Maul is druid's basic direct damage melee attack in Bear form. The ability increases the damage of the druid's next attack by a specific amount based on rank. In higher ranks, this ability also grants extra Threat generation. Druids gain this ability for free with the ability to use bear form.
Unlike all the other Bear form abilities, Maul affects the druid's next attack instead of causing an instant attack, therefore it doesn't trigger the global cooldown and the other attacks can be combined to hit at the same time that it does.
Rank table
Rank
Level
+Damage
+Threat
Cost
1
10
18
?
N/A
2
18
27
?
22
3
26
37
?
67
4
34
49
?
90
5
42
71
?
1 22
6
50
101
?
2 40
7
58
230-231
?
3 50
8
67
348
207
6 93 50
9
73
566-567
?
19
10
79
693-694
422
19
Notes
Rank 1 of this ability is learned automatically with [Bear Form].
This is the Bear Form ability that you'll be using the most for damage before obtaining [Cat Form] at level 20.
For tanking, this is the staple threat generation ability until you have [Mangle] and [Lacerate].
At level 70, Maul should be downplayed in favor of Lacerate and Mangle unless you have extra rage, because using Maul consumes rage and forfeits the rage gained by hitting the enemy with an autoattack.
You can keep using Lacerate and Mangle while a Maul is waiting to strike, since it's an "on the next attack" kind of ability.
Patch changes
Patch 3.0.2 (2008-10-14):Maul ranks changed base damage. Threat modifier also was changed.
Patch 2.0.3 (2007-01-09): Maul has had its threat bonus multiplier changed to a flat value similar in threat per time to [Heroic Strike].
Threat generation was changed from a 1.75 damage multiplier to a static +threat component