Balance druid prioritizing healing over spell damage

Ask Mr. Robot WoW Classic
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I compared the optimization against the pre-raid BIS list on Icy Veins, and some of the pre-raid BIS.
It is telling me not to use some of the casting gear. Vicar’s Cloak over the Shadow Cloak of Dalaran ( +18 Int +40 Heal, +14 SpD, +7 M/5 vs +18 int, +19 stam, +36 SP )

I see a bunch of what I would consider healing trinkets.

For example: Instead of the caster Xri’i’s Gift ( +32 spell crit, and Use: up to 150 spell damage ), it chooses Heavenly Inspiration ( 10 Mana/5, up to 79 spell damage ( larger heal + ).

It is also choosing healing gems as well, and other gear that is more healing than casting.

Any thoughts on why a Balance Druid would need healing items over spell damage items?

2

Could you post a snapshot instead? (Use the help link right above the gear table on BiS) I need to see all of your settings to look into this for you.

3

Sorry for the confusion. Here is the snapshot from the optimizer.

b5ad3c08189a4b44b3fecc2e5ba73279

The issue is not with what is being reported for BIS. Icy Veins has a list of easier to get alternatives for some of the crafted gear which is difficult to get.

The issue is that the optimizer is choosing healing items over DPS items.

It also seems to lean towards leather items, where balance druid gear is generally cloth.

4

It has been better with my current gear.

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It is still choosing “Bracers of the White Stag” over the “Bracers of Havok” they are practically equal, so that isnt much of a big deal.

The Relic spot is a situational spot. At times you want the one for Starfire, and at other times Wrath.
One thing to note with it, when you look at the options for the relic, it puts the tanking and healing relics above the wrath relic.

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image620×1018 64.8 KB

One last thing, since some of the crafted items are very expensive and more difficult to get, could you add a setup option for BIS to not include crafted items.

5

I have noticed something odd…

When I change my consumables to just add one flask ( Flask of Blinding Light )… the optimizer reverts back to choosing mana/5 gear over more damage oriented gear.

With no consumables : 689811395c384ad88bc16202fdafa71d
With 1 consumable : f811ee6465214a19b5d7143fba5a28ed

I imagine this has to do with the length of the fight. I understand having the length of the fight to factor in the calculations, but since the length depends on the raid you are in ( the DPS output of your raid members), would it be possible to remove that from the calculations, so we can maximize the potential damage, and we can worry about managing mana on our own. ( down ranking spells, choosing not to cast, performing support functions, like innervate on healers, battle res, tranquility, spot heal etc )

After all, if a raid wanted to go pure DPS, they would just stack warlocks or mages. Balance druids are utility support players. We make all things better. We want to max our DPS when we can, but have to fulfil our support role even more. Being able to eliminate M/5 in the calculation, helps us with DPS potential.

6

If you want to eliminate the effect of fight length/mana pool in the calculation, shorten the fight, or add in a bunch of consumables and buffs to give you more mana. Optimizing for a shorter fight would be equivalent to saying: I want to optimize for doing damage during some small part of a fight.

The “healer” items being picked are because of how mana-limited you are. You will be able to do more damage over the course of a long fight if you increase your mana pool. Even if you are a “support” spec, the goal is to beat the fight as fast as possible, so that is our default optimization.

You can exclude particular crafted items with the icons to the right of them in the list if you do not wish to make them and consider them.