Balance Druid DPS Easy Mode — Shadowlands 9.0.2
On this page, we explain how to easily play Balance Druid in World of Warcraft — Shadowlands 9.0.2, using the simplest rotation, talent tree, stat priority, gear setup, etc., without sacrificing performance.
Foreword
This page is intended for players who are new to the game or class, have no intentions of raiding Mythic difficulty, or simply want a more straightforward way to play their specialization without being overwhelmed by the numerous subtleties and active abilities that need to be taken into consideration for optimal play.
The Basics of Balance Druids
Balance Druid is a caster specialization that deals good single and multi-target DPS, but has a slightly difficult/demanding rotation which when optimized requires some pre-planning or memorization of the flow to master.
Your main goal for maximum DPS is Astral Power management. The difference
between having Astral Power for Starfall and not or not being able to
frontload
Starsurges is large one.
For more information about your spells and their interactions, please refer to our spell summary page.
Talent Choice for Balance Druids
The following talent choices are effectively best in all situations but some niche situations.
- Level 15:
Nature's Balance
- Level 25:
Wild Charge
- Level 30:
Restoration Affinity
- Level 35:
Mighty Bash
- Level 40:
Starlord (single target)
Soul of the Forest (multiple targets)
- Level 45:
Stellar Drift (multiple-targets) or
Stellar Flare (one and two targets)
- Level 50:
Solstice
If you are looking for a more detailed analysis of each talent and the situations in which it could be taken, check out the full talents page below.
Stat Choice for Balance Druids
Currently, you will want to prioritize stats as follows:
- Intellect;
- Mastery;
- Haste;
- Versatility;
- Critical Strike.
Stats for Balance Druid are straightforward and consistent in most situations, but for more details on how each stat interacts with our abilities and how stat weights can change, head to the full stats page on the link below.
Basic Rotation for Balance Druids
The general Balance Druid rotation is based on the following priority list.
This is the priority for single target. Solar is the prefered single target
Eclipse state.
- Cast two unempowered fillers (
Wrath or
Starfire) to enter the appropriate
Eclipse state.
- Apply and maintain
Moonfire,
Sunfire, and
Stellar Flare (if talented) on the target(s).
- Cast
Starsurge when available. This stacks up damage for your filler.
- Cast any remaining short Cooldowns such as
Fury of Elune,
Warrior of Elune, or
Force of Nature.
- Cast the
Eclipse appropriate filler to try to fill up your Astral Power for the next
Eclipse.
Aim to be inside an Eclipse state at all times during your rotation.
Lunar is the prefered multi-target and cleave Eclipse state.
- Maintain
Starfall to consume Astral Power.
- Cast two unempowered fillers (
Wrath or
Starfire) to enter the appropriate
Eclipse state.
- Cast
Sunfire on all targets.
- When inside Solar Eclipse, cast
Moonfire on all targets.
- Keep
Fury of Elune (if talented) on cooldown.
- Cast two unempowered fillers (
Wrath or
Starfire) to enter the appropriate
Eclipse state.
- Cast
Starsurge when available. Always keep enough Astral Power for
Starfall when its low duration.
- Cast the
Eclipse appropriate filler to try to fill up your Astral Power for the next
Eclipse.
For some more nuanced tricks, head over to our full Rotation page below.
Changelog
- 07 Dec. 2020: Minor stat priority update.
- 23 Nov. 2020: Updated for Shadowlands.
- 17 Oct. 2020: Updated Essence Choice section.
- 12 Oct. 2020: Page updated for the Shadowlands pre-patch.
More Druid Guides
Guides from Other Classes
This was written by Borabank, a Balance Druid theorycrafter and raider in Infinity. You can watch him on his Twitch channel or in the Dreamgrove Discord server.
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