Balance Druid WotLK Guide
Balance Druid DPS guide for WotLK 3.3.5a: rotation, cooldowns, the 58/0/13 talent build, glyphs, stat priority and BiS gear for ICC and Ruby Sanctum.
The Balance Druid, the Moonkin, is a ranged caster with the largest set of raid buffs of any damage spec: extra spell hit, extra haste, extra critical strike, a damage debuff on the target, and armor reduction. Raids find a place for a Moonkin because of that list, and the damage that comes with it is strong. It also brings Innervate, Rebirth and Gift of the Wild.
This guide covers the spell priority, the cooldowns, the raid buffs, the talents and glyphs we run, the stats to reach and the mistakes that cost the most. It is written for Icecrown Citadel 25 and Ruby Sanctum on 3.3.5a. The short overview is in the class guide.
1.How the Balance Druid plays
The whole spec is built around Eclipse. When you cast Wrath enough, you get a Lunar Eclipse, and when you cast Starfire enough, you get a Solar Eclipse, and the guides we read tell you to cast the other spell in each window: spam Wrath during the Solar Eclipse, and spam Starfire during the Lunar Eclipse. Your damage over time effects, Insect Swarm and Moonfire, are refreshed when you are outside an Eclipse, so you do not waste the procs.
The other half of the spec is the buttons on cooldown: Starfall, Force of Nature and, when needed, Typhoon. Keep Faerie Fire up on the boss. It is a spell priority and not a fixed rotation.
2.Spell priority
- Faerie FireKeep it on the boss. It is a raid debuff and a Balance talent makes it stronger.
- StarfallOn cooldown, unless you would pull aggro or you expect to move.
- Force of NatureOn cooldown, and time it so the Treants can survive.
- Insect Swarm and MoonfireRefresh them when you are outside an Eclipse, and not during one.
- WrathDuring the Solar Eclipse.
- StarfireDuring the Lunar Eclipse.
Do not refresh your damage over time effects inside an Eclipse, and do not neglect Eclipse uptime, because it is the core of your damage. Spending points on Genesis is a waste: the guide we read says it adds only about 0.15 percent per point.
3.Cooldowns and raid utility
A Moonkin has a few cooldowns, and the raid buffs matter as much as the damage.
Area damage on a cooldown. Cast it right away unless it would pull aggro or you expect to move.
Summons Treants that fight for you. Time it so they survive.
Pushes enemies back. Useful against adds like the Blood Beasts and the Vile Spirits.
Gives mana back to a target. A Moonkin rarely needs it, so it is for healers.
Brings a dead player back during combat. A raid save on long fights.
A raid debuff on the boss. Keep it up all the time.
4.Talents and glyphs
Our recommended Balance build is the 58/0/13 in the calculator, built around Starfall, Eclipse, Earth and Moon, Improved Faerie Fire, Improved Moonkin Form and Typhoon. The guides we read also use a 56/0/15 version for Icecrown.
Nature's Focus, which protects your casts from pushback, is essential on Festergut and Blood Queen Lana'thel. Gale Winds helps on Valithria Dreamwalker and the Lich King, and the longer range of Cyclone helps on Lady Deathwhisper. The major glyphs are Focus, Insect Swarm and Starfall.
You summon a flurry of stars from the sky on all targets within 30 yards of the caster, each dealing 145 - 167 Arcane damage. Also causes 26 Arcane damage to all other enemies within 5 yards of the enemy target. Maximum 20 stars. Lasts 10 sec. Shapeshifting into an animal form or mounting cancels the effect. Any effect which causes you to lose control of your character will suppress the starfall effect.
When you critically hit with Starfire, you have a 100% chance of increasing damage done by Wrath by 10%. When you critically hit with Wrath, you have a 60% chance of increasing your critical strike chance with Starfire by 15%. Effect lasts 15 sec and has a 30 sec cooldown.
Your Wrath and Starfire spells have a 100% chance to apply the Earth and Moon effect, which increases spell damage taken by 13% for 12 sec. Also increases your spell damage by 6%.
Your Faerie Fire spell also increases the chance the target will be hit by spell attacks by 3%, and increases the critical strike chance of your damage spells by 3% on targets afflicted by Faerie Fire.
Your Moonkin Aura also causes affected targets to gain 3% haste and you to gain 30% of your spirit as additional spell damage.
You summon a violent Typhoon that does 400 Nature damage when in contact with hostile targets, knocking them back and dazing them for 6 sec.
Increases the damage done by Starfall by 10%, but decreases its radius by 50%.
Increases the damage of your Insect Swarm ability by 30%, but it no longer affects your victim's chance to hit.
Reduces the cooldown of Starfall by 30 sec.
5.Stats, gems and gear
The priority is hit if you are below the cap, then spell power, then haste and critical strike up to their soft caps, then the rest, and spirit and intellect last. The numbers in the caps section show the hit target.
The best items are in the BiS list below. A Moonkin brings three percent spell hit, three percent haste, five percent spell critical strike, thirteen percent extra spell damage on the target, and armor reduction to the raid, so a group that has one can lower its own needs.
- Hit
- Spell Power
- Haste
- Critical Strike
263 rating (237 with Draenei)
4% from Balance of Power + 3% raid debuff (Improved Faerie Fire/Misery) covers 7% of the 17% cap, leaving 10% from gear.
None
None
The only Horde option. Endurance (+5% base health) helps Bear tanking and general survival, and War Stomp is a genuine AoE-stun utility.
The only Alliance option. Quickness (+2% dodge) helps Bear tanks, and Shadowmeld is a useful threat-drop / mechanic-dodge button.
Royal Scepter of Terenas II
Shadow Silk Spindle
Idol of the Lunar Eclipse
Phylactery of the Nameless Lich
Dislodged Foreign Object
Sanctified Lasherweave Cover
Sanctified Lasherweave Vestment
6.Common mistakes
• Neglecting Eclipse uptime.
• Refreshing your damage over time effects during an Eclipse.
• Spending points on Genesis.
• Casting Starfall when you would pull aggro.
• Not keeping Faerie Fire on the boss.
7.On the bosses
Balance Druids are welcome on every fight because of the buffs. A few notes:
Nature's Focus keeps your casts from being pushed back by the damage on these fights.
On the pull, the raid gives a Hand of Protection to the Balance Druids, so the adds do not kill them. The Cyclone range helps here. See the Icecrown guide.
Gale Winds helps you move and Typhoon helps you with the adds.
Use Typhoon on the Vile Spirits and keep casting during the transitions. See the Lich King guide.
8.Questions people ask
Because of the buffs: extra spell hit, haste, critical strike, a damage debuff on the boss, and armor reduction, along with Innervate and Rebirth.
Casting Wrath gives a Lunar Eclipse and casting Starfire gives a Solar Eclipse. In the guides we read, you spam the same-named spell in that window.
When you are outside an Eclipse, and not during one.
Focus, Insect Swarm and Starfall.