Dire Bear Form

Dire Bear Form
	Dire Bear Form (1 rank); Level 40 druid ability; 35% of base mana; Instant; Shapeshift into dire bear form, increasing melee attack power by (your level* 3), armor contribution from cloth and leather items by 370%, and Stamina by 25%. Also protects the caster from Polymorph effects and allows the use of various bear abilities.; ; The act of shapeshifting frees the caster of Polymorph and Movement Impairing effects.;
Properties
Class	Druid
School	Physical
Cooldown	None/Global Cooldown
Other information
Level learned	40
Related buff
	; Dire Bear Form ; Immune to Polymorph effects. Increases melee attack power by (Your Level x 3), armor contribution from items by 370%, and Stamina by 25%. ;

The second version of [Bear Form], gained at level 40. This form is meant to mimic the armor transition from mail to plate that warrior and paladins go through. 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.

Notes

Shapeshifting breaks snare, root, and [Polymorph] effects.
Can use Bear Form Abilities.
Threat generated is 1.3x base value
The attack speed for Bear and Dire bear forms is 2.50.
This is essentially a more powerful version of [Bear Form], and learning it prevents the Druid from using Bear Form.
This form essentially mirrors the armor change of warriors and paladins from mail to plate at level 40.
The armor bonus is only affect cloth and leather items, and not item modifiers (enchantments, armor kits, etc). For example, a [Blackened Defias Belt] with 50 base armor, and a +24 armor from [Heavy Armor Kit] will count for:
- 164 armor in Bear form (164 = 50 + 50 * 1.8 + 24)
- 259 armor in Dire Bear form ( 259 = 50 + 50 * 3.7 + 24)
- 259 armor in Moonkin form ( 259 = 50 + 50 * 3.7 + 24)

Talent improvement

In Restoration:

[Furor] gives you a 20-100% chance to gain 10 Rage when you change into Bear Form.

In Feral Combat:

[Feral Swiftness] increases your chance to dodge while in Bear Form by 2-4%.
[Sharpened Claws] increases your critical strike chance by 2-6% while in Bear Form.
[Predatory Strikes] increases your melee attack power by 50-150% of your level and 7-20% of any attack power of your equipped weapon while in Bear Form.
[Primal Fury] gives you a chance to get 5 extra Rage when you land a critical hit.
[Heart of the Wild] increases your stamina by 2-10% while in Bear Form.
[Natural Reaction] increases your dodge chance by 2-6% and you regenerate 1-3 Rage every time you dodge while in Bear Form.
[Leader of the Pack] increases ranged and melee critical strike chance of all party members within 45 yards by 5% while in Bear Form.
[Improved Leader of the Pack] adds crit-triggered 2-4% healing to the aura.
[Protector of the Pack] increases your attack power by 2-6% and reduces all damage taken by 4-12% while in Bear Form.

Tips and tactics

Dire Bear form is simply an improved Bear form; standard Bear form tactics apply.

Patch changes

Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12): Removed. [Bear Form] now is the only tanking form.
Patch 3.2.0 (2009-08-04): Mana energizes that occur while in this form will now appear in the combat log and floating combat text.
Patch 3.0.8 (2009-01-20): Armor contribution only affect cloth and leather items and does not affect bonus armor.
Patch 3.0.2 (2008-10-14): Armor contribution from items has been lowered from 400% to 370%
Patch 2.1.0 (2007-05-22): The bonus health from shapeshifting into this form will again be removed correctly when shifting out of this form.
Patch 2.0.10 (2007-03-06): Now grants 25% increased stamina instead of 25% increased health. In addition, the armor bonus has been reduced from 450% to 400%.
Patch 1.6.0 (2005-07-12):
- Shapeshifting will now counteract the slowing effects of frost — based spells (Frostbolt, Frost Shock, Cone of Cold, etc.).
- Druid shapeshift form buttons are no longer dimmed while under the effects of Polymorph.
Patch 1.4.0 (2005-04-19): Shapeshifting into an animal form will now remove Polymorph effects.
Patch 1.2.0 (2004-12-18): Armor bonus increased from 125% to 360%.
Patch 0.12 (2004-10-11):
- Shapeshifting now breaks roots, snares, and freeze effects.
- Shapeshift forms now include an immunity to polymorph effects.
- HP gain increased.
Patch 0.9 (2004-08-17):
- Now considered a beast in Dire Bear Form.
- Shapeshifting will no longer cancel all buffs on the Druid.
- Shapeshifting cooldown reduced from 10 to 1.5 seconds.
- Druids now regenerate mana while in shape shift form.
- When shapeshifting into and out of Bear/Dire Bear forms, you should now end with the same % of health as you had in the previous form.
- Dire Bear Form's melee damage increased.
- [Bear Form] and Dire Bear Form mana cost slightly reduced.