Many Hero Talent Buffs Coming - Upcoming Class Tuning with Weekly Reset

Blizzard has announced upcoming class tuning which includes many Hero Talent Buffs!

With scheduled weekly maintenance in each region, we’ll make tuning adjustments that are primarily targeted at Hero Talents that are unperforming in various types of content.

In PvP combat, we’re continuing to improve underperforming specs, address over- and under-performing specs, and either increase or reduce burst damage for specs that need it or have a bit too much.

CLASSES

DEMON HUNTER

Developers’ notes: Aldrachi Reaver performance has been below its alternative Hero Talent options, so we’re buffing some of its effects to reduce the disparity.

Havoc

• Death Sweep damage increased by 10%.

Developers’ notes: This resolves an issue from a previous update where Blade Dance damage was increased, but Death Sweep’s damage was not correctly updated to match. The base damage of Death Sweep is intended to be 30% more than that of Blade Dance.

• Aldrachi Reaver: Reaver’s Glaive damage increased by 15%.
• Aldrachi Reaver: Warblade’s Hunger damage increased by 55%.
• Aldrachi Reaver: Wounded Quarry now deals 30% of Physical damage to the target of your Reaver’s Mark (was 25%).

Vengeance

• Aldrachi Reaver: Reaver’s Glaive damage increased by 30%.
• Aldrachi Reaver: Warblade’s Hunger damage increased by 55%.
• Aldrachi Reaver: Wounded Quarry now deals 25% of Physical damage to the target of your Reaver’s Mark (was 20%).
• DRUID

Feral

• All damage dealt increased by 4%.
• MAGE

Arcane

Developers’ notes: In addition to an overall damage buff, we’d like to get Sunfury’s damage closer to Spellslinger’s.

• All ability damage increased by 5%. Does not apply to PvP.
• Arcane Missiles damage increased by 10%. Does not apply to PvP.
• Sunfury: Burden of Power - Arcane Blast damage bonus increased to 30% (was 25%). Arcane Pulse damage bonus increased to 20% (was 15%).

Fire

Developers’ notes: These changes are intended to increase Fire’s single target damage. The value of the increase should be comparable for all Hero Talent options.

• Pyroblast damage increased by 8%. Does not apply to PvP.
• Frostfire: Frostfire Bolt damage increased by 5%. Does not apply to PvP.

Frost

Developers’ notes: Frostfire performance is farther behind Spellslinger than we’re happy with, so we’re boosting a number of its talents to increase their single target and AOE damage.

• Frostfire: Frostfire Bolt damage increased by 5%. Does not apply to PvP
• Frostfire: Duality - Pyroblast damage increased by 25%.
• Frostfire: Dualcasting Adept - Shatter damage bonus increased to 40% (was 15%).
• Frostfire: Heat Sink - Flurry damage bonus increased to 25% (was 10%).
• Frostfire: Blast Radius - Comet Storm damage bonus increased to 50% (was 20%).
• PALADIN

Retribution

Developers’ notes: Herald of the Sun has been trailing behind Templar in overall throughput. To improve its output, we’re extending its effective damage window by granting an additional Dawnlight charge. We’re also aiming to further improve its AoE performance by increasing the duration extension provided by Divine Storm.

• Wake of Ashes now causes the next 3 Holy Power spending abilities to apply a Dawnlight (was 2).
• Endless Gleam now extends Dawnlight’s duration by an additional 0.5 seconds when Divine Storm strikes at least 2 Dawnlights (was 0.3 seconds).
• PRIEST

Holy

Developers’ notes: We’re reducing the mana costs of some core spell casts so Holy Priest can feel more comfortable casting Prayer of Healing and Flash Heal, particularly in raid settings.

• Flash Heal mana cost reduced by 8%.
• Benediction mana cost reduced by 8%.
• Prayer of Mending mana cost reduced by 8%.
• Prayer of Healing has been reduced by 8%.

ROGUE

Developers’ notes: Deathstalker damage is below the other Hero Talent options for most content and damage profiles, especially for Assassination, and to the least degree for Subtlety single target output. Changes are targeted at improving Deathstalker’s total performance compared to each specialization’s alternative.

Assassination

• Deathstalker: Deathstalker’s Mark damage increased by 30%.
• Deathstalker: Clear the Witnesses now increases Fan of Knives damage by 60% (was 40%).
• Deathstalker: Hunt Them Down damage increased by 25%.
• Deathstalker: Corrupt the Blood now increases Rupture damage by 20% (was 10%).
• Deathstalker: Darkest Night effect now increases Envenom damage by 35% (was 30%).

Subtlety

• Deathstalker: Deathstalker’s Mark damage increased by 30%.
• Deathstalker: Clear the Witnesses now increases Shuriken Storm damage by 60% (was 40%).
• SHAMAN

Elemental

• Farseer: Ancestral Spirits from the Farseer Hero Talent tree now benefit from the critical damage increase of the Elemental Fury talent.

Restoration

Developers’ notes: We’re adjusting the mana costs of some of Restoration Shaman’s basic spell casts to give them more room to spend mana on things like Chain Heal particularly in raid settings.

• The mana cost of Chain Heal, Healing Wave, and Riptide has been reduced by 5%.
• WARRIOR

Developers’ notes: These change aim to improve Colossus’ performance in single target and Mountain Thane’s performance in AOE relative to other Hero Talent options.

Arms

• Colossus: Practiced Strikes - Mortal Strike and Slam damage increased by 25% (was 15%). This change does not apply in PvP.

Fury

• Mountain Thane: Thunder Blast damage increased by 30%. This change does not apply in PvP.

Protection

• Colossus: Practiced Strikes - Shield Slam damage increased by 25% (was 15%). This change does not apply in PvP.
• Mountain Thane: Thunder Blast damage increased by 30%. This change does not apply in PvP.
• PLAYER VERSUS PLAYER
• DEATH KNIGHT

Unholy

• San’layn: Vampiric Strike damage increased by 30% in PvP combat.
• DRUID

Feral

• Druid of the Claw: Ravage damage increased by 20% in PvP combat.

Balance

• Elune’s Chosen: Lunar Calling now increases Starfire damage by an additional 20% in PvP combat.
• EVOKER

Preservation

Developers’ notes: Preservation has pulled ahead of the other healers partially due to their ability to withstand crowd control but also due to their raw healing output. We’re reducing some of their throughput capabilities and also the uptime on Nullifying Shroud to bring them in line.

• All healing reduced by 5% in PvP combat.
• Nullifying Shroud duration reduced to 3 seconds (was 4 seconds).
• Dream Breath instant healing reduced by 17% in PvP combat.
• HUNTER

Survival

Developers’ notes: Survival has a strong burst window with Takedown, but outside of that, they are lacking. We’d like to reduce the heavy burst of Takedown and redistribute that power to compensate.

• Takedown damage reduced by 25% in PvP.
• Damage of all spells and abilities increased by 6% in PvP.
• MAGE

Fire

Developers’ notes: We’d like to increase Fire’s steady state damage by adjusting Fireball to reward casting, and Meteor has been harder to justify picking up than we would like in PvP.

• Fireball and Frostfire Bolt damage increased by 35% in PvP combat.
• Meteor direct damage increased by 30% in PvP combat.
• PALADIN

Holy

Developers’ notes: Holy Light’s mana cost is more restrictive in PvP than intended, so we’re adjusting Divine Favor to make its use less punishing long-term.
Divine Favor now reduces the mana cost of Holy Light by 30% (was 10%) in PvP combat.

• Fixed an issue that caused Denounce to not scale its damage with level or with buffs such as Avenging Wrath. This is about a 90% increase to its baseline output.

Protection

Developers’ notes: Protection Paladin’s damage capabilities have been higher than healthy for a spec with its utility.

• All damage reduced by 10% in PvP combat.

Retribution

Developers’ notes: We’re adjusting Divine Exaction’s effectiveness to reduce Retribution’s burst window.

• Templar: Divine Exaction down to 75% (was 150%) in PvP combat.
• PRIEST

Holy

Developers’ notes: We’re reducing the mana cost of a few core spells for Holy Priest this week (see PvE changes for details) which is intended to help with healing in longer engagements. Additionally, Archon has felt weak compared to Oracle, so we’re targeting a buff to Halo to improve its viability.

• Archon: Halo damage and healing increased by 25% in PvP combat.

Shadow

Developers’ notes: We feel Voidweaver is in a good position in PvP. Archon’s pressure is lacking in comparison, so we’re targeting some of its spells to improve its output.

• Archon: Halo damage and healing increased by 25% in PvP combat.
• Archon: Mind Flay Insanity damage increased by 25% in PvP combat.
• SHAMAN

Enhancement

Developers’ notes: Enhancement burst has been hard to react to during cooldowns due to a Maelstrom Weapon bug we’re fixing. In addition, we’re toning down the haste gained from Shamanism to reduce the cooldown pressure from Shaman DPS specializations.

• Bloodlust and Heroism from Shamanism now increases haste by 15% (was 20%) in PvP.
• Resolved an issue causing Malestrom Weapon spenders from Thorim’s Invocation during Doom Winds to deal more damage than intended.

Elemental

Developers’ notes: Elemental is often relying on Ascendance for kills due to its high burst potential. These changes are intended to increase overall pressure while reducing reliance on cooldowns to score skills.

• Bloodlust and Heroism from Shamanism now increases haste by 15% (was 20%)
• Ascendance now increases Elemental Overload damage by 10% in PvP Combat (was 25%).
• Lava Burst damage increased by 15% in PvP combat.
• Lightning Bolt damage increased by 15% in PvP combat.
• WARLOCK

Affliction

Developers’ notes: Hellcaller has underperformed compared to Soul Harvester, and we would like to shrink that gap.

• Hellcaller: Blackened Soul damage increased by 35% in PvP Combat.
• Hellcaller: Wither damage increased by 15% in PvP Combat.
• Hellcaller: Mark of Xavius now causes Blackened Soul to deal 4% increased damage per stack of Wither in PvP Combat (was 2%).

Demonology

Developers’ notes: For Demonology and Destruction, we’re pulling back on some of the previous reductions to Conflagrate and Ruination as they were proving to be a little heavy handed. We’re also bringing up the damage of core casts like Incinerate and Hand of Gul’dan to reward Warlocks more for successful casts.

• Hand of Gul’dan damage increased by 30% in PvP combat.
• Diabolist: Ruination damage increased by 100% in PvP combat.

Destruction

• Incinerate damage increased by 30% in PvP combat.
• Conflagrate damage increased by 60% in PvP combat.
• Diabolist: Ruination damage increased by 100% in PvP combat.
• WARRIOR

Developers’ notes: Berserker Roar’s duration has been overly disruptive. Decreasing it should open up more options when deciding how to handle its effect.

• Berserker Roar’s duration reduced to 5 seconds (was 10 seconds).

Arms

Developers’ notes: Arms’ overall pressure output has been slightly higher than we would like, so we’re tweaking their damage down to land them in a healthier spot.

• All damage reduced by 3% in PvP combat.