Bear Form

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Bear Form is the second shapeshift ability learned by a druid. This form has tank-like abilities, similar to a warrior. While in Bear Form, the druid's mana bar is replaced by a rage bar. The druid's armor and Stamina are also boosted.

For Guardian druids, Bear Form now also increases armor by 285%, reduces magical damage taken by 10%, reduces the chance to be critically hit by 6%, and reduces the chance for attacks to be parried by 3%. Note that as of patch 6.0.2, this information is not displayed in the ability's tooltip, or anywhere else in-game.

• As a druid, you really need to get a feel for when to change forms. Early on in the game, you may find it useful to cast a few long range spells, such as Moonfire, then change to Bear Form when an enemy gets close.
• Bear Form is generally good to use against non-casters or those with higher armor, since you do higher melee damage, but at a slower attack speed.
• If you're not sure if you can handle your (melee) enemy(s) (i.e. higher level, may be adds), use Bear Form until you get a feel for the fight.
• Also, as a tank, Bear Form has a pretty reliable taunt to draw aggro away from more squishy party members.
• In Bear Form, or as a Druid in general, you cannot block or parry, so your only method of ignoring damage is through dodging. However, keep in mind that you do not gain rage from dodging an attack.

• Each race has a distinct model for its Bear Forms, and there are five different textures for each model. These textures correspond to the skin tone of Tauren druids, or the hair color of the other races. Druids can change their design at any time by visiting a barbershop and choosing a new skin tone or hair color as appropriate for their race. Since there are more hair colors and skin tones than unique textures, some colors and tones will produce the same designs. The hair and skin colors chosen will, in most cases, correspond to the colors seen in the design of each form.
• Prior to 4.0.1, you had to complete the Bear Form quest chain, starting with the quest Heeding the Call to get Bear Form. It is now simply trainable at any druid trainer.
• Can only use Bear Form abilities, with the exception of Barkskin.
• You are considered a beast, so abilities that target beasts can be used on you. On the flip side, abilities like Mind Control won't.
• Shapeshifting breaks snare effects. As such, a much used principle is Powershifting, using or alike, to instantly shift out and in, breaking snares at the cost of some mana and a global cooldown.
• The Bear Form also makes you immune to Turkey Shooter.
• Your caster form will start regaining mana immediately after you change to Bear Form, with a convenient extra mana bar displayed below the rage bar.
• You cannot parry or block in Bear Form, so your only method of ignoring damage is dodge.
• Druids in Bear Form generate 500% of the normal threat.
• The attack speed in Bear Form is 2.50. Weapon damage is normalized so that DPS remains the same.
• The armor bonus is only applied to natural armor (received from white effects), and not item modifiers (enchantments, armor kits, etc).
• Auto-attacks generate 5 Rage.

• Bear Form (Heroes of Azeroth), TCG card