World of Warcraft: Forever · class guide
Balance Druid
Ranged damage
A caster that alternates 
Wrath and 
Starfire through Eclipse, with two DoTs on the move. Moonkin Form and its party crit aura wait for level 40.
Balance keeps Moonfire and 
Insect Swarm on the target and fills with Wrath, which is cheap in Forever and does +50% damage. From 30 (both are within 21 points), 
Eclipse makes each Wrath shorten your next two Starfire casts (up to four charges) and 
Nature's Grace speeds you up after a crit; from 40, 
Moonkin Form gives the raid its spell crit aura (it only raises spell crit and doesn't overlap Leader of the Pack). 
Hurricane has no cooldown. Wrath doesn't consume Omen of Clarity, so spend procs on Starfire or Moonfire. At 30 the spec is a DoT-and-Wrath caster without its form.
Strengths and weaknesses
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Ranged caster with two damage-over-time spells that keep ticking while you move | No interrupt and no snare, so casters and runners need roots or a partner |
| Wrath is cheap and strong, so it is a low-mana filler | Starfire is slow and weak before Eclipse |
| Eclipse and Nature's Grace make the rotation faster once both are in reach at 30 | Moonkin Form is out of reach at 30, so the spec has no form or aura until 40 |
| Moonkin Form adds a party spell crit aura from level 40, and Hurricane has no cooldown for area damage | Downranked spells get less from spell power, so top ranks are needed |
| Gear leans on Arcane damage and spell power, and Nature damage only helps Wrath |
Stat priority
- Spell power
- Hit
- Critical strike
- Intellect
- Haste
- Spirit
Arcane damage and spell power first (Nature damage only helps Wrath), then Intellect; leather beats cloth for the armour. Then spell power, hit, crit, haste, Intellect. Nature's Reach gives 4% hit at 2/2. Haste speeds casts but not DoT ticks. Healing gear adds a third as much spell damage.
Do this
- Take Improved Wrath early: it cuts Wrath's cast and mana together.
- Pick Nature's Splendor as soon as you can: longer Moonfire and Insect Swarm, and longer HoTs on yourself.
- Downranked spells get less from spell power and proc Omen of Clarity less; use your top ranks.
- Keep Faerie Fire on bosses for the physical damage dealers.
Watch out for
- Moonkin Form is the 31-point talent: no aura and no form at the beta cap. Eclipse and Nature's Grace are in reach at 30.
- Leader of the Pack (melee and ranged crit) and the Moonkin aura (spell crit) are both raid-wide and cover different crit, so one Druid of each type is useful.
- Starfire is slow and weak before Eclipse; players say it isn't worth casting until the low 30s.
- No interrupt and no snare: casters and runners need roots or a partner. The Feral-tree
Feral Charge (Bear Form) may interrupt, untested (see Feral Bear).