Cataclysm Classic Balance Druid Guide

Balance is a flexible ranged DPS specialization that brings many caster buffs to the raid group and very high area damage potential, with multiple damage over time effects and the new Wild Mushroom mechanic, which allows you to prepare a large area damage burst ahead of time, with no ramp time like that which other damage dealing classes need.

Balance Druids are much improved in Cataclysm, compared to their Wrath version. The new way Eclipse (and new Mastery Total Eclipse) works is much more reliable than the randomness we had to deal with until now.

Also, having two damage over time effects with Sunfire instead of one makes Druids much better at dealing with multiple spread targets, and Wild Mushroom makes Druid have the potential to do massive burst area damage once you know the boss encounters well!

Strengths

• Very high burst area damage with Starfall and Wild Mushroom;
• Also very high sustained area damage with multi-dotting Moonfire, Sunfire, and Insect Swarm;
• Shared gear with Restoration allows for easy swapping between damage and healing between encounters;
• Great utility with Stampeding Roar, Typhoon, Rebirth, and even the nerfed Innervate.

Weaknesses

• Weak single target damage when compared to the top specializations;
• No major DPS cooldowns that work well in single target make burst single target next to non-existent;
• Mobility is very weak for single target, as dealing damage requires near-constant casting in order to progress through Eclipses as quickly as possible.

Trolls can now play as Druid. They are the best Horde race, bringing Berserking which has no equivalent counterpart on Taurens.

Alliance Druids should roll Worgen as they are vastly superior to Night Elf due to Darkflight and Viciousness.

The best DPS professions in Cataclysm are Engineering, which provides more burst damage with Synapse Springs and extra mobility with Nitro Boosts, and Tailoring, which provides even more burst with Lightweave Embroidery.

Addons and Macros can greatly improve your quality of life during Cataclysm. Listed below are some of our recommendations on Addons and Macros to help get the most out of your time playing the game.