Public Test Realm Patch 4.3 Notes - 10/18 Update
The Patch 4.3 PTR Notes have been updated and Dragonwrath, Tarecgosa's Rest is being nerfed in Patch 4.3.
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

General
New Dungeon & Raid Content
  • Dragon Soul is now available for limited 10-person testing. Your participation and feedback is appreciated. For the latest testing schedule, please visit the PTR Discussion forum here.

Guilds
  • Guild Standards are again useable in Firelands. Duration has been increased to 15 minutes, the effect has a 100 yard radius, and now affects dead players.

Items
  • Dragonwrath, Tarecgosa’s Rest: The chance for this item’s effect to be triggered has been reduced.

Classes: General
  • Spells which have an effect broken by taking damage past a threshold (Entangling Roots, Fear, Frost Nova, etc.) now count damage that was prevented by damage absorbs or other damage reducing effects.

Druid (Forums / Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)
  • Hurricane has a new updated visual effect.

Hunter (Forums / Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)
  • Monstrous Bite now reduces the target’s healing received by 25%, up from 10%.

Beast Mastery
  • Widow Venom now reduces the target’s healing received by 25%, up from 10%.

Paladin (Forums / Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)
Holy
  • Beacon of Light is triggered by Word of Glory, Holy Shock, Flash of Light, Divine Light and Light of Dawn at 50% transference and Holy Light at 100% transference. It does not transfer Holy Radiance, Protector of the Innocent or other sources of healing.

Rogue (Forums / Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)
  • Wound Poison now reduces the target’s healing received by 25%, up from 10%.

Warrior (Forums / Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)
Arms
  • Mortal Strike now reduces the target’s healing received by 25%, up from 10%.

Fury
  • Furious Attacks now reduces the target’s healing received by 25%, up from 10%.

User Interface
  • Added a feature to interact with NPCs, game objects (mailbox, mining nodes, etc.), and corpses on left-click as well as right-click. There is now an option under Interface:Controls to turn this feature off.

PTR Raid Testing Schedule - Oct 18
Madness of Deathwing testing is gone because of a test, but apparently players will still get to ride Deathwing like a wild puppy today!

Post streams and screenshots in comments!
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Today and tomorrow we're going to try and test the remaining bosses in Dragon Soul on 10 player difficulty.

Oct 18
10:15 PDT – Ultraxion (10 Player)
11:45 PDT – Warmaster Blackhorn (10 Player)
14:30 PDT – Spine of Deathwing (10 Player)

There will be additional testing scheduled in the upcoming weeks including 25 player and Heroic difficulties, both in the morning and afternoon. There will not be any testing during Blizzcon.

As always, the scheduling for PTR testing will be VERY fluid. Tests can be announced, canceled, or rescheduled at a moment's notice depending on build and server status, outstanding bugs, etc. I will try to give as much advance notice about tests, but that is not always possible. Also note that these encounters are all works in progress.

[EDIT - Oct 17 15:02 PDT - Removed the Madness of Deathwing from the schedule. We found an issue on the current PTR build that would be a showstopper for that encounter.]
Originally Posted by MMO-Champion
Ultraxion
More an abomination of dark energy than a dragon, Ultraxion has spent his short life absorbing the essence of captured nether dragons. Ultraxion is the only twilight dragon Deathwing has praised, and his arrogance is overshadowed only by the crackling energies surging through his twisted form. Loyal to his master, Ultraxion swears to bring about the fall of Wyrmrest Temple.

Stage One: Growing Instability
During the battle, Ultraxion will grow increasinly unstsable with barely-contained Twilight energies.

  • Unstable Monstrosity - Growing Twilight instability causes arcs of Twilight energy to erupt from Ultraxion's hide, inflicting 300000 Twilight damage every 6 seconds, split evenly amongst enemy players in the Twilight Realm and within yards of the target. Every minute that Ultraxion remains in combat reduces the time between arcs by 1 second, to a maximum rate of one arc per second. In addition, the instability prevents Ultraxion from dodging or parrying attacks, and allows attackers to explot weaknesses from any angle.
  • Twilight Shift - At the beginning of the battle, Ultraxion pulls all enemies with him into the Twilight Realm where they can bear the full brunt of his powerful Twilight assaults. Being pulled into the Twilight Realm grants players the Heroic Will ability.
    • Heroic Will - Steels the caster's mind to resist the forces of Twilight. Pulls the caster out of the Twilight realm for up to 5 sec, but renders them unable to attack, cast spells, or move while concentrating.
  • Fading Light - Sucks the light out of the target, drawing them into Twilight over 5-10 seconds. Upon expiration, targets in the Twilight Realm will be instantly killed. Targets in the normal realm will be pulled into the Twilight Realm, and all threat against Ultraxion will be reset. Additionally, no threat will be generated for 10 sec.
  • Hour of Twilight - The Hour of Twilight falls upon Ultraxion's foes. Enemies caught within the Twilight Realm take 300000 unresistable Twilight damage. Enemies within the normal realm are instantly pulled back into the Twilight Realm. If two enemies are not hit by Hour of Twilight, the Aspects will take the full brunt of the attack, disrupting the shield protecting the Aspects and heralding the end of all life on Azeroth.
    • Looming Darkness - When struck by Hour of Twilight, powerful waves of Twilight energy course through the victim, rendering them more susceptible to the harmful effects of Hour of Twilight. Additional damage taken by Hour of Twilight will instantly kill the target.
  • Twilight Burst - When no targets are within range of his powerful claws, Ultraxion expels a powerful burst of Twilight energy, inflicting 75000 unresistable Twilight damage and increasing magical damage taken by 50% for 6 sec. Stacks up to 100 times.
  • Twilight Eruption - After 6 minutes have passed, Ultraxion's instability reaches uncontainable levels, erupting outwards as a massive explosion that destroys all nearby foes and Ultraxion himself.


Alexstrasza

  • Gift of Life - Alexstrasza creates a crystal of pure life energy. Activating the crystal imbues one healer with the essence of life itself, increasing healing done by 100% for the duration of the battle. The crystal has one charge. Only one buff granted by Alexstrasza, Ysera, or Kalecgos can be present on a player at any time.
Ysera

  • Essence of Dreams - Ysera creates a crystal of dream energy. Activating the crystal imbues one healer with the power of dreams, which causes all healing done to be duplicated and distributed evenly amongst all friendly targets within yards for the remainder of the battle. The crystal has one charge. Only one buff granted by Alexstrasza, Ysera, or Kalecgos can be present on a player at any time.
Kalecgos

  • Source of Magic - Kalecgos creates a crystal of amplified arcane energy. Activating the crystal imbues one healer with the essence of magic, reducing the mana cost of all spells by 75% and increasing spell haste by 100% for the remainder of the battle. The crystal has one charge. Only one buff granted by Alexstrasza, Ysera, or Kalecgos can be present on a player at any time.
Nozdormu

  • Timeloop - Nozdormu captures all players within a finite timeloop. Any attack which would otherwise kill the player will instead bring them to 100% of maximum health and remove the Timeloop.
Thrall

  • Last Defender of Azeroth - Thrall, now the Earth-Warder of Azeroth, blesses all tanks with the immovable strength of the ancient stones of the world. Reduces defensive cooldowns by 50% and increases defensive ability durations by 100%.



Warmaster Blackhorn
Though once vast in number, only a few dozen twilight dragons now remain. Astride these hardened survivors are the last vestiges of the Twilight's Hammer's army: the elite drake riders of Deathwing's personal escort. Led by the insidious Warmaster Blackhorn, they move with unholy purpose, driven to protect their dark master.

Stage One: Dragonriders, Attack!
Flying alongside the Skyfire and surveying the scene while his massive twilight drake lobs balls of destruction at the gunship, Warmaster Blackhorn gives the order for his elite dragonriders to swoop into battle.

  • Goriona - The massive twilight drake that is the mount of Warmaster Blackhorn himself.
    • Twilight Onslaught - Goriona unleashes a massive blast of dark energy at the Skyfire. Twilight Onslaught deals 800000 Shadow damage, divided evenly among all victims within its 10 yard radius, as well as the Skyfire itself. If the attack strikes the deck of the Skyfire without hitting any player, the gunship itself suffers the full damage.
  • Twilight Assault Drake - These drakes will strafe across the deck of the ship, depositing their fierce riders, and then retreat to a safe distance to bombard the gunship.
    • Twilight Barrage - The twilight drakes launch bursts of dark energy at the Skyfire. Twilight Barrage deals 200000 Shadow damage, divided evenly among all victims within its 5 yard radius. If the attack strikes the deck of the Skyfire without hitting any player, the gunship itself suffers the full 200000 damage instead.
  • Twilight Elite Dreadblade -
    • Blade Rush - The Dreadblade charges at the location of a random distant foe, dealing 80000 Physical damage to all enemies in its path.
    • Degeneration - The Dreadblade carves a swath of destruction with its dark sword, dealing 40000 Shadow damage to enemies in a frontal cone, and afflicting them with a lingering effect that deals 3000 Shadow damage every 2 sec for 1 min. Stacks.
  • Twilight Elite Slayer -
    • Blade Rush - The Dreadblade charges at the location of a random distant foe, dealing 80000 Physical damage to all enemies in its path.
    • Brutal Strike - The Slayer deals a vicious blow with its jagged sword, causing 150 Physical damage, and afflicting the target with a lingering effect that deals 3000 Physical damage every 2 sec for 1 min. Stacks.
  • Twilight Sapper - Sleek infiltrator drakes will airdrop goblins, strapped with powerful explosives, onto the deck of the ship. These Sappers will rush to breach the gunship bridge, where they can detonate their destructive payload for maximum effect.
    • Detonate - Upon reaching the Skyfire's bridge, the Sapper detonates his explosives, dealing 250000 Fire damage to enemies within 8 yards, and damaging the Skyfire itself for % of its total durability. This explosion is also fatal to the Sapper himself.
  • The Skyfire - This massive gunship, with Sky Captain Swayze at the helm, is equipped with numerous cannons and a pair of harpoon guns for its defense. While sturdy, the gunship is not indestructible, and it cannot be allowed to sustain too much damage, or the pursuit of Deathwing will come to an untimely end.
    • Harpoon Guns - The Skyfire is equipped with two repurposed harpoon guns, seized during its prior service in Northrend. During the battle, gunners will spear the Assault Drakes and reel them in, bringing them within reach for ranged attackers on the deck of the gunship. The drakes will strain against the line, eventually breaking free and returning to a safe distance. After a pause to reload, the harpoon gunners will then spear their target anew.

Stage Two: Looks Like I'm Doing This Myself
Once the Skyfire's defenders defeat three waves of dragonriders, Warmaster Blackhorn himself will leap down onto the deck of the gunship.

  • Warmaster Blackhorn
    • Devastate - Blackhorn sunders the target's armor, dealing 150% weapon damage and applying the Sunder Armor effect, reducing armor by 21% for 30 sec. Stacks.
    • Disrupting Roar - Warmaster Blackhorn screams fiercely, dealing 50000 Physical damage to all enemies, also interrupting the spellcasting of enemies within 10 yards for 8 sec.
    • Shockwave - Blackhorn strikes the ground, unleashing a wave of force that deals 100000 Physical damage to enemies in a 80 yard frontal cone, stunning them for 4 sec.
    • Vengeance - As Warmaster Blackhorn takes damage, he becomes increasingly deadly, dealing an additional percent damage for each percent of health he is missing.
  • Goriona - After depositing her master on the deck of the Skyfire, Goriona hovers alongside the Skyfire, raining destruction down on the adventurers.
    • Twilight Flames - Goriona fires a blast of dark energy at a random player, dealing Shadow damage to enemies in a $A1 yard radius. Twilight Flames lingers on the deck of the Skyfire, dealing 39000 Shadow damage to enemies within 7 yards every 1 sec for 0.001 sec.



Spine of Deathwing
When Deathwing first channeled the Dragon Soul's power against the other flights, the massive energies that were unleashed threatened to break apart his very body. Rather than forgo this weapon, he had adamantium plates fused to his scales to hold his body together. Later reinforced with elementium, these plates are now his weakness--the sole vulnerability to Deathwing's lethal presence.

Barrel Roll
Throughout the encounter, Deathwing tries to throw players from his back when he senses that they are all standing on the same side of his spine. During a barrel roll, all players and other creatures not attached to his back are thrown off.

Elementium Reinforced Plates
The glancing strike from the Dragon Soul has destroyed one of the large armor plates on Deathwing's back and loosened another three. All of these plates must be removed if Thrall is to have a chance to get a clear shot.

  • Burning Tendons - Burning Tendons are exposed when one of Deathwing's armor plates is pried up. Destroying these fibrous strands is the key to removing an armor plate.
    • Seal Armor Breach - When an armor plate is pried up, the Burning Tendons rapidly pull the plate closed, protecting the tendons from further damage and preventing the plate from flying off.

Deathwing's Immune System
The creatures that comprise Deathwing's Immune System emerge from the holes in his back left by torn off armor plates. Deathwing defends himself with increasing intensity as more plates are torn off.

  • Grasping Tendrils - These tendrils sprout from holes in Deathwing's back that aren't currently occupied by Corruption tentacles. Players that wander too close will be grasped, reducing their movement speed by 35% and inflicting 6500 Fire damage every 0 sec. until they move away. This effect prevents players from being thrown off Deathwing's back.
  • Corruption - These tentacles are dramatic physical manifestations of the Old God Corruption that runs rampant through Deathwing's body. They are the first to emerge from the holes in his back left by armor plates, and they seal the wound completely, preventing any other creatures from emerging from it.
    • Searing Plasma - Coats the victim in the searing blood of Deathwing. The thick blood will absorb up to 200000 healing done to the target and will cause the victim to cough up blood, periodically inflicting 10000 Physical damage.
    • Fiery Grip - Grips victims with a whip-like cord of plasma, stunning them for up to 30 sec and inflicting 50000 Fire damage every 5 sec. The corruption must channel to maintain this effect, and it may be broken by inflicting significant damage to the tentacle. This effect prevents players from being thrown off Deathwing's back.
  • Hideous Amalgamation - These unstable creatures are a patchwork of Elementium Armor fragments and pieces of the former Dragon's body held together by his molten blood.
    • Absorb Blood - Absorbs nearby Corrupted Blood residue. The Amalgamation grows more unstable with each Residue absorbed, increasing its damage by 10% and attack speed by 10%. At 9 stacks it will become superheated.
    • Superheated Nucleus - The core of the Amalgamation becomes critically unstable, causing it to inflict 15000 Fire damage to all enemies every 3 sec. If it is destroyed in this state it will trigger a Nuclear Blast.
    • Nuclear Blast - The superheated nucleus of the Amalgamation triggers a massive explosion, inflicting 375000 Fire damage to targets within 10 yds. This blast is powerful enough to pry up one of Deathwing's Elementium plates if it is within range.
    • Degradation - Destroyed Amalgamations degrade the maximum health of all enemy targets by 6%. This effect occurs regardless of the state of the nucleus and stacks up to 15 times.
    • Blood Corruption: Death - Deathwing's corruption courses through your veins. This corruption will take hold if it is not removed quickly, infecting the player with the Blood of Deathwing. When dispelled this effect jumps to a new target and can mutate into Blood Corruption: Earth.
      • Blood of Deathwing - The blood of Deathwing explodes violently from your veins, inflicting 875000 Fire damage to you and several other players.
    • Blood Corruption: Earth - A shadow of Neltharion courses through your veins. This corruption will take hold if it is not removed quickly, infecting the player with the Blood of Neltharion. When dispelled this effect jumps to a new target and can mutate into Blood Corruption: Death.
      • Blood of Neltharion - The barest hint of a shadow of the former Earth-Warder suffuses your blood. Damage taken from all sources is reduced by 10%. This effect can stack up to 3 times.
  • Corrupted Blood - These living globs of Deathwing's blood appear fragile, but leave behind an indestructible residue when killed.
    • Burst - Corrupted Blood explodes when destroyed, inflicting 20000 Fire damage to nearby enemies.
    • Residue - This indestructible residue is left behind when a Corrupted Blood is destroyed. It slowly creeps toward the nearest hole in Deathwing's Back where it will be reconstituted into a new Corrupted Blood.
This article was originally published in forum thread: PTR Raid Testing Schedule - Oct 18 started by Boubouille View original post
Comments 171 Comments
  1. Belisarius565's Avatar
    I really hope everyone that complains about PTR changes, even when they are not final, and QQ about nerfs (Dragonwrath) that still will have the staff be BIS, would just leave the game, seriously.
  1. mmocd658a685e4's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by majesta View Post
    Has anyone heard about Shadow Priest MS? After all we have to spend a few talent points for it. Mind Blast MS should be buffed as well.
    Casters dont need more buffs. If frostmages get 25% ms i quit the game.
  1. mmoc443165a3eb's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by danadocus View Post
    kill things faster.
    Has nothing to do with it. The random 0-1 droprate of the first 25 thingies means a lot of 10m guilds don't have the staff till next week or the week thereafter. I'm also still working on the final step of our first legendary in our 10m.
  1. Zephyr Storm's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by iamthedevil View Post
    Lolz... dude, before you leave such a dick reply, you may want to read the dungeon journal posted on the first page.

    I quote, "Thrall, now the Earth-Warder of Azeroth, blesses all tanks with the immovable strength of the ancient stones of the world. Reduces defensive cooldowns by 50% and increases defensive ability durations by 100%."
    Let me try this again. Thrall (in the book about him and the dragon aspects) was able to temporarily gain Earth-Warder like abilities and awareness for the sake of a ritual to defeat Chromatus. I'm guessing that the same thing will happen in this raid encounter. It's already been stated lore-wise that Thrall cannot permanently become the Earth-Warder, Aspect of Earth, etc, etc because he is not a dragon. Just because he is the Earth-Warder for this encounter, does not mean he stays that way. You're basing your entire argument off of one sentence from a PTR that can change 20 times before it is actually released. I'm basing mine off of an entire book of official lore from Blizzard. I rest my case.

    Also, if for some weird-ass reason Blizzard DOES make Thrall the Earth-Warder permanently, then it is obvious they no longer give two shits about their own lore which they have already established. In which case, that makes Blizzard complete asshats. Yes, I know they have already fucked up their lore before, but a decision like this would be unforgivable. To state that Thrall can't become the Earth-Warder and then turn around and say he can.....they would need to go die in a fire. Twice.
  1. mmoc7f082fdd70's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Devidose View Post
    The Warglaives from Illidan were used in PvP by Rogues in TBC, as well as others, and those were much easier to get than a craft Legendary, and coupled with 4 t6 4pvp due to how t6 had 8 parts like the t1-3 sets. AFAIR, no stat changes were brought to any of those parts despite the PvP usage and complaints that many people had for the exact reasons of them making players far too powerful in PvP back then.
    Easier to get? On my realm, even at the end of TBC, weeks after the big nerf patch, there was still only a handful of players that got a warglaive, and even less players had the set (MH and OH).
    Shadowmourne and Dragonwrath are relatively seen easier to get than the warglaives were. They just take a lot of time due to some silly gating system in the form of stuff grinding. For the warglaive you just needed luck. With a low drop rate.

    To get 4pT6 AND 4p pvp gear you needed to have all 3 Tier pieces from Sunwell.
    I don't think there were many people on earth having everything you mentioned, so I doubt it would have been a huge impact on PvP in the first place.

    Secondly, the warglaives didn't scale with gear across tiers. The 450 haste rating proc (for which you needed both glaives) was a flat increase and I doubt it made a huge impact in PvP.
    The second bonus (AP bonus vs demons) was a bonus that was only applicable in PvE (unless you were slaying warlock pets)
    Yes, admitted, the stats and speed on the warglaives were better than the epic weapons back then (2.8 speed was very nice) so that could have made an impact.

    Since the proc on the warglaives was a flat proc, it didn't need nerfing, it nerfed itself as tiers progressed.
  1. Rawt's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Ionite View Post
    I don't like how the back looks so static. It's too obvious an arena with all the other moving parts around it.
    Yup. So much for the excitement of fighting deathwing as he travels all over azeroth. only thing you get to see is clouds. we'll have to take the developers word for it..
  1. Puntar's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Bennydabull View Post
    25% ms buff was definitely needed. going from 50-70% down to 10% at the start of the expansion was way too much.

    the legendary thing just goes to show how much this game overscales. when they have to go back and redo item stats so its not op on the very next tier, well.... unless they redo (again) how stats/gear scale, the next couple of expansions are going to get ridiculous.

    constant pally and druid changes are going to be the norm. impossible to balance a class that excels so well at all 3 specs.

    the ptr boss fights are beyond.... unimpressive. if the madness of DW fight isnt completely and utterly amazing, they once again overhyped and under delivered.


    edit to redo spacing (stupid editor!)
    Blizz is certanily doing itemization in a wrong way. At least for gaps for previous expansions.

    The "itemization gaps" between vanilla > bc then BC > wrath should be streamlined. In Cata we already have ridiculous rise of stats. Especially if you consider we only get 5 levels!

    In those 5 levels hp & mana rises by factor of ~ 5. Healing efficiency took a "nose dive" (a regression!) on those levels. Name me one FRP/RPG game when player actually loses power when s/he gains a level?
  1. Typhron's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Puntar View Post
    Blizz is certanily doing itemization in a wrong way. At least for gaps for previous expansions.

    The "itemization gaps" between vanilla > bc then BC > wrath should be streamlined. In Cata we already have ridiculous rise of stats. Especially if you consider we only get 5 levels!

    In those 5 levels hp & mana rises by factor of ~ 5. Healing efficiency took a "nose dive" (a regression!) on those levels. Name me one FRP/RPG game when player actually loses power when s/he gains a level?
    Final Fantasy 8.

    But in all seriousness, yeah this expansion has been mishandled. Itemization being one of many things.
  1. Tython's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by fangless View Post
    Have fun with the exact same problems in a new box?



    People these days...
    And you know this how? Beta? Some you played it ourself then. But live is won't be exactly the same.

    There's also a lot to be said for a new environment, a change, something different. Warcraft after 7 years has just gotten stale. You probably don't see that yet because you haven't played since launch. Wait a few years to catch up and you may get there too. Using a blanket statement about a game that hasn't been released yet is just silly.
  1. dokilar's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Zephyr Storm View Post
    Let me try this again. Thrall (in the book about him and the dragon aspects) was able to temporarily gain Earth-Warder like abilities and awareness for the sake of a ritual to defeat Chromatus. I'm guessing that the same thing will happen in this raid encounter. It's already been stated lore-wise that Thrall cannot permanently become the Earth-Warder, Aspect of Earth, etc, etc because he is not a dragon. Just because he is the Earth-Warder for this encounter, does not mean he stays that way. You're basing your entire argument off of one sentence from a PTR that can change 20 times before it is actually released. I'm basing mine off of an entire book of official lore from Blizzard. I rest my case.

    Also, if for some weird-ass reason Blizzard DOES make Thrall the Earth-Warder permanently, then it is obvious they no longer give two shits about their own lore which they have already established. In which case, that makes Blizzard complete asshats. Yes, I know they have already fucked up their lore before, but a decision like this would be unforgivable. To state that Thrall can't become the Earth-Warder and then turn around and say he can.....they would need to go die in a fire. Twice.
    all the more reason they need to stop generating all this lore bullshit outside of the game. it truly is retarded at how much back story and plot of cata has been told outside of the game. this is why you have conflicting stories, half your subscribers dont read the books that are published, the other half do so shits all screwed up.
  1. Naix's Avatar
    Let me say this. I am SOOOOOOOO happy I canceled my WoW account. This patch is really, and I am being nice here, pathetic. I was on the fence for 2 months about playing this MMO any longer. Well now I see this raid encounter, nurfs and lack of content. WoW is a shell of an MMO now compared to wow of 2 years ago. I am not saying other MMOs coming out will toss WoW on it's ear from the top position. They will draw out customers who feel their time in wow is over.On to SWTOR/GW2!!!

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