Symbiosis

[Akoko]

So it looks like the Blues have given us a little preview as to how Symbiosis (MoP Druid ability) will work:

Here's the process:


The Druid will select a raid or party member and cast Symbiosis on them.
The target cannot be another Druid.
The target gains a buff that tells them what spell they have temporarily learned, and that spell temporarily appears in their spellbook, and they can drag it to an action bar.
The Druid’s Symbiosis button will become the ability they gained from the target class.
The Symbiosis link is cancelled if: the Druid clicks off the Symbiosis buff, or the Druid or the target changes continents or enters or exits an instance, or the Druid or the target changes talent specializations.
Symbiosis fails to cast if Symbiosis is already active on that target.
Symbiosis cannot be cast in combat.
For the non-Druid target, the icon will revert to a placeholder (uncastable) Symbiosis icon when Symbiosis ends, but will become the Symbiosis-granted ability again the next time Symbiosis is cast on that target.
The ability gained from Symbiosis is always something chosen to match the Druid’s specialization and the target’s combat role.
The target always gets the same spell unless they change combat roles. A Druid of a given specialization always gets the same spell from each different class. If there is a change of specs, there is a change of spell.
Here are some examples of spells gained through Symbiosis. The spells shared focus on utility, cooldowns, and survival. (Adding Fireball to a Moonkin’s rotation sounds cool on paper, but wouldn’t actually be fun in the long run.)


Balance: Chains of Ice, Mirror Image, Mass Dispel
Feral: Feign Death (Play Dead!), Frost Nova, Soul Swap
Guardian: Ice Trap, Fear Ward, Consecration
Restoration: Ice Block, Hand of Sacrifice, Leap of Faith
Hunter: Dash
Warlock: Rejuvenation
Holy Paladin: Rebirth
Arms/Fury Warrior: Enrage
Enhancement/Elemental Shaman: Solar Beam


There are a lot more coming, but we'll keep some surprises for now, and many are still subject to change after testing.*


*Including all of those just listed.

This is looking awesome for mixed teams in both PvE and PvP aspects, but bleak for all-druid teams (as druids cannot cast it on each other) unless you are running BG's or LFR's, or running with another group of players.

Being pessimistic, an ability this awesome and difficult to balance would probably never make it to live servers. But I'm almost tempted to give up with my 5-druid team and start a new team with all different classes.

Opinions?

[Zub]

Mirror image moonkins haha, great!

[Nikita]

Solar beam + earthbind on healer + insta lava burst sounds like a killer for quad ele shaman comps