Good Morning.
I thought it would maybe good to open an Post to discuss Balance Druide changes.
Nothing about the changes is tested yet but it´s clearly to see were the way should go.
here are the Changes:
DRUID
Mark of the Wild now costs 1% base mana (was 4%).
Adaptive Swarm’s icon has been updated.
Convoke the Spirits’ icon has been updated.
Druid of the Claw
Ravage can now be used within 20 seconds of it triggering (was 15 seconds).
Balance
New Talent: Sunseeker Mushrooms – Sunfire damage has a chance to grow a magical mushroom at the target’s location. After 1 second, the mushroom detonates, dealing Nature damage and then an additional Nature damage over 10 seconds. Affected targets are slowed by 50%. Generates up to 20 Astral Power based on targets hit. Choice node with Wild Mushroom.
New Talent: Whirling Stars – Celestial Alignment’s cooldown is reduced to 75 seconds and it has two charges, but its duration is reduced by 40%.
New Talent: Astronomical Impact – The critical strike damage of your Astral spells is increased by 20%.
Known issue: This does not currently affect Umbral Embrace cast critical strikes.
New Talent: Crashing Star – Shooting Stars has a 15% chance to instead call down a Crashing Star, dealing Astral damage to the target and generating 4 Astral Power.
New Talent: Hail of Stars – Casting a free Starsurge or Starfall grants Solstice for 3 seconds. Free spells cast by Convoke the Spirits grant a 1 second version of this effect.
New Talent: Circle of Life and Death – Moonfire, Sunfire, Stellar Flare, and Starfall deal their damage in 20% less time, and your healing over time effects in 15% less time.
Starfall is learned by all Balance Druids at level 15 (was a talent).
Starfall damage increased by 10%.
Wild Mushroom now generates 10 Astral Power upon hitting a single target (up from 5).
Warrior of Elune increases Astral Power generation of affected Starfires by 30% (was 40%).
Nature’s Grace no longer increases the damage of affected Wraths and Starfires.
Umbral Intensity is now a 1-point talent that increases the damage of Solar Eclipse Wrath by 20% (was 15%), Lunar Eclipse Starfire by 15%, and the damage Starfire does to nearby enemies by 30%.
Astral Smolder’s chance to trigger is reduced to 35% (was 40%), and it deals 60% of damage dealt (was 50%).
Touch the Cosmos has been updated – Casting Wrath in an Eclipse has a 12% chance to make your next Starsurge or Starfall free. Casting Starfire in an Eclipse has a 18% chance to make your next Starsurge or Starfall free.
Balance of All Things now grants 8/16% critical strike chance (was 10/20%).
Orbit Breaker calls down a Full Moon every 30th Shooting Stars (was 25).
Power of Goldrinn is now a 1-point talent (was 2) and its damage has been reduced by 35%.
Astral Communion no longer grants Astral Power on entering an Eclipse. Instead, entering an Eclipse causes your next Starsurge or Starfall to cost 15 less Astral Power.
Twin Moons moved to Starfall’s position in row 3.
Nature’s Grace moved to Twin Moons’ position in row 4.
Touch the Cosmos moved to Nature’s Grace’s position in row 5.
Connector added between Force of Nature/Warrior of Elune and Celestial Alignment.
Waning Twilight and Wild Mushroom swapped positions.
Added a connection between Umbral Intensity and Starlord.
Cosmic Rapidity tooltip description updated for clarity and now says your periodic effects deal damage more frequently.
The following talents have been removed:
Starfall (now learned at level 15)
Greater Alignment
Lunar Shrapnel
Keeper of the Grove
Potent Enchantments causes Whirling Stars to reduce the cooldown of Celestial Alignment by an additional 10 seconds.
Control of the Dream now reads “are available to be used or at maximum charges.” If the player has Whirling Stars, it reduces the cooldown of Celestial Alignment based on time spent at maximum charges.
My personal thinking is , this are a mix of good and bad changes.
Good :
Sunseeker Mushrooms - this sounds interesting but depends on were it is located in tree. But seams to be an good AOE Buff
- Starfall is learned by all Balance Druids at level 15 (was a talent). and Starfall damage increased by 10%. - Good changes , and needed
Umbral Intensity is now a 1-point talent that increases the damage of Solar Eclipse Wrath by 20% (was 15%), Lunar Eclipse Starfire by 15%, and the damage Starfire does to nearby enemies by 30%. - Welcome change
Bad changes:
New Talent: Whirling Stars – Celestial Alignment’s cooldown is reduced to 75 seconds and it has two charges, but its duration is reduced by 40%. - Celestral Aligment is already reduced extremly, there are nearly no time left for the only phase Moonkin does real damage
New Talent: Astronomical Impact – The critical strike damage of your Astral spells is increased by 20%. - Clear push away from how Moonkin should be ( Eclipse rota) to only play Elune Talents and no Wrath and without any rota.
all others are Buffs and nerfs , normal process.
Overall i´m a bit shocked about no changes on Druide Talent tree , no buffs for Eclipse play rota. No buffs to get a better def and not feeling like an wet paper on that side. Not one of Balance problems are solved with this changes.
Balance Druide was end of DF in a good spot playing wise , in TWW it´s boring , feels chunky to play and no resistance. I realy hope there will come more changes to bring Moonkin back into play.
Until then : " Lets make Moonkin good and Funny again".