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Beta, level cap 30 · data read 13 Oct

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Balance Druid guide

Ranged DPS · our guide of 13 Oct 2026 Recommendation

Talent trees, every tier list's rating and the sim: the Balance tab.

In short

  • A ranged caster with Nature and Arcane spells and damage over time.
  • Number 19 of 20 damage specs in our newest sim run, at 630 DPS. Sourced: Sim · 11 Oct run
  • Moonkin Form at the bottom of the tree: party members within 45 yards get +3% crit chance, and your armor from items is 360% higher; you can't cast heals in it. Sourced: Talent database
  • Weak spot while leveling: mana. Pull one enemy at a time; two or three drain it too fast. Sourced: Guide · 2 Oct

How it plays

Up to level 30. Wrath from range, Moonfire, and Entangling Roots to keep the enemy away; Wrath until it dies, root it again if the root breaks, and heal yourself as needed. Wrath got about 50% more base damage on 24 Sep. Our level-60 build starts with Improved Wrath, which gives Wrath a 0.5 sec shorter cast time and a 50% lower cost at 5 of 5, and Genesis, then Moonglow, Improved Moonfire and Nature's Majesty. Insect Swarm sits in row 4, behind 15 points in the tree.

Sourced: Guide · 2 Oct, Dev notes · 24 Sep, Talent database

At level 60. Theory Moonkin Form, Insect Swarm and Moonfire on the target, then Starfire, with Wrath to build Eclipse: each Wrath gives 2 charges, and at 3 of 3 each charge takes 0.5 sec off one Starfire's cast. Nature's Grace makes your casts 10% faster for 3 sec after a direct spell crit, and Vengeance makes the crit damage bonus of your Arcane and Nature spells 100% higher. Innervate yourself when your mana runs low.

Sourced: Talent database

Talents at a glance

Our level-20 and level-30 builds for Balance are still to come; for now, here is the level-60 build.

  • Level 60: Improved Wrath 5, Genesis 5, Moonglow 3, Improved Moonfire 2, Nature's Majesty 2, Nature's Splendor 1, Vengeance 5, Improved Starfire 5, Insect Swarm 1, Nature's Grace 1, Eclipse 3, Moonfury 5, Moonkin Form 1, Furor 5, Naturalist 5, Natural Shapeshifter 2

    Vengeance and Nature's Splendor prerequisites paid; Moonfury 5/5, then Moonkin. Restoration: Furor, Naturalist, Natural Shapeshifter 2.

    Theory · See the trees · Open in the calculator

Rotation at level 30

Recommendation

Single target

Open with Starfire, Moonfire.

  1. Moonfire
  2. Insect Swarm (talent)
  3. Starfire from range
  4. Wrath filler
  5. Entangling Roots on adds

Groups

  • Hurricane arrives at 40

Tip

Nature's Grace makes the next cast faster after crits.

Stats

Each guide's stat order as it gives it, the sim's stat weights, then ours. Guides dated before the last big tuning are shown but not counted.

Guides differIntellect first on one guide, Spell power first on another.

WhereStat order
Guide · 6 Oct PvE, level 30 · read 12 OctIntellect › Spell power › Spirit › Mana per 5 sec › Crit › Haste
Guide · 1 Oct PvE, level 20 · read 12 OctSpell power › Intellect › Crit › Haste › Spirit
Guide · 9 Oct leveling, level 30 · read 12 OctNot ranked
Sim · stat weights level 60 · run 12 Oct, 5,000 iterations

Per 1%: Spell crit 6.14 tied with Spell hit 6.05 › Spell casting speed 0.823

Per point: Spell damage 0.665 › Arcane spell damage 0.438 › Nature spell damage 0.227 › Intellect 0.128 › Mana every 5 sec 0.0512 tied with Spirit 0.0346

The DPS each stat adds, for a level-60 character on the engine's preset gear in a 2-minute fight on a beta engine: a direction, not a verdict. = marks a tie: stats within each other's margin. Not counted toward "Guides agree".

Our order matches the sim's lists for the stats both name.

Ours RecommendationArcane and Nature spell power › Hit › Spell crit › Intellect › Spirit

Ours adds Hit, which neither guide lists.

Where ours differs: ours puts Spell crit before Intellect, which both guides rank higher.

Race

Each guide's race picks for Balance, then our pick for the Druid.

Alliance

Horde

Professions

Guides agreeThe same professions on 2 guides.

  • Guide · 6 Oct PvE, level 30 · read 12 OctSkinning, Leatherworking
  • Guide · 1 Oct PvE, level 20 · read 12 OctSkinning, Leatherworking
  • Guide · 9 Oct leveling, level 30 · read 12 OctNot given
  • Ours, for the Druid RecommendationHerbalism + Alchemy; or Skinning + Leatherworking

What changed for Balance

  • Thorns base damage back to Vanilla values, spell power ratio 6% (was 13.3%); Wrath ranks 1–5 retuned so each new rank is an upgrade; Mana Potions now work in Bear, Dire Bear and Cat Form.

    Sourced: Dev notes · 8 Oct

  • Wrath base damage +~50%; Thorns scales with the caster's spell power.

    Sourced: Dev notes · 24 Sep

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