DreamgroveLevel 15
Brambles generally provides the highest DPS, since it gives more throughput than the extra Mauls you would get from the rage gained through the alternatives.
Bristling Fur is generally the best choice for survivability. It generates rage based on damage taken after mitigation, so you will generate a lot more rage if you use it with zero stacks or one stack of Ironfur up compared to two or three. It’s best used immediately preceding a period of very heavy physical damage.
Bristling Fur hypothetically can be strongest for DPS on single target if you are taking an extremely large amount of damage, and not spending rage on Ironfur. This will allow you to generate extra rage for additional casts of Maul. However, the benefit from the additional casts of Maul is actually quite low unless you are directly replacing a cast of Swipe in your rotation - if you are delaying Thrash or Mangle then the marginal gain is much lower. You also need to ensure you don’t waste any rage. In practice it is extremely hard, if not impossible, for Bristling Fur to beat Brambles in terms of DPS.
Blood Frenzy can be worth taking when you have several targets within Thrash range throughout the entire encounter. It may be worth using on very high fortified mythic+ dungeons, as enemies survive a reasonably long time, and do damage in a constant manner rather than in short bursts. It is generally not worth taking on fewer than 3 constant targets.
Level 30
Wild Charge is versatile movement cooldown and should be your default choice.
Tiger Dash may see use in situations where you need a very frequent movement speed burst, and can afford to be out of Bear Form.
Intimidating Roar is usually a poor choice. Many enemies can be disoriented by Incapacitating Roar but not by Intimidating Roar, so it actually reduces your utility in those situations.
Level 45
Restoration Affinity is a sensible default option if you are looking for any additional survivability. The healing it provides is rarely operative or overly impactful, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
Balance Affinity is not as good at 3 yards as it was at 5 yards. It can still be useful in specific situations where you need the range, but it should not be the default in all cases anymore.
Feral Affinity is useful for certain situations where the extra movement speed helps deal with a particular mechanic. It is also a required talent for catweaving, as it enables the Cat Form bleeds.
Level 60
Typhoon will be the most generally useful, although Mighty Bash and Mass Entanglement can be extremely good in certain specific situations.
Level 75
Soul of the Forest is the best talent defensively and offensively on exactly one target. If there are two or more targets or you are catweaving, Galactic Guardian outperforms Soul offensively and defensively.
For extreme burst aoe, Incarnation: Guardian of Ursoc is better for that particular period whilst it’s up. Naturally you lose a significant amount of DPS whilst it’s on cooldown, but this may still be worth it depending on your pulls. To best make use of Incarnation: Guardian of Ursoc, you should use it on a large pull when your DPS do not have their cooldowns ready.
Level 90
Guardian of Elune is ordinarily the best talent. It does not matter if you waste procs - this is irrelevant even in optimal play. To use it optimally, try to ensure that every Ironfur and Frenzied Regeneration you cast is buffed by Guardian of Elune - though naturally sometimes you will need to forego this in order to survive, and that’s fine.
Earthwarden is ordinarily not very good. It will provide less mitigation than Guardian of Elune in most situations. However, it shines when you are able to hit multiple enemies with Thrash, but are only taking hits from some of them, because they don’t melee you or because someone else is tanking them.
Survival of the Fittest is a minor DPS increase when paired with Brambles. It’s very minor, and if survivability is a concern at all, then it is not recommended for these purposes.
Survival of the Fittest is generally very weak for survivability. It is only useful (but does become the best talent) if you gain additional casts of Survival Instincts throughout the encounter that you actually need in order to survive particular boss mechanics.
Level 100
Pulverize is the best talent for survivability. For DPS, one one target it is very slightly ahead of Rend and Tear provided you execute the rotation optimally. It is far worse on two or more targets.
Rend and Tear is worse defensively than Pulverize in all situations. Offensively Rend and Tear is superior to Pulverize and is recommended even on single target, since it is very nearly even Pulverize when Pulverize is executed perfectly, and Rend and Tear requires far less effort to play.
Lunar Beam is the strongest ability for DPS on 6 or more targets, which could make it useful in certain dungeons. Defensively, it does not hold a candle to the other two.