Balance Druid DPS Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities (Legion 7.3.5)

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Class Overview
  • 2. Patch 7.3 Changes for Balance Druids
  • 3. Patch 7.2.5 Changes for Balance Druids
  • 4. Patch 7.2 Changes for Balance Druids
  • 5. Contents
  • 6. ChangeLog
• +Easy Mode
  • 1. The Basics of Balance Druids
  • 2. Talent Choice for Balance Druids
  • 3. Stat Choice for Balance Druids
  • 4. Basic Rotation for Balance Druids
  • 5. Cooldowns for Balance Druids
  • 6. ChangeLog
• +Spell Summary
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Main Resources for Balance Druids
  • 3. Basic Abilities for Balance Druids
  • 4. Cooldowns for Balance Druids
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Builds and Talents
  • 1. Talent Choices
  • 2. Tier 1 (Level 15) Talents for Balance Druids
  • 3. Tier 2 (Level 30) Talents for Balance Druids
  • 4. Tier 3 (Level 45) Talents for Balance Druids
  • 5. Tier 4 (Level 60) Talents for Balance Druids
  • 6. Tier 5 (Level 75) Talents for Balance Druids
  • 7. Tier 6 (Level 90) Talents for Balance Druids
  • 8. Tier 7 (Level 100) Talents for Balance Druids
  • 9. ChangeLog
• +Artifact Traits and Relics
  • 1. Artifact Progression for Balance Druids
  • 2. Relic Choice for Balance Druids
    • 2.1. Single Target
    • 2.2. Multiple Target
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Netherlight Crucible Relic Paths
  • 1. General Optimization Advice for Balance Druids
  • 2. Tier 2 Upgrade Priority for Balance Druids
    • 2.1. Single Target
    • 2.2. Multiple Target
  • 3. Tier 3 Upgrade Priority for Balance Druids
    • 3.1. Single Target
    • 3.2. Multiple Target
  • 4. ChangeLog
• ×Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
  • 1. Single Target Rotation for Balance Druids
    • 1.1. Opening Rotation for Balance Druids
  • 2. Multiple Target Rotation for Balance Druids
  • 3. 2-Target Rotation with Stellar Flare
    • 3.1. Tips
  • 4. Cooldown Usage for Balance Druids
  • 5. Optional Read: Mastering Your Balance Druid
    • 5.1. Mastery: Starlight
    • 5.2. Artifact Ability for Balance Druids
    • 5.3. Lunar, Solar, and Stellar Empowerments
    • 5.4. Mitigating Movement DPS
  • 6. ChangeLog
• +Stat Priority
  • 1. Basics
  • 2. Getting a Better Understanding of Balance Druid Stats
    • 2.1. Statistics Priority
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gems, Enchants, and Consumables
  • 1. Secondary Stat Choice for Balance Druids
  • 2. Gems for Balance Druids
  • 3. Enchants for Balance Druids
  • 4. Consumables for Balance Druids
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Macros and Addons
  • 1. Macros
    • 1.1. Generic Macros for Druids
      • 1.1.1. Rebirth
      • 1.1.2. Remove Corruption
    • 1.2. Specific Macros for Balance Druids
      • 1.2.1. Starfall Cursor Macro
  • 2. Addons
    • 2.1. Generic Addons for Druids
      • 2.1.1. ElvUI
      • 2.1.2. Boss Mods: Deadly Boss Mods or Bigwigs
      • 2.1.3. GTFO
      • 2.1.4. Omen Threat Meter
      • 2.1.5. Parrot or Mik's Scrolling Battle Text
      • 2.1.6. Weak Auras
      • 2.1.7. Recount / Skada / Details!
      • 2.1.8. Grid and GridClickSets (Optional)
      • 2.1.9. TellMeWhen
    • 2.2. Specific Addons for Balance Druids
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gear, Legendaries, and Best in Slot
  • 1. Best in Slot List for Balance Druids
    • 1.1. Single Target
    • 1.2. Multiple Target
  • 2. Tier 20 and 21 Set Bonuses for Balance Druids
  • 3. Legendary Items for Balance Druids
  • 4. Loot Competition for Balance Druids
  • 5. ChangeLog

General Information

On this page, we list your Balance Druid core abilities and how they should be used together (rotation) in World of Warcraft Legion 7.3.5. We also explain when to use your various cooldowns. Then, we go deeper and present all the subtleties that you will need to know if you want to excel at playing a Balance Druid.

The other pages of our Balance Druid guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

About Our Reviewer

This guide has been reviewed and approved by Bora, an up-and-coming Balance Druid theorycrafter who is active on the Druid Discord.

1. Single Target Rotation for Balance Druids

The Balance Druid rotation is based on the following priority list.

1. Apply and maintain Moonfire, Sunfire on the target.
2. Cast Starsurge to consume Astral Power.
   • Keep in mind that using Starsurge grants you a charge of Lunar Empowerment and Solar Empowerment, which cap at 3 and are consumed by using Lunar Strike and Solar Wrath, respectively. Avoid generating Empowerment charges when you are at maximum capacity.
3. Cast New Moon (and its other versions) to generate Astral Power. Make sure its charges are always rolling.
4. Use Solar Wrath while you have Solar Empowerment up.
5. Cast Lunar Strike while you have Lunar Empowerment up.
6. Cast Solar Wrath without an empowerment, to generate Astral Power.

At all times, you should avoid generating Astral Power when you are at maximum capacity.

1.1. Opening Rotation for Balance Druids

The ideal opening rotation at the start of the fight is as follows:

1. Stand as far away as possible from the boss and when there are 3 seconds remaining before the pull, cast Solar Wrath twice and then New Moon once.
2. Apply Moonfire, Sunfire to the target.
3. Cast Half Moon and then Full Moon.
4. Cast Celestial Alignment (or Incarnation: Chosen of Elune, if you have taken this talent).
5. Continue your normal rotation.

If you have less than 12,000 Mastery, then you should swap steps 3 and 4 on the above list.

2. Multiple Target Rotation for Balance Druids

Against multiple targets, the rotation is the following, assuming you are fighting 2+ enemies are and using the Stellar Drift talent.

1. Apply and maintain Moonfire, Sunfire on all targets, if they will live longer than 6 seconds.
2. Cast New Moon (and its other versions) to generate Astral Power. Make sure its charges are always rolling.
3. Cast Starfall to consume Astral Power.
4. Cast Solar Wrath to generate Astral Power, but if you can hit 4+ targets with Lunar Strike, use that instead.

3. 2-Target Rotation with Stellar Flare

This is the optimal 2-target rotation, providing a 5% total damage increase.

1. Fully DoT both targets with Moonfire, Sunfire, and Stellar Flare.
2. Cast New Moon (and its other versions) to generate Astral Power. Make sure its charges are always rolling.
3. Cast Starfall to consume Astral Power.
4. Cast Solar Wrath to generate Astral Power.

3.1. Tips

Using Soul of the Archdruid and Radiant Moonlight is recommended with this build, as well as using Warrior of Elune, because this is an Astral Power-heavy rotation. You spend large amounts of time re-DoTting both targets and keeping your Starfall down.

4. Cooldown Usage for Balance Druids

As a Balance Druid, you only have one DPS cooldown, by default: Celestial Alignment. You should use this during periods of increased damage to the boss. In any case, it should be used as many times as possible during the encounter.

5. Optional Read: Mastering Your Balance Druid

While the rotations we gave in the previous sections will yield very good results, there are a few subtleties that you should understand in order to truly excel at your role.

5.1. Mastery: Starlight

Your Mastery: Starlight increases the damage of your Starfall and Starsurge, and also increases the effects of your Empowerments (Lunar, Solar, and Stellar).

5.2. Artifact Ability for Balance Druids

Your Artifact weapon grants you the New Moon ability. This ability has 3 charges and a 15-second recharge time. It is peculiar in that when you cast New Moon, the ability (in your spellbook) changes to Half Moon, and casting Half Moon turns the ability into Full Moon. Cast Full Moon turns it back into New Moon, and the cycle repeats this way.

All 3 versions of the ability share the same number of charges and recharge time. However, they differ in other aspects. New Moon deals damage to a single target and generates 10 Astral Power. Half Moon deals more damage to the target and generates 20 Astral Power. Full Moon deals even higher damage to the main target, as well as reduced damage to all enemies in a radius around the target, and generates 40 Astral Power.

Throughout the guide, we refer to the ability simply as New Moon, but this signifies whichever version of the ability is currently active.

5.3. Lunar, Solar, and Stellar Empowerments

Each time you use Starsurge, you gain 1 stack of both Lunar and Solar Empowerment. These buffs increase the damage of your next Lunar Strike ( Lunar Empowerment buff) and Solar Wrath ( Solar Empowerment buff). The exact amount depends on your Mastery. You can accumulate up to 3 stacks of each buff, but each Lunar Strike or Solar Wrath cast only consumes one stack.

Moreover, using Starfall debuffs each affected target with Stellar Empowerment, which causes them to take increased damage from your Moonfire and Sunfire (the exact increase, again, depends on the amount of Mastery you have).

With regards to Stellar Empowerment, this will simply offer you a periodic damage increase when multi-DoTting targets.

5.4. Mitigating Movement DPS

Maintaining your DPS on the move is one of the harder parts to playing Balance. The important thing to note for movement is that you can still cast your instant cast spells, like Moonfire, Sunfire, Starsurge, and Starfall. Therefore, whenever you anticipate movement you want to be able to use these spells.

For single target, you should practice what is called "Astral Power pooling" or "Astral Power floating". This is where you purposefully do not use Starsurge until you have a large amount of Astral Power saved up (about 80 normally, or 110 with the 2-piece Tier 20 Set Bonus). This way, when you need to move, you have enough Astral Power to cast at least two Starsurges, giving you about 2 seconds of movement without any penalty to your DPS.

For multiple targets, Astral Power pooling is still important, but not as much. In this scenario, you can take advantage of Stellar Drift's casting while on-the-move. This is extremely important if you want to maintain your AoE DPS while dodging mechanics, and you can safely generate enough Astral Power to always have a Starfall up.

6. ChangeLog

• 23 Jan. 2018: Removed an out-dated rotation and added a Stellar Flare 2-target rotation.
• 18 Dec. 2017: Updated the opening rotation slightly.
• 02 Dec. 2017: Updated opening rotation, multiple target rotation and added a multiple target rotation if using the 2-piece Tier 21 Set Bonus.
• 28 Aug. 2017: No changes needed for Patch 7.3.
• 11 Jul. 2017: Made various small tweaks to the single and multiple target rotations, and added a section on dealing DPS while moving.
• 12 Jun. 2017: Removed Emerald Dreamcatcher playstyle since it is no longer relevant.
• 27 Mar. 2017: No changes needed for Patch 7.2.
• 09 Jan. 2017: Checked and confirmed for Patch 7.1.5.
• 27 Nov. 2016: Further detailed the Lunar Strike versus Solar Wrath usage in multiple target situations, and slightly updated the opening rotation.
• 31 Oct. 2016: Removed the Mastery snapshotting section since it is no longer relevant.
• 25 Oct. 2016: Updated the Full Moon description to account for Patch 7.1 changes.
• 02 Oct. 2016: Made various improvements to the existing rotations, added a section about Mastery snapshotting, and also added a section about how The Emerald Dreamcatcher affects the playstyle.
• 08 Sep. 2016: Updated the recommendations on when to use Lunar Strike.
• 29 Aug. 2016: Updated for Legion's launch.
• 20 Jul. 2016: Fixed a small issue that recommended not to cap Empowerments, when in fact it should have said that you should not generate more Empowerments when you are capped.
• 19 Jul. 2016: Added Stellar Flare to the rotations, and added a mention about using Blessing of the Ancients as your tier 6 talent.
• 18 Jul. 2016: Updated for the Legion pre-patch.

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