Balance Druid
vs
Fire Mage
Debating whether to play a Fire Mage or Balance Druid? Knowing which currently performs better DPS in PvE might help make a decision.
This page analyzes multiple simulations for both Fire Mages and Balance Druids using profiles and settings intended to achieve their maximum DPS. Multiple sim environments are used to test how they perform in various conditions. Is one the AoE king? Does one scale better with gear upgrades? Is one more bursty, and more reliant on big cooldowns? Below analyzes the data to find the strengths of each.
Simulation results were created with SimulationCraft
Using game data from Patch 10.2.7 • WoW Dragonflight •
- Balance Druid
Best boss DPS (in perfect settings)
Balance Druid achieved 6.07% more maximum boss DPS than Fire Mage when there was no movement or lag.
Best boss DPS (in realistic settings)
Balance Druid achieved 20.09% more maximum boss DPS than Fire Mage when dealing with occasional movement, lag and crowd-control.
Least affected by movement (single-target)
Balance Druid’s single-target DPS was -60.88% less affected by increased movement compared to Fire Mages.
Best gear scaling
Balance Druid scaled better with increased item-levels, single-target DPS benefited 8.92% more from 446 ilvl to 488 compared to Fire Mages.
Simplest Gameplay
Balance Druid has fewer damaging abilities which could indicate a simpler rotation.
DPS less dependant on big cooldowns
Balance Druid’s DPS is less bursty, meaning it had more consistent damage. With 26.99% less difference in lowest and peak DPS during a fight when compared to Fire Mages.
Fire MageBest AoE DPS (in perfect settings)
Fire Mage achieved 18% more AoE DPS than Balance Druid when there was no movement or lag.
While the above highlights the DPS advantages between Balance Druid and Fire Mages, the DPS potential should not be the only factor in your decision. Ultimately, you should also consider the playstyle that you enjoy most while crushing it in Mythics+ and Raids!
Resources
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