Balance Druid Introduction Guide

This guide was written by Koltra, one of the newest additions to the Method raiding roster. Before joining Method, Koltra played in Liquid for Amirdrassil, the Dream’s Hope, and in BDG for both Vault of the Incarnates and Abberus, the Shadowed Crucible.

Balance Druid Overview

Balance Druid is a specialization that takes your classic “builder-spender” model and expands upon it through amplifying your damage through the application of your damage over time effects: Sunfire and Moonfire.

The core of Balance Druid gameplay will have players maintaining as close to 100% uptime on their Sunfire and Moonfire abilities on as many targets as possible while spending their Astral Power on Starsurge for single target, and Starfall for AoE. Furthermore, Balance Druid utilizes an eclipse system to empower the specialization’s filler abilities, Wrath and Starfire. You will want to enter Solar Eclipse to empower your Wrath on single target, and you will want to enter Lunar Eclipse to empower your Starfire on AoE.

Balance Druid is one of the few specializations in the game that can do “spread AoE”, as Starfall is an ability that hits in a wide radius around the Balance Druid. You will want to maintain very high uptime throughout the fight as you continuously build towards your next Primordial Arcanic Pulsar, which grants you a mini-version of your Celestial Alignment or Incarnation: Chosen of Elune. Having this proc in situations where you want to amplify your damage is essential to maximizing the specialization’s throughput. An example of this is having your Primordial Arcanic Pulsar line up with AoE phases or phases where a target takes increased damage.

Balance Druid in Mythic+ will often spend a lot of time applying their Damage over Time effects to individual mobs, and as a result, it may take a bit of time for the damage to “ramp-up” properly. At its core, Balance Druid is not a particularly bursty spec without external support from trinkets or other players, so it can be frustrating seeing bursty specializations remove smaller HP targets before you have had sufficient time to ramp up on them.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Some of the strengths of the spec are that its AoE damage is very high, without sacrificing too much single target from the talent tree. Furthermore, the amount of utility that Druids bring for raid and mythic+ is also high, bringing battle rez, three separate ways to AoE stop, Innervate, soothes, and a small amount of in-combat off-healing through Nature’s Vigil.

On the other hand, some of the weaknesses of the spec are that its single target damage is not as good as most other classes, even when specced into the full single target build. Also, the amount of time needed to ramp damage is quite notable compared to some other classes, making you not as bursty. This is most notable on AoE packs, where you will often find yourself having to set up a lot of low damage damage over time spells before you can really start spending your Astral Power.

The spec is also incredibly squishy, sporting the lowest stamina values out of any class in the game in your caster form due to being balanced around having access to Bear Form. Improper use of Bear Form will cause many inexperienced Balance Druid players to fall over, and even adept players will often struggle without proper planning.

Balance Druid Patch 10.2.6 Changes

Primordial Arcanic Pulsar progress now resets on raid encounter start.

Balance Druid Patch 10.2.5 Changes

Patch 10.2.5 didn't have any changes that impacted the guide.

Balance Druid Patch 10.2.0 Changes

1. Damage of all abilities increased by 2%.
2. Nature’s Grace now grants 10% Haste (was 15%).
3. Power of Goldrinn damage increased by 20%. Moved to where Starlord was located in Fractures in Time.
4. Starlord has moved to where Power of Goldrinn was located in Fractures in Time.
5. Rattle the Stars has been redesigned – It is no longer a buff that stacks when you cast Starsurge or Starfall and is now a passive bonus that always reduces the cost of Starsurge and Starfall by 10% and increases their damage by 12%.
6. Fungal Growth has been removed. Wild Mushrooms now includes the effects of Fungal Growth.
7. Wild Mushrooms’ damage has been reduced by 20% and the Fungal Growth damage over time has been reduced to 60% of Wild Mushroom damage (was 70%). Fungal Growth’s damage over time now deals damage over 10 seconds (was 8 seconds).
8. Astral Invocation(Mastery) gives 2/3rds of its value at all times and the remaining value through Moonfire and Sunfire like now.
9. The talent positions of Aetherial Kindling and Lunar Shrapnel were swapped.

Balance Druid Patch 10.1.7 Changes

Patch 10.1.7 didn't bring with it any changes that impacted the guide.

Balance Druid Patch 10.1.5 Changes

With 10.1.5 being released, there are a few changes that are notable about Balance Druids and here I’ll talk about some of the most impactful ones.

1. The nerf to Nature’s Vigil is hefty, making it so it lasts two times less than before, but it will still be a go-to talent for us.
2. Most of the changes have been to Full Moon and Fury of Elune in this patch, bringing Full Moon closer to Fury of Elune in every situation. It remains to be seen if it’s actually better dps or not.

List of Patch 10.1.5 changes for Balance Druid

• Nature’s Vigil duration is now 15 seconds (was 30 seconds).
• All spell damage dealt increased by 5%.
• Waning Twilight damage and healing increased to 10% (was 8%).
• Astral Smolder duration is now 4 seconds (was 8 seconds).
• Wild Surges bonus to Wrath and Starfire critical strike chance reduced to 12% (was 15%).
• Warrior of Elune now starts its cooldown as soon as it’s activated, but the bonuses to your next 3 Starfires must be used within 25 seconds.
• Lunar Shrapnel has been redesigned – Starfall deals 20% increased damage and is now a 1 point talent.
• Umbral Intensity increases damage dealt by Wrath by 20% per point (was 10%) and the damage Starfire deals to nearby targets increased by 15% per point (was 10%).
• Nature’s Grace now only triggers after an Eclipse ends, not when extending an Eclipse with Celestial Alignment.
• Fury of Elune damage reduced by 10%.
• Radiant Moonlight Fury of Elune cooldown reduction is now 15 seconds (was 20 seconds).
• New Moon damage increased by 100%.
• Half Moon damage increased by 45%.
• Full Moon damage increased by 15%.
• Orbit Breaker’s Full Moon power is now 60% (was 80%).
• The Primordial Arcanic Pulsar tracking buff now counts up to 100, instead of 15 (this is a cosmetic change only).