The following compares the current state of Balance Druids to Subtlety Rogues using the latest SimulationCraft data for end-game PvE in World of Warcraft The War Within patch 11.0.2.
Comparison
Category
Winner
Subtlety Rogue
+11.96%
When simulating boss fight encounters, Subtlety Rogues averaged 11.96% more DPS than Balance Druids (+175K DPS).
Balance Druid
+65.27%
When simulating AoE DPS, Balance Druids averaged 65.27% more DPS than Subtlety Rogues (+2M DPS).
Subtlety Rogue
+29.61%
Subtlety Rogues have higher spike damage potential, achieving +2.3M more DPS than Balance Druids.
Spike damage is the peak DPS achieved in any given moment and is not sustained DPS.
Subtlety Rogue
+3.39%
When upgrading the gear for both specs by +44 ilvl, Subtlety Rogue DPS improved the most, +3.39% more than Balance Druid. In total, Subtlety Rogues DPS increased by 70.45% and Balance Druids by 67.06%.
Subtlety Rogue
+12.5%
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 10.23% for Subtlety Rogues.
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 22.73% for Balance Druids.
When introducing occasional movement and real-world latency, Subtlety Rogues performed better, as Balance Druids suffered a +12.5% 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 Balance Druid and Subtlety Rogue in the current meta, which can hopefully help you determine which spec to play or group up with.
Subtlety Rogue
Balance Druid