Balance Druid Compendium
Written by Gamz, Vinter, Dsune(Oi)
News
Forum Feedback Post
- As is tradition, a handful of people from the Dreamgrove community have spent time collecting feedback to help the developers as we look towards 11.0.7 and beyond. The post is focused in part on changes made in 11.0.5, but also touches on some fundamental concerns with the spec. If you're passionate about Balance Druid, we'd love for everyone to get involved by leaving respectful comments in the post and upvote if you agree with it. This will help keep it visible and ensure we have the best chance of getting our feedback heard. You can find the post here.
29th October tuning
- The tuning on the weekly reset is a 5% buff to single target and a 2% buff to your regular M+ dungeon. All single target builds using Keeper of the Grovenow include Soul of the Forestand Crashing Starafter the buffs to spenders and Crashing Star. The nerf to New Moonmakes this talent not preferred anymore.
Current Bugs
Harmony of the Heavensis not stacking correctly if you press CA/Inc after using Starsurgeor Starfallduring Lunar Eclipse or outside of Eclipse. It currently seems to count spenders cast during Lunar Eclipse towards the cap, even after using CA/Inc resets, meaning that your %dmg increase from Eclipse doesn't go to 21% during your cooldown and is instead stuck at 15%. The way to play around this is to use CA/Inc in a fresh Eclipse, or right after exiting an Eclipse. The talent does however work as intended with Solar Eclipse.
Changing talents from Orbital Striketo Whirling Starscan make macros using CA/Inc not work at all, giving you an error message and have your button be desaturated on your bars. This requires a relog to fix.
Control of the Dreamdoes not provide the correct CDR value if your raid wipes after you use your cooldowns. The temporary fix to this is to talent into Power of the Dreamin the choice node, swap back and then wait 15 seconds for the CDR to finish counting. There is a Weakaura to make this process easier that you can find by clicking here. You can read the description on the Wago page for how it works.
Tier set
2-piece
Starsurgedamage increased by 10%. Starfalldamage increased by 14%.
This is a ~3.0% dmg increase from having no set.
4-piece
Lunar Eclipse and Solar Eclipse each increase the Astral Power Wrathgenerates by 2 and Starfiregenerates by 5.
This is a ~4.7% dmg increase from having no set.
Rotation
Precasting
- Use Wrath.
- Use Wrath.
- Use Stellar Flare
- Use Starfire
You can precast from max range, 4 seconds before a boss is pulled.
What is a priority list?
When reading the priority lists below, you should not think of these as steps to be followed in a specific order. At any given point in combat, you should cast the first ability on the list that you are able to cast, provided the conditions for its use are met.
Single Target Priority
Keeper of the Grove - ST
Elune's Chosen - ST
AoE Priority (2+ targets)
Keeper of the Grove - AoE
Elune's Chosen - AoE
Rotational Details
Eclipses and Fillers
- Enter Solar Eclipseand cast Wrathif Starfirecan only hit 1 target.
- Enter Lunar Eclipseand cast Starfireif Starfirecan hit 2 targets and more.
- If talented into Lunar Calling, enter Lunar Eclipseon all target counts.
- Use Starsurgeon 1 target.
- Use Starfallon 2 targets and more.
Warrior of Eluneis an off-gcd ability, making your next 3 Starfireinstant for 25 seconds. The ability has a 45s cooldown that starts once you've pressed it. It should be used on cooldown while talented into Lunar Calling, or you can hold for a few seconds to line up with CA/Incarnation.
When not talented into Lunar Calling, use Warrior of Elunecharges to enter Solar Eclipse.
Use Owlkin Frenzyprocs to enter Solar Eclipse, inside Lunar Eclipse or inside CA/Incarnation if Starfire will hit 2 or more targets. Keep in mind that Warrior of Elunecharges are consumed before Owlkin Frenzyprocs.
Whirling Starsis a talent that changes your CA/Incarnation cooldown to a charge system, with a 100s recharge. In Keeper of the Grove, you want to overlap these charges with Force of Natureand Convoke the Spiritsor just Force of Natureif your CA/Incarnation will recharge before Convokecomes back off cooldown.
In a raid scenario where you pull a boss with both charges up, you want to use your 1st charge on pull, and your 2nd charge together with your 2nd or 3rd set of Force of Naturetreants, and save your 3rd charge for Convokeat 2 minutes. After this, you just aim to overlap all 3 cooldowns with the priority outlined in rotation section.
In an M+ scenario, if you're talented into Incarnation: Chosen of Eluneinstead of Convoke, you want to use your Whirling Starscharges at any time where you can overlap with Force of Nature.
When using Elune's Chosenand not talented into Convoke, you can use Whirling Starsright after entering an Eclipsethat procs Sundered Firmament, but this is not a major gain. If you're using Elune's Chosenand you're talented into Convoke, you want to overlap your Whirling Starscharge with your Convokecooldown.
Talents
These are template builds for each encounter and could see substantial change depending on what is being played in the upcoming weeks. Will be updating this consistently.
Raid
Raid Talents
Mythic+
The following are dungeon talent builds that will always serve you well but mind that there can be some variations based on your group comp or affixes. Do not be afraid of swapping some talents out if you think it can help your group.
Both hero trees are viable and perform very close to each other. Feel free to choose the one you prefer.
Talent Explanations
Nature's Balancesims around 0.4% higher than Twin Moonson pure single target, but loses out whenever there are more targets, where you can benefit from Twin Moonsspreading Moonfire.
Aetherial Kindlingis a preferred choice for any sustained AoE scenario where you can benefit from your DoT effects being extended. Very good for m+.
Stellar Flaresims 0.5% higher than Wild Surgeson pure single target, but Wild Surgesgenerally performs better in AoE scenarios. Stellar Flarealso gains value whenever you run Whirling Stars, since it guarantees uptime on Waning Twilightand loses value when you run Orbital Strike, since Orbital Strikealso applies Stellar Flareto the targets hit. Putting a point into this node is mandatory, but you can choose to take Wild Surgeson ST for a DPS loss if you don't like applying Stellar Flare.
For the middle part of the spec tree, you have 9 points you put into mandatory talents, leaving you with just 2 more points to spend before you can continue down the tree. The options you have in the bottom part of the tree are not particularly stronger, so you generally end up spending more points than needed in this section.
Stellar Amplificationis recommended for raid, or scenarios where you cast Starsurge enough to keep good uptime on it.
Soul of the Forestis a mandatory node for Keeper of the Grove, but it is only good for Elune's Chosenin AoE scenarios since Lunar Callingmakes it untakeable if Starfireonly hits 1 target.
Crashing Star, Sunseeker Mushroomand Astronomical Impactare all largely interchangeable.
Touch the Cosmosis an optional talent if you want more RNG in your rotation. There are generally better options to take, but if you want you can swap out Astronomical Impactor Sunseeker Mushroomfor this.
Power of Goldrinnis another ST damage proc talent you can take for raid encounters.
Sundered Firmamentis optional for Keeper of the Grove, but mandatory for Elune's Chosensince it helps provide uptime for Atmopsheric Exposure.
Denizen of the Dreamis one of your strongest single target nodes, but it loses value in AoE scenarios. Recommended for all raid fights.
Keeper of the Grovecompliments Convoke the Spiritspretty well in when you use it with the dmg increase from Harmony of the Groveand Celestial Alignment. Convoke the Spiritsis also good for priority damage and boss fights in M+. Incarnation: Chosen of Eluneis good for AoE scenarios, or in situations like the last boss in Ara'Kara where Convoke the Spiritswould use spells on targets you don't want to hit. If you're playing Convoke the Spiritsin M+, you should use it in AoE with the conditions outlined in the "Rotation" section.
Control of the Dreamlets you hold on to either Celestial Alignment/Incarnation, Convoke the Spiritsor Force of Naturefor up to 15 seconds without losing a use, subtracting the amount of time you held the ability from its cooldown.
Depending on the fight timer, this talent is stronger than Power of the Dreamwhich it shares a choice node with. As always, you should research the fight you are preparing for on warcraftlogs or sim your character to make an educated guess.
In general, the Druid class tree leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to variety and how many points you have left to spend after taking talents that are mandatory for the content you're doing. Listed below are some talents that you can opt into based on preference, comp or what content you're doing.
Feline Swiftnessis a strong node in raid. A 15% passive movement speed increase for a 2 point investment is very good for handling sudden movement. This node is not as good to take in mythic+ when there are more mandatory talents to choose there. For a pure single target fight you should also drop Improved Sunfireto free up another talent point.
Remove Corruptionis a good node for mythic+ if the content you are doing requires a Poison or Curse dispel. Some people are opting to not play Verdant Heartin order to access this, while others are removing points spent in CC talents like Typhoonor Incapacitating Roar.
Matted Fur, Ursine Vigorand Ursoc's Spiritare all defensive nodes. Both Ursine Vigorand Ursoc's Spiritprovides more health while in Bear Form, where Matted Furgives you a tiny absorb shield when using Barkskin. Assuming you are using Bear Formdefensively, both those talents are stronger than Matted Fur. Most top players are opting in to using Ursine Vigor, with Matted Furbeing an option to consider only if you never use Bear Form.
Typhoonis a talent that lets you knock back adds to stop them from casting or to reposition mobs that are standing outside of the pack. This talent is taken in most mythic+ scenarios, but you can remove it depending on your comp or what dungeon you're doing. This is best used when paired with Ursol's Vortexso the mobs don't get spread too far out. Tanks will call you out on using this poorly since they won't be able to parry hits from behind them, use at your own discretion.
Fluid Formis a very strong talent if used right. Most players are sacrificing points elsewhere in order to take this. It allows you to save a GCD every time you want to cycle back into Moonkin Form. It's very strong against mechanics that root you, allowing you to cancel your form in the middle of casting a Wrathand break the roots when shifting back with your next Wrath.
Innervateis a good node for raid, but not as easy to take in mythic+. Communicate with your raid leader and healers on the best use for this on a particular fight. If your healers are not asking for your Innervate, consider talenting out of it for another defensive option.
Oakskinis a good defensive talent that is good to take for every scenario. Accessing this section of talents forces you to route through Instincts of the Clawwhich is useless for Balance Druid.
Incapacitating Roaris a good node for mythic+ where AoE stops are sometimes mandatory.
Well-Honed Instinctsis another defensive node that you can take if necessary.
Forestwalkis a situationally good node, giving you increased movement speed and healing recieved after casting Regrowth. This can be strong when paired with Blooming Infusionand Protective Growthfor fights that require good defensive value. Some top players are opting in to play this talent as an alternative when they don't want to route through Instincts of the Claw.
Nature's Vigilis not an easy node to take, but could be situationally helpful for your guild. Talk to your raid leader and make a decision that's best for your raid.
Improved Stampeding Roaris an option for fights with mechanics where your raid can benefit from a movement speed increase, like Rasha'nan intermission or spreading out for charges on Nexus Princess Kyveza. Talk to your raid leader and make a decision that's best for your raid.
Consumables:
Potions
Food
Feast of the Midnight Masquerade or The Sushi Special
Flasks
Flask of Alchemical Chaos or Flask of Tempered Mastery
Weapon Rune
Gearing:
Stat Priority:
Sim yourself using Raidbots Top Gear. Do not follow any stat priorities.
Gems and Enchants
Gems - 1x Elusive Blasphemite or Culminating Blasphemite mixed with whatever gems sim the highest for your character.
Weapon - Authority of the Depths for single target and raid, Authority of Radiant Power for AoE and m+
Chest - Crystalline Radiance
Cloak - Chant of Winged Grace
Legs - Sunset Spellthread
Wrist - Chant of Armored Avoidance
Boots - Scout's March or Defender's March
Ring - You should always sim your own character to determine what enchant to use in this slot.
Embellishments & Crafted Items
Embellishments for this season don't offer a substantial gain, so it's important that you always sim your character using Raidbots Top Gear before making any gearing decision, but here are some guidelines:
Darkmoon Sigil: Ascension and Writhing Armor Banding
- This is a solid all-round choice for both single target and AoE. The Darkmoon Sigil: Ascension can be crafted on any weapon. If you go this route, you should aim to craft this on a two-handed weapon early, and crafting the Writhing Armor Banding on a low stat budget slot, preferably on the cloak, belt or wrist slot. Keep in mind that this embellishment only stacks during combat, making it a lot less valuable in mythic+. For later in the season when you acquire a 639 weapon, you should recraft the Ascension embellishment on an off-hand.
- This is a solid all-round choice for single target and mythic+. It's a random damage proc effect, where the type of damage is determined based on what kind of gems you are wearing. Equipping more gems or changing the type does not matter for the damage output. If you go for this choice, you should aim to craft two of them on low stat budget slots, notably the cloak, belt or wrist slots.
Duskthread Lining or Dawnthread Lining
- These are buffs that give you versatility or critical strike when you're above 80% hp. They are decent choices for mythic+, depending on the uptime you can get. They're similiar to the Blue Silken Lining embellishment from Dragonflight. If you go for this choice, you should aim to craft them on two low stat budget slots, notably the cloak, wrist or belt slots.
Remember that you will acquire an enchanted heroic crest early in the season as a quest reward, allowing you to craft a 619 item without spending any of your crests.
Trinkets
Spymaster's Web is a trinket with a passively stacking intellect buff, capping at 40 stacks and an on-use effect that gives you intellect based on the amount of stacks you've accumulated. Ideally this means you should save it for your 3rd or 2nd use of Celestial Alignment/Incarnation, depending on fight timer.
Treacherous Transmitter is an on-use trinket that gives you a random task to perform out of 3 possible tasks, either collect an orb, stand in a circle or jump 3 times to get a primary stat buff. This trinket is good paired with Keeper of the Grove's burst cooldowns, but not as good for Elune's Chosenas it has a more flat damage profile.
Please use Top Gear on Raidbots in order to decide what trinkets to use/farm, but the following list should give you a good idea of some of the trinkets you will want to look out for. The list is in roughly power-level order assuming the highest item level versions of the trinkets.
- Spymaster's Web
- Unbound Changeling
- Treacherous Transmitter
- Ovi'nax's Mercurial Egg
- Gale of Shadows
- Ara-Kara Sacbrood
- Candle Confidant
- Empowering Crystal of Anub'ikkaj
- Shadow-Binding Ritual Knife
- High Speaker's Accretion
- Satchel of Misbegotten Minions
- Aberrant Spellforge
- Cirral Concoctory
- Hadal's Nautilus
- Harvester's Edict
- Mad Queen's Mandate
FAQ
Why can't I enter Solar Eclipse?
- Because you are talented into Lunar Calling.
Waning Twilightwithout Wild Mushroomor Stellar Flare?
How can I proc- With Astral Smolder.
I've read the priority list and I think my rotation looks correct but I'm still doing very low damage. What could be the reason?
- Log one of your fights and check it with warcraftlogs and wowanalyzer. The main thing to check is if you're always casting: the timeline should have no downtime and, as close to zero as possible, cancelled casts. Another common issue is incorrectly planning your movement and wasting casts on dots: you should always have enough AP to cover some distance just by using spenders.
What is Astral damage?
Astral damage is both Arcane and Nature damage. Effects that buff Nature spells also applies to Astral spells, and effects that buff Arcane spells likewise also applies to Astral spells. For example, Solar Eclipse multiplies the damage of all Nature & Astral spells by 1.15x, and Lunar Eclipse multiplies the damage of all Arcane & Astral spells by 1.15x. If you have both eclipses, Astral spells get 1.15 * 1.15 = 1.3225x multiplier, while Nature & Arcane spells get 1.15x.
Mind that class buffs only affect class spells so if a trinket does nature or arcane damage they are not affected by our buffs to these spell schools.
Is there a target count where spreading Sunfire or Moonfire is not worth it?
- No, having your DoT effects up increases your damage done to the target. The conditions for spreading Sunfire and Moonfire are tied to how long the target will live, and not how many targets there are.
How do I sim for M+?
- It is generally recommended that you steer away from simming unrealistic scenarios like "5 target 40 seconds" as they are likely to give skewed results. Balance Druid stats don't really change much depending on target count either, so you will be perfectly fine just using the default "1 target 5 minute patchwerk" options. If your intention is to sim for mythic+, you can use the MDT Sim WeakAura which allows you to sim dungeon routes. Please keep in mind that ST damage is still a big part of mythic+.
I'm doing really low damage in Mythic+, what am I doing wrong?
- If you double-checked your rotation and still feel like you're underperforming you could just be playing low keys, together with classes that have very bursty damage profiles. When playing a Balance Druid, mobs need to live long enough for you to actually start doing damage, which is something that doesn't really happen in keys lower than 12+. Consider focusing a bit more on ST or trying another spec, but take into account the fact that DPS isn't everything in a key.
I've seen a lot of people running build X instead of Y in Mythic+, is X better?
- Try them out and make an informed decision! Most differences between builds are based on variables like target count, comps, combat timer or utility needed.
Why are some top players running different embellishments from the ones mentioned in the Compendium
- The DPS gain provided by the embellishments can vary significantly because of many external factors such as gear, type of content and group composition. Some of the top players might also happen to use niche embellishments for the same reasons. If you don't have any specific requirements then your best option is to just sim your character and choose the embellishments that provide the highest DPS upgrade.
Do our dots snapshot?
- No, all of our periodic damage (like Moonfire, Sunfire, Stellar Flare) do NOT snapshot, everything is dynamic. That means any dots gain/lose the damage bonus upon entering/leaving the Eclipse that buffs them and whenever any other stat/damage increases are applied/expire.
I have read through the Compendium and I have some questions that are not outlined in this FAQ?
- If you have any questions, you can go to the Dreamgrove discord server and then ask in there. This guide should cover everything you need, but there could always be some things left out or not considered. Remember, you are not guaranteed to receive the answer you would like.
Additional Resources
Macros
Orbital Strike macro:
#showtooltip
/cast [@cursor] Celestial Alignment
Force of Nature macro:
#showtooltip
/cast [@cursor] Force of Nature
Trinket macro:
If you are using an on-use trinket that should go along with your cooldowns, use the following macro (/13 for top trinket slot, and /14 for bottom trinket slot)
#showtooltip
/use 13
/use 14
/cast [@cursor] Celestial Alignment
Cancelaura Macros
Cancelling Starlord
Cancelling Starlord is entirely optional and is neither a DPS gain nor loss.
If you want to engage in this entirely optional method without incurring a DPS loss, you should aim to cancel Starlord at any point in an Eclipse window where the buff is currently at less than two seconds, and you are about to use Starsurgeto prevent overcapping.
#showtooltip
/cancelaura Starlord
Useful WeakAuras and Other Profiles
Balance WeakAura Packs
The following links lead to various Balance Druid WeakAura packs. These contain everything that's recommended to track to play at a high level. None of these are particular better or more useful than others, and which one you should use is up to your personal preference.
- Shrom's Ultimate AP Bar
- Oi Balance pack
- LuckyOneUI Druid
- Afenar The War Within
- Shrom's AP Bar - Standalone
Jundies Plater Profile
This profile for Plater is among the most used and asked about public nameplate profiles for moonkins, since it changes the color of a mobs nameplate based on what DoT effects are currently active on the target, being very helpful to more accurately spread your Sunfire and Moonfire when fighting multiple mobs at the same time.
Regrowth Tracker for Blooming Infusion
This weakaura tracks your number of casts of Regrowth before you get the Blooming Infusion buff that increases the damage of your next Wrath/Starfire and makes them instant cast, and also tracks your number of Starsurge casts before you proc an instant Regrowth.
Casts until you can cast Starfire
Starfire Alerter: See the description of the WA for more details. This is not a required WA but will make it easier to not get into situations where you are wasting a Starfire cast inside Solar Eclipse.