DK Hotfixes Jan 12/13th.

[Eats Compost]

Going by overall DPS rankings in WCL, which had Unholy ranking #2 previously, a 6% nerf would place the spec around #8. That's just fine and far from "sucking".

Of course the nerf is much larger with >2 targets. But I still don't anticipate Unholy dropping below the middle of the pack.

If BB is at 40% rather than 45%, that changes things a lot.

That depends on which rankings you're talking about. Obviously it won't affect single-target at all, but it's a pretty radical nerf to AoE performance where comparable AoE specs received no nerfs or small nerfs. One thing I'm very concerned about is how badly this is going to affect my performance in challenge modes, particularly ones where I don't have Dark Simulacrum spells to abuse. 33% less Blood Boil damage in a CM is a very, very big deal.

[aggixx]

Unholy was the #1 spec in the entire game this week. The nerf was probably aimed at Unholy.

Judging by the fact that Guardian AoE is nerfed heavily as well I'm going to go with it was targeted at Blood and then they thought about Unholy and said "eh, whatever, they could probably use a nerf too". All speculation, of course.

[Vishy]

Join the Frost master race, peasants!

[aggixx]

Where does this put Blood DKs now? They joining Druids at the bottom of the pack?

For single target? Because druids were faaaar from bottom of the pack on AoE.

[Schizoide]

That depends on which rankings you're talking about. Obviously it won't affect single-target at all, but it's a pretty radical nerf to AoE performance where comparable AoE specs received no nerfs or small nerfs.

No it doesn't. I'm using the correct rankings, all bosses in Highmaul. Tons of AE/cleave.

Simmed a 40% Blood Boil. That one hurts.

Unholy T17H 2 targets AE priority pre-nerf: 42.2k
Unholy T17H 2 targets AE priority 45% BB: 39.8k (-6.0%)
Unholy T17H 2 targets AE priority 40% BB: 38.6k (-9.3%)
Unholy T17H 2 targets ST priority: 38.2k (so at 40% BB, AE threshold still at 2 targets)

Unholy T17H 3 targets AE priority pre-nerf: 52.6k
Unholy T17H 3 targets AE priority 45% BB: 49.0k (-7.3%)
Unholy T17H 3 targets AE priority 40% BB: 47.9k (-9.8%)

Unholy T17H 4 targets AE priority pre-nerf: 62.1k
Unholy T17H 4 targets AE priority 45% BB: 57.3k (-8.4%)
Unholy T17H 4 targets AE priority 40% BB: 55.8k (-11.3%)

[TheFuriousNoob]

Wish I did cms as blood before the nerf ;__;

[Eats Compost]

No it doesn't. I'm using the correct rankings, all bosses in Highmaul. Tons of AE/cleave.

Simmed a 40% Blood Boil. That one hurts.

Unholy T17H 2 targets AE priority pre-nerf: 42.2k
Unholy T17H 2 targets AE priority 45% BB: 39.8k (-6.0%)
Unholy T17H 2 targets AE priority 40% BB: 38.6k (-9.3%)
Unholy T17H 2 targets ST priority: 38.2k (so at 40% BB, AE threshold still at 2 targets)

Unholy T17H 3 targets AE priority pre-nerf: 52.6k
Unholy T17H 3 targets AE priority 45% BB: 49.0k (-7.3%)
Unholy T17H 3 targets AE priority 40% BB: 47.9k (-9.8%)

Unholy T17H 4 targets AE priority pre-nerf: 62.1k
Unholy T17H 4 targets AE priority 45% BB: 57.3k (-8.4%)
Unholy T17H 4 targets AE priority 40% BB: 55.8k (-11.3%)

Those sim results look like a pretty significant nerf to me.

[Schizoide]

A 40% BB is a much larger nerf to AE/cleave than a 45% one (remember, BB was 60% AP before). We don't know which one Blizzard meant when they said "reduced by 33%".

[Senel]

A 10% nerf I could get. But 33% is WAYYYYYYYY overkill.

[aggixx]

I just mean generally in terms of which tanks you want to bring. Blood was getting into top raids this tier due to its AoE, after basically disappearing from view in ToT and SOO. Is blood gonna disappear again?

Oh okay, I assumed you were talking about solely damage output.

[Schizoide]

It sounds like Blood was actually an outlier. Unholy was the #1 spec in the entire game, but the top 5 or so were pretty close-- it wasn't an outlier. Maybe the nerf was aimed primarily at Blood, and Unholy was (welcome) collateral damage.

Edit: Yeah, Blood's damage was definitely a bit of an outlier. Not as huge as some make it sound, but out of line with the other tank specs.

https://www.warcraftlogs.com/statist...gregate=amount

[aggixx]

A 10% nerf I could get. But 33% is WAYYYYYYYY overkill.

You'd barely even notice a 10% nerf, Blood would still be far and away the best tank AoE DPS with Guardian's thrash being nerfed.

[Sithalos]

Time to push some other buttons me thinks.

[Nangz]

It sounds like Blood was actually an outlier. Unholy was the #1 spec in the entire game, but the top 5 or so were pretty close-- it wasn't an outlier. Maybe the nerf was aimed primarily at Blood, and Unholy was collateral damage.

Edit: Yeah, Blood's damage was definitely a bit of an outlier. Not as huge as some make it sound, but out of line with the other tank specs.

https://www.warcraftlogs.com/statist...gregate=amount

I suppose this has to do more with theory rather than actually what happened but, balancing around heroic and normal is hopefully not the reason for these changes. Yes heroic and normal matter, but changes like this most significantly effect the mythic raiding population, where unholy was performing above average overall but not to the degree as other specs.

[Senel]

You'd barely even notice a 10% nerf, Blood would still be far and away the best tank AoE DPS with Guardian's thrash being nerfed.

Like I said I'm fine with nerfing Blood's BB. It was indeed too strong for a tank. But why the collateral to Unholy?

[Schizoide]

I suppose this has to do more with theory rather than actually what happened but, balancing around heroic and normal is hopefully not the reason for these changes. Yes heroic and normal matter, but changes like this most significantly effect the mythic raiding population, where unholy was performing above average overall but not to the degree as other specs.

Maybe these changes were indeed made due to mythic performance. Beats me. We players have no way to evaluate mythic performance due to insufficient data.

From the small sample sizes and incomplete data we do have for mythic, it shows Unholy as #2. So there's no reason to really think Unholy was in the middle of the pack in Mythic. Clearly below Enhance, but a very, very strong spec. But that conclusion isn't solid, it just makes an implication.

[Deleted]

Rip dps blood spec on tectus

[TEHPALLYTANK]

Like I said I'm fine with nerfing Blood's BB. It was indeed too strong for a tank. But why the collateral to Unholy?

It's okay, they'll fix it in a couple weeks like they're doing with prot after they fucked it up when they were trying to tune gladiator down.

[Rothulean1]

override.spell_data=effect.43101.ap_coefficient=0.45

Is this Blood Boil?

[Schizoide]

Yes, of course.