Druid is the most versatile class in World of Warcraft. And if this is your first time creating one, there’s no doubt that the experience will be extremely fun and refreshing, even if you mess up with the race choice.
But if you’re a player that likes to min-max and always play the best possible race-class combination, this will be the guide for you.
I’ll give you the two absolute best races for a druid in World of Warcraft Dragonlflight, as well as Wrath of the Lich King Classic.
But let me give you a few notes first.
While it’s true that your race will have a direct impact on how your druid performs, it shouldn’t be the only aspect you consider when you create your character. This is because different druid specs have different optimal choices for races, some of which are Alliance and some Horde.
For example, a tank druid’s best race combo is Tauren. But if you’re an Alliance player who doesn’t want to forsake his friends, you should go for the overall best race for your faction.
That said, here I’ve highlighted the two best races for playing a druid both as an Alliance and as a Horde player.
Let’s go.
Which Race Should You Play as a Druid?
Horde – Troll
Trolls have the upper hand when it comes to playing a druid in retail WoW, almost for every spec. Their racials align perfectly well with the playstyle of most druids, giving them huge advantages in both PvE and PvP.
Here are the bonuses that Troll druids get:
- Regeneration – Health regeneration rate increased by 10%. 10% of total Health regeneration may continue during combat.
- Beast Slaying – Experience gains from killing Beasts increased by 20%.
- Berserking – Increases your haste by 15% for 10 sec.
- Da Voodoo Shuffle – Reduces the duration of all movement impairing effects by 20%. Trolls be flippin’ out mon!
Out of these racial abilities, Berserking is the most important one. When activated, it helps you pump way more damage and healing as a feral, balance, and even restoration druid. It’s off GCD which means you can use it in combination with another similar spell or trinket, or to macro them together.
But Regeneration is also a key benefit for druids, especially feral and restoration. The bonus healing adds a lot of sustainability while fighting and it’s something no other race can replicate.
Besides, Troll druids look really cool. They’re the only race in the game that offers flashy colors and customization for all of your animal forms, including pink, bright green, and red.
Personally, I love the Troll race and have played a Troll druid in the end game. Their voice lines are pretty cool and their overall shamanic aesthetic is something I vibe with.
And lastly, most transmog sets for druids look natural on Trolls which is something to consider if you like to stay stylish as a druid.
Read Also: The Best Support Class in World of Warcraft
Alliance – Night Elf
If you’re an Alliance player, your best bet for a druid is Night Elf. There’s no circling around it, Night Elves are the most fitting race for playing a druid in the entire World of Warcraft, gameplay and lore-wise.
Night Elf druids have everything you need to succeed even in the end game, so here are their racials:
- Nature Resistance – Reduces Nature damage taken by 1%.
- Wisp Spirit – Transform into a wisp upon death, increasing speed by 75%.
- Quickness – Increases your chance to dodge melee and ranged attacks by 2%, and your movement speed by 2%.
- Shadowmeld – Activate to slip into the shadows, reducing the chance for enemies to detect your presence. Lasts until canceled or upon moving. Any threat is restored versus enemies still in combat upon cancellation of this effect.
- Touch of Elune – Increases your Haste by 1% during the night. Increases your Critical Strike by 1% during the day.
As you can see, all of these abilities give you the effects that you want on your druid. However, two of them really impact your gameplay significantly.
First, Shadowmeld is the active Night Elf racial. When you use it, you become stealthed, effectively dropping all aggro from you. This may not sound like much, but the applications of this spell are actually huge.
For instance, you can save so much time while leveling as a Night Elf druid because you can run through an entire group of mobs, press Shadowmeld to reset them, and continue your way.
Also, you can macro Shadowmeld together with your Prowl in cat form to instantly remove yourself from your enemy’s target and become invisible. This is one of the best racial uses in PvP.
And second, Wisp Spirit is one of my favorite effects in WoW. Basically, it gives you bonus movement speed when you die as a Night Elf, allowing you to quickly reach your corpse and respawn. And if you’re anything like me and value speed and efficiency, you’re going to love this effect!
Finally, Night Elves also have tons of customization options some of which are unique and available only to them. For example, they can put leaves and vines in their beards and hairs which goes so well with playing a druid.
And as a bonus, you’ll get to do front flips all night long!
Read Also: The Best Class & Spec for Beginners in World of Warcraft
The Best Druid Race in Wrath of the Lich King Classic
Unfortunately in WOTLK, you do not have much choice when it comes to playing a druid since Night Elves and Taurens are the only two races that can access this class.
But Night Elf is a slightly better choice for a druid over Tauren in WoW Classic.
Almost all of the benefits I listed above apply to Night Elves in Classic too and they’re the go-to race for anyone who likes to unlock the full potential of his druid.
On the other hand, a Tauren druid does have an upper hand when it comes to playing the tank druid spec. They generally have more stamina than Night Elves, so it’s a good choice if you’re Horde.
But overall, both races are on a similar power level which shouldn’t impact your decisions too much.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the best race for your druid in World of Warcraft depends on what you actually do in the game. And if you aren’t going for end-game raiding or doing mythic plus above 15, you should choose the race you like the most.
Forcing yourself to play a race is never a good strategy in WoW and it only means that you’ll give up on that character. I’ve done this several times in the past and I’ve learned that I should only play what I truly enjoy.
So, what is the race you like the most for a druid?
