TBC Classic Balance Druid Guide (Phase 3)
About the Class
Balance Druid is a ranged spellcaster in leather armor. It uses staves or one-handed weapons together with an off-hand item. The specialization's damage is average, but it is almost always brought to a raid for its support: 
Innervate restores mana to mages and healers, while 
Improved Faerie Fire increases the damage of all physical fighters in the group. The rotation is straightforward: the main spell is 
Starfire, supplemented by keeping periodic effects up.
Strengths
- Powerful caster support thanks to Moonkin Form.
- Grants physical fighters Improved Faerie Fire.
- Useful raid and group buffs, especially if there is no one else to provide the improved
Gift of the Wild.
Weaknesses
- Weak scaling from gear compared to other spellcasters.
- Has mana issues on long fights, especially in weaker gear.
- Fully using your utility takes up many global cooldowns during which you deal no damage.
Stat Priority
- 1Hit (spells)
- 2Spell Power
- 3Spell Haste Rating
- 4Critical Strike (spells)
- 5Intellect
- 6Spirit
- 7Mana per 5 sec.
- 8Stamina
- 9Spell Penetration
Talents
Ability Priority
- Faerie Fire — keep it on the target for the Improved Faerie Fire debuff
Moonfire — keep it on the target, refresh only after it fully expires
Force of Nature — if the treants survive most of the duration
Hurricane — if there are 3 or more targets under the channel
Insect Swarm — only while moving, so you don't lose damage- Starfire — filler; when short on mana, drop the periodic effects and cast only this
Important Abilities
Best in Slot (BiS)
Best in Slot (BiS)Tier 6 Set — Thunderheart Regalia
Tier 6 Set — Thunderheart RegaliaEnchants, Gems, Consumables
Enchants
Gems
ConsumablesRaces
Best Professions
The primary choice for PvE. The Wrath of Spellfire set gives a large bonus to Arcane damage, plus the Spellstrike Infusion set bonus works too. The cloth cooldowns bring in gold all expansion long.
An alternative if you don't want to change your tailoring specialization. The Windhawk Armor set works for both damage and healing. It also provides 
Drums of Battle, but usually the group's Elemental shaman brings those.
Exclusive ring enchants that work all through TBC and noticeably raise your damage.
Lots of explosives for area damage, including the 
Super Sapper Charge.
Passive income from transmutes and the new specializations for elixirs, potions, and transmutation. Suited to a character for whom maximum damage isn't the priority.
Author
Fouren
Fouren has been playing World of Warcraft for over 15 years. He is an active player with 12 Cutting Edge achievements under his belt, and has reached the top 1% and 0.1% multiple times on various classes. His main classes are healers, particularly Holy Paladin.
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