Balance Druid DPS Guide
Balance Druid Overview
Balance Druids harness the powers of the moon and sun, dealing Nature and Arcane damage from range. You gain bonus damage in Moonkin Form and follow a builder-spender playstyle focused on managing Astral Power. Balance brings strong utility and sustained AoE, with multiple cooldowns to maintain uptime and deliver bursts.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths
Excellent long-term AoE due to Starfall, Moonfire, Sunfire, and Starfire.
Good survivability through Bear Form and Barkskin synergy.
High control and utility from Entangling Roots, Typhoon, Innervate, and more.
Weaknesses
Long setup for multi-target fights, weak multi-target burst.
Limited talent flexibility, with many required picks in each build.
Patch 11.1 Changes
Minimal changes to Balance core abilities.
Druid class tree has been overhauled for improved talent pathing.
Removal of low-impact nodes and reorganization offers more player choice.
Hero Talent Trees
Keeper of the Grove
Focuses on Force of Nature and Harmony of the Grove.
Boosts Convoke the Spirits and excels in single-target content.
Control of the Dream slightly outperforms Power of the Dream.
Elune's Chosen
Choice between Fury of Elune or Full Moon.
Boundless Moonlight empowers these, with high cleave potential.
Starfire becomes dominant; cleave excels when enemies are stacked.
Higher Mythic+ potential, less optimal for single-target.
Season 2 Performance
Keeper of the Grove is the preferred raid tree.
Elune's Chosen better supports AoE/Cleave in Mythic+.
Rotation Priorities
Avoid Astral Power Capping: Starsurge and Starfall should be used before overcapping.
DoT Priority Targets: Apply Moonfire/Sunfire for Mastery bonus. Don’t overdo it on minor enemies.
Cooldown Usage: Use Incarnation and Celestial Alignment on cooldown. Don’t sit on them.
Eclipse Uptime: Maintain constant Eclipse. Use Wrath or Starfire to switch forms.
Stat Priority
Mastery > Haste > Versatility > Crit
Consumables
Use best-in-slot flasks, potions, and food that boost Mastery or Intellect.
Professions
Leatherworking: Craft high-end gear.
Alchemy: Make your own potions.
Enchanting: Self-supply gear enchants.
Best Races
Horde
Troll: Best DPS racial with Berserking.
Highmountain Tauren: Good survivability for M+ with Bull Rush.
Alliance
Night Elf: Slight DPS gain, Shadowmeld utility.
Worgen: Extra movement via Darkflight.