Druids are versatile hybrids. They perform different roles using appropriate shape-shifting forms. They can have high armor and rage like a warrior in Bear Form, stealth and fight in melee like a rogue in Cat Form, or heal and nuke with spells in humanoid form. Through talents, they can enhance one or more of these roles and even gain a new form for healing (Tree Form) or nuking (Moonkin Form). Their talent trees are Balance, for nuking, Feral, for melee damage, Guardian tanking capabilities, and lastly, Restoration, for healing. With roughly equivalent gear, talents appropriate to the role, and in the hands of a skilled player, they can be just as effective as one of the classes dedicated to each role. They also bring certain additional utility, such as battle resurrection with Rebirth, and emergency or additional healing or tanking, should one of the people filling the primary role die, go offline, or otherwise be unable to fully manage with their role. Certain key differences do still exist, giving them both advantages and disadvantages in any given role.
Hunter
Hunters are the only class that can effectively use ranged weapons (bows, guns, or crossbows) as a primary source of damage. Very adept at kiting, they have plenty of tools to allow them to avoid melee combat, which is not where their strength lies. Hunters may tame many varieties of beasts to serve as combat pets, which along with an array of scouting, tracking, and survival abilities make them excellent solo characters. The three talent specializations for hunters are Marksmanship, Beast Mastery, and Survival. While all Hunter specializations are considered DPS, they achieve this using slightly different methods: Marksmanship hunters benefit from weapon-based damage bonuses to inflict high burst damage; Beast Mastery hunters have specialized abilities that increase their pet’s damage output; Survival hunters have improved traps and shots to keep their enemies at a distance while their DOT’s drain HP.