The following compares the current state of Arms Warriors to Balance Druids using the latest SimulationCraft data for end-game PvE in World of Warcraft The War Within patch 11.0.2.
Comparison
Category
Winner
Arms Warrior
+14.86%
When simulating boss fight encounters, Arms Warriors averaged 14.86% more DPS than Balance Druids (+225K DPS).
Balance Druid
+58.6%
When simulating AoE DPS, Balance Druids averaged 58.6% more DPS than Arms Warriors (+2M DPS).
Arms Warrior
+22.26%
Arms Warriors have higher spike damage potential, achieving +1.6M more DPS than Balance Druids.
Spike damage is the peak DPS achieved in any given moment and is not sustained DPS.
Arms Warrior
+0.06%
When upgrading the gear for both specs by +44 ilvl, Arms Warrior DPS improved the most, +0.06% more than Balance Druid. In total, Arms Warriors DPS increased by 67.12% and Balance Druids by 67.06%.
Balance Druid
+5.27%
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 4.96% for Balance Druids.
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 10.23% for Arms Warriors.
When introducing occasional movement and real-world latency, Balance Druids performed better, as Arms Warriors suffered a +5.27% DPS loss.
Balance Druid
When evaluating abilities used during boss encounters, Balance Druids had fewer damaging abilities in total, indicating a potentially less complex rotation.
The comparisons above highlight some of the key differences between Arms Warrior and Balance Druid in the current meta, which can hopefully help you determine which spec to play or group up with.
Arms Warrior
Balance Druid