World of Warcraft News and Raiding Strategies

Classes

• Death Knight (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  
  • Frost
    
    • Remorseless Winter now has the correct amount of Global Cooldown reduction applied from Haste.
      
    • The talent Inexorable Assault will now correctly always deal damage when using Obliterate or Frostscythe.
      
  • Unholy
    
    • The Spell Eater talent will now correctly modify the absorb value of Anti-Magic Shell.
      
    • The in-combat behavior of the Risen Skulker from the All Will Serve talent has been adjusted to work similarly to other ranged combat companions.
      
  
  
• Rogue (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  
  • Cloak of Shadows will now correctly clear any Hunter's Mark debuffs from the Rogue when activated.
    
  
  
• Warlock (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  
  • Destruction
    
    • Rain of Fire should no longer incorrectly pull creatures who may be on a different floor or are otherwise out of line of sight.
      
  
  
• Warrior (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  
  • Fury
    
    • Fixed a bug that caused Death Wish to reduce the cooldown of Recklessness when talented into Anger Management.
      

Creatures and NPCs

• The Prophet Velen no longer deals excessive damage.
  
• It should now be less difficult to defeat Patchwerk in the Death Knight starting zone.
  
• Elder Stormhoof should no longer be quite so deadly when Blessed by Earth.

Dungeons

• Seat of the Triumverate
  
  • Fixed a bug that caused several enemy abilities to hit tanks for more than the intended amount of magic damage.
    

Items

• Relic of the Makers again grants Agility, Intellect, and Strength as intended.
  
• The sound of Hot Buttered Popcorn no longer travels far across zones.

Player versus Player

• The effectiveness of Resilience on low-level PvP gear has been greatly reduced.
  
• Players who become Bounty Hunted are now be provided with a parachute if they happen to be on a flying mount.
  
• Battlegrounds
  
  • Eye of the Storm
    
    • Flag captures, bases assaulted, and bases defended are now in the correct order on the scoreboard.
      
  • Seething Shore
    
    • Fixed a bug that could cause multiple Azerite nodes to be spawned at the same location at the same time.
      
• Classes
  
  • Hunter
    
    • Hi-Explosive Trap will now adhere to AoE knockback diminishing returns when interacting with spells such as Shining Force and Thunderstorm.
      
  • Paladin
    
    • Blessing of Sanctuary can now be cast on low-level player targets.
      

Professions

• Fishing
  
  • Darkmoon Faire Island now requires Fishing rank 150 to avoid catching junk (was 600).

Quests

• Fixed an issue that prevented some players from progressing in the Rogue class hall campaign.
  
• Quest targets in the Spires of Arak Howling Crag no longer permanently evade when straying too far from their spawn locations.

With regular weekly maintenance in each region, starting in the Americas region tomorrow morning, we're making some adjustments to several specs to address balance issues in the Pre-Patch. Here's a rundown of the changes you'll see in the live game:

Druid (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)

• Restoration
  • Photosynthesis now increases rate of all HoTs by 20% (was 15%).
  • Photosynthesis haste effect now affects Efflorescence.
  • Cultivation healing is now 10% of spell power per tick (was 12%).
  • Rejuvenation healing is now 18% of spell power per tick (was 17%).

Mage (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)

• Arcane
  • Mana Shield drains 50% of damage as mana (was 20%).

Monk (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)

• Chi Wave healing increased by 25%.
• Windwalker
  • Blackout Kick damage reduced by 27%.

Paladin (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)

• Retribution
  • All damage abilities have been reduced 3%.

Priest (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)

• Smite damage reduced by 6%.
• Divine Star healing increased to 50% of spell power (was 40%).
• Discipline
  • Shadow Word: Pain reduced by 9%.
  • Shadowfiend damage reduced by 16%.
  • Mindbender damage reduced by 8%.
  • Fixed a bug where Sins of the Many was not increasing Atonement healing from Shadowfiend/Mindbinder.
• Holy
  • Binding Heal now costs 2.4% of mana (was 2.0%).
  • Holy Word: Salvation cast time increased to 2.5 seconds (was 2 seconds).
  • Angel's Mercy cooldown reduction increased.

Shaman (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)

• Restoration
  • Cloudburst now stores 30% of healing done (was 25%).
  • Unleash Life instant healing increased by 26%.

Rogue (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)

• Assassination
  • All damage abilities reduced 4%.
• Outlaw
  • All damage abilities reduced 3%.
• Subtlety
  • All damage abilities reduced 4%.

Warrior (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)

• Arms
  • All damage abilities increased 3%.

Thanks!

On Thursday, August 9th and Friday, August 10th, we will be conducting Uldir raid tests.

Thursday, August 9th

Taloc - Heroic Uldir
13:00 PDT (16:00 EDT, 22:00 CEST)

G'huun - Heroic Uldir
14:00 PDT (17:00 EDT, 23:00 CEST)

Friday, August 10th

Zek'voz - Mythic Uldir
13:00 PDT (16:00 EDT, 22:00 CEST)

Zul - Mythic Uldir
14:00 PDT (17:00 EDT, 23:00 CEST)

As always, this testing schedule is very fluid and subject to the realities of a Beta environment. We might have to change the time of a testing session, change the bosses being tested, or cancel a test entirely, due to bugs, server hardware issues, etc. Keep an eye on this forum for the latest information, and thank you in advance for testing and providing feedback.

Q: How do I get into the raid zone?

A: In Zuldazar, Boralus, Dalaran, Orgrimmar, or Stormwind, you may speak to Nexus-Lord Donjon Rade III in order to teleport into the raid zone while it is open for testing. (The option to teleport into a zone will not be available when the zone is not open for testing.)

Located in the north west of Zandalar, Vol’dun is a vast and unforgiving land. Dunes of sand, salt flats, and bone breaking rocky terrain stretch from coast to coast, meeting up with Nazmir to the east and Zandalar to the south. Danger here comes as much from the arid and unrelenting landscape as it does from the creatures who eke out a living here.


Welcome to Vol’dun.


The region of Vol’dun serves as a death sentence for those exiled from Zuldazar. But the land's apparent lack of of life is merely a mirage, and there’s more to be learned if you scratch beyond the surface.

Princess Talanji has heard word that her father’s general, Jakra’zet, is secretly sending troops into Vol’dun. If you are to prove the value of the Horde to her and secure the might of the Zandalari fleet, you’ll need to venture into this inhospitable terrain to seek him out, learn of his plans, and put a stop to them before he takes down the entire Zandalari empire.

Venturing from the capital city will prove to be dangerous for you and your small team, and simply crossing the border would tip your hand to those who serve the general. As with any flight into hostile land, you’ll need to be prepared . . . for anything.

General Jakra’zet’s secrets lie somewhere in the sands. Head into the dunes and recover proof that will help remove him from power.

As you explore this harsh land, you’ll meet the fox-like vulpera—a keen and intelligent race of nomadic scavengers capable of turning what they find into opportunities to thrive. But not all who live here are free. Once an ally to the Zandalari trolls, the reptilian sethrak have taken to subjugating anyone they can as slaves, and the vulpera are an easy target for their machinations. If you’re to survive in Vul’dun and get to the heart of general Jakra’zet’s plans, you’ll need all the allies you can get. Lending aid to these creatures is bound to pay off.


Vulpera caravans travel from hideaway to hideaway, peddling their wares, engaging in trade, and spreading information they pick up along the way. If you’re fortunate, you’ll be able to catch a ride on one and learn a bit more about these resourceful inhabitants.

Remembering to Forget: We’re All Akunda Now
To the south looms the Temple of Akunda. Like Nazmir and Zuldazar, this land is served by several of the loa. Many who seek sanctuary travel to this temple to forget the ills of the past and serve the great loa Akunda. There is more to discover here, and with a little extra effort, you’ll be able to get in this loa’s good graces.

Things to try: If you come across a rickety plank in the sand dunes southwest of Atul’aman, you can take part in a little sandboarding. Just make sure you keep your mouth and eyes covered to avoid sand in your eye or getting a little extra protein in the form of a desert bug.

North east of the Temple of Akunda, an outpost of outcasts has taken root near Atul’aman. Despite frequent sandstorms and short supplies, they’ve begun to herd alpaca here among the harsh terrain. Keeping the herd safe from the likes of hyenas, Vol’duni Dunecrawlers, and saurolisks can be trying at best, and surviving off the land has hardened these people. They don’t trust outsiders, and marauders holing up in the nearby Scorched Sands Arena regularly plague this fragile settlement, stealing what little supplies they have.

Rest Your Head at the Goldtusk Inn
Tucked away near Atul’aman and nestled within a deep cavern is the hidden Whitebloom Oasis. Inside you’ll find the Goldtusk Inn, which is run by a quirky innkeeper—Rhan’ka—with a few curious requests. Lending Rhan’ka aid, a hand or two, and a bit of your bravery (or maybe a lot of it) will land you a few extra benefits, such as a new flight path and fully functioning inn you can make your own haven from the brutal heat of the desert.

Bits o’Honey?
Just to slightly north of Whitebloom Oasis, a vulpera known as Rikati sells some curious “food” and drink such as Bilewing “Honey”—it’s probably not what you think it is. Nothing in this desert really is. If you’re the adventurous type and have a bit of an iron stomach, you may want to stop by and explore new culinary frontiers.

Did You Know? Feeding Brutosaurs: If you stop by Rikati’s wagon, you’ll want to pick up a delicacy called Snake on a Stick. Feeding one of these to Brutosaurs in Vol’dun, Nazmir, and Zuldazar will earn you the achievement Eating Out of the Palm of My Tiny Hand. No one wants large, hungry, carnivorous Brutasaurs, and feeding them is fun.

Caught between the Sethrak and the Sea
If you’re looking for tales of pirates, then look no further than the Port of Zem’lan to the southwest. It wouldn’t be worth visiting if there wasn’t word of a curse and treasure. The sounds of gulls seem peaceful even amongst the broken vestiges of the port, and sethrak still patrol nearby. There are tales and mysteries to unravel here.

Ashvane Incursion
The Ashvane Company has infiltrated the southern region of Vol’dun. If you didn’t already have to worry about General Jakra’zet, sethrak slavers, cursed pirates, marauders, and a hostile desert filled with creatures bent on killing and (probably) eating you, adding these particular Kul Tirans to the mix isn’t going to make things any easier for you.

A Refuge Away?
On the northeastern coast along the Whispering Crag, the tortollans have set themselves up in the Tortaka Refuge. They are plagued by naga to the east, dwindling supplies, and very large spiders. If you’re the least bit arachnophobic, Vol’dun won’t be high on your list of vacation spots.

If you visit the Slithering Gulch to the south, you may discover some of Nazmir’s tortollan pilgrims. Their journey incomplete, they now stand before the sethrak up for auction to the highest bidders.

Where Even Snakes Fear to Tread
To the north, the Skycallers’ Spire dominates the landscape. A large hooded snake looms above, crackling with lightning. It is here that you’ll find the Temple of Sethraliss and uncover the darkness within.

The Temple of Sethraliss Dungeon

Centuries ago, Sethraliss, a powerful snake loa, sacrificed herself to stop Mythrax from unleasing his master upon Azeroth. After the battle, her devoted followers transported her remains and built a temple around them while they awaited her rebirth. Now a dark force stirs within this sacred temple that seeks to twist her power toward nefarious ends.

Difficulties: Normal, Heroic, Mythic

Level: 110+ Horde* (One of four level-up dungeons)

*Available at level 120 for Alliance and Horde

Aderiss and Aspix: This pair of powerful sethrak is charged with guarding the temple’s entrance to prevent anyone from interfering with their master’s plot.

Merektha: Merektha is the product of foul experiments to produce an army of unstoppable beasts. With her clutch of eggs beginning to hatch, this mother is on the hunt for victims to serve as food for her ravenous children.

Galvazzt: With the corruption of her temple, Sethraliss’ command of lightning has created twisted elementals that roam the sunken champers. The most powerful of these creatures is called Galvazzt, capable of eradicating anything that crosses its path.

Avatar of Sethraliss: The Heart of Sethraliss is in the grips of a terrible power that seeks to corrupt her. Her avatar must be restored before this evil takes root and she is reborn as a dark loa capable of destroying the whole of Vol’dun.

There is plenty to explore throughout Vol’dun, and what first seems like a wasteland comes to life with deadly vibrancy once you scratch the harsh exterior. The sand-bleached bones of giant beasts litter the land, long since picked clean and polished to a gleaming smooth by the shifting sands. Brief moments of reprieve from the heat can be found to the north in the small stretch of marsh and in the caverns and oasis tucked away from the unrelenting sun.

Remember, water can make a difference between life and death, for you and for others who may desperately need it. You never know what a difference a drop or two can mean at the right time, in the right place.

Beyond Vol’dun to the east are the fetid swamps of Nazmir, and to the south you’ll find the sprawling ancient capital of the Zandalari, Zuldazar. Bringing the Zandalari fleet into the might of the Horde will take grit and determination. Surviving Vol’dun could take everything.

It was previously communicated that you would need to pre-purchase Battle for Azeroth to play the final part of the 8.0 pre-patch event tomorrow, The Siege of Lordaeron, however, this is no longer the case and we have changed it to now be available regardless of prepurchasing the expansion!

I also want to throw out a reminder that you all have a week to go before the pre patch events are removed from the game and as such the mounts, Teldrassil Hippogryph and the Undercity Plaguebat for the Alliance and Horde respectively, will be no longer attainable. So remember to get out to Darkshore and get those done so you don't miss out!