Balance Druid PvP Rotation and Playstyle — The War Within (11.0.7)

Balance Druids have two roles when in an Arena match: use your strong single target damage to pressure the enemies and use your mobility/crowd control to set up kills. Balance Druids have access to Cyclone, which is arguably the strongest crowd control in the game. In addition to Cyclone, you also have the Mass Entanglement + Solar Beam combination to silence casters for 8 seconds. Ideally, you will want to Cyclone the enemy healer and have a teammate stun the kill target.

One unique thing about Balance Druids is that they have two schools of spells. Keep this in mind and try to use it to your advantage; for example, if you are interrupted while casting Full Moon, you can still cast Cyclone on an enemy. This is very important to maximizing your win potential.

Before talking about the damage rotation, it is a good idea to understand how to generate Astral Power and what Eclipses are to help maximize your damage. Eclipse is a passive Balance Druids have. There are two different Eclipses that you can enter: Solar and Lunar. Here is how you can enter these Eclipses:

• Eclipse (Solar): to enter a Solar Eclipse, you must cast 2 Starfires. Once you are in a Solar Eclipse, Wrath cast time is reduced, and the damage is increased.
• Eclipse (Lunar): to enter a Lunar Eclipse, you must cast 2 Wraths. Once you are in a Lunar Eclipse, Starfire cast time is reduced, and the critical strike chance is increased.

Astral Power is what is generated/consumed on Balance Druid damaging abilities. To generate Astral Power, maintain your DoTs, Moonfire and Sunfire. You can also generate it with Wrath and Starfire. If you want to deal additional damage and generate Astral Power, Force of Nature and Fury of Elune will both do that for you. To spend Astral Power, you will want to use Starsurge for single-target damage and Starfall if the enemy team is stacked.

Have a plan for who you will be mainly using your crowd control on. Balance Druids have two powerful crowd-control abilities in the form of Mighty Bash and Cyclone that can be used to kill targets or the enemy healer. You can also use Mass Entanglement with Solar Beam to keep the healer silenced. Entangling Roots can also be used on melee DPS to slow them down.

Balance Druids do have access to some utility spells for their teammates: Hibernate, Remove Corruption and Soothe. Hibernate can be used on Druids that are in animal form or Hunter pets to stop their damage. Remove Corruption can be used to dispel curse spells like Hex or Agony. You can use Soothe to dispel Fury Warrior's enrage effects.

Use Prowl so you will not be focused immediately or so you can get an early Cyclone on the enemy healer.

The opener refers to your team's opening crowd control chain and damage done as soon as you get out of the gates. The main goal in the opener is to force your enemies to use their cooldowns.

As a Balance Druid, you can use Entangling Roots/ Mass Entanglement with Solar Beam on the enemy healer. This will either make them trinket, or they will stay in crowd control.

This is the rotation you should use on your target at the beginning of the game.

1. Make sure you are in Moonkin Form.
   • Moonkin Form increases your damage and your armor.
   • You are also immune to Polymorph.
   • Single-target attacks against you have a chance to make your next Starfire instant.
2. Use Moonfire on all targets.
3. Use Sunfire on the kill target.
   • Note: Sunfire will be applied to all enemies within 8 yards of your target.
4. Start casting 2 of either Wrath or Starfire to enter an Eclipse.
   • This will start generating Astral Power, and you will enter an Eclipse.
   • During the first 6 seconds of an Eclipse, Shooting Stars fall 200% more often from the talent Solstice.
   • If you can cast, cast Wrath or Starfire, depending on the Eclipse. They have an increased chance to make Starsurge free from the talent Touch the Cosmos.
5. Use Starsurge to consume Astral Power.
   • Using Starsurge while in an Eclipse increases the damage you do while the Eclipse is active.
6. Cast Wrath to generate Astral Power.
   • If you get interrupted while casting Wrath, start casting Starfire.
7. Cast Starfire to generate Astral Power.
   • If you get interrupted while casting Starfire, start casting Wrath.
8. Use Starsurge when you have enough Astral Power so you do not waste any of it.

When you have the enemy healer in crowd control, and you are trying to kill an enemy, you use your burst damage.

1. Use Mass Entanglement + Solar Beam on the enemy healer.
2. If you are a Troll, use Berserking.
3. Use Incarnation: Chosen of Elune.
4. Use Force of Nature. Force of Nature is crucial to have in your rotation for a few reasons:
   • Generates Astral Power.
   • It grants 3 charges of Dream Surge, causing your next Wrath or Starfire to explode on the target and nearby enemies.
   • The treants summoned will cast Moonfire on nearby targets.
   • Harmony of the Grove hero talent makes it so each treant from Force of Nature increases your spells damage while active.
5. Use Fury of Elune.
6. Ensure Moonfire is on as many targets as possible.
7. Use Sunfire on the kill target.
   • Note: Sunfire will be applied to all enemies within 8 yards of your target.
8. Use Starsurge when you have enough Astral Power.
9. For the remainder of Incarnation: Chosen of Elune:
   1. Maintain Moonfire and Sunfire.
   2. Generate Astral Power with Wrath or Starfire.
   3. Spend Astral Power on Starsurges.
10. Use Starsurge.
11. Use Starsurge.

Sustained damage is damage you do when your burst cooldowns are not available.

1. Make sure you are in Moonkin Form.
3. Moonkin Form increases your damage and your armor.
4. You are also immune to Polymorph.
5. Single-target attacks against you have a chance to make your next Starfire instant.
6. Maintain Moonfire on all targets.
7. Use Sunfire on the kill target.
   • Note: Sunfire will be applied to all enemies within 8 yards of your target.
8. Use Fury of Elune off cooldown.
   • Not only is the cooldown short and the damage is good, this will also generate Astral Power without having to cast any spells.
9. Cast 2 of either Wrath or Starfire to enter an Eclipse.
   • This will start generating Astral Power, and you will enter an Eclipse.
   • If you get interrupted while casting Wrath, start casting Starfire.
   • If you get interrupted while casting Starfire, start casting Wrath.
   • During the first 6 seconds of an Eclipse, Shooting Stars fall 200% more often from the talent Solstice.
   • If you can cast, cast Wrath or Starfire, depending on the Eclipse. They have an increased chance to make Starsurge free from the talent Touch the Cosmos.
10. Use Starsurge to consume Astral Power.
    • Using Starsurge while in an Eclipse increases the damage you do while the Eclipse is active.
11. Use Force of Nature. Force of Nature is crucial to have in your rotation for a few reasons:
    • Generates Astral Power.
    • It grants 3 charges of Dream Surge, causing your next Wrath or Starfire to explode on the target and nearby enemies.
    • The treants summoned will cast Moonfire on nearby targets.
    • Harmony of the Grove hero talent makes it so each treant from Force of Nature increases your spells damage while active.

Important note: Although it is not a damaging spell, Cyclone is a vital spell that you need to incorporate into your rotations. This spell can easily shut down damage from enemy players or help close out games when used on enemy healers. To ensure you get as many Cyclones as possible, you want to drop your casts early and make enemies waste their interrupts. If you are using Cognitive Bloodstone you will get the Precognition buff. This buff makes it so you cannot be interrupted for 4 seconds. Use this time to cast Cyclone on enemy DPS to stop damage or enemy healers to land a kill.

If you want an explanation and suggestions on gear, read our gearing section here:

Bear Form is your primary defensive ability Druids have. When you see incoming damage on you, it is a good idea to use Bear Form. This is best used when the enemy has used their cooldowns, and your team is trying to stabilize your health.

Barkskin reduces all damage dealt to you by 20%. It is important to note that this can be used while stunned and in any of your forms. This should primarily be used if you are stuck in a stun and are not in Bear Form.

Renewal is a great instant heal that can be used in any form. Use this if you are being focused and you cannot cast. This is a talent, and you will not have access to it at every arena match.

Cyclone is one of your team's best defensives if you are not being focused. Rotating Cyclone on the enemy DPS when a teammate is in trouble is crucial for extending the game long enough to get a kill.

Regrowth is a strong heal that should be used when your healer is stuck in crowd control. This is strong if the enemy team is focusing on your teammate, and you can cast without being interrupted.

Entangling Roots is a great ability when playing against melee. You can use this to help you or your teammates get distance between them and an enemy.

Balance Druid mobility also helps with survivability. Tiger Dash/ Dash and Stampeding Roar can be used when running after enemies or when you are in trouble. If you are not slowed or rooted, this is effective for kiting enemies.

It is advised to use Macros to use abilities on enemies or allies without having to target them. For this reason, we have a page dedicated to them.