World of Warcraft News and Raiding Strategies

Delves

• Fixed an issue where the Pacifist Rig's LifeLink Emergency Activator cooldown would not be removed upon exiting a Delve.
• Brann no longer sometimes becomes demotivated while the player is piloting the Pacifist Rig. He talked to a professional about his jealousy issues.
• Fungal Folly
  
  • Resolved an issue that could lead to death by falling during the initial drop.

Dungeons and Raids

• Darkflame Cleft
  
  • Addressed an issue where Throw Darkflame's healing absorb can be applied to the wrong target.
• Priory of the Sacred Flame
  
  • Resolved an issue where High Priestess Aemya would sometimes not gain energy.

Items

• Players can now purchase lost items acquired from Muff's Auto-Locker from Paks Topskimmer at The Gallagio Hotel Concierge.

Quests

• The Familiar-Looking Appendage that provides the quest "That's Pretty Gross" has been fixed, and will now properly drop for players while completing "A Fin of Every Kind" for Al'kubian the nerubian.

Player versus Player

• Everlasting Noggenfogger Elixir and Mystery Keg are no longer usable in rated PvP instances.
• Druid
  
  • Restoration
    
    • Fixed an issue that caused Ancient of Lore heal-over-time effects to not consume Soul of the Forest.

Season of Discovery

• Fizzlefuse will now sell ammunition to players right away.
• Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the quest "Loss" in Eastern Plaguelands to stall.
• World Buff consumables now cost 5 Commendations each (was 25).
• Fixed an issue causing the locked doors in New Avalon to not be able to be opened when players are wearing the Scarlet Disguise and have the Scarlet Key in their inventory.
• Consumable Tinkerboxes can now be activated while Shapeshifted.
• Classes
  
  • Priest
    
    • Vampiric Embrace will now heal the priest for twice as much as they heal others.
    • Vampiric Embrace in Season of Discovery can no longer roll a critical result.
  • Rogue
    
    • The Tank Rogue Tier-2.5 2-piece bonus will no longer sometimes prevent Blade Flurry from activating. Strikes of the Sinister now has a lower priority than Blade Flurry.
• Karazhan Crypts
  
  • The Burning Webs from the Creeping Malison encounter in Karazhan Crypts will no longer hit players in Kharon's room after the encounter is completed.
• Naxxramas
  
  • The Unholy Weapon enemies in Naxxramas will no longer gain twice the % damage increase from Authority of the Frozen Wastes.
• Scarlet Enclave
  
  • Health values for non-boss enemies have been significantly reduced across the entire raid.
  • The locations of the Mage Tower and Guard Tower lieutenants before the Beatrix encounter now spawn at the base of their towers.
  • Removed some of the Artillery enemies around the Blacksmith.
  • Beatrix
    
    • The utility, healing, and disruption spells used by Beatrix’s troops have either been cut or reduced in effectiveness. Affected spells include Concussion Shot, Disarm, Shield Slam stun, and Polymorph.
    • Beatrix’s health reduced by 5%.
    • Adjusted the timing and overlap of her Class Call spells. For example, there are now 4 waves of Scarlet Infantry during Scarlet Phalanx (was 6), 4 waves of Scarlet Cavalry during Thundering Hooves (was 5), and slightly less overlap between Mortar Combat from the Artillery into the Meteor from Scarlet Mages.
    • Adjusted the Out of Bounds triggers that could result in a Scarlet Phalanx (Infantry Class Call) gap forcing players to walk out of bounds and take unnecessary damage.
  • Caldoran
    
    • Fixed an issue that could result in Caldoran becoming stuck if players entered the Radiant Portal after resurrecting.
  • Solistrasza
    
    • Fixed an issue that caused "Aberrant Bloat" to have no spell icon.
    • Fixed an issue that caused Solistrasza's "Radiant Light" to erroneously display.

We regularly update class tuning as outliers appear. Most of these changes are focused on improving specs that are underperforming in Season 2 in the raid or Mythic+ content, with a few targeted reductions for specs that are overperforming. These changes will go live with scheduled weekly maintenance in each region.

Classes

Death Knight

• Blood
  
  • Deathbringer: Exterminate damage increased by 30%.
  • Deathbringer: Wave of Souls damage increased by 25%.
  • Deathbringer: Reaper’s Mark debuff damage increased by 30%.
  • San’layn: The Blood is Life Blood Beast now explodes for 35% of the damage (was 50%).
• Frost
  
  • Deathbringer: Exterminate damage increased by 30%.
  • Deathbringer: Wave of Souls damage increased by 25%.
  • Deathbringer: Reaper’s Mark debuff damage increased by 30%.
• Unholy
  
  • San’layn: The Blood is Life Blood Beast now explodes for 20% of the damage (was 25%).

Demon Hunter

• Vengeance
  
  • Sigil of SIlence base duration now 2 seconds (was 4 seconds).
  • Aldrachi Reaver: Incorruptible Spirit effect now 10% (was 15%) for Vengeance specialization only.

Druid

• Guardian
  
  • Elune’s Chosen: Boundless Moonlight - Fury of Elune final flash of Energy damage reduced by 10%. Minor Moon damage reduced by 10%.
• Balance
  
  • All spell damage increased by 3%.
  • Starfall damage reduced by 10%.
  • Starsurge damage increased by 3%.
  • Power of Goldrinn damage increased by 3%.
  • Elune’s Chosen: Boundless Moonlight - Fury of Elune final flash of Energy damage reduced by 10%. Minor Moon damage reduced by 10%.

Evoker

• Augmentation
  
  • Developers’ notes: Augmentation’s personal damage is still lower than we’d like, we’re further increasing their damage output and rolling back the nerf to Breath of Eons. We would like Breath of Eons to feel like an impactful ability, as it is Augmentation’s major cooldown.
  • All spell and ability damage increased by 8%.
  • Breath of Eons accumulates 10% of damage (was 8%).

Mage

• Arcane
  
  • All damage dealt increased by 4%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Sunfury: Arcane Phoenix area of effect spell damage increased by 25%.
  • Sunfury: Meteorite damage increased by 10%.
• Fire
  
  • Frostfire Bolt damage increased by 15%.
  • Frostfire Infusion damage increased by 30%.
  • Isothermic Core now calls down Comet Storm at 300% effectiveness (was 250%). Does not apply to PvP combat.

Monk

• Brewmaster
  
  • Brewmaster’s Balance increases Armor by 55% (was 45%).
  • Mastery: Elusive Brawler’s bonus to dodge chance increased by 5%.
  • Tiger Palm damage increased by 15%.
  • Rising Sun Kick damage increased by 15%.
  • Celestial Brew absorb amount increased by 20%.
• Mistweaver
  
  • Jade Empowerment now increases Crackling Jade Lightning’s damage by 2000% (was 2500%) and cleaves additional targets at 25% effectiveness (was 15%). Does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Sheilun’s Gift healing increased by 15%.
  • Rushing Wind Kick increases Renewing Mist’s healing by 200% (was 150%).
• Windwalker
  
  • Efficient Training increases the damage of energy spenders by 40% (was 20%).
  • One Versus Many increases the damage of Fists of Fury by 20% (was 15%).

Paladin

• Holy
  
  • Shining Righteousness now requires 4 Shields of the Righteous to activate the free Word of Glory or Light of Dawn (was 5).
  • Righteous Judgment chance increased to 100% (was 50%).
  • Veneration now transfers 280% of damage done into healing (was 225%).
  • A Just Reward healing increased by 80%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Light of the Martyr no longer transfers overheals into healing absorb.
• Retribution
  
  • Herald of the Sun: Gleaming Rays now increases the damage of Holy Power spenders by 15% while a Dawnlight is active (was 5%).
  • Herald of the Sun: Sun’s Avatar damage increased by 50%.
  • Herald of the Sun: Dawnlight damage increased by 40%.

Priest

• Discipline
  
  • Developers’ notes: Discipline Priests are performing beyond where we would like them to be, so we’re reducing the impact of their Power Word: Shield, Penance, and Atonement throughput.
  • Weal and Woe now increases the absorb of Power Word: Shield by 5% per stack (was 10%). Does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Penance damage and healing reduced by 15%. Not applied to PvP combat.
  • Allies with Atonement are now healed for 28% of damage done (was 32%).
  • Atonement is now 125% more effective outside of raids (was 100%).
  • Voidweaver: Void Blast damage increased by 10%.
• Holy
  
  • Holy Nova damage increased by 30%.
  • Prayer of Healing healing increased by 15%.
  • Prayerful Litany causes Prayer of Healing to heal its primary target for 125% more (was 75%).
  • Prayer of Healing mana cost reduced by 10%.
  • Prismatic Echoes increases Echo of Light healing by 8%/15% (was 5%/10%) and Renew healing by 20%/40% (was 15%/30%).
  • All healing done increased by 3%. Not applied to PvP combat.
  • Oracle: Twinsight now applies 4 stacks of Prayer of Mending (was 2). Not applied to PvP combat.

Shaman

• Elemental
  
  • Earth Shock damage increased by 8%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Elemental Blast damage increased by 8%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Farseer: Ancestor Lava Burst damage increased by 15%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Farseer: Ancestor Elemental Blast damage increased by 15%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
• Enhancement
  
  • Tempest secondary target damage increased by 25%. Does not apply in PvP combat.
  • Tempest primary target damage increased by 30%. Does not apply in PvP combat.
  • Awakening Storms damage increased by 30%.
  • Stormcaller now increases the critical strike damage of your Nature spells by 10% (was 5%).
• Restoration
  
  • Farseer: Ancestor Lava Burst damage increased by 15%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Farseer: Ancestor Elemental Blast damage increased by 15%. Does not apply to PvP combat.

Warlock

• Affliction
  
  • Agony damage increased by 10%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Soul Rot damage increased by 30%.
  • Vile Taint damage increased by 40%.
• Demonology
  
  • Demonbolt damage increased by 20%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Wild Imp damage increased by 25%.
  • Soul Strike damage increased by 35%.
  • Pact of the Ered’ruin Doomguard damage increased by 35%.
• Destruction
  
  • Cataclysm damage increased by 35%.
  • Rain of Fire damage increased by 25%.

With hotfixes that have gone to all Season of Discovery realms recently today:

Scarlet Enclave

• Health values for non-boss enemies have been significantly reduced across the entire raid.
• The locations of the Mage Tower and Guard Tower lieutenants before the Beatrix encounter now spawn at the base of their towers.
• Removed some of the Artillery enemies around the Blacksmith.
• Beatrix
  
  • The utility, healing, and disruption spells used by Beatrix’s troops have either been cut or reduced in effectiveness. Affected spells include Concussion Shot, Disarm, Shield Slam stun, and Polymorph.
  • Beatrix’s health reduced by 5%.
  • Adjusted the timing and overlap of her Class Call spells. For example, there are now 4 waves of Scarlet Infantry during Scarlet Phalanx (was 6), 4 waves of Scarlet Cavalry during Thundering Hooves (was 5), and slightly less overlap between Mortar Combat from the Artillery into the Meteor from Scarlet Mages.
  • Adjusted the Out of Bounds triggers that could result in a Scarlet Phalanx (Infantry Class Call) gap forcing players to walk out of bounds and take unnecessary damage.

These and other changes will all appear in the next hotfixes update.

SPOILER FILLED POST

Did you know that the Beatrix encounter is customizable?
Beatrix can only perform her class call-style spells when certain of her Lieutenants are alive.

Most players are fighting a combination of Infantry (Scarlet Phalanx), Artillery (Mortar Combat), Cavalry (Thundering Hooves), and Mage (Meteor) abilities. However, only two of these abilities are locked-in this week: the Infantry and Artillery abilities.

After defeating Balnazzar, when you talk to Fydriel, the Night Elf scout for the Argent Dawn, pay attention to the camps he says are empowered. These are the two guaranteed members of Beatrix’s encounter that week. However, players have the ability to choose two out of the four remaining camps they want to remove from Beatrix’s encounter. If you kill Cardinal Stiltz (Priest) and Bowmaster Puck (Archer) first, then you remove the Priest (Confession) and Archer (Scarlet Arrows) class calls from the Beatrix encounter. However, if you choose to kill Knight-Captain Fratley (Cavalry) and Arcanist Hilda (Mage) first instead, you will have removed the Cavalry (Thundering Hooves) and Mage (Meteor) mechanics from the fight.

Next week a new set of two mechanics will be guaranteed to appear in the encounter and your raid group can make a new choice as to what mechanics you remove.

The guaranteed mechanics are the same for all servers in all regions, so all raids face the same challenge, but may make different choices.

And yes, if you reset your instance before defeating Beatrix, you have the ability to make a different choice about which mechanics you disable.

Happy raiding!