Bolster Your Allies with the Augmentation Evoker Specialization
Originally Posted by blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Emberthal and Ebyssian are working together to release the Black dragonflight essence that had been siphoned from the Dracthyr during their long stasis, unlocking memories and powers forgotten to them.

The result of their efforts will be felt by all Dracthyr Evokers as they'll gain access to a brand-new Specialization: Augmentation, available immediately with the release of the Fractures in Time Update!


Augmentation is a new Damage Dealer role with a twist: they use the essence of the Black and Bronze dragonflights to amplify the abilities of nearby allies. The playstyle for this new specialization involves empowering your allies with a variety of beneficial effects. Some can be cast directly on your allies, while others are tied to using your damage-dealing abilities effectively.

Augmentation Evokers deliver their damage in a wholly unique way. They act as force multipliers, increasing their group's capabilities (and damage output) significantly.

AUGMENTING ALLIES
Certain Augmentation abilities (see some examples below) buff either your whole party or specific members. Many of these have smart or proximity-based automatic targeting, enabling you to maintain focus on the battlefield and enemy selection. You will still be able to target specific party members if you desire; however, there is plenty of freedom to bolster your allies as you see fit.

Like the other Evoker specs, Augmentation makes use of familiar capabilities like spending Essence, using your mobility to navigate the battlefield effectively, and making use of empowered spells.


THE POWER OF BLACK AND BRONZE
These sample abilities for Augmentation should give you an idea of what each aspect of magic brings to the table. Black dragonflight magic focuses on raw power increases and forceful outbursts of earthen might. Bronze dragonflight magic is all about bending time, changing fate, and shifting timelines to tremendous effect.

Ebon Might
1.5 second cast, 30 second cooldown.
Increase your 4 nearest allies’ primary stat by a percentage of your own, and cause your Eruption to deal more damage for 10 sec. Some of your other spells extend the duration of these effects.

Eruption
2 second cast. Costs 3 Essence. Replaces Disintegrate.
Cause a violent eruption beneath an enemy’s feet, dealing Volcanic damage split between them and nearby enemies. Increases the duration of your active Ebon Might effects.

Upheaval
2.5 second empower, 40 second cooldown.
Gather earthen power beneath your enemy’s feet and send them hurtling upwards, dealing Volcanic damage to them and nearby enemies. Empowering expands the area of effect. Increases the duration of your active Ebon Might effects.

Breath of Eons
1.5 minute cooldown. Replaces Deep Breath.
Fly to the targeted location, exposing Temporal Wounds on enemies in your path for 10 sec. Temporal Wounds accumulate a portion of damage dealt by your allies, and then critically strike the enemy for that amount at the end of the duration. Increases the duration of your active Ebon Might effects.

A GREAT DISPLAY OF TALENT


With access to a brand-new spec tree, Augmentation Evokers can choose to further specialize in Bronze or Black magic, as well as discover new ways to power up their allies.

Draconic Attunements (Passive)
  • Learn to attune yourself to the essence of the Black or Bronze dragonflights:
  • Black Attunement grants you and your 4 nearest allies increased maximum health.
  • Bronze Attunement grants you and your 4 nearest allies increased movement speed.

Blistering Scales
  • Protect an ally with explosive dragonscales, increasing their Armor by a percentage of your own. Melee attacks against them cause a scale to explode, dealing Volcanic damage to enemies near them.

Bestow Weyrnstone
  • Conjure a pair of Weyrnstones, one for your target ally and one for yourself. A weyrnstone can be activated by the bearer to transport them to the other Weyrnstone's location if they are within 100 yds.

EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS
Augmentation Evokers offers a unique opportunity to delve into a playstyle never seen before in World of Warcraft. While we're still working on some aspects of this new paradigm (like introducing some new combat log hooks so that addons and community websites can effectively measure your performance, for example), we hope you've enjoyed this early look at it. We'll see you in the Dragon Isles!
This article was originally published in forum thread: Bolster Your Allies with the Augmentation Evoker Specialization started by Stoy View original post
Comments 48 Comments
  1. panda040's Avatar
    Holy shit ion fooled them all, this is lit.
  1. ONCHEhap's Avatar
    Huh, it's actually happening after all, didn't expect that

    Though it seems very light on the support elements (and seems they are too skittish to give support abilities without those giving benefits to the players using them too) so far, it's still quite an interesting spec.

    Of course, expecting vanilla LotRO's captain class is heavy copium, but this is a step in an interesting direction
  1. salate's Avatar
    Haha, Non believers be like "I don't want to believe..."
  1. Cheezits's Avatar
    Bard hopefully next!
  1. Thirtyrock's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by salate View Post
    Haha, Non believers be like "I don't want to believe..."
    I truly did not expect this. I'm super interested to see if it can be balanced well.

    The historical problem with specs like this is that they're either WAY too hard to play and/or undertuned so they never get chosen OR they become 100% mandatory. The other problem is they tend to shine in certain fights MUCH more in others. Caveat - All of this is theoretical, since we haven't actually SEEN as spec like this added before, in my memory. These have been the problems brought up by theorycrafters, forum posters, and even Blizzard.

    If they can tune this, I'd love to see more of this type of spec in the future. I'd LOVE to see a defensive augmentation spec or two added, like a tank that holds threat primarily by reducing outgoing damage or a healer more like Disc in the old days, where it reduced incoming damage.

    This is a very cool concept and I'm excited to see how it plays out. I hope they're willing to iterate quickly and/or pull the plug if it goes poorly.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Cheezits View Post
    Bard hopefully next!
    I still don't see how a Bard class fits in WoW lore. I've read a lot of the proposals, and just don't see the tie in to the Warcraft universe. I'm not opposed to the idea, conceptually, but the fantasy doesn't seem to fit, for me. It seems like people more want to bring in a beloved class from other universes, rather than an idea that naturally flows from existing characters.

    Obviously new lore can be created!
  1. Guyviroth's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Thirtyrock View Post
    I still don't see how a Bard class fits in WoW lore. I've read a lot of the proposals, and just don't see the tie in to the Warcraft universe. I'm not opposed to the idea, conceptually, but the fantasy doesn't seem to fit, for me. It seems like people more want to bring in a beloved class from other universes, rather than an idea that naturally flows from existing characters.

    Obviously new lore can be created!
    We know that sound is a sort of primordial force through Murmur, but it's never touched upon ever again outside of the questline and dungeon involving him. Perhaps they can create lore that touches upon musicians and minstrels tapping into that primordial sound.
  1. Jibjub's Avatar
    A support class? Like ... really? I don't see them going through with that. If it's good, too many people will complain that it's "required" or that we are "forced" to have one in everything we do...
  1. Cheezits's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Guyviroth View Post
    We know that sound is a sort of primordial force through Murmur, but it's never touched upon ever again outside of the questline and dungeon involving him. Perhaps they can create lore that touches upon musicians and minstrels tapping into that primordial sound.
    It's actually touched upon in Dragonflight. "Sound" is one of the primordial element family of stones you can find in the Zskera Vaults.

    Also music is heavily a part of Zereth Mortis and the First Ones so they may have been a hint that Sound is the 7th element or another one.
  1. Thirtyrock's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Guyviroth View Post
    We know that sound is a sort of primordial force through Murmur, but it's never touched upon ever again outside of the questline and dungeon involving him. Perhaps they can create lore that touches upon musicians and minstrels tapping into that primordial sound.
    Hmm, yeah. That could work. It would definitely have to be fleshed out a significant amount. But there's something there.

    My next concern would be - would we need to have a whole new line of weapons that are only equip-able by Bards? There's a lot of steps between here and Bard to work out. I could see song-swords becoming a thing, Hellscream's axe had some musical aspects, iirc.

    It's still a stretch. We'll see! I'm all about support classes IF they can be balanced well.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Cheezits View Post
    It's actually touched upon in Dragonflight. "Sound" is one of the primordial element family of stones you can find in the Zskera Vaults.
    That's certainly a step in developing lore for it!
  1. Cheezits's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Thirtyrock View Post

    My next concern would be - would we need to have a whole new line of weapons that are only equip-able by Bards? There's a lot of steps between here and Bard to work out. I could see song-swords becoming a thing, Hellscream's axe had some musical aspects, iirc.
    I think it would be like casters with a one hand and offhand, but they pull out a musical instrument for their spells. They'd probably let you choose between a few of them with different animations, but they all do the same thing.
  1. MrLachyG's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Thirtyrock View Post
    I still don't see how a Bard class fits in WoW lore. I've read a lot of the proposals, and just don't see the tie in to the Warcraft universe. I'm not opposed to the idea, conceptually, but the fantasy doesn't seem to fit, for me. It seems like people more want to bring in a beloved class from other universes, rather than an idea that naturally flows from existing characters.

    Obviously new lore can be created!
    what they need is a class leader of sorts I reckon. someone who can introduce the world of Azeroth to the Bards. Personally, I can think of nobody better than the Tauren Chieftains for the Horde. question is, do we have someone on the Alliance who can represent them?
  1. Mendzia's Avatar
    I think it's cool idea but probably extremely hard to balance.
    I expect 2 scenarioes:
    - it is absolutly dogshit and not even worth taking that spec to any raid
    - every single raid will require exactly one person perfectly playing it to maximize utility
  1. Thirtyrock's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Mendzia View Post
    I think it's cool idea but probably extremely hard to balance.
    I expect 2 scenarioes:
    - it is absolutly dogshit and not even worth taking that spec to any raid
    - every single raid will require exactly one person perfectly playing it to maximize utility
    These have always been the primary objections. If they can pull it off, I'll be very excited. I'm still skeptical.

    I also wonder how it will show up in parses/logs. I'd like to know how much of my DPS was boosted by our evoker. I also see a lot of gimmicks, micromanaging, and in-fighting around who gets buffed in group.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Cheezits View Post
    I think it would be like casters with a one hand and offhand, but they pull out a musical instrument for their spells. They'd probably let you choose between a few of them with different animations, but they all do the same thing.
    That could work! Great suggestion
  1. MrLachyG's Avatar
    10.1.5 looks fucking great! new Evoker spec, mega dungeon featuring Infinite Dragonflight, Iridikron and Galakrond, dragon riding on Kalimdor.
  1. Lucetia's Avatar
    I know many want a bard like class. I guess this is one way to test the waters to see how it would work though I can't see it being multiple specs.
  1. Geckoo's Avatar
    I love support roles in MMORPG's and i've always wanted them in WoW, but i don't think that a lonely support spec mid-expansion is the best way to do it. It either sucks and no one wants them or is overtuned and becomes mandatory, wich is what will probably happen considering that is the hero class of the expansion and certainly the big star in the patch. Without more options and variety is a hit or miss with hit being an actual miss in the long run, because it's not realistic to think that looking into the future every raid group from now on will always be at least one augmentantion evoker and 19 other players. So eventually if it is overtuned it will be nerfed and be essentially another DPS spec with some utility, like many others, and the support role won't really exist.

    My point is that if they really wanted to add the support role, they'll do it with a new expansion and proper reworks for multipile specs to become support specs, interface support for it and clear change in how groups are meant to be. This just looks like a cool way to boost evokers numbers, have some big new thing to sell mid-expansion, but with no real future.
  1. exochaft's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Thirtyrock View Post
    These have always been the primary objections. If they can pull it off, I'll be very excited. I'm still skeptical.

    I also wonder how it will show up in parses/logs. I'd like to know how much of my DPS was boosted by our evoker. I also see a lot of gimmicks, micromanaging, and in-fighting around who gets buffed in group.
    It's possible, as it's been done before where a buff you give another player shows up as damage done by you (since the damage increase is added damage). Technically you don't necessarily need this for a support class to function, but Blizz has trained it's audience to where not having a concrete method to gauge performance for the layman would be poorly received. Might be hell on the servers depending upon how it's done, though.

    There is a third option to where you could make this new spec worthwhile but completely optional: tune the content so it doesn't feel necessary, or vary up the metric of success to where it's not always just a numbers game. Unfortunately, this is probably the hardest outcome to achieve because it really runs counter to (again) what Blizz has been doing for years now. Depsite all the changes Blizz is making, they're still not wanting to touch this aspect of the game, probably due to the fear of backlash... or at least that's the nicest probable cause.
  1. Calfredd's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Thirtyrock View Post
    These have always been the primary objections. If they can pull it off, I'll be very excited. I'm still skeptical.

    I also wonder how it will show up in parses/logs. I'd like to know how much of my DPS was boosted by our evoker. I also see a lot of gimmicks, micromanaging, and in-fighting around who gets buffed in group.
    Guess the other thing to look for is if their dps is going to be worse than other dps specs as a "tax" for boosting every one else's dps or if they're also going to do comparable damage on top of the boosting.
  1. Thirtyrock's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Lucetia View Post
    I know many want a bard like class. I guess this is one way to test the waters to see how it would work though I can't see it being multiple specs.
    Imagine - 10 support dps + 1 S-tier DPS who has unlimited cosmic power. This would make for some really funny videos, though it would almost certainly not be ideal. If they could augment the Tank/DPS/Healer trinity to Tank/DPS/Healer/Support, and then we'd figure out, as a community, what the ideal support/healer/dps ratios would be, I think we could have a more dynamic and varied game. I could see M+ being 1/2/1/1 and Raids...who knows. Depends on how they're built. Obviously we'd need more than one support spec for this to become the reality, probably at least as many support specs as tank specs, just to have enough options that players don't feel forced into one class to gain the support.
  1. BB8's Avatar
    Beep boop beep beep.... I love it

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