Balance Druid Rotation Question!

[Pucilla-kazzak]

I have been playing balance druid for some time and seen many guides on how to do the rotation. So I know that I should always keep my dots (moonfire, sunfire) up, use empowered casts (Solar Wrath & Lunar Strike) and use Starsurge to consume Astral Power. Also not to cap on Astral Power and the empowered Wrath & Lunar Strike.

But here is the question I want to ask:

What is the best way to organize your casts? Dose it make any difference to cast 2 Starsurges, one after the other to get 2 empowered casts of both solar and lunar and then cast 2X lunar strikes and then 2X Solar wraths etc (so almost twice each spell in a row) or should you try casting different spells and not cast same spells twice in a row? Maybe as long as you stick to the rule of not capping and casting only empowered spells it dose not make any difference in what order they are cast!?

Second question is about capping:

Of course we should not cap on empowerments and Astral Power. But sometimes it can happen! You are almost capped on astral power and to not cap you cast Starsurge and as a result you cap on empowerment. (happen to me very rarely but dose happen!).

So the question is: What exactly happen (what is the penalty) if you go beyond the 100% astral power or the 3 empowered spells?

And if this should happen what is the best choice? Empty the astral power with starsurge and cap on empowered spells?

[Rý-nordrassil]

@Pucilla-kazzak

What is the best way to organize your casts?

With the current BiS traits for Boomie, you basically want to get used to play as a Windwalker. By that i mean, the next spell you cast must not be a copy of your previous cast spell (SW, LS, SW, LS, SS, SW, LS, MF, SF).
And that is basically to do with the Streaking Starts Trait, which i can see you do not have.
You’re two BiS Traits are Arcanic Pulsar, and Streaking stars (Try and get 3x Streaking Stars, and atleast 1xArcanic pulsar)
That way of playing is only really important while in Incarnation though, as the damage procs while in that.

@Pucilla-kazzak

Second question is about capping:

Dots > Spend AP > Spend Empowerments.
If you have 3x Empowerments of each school, and you’re about to over cap on AP.
The best choice for you in this situation is to Starsurge, as that is your hardest hitting ability that you’re building to use.
Where SW and LS is filler with empowerments.
If there are 2 or 3+ targets though, it is worth using Starfall.

@Pucilla-kazzak

So the question is: What exactly happen (what is the penalty) if you go beyond the 100% astral power or the 3 empowered spells?

You lose out on some potential dps.
the better you get at managing your empowerments and ap, the less that will happen. Though it WILL happen eventually.

Hope this helps! : ^)

[Pucilla-kazzak]

Thank you very much for your reply and the precious help Rý. Regarding Streaking Stars, I have not been lucky with this one and have never even got one but hopefully this will happen. I will start practicing to not cast a spell twice as apparently even without Streaking Stars this will have no negative effect on your dps or rotation. I don’t know why I always thought that two lunar strikes in a row (or wrath) would be executed faster then if I switched to another spell in between!