Balance Druid DPS Guide — Dragonflight 10.0.7
Welcome to our Balance Druid guide for World of Warcraft — Dragonflight 10.0.7. Here, you will learn how to play as a Balance Druid in both raids and Mythic+ dungeons: from the very beginning to maximizing your DPS.
If you were looking for WotLK Classic content, please refer to our WotLK Classic Balance Druid guide.
Balance Druid Overview
The Balance specialization provides an entertaining and challenging rotation, and it performs well in terms of both single and multiple target DPS.
Balance Druids shine in multiple target fights due to their ability to multi-DoT and hit every target. However, while Balance Druid multi-target is strong, it still requires some set-up/ramp-up time and is not considered burst damage. This can lead to Balance Druids being less optimal when your group needs to burst many targets.
For single-target, Balance Druids do well. The rotation for single-target is more linear than that of multi-target requiring less prep time and less knowledge of the fight. You work to spend Astral Power as you get it unless you otherwise need it for some sort of burst scenario.
The other main goal of the rotation is to cycle through Eclipse, your main buff. There are several talents influenced by entering or leaving Eclipse which incentivizes you to always be in an Eclipse state.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Excels on hybrid and multi-target encounters without sacrificing priority damage
Great utility using Heals and numerous single and multi-target crowd control
Great spread damage
Some ramp time on multiple target encounters
Can struggle to do damage on the move
Can be difficult to play some encounter types for newer players
Lower single target damage
Dragonflight Changes for Druids
We are maintaining a list of changes for Druids, so you can see what changes with every patch of Dragonflight.
Patch 10.0.7 changes for Balance Druid
Balance Druid received no changes other than a PvP change to Stellar Flare.
If dispelled, a
Star Burst will hit the dispeller, damaging and knocking
them back.
Patch 10.0.5 changes for Balance Druids
Balance Druid recieved some changes in the most recent Patch, Patch 10.0.5.
- A class and specialization tree overhaul. Including positional changes and point allocation changes.
Circle of Life and Death removed and replaced with
Cosmic Rapidity which has the same effect with no downside.
- Lunar Eclipse and
Umbral Intensity now increase
Starfires cleave damage instead of its Critical Strike chance.
Is Balance Druid Viable in Dragonflight?
While tuning is ever ongoing in the Blizzard office, the tools that Balance Druid has at its disposal are as good as they have ever been. Lots of utility options as well as strong talent builds for single-target, multi-target, and hybrid encounters should make them a high-priority class in most dungeon, raid, and PvP groups.
Leveling a Balance Druid
Leveling as a Balance Druid is easy when geared, but a bit rougher when
undergeared. Balance Druid has a 45-yard range, DoTs and Starfall to
rot packs, and plenty of crowd control. You can often pull larger groups of
mobs as a Balance Druid with a bit of running and some clever uses of our crowd
control and mobility.
If you want to play a Balance Druid, but currently do not have one at max level, you can check out our leveling guide for tips on your journey.
At max level you can start to focus on sharpening your skills and one good way to do that is by using the right tools. Our addons and macro page goes over several useful macros to enhance your gameplay as well as suggestions on how to search for the right Balance Bar.
The Basics of Balance Druid
Balance Druid has a single target and multi-target rotation which both require good DoT uptime, and proper building and spending of Astral Power. Cooldowns should be used as they come up unless they can be used at a better opportunity without losing a use over the period.
Balance Druid has an Eclipse cycle-based gameplay loop. Your main Eclipse
will be Lunar Eclipse in all situations and you will cast Wrath as
your main filler in Lunar Eclipse. During
Celestial Alignment you
will be affected by both Solar and Lunar Eclipse and you will cast
Wrath. On multi-target, you will cast
Starfire.
On a single target, you will use your cooldowns as they come up or when you
can
stack multiple cooldowns together. You will use Starsurge as your
way to spend Astral Power. On multiple targets, you will instead cast
Starfall as your main way to spend Astral Power.
If you are a beginner, you should head over to the Easy Mode page as well as the Spell Summary page to brush up on the basics. There you will learn what each spell does and how you can start learning your rotation.
If you are pretty familiar with the basics and want to learn to min-max more with your talent selection and rotation head over to the appropriate pages at the link below.
How to Gear up as a Balance Druid
Item level is generally king for the most part. Use Raidbots to sim your character and find what gear is best out of all the viable options. Using our knowledge of the class we should be able to rule out downgrades quickly. Lower item level pieces, socketed vs non-socketed, does it have our premium stat? These are all questions to consider when sifting through our gear. Learn more about simming on our simulations page.
Once you are brushed up on the basics and gearing up well, you want to further boost your numbers. Using the proper foods, enchants, and gems will beget a sizeable damage boost.
End-Game as a Balance Druid
Balance Druid does take a fair amount of skill and prep work to excel in raids and Mythic+. Planning out long cooldowns as well as movement in relation to boss mechanics and dungeon routes takes both practice and information. The raid, mythic+, and pvp guides will go over those nuances and more.
Improving as a Balance Druid
If you are struggling to pull the numbers you want or dealing with mechanics, you can check out some of our resources on how to improve as well as other frequently asked questions that can come even after reading the guide.
Changelog
- 20 Mar. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (gear page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7. .
- 20 Mar. 2023 (rotation page): Updated some sections to maintain consistency. Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (talents page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Final adjustments to recommended talents.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (enchants page): Updated Phial recommendations and Primordial Stones.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (easy mode page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (Legendaries): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated some builds and clarified Starweaver and Rattle the Stars viability.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 27 Jan. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Swapped back to Wild Mushroom build for Raszageth and Dathea.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (mythic+ page): Reviewed and updated for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (easy mode page): Reviewed and updated for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (this page): Reviewed and updated for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (gear page): Reviewed and updated for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (talents page): Reviewed and updated for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (rotation page): Reviewed and updated for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Updated for patch 10.0.5.
- 21 Dec. 2022 (enchants page): Added notes for Neck consumable.
- 21 Dec. 2022 (talents page): Updated Starweaver versus Rattle the Stars.
- 21 Dec. 2022 (gear page): Updated embellishments and expanded trinket recommendations.
- 21 Dec. 2022 (mythic+ page): Added some notes on Orbital Strike and Pulsar.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (addons page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (this page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (enchants page): Updated personal food choice.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (enchants page): Updated for Vault of the Incarnates and Season 1 Mythic +.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (stats page): Added jewelry and item level notes.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated talent choices and some basic info.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (spells page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (mythic+ page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (simulations page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (rotation page): Updated for T29 Tier Set.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (gear page): Updated for Vault of the Incarnates and Season 1 Mythic +.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (talents page): Updated broken talent links.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (FAQ page): Added a footnote to the the first question.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (stats page): Reviewed for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (simulations page): Reviewed for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (talents page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (addons page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (rotation page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (gear page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (enchants page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (spells page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (how to improve page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (FAQ page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 15 Nov. 2022 (rotation page): Updated talent recommendations.
- 15 Nov. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated talent recommendations.
- 15 Nov. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated talent recommendations.
- 15 Nov. 2022 (talents page): Updated talent recommendations.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Legendaries): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Torghast): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Covenants and Soulbinds): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (FAQ page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (simulations page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (gear page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (addons page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (enchants page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (stats page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Castle Nathria page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Sanctum of Domination page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Sepulcher of the First Ones page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (rotation page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (talents page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (spells page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (how to improve page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 30 Jul. 2022 (Patch 9.2 Analysis): Updated to reflect Patch 9.2.5 buff.
- 21 Feb. 2022 (Patch 9.2 Analysis): Page reviewed and approved for Patch 9.2.
- 15 Jan. 2022 (Patch 9.2 Analysis): Page added with initial thoughts and information.
- 01 Nov. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Updated for Patch 9.1.5.
- 17 May 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Page created.
- 17 Oct. 2020 (Ny'alotha page): Updated Essence recomendations. .
- 12 Oct. 2020 (Ny'alotha page): Page updated for the Shadowlands pre-patch.
- 06 Nov. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Updated some sections & added a section on Major Essence choice.
- 26 Aug. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Added Mythic Zaqul and Queen Azshara.
- 29 Jul. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Added Mythic mode notes for the first six bosses.
- 16 Jul. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Changed some Essence recommendations.
- 16 Jul. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Added tips for Queen Azshara.
- 10 Jul. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Added tips for the first 7 bosses.
- 07 Jul. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Page Added.
- 24 Jun. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
- 24 Jun. 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): Added Mythic Mode.
- 24 Jun. 2019 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
- 23 Jun. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): This page has been reviewed and no changes are necessary for the release of Patch 8.2.
- 23 Jun. 2019 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed and no changes are necessary for the release of Patch 8.2.
- 12 May 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Changed some talent recommendations.
- 25 Apr. 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): Added tips for Heroic mode and below.
- 16 Apr. 2019 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed and no changes are necessary for the release of the Crucible of Storms raid.
- 16 Apr. 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): Page added.
- 16 Apr. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): This page has been reviewed and no changes are necessary for the release of the Crucible of Storms raid.
- 26 Mar. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Updated Mythic Mekkatorque.
- 13 Mar. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Finished the Mythic Mode sections.
- 07 Feb. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Fixed some errors and added some Mythic Mode entries.
- 21 Jan. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Page Added.
- 13 Jan. 2019 (Uldir page): Updated some talent recommendations.
- 10 Dec. 2018 (Uldir page): Updated for Patch 8.1.
- 12 Oct. 2018 (Uldir page): Added Mythic Mode sections.
- 04 Oct. 2018 (Uldir page): Updated talent recommendations.
- 03 Sep. 2018 (Uldir page): Added talents.
- 13 Aug. 2018 (Uldir page): Added page.
More Druid Guides
Guides from Other Classes
This was written by Borabank, a Balance Druid theorycrafter and raider in Muscle Memory. You can watch him on his Twitch channel or in the Dreamgrove Discord server.
- New Potential Evoker Spells Added in Patch 10.1 Build 48661
- Dragonflight Patch 10.0.7 Hotfixes: March 23rd
- Primordial Stone Hotfix Changes: March 23rd
- Dragonflight Patch 10.0.7 DPS Log Rankings for Vault of the Incarnates: Day 1
- Mythic+ Tier List in Dragonflight Season 1 (Week 15)
- Dragonflight Patch 10.0.7 Hotfixes: March 22nd
- Class Set Updates and Clarifications in Patch 10.1: March 22nd
- Dragonflight Patch 10.1 PTR Dev Notes: March 22nd