Faerie Fire (Feral) is one of only two ranged pulling tools (the other being Growl) available to Guardian Druids for tagging mobs from range and establishing initial snap Threat on them. When cast in Bear Form, this spell typically generates Threat according to the formula Threat = Damage x 5 + 240 (or equivalently Threat = (Damage + 48) x 5), where 5 is the usual global Threat multiplier for tank specs. However, in Cata Classic, if Faerie Fire (Feral) is the first spell used by the Druid to tag a mob that is already engaged in combat with another NPC or player, then the Damage-to-Threat conversion in this formula is completely ignored, and the ability always generates a flat 240 Threat. This is effectively 0 by level 85 standards, and makes the ability useless for pulling a mob that has already targeted a healer when it spawns. In contrast, if the Druid tags the mob in some other way first (with Growl for example), then the first Faerie Fire cast generates the expected (large) snap Threat that it should.
This bug is usually just a minor nuisance when tanking, but creates major issues for certain raid encounters where Druid off-tanks are often responsible for picking up adds from range. For example, on the Maloriak encounter, adds typically spawn in sets of 3, and immediately bee-line to a healer once active. As a result, a standard approach for picking them up as a bear off-tank is to Charge to one, tag a second from range with Growl, and tag the third from range with Faerie Fire (Feral). Due to the Threat bug with FFF, this third tag is completely useless and generates inconsequential Threat relative to passive healer aggro. For this reason, a prompt fix now rather than later would be particularly valuable for guilds who are still progressing Heroic versions of add fights in the current tier.
1.2. How to Reproduce
Find a mob that you are not currently in combat with, but which is already in combat with another player or NPC. An easy way to find such mobs is at the start of the Hyjal zone, where mobs hyper-spawn on guards and immediately engage them. Another way to reproduce the bug is by getting another player not in the Druid's party to initiate combat.
Cast Faerie Fire (Feral) from Bear Form on the mob, and measure the damage + Threat values from the cast using the in-game API. You will find that a successful cast deals the expected amount of damage (several thousand) to the target, but always generates only 240 Threat (24000 using non-normalized API query).
Now that you are in combat with the mob, wait for Faerie Fire (Feral) to come off cooldown after the above cast, then cast it again. This time, you will find that the ability generates the full Threat value associated with the damage dealt (tens of thousands), according to the formula above.
1.3 Source Material
2. Expected Behavior
2.1. Description
Faerie Fire (Feral) should always convert damage done into Threat at the standard 5x rate for bear tanks, regardless of whether the ability is used for an initial mob tag or as part of the steady state rotation.
Artemishowl
commented
1 month ago 
raethkcj
1. Current Behavior
1.1. Description
Faerie Fire (Feral) is one of only two ranged pulling tools (the other being Growl) available to Guardian Druids for tagging mobs from range and establishing initial snap Threat on them. When cast in Bear Form, this spell typically generates Threat according to the formula
Threat = Damage x 5 + 240(or equivalentlyThreat = (Damage + 48) x 5), where 5 is the usual global Threat multiplier for tank specs. However, in Cata Classic, if Faerie Fire (Feral) is the first spell used by the Druid to tag a mob that is already engaged in combat with another NPC or player, then the Damage-to-Threat conversion in this formula is completely ignored, and the ability always generates a flat 240 Threat. This is effectively 0 by level 85 standards, and makes the ability useless for pulling a mob that has already targeted a healer when it spawns. In contrast, if the Druid tags the mob in some other way first (with Growl for example), then the first Faerie Fire cast generates the expected (large) snap Threat that it should.This bug is usually just a minor nuisance when tanking, but creates major issues for certain raid encounters where Druid off-tanks are often responsible for picking up adds from range. For example, on the Maloriak encounter, adds typically spawn in sets of 3, and immediately bee-line to a healer once active. As a result, a standard approach for picking them up as a bear off-tank is to Charge to one, tag a second from range with Growl, and tag the third from range with Faerie Fire (Feral). Due to the Threat bug with FFF, this third tag is completely useless and generates inconsequential Threat relative to passive healer aggro. For this reason, a prompt fix now rather than later would be particularly valuable for guilds who are still progressing Heroic versions of add fights in the current tier.
1.2. How to Reproduce
Find a mob that you are not currently in combat with, but which is already in combat with another player or NPC. An easy way to find such mobs is at the start of the Hyjal zone, where mobs hyper-spawn on guards and immediately engage them. Another way to reproduce the bug is by getting another player not in the Druid's party to initiate combat.
Cast Faerie Fire (Feral) from Bear Form on the mob, and measure the damage + Threat values from the cast using the in-game API. You will find that a successful cast deals the expected amount of damage (several thousand) to the target, but always generates only 240 Threat (24000 using non-normalized API query).
Now that you are in combat with the mob, wait for Faerie Fire (Feral) to come off cooldown after the above cast, then cast it again. This time, you will find that the ability generates the full Threat value associated with the damage dealt (tens of thousands), according to the formula above.
1.3 Source Material
2. Expected Behavior
2.1. Description
Faerie Fire (Feral) should always convert damage done into Threat at the standard 5x rate for bear tanks, regardless of whether the ability is used for an initial mob tag or as part of the steady state rotation.