With the first week of the Curse of Ula’tek content update, we’re making some adjustments to low and high performers to start Season 2 next week. We’ve identified several tier sets that would greatly overperform our expected targets if we didn’t make targeted adjustments to bring their throughput to more expected power levels. At the same time, we’re increasing affected specs baseline abilities to limit the impact of the changes to their tier set bonuses.
CLASS CHANGES
DEATH KNIGHT
Blood
San’layn
Visceral Strength now grants 6% strength (was 10%).
Transfusion increases Dancing Rune Weapon damage by 5% (was 10%).
Developers’ notes: The tooltip will be updated at a later date to reflect the new value.
Frost
All ability damage increased by 9%.
The Venomous Abyss 2-set bonus has been updated – Now grants 1% attack speed per stack (was 2%). Now increases Icy Death Torrent damage by 2% per stack (was 4%).
DEMON HUNTER
Devourer
Developers’ notes: Devourer’s 4-piece set bonus is performing significantly above expectations, so we are reducing its power. To compensate for this set bonus reduction, we are increasing all ability damage. Additionally, Devourer has been overperforming, mostly in single target, so we are reducing the damage of Reap/Cull/Eradicate while increasing the AoE damage portion of Eradicate to reduce the impact of the change in AoE combat.
All ability damage increased by 14%. Does not affect PvP combat.
Reap/Cull/Eradicate damage reduced by 12%.
Eradicate’s area-of-effect damage increased to 90% of base damage (was 85%).
The Venomous Abyss 4-set bonus has been updated – Now generates 2 soul fragments (was 8 soul fragments) and increases Reap damage by 10% (was 20%).
DRUID
Restoration
Developers’ notes: We’re increasing Restoration Druid’s healing and damage as both aspects are underperforming relative to other healers.
All healing increased by 4%. Does not affect PvP combat.
All damage increased by 20%. Does not affect PvP combat.
HUNTER
Beast Mastery
Developers’ notes: The new Venomous Abyss tier set bonus isn’t quite as strong as we would like it to be, so we are increasing the effects of the 4-set bonus.
The Venomous Abyss 4-set bonus has been updated – Now causes Cobra Shot to benefit from Beast Cleave at 30% effectiveness per stack (was 20%), or strike your target for an additional 20% damage per stack (was 15%).
MAGE
Arcane
Developers’ notes: The Venomous Abyss set bonus is overperforming our target tuning for set bonuses. However, the amount we need to reduce its value by would be a greater impact than intended to Arcane’s overall damage, so we are also making a small positive adjustment to Arcane’s baseline.
All ability damage increased by 3%.
Venomous Abyss 2-set bonus has been updated – Arcane Missiles damage bonus reduced to 5% (was 20%).
Venomous Abyss 4-set bonus has been updated – Cumulative Power damage bonus per stack reduced to 3% (was 5%).
MONK
Mistweaver
Developers’ notes: Mistweaver has been underperforming so we are targeting increases to its casted healing and the Venomous Abyss 4-set bonus to improve its performance and maintain build diversity.
All healing increased by 8%. Does not affect PvP combat.
Venomous Abyss 4-set bonus has been updated – Activation rate increased by 33%.
PRIEST
Discipline
Developers’ notes: We are reducing Discipline Priest’s damage done and offsetting this in Atonement to not affect their overall healing as their damage has been overperforming compared to other healers. At the same time, we are increasing the damage of Entropic Rift to minimize the impact this will have on Voidweaver’s dungeon viability and help maintain high damage as one of its strengths.
All damage reduced by 30%. Does not affect PvP combat.
Entropic Rift damage increased by 20%.
Atonement now transfers 46% of damage into healing (was 32%). Does not affect PvP combat.
Holy
Developers’ notes: We are increasing the healing throughput of Oracle so that it can serve as a competitive option against Archon. Furthermore, we are increasing the mana regeneration of Enlightenment to further help Holy Priest’s mana economy.
Enlightenment now regenerates mana 25% faster (was 10%).
Oracle
Words of the Wise now increases the healing of Holy Word: Serenity and Holy Word: Sanctify by 40% (was 10%). Does not affect PvP combat.
Prompt Prognosis healing increased by 55%. Does not affect PvP combat.
Preventive Measures now increases Prayer of Mending healing by 40% (was 15%). Does not affect PvP combat.
ROGUE
Assassination
All damage increased by 4%.
Subtlety
Developers’ notes: Subtlety’s 4-piece set bonus is overperforming expectation, so its effectiveness is being reduced. An overall buff to Subtlety’s damage is being applied to compensate.
All damage increased by 6%.
The Venomous Abyss 4-set bonus has been updated – Effectiveness reduced to 60% (was 100%).
SHAMAN
Enhancement
All damage increased by 5%.
WARLOCK
Demonology
Developers’ notes: We are increasing the throughput of the Venomous Abyss 2-set bonus for Demonology so that its performance is closer to other specialization tier set bonuses.
The Venomous Abyss 2-set bonus has been updated – Wild Imps now Implode at 350% effectiveness to their main target (was 250%) and 315% effectiveness to other targets (was 225%).
WARRIOR
Developers’ notes: Fury’s 4pc set bonus is currently overperforming, but Fury is in a good place overall and we don’t want to disrupt that, so we’re moving some of the value out of the 4pc bonus and into Fury’s baseline.
Additionally, Slayer has been overperforming for both specs due to a bug causing Executioner to provide double value which was recently hotfixed. This fix has brought overall Arms performance down into our intended range, but we’re happy with where Fury has been, so their baseline damage has been increased below to compensate for this fix as well as the set bonus change.
Fury
All damage increased by 6%.
The Venomous Abyss 4-set bonus has been updated – Bloodthirst damage increased by 10%. During Recklessness Bloodthirst increases the critical strike bonus of Recklessness by 3%, up to 6%. (was 5%, up to 10%).
PLAYER VERSUS PLAYER
The PvP trinket set bonus now increases primary stat by 20% for damage dealers and tanks (was 15%).
Developers’ notes: We’ve felt the pace of PvP combat has been slower than intended, so we’re increasing the primary stat of non-healer specializations to increase overall outgoing damage.
DEMON HUNTER
Devourer
Developers’ notes: Devourer Demon Hunters are both very threatening and very defensible during Void Metamorphosis and Surrender to the Void has provided the opportunity to increase the duration of those windows too significantly, so its Fury generation effect is being reduced.
Surrender to the Void now increases Fury generated by 60% (was 100%).
DRUID
Restoration
Developers’ notes: Restoration Druid received several changes in Curse of Ula’tek that improved its throughput beyond what we would like in PvP.
All healing reduced by 5% in PvP combat.
MAGE
Fire
Developers’ notes: Fire Mage’s Venomous Abyss tier set bonus is particularly difficult to take advantage of in PvP combat, so we’re making a few tweaks with the objective of increasing its usability. We’re also decreasing Meteor’s damage to reduce Fire Mage’s burst capabilities.
Pyroblast damage increased by 10% in PvP combat.
Meteor damage decreased by 20% in PvP combat.
Comet Storm damage decreased by 20% in PvP combat.
The Venomous Abyss 4-set bonus has been updated – Now decreases the cast time of Pyroblast and Flamestrike by 30% (was 10%) and increases Pyroclasm’s damage bonus by 5% (was 10%) in PvP combat.
PALADIN
Holy
Developers’ notes: Holy Paladin’s throughput has been higher than we would like, and Judgment has been too effective as an offensive tool. Avenging Crusader’s effectiveness is being increased to offset the decrease to Judgment’s damage.
All healing decreased by 5% in PvP combat.
Judgment damage decreased by 30% in PvP combat.
Avenging Crusader now transfers 80% of damage done into healing in PvP combat (was 55%).
Retribution
Developers’ notes: Retribution had been contributing to longer PvP matches during Season 1 due to their frequent access to team utility. We’re shifting some of that effectiveness into more consistent offensive power, and additionally giving Templar an increase to Hammer of Light damage so they are a solid offensive alternative to Herald of the Sun.
All damage increased by 8% in PvP combat.
Final Verdict damage increased by 15% in PvP combat.
Hammer of Light damage increased by 25% in PvP combat.
Sacrifice of the Just now reduces Blessing of Sacrifice’s cooldown by 30 seconds in PvP combat (was 60 seconds).
Unbreakable Spirit reduces the cooldown of affected spells by 20% in PvP combat (was 30%).
SHAMAN
Restoration
Developers’ notes: We’re making some targeted adjustments to primarily improve Farseer’s viability as we begin season 2. We’re also reducing the effectiveness of Storm Conduit which we feel has been too powerful under the right circumstances.
All healing increased by 4% in PvP combat.
Storm Conduit now reduces the cooldown of affected spells by 2 seconds (was 4 seconds).
Storm Conduit now reduces the duration of interrupts on Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning by 40% (was 65%).
Farseer
Healing Wave, Healing Surge, and Chain Heal healing from Ancestors increased by 35% in PvP combat.
Hydrobubble absorption increased by 35% in PvP combat.
WARLOCK
Destruction
Soul Fire damage reduced by 30% in PvP combat.
