WoW Forever: Balance Druid
About the Class
A Balance Druid alternates between Nature and Arcane spells. 
Moonfire and 
Insect Swarm deal damage over time, while 
Wrath sets up an empowered 
Starfire cast through 
Eclipse. 
Moonkin Form provides an important Critical Strike buff for the group.
A druid can shift forms for travel, Stealth and survival. Keep in mind that changing form changes the set of actions available to you: being able to take a hit as a bear doesn't make a caster a real tank without the right talents and gear.
Where does Balance Druid rank? See the WoW Forever tier list
Strengths
- Damage over time effects keep working while you move.
- Useful group buff and class utility.
- Several forms for travel and tough situations.
Weaknesses
- Core spells require you to stand still.
- You have to track Mana, effects and procs.
- Short fights reduce the value of a full setup.
Stat Priority
- 1Hit
- 2Critical Strike
- 3Spell Power
- 4Intellect
Critical strikes interact with your talents, but Spell Power remains important. Extra Hit beyond the cap for your target is no longer worth as much.
Talents
Rotation (Ability Priority)
The opener is a set sequence of abilities you use as you engage an enemy. Memorising it helps initiate your rotation in the most optimal way possible.
- 1Moonfire
- 2Starfire
- 3Wrath
- Moonfire — on a target that will live long enough
- Starfire — a strong spell for a long, safe cast
- Wrath — a faster, more Mana-efficient option
Insect Swarm requires a talent and isn't part of the early basic sequence.
Important Abilities
Ability | What It's For |
|---|---|
 Mark of the Wild | A lasting, useful group buff |
 Rebirth | Bring an ally back into the fight when the right conditions and reagent are available |
 Innervate | Plan Mana regeneration for yourself or a chosen ally |
 Bear Form | Switch roles or survive a situation, depending on your gear and talents |
 Cat Form | Stealthy movement and cat abilities |
Don't save class utility for the end of the fight. Successfully restoring an ally or a healer's resource can be worth more than one more hit of your own.
Best in Slot (BiS)
Best in Slot (BiS)Enchants, Gems, Consumables
Enchants and Enhancements
ConsumablesBest Race
Wind Blessed grants speed, and 
Read Leyline helps with resources. It's a versatile choice for a caster; for Feral Combat, the attack speed is useful too.
The racial abilities help with survivability, movement and setting up attacks from Stealth. Pick this race if those tools and the look of your forms matter to you.
War Stomp provides extra crowd control. If you tank, the larger Health pool is useful too. How much the race matters depends on your role and the specific fight.
Best Professions
Leatherworking together with 
Skinning is convenient for leather gear and armor kits. For Feral Combat, it's an especially practical choice while leveling. Casters can also craft useful items, but they should compare stats for their own role.
Alchemy and 
Herbalism help you keep yourself stocked with consumables. For healers and casters, a supply of Mana restoration is especially important. 
Enchanting lets you improve your gear, and 
Engineering provides extra gadgets.
FAQ
Is it hard to start as a druid?
Playing a druid means getting used to several forms and resources. Until you get Bear Form, the early game differs from the usual animal-form playstyle, and Cat Form unlocks at level 20. Learn one role at a time.
How do I unlock Cat Form?
In Forever, it's tied to a class quest at level 20. Bear Form unlocks earlier, at level 10, and Aquatic Form at level 16. Don't skip class quest chains in favor of regular leveling.
Does a druid need a weapon in animal form?
Yes. In Forever, weapon damage per second increases the base damage of your forms. Weapon and enhancement procs also count, so the old approach of judging a weapon by its stats alone no longer works.
Can I use consumables while shapeshifted?
Yes. Keep the shared potion cooldown in mind and don't leave a safe form just to click an item out of habit.
Can I heal or tank with a single set of gear?
Basic utility is available to every druid, but a full role takes preparation. For healing, stack Mana and Healing Power; for tanking, Defense and Health; for Cat Form, weapon and offensive stats. Separate gear sets make switching roles much easier.
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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