Balance Druid PVE Guide – Cataclysm

Welcome to the PVE Balance Druid Guide for World of Warcraft Cataclysm!

This guide will teach you how to play a Balance Druid in a raid. It covers talents, glyphs, gems, enchantments, rotation, and gameplay tips.

This is the standard Balance Druid talent build.

Prime Glyphs

• Glyph of Insect Swarm
• Glyph of Moonfire
• Glyph of Wrath

Major Glyphs

• Glyph of Starfall
• Glyph of Rebirth
• Glyph of Thorns

Minor Glyphs

• Glyph of Dash
• Glyph of Mark of the Wild
• Glyph of Unburdened Rebirth

Gems are situational and depend on the build and equipment. They are used to reach the required stat caps.

• Meta – Burning Shadowspirit Diamond
• Red/Prismatic – Brilliant Queen’s Garnet, Brilliant Inferno Ruby, or Brilliant Chimera’s Eye (Jewelcrafting)
• Yellow
  • If Socket Bonus is not at least +10 Intellect – Brilliant Queen’s Garnet or Brilliant Inferno Ruby
  • Else, Reckless Lava Coral or Reckless Ember Topaz
• Blue
  • If Socket Bonus is not at least +10 Intellect, Brilliant Queen’s Garnet or Brilliant Inferno Ruby
  • Else, Purified Shadow Spinel or Purified Demonseye

• Head – Arcanum of Hyjal
• Shoulder – Greater Inscription of Charged Lodestone or Felfire Inscription (Inscription)
• Cloak – Enchant Cloak – Greater Intellect or Lightweave Embroidery
• Chest – Enchant Chest – Peerless Stats
• Bracers
  • Enchant Bracer – Mighty Intellect or Enchant Bracer – Precision
  • Draconic Embossment – Intellect (Leatherworking) with Socket Bracer (Blacksmithing)
• Gloves – Enchant Gloves – Haste with Synapse Springs (Engineering) or Socket Gloves (Blacksmithing)
• Waist – Grounded Plasma Shield (Engineering) or Ebonsteel Belt Buckle
• Legs – Powerful Ghostly Spellthread or Sanctified Spellthread (Tailoring)
• Boots – Enchant Boots – Lavawalker or Enchant Boots – Haste or Enchant Boots – Precision (for hit cap)
• Rings – Enchant Ring – Intellect (Enchanting)
• Weapon – Enchant Weapon – Power Torrent or Enchant Weapon – Hurricane
• Off-hand – Enchant Off-Hand – Superior Intellect

For Balance Druids, Spirit on gear will also provide its full amount as Hit Rating.

• Intellect
• Hit Rating or Spirit (Until 17% chance to hit)
• Haste
• Mastery
• Critical Strike

Single Target Rotation

• Use Insect Swarm and Moonfire (or Sunfire*) and maintain on target
• Use Starsurge on cooldown
• Use Wrath until you enter Lunar Eclipse
• Use Starfire until you enter Solar Eclipse
• Use Wrath until you enter Lunar Eclipse, repeat previous step

Multi Target Rotation

• Use Wild Mushroom where enemies are on cooldown and detonate them
• Use Insect Swarm and Moonfire (or Sunfire*) and maintain on all targets

*When you enter Solar Eclipse, Sunfire replaces Moonfire, and vice versa.

Cooldowns

• Use Starfall at the start of Lunar Eclipse, or on cooldown, or on adds that you know will be in the encounter
• Use Force of Nature as much as possible, ideally just before Heroism/Bloodlust/Timewarp