Class Tuning Incoming – May 16

[Blue Tracker]

In response to initial Season 2 results and player feedback, we’re working on the following adjustments to classes. We plan to implement all of the changes below during scheduled weekly maintenance, which is Tuesday, May 16 in this region.

Classes

Death Knight

• Frost
  • All ability damage increased by 3%.
  • Obliterate damage increased by 5%.
  • Frost Strike damage increased by 6%.
  • Howling Blast damage increased by 6%.
  • Remorseless Winter damage increased by 8%.
  • Frost Fever damage increased by 12%.

Demon Hunter

• Havoc
  • Chaos Strike/Annihilation damage increased by 10%.
  • First Blood (Talent) damage bonus to first enemy struck increased to 95% (was 75%).
  • Inner Demon (Talent) damage increased by 30%.

Druid

• Balance
  • Vault of the Ancients (4) Set bonus tuning: Entering Eclipse makes your next Starsurge or Starfall cost 10 less Astral Power (was 5) and deal 25% increased damage (was 20%).
• Restoration
  • Rejuvenation mana cost reduced to 11% base mana (was 12%).

Hunter

• Beast Mastery
  • Abberus (4) Set bonus cooldown reduction for Bestial Wrath increased to 2 seconds (was 1 seconds).
  • Kill Cleave now strikes nearby enemies for 80% of the damage (was 60%).
  • Beast Cleave now causes your pet to strike nearby targets for 40/80% of the damage (was 35/75%).

Mage

• Frost
  • All ability damage done increased by 4%.

Shaman

• Elemental
  • All ability damage increased by 2%.
  • Vault of the Incarnates (2) set bonus now grants 3% damage, stacking 3 times (was 5%, stacking up to 5 times).

Warlock

• Affliction
  • All ability damage increased by 3%.

Player versus Player

Death Knight

• Unholy
  • Reanimation’s explosion now deals 15% of the targets health in Shadow damage (was 20%).
  • Allied players can no longer see the explosion ring visual for Reanimation.
  • Reanimation’s stun debuff is now using the correct spell icon.
  • Developers’ notes: We’ve been monitoring our changes to Reanimation and have felt its damage is too high relative to how much control Death Knight’s have over enemies’ positioning.
• Frost
  • Pillar of Frost now increases Strength by 15% in PvP Combat (was 25%).
  • Developers’ notes: Frost Death Knights have been on our radar as underperforming, but still effective in the right situations. We’re reducing their burst damage alongside their game-wide damage increases with the goal of a healthier overall damage profile.

Demon Hunter

• Havoc
  • Rain from Above (PvP Talent) Fel Lance damage reduced to 8% of target’s max health (was 10%).
  • Developers’ notes: Our goal with Rain from Above is for it to have situational offensive and defensive usage. With recent increases to its damage, we’re seeing it used for offense more often than intended, so we’re bringing its damage down.

Monk

• Strength of Spirit now increases the healing of Expel Harm by up to 50% based on your missing health in PvP Combat (was 100%).
• Windwalker
  • Reverse Harm now increases the healing done by Expel Harm by 30% (was 60%).
  • Developers’ notes: Expel Harm’s healing was dramatically increased with Season 2. We’re happy with the base healing of the spell, but modifiers from Reverse Harm and Strength of Spirit are making it more powerful than we intended.

Priest

• Holy
  • Renew healing increased by 34% in PvP Combat (was 22%).
  • Flash Heal healing increased by 52% in PvP Combat (was 40%).
  • Heal healing increased by 57% in PvP Combat (was 43%).
  • Holy Word: Sanctify healing increased by 10% in PvP Combat.
  • Holy Word: Serenity healing increased by 25% in PvP Combat (was 15%).
  • Developers’ notes: Holy Priests have continued to underperform in PvP, so we’re buffing several of their primary healing spells.

Shaman

• Enhancement, Elemental
  • Earth Shield healing reduced by 30% in PvP Combat for Enhancement and Elemental.
  • Developers’ notes: The healing contribution from Earth Shield for the hybrid Shaman specs is above our target in PvP after recent buffs to the spell.

Warlock

• Call Observer now has 8% of the Warlock’s health (was 20%).
• Destruction
  • Incinerate damage reduced by 10% in PvP Combat.
  • Shadowburn damage increased by 45% in PvP Combat (was 65%).
  • Developers’ notes: Destruction’s sustained DPS in PvP especially with instant casts is higher than we’d like. We feel Chaos Bolt is in a good state, so we’re targeting other areas of the kit to bring down their DPS.

Warrior

• Arms
  • Sharpen Blade cooldown increased to 30 seconds and duration decreased by 2 seconds.
  • Skullsplitter now causes expired bleeds to deal 65% damage (was 100%) in PvP Combat.
  • Deep Wounds damage increased by 15% in PvP Combat.
  • Rend no longer deals 15% reduced damage in PvP Combat.
  • Fueled by Violence now heals for 70% (was 85%) of damage dealt by Deep Wounds in PvP Combat.
  • Developers’ notes: We feel Arms Warrior’s burst window has been more effective than we would like in PvP. We’re shifting their damage profile slightly to increase their consistent pressure but decrease their burst damage.

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Source: Class Tuning Incoming – May 16, Author: Kaivax, Posted: Friday, May 12th 2023, 11:29 pm