Potential Feral DPS spec (PvE, PvP)

I'll be honest. I currently like the Feral tree. I like that there are abilities that are solely for Bear and Cat, although Bear has many more. It doesn't bother me one bit that I'm dropping 16 points into the Resto Tree, however, I can understand Bear Druid's not liking this given the several "must-have" survival talents that I'm skipping.

Raiding
Here's the spec I'm considering at this point. This could easily change once I'm in the mist of Northrend: Raiding Feral DPS!

Let's discuss a few...

Feral Aggression: This one is up in the air and may be one of the first that gets left behind. It seems to me that Blizzard is attempting to buff Ferocious Bite. If they're successful, this talent is a "must-have" for cats. If Ferocious Bite is a bust, you'll see all five points out of there very quickly.

Survival Instinct: This one point talent is really geared towards Tank Druids however I can't DPS if I'm dead this could be a nice little tool to increase my survivability and maximize damage output.

Feral Charge: I'd argue that the main focus of Cat Feral Charge is within PvP. Yet still, The Burning Crusade showed us a wealth of movement heavy fights. Having this can get me to and behind my target quicker.

King of the Jungle: This new talent has me all hot and bothered! Not only have they changed Tiger's Fury so that it's usable but now it can return energy in Cat form!!

Rend and Tear: A very nice new talent that will be a very incredible talent if the buff to Ferocious Bite is good enough for raid DPS.

Berserker: FINALLY! We have a "burn them!" ability. Fifty percent less energy needed per ability is nothing short of awesomesause! Right now, I feel if you're not using this ability more than once per boss fight, you're wrong.

PvP
I'm very optimistic about some of the additions we've gotten for everyday PvP damage, burst damage, and survivability. Here's what I'm considering: PvP Feral DPS

Now this is a bit more tricky as I'm skipping talents that I'd really love to have.

As you can quickly see, I've already abandoned Feral Aggression and Rend and Tear. I will do some of my own testing and trying to find information from others about Ferocious Bite being usable in PvP. I use it now from time to time but it's usually trying to finish off someone instead of hoping for the big numbers to down someone at half health.

Thick Hide and Survival Instincts: Again with survivability, the longer I'm alive the longer I'm killing those nasty Horde.

Primal Tenacity: This seems like a must with Fearing Warlocks and Hunter and the constant stun locking Rogues. And with the addition of using Barkskin while feared or stunned AND in the form of our choice, we should be able to get back into the fight with more than 20% health left.

Infected Wounds: Those healers won't be running from me anymore and watch out Rogues and Enhancement Shamans cause you'll be hitting me slower. Muhahahaha!

Berserker: This is going to be perfect for those situations where you're trying to finish someone off and you need that little extra mojo to get them on their backs. I can't wait.

Hanging up my Leaves.

Playing a Druid for three years, from Zul'Gurub to Sunwell Plateau has been awesome. The Druid has truly ruined alts for me. I may play one from time to time, even get one to 70, but not long after logging in, I wanna go running back to my Druid, Abryanna Ysera US.

Starting with all paws
She was started on a brand new server, Kirin Tor US, and like most, I leveled Feral. I fumbled my way through levels 1-19 but things started looking up from there. Oh yes... Cat form! Suddenly I was a rogue who could heal and tank, what more could I ask for? Well, I could have asked for better itemized gear, for starters. I was heavy into PvP at first but couldn't dedicate the time that others could to get the famed ranks. Yet, early in my days of level 60, I was bit by the raiding bug and was able to get involved with a above-average casual raiding guild. One that was still at the early stages of Zul'Gurub, so I hadn't missed much.

Old School Raiding
I was Feral for all of Zul'Gurub and about half of Molten Core but all you Druids out there know the story: Feral for Trash; Healing for Boss... I had had enough when my healing gear was vastly growing over my meager 2-3 non-set rogue pieces that I always pray would drop.

I took to full-time healing quickly, both in PvE and PvP, and never looked back. Soon our little casual raiding guild got new leadership and reformed as Relentless Dawn Kirin Tor US and tried to shave off the casual part. We bested Molten Core, Blackwing Lair, and our crown accomplishment of killing C'Thun in the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj. Sadly we were only able to get through half of Naxxaramas prior to release of the Burning Crusade.

The Burning Crusade
The first expansion brought new hope for Feral but I wasn't biting yet (no pun intended). I had made my commitment to Resto and I was loving it.

While Relentless Dawn was knocking our collective heads on Tier 5 content, a real life crisis came upon me: My oldest son, of three, was starting First Grade! The added attention from me, that I felt my family needed, was superseding my desire to jump online moments after dinner to raid. I though my raiding days where over until I was able to find the guild Midwinter Ysera US who was only one boss ahead of Relentless Dawn's progression but raided with a PST schedule. Being able to have the family time needed and ability to raid after the children where in bed saved my raiding career.

I've been with Midwinter for over a year now and it has been a ridiculously, incredible ride that's been topped off with curing the Sunwell by laying Kil'jaeden and all his minions to a bloody demise!

Wrath of the Lich King
So here we are now... we've accomplished all that we can and we're all eagerly awaiting the second expansion but now something has happened that I did not expect. That Feral within me, which I've suppressed for years, is swelling again and as I read all the Feral Cat changes, coupled with Blizzard's expressed desire to make all DPS classes equal in damage output, I've not been able to contain myself. I'm re-speccing Feral seconds after raid instead of just on the weekend. I'm blowing all my PvP honor/points on Feral gear only. I'm skimming over the developer notes for Restoration and Tanking and going straight for Cat DPS.

So here's where this blog comes into play. For Wrath of the Lich King, I will be hanging up my leaves and going full-time Feral DPS. I'm hoping this blog can be used to track and chronicle my transformation and hopefully tout the accomplishments and viability of Feral DPS.