Patch 4.0.6 PTR Notes - January 14 Update

[Boubouille]

Reminder - We also had the Cho'gall Heroic World First Kill by For The Horde today! Check the dedicated news post for more information!

Patch 4.0.6 PTR Notes - January 14 Update
It's a bird? It's a plane? No! It's another PTR Notes Update! If you're looking for me, I'll be leveling my warlock.

For those of you asking, Honor Trade Goods vendors are on PTRs but they don't have any item for sale, we'll have to wait for the next PTR build to get a list of prices I guess. (or a blue post, maybe)

Guilds

• Once a guild hits level 23, the daily cap on experience gained is removed.

Racials

• The gnomish racial trait Escape Artist now has a 1.5-minute cooldown, down from 1.75. In addition, it is now possible to use and waste this ability when not snared or rooted. This is consistent with other dispels.

Classes
Druid (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Balance

• Fungal growth duration has been increased to 20 seconds, up from 10. In addition, it should now be much more responsive when detonating Wild Mushrooms.
• Moonkin Form now grants 15% damage reduction instead of increased armor.
• Starfall will no longer strike targets that are not in combat and will now drop stars at a slightly faster rate.
• Wild Mushroom is now instant cast, down from 0.5 seconds. In addition, the radius of detonation has been increased to 6 yards, up from 3, and damage done increased by 30%.

Restoration

• Disentanglement (new specialization): Causes shapeshifting to remove roots in addition to snares.

Hunter (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)

• Casting Trap Launcher, Distracting Shot, and Scare Beast now cancel Auto Shot when cast. This is to make it easier to crowd control creatures with Auto Shot while moving enabled.

Paladin (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Retribution

• Divine Storm weapon damage percent increased from 80% to 100%.
• Hand of Light (Mastery): A percentage of the damage done by Templar's Verdict, Crusader Strike, and Divine Storm is done as additional Holy damage. This Mastery now grants a 2.1% increase to Holy damage per mastery, down from 2.5%.

Priest (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)

• Mind Blast damage has been significantly increased. It should be roughly 50% greater than Mind Spike.

Discipline

• Grace is no longer limited to one target at a time.
• Penance mana cost has been increased by 7%, but healing has been increased by 20%.

Shadow

• Vampiric Embrace now lasts until canceled.

Rogue (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Combat

• Blade Flurry is now a toggle that can be turned off by pressing the button again. In addition, this ability no longer has a fixed duration, but will go on cooldown for 10 seconds after being canceled (similar to Stealth).

Shaman (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)

• Spiritwalker's Grace duration has been increased to 15 seconds, up from 10.

Warlock (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)

• Fel Armor has been redesigned. It now surrounds the caster with fel energy, increasing spell power and causing the warlock to be healed for 3% of any single-target spell damage he or she deals.

Demonology

• Demonic Aegis now increases the healing effect of Fel Armor by 50/100%.

Warrior (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)

• Slam weapon damage percent (at level 80+) has been increased from 125% to 145%.

Fury

• In addition to its current effects, Bloodsurge now also causes the next Slam to deal 20% more damage.
• Raging Blow weapon damage percent (at level 80+) has been increased from 110% to 120%.

Professions
Archaeology

• The sell value of all common artifacts has been doubled, while a small subset of common artifacts have had their sell value increased far beyond that.

Engineering

• Mystic Cogwheel is a new Engineering Cogwheel gem which provides resilience rating and can be purchased from the Engineering vendor for 55 Honor Points.

Items

• The Honor Commodities and Justice Commodities Vendors now sell raw tradeskill materials. These are not intended to be a cost-effective source of these materials, but an option for players with lots of Justice or Honor Points who have already purchased all of the gear that interests them.
• Lich King trinkets with bonus armor values have been adjusted using the new Cataclysm formula, reducing their armor values substantially.

Set Bonuses

• The PvE hunter 4-piece set bonus has been redesigned. It now reduces the cast time of Steady Shot and Cobra Shot by .2 seconds.
• All PvP 4-piece bonuses have had their flat stat values cut in half. Primary stats are very powerful in Cataclysm, so much so that players were considering using PvP gear in PvE just because of these primary stat bonuses.
• PvP hunter bonus change reverted
• PvP enchants are properly valued and attached to Honor Quartermasters and Tol Barad/Baradin Hold Quartermasters.

Quests & Creatures

• Chief Engineer Scooty moved from Booty Bay to Grom'gol

Blue Posts

/cancelauras and addons
The patch note specifically refers to addons. A while back, we blocked addons from automatically (meaning without players pushing a button) removing auras. Our logic was that canceling auras should be a player decision and require player action. To be honest, we don’t want canceling auras to be a huge part of the game period, but it has some niche uses mostly among high-end players and we are okay with that.

In any case, what the patch note refers to is that addons can now cancel auras automatically outside of combat. Outside of combat, players are just using it for convenience and not for any kind of combat benefit. In this sense it is a buff not a nerf, but either way players can still use /cancelaura for their own personal macros – they just have to hit the button.

I'm probably just going to remove the Addon section from the patch notes. Those notes really only make sense to addon authors, and we have a direct line of communication with most of them where we can share any changes from 4.0.6 which may affect how they create/update mods. (Source)

Druid (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Entanglement
The below post is correct. We will share additional information with you regarding our plans for Balance as soon as we can, though it'll probably have to wait until after the holiday weekend.

It's included in Restorations Specialization, meaning when you chose Restoration as your spec. (Source)

Priest (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Making Chakra a Stance
We do see this a lot and understand why players find the idea so appealing -- it'd be incredibly effective to shift effortlessly between AoE or single-target healing at the push of a button. But if we were to go that route, why have Chakra at all? Holy priests might as well have both bonuses as passive effects because there's no real commitment.

The intent of Chakra is that you commit to single-target or AoE healing. It provides a meaningful choice where you need to use your knowledge of an encounter and coordinate with other players, as well as draw upon your experience and gut instinct as a priest. At the same time, it's not a permanent commitment the way choosing between Disc and Holy is locked in during combat. If you picked the wrong Chakra, or the situation changes, you don’t have to wait that long to switch. It’s also possible to use AoE spells during the single-target mode – you’re just not using your full bonus. (Source)

Leaders of the Horde and the Alliance, an Epic Short Fiction Series Continues….

King Varian Wrynn, Queen Sylvanas Windrunner, King Genn Greymane, and Trade Prince Gallywix—these are just a few of the leaders who continue to shape Azeroth's destiny. They are the embodiments of their races' strongest traits... and at times their greatest failings. In the coming months, Blizzard Entertainment will be releasing short stories that will peer into the hearts of these legendary heroes and offer insight into what new trials might lie ahead as they lead their people in a world forever changed by the Cataclysm.

The second story of this exciting series, "Lord of His Pack" gazes into the mind of Genn Greymane, the strong-willed king of Gilneas. When his nation falls to the Forsaken, Genn and his fellow citizens set out across the perilous seas to find sanctuary with their night elf allies. It soon becomes apparent that the recent Cataclysm has not only ravaged the lands of Azeroth, but its oceans as well.

In the midst of a great tempest threatening to tear the struggling fleet apart, the events that led to the loss of Genn's kingdom haunt him mercilessly. To weather both storms, Genn must come to terms with his past choices and face their results in his present.

[Narshe]

Awesome Warlock change. Im in love with the Disc changes as well.

Btw does the Fel Energy on the Warlock buff actually create an aura you can visibly see, and if so pic?

[Ica]

I wonder what the HP and JP vendor will sell...?

[Renley]

You missed them changing Synapse Springs up time to 10 seconds, down from 12. ( I r sad they nerfed it a bit.

[Leoni]

Loving s.priest changes

[LordVader]

Once a guild hits level 23, the daily cap on experience gained is removed.

What a great news : D

[Strakha]

I wonder what the HP and JP vendor will sell...?

Gems, herbs, ore maybe? I hope it's not just gems. G

[Boubouille]

You missed them changing Synapse Springs up time to 10 seconds, down from 12. ( I r sad they nerfed it a bit.

As far as I know that was part of an older update, that change was already here on January 12.

[blahssat]

You missed them changing Synapse Springs up time to 10 seconds, down from 12. ( I r sad they nerfed it a bit.

It was overpowered (Averaged out to 96 stats). This nerf will bring it in line with other profession bonuses (80 stats). The nerf was justified. Be glad you're actually getting a str/agil bonus from engi at all.

---------- Post added 2011-01-14 at 11:33 PM ----------

I wonder what the HP and JP vendor will sell...?

Probably raw blue quality gems. I doubt it'll sell chaos orbs/pristine hide/dreamcloth/things of that nature.

[Torched]

*All PvP 4-piece bonuses have had their flat stat values cut in half. Primary stats are very powerful in Cataclysm, so much so that players were considering using PvP gear in PvE just because of these primary stat bonuses.*


About time.

[Tollfree]

Moonkin buff is kinda unreal. im loving it but i wonder how much that will last... :0

[Tavek]

All I keep reading on the forums is that Fury is doing insane damage... and now it's getting even more buffed? I am so confused with the warrior changes.

[mikefrosty]

Why no heroic nerfs today?

[Servus]

All I keep reading on the forums is that Fury is doing insane damage... and now it's getting even more buffed? I am so confused with the warrior changes.

Hi Tavek, after doing heroics repeatedly since wotlk I believe that the reports of warriors doing insane damage are from players who can.. well, play. Other warriors wearing several epic items doing 5k dps on packs where they can cleave their heart out need these buffs, I hope that clears up any confusion you have.

[Sulika]

Hi Tavek, after doing heroics repeatedly since wotlk I believe that the reports of warriors doing insane damage are from players who can.. well, play. Other warriors wearing several epic items doing 5k dps on packs where they can cleave their heart out need these buffs, I hope that clears up any confusion you have.

I'm seeing heroic geared warriors quite comfortably doing over 10k dps on whatever trash / boss you care to pull in heroics. Any half decently geared warrior doing 5k dps really doesn't have a clue what he is doing.

[valzyf]

Restoration

* Disentanglement (new specialization): Causes shapeshifting to remove roots in addition to snares.

That's a retarded way to fix what they should never have taken away...

[Nathiest]

"Divine Storm weapon damage percent increased from 80% to 100%." WHO FUCKING CARES!?! As long as it doesn't guarantee holy power it's a fucking waste.

Gawd the Devs fucking suck!

[Honzi]

Oh how lovely to read that Fel Armor change.

[Spl4sh3r]

Not sure I like the Hunter changes, it will lead to Hunters having tons of extra Focus that we have to dump on some random ability (mostly Arcane Shot). Would be alot better if they reduced CD of Kill Command by 0.5 seconds and Chimera Shot and Explosive Shot by 1 seconds or something.

[wMw]

Divine Storm is non-single target strike. Deal with it.