Cataclysm Classic Balance Druid Rotation and Cooldowns

If you have not already, we recommend going through the Spell Summary guide first. Knowing how each spell and ability works in detail will greatly increase your understanding of the rotation suggestions below.

Make sure to keep your party buffed with Mark of the Wild and debuff bosses and other long lasting enemies with Faerie Fire. Also, use the pull timer to set up triple Wild Mushrooms where enemies will be once you reach your first Solar Eclipse, at which point they should be detonated, taking advantage of the Eclipse damage bonus. You should also try to cast your first Starsurge just as the pull is being done, in order to land it as the boss is pulled.

In single-target you will look towards the following priority, which can continue being used in fights with priority targets or 3 or less enemies in range provided you use your damage over time effects on all available enemies:

1. Use Force of Nature within melee range of the boss. You can delay it to line up with Bloodlust if it won't cost you an extra use during the fight;
2. Cast Starsurge on cooldown, delaying it slightly if needed in order to cast it inside an Eclipse for extra damage;
3. Apply and refresh Insect Swarm followed by Moonfire, at the start and after entering a new Eclipse to ensure you get a Nature's Grace proc;
4. Use Starfall once you enter Lunar Eclipse;
5. When not in an Eclipse, work towards your next one by casting either Starfire (for your first Eclipse) or Wrath, with the spell you want to cast always being the same as the buffed spell of the Eclipse you most recently left.

For sustained area-of-effect damage on fights with 4+ enemies, you will use a completely different rotation which is all about being in Solar Eclipse as long as possible:

1. Use Starsurge and Starfire until you enter Solar Eclipse but stop using Starsurge and do not use Wrath during it, as you want to stay in Solar for as long as possible;
2. Detonate triple Wild Mushrooms on cooldown, ensuring you have them positioned before detonate's cooldown is ready each time;
3. Apply and refresh Insect Swarm and Sunfire on all enemies;
4. Use Starfall;
5. Channel Hurricane in the unlikely situation none of the above is applicable.

Starfall and Force of Nature are your main DPS cooldowns and should be used along with temporary power ups such as trinket procs, Bloodlust, and Volcanic Potion as much as possible.

Regardless of ideal buff timings, the main consideration for DPS is to get maximum uses of these cooldowns in a fight, so if you can deal damage with them and will be losing a use in the fight by holding them back, it is better to use them in sub-optimal situations.

Remember to use your utility abilities as well:

• Typhoon to reposition enemies or mass interrupt casts;
• Solar Beam to mass silence groups of enemies;
• Rebirth to combat ress anyone who dies;
• Innervate to recover Mana once you are at 70% or less;
• Swap to Cat Form and Stampeding Roar to increase movement speed during heavy movement mechanics;
• Swap to Cat Form and Skull Bash to help interrupt critical casts if no one else can do it.