#2
by RoyalSeraphim
There are a couple problems with that type of build. One, if you are all for group buffs and heals, there is a higher chance that you would be hated on. You know why? Only some mobs have Area of Effect skills. To top it all off, your group heal, Nature's Breath only does a fraction of the heal compared to single-target heal, Nature's Touch. Next, the Warding skills aren't all that powerful even at max, which is not very useful in this update. The rsnge is limited, if you are leveling in a group, chances are, the heal wont get to everyone as most people would be scatted all throughout the area, the range is limited. If you plan on giving the group abundance, then you would have to touch their balls just to cast the darn skill. If you so choose to do Area of Effect leveling, then it isn't very useful, low damage, and wont do much help, gets in the way of rather casting a more useful skill to keep the group alive. Sanctuary, the new skill, it is full of hamster pellets, doesn't do anything but negate but a fraction of the mob's damage, and would likely kill someone in the group. There are other problems with an Area of Effect druid, these are just a tiny part of it. Let's recap, slow cooldown, low duration, low effectiveness, mobs don't usually use Area of Effect skills all the time, and furthermore, it isn't useful in this update.
So, I would suggest what I do. I have Nature's Touch, Abundance, Sanctuary, and Nature's Breath handy just in case people need some heals and some damage negation for the full heal's cooldown to come. With a Nature's Touch - Nature's Breath - Nature's Touch combination, you can get someone, even a tank at full health in no time. By the time the Nature's Breath is cast, Nature's Touch's cooldown is already down, so you can recast. Sanctuary is for emergencies during Area of Effect skills. I use it right before using Nature's Breath.