Shadowlands - Covenant Class and Signature Abilities Preview

[Mhyroth]

Add more stuff so it's impossible to balance.

[Relapses]

hey look more borrowed powers we'll lose again, I really hope they top it off with anima gear that procs random micro healing and damage thatll make up 90% of our recount details and completely overshadow my actual class abilities

Show us on the doll where Infinite Stars touched you.

Sarcasm aside, the real crime here is that you're still using Recount in 2020.

[Zorachus]

Will Shadowlands be out the typical August release as the last two expansions?

BfA = released August 2018
Legion = released August 2016
WoD = Nov 2014
Mop = Sept 2012
Cataclysm = Dec 2010
Wrath = Nov 2008
TB = January

In general WoW expansions come out late Summer / early Fall.

[PointerToAddress]

Hey man, there's 2 extremist sides on this board. Those that defend blizzard regardless and those that shit on blizzard regardless. Don't group me up with people and I won't with you. I like WoW and just because I have some actual criticism/concern doesn't make me some WoW-bashing hater. I didn't remotely say anything about blizzard being lazy or shadowlands is the end of WoW. I merely said it's a little alarming. Get your bullshit slandering out of here, doesn't do shit for anyone.

Dude, at no point in any first wave alpha has all the abilities finished. In Legion they went class by class and not only did they didnt have all the abilities, they didnt have all the talents, traits, and the rest. You dont have to defend Blizzard to see how unreasonable you are with this stuff when they never have given everything at the start of alpha, so it is bullshit. Don't expect full talent rows, dont expect all abilities, dont expect all class mechanics at the start, because that has never been the case in any of the alphas in any of the now 8 expansions. Please temper you expectations on what you're gonna see for a couple of weeks.

[Archmage Alodi]

Just let us unlock all of them and have them as a new talent row...

[decisive123]

Show us on the doll where Infinite Stars touched you.

Sarcasm aside, the real crime here is that you're still using Recount in 2020.

its almost like I put details in that sentence too, sarcasm aside

i guess most of the player base would find out again how bad they are at pressing a 3 button rotation in pve if it weren't for random auto procs boosting them through content

[GreenJesus]

Lol.. Druids can get Hearthstone Yogg Saron or Symbiosis..

Fire 16 random spells in a period of 4 seconds on random targets sounds a bit overpowered? And I thought Blizzard removed Symbiosis? It was an interesting spell so I'm glad they are bringing it back.. but I hope we don't have resto druids being able to use ice block again.

[crakerjack]

Why so many abilities feel like the single target, AoE and PVP ability? How I am supposed to choose the covenant I want if they have the worst ability (IMO)?

That's my biggest issue with the whole covenant abilities. I mean personally I'll probably play through each one on various alts, but that still doesn't remove the issue of enjoying a covenant and the quality of their abilities. I for one am really excited for the necrolords and the vampire covenants. I don't know which class I'll main, but lets say the druid-type people have the best abilities for the class I choose. I'll feel pressured to pick them simply because on paper they'll allow me to perform at a higher level, but deep down I believe I'd enjoy the story of another covenant. Again I'll eventually get to play through all of them, but that initial decision on my first toon will have a lot of weight to it.

[MrLachyG]

Well going off the Covenant specific abilities it would seem that they’ve changed it from 4 movement abilities into more interesting abilities. I am guessing the other 2 movement abilities will be changed as well, at least one will be.

The issue I had with them before seems to have been changed - that is if you have an ability that dies x damage to a single target and you choose that in the live version it cannot be nerfed because that will result in people changing Covenants which they don’t want

[Big Thanks]

this sound impossible to balance

Good customization starts chaos in PvP

I thrive in chaos

Only good things comes from chaos

[PointerToAddress]

So 2 things that stand out to me:

1) Seems like Survival Hunter is back to being ranged as the Covenant abilities assume you have a ranged weapon (Flayed Shot)
2) What is Glory for Warriors? Is that a new resource or just a Covenant ability thing?

[Castia]

Its early alpha. They have plenty of time to figure it out.

Go back through history, the last few beta/alphas have been terrible. Players, streamers publicly calling out problems and nothing was ever fixed.

[Kithelle]

Its early alpha. They have plenty of time to figure it out.

I'm not crying doom...but fuck they had 5 months and still missing 13 abilities before the Alpha is about to launch which will also mean less people to test the covenants that are missing abilities.

Night Fae is missing 8 out of 12....2/3rds. No one is gonna wanna choose it...

[Sorshen]

Borrowed power (class/order specific on top) is shit that takes multiple patches to balance. Great start.

[Babadoo]

Its early alpha. They have plenty of time to figure it out.

Haha no this is already final and you fuckin know it.

[Sanguinerd]

How great would it be if every min/max turd picked the same covenant for its ability and Blizz nerfs it to hell and makes it an absolute pain to change covenants.

I'd be so happy.

[Argorwal]

I’m just here for the salt of spreadsheet nerds being forced to use a specific covenant for their 1% dps gain while they are fighting bosses after 2 waves of nerfs and with 15 item levels over what it was originally cleared with.

[Phaelia]

Well fuck, as a Warlock I really don’t want to be stuck with Necrolord but that ability is amazing. Curious to see what they do for Night Fae

[Big Thanks]

How great would it be if every min/max turd picked the same covenant for its ability and Blizz nerfs it to hell and makes it an absolute pain to change covenants.

I'd be so happy.

I...was thinking the same thing...but im not a min maxer PvE'er....im a PvP min maxer
And i would cry...

[Snorri]

Min/maxers researchers and testers are gonna have a field day with this one.