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Barkskin

Barkskin

Instant	1 min cooldown

Requires Druid (Balance, Guardian, Restoration)
Requires level 44

The Druid's skin becomes as tough as bark, reducing all damage taken by 20% for 12 sec. While protected, damaging attacks will not cause spellcasting delays.

Usable while stunned, frozen, incapacitated, feared, or asleep, and in all forms.

Buff

Spell Details

Duration

12 seconds

School

Nature

Mechanic

n/a

Dispel type

n/a

GCD category

n/a

Cost

None

Range

0 yards (Self)

Cast time

Instant

Cooldown

1 minute

GCD

0 seconds

Effect #1

Apply Aura: Dummy (127)
Value: 100
Server-side script

Effect #2

Apply Aura: Mod % Damage Taken (Arcane, Fire, Frost, Holy, Nature, Physical, Shadow)
Value: -20%

Effect #3

Apply Aura: Mod Mechanic Duration % (Interrupted)

Effect #4

Apply Aura: Decrease Pushback Time by % (Arcane, Fire, Frost, Holy, Nature, Physical, Shadow)
Value: 100%

Flags

Guides

Balance Druid Guide

Feral Druid Guide

Guardian Druid Guide

Raid and Class
cooldown list.

Ranged DPS
Overview -
Tips and Specs

Restoration Druid Guide

Restoration Druid
PVE Guide [5.4.0]

Warlords of Draenor
Druid Changes

[L90 / MoP]
Guardian Druid Tanking
Guide (Update Pending)

Comments

Comment by Txero33

You can use this spell to channel Hurricane or Tranquility with no interruptions no matter how many mobs are hitting you.

Comment by McBainXIV

This got buffed massively. I remember when it was first introduced, it had the same effects, but added an extra 1 second of casting time to every spell. Without any downsides and a low mana cost, any moonkin druid should use this frequently, as well as a resto druid with aggro. It's also a fantastic PvP ability.

Comment by Jallel

Introduced in 2.1

"Barkskin" now reduces all damage taken, with its duration reduced to 12 seconds and cooldown reduced to 1 minute. The tooltip has been adjusted to indicate this ability can be used while frozen, incapacitated, or cowering in fear. That functionality was already present, but not listed in the tooltip.

That would mean it also reduces spell damage. Great buff to use against shadow priests, locks and mages, specially for the first two since they can fear.

Comment by Sahrish

In PvP, sometimes it is better to use this purely for damage mitigation rather than pushback prevention. If you choose to do this, realize that the best time to use Barkskin is when you're taking the most damage in a short period of time -- many people do not realize this. To name an example situation or two:

If a Shadow Priest or Affliction Warlock is placing DoTs on you (unless they're being Dispelled): wait until all the DoTs are on you before you use Barkskin; you will be taking more damage during this period of time rather than a period of time including the casting of the DoT effects, and so you will get more out of Barkskin.

If a Mage is about to PoM Pyroblast you (you will be able to tell in 2.3 when Magic buffs will be visible to hostile players; their PoM buff and probably other scary things like Arcane Power will show up): in this case, it's often best to stop whatever you're doing and hit Barkskin before you even take the first hit, otherwise you will take full damage from the Mage and only mitigate its afterward attempt to finish you off (which will be weak in comparison to the blow you just took). Say you get hit with a Pyroblast and Fire Blast combo for a net 6k damage. If you had used Barkskin beforehand, you just dropped that down to 4.8k total damage.

Other situations include when you are trapped by a Hunter and are about to be hit by an Aimed Shot, or if a Mage has Arcane Power active, or if a Feral Druid has placed the majority of its bleed effects on you, and the list goes on.

The key to using this ability effectively is preempting if you will need it to prevent pushback or not, and if you don't, it is figuring out the peak in which you will take the most damage and making sure that you use the ability just before this peak occurs.

Also, never use this when you are Cycloned -- it will cause the cooldown to begin, but you will not recieve the Barkskin buff. I believe this is being fixed in 2.3.

Comment by IronSoul231

One thing I have not seen is the impact of barkskin in tanking, particularly in a fight where the first moment is very bursty in damage. The question is, does this ability reduce damage coming in after armor mitigates it, or before?

Comment by Aumann450

So, I love barkskin.
I was just in an EOTS where it was about 1850 to 1850, two bases each, and whoever got the flag would basically win. Everyone was at mid, mages running around aoeing and junk.
I run in, use barkskin, no one stuns me and I take the flag and run.
<3 Barkskin
I would imagine this also works with capping flags in AB

Comment by Aurura

it's a good tanking too, too.
even though it's not castable in feral forms, quickly popping out and in will take about 2 seconds, a decent sacrifice for -20% damage for 15 secs

Comment by oracledragon

Use this in Gruuls Lair on the shatters... it massively cuts down on the damage received if someone is too close to you. Even on bad ones I finish above 50% health, while those around me die. Excellent spell for use against Gruul.

Comment by Raphner

Why in gods earth cant shamanistic be like this?

his spell is usable while stunned, frozen, incapacitated, feared or asleep.

Comment by Pokin

PTR notes for patch 2.4.3 state: Barkskin: The cost of this spell is now reduced by Tree of Life Form

Comment by Shoningun

Barkskin Cannot be Used As A Bubble hearth I Know i is sad too

Comment by pelf

As of 3.x, Barkskin is now usable in feral forms.

Just think, ye new Druids, of the hardships of your progenitors. Think well, and respect our journey :).

Comment by Nulgar

usable in all forms as of beta build 8962

Comment by mimicron

Not usable when silenced?
Edit. Ghostcrawler mentions that they are thinking about it.
Edit2. http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=47585 is castable while silenced.

Comment by jeremyoo

Is that your armor or part of the spell?

Comment by Corindian

Does this reduce falling damage?

Comment by mattroszel

does not proc omen of clarity

Comment by nietsissimpel

Best use of Barkskin ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-WOqggBTb4&feature=related

Watch from the 7 minute mark and see how a barkskin saves a LK HC kill.

Comment by George14

Stacks with Ironbark.

Comment by Austin601

As of 5.4, barkskin has a 30 second cooldown

Comment by Teryx

"Usable in all forms." Except, of course, if you should happen to be in flight form.

Barkskin

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