level, with the pulls filling in the gaps. They hit 80 in a matter of hours.

I'll see if I can get another recording of my BRD, LBRS, and Underbog pulls. I had them on twitch but I guess they deleted over time.

[Shodokan]

UMMM... Frost DK is the fastest BY FAR to boost with... and I have all the mentioned classes. no way a paladin is anywhere as close as just aoe frosting everything so with a DK.. lol Feral druids are good too, but the DMG od a frost DK is just so high, and so great.

And I just boosted 2 teams from 1-80 on the weekend.

I wish I had that patience anymore >_>