Balance Druid DPS Spec, Builds, and Talents — The War Within (11.0.5)

Note that these builds are generic recommendations for various content. For more specific recommendations for the Raid and Mythic+, check out the dedicated pages below.

2.

Best Talents for Balance Druid

Single-Target Talents Multi-target & Mythic+ Talents Explained

3.

Best Single-Target Talents for Balance Druid

This build is optimal for pure single-target situations.

Be sure to make use of the 'Export Talents' button to import the best build directly into your game!

3.

Best Multi-target & Mythic+ Talents for Balance Druid

This is our recommended build for AoE scenarios. This works well for AoE Fights in Raids, as well as most Mythic+.

For Delves or solo content, remove Nature's Vigil and Innervate, for the points leading to Feline Swiftness.

Be sure to make use of the 'Export Talents' button to import the best build directly into your game!

3.

Talents Explained for Balance Druid

Note that we do not explain EVERY Talent in the tree on this page. We only explain Talents that are part of our optimal builds for single-target and AoE. For full details and explanations of every Talent, please visit our Spells page via the button below.

Balance Druid The War Within Spell Glossary

2.1.

Class Talents

2.1.1.

Row 1-4

Starfire	A necessary node for AoE and pathing. Generates Astral Power
Sunfire	Essential DoT for our Mastery.
Improved Sunfire	Needed to spread our DoT on AoE.
Nurturing Instinct	Buffs damage and healing.
Frenzied Regeneration	Strong self-healing spell that requires Bear Form.
Improved Barkskin	Our main form of damage reduction increased to 12-seconds.
Feline Swiftness	You can often choose between utility based on the encounter or mobility.

2.1.2.

Row 5-7

Starlight Conduit	One of the straightforward Damage increases on the class tree.
Wild Charge	Must choose mobility option. Generally used as a disengage.
Astral Influence	Increases range and is a must pick for pathing.
Rising Light, Falling Night	Increases Damage and Healing or Versatility. Instances always grant Versatility.
Typhoon	A utility option that knocks mobs. First point to drop if not needed.
Soothe	Dispells enrage effects. Necessary for pathing down the tree.
Stampeding Roar	Increases group speed and is a must choose talent.
Thick Hide	Flat damage reduction is always good.
Matted Fur	Provides additional survivability with Barkskin.
Renewal	A solid self heal option. Generally taken in all situations.

2.1.3.

Row 8-10

Lore of the Grove	A necessary pathing node for our primary utility spells as well as a nice boost in damage to our DoTs
Lycara's Teachings	A substantial DPS increase and is a mandatory pick.
Incapacitating Roar/ Mighty Bash	Crowd Control depending on your needs.
Well-Honed Instincts	Low health protection. 1-point is acceptable.
Innervate	A potent healer external.
Nature's Vigil	A strong group heal that you should pair with your cooldowns.
Oakskin	Increases the damage reduction of Barkskin to 30%.

2.2.

Spec Talents

2.2.1.

Row 1-4

Eclipse	Our core passive and mandatory to progress.
Shooting Stars	Strong passive Astral Power generation that feeds into other talents later.
Solar Beam	Our AoE interrupt
Warrior of Elune/ Force of Nature	This is used for single target to enter Solar Eclipse quickly. This is also used to burst on multi-target. Force of Nature is taken with the Keeper of the Grove Hero Talent Tree.
Nature's Grace	A passive buff that procs at the end of an Eclipse. This allows us to enter Eclipse faster.
Twin Moons	Used to spread Moonfire.
Wild Surges	Increase Critical Strike chance of some spells and increases their Astral Power generation.
Stellar Flare	Sometimes used on council fights where the targets are too spread to consistently apply Astral Smolder.
Nature's Balance	A strong passive that synergizes with Eclipse and Primordial Arcanic Pulsar.
Aetherial Kindling	Taken when you need to extend your DoTs on sustained multi-target.
Light of the Sun	Reduces the cooldown of Solar Beam if you interrupt something. Will most likely never be used..

2.2.2.

Row 5-7

Celestial Alignment	Our main cooldown. It can be further improved or adjusted later in the tree.
Orbital Strike/ Whirling Stars	Reduces the cooldown of Celestial Alignment and fires a beam towards your target location that applies Stellar Flare and deals burst damage. Whirling Stars gives you two charges of your cooldown and is great for most content..
Astral Smolder	A passive DoT that helps proc Waning Twilight.
Umbral Intensity	Buffs the generator associated with the current Eclipse. Wrath is buffed during Solar Eclipse and Starfire is buffed during Lunar Eclipse.
Soul of the Forest	Increases Astral Power generation of our builders depending on our Eclipse. Better on multi-target.
Starlord	Provides a stacking Haste buff. High uptime of 3-stacks is vital to maximizing DPS. Pool Astral Power at the end of each Starlord window.
Cosmic Rapidity	A passive that increases our DoT tick rate. This affects Shooting Stars and its proc rate as well.
Umbral Embrace	A strong buff that boosts the damage of our generators and converts their damage to Astral.
Stellar Amplification	Applies a debuff which increases DoT damage and Shooting Stars to the target when hit with Starsurge. This stacks 5-times.
Touch of the Cosmos	Provides a chance for your generators to proc a free cast of your spenders. Tuning does not support the use of this Talent.
Astronomical Impact	This give a flat Critical Strike Damage bonus to our Astral spells and is good for all content.
Wild Mushroom/ Sunseeker Mushroom	Sunseeker Mushroom is a proc based multi-target spell which affects targets DoTed with Sunfire. Wild Mushroom gives you more control over the damage but is less overall damage on single and multi-target than its counterpart.

2.2.3.

Row 8-10

Rattle the Stars/ Starweaver	Two strong rotation defining passives. Rattle the Stars is generally the go-to passive, which is a flat passive buff that increases damage and reduces resource costs. Starweaver can be taken on some hybrid fights but is generally outshone by the former option.
Power of Goldrinn	A strong passive proc that increases our single target damage.
Waning Twilight	A passive debuff that increases our damage to a target if they have 3 debuffs applied to them.
Incarnation: Chosen of Elune	Improves Celestial Alignment. Adding a Critical Strike buff and increasing its duration.
Convoke the Spirits	Pairs well with the cooldown reduction of Orbital Strike. This casts 16 spells in rapid succession.
New Moon/ Fury of Elune	A vital spell cooldown for Balance Druid. New Moon is sometimes taken on single target, and Fury of Elune is taken on cleave and AoE.
Radiant Moonlight	Improves the damage and cooldown of New Moon and Fury of Elune.
Harmony of the Heavens	A stacking buff that increases your damage in the current Eclipse when you cast a spender.
Denizen of the Dream	DoTs can spawn dragons to fight with you for 30-seconds.
Astral Communion	Increases your total Astral Power and provides Astral Power when entering Eclipse. Most builds are focused on generator use, making this less useful.
Elune's Guidance	Improves Incarnation: Chosen of Elune by reducing the cost of spenders. Improves Convoke the Spirits by reducing its cooldown.
Waning Twilight	A passive debuff that increases our damage to a target if they have 3 debuffs applied to them.

Mythic+ can require a mix of AoE and Single-Target talents, depending on affixes and other variables. You should check out our page below if you want advice specific to Mythic+.

Some talents will require you to play in a particular way to get the most out of them. You can find more information on how your rotation will look after selecting your talents on our rotation page below.

There will be the option to go into "War Mode." Enabling War Mode provides the following benefits:

• PvP Talents enabled in the outdoor world.
• 10% increase in World Quest rewards at maximum level.
• 10% more experience gained while leveling.

With the benefits of enabling War Mode for leveling and PvE content, it is recommended enabling the feature to maximize your leveling and rewards at maximum level. However, you will make yourself available for open-world PvP, and the possibility of being killed while leveling or doing World Quests exists.

In this section, we will list the PvP Talents best for leveling and doing solo / small group PvE content. Note that these may not be optimal in actual PvP situations.

• Star Burst is a passive effect that calls down falling stars on enemies during Starfall. Enemies who run into this take damage and get knocked up. Allies can pick these up and run into enemies to detonate them.
• Moonkin Aura is amazing for group combat and strong for solo content. This can buff all members in your party and help finish quests and rares faster. We would recommend this for all group content.
• Thorns can provide minimal peel or damage in open-world content.
• Malorne's Swiftness will let you move at 100% Movement Speed even while in combat. Great for open-world content.