World of Warcraft News and Raiding Strategies

Hello! Here are this week’s updates to the Embers of Neltharion PTR:

Dragonflight Season 2

• Mythic+
  
  • Incorporeal affix is now immune to damage and has more consistent spawn behavior.
    
    • Developers’ note: The Incorporeal affix plays a similar role to Afflicted, but with emphasis on crowd control utility. A few things we’re hoping to smooth out include both the rate at which these spawn (sometimes too many at once), and the ease with which crowd control can be accidentally broken once applied. We are discussing a change to Incorporeal Beings that would cause them to fade away when combat with non-Incorporeal Beings has ended.
  • Afflicted affix now has less health and has more consistent spawn behavior.
    
    • Developers’ note: The Afflicted affix is meant to incentivize a greater focus on dispel utility, while also offering players with healing spells an alternative solution in cases where dispel availability is more limited or where other enemies have threatening dispellable abilities. This is mostly working out, but their health (especially at higher key levels) is a bit too high for healing to feel like a practical option.
  • New Affix: Entangling – While in combat, entangling vines snare players.
    
    • Developers’ note: We’re keeping an eye on the potency of the snare and required response from players to successful snap the vine with movement. We are also looking to improve visual clarity and audio cues for the Entangling affix.
  • Explosive affix now has less health and has more consistent spawn behavior.
    
    • Developers’ note: We’ve heard feedback both that explosives in their new form have too much health, and that in general it makes sense to try and ignore them, thus making them a “healer problem” in a different way than before. We are discussing a redesign for the Explosive affix to shift responsibility away from healers. The proposed change would cause Explosives to instead shield creatures for a percentage of the Explosive’s remaining health when its cast completes.
  • Developers’ note: In addition to the above, we are also discussing a change to the progression of affixes on keystones. With item rewards now increasing up to level 20, we’re evaluating which levels affixes are added to keystones. Our proposed change would delay when affixes are added to keystones. This is to give players more time to acclimate to baseline dungeons before additional mechanics come online, and to better match the complexity of a Mythic+ dungeon to the rewards it offers.
    
    • Keystone Level 7 Affixes (was 4):
      
      • Spiteful
      • Sanguine
      • Bursting
      • Bolstering
      • Raging
    • Keystone Level 14 Affixes (was 7):
      
      • Incorporeal
      • Afflicted
      • Entangling
      • Explosive
      • Storming

Characters

• Added 4 new skin tones and 4 new hair colors for Dark Iron Dwarves.
• Blind eye options have been moved from Eye Color to the new Eyesight customization option. Now all eye colors for all races can be customized to be blind.

Classes

• Death Knight
  
  • Frost
    
    • Vault of the Incarnates: 2-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Obliterate and Frostscythe critical strike damage is increased by 10% (was 15%).
• Demon Hunter
  
  • Havoc
    
    • Vault of the Incarnates: 4-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Chaos Strike and Blade Dance have a 20% chance to increase damage you deal by 5% for 6 seconds (was 8%).
• Druid
  
  • Guardian
  • Several new combat animations added to the Might/Blight of the Grizzlemaw Druid Bear Form customizations.
  • Restoration
    
    • Fixed an issue that caused Wild Growth’s healing to falloff incorrectly and heal for less than intended.
    • Wild Growth’s healing has been decreased by 4%.
      
      • Developers’ note: Wild Growth’s healing is being decreased to offset the increased healing that the fix to the falloff issue provides.
• Evoker
  
  • Devastation
    
    • Developers’ note: Thanks to the invaluable feedback from all of you, we’ve made further changes to Devastation’s talents. The bottom section of the tree has been significantly rearranged, and has fewer 2-point nodes. Causality has been iterated on, maintaining the goal of rewarding fully-channeled Disintegrates, but addressing the concerns with how the new design would have interacted with Haste. Finally, some under-used talents have gotten partial or full reworks to introduce new build and playstyle options.
    • Causality has been redesigned – Disintegrate reduces the remaining cooldown of your empower spells by 0.5 seconds each time it deals damage. Pyre reduces their cooldowns by 0.4 seconds per enemy struck, up to 2 seconds. Causality is no longer a choice talent.
    • Font of Magic now also causes your empower spells to reach maximum level in 20% less time.
    • Everburning Flame is no longer a choice node with Feed the Flames.
    • Feed the Flames has been redesigned – After casting 12 Pyres, your next Pyre will explode into a Firestorm. Does not trigger from Volatility bounces.
    • Imminent Destruction has been redesigned – Deep Breath reduces the Essence costs of Disintegrate and Pyre by 1 for 10 seconds after you land. Now a 1-rank talent.
    • Lay Waste is now a 1-rank talent (was 2 ranks) and damage bonus increased to 20% (was 15%).
    • Burnout is now a 1-rank talent (was 2 ranks) and its chance to trigger is now 16%, the former 2-rank value.
    • Scintillation is now a 1-rank talent (was 2 ranks) and damage effectiveness is 60%, the former 2-rank value.
    • Power Swell is now a 1-rank talent (was 2 ranks) and the duration is 4 seconds, the former 2-rank value.
    • New Talent: Event Horizon – Eternity Surge’s cooldown is reduced by 3 seconds. Choice talent with Eye of Infinity.
    • Eye of Infinity has been redesigned – Eternity Surge deals 15% increased damage to your primary target.
    • Arcane Vigor has been redesigned – Shattering Star grants Essence Burst.
    • Snapfire’s chance to trigger Firestorm increased to 15% (was 12%).
    • Raging Inferno’s Firestorm radius bonus reduced to 25% (was 50%) and Pyre damage bonus reduced to 20% (was 25%).
• Hunter
  
  • Revive Pet now has a 2.5 second cast time (was 3 seconds).
  • Revive Pet’s spell school is now Physical, and can no longer be stopped by Silence and Interrupt effects (was Nature).
  • Survival
    
    • Developers’ note: The Dragonflight Season 1 Survival Hunter tier set bonus is very powerful in single target scenarios, but will potentially cause issues in Season 2 where you are not encouraged to upgrade your gear to the new tier set. We’re lowering the values on the Season 1 2-piece and 4-piece set bonuses, and increasing the damage dealt by your class to compensate for these changes.
    • Vault of the Incarnates: 2-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Raptor Strike/Mongoose Bite, Carve, and Butchery damage increased by 12% (was 15%).
    • Vault of the Incarnates: 4 Set Bonus has been redesigned – Raptor Strike/Mongoose Bite, Carve, and Butchery have a 20% chance to make your next Raptor Strike/Mongoose Bite, Carve, and Butchery cost 10 less Focus and deal 40% increased damage (was 100% Focus cost reduction and 50% increased damage).
    • All damage dealt by you and your pet’s abilities increased by 8%.
• Monk
  
  • Fixed an issue that prevented Ferocity of Xuen from not increasing your summoned pet+ damage.
  • Brewmaster
    
    • Fluidity of Motion’s tooltip has been updated to clarify that the damage of Blackout Kick is reduced.
• Paladin
  
  • Fixed a tooltip error with Consecrated Ground displaying Divine Hammer for non-Retribution Paladins.
  • Protection
    
    • Added support for Sentinel to Glyph of Winged Vengeance.
    • Removed spell replacement text for Sentinel.
    • Fixed errors causing Heartfire to trigger from incorrect spells.
    • Heartfire should now trigger from Divine Toll and Divine Resonance.
• Priest
  
  • Discipline
    
    • Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Shadow Word: Pain/Purge the Wicked damage increased by 25%. Power Word: Radiance healing increased by 15%.
    • Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Atonements applied by Power Word: Radiance last 3 sec longer. Your spells have a chance to cause your next Power Word: Radiance to be instant and cost 100% less mana. Can accumulate up to 2 charges.
  • Holy
    
    • Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been redesigned – When you cast Prayer of Mending, there is a 35% chance its effect is duplicated to another ally.
    • Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been redesigned – When Prayer of Mending jumps or expires, it increases the damage and healing of your next Holy Word by 4%, stacking up to 15 times.
      
      • Developers’ note: These set bonuses are now available in this week’s PTR update.
  • Shadow
    
    • Shadow Word: Death damage increased by 10% for Shadow.
    • Mind Flay and Mind Sear damage from Idol of C’Thun reduced by 30%.
    • Distorted Reality increases the damage of Devouring Plague by 20% (was 8%) and increases its Insanity cost by 5 (was 10).
    • Auspicious Spirits causes Shadowy Apparitions to have a chance to generate 1 Insanity (was 2).
• Shaman
  
  • Deeply Rooted Elements should now activate more consistently for all specializations.
    
    • Developers’ note: The Deeply Rooted Elements talent could sometimes feel like you received many Ascendance activations, or none. We have made adjustments to how this talent works to lower the very high and very low proc rates.
• Warlock
  
  • Destruction
    
    • Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Demonfire bolts increase your Fire damage by 1% for 13 seconds, stacking up to 8 times. Gaining a stack does not refresh the duration. Casting Channel Demonfire resets this effect.
• Warrior
  
  • Arms
    
    • Fatal Mark now lasts 3 minutes (was 2 minutes).
    • In addition to its current effect, Bloodletting now causes Mortal Strike to inflict Rend on targets below 35% health if you have Rend talented.
    • Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Deep Wounds critical strikes have a chance to increase the damage of your next Mortal Strike by 10% and cause it to deal (38% of Attack Power) Physical damage to enemies in front of you, stacking 3 times. Damage reduced above 5 targets.
  • Fury
    
    • Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Rampage causes your next Bloodthirst to have a 10% increased critical strike chance, deal 25% increased damage and generate 2 additional Rage. Stacking up to 10 times.

Items and Rewards

• Legacy Legendary items should now have the correct item levels.
• Elemental Potions of Ultimate Power are no longer bind-on-pickup.
• Potion of Chilled Clarity can no longer be canceled and is now on the global cooldown.
• Profession recipe raid boss drops have moved to Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible on all difficulties (was Vault of the Incarnates on Heroic and Mythic difficulty).

Player Versus Player

• Net-o-Matic 5000 can now be used in all areas outside of the Dragon Isles, but not inside the Dragon Isles zones.
• Classes
  
  • Druid
    
    • Balance
      
      • New PvP Talent: Master Shapeshifter – Your abilities are amplified based on your current shapeshift form, granting an additional effect:
        
        • Bear Form – Ironfur grants 30% additional armor and generates 12 Astral Power.
        • Caster Form – Rejuvenation and Swiftmend heal for 30% more and generate 8 Astral Power.
        • Cat Form – Rip, Ferocious Bite, and Maim deal 60% additional damage and generate 60 Astral Power when cast with 5 combo points.
    • Guardian
      
      • Master Shapeshifter has been redesigned – Your abilities are amplified based on your current shapeshift form, granting an additional effect:
        
        • Caster Form – Rejuvenation and Swiftmend heal for 30% more and cause you to instantly generate 25 Rage after entering Bear Form.
        • Cat Form – Rip, Ferocious Bite, and Maim deal 60% additional damage and cause you to instantly generate 50 Rage after entering Bear Form when cast with 5 combo points.
        • Moonkin Form – Wrath, Starfire, and Starsurge deal 30% additional damage and cause you to instantly generate 25 Rage after entering Bear Form.
      • Toughness (PvP Talent) has been removed.
      • Den Mother now additionally reduces the duration of all stun effects on you by 15%.
      • Sharpened Claws (PvP Talent) has been removed.
    • Restoration
      
      • Master Shapeshifter has been redesigned – Your abilities are amplified based on your current shapeshift form, granting an additional effect:
        
        • Bear Form – Ironfur grants 30% additional armor and generates 1250 Mana.
        • Cat Form – Rip, Ferocious Bite, and Maim deal 60% additional damage and generate 5000 Mana when cast with 5 combo points.
        • Moonkin Form – Wrath, Starfire, and Starsurge deal 30% additional damage and generate 2000 Mana.
  • Paladin
    
    • Holy
      
      • Aura Mastery now reduces the damage allies in your aura take by 30% in PvP combat (was 15%).
  • Shaman
    
    • Burrow damage increased by 200%.
    • Burrow now moves the Shaman’s nameplate closer to the ground while the effect is active.
    • Elemental
      
      • Lava Burst no longer consumes Volcanic Surge and the cast time of Lava Burst is no longer reduced by Volcanic Surge.
      • Volcanic Surge increases the damage of Chain Lightning and Lightning Bolt by 25% (was 20%).
      • Volcanic Surge increases the damage of Lava Burst by 45% (was 20%).
  • Warlock
    
    • New PvP Talent: Soul Rip – Fracture the soul of up to 3 target players within 20 yards into the shadows, reducing their damage done by 25% and healing received by 25% for 8 seconds. Souls are fractured up to 16 yards from the player’s location. Players can retrieve their souls to remove this effect. 1 minute cooldown, costs 2 Soul Shards.
    • Fixed an issue where Bonds of Fel was not correctly receiving some damage modifications.
    • Affliction
      
      • Bane of Shadows (PvP Talent) has been removed.
  • Warrior
    
    • Protection
      
      • Shield Bash (PvP talent) has been redesigned – When Shield Slam is used on targets that are casting, it reduces their damage done by 15% for 8 seconds and the cooldown is instantly reset.

Professions

• New Optional Reagents are available for upgrading items to a higher item level.
  
  • Spark gear (Purple)
    
    • Enchanted Aspect’s Shadowflame Crest
  • Concentrated Primal Infusions now go up to 421 item level to match upgrade systems.
• Players can now minimize the crafting window to a reduced size for ease of use.
• Players can now click on a tracked recipe in their quest log to pop open a small recipe window.
• Currency on the public order page are now right aligned.
• All gathering professions now work in the Zaralek Cavern.
• Profession recipes have been added for the following professions but not all are fully enabled. Sources and recipe costs are still being worked on. You can find these on the temporary crafting vendors.
  
  • Engineering
    
    • Momentum Redistributor Boots (Shadowlands) can no longer be used in dungeons and raids.
  • Jewelcrafting
    
    • Obsidian Combatant’s Jeweled Amulet
    • Obsidian Combatant’s Jeweled Signet
    • B.B.F. Fist
    • Statuette of Foreseen Power
    • Figurine of the Gathering Storm

Quests

• Heritage armor quests for non-Allied Races no longer requires Exalted reputation with their home factions.

User Interface and Accessibility

• Group Loot roll results frame (/loot) has been redesigned with a new look.
• Group Loot now has a Transmogrification option that replaces Greed if the player has not collected the appearance. Transmog rolls take priority over Greed rolls.
  
  • Known issues:
    
    • Players can Transmog roll on items that are not their primary armor type (i.e. Warriors can Transmog roll on cloth items).
    • Transmog rolls and Greed rolls are treated equally (a Greed roll can beat a Transmog roll).

Greetings!

We’ve been watching everyone play Mythic+ on the PTR and monitoring feedback, and wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts on where things are at. Overall, we’re seeing a lot of the type of gameplay we’d hoped to see from our updated level 7 affixes, but we also see room to improve and are looking to make a number of changes for our next round of testing based on player feedback:

Afflicted now has less health and has more consistent spawn behavior.

• The Afflicted affix is meant to incentivize a greater focus on dispel utility, while also offering players with healing spells an alternative solution in cases where dispel availability is more limited or where other enemies have threatening dispellable abilities.
• This is mostly working out, but their health (especially at higher key levels) is a bit too high for healing to feel like a practical option.

Incorporeal is now immune to damage and has more consistent spawn behavior.

• The Incorporeal affix plays a similar role to Afflicted, but with emphasis on crowd control utility.
• A few things we're hoping to smooth out include both the rate at which these spawn (sometimes too many at once), and the ease with which crowd control can be accidentally broken once applied.
• We are discussing a change to Incorporeal Beings that would cause them to fade away when combat with non-Incorporeal Beings has ended.

Explosive now has less health and has more consistent spawn behavior.

• We've heard feedback both that explosives in their new form have too much health, and that in general it makes sense to try and ignore them, thus making them a "healer problem" in a different way than before.
  
  • We are discussing a redesign for the Explosive affix to shift responsibility away from healers. The proposed change would cause Explosives to instead shield creatures for a percentage of the Explosive's remaining health when its cast completes.

Entangling

• We're keeping an eye on the potency of the snare and required response from players to successful snap the vine with movement.
• We are looking to improve visual clarity and audio cues for the Entangling affix.

Keystone Affixes

• In addition to the above, we are also discussing a change to the progression of affixes on keystones. With item rewards now increasing up to level 20, we're evaluating which levels affixes are added to keystones. Our proposed change would delay when affixes are added to keystones. This is to give players more time to acclimate to baseline dungeons before additional mechanics come online, and to better match the complexity of a Mythic+ dungeon to the rewards it offers.
  
  • Keystones would gain their second affix at level 7, up from level 4.
    
    • Spiteful
    • Raging
    • Bursting
    • Bolstering
    • Sanguine
  • Keystones would gain their third affix at level 14, up from level 7.
    
    • Afflicted
    • Incorporeal
    • Explosive
    • Entangling
    • Storming

Thank you again for taking the time to play Mythic+ on the PTR! We appreciate your feedback and will continue to read, watch, play, and let you know as we make additional changes.