[Balance] Tips and tricks for challenge modes

[Deleted]

Hey my fellow druids,

I'd like to start on some challenge modes now that I finally found a group to run with. Now im wondering from the challenge mode exp boomkins what stats to go for? Pure crit? or first haste cap and then crit etc?

Also which talents are more handy? And any other tips and tricks that you guys found out on your way to golds.

Thanks guys,
Roy aka Despite

[Glurp]

respec Feral and get some timeless isle gear.


edit: Not sure why I got an infraction for "trolling" considering my answer was 100% serious. Boomkins are very bad in challenge modes and if you want the best chance at sucess then play Feral. If for whatever reason you want to gimp your group by playing Boomkin then stack crit with Inc/NV

Infracted.

[Deleted]

Any serious takers?

[Darsithis]

Stay on topic, please. If someone is asking for advice on playing a boomkin in challenge modes, don't post to tell them to respec or reroll. If you have no advice for lazerturkeys, then don't post.

[Laptop]

From what I've read, going full Crit is the way to go since gear at that item level is pretty bad for Moonkins; not enough Haste. I could be wrong about this.

[Juvencus]

Since we are on the topic now. How much better is Feral from Balance and how does it compare to top CM specs like warlocks and ele shamans?

[Aboubacar]

Ur goal is just gold or u plan to go further? Like others have suggested balance isn't really realm first/region first viable spec balance is just awful at that gear level.

That being said anyone can get gold any spec. For balance spec nv + inc, coordinate with your group the one useful spell u bring solarbeam and which packs to bring it on.

gearwise the bis trinkets are like LoC and DMF card iirc otherwise alchemist stone maybe. Find the gear you have with the most sockets. Try for the 5273 breakpoint, but i cant remember if it's doable. I wouldn't really go as far to gem full haste if that's what it takes.

[Juvencus]

Ur goal is just gold or u plan to go further? Like others have suggested balance isn't really realm first/region first viable spec balance is just awful at that gear level.

That being said anyone can get gold any spec. For balance spec nv + inc, coordinate with your group the one useful spell u bring solarbeam and which packs to bring it on.

gearwise the bis trinkets are like LoC and DMF card iirc otherwise alchemist stone maybe. Find the gear you have with the most sockets. Try for the 5273 breakpoint, but i cant remember if it's doable. I wouldn't really go as far to gem full haste if that's what it takes.

Yeah just golds is my goal. I already started as Boomkin so I'm not hindering my group so much, glad I can stay so. Also got LotC and Relic so it's all good ;P

[Deleted]

Thanks for the input.

Yes, my goal is just golds. Nothing more then that. So I have heard two different things now, go for pure crit, or go for first haste cap and then crit. Which one is it?

[Deleted]

Go for the first haste bp and then crit. DoC might be very good for the modes - I did CM before this talent was viable so I'm not sure. I was usually at the bottom of dps list but what makes moonkin worth here are stat and speed buffs, cr and offheal.

[Deleted]

just go full crit and take DoC with incarnation. Find out when to dot and when to just spam hurricane (which you will be doing a lot)

With DoC and INC you should be topping meters on bosses and also not do too bad on trash.

If your heal is not up to the job, taking natures vigil might also be an option, additional heal on a 90s cooldown is pretty good.

[Deleted]

I've personally used a crit build + first haste bp because all crit made me feel clunky with the slow cast time on Starfire. The talents I've used are Incarnation and Nature Vigil (but did the gold CM before treants and DoC became viable) now I'd use Incarnation and DoC.
In many dungeons I've used my damage CDs on huge trash packs rather than bosses.
I suggest to keep an healer offspec because it might be a good idea to join Stormstout's Brewery as an healer and change spec to boomkin during the last boss because the timer is really unforgiving and depending on the tank an healer is not needed for that boss.

[earthwormjim]

I did all gold CMs as balance. If I had to do it again, I would have just played resto.

Balance is easily one of the worst, if not the worst classes for CMs. You have zero mobile dps since your crit is so low, you can't really reach the first haste breakpoint unless you have a ton of gear with sockets, so your casts are very long, we're a deadweight class. At the time that I did it, my useful contribution to the group was solar beam for massive aoe pulls and pretty good burst on bosses. My trash dps was a lot lower than everyone else (which is the most important part in CMs). Solar beam is a lot weaker now than it was back then, so quite honestly, your group will be carrying you.

Do your group a favor and play resto, guardian, or feral (resto preferably, 2nd best CM healer class).

I'm not saying its impossible (I mean I did it), however speaking from my experience it won't be very fun for you or your group. The new talent changes help, I did it nearly a year ago, but we're still such a heavily gear dependent class for mobility.

If your group is truly solid, they can carry you, if you want to pull your weight, do a different spec.

Top parsing raiding boomkin on my server doesn't do them as balance, should be a sign right there...

I don't know why you people get upset when someone says to play a different spec... It's sound advice taken from actual real experience on my part and other peoples'.