4.0 / Cataclysm Balance Druid Rotation, Glyphs, Tips and Tricks
by Sunfyre on Sep.30, 2010, under Cataclysm
Glyphs
Glyph of Moonfire (this also affects Sunfire)
Glyph of Insect Swarm
Glyph of Wrath
Rotation (from 0 Energy)
I personally like to move towards Lunar first and get Starfall cooldown up and running ASAP.
Force of Nature
Moonfire, Insect Swarm
Wrath (this ensures your power is moving the right way to get your Starsurge going the right way)
Starsurge
Wrath until Lunar Eclipse (Starsurge whenever Shooting Stars Procs, or is off cooldown.)
Lunar Eclipse
Starfall (Starfall on cooldown from now on).
Insect Swarm, Moonfire
Starsurge (also cast whenever Shooting Stars Procs, or is off cooldown.)
Starfire until Solar Eclipse
Solar Eclipse
Berserking (if Troll)
Insect Swarm, Sunfire
Starsurge (also casting when Shooting Stars Procs, or is off cooldown.)
Wrath until Lunar Eclipse
Repeat.
Tips and Tricks
I always cast Starfall FIRST in my Lunar Eclipse, as Starfall is not benefited by haste, I do not want to waste one GCD while under Nature’s Grace (which happens when I moonfire)
I always cast Force of Nature when I’m NOT under Nature’s Grace (usually between Eclipse), for the same reason as Starfall.
Nature’s Grace is an odd talent, in that it doesn’t grant the spell haste to the spell that causes it to proc. That being said, you’ll want to Insect Swarm before Moonfire in Lunar Eclipse, and Sunfire in Solar Eclipse. Sunfire’s base damage is higher then that of Insect Swarm, when both are glyphed.
While Berserking does not specifically state “haste”, it does give additional DoT ticks.
11 Comments for this entry
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Latest on Mon, 08:03 pm: When you hit 0 energy, in 5.1, you'd go to 20 energy. + 40 energy from one cast to 60 energy, + 40 energy from cast #2, that's 100 energy. Now you go from 0 energy to 40 energy. Cast #1 brings you to 80. Cast #2 is still required, and it brings you to 100 energy (which is really 120 but you get nothing for that extra energy). The amount of casts did not change. 2.
: Wait, what you just said doesn't make sense. What makes us go straight to 20 energy? With SotF it takes 2 casts to reach lunar. 2 casts to reach solar. Without SotF it takes 3, correct me if i'm wrong.
: Sorry, I don't understand where your getting the 20 from, 100 80 60 40 20 0 40 80 100 or sotf 100 80 60 40 20 0 (40 sf + 40 sotf) 80 120 ??
: Hi sunfyre, how would you say the 4p t15 will be with SoTF? Does that also maybe make mastery more valuable?
: Hey Sunfyre. I'm trying to wrap my head around what you've been saying about SotF. How exactly does it not reduce Starfire casts by 1?
: Started a Druid....3 days ago or something like that.... Anyways i got to lvl 60 and im not using gear SETS so much as im using the things that look especially helpful such as Int and Spir Stacke, Occasionally with some 14-15 haste involved..... Im not one of those guys who go out and get the best pve/pvp gear But i really need some help..... im a resto balance mix and well my hits are only doing about 5K at lvl 60 :/ what sohuld i do?
: Hi Sunfyre! Have you tried SotF+NV/HoTW vs Inv+NV/HoTW on PTR? If not, will you do this?
September 30th, 2010 on 1:41 pm
Intersting pick on the Starsurge Glyph. I have’t personally tested it cause i havent’ found a glyph for it on the PTR whenever i’m there or there is no one that can make it. I have the STarfire and the Wrath eclipse available for that third spot.
I have been playing with the Wrath one and would like you to comment more on your Starsurge selection.
Yes the idea of having more Starfalls is too tempting, does it really make any difference with that glyph when we should ideally use Starfall during Lunar Eclipse? How much shorter is the CD duration on average with the glyph?
September 30th, 2010 on 4:07 pm
Starsurge is the only way to guarantee you’ll have starfall up every Lunar Eclipse. It’s about a 5% dps increase to Starfall.
If you want a starsurge glyph, just copy over with a glyph of nourish.
October 1st, 2010 on 11:33 pm
Unless they changed it, Starfall actually updates on the fly. I noticed damage going up quite a bit when a trinket or Omen of Doom procs halfway through.
Still, with your rotation it should be entirely inside Lunar unless we get a massive SSP streak.
January 3rd, 2011 on 5:54 pm
I am still unclear how using Starfall benefits us, given that it has the potential to pull mobs we don’t want.
Thanks,
Scott
January 7th, 2011 on 10:19 am
You can glyph it to reduce its range to provide added control in heroics. Pulling extra mobs generally isn’t a problem on raid boss fights and the extra range gives added flexibility.
February 15th, 2011 on 4:17 pm
So basically, just dot, hit a wrath starsurge then wrath till proc then redot then starfire all the was down untill solar eclipse process then re-dot and wrath back to a lunar proc, with as many starfishes and cooldown spells as possible in the mix.
February 15th, 2011 on 4:18 pm
Starfishes -___-. I meant starfalls
February 27th, 2011 on 6:01 pm
i prefer starfishes
March 10th, 2011 on 4:40 pm
I am having problem DPS. I am staying in 550 to 6500 in heroic runs. My gear gear score is 8100. Any advice will be appreciated. My gear needs will get better, I have picked up 2 heroic psc.
August 24th, 2011 on 9:42 am
When, if ever, do we use wild mushroom?
August 25th, 2011 on 11:46 am
It’s just about the strongest AoE in the game… so.. AoE.