Balance Druid DPS Spec, Builds, and Talents - The War Within Pre-Patch (2024)

This build is optimal for pure single-target situations.

Be sure to make use of the 'Copy Export String' button to import the bestbuild directly into your game!

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

Be sure to make use of the 'Copy Export String' button to import the bestbuild directly into your game!

Note that we do not explain EVERY Talent in the tree on this page. We onlyexplain 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 pagevia the button below.

Starfire	A necessary node for AoE and pathing. Generates Astral Power
Sunfire	Essential DoT for our Mastery.
Moonkin Form	An essential shapeshift for Balance Druid.
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.
Barkskin	Our main form of damage reduction.
Feline Swiftness	You can often choose between utility based on the encounter or on mobility.

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.
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.

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.

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	This is used for single target to enter Solar Eclipse quickly.
Starfall	Our AoE spender. Taken when you are cleaving 2 targets.
Twin Moons	Used to spread Moonfire.
Wild Surges	Increase Critical Strike chance of some spells and increases their Astral Power generation.
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.
Stellar Flare	Sometimes used on council fights where the targets are too spread to consistently apply Astral Smolder.

Lunar Shrapnel	This buffs our AoE spender. Often taken when you will primarily be casting Starfall
Celestial Alignment	Our main cooldown. The entire rotation revolves around this buff's uptime.
Orbital Strike	Reduces the cooldown of Celestial Alignment and fires a beam towards your target location that applies Stellar Flare and deals burst damage.
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.
Waning Twilight	A passive debuff that increases our damage to a target if they have 3 debuffs applied to them.
Soul of the Forest	Increases Astral Power generation of our builders depending on our Eclipse.
Nature's Grace	A passive buff that procs at the end of an Eclipse. This allows us to enter Eclipse faster.
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.

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.
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 taken on single target, and Fury of Elune is taken on cleave and AoE.
Harmony of the Heavens	A stacking buff that increases your damage in the current Eclipse when you cast a spender.
Radiant Moonlight	Improves the damage and cooldown of New Moon and Fury of Elune.
Denizen of the Dream	DoTs can spawn dragons to fight with you for 30-seconds.