Moonkin is one of only two shapeshift forms in which a druid can deal weapon damage (the other is Tree of Life Form). In feral forms, damage dealt is feral, not weapon damage.
There are a few places where change of appearance can allow you to ride mounts in Moonkin Form, such as places were you get the fel orc costume, or vehicles in Ulduar. Shifting into Moonkin Form will not change your appearance, just give you the bonuses to Armor and Crit, and it is possible to mount. Leaving such an area will not dismount you but you will gain your moonkin appearance, making you a mounted moonkin. This same trick can be done in Wetlands with the Cursed Sailors.
Players have given the Moonkin Form many nicknames. These are normally short and end with -kin; some of them are: Boomkin or Boomie, a moonkin druid with a high damage output; Oomkin, a moonkin with poor mana regen; Doomkin, a good PvP moonkin (rarely used); noob/newbkin, a bad/inexperienced moonkin druid; and Panzerkin, a tanking moonkin. Sometimes these nicknames are used to describe a particular druid, but most of the time players use them as a general term. Many moonkin druids find some of these nicknames insulting.
As new races became able to become druids, new colours and models were added.
Moonkin did not get additional customisation features in Legion, unlike Feral and Guardian druids, but the model was updated for higher quality.
Gallery[]
A night elf and a tauren in Moonkin Form.
Tauren Moonkin Form, also used for Highmountain tauren prior to patch 8.1.0.
Patch 7.1.0 (2016-10-25): Now learned at level 20 (was 18). The Owlkin Frenzy buff has been moved to Rank 2, learned at level 54, and now only affects the next Lunar Strike (was all damaging spells).
Patch 7.0.3 (2016-07-19): Now causes single-target attacks against the druid to have a 15% chance make their next damaging spell instant. Armor bonus increased to 200% (up from 100%), but no longer increases Mastery. Now learned at level 18 (was 16). Models updated.
Patch 6.0.2 (2014-10-14): Now grants increased Mastery instead of 5% to Spell Haste.
Hotfix (2014-01-08):Moonkin Form now increases the Druid's armor by 100% (up from 60%).
Patch 5.4.0 (2013-09-10): Now increases the Druid's armor by 60%, but no longer reduces all damage taken by 15%.
Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28): Now a level 16 Balance ability (was a tier 3 Balance talent), and reduces damage taken by 15% instead of increasing armor from items by 120%. Additionally, Moonkin Form has a new spell channeling animation and druids can now ride mounts while in Moonkin Form.
Patch 4.0.6 (2011-02-08): Now reduces all damage taken by 15%, instead of increasing armor.
Patch 4.0.3a (2010-11-23): Worgen and Troll colours added.
Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12): Moved from tier 7 to tier 3 and redesigned. While in this form your Arcane and Nature spell damage is increased by 10%, the armor contribution from items is increased by 120%, and grants 5% spell haste to all nearby friendly and raid targets within 100 yards. The Moonkin can not cast healing or resurrection spells while shapeshifted.
Old: While in this form the armor contribution from items is increased by 370% and all party and raid members within 45 yards have their spell critical chance increased by 5%. Single target spell critical strikes in this form have a chance to instantly regenerate 2% of your total mana. The Moonkin can only cast Balance, Remove Curse, and Abolish Poison spells while shapeshifted.
Patch 3.2.2 (2009-09-22): This form now also reduces the damage the druid takes while stunned by 15%.
Patch 3.0.2 (2008-10-14): No longer increases your attack power or causes you to regenerate mana off melee attacks, but now has a chance to cause you to instantly regenerate 2% of your total mana every time you critically hit with a spell.
Patch 2.4.0 (2008-03-25): Druids that were in[Moonkin Form will now be able to auto-shift out to mount up.