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Category: Warcraft

Shiver Me Timbers! Make Ready for the Incoming Plunderstorm!

Quote from: Blizzard

With the release of the 10.2.6 content update, players can get swept away in the Plunderstorm1— a fun, new, limited-time, pirate-themed event of prodigious proportions lasting the next several weeks. Scour the map and try to be the last pirate standing while dashing across the Arathi Highlands to find abilities, upgrades, and loot to plunder just to survive!

Set Sail for the Plunderstorm

Plunge into a challenging battle that earns excellent rewards for World of Warcraft® Modern and Classic progression realms. All you have to do is survive…and plunder. Can’t seem to stay in the realm of the living? No problem. Plunderers still gain progression that helps unlock new rewards.

Each match is 10-15 minutes long and has 60 players per match, with the winner being the last one standing. Level up and acquire new abilities and spells by killing creatures and enemies, looting chests, and avoiding the encroaching storm.

A Pirate’s Life for You

The Arathi Highlands is the backdrop for this pirating adventure, and you’ll have plenty of challenges to keep you busy.

Prepare to Plunder

Plunderstorm is perfect for pick-up and play! No expansion purchase is required, but a World of Warcraft Subscription or Game Time is needed to participate in a high-stakes, play-by-the-seat-your-pants match. This means that Classic players can also participate in a plethora of plundering fun by simply installing the modern (Live) World of Warcraft client:

  1. Launch the Battle.net desktop app.
  2. Click the World of Warcraft icon at the top. If the icon is missing, click on All Games and select the game from the list.
  3. On top of the Install button is a drop-down menu. Confirm that you wish to install World of Warcraft.
  4. Click Install.

Once you’re in modern WoW:

  1. Select Plunderstorm2 from the World of Warcraft game menu to get into the action.
  2. Create a new, ready-to-play character—player characters are unique to this event. You don’t need previous knowledge of races and classes to chart your course for mayhem.
  3. Choose between Solo or—to play with your Battle.net friends—make a group from the Plunderstorm character screen and select Duo. If queued for a Duo without a partner, you’ll be automatically matched with one. You can also access chat, customize characters, and see the queue from the Character Select Screen.
Action Bar and Abilities, Worthy Mates

Discover lootable spells, abilities, and upgrades as you plunder treasure chests and defeat enemies. Upon picking up, spells and abilities are automatically added to your Action Bar, with two slots dedicated to offensive skills and two for utilities such as leaps, speed boosts, and crowd-control.

Some abilities are more action-based and require good positioning and player targeting. Have fun discovering and experimenting with different combinations to find what works for you.

Upgrades to Your Spells and Abilities

Your spells and abilities can be upgraded by discovering higher-quality versions from treasure chests or finding the same ability elsewhere and stacking it to Rank 3 (epic). There are also plenty of plundering opportunities—various treasure chests with different rarities that harbor all types of abilities are stashed around the map. Always stay on the lookout for better loot and upgrades.

Spectating Spectre

Upon death, keep watching the match from the perspective of your teammates (if they’re still alive) or other players, including their loadout.

Rewards A-Plenty for Plundering Pirates

Players can earn cosmetics, pets, titles, and mounts as they progress through the reward track, including a majestic Plunderlord parrot mount, Bubbles the crab pet, swashbuckling cosmetics, and more. 3 A victory is not required to claim the spoils of a well-fought fight.

Perch on the shoulders of this parrot instead of him perching on yours!
Proper pirate fashion is a must for plundering!
There isn’t a better first mate on the high seas than Pirate Pepe!

10.2.6 Content Update Notes

Learn more details about Plunderstorm and the rest of the 10.2.6 Content Update in our update notes.

We look forward to seeing you drop from the skies to engage in pirate-themed mayhem. Also, stay tuned to worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/news for more information about a new Esports tournament to celebrate Plunderstorm’s launch!

We’ll see you in Azeroth and wherever the adventure takes you!

1 Requires World of Warcraft® Subscription or Game Time.
2Plunderstorm is accessed from the World of Warcraft® game menu but exists outside of player progression in World of Warcraft® and Wrath of the Lich King Classic™.
3Plunderstorm offers rewards for both World of Warcraft® and Wrath of the Lich King Classic™.

Get an Eye on an Even Dozen New Hero Talent Trees

Quote from: Blizzard

The War Within expansion introduces Hero Talents as a new update to World of Warcraft classes. They are an evergreen form of character progression for each class specialization that introduces new powers and class fantasies. Feedback is critical to us as a part of creating an impactful and fun addition to the game, so we are sharing our goals for Hero Talents with the community to get first impressions of them and learn how well we’re meeting those goals.

In this article, we take a closer look at the philosophies around Hero Talents for twelve more trees: Rider of the Apocalypse and Deathbringer Death Knights, Aldrachi Reaver Demon Hunter, Druid of the Claw Druid, Flameshaper Evoker, Pack Leader Hunter, Spellslinger Mage, Shado-Pan and Conduit of the Celestials Monks, Farseer Shaman, Hellcaller Warlock, and Slayer Warrior.

Index

What Are Hero Talents?

Hero Talents are new, self-contained talent trees that players unlock access at level 71. Hero Talents build on the abilities and talents of current classes and specializations. Players can choose a single Hero Talent tree to activate on a character and these talents can be changed in the same way class talents can be currently changed in the game. There are three Hero Talent trees for each class (excepting druid with four and demon hunter with two).  Each specialization has two Hero Talent trees they can choose between, and each of these trees is available as an option for two specializations.

For example, warriors have three Hero Talent tree options: Slayer, Colossus, and Mountain Thane. Fury has access to Mountain Thane and Slayer, Protection has access to Mountain Thane and Colossus, and Arms has access to Colossus and Slayer.

There are 11 nodes in a Hero Talent tree. The first of these unlocks with the system at level 71, and you earn 1 talent point per level from level 71 to 80, so you get every talent in the tree by level 80. Hero Talents will have starter builds available, and your saved builds will save your Hero Talent choices as well.

What to Expect from Hero Talents

Each Hero Talent tree starts with a “keystone” talent that introduces the core mechanic and concept of the tree. This could be a new ability, an enhancement to an existing ability or cooldown, or a new buff you can trigger. The bottom talent of each tree is a “capstone” talent that builds on the core themes of the tree or adds new power to the keystone.

Each tree will offer or modify some class utility and include defensive bonuses that are useful to all specializations. We are aiming for all trees to be about equal in the amount of utility and defensiveness they provide. Trees for characters that can take on a tanking role may have some additional defense bonuses that will be less valuable to healers or damage dealers (DPS), such as bonuses to tank talents or cooldowns. Three or four nodes in each tree will be choice nodes where you can choose between two options.

Hero Talents are meant to add enough damage or healing throughput to be significant without being so important that these new talents overshadow your current class and spec tree talents. Most Hero Talent trees add new visual effects to classes, both to communicate what they’re doing and bring their class fantasies to life. However, these are not complete visual reworks – your class and spec are still the same at their core, and that will continue to come through.

Maintaining Freedom to Choose

We want players to be free to choose the Hero Talent tree that has the gameplay, visuals, or flavor that they prefer. Our goal is for both options to feel similarly effective in raid dungeons, Mythic+, and PvP. We’re working to avoid abilities or bonuses in Hero Talents that could make a certain tree feel “required” for activities where we can.

We know that for some players, prioritizing total throughput is the most important thing to them, even if the difference between choices seems small. That’s okay but keeping Hero Talent balance close is one of our priorities so that players can play what they prefer and still be viable in any content.

How We Chose Hero Talent Concepts

Since we announced Hero Talents at BlizzCon, it’s been great to see all the conversation and speculation surrounding the 39 Hero Talent titles. We’d like to share some of the thinking that went behind choosing those concepts.

Each Hero Talent concept must be appropriate for both of the specs that can use it. Some concepts build on overlaps in abilities or flavors between the two specs that can use it, like Colossus warriors, which are as mighty as Arms warriors and as imposing as Protection warriors. Others create new themes that are appropriate for both specs, like Fatebound rogues.

Hero Talents also retain your combat role and the gear that you use so that you’re not competing for new types of gear. For iconic Warcraft character archetypes, we wanted to be sure that we could deliver on their fantasy with World of Warcraft’s classes. Blademasters just wouldn’t be Blademasters without abilities like Wind Walk and Mirror Image, but those abilities don’t fit in a warrior’s toolkit.

Lastly, there are several iconic character archetypes that are strongly tied to specific races and factions, such as Keeper of the Grove or Mountain Thane. It’s exciting to embody these storied archetypes, but we want to ensure that characters of every race and faction can see themselves as those archetypes. We’re open to feedback on what feels good for your characters versus what is frustrating.

Gameplay and Hero Talents

We have several goals for what it feels like to play World of Warcraft with Hero Talents. Here are some of our guiding principles for how they affect your capabilities, your rotation, what you pay attention to in combat, and your user interface.

We like to say on the team that our goal for Hero Talents gameplay is for them to make you “what you are, but more.” We know that many of you have long histories with your favorite classes, and you play them because you like their gameplay and the spells and abilities that matter in their rotation, whether it’s the spinning plates of Affliction, the cycles of Arcane, or the frenetic reactivity of Fury. Hero Talents don’t override what matters to a class. You should feel like you’re playing your spec with a twist or a boost and not as if the things you care about have become unimportant or been replaced.

A Hero Talent tree might add new behavior or bonuses to an existing ability, like Keeper of the Grove’s bonuses to Force of Nature and Grove Guardian treants. They might occasionally reset the cooldown on abilities or replace spells with more powerful versions. They might make it easier to maintain important buffs or grant additional resources at key moments.

One thing that we’re keeping a close eye on is complexity. Classes in WoW have a lot of abilities and talents, and there’s a lot to learn about each one. We want Hero Talents to add new fun without creating new burdens, either in customizing or playing a character. Most Hero Talent trees do not add new buttons that players will need to add to their action bar or find a new keybind for. There will be additional opportunities for players to express their skill, but we’re trying not to add things like complex maintenance buffs that increase the cognitive load for everyone playing a class. Most of the choices a player will make about how complex they want their rotation to be will continue to be made in their class and spec talent trees.

Some Hero Talents do require you to take certain talents in your class or spec trees to access their powers. This is often because those talents fit the flavor and theme of that specific Hero Talent tree. The Mountain Thane warrior tree enhances Avatar and Thunder Clap, Templar paladin gives extra power to Wake of Ashes, and Elune’s Chosen druids can cast a particularly strong Fury of Elune. However, a Hero Talent tree will only ever require or enhance a small number of class or spec talents. It’s important to us that there still is freedom in customizing your class build.

Show Us the Hero Talent Trees!

Rider of the Apocalypse and Deathbringer Death Knights, Aldrachi Reaver Demon Hunter, Druid of the Claw Druid, Flameshaper Evoker, Pack Leader Hunter, Spellslinger Mage, Shado-Pan and Conduit of the Celestials Monks, Farseer Shaman, Hellcaller Warlock, and Slayer Warrior.

Specializations: Frost and Unholy

As a Rider of the Apocalypse, you are a champion of the Four Horsemen calling upon their aid to assist you in battle. You have a proficiency in mounted combat and your link with the Four Horsemen brings conquest, war, famine, and death to all that oppose you.

RIDER OF THE APOCALYPSE KEYSTONE

Rider’s Champion: Spending Runes has a chance to call forth the aid of a Horseman for 10 seconds.

  • Mograine: Casts Death and Decay at his location that follows his position.
  • Whitemane: Casts Undeath on your target dealing Shadowfrost damage per stack every 3 seconds for 24 seconds. Each time Undeath deals damage it gains a stack. Cannot be Refreshed.
  • Trollbane: Casts Chains of Ice on your target slowing their movement speed by 70% and increasing the damage they take from you by 5% for 8 seconds.
  • Nazgrim: While Nazgrim is active you gain Apocalyptic Conquest, increasing your Strength by 5%.

RIDER OF THE APOCALYPSE ROW 1

Choice Node: On a Paler Horse & Death Charge

  • On a Paler Horse: While outdoors you are able to mount your Acherus Deathcharger in combat.
  • Death Charge: Call upon your Death Charger to break free of movement impairment effects. For 10 seconds. While upon your Death Charger your movement speed is increased by 100%, you cannot be slowed, and you are immune to forced movement effects and knockbacks.

Mograine’s Might: Your damage is increased by 5% and you gain the benefits of your Death and Decay while inside Mograine’s Death and Decay.

Choice Node: Horsemen’s Aid & Pact of the Apocalypse

  • Horsemen’s Aid: While at your aid, the Horsemen will occasionally cast Anti-Magic Shell on you and themselves at 80% effectiveness.
  • Pact of the Apocalypse: When you take damage 5% of the damage is redirected to each active horseman.

RIDER OF THE APOCALYPSE ROW 2

Whitemane’s Famine: When your diseases deal damage to an enemy affected by Undeath it gains another stack. Additionally, when Undeath deals damage, it infects another nearby enemy.

Nazgrim’s Conquest: If an enemy dies while Nazgrim is active, the strength of Apocalyptic Conquest is increased by 3%. Additionally, each Rune you spend increases its value by 1%.

Trollbane’s Icy Fury: When you Obliterate or Scourge Strike a target affected by Trollbane’s Chains of Ice, it shatters dealing  Shadowfrost damage to nearby enemies and slows them by 40% for 4 seconds.

RIDER OF THE APOCALYPSE ROW 3

Hungering Thirst: The damage of your diseases, Frost Strike, and Death Coil are increased by 15%.

Choice Node: Fury of the Horsemen and A Feast of Souls

  • Fury of the Horsemen: Every 50 Runic Power you spend extends the duration of the Horsemen’s aid in combat by 1 second, up to 5 seconds.
  • A Feast of Souls: While you have 2 or more Horsemen aiding you, your Runic Power spending abilities deal 20% increased damage and have 10% chance to refund a Rune.

Mawsworn Menace: The cooldown of your Horn of Winter and Unholy Blight is reduced by 15 seconds and Death and Decay is reduced by 10 seconds.

RIDER OF THE APOCALYPSE CAPSTONE

Apocalypse Now: Army of the Dead and Frostwyrm’s Fury call upon all 4 Horsemen to aid you for 20 seconds.

Specializations: Blood and Frost

Deathbringer’s are the emissaries of death. Empowered by the Shadowlands, their physical strikes and abilities aim for their enemies’ souls and vanquish them without mercy.

DEATHBRINGER KEYSTONE

Reaper’s Mark: Viciously slice into the soul of your enemy, dealing Shadowfrost damage and applying Reaper’s Mark.

Each time you deal Shadow or Frost damage, add a stack of Reaper’s Mark. After 12 seconds or reaching 40 stacks, the mark explodes, dealing damage per stack.

Reaper’s Mark travels to an unmarked enemy nearby if the target dies or explodes below 35% health when there are no enemies to travel to. This explosion cannot occur again on a target for 3 minutes.

DEATHBRINGER ROW 1

Wave of Souls: Reaper’s Mark unleashes a dark wave towards your target and back, dealing Shadowfrost damage both ways to all enemies caught in its path. Wave of Souls critical strikes cause enemies to take 5% increased Shadowfrost damage for 15 seconds, stacking up to 2 times, and the wave back is always a critical strike.

Blood Fever: Your Blood Plague (Blood) or Frost Fever (Frost) has a chance to deal 30% increased damage as Shadowfrost.

Bind in Darkness: Shadowfrost damage applies double stacks to Reaper’s Mark and quadruple stacks when it is a critical strike. Additionally, Rime empowered Howling Blast deals Shadowfrost damage (Frost) or Blood Boil deals Shadowfrost damage (Blood).

DEATHBRINGER ROW 2

Shuddering Soul: Reaper’s Mark explosion causes a piece of the target’s soul to tear out and spiral outwards, dealing 10% of the explosion’s damage to enemies it passes through. Enemies hit by this effect deal 5% reduced physical damage to you for 10 seconds.

Grim Reaper: Reaper’s Mark explosion deals up to 30% increased damage based on your target’s missing health and applies Soul Reaper to targets below 35% health.

Choice Node: Death’s Bargain and Rune Carved Plates

  • Death’s Bargain: When you suffer a damaging effect equal to 25% of your maximum health, you instantly cast Death Pact at 50% effectiveness. May only occur every 2 minutes. When a Reaper’s Mark explodes, the cooldowns of this effect and Death Pact are reduced by 5 seconds.
  • Rune Carved Plates: Each Rune spent reduces the magic damage you take by 2% and each Rune generated reduces the physical damage you take by 2% for 5 seconds, up to 5 times.

DEATHBRINGER ROW 3

Choice Node: Swift End and Painful Death

  • Swift End: Reaper’s Mark’s cost is reduced by 1 Rune and its cooldown is reduced by 50%.
  • Painful Death: Reaper’s Mark now explodes at 50 stacks and the first scythe of Exterminate has a 100% increased chance to apply Reaper’s Mark.

Choice Node: Dark Talons and Wither Away

  • Dark Talons: Marrowrend and Heart Strike (Blood), Consuming Killing Machine or Rime (Frost) has a 20% chance to increase the maximum stacks of an active Icy Talons by 1, up to 2 times.

While Icy Talons is active, your abilities that spend Runic Power deal Shadowfrost damage.

  • Wither Away: Blood Plague (Blood) or Frost Fever (Frost) deals its damage in half the duration and the second scythe of Exterminate applies Blood Plague (Blood) or Frost Fever (Frost).

Choice Node: Death’s Messenger and  Expelling

  • Death’s Messenger: Reduces the cooldowns of Lichborne and Raise Dead by 30 seconds.
  • Expelling Shield: When an enemy deals direct damage to your Anti-Magic Shell, their cast speed is reduced by 10% for 6 seconds.

DEATHBRINGER CAPSTONE

Exterminate: After Reaper’s Mark explodes, your next Marrowrend (Blood) or Obliterate (Frost) costs no Rune and summons 2 scythes to strike your enemies. The first scythe strikes your target for physical damage and has a 15% chance to apply Reaper’s Mark, the second scythe strikes all enemies around your target for Shadowfrost damage.

Specializations: Havoc and Vengeance

The Aldrachi warriors were the ultimate glaivemasters and wielded their blades with deadly grace. Each kill fueled their weapon, imbuing them with greater power. They were so indomitable that Sargeras eventually bathed their world in fel fire himself, but their spirit and teachings live on.

ALDRACHI REAVER KEYSTONE

Art of the Glaive: Consuming 3 (Havoc) or 20 (Vengeance) Soul Fragments allows you to cast Reaver’s Glaive.

Reaver’s Glaive: Throw a glaive enhanced with the essence of consumed souls at your target, dealing physical damage and ricocheting to 2 additional targets for additional damage. Replaces Throw Glaive.

Begins a well-practiced pattern of glaivework, enhancing your next Chaos Strike and Blade Dance (Havoc), Fracture, Shear, and Soul Cleave (Vengeance):

  • Chaos Strike (Havoc), Fracture, and Shear (Vengeance) applies Reaver’s Mark which causes the target to take 15% increased damage for 5 seconds.
  • Blade Dance (Havoc) and Soul Cleave (Vengeance) deal 3 additional glaive slashes to nearby targets for additional damage.

ALDRACHI REAVER ROW 1

Choice Node: Keen Engagement and Preemptive Strike

  • Keen Engagement: Reaver’s Glaive generates 20 Fury.
  • Preemptive Strike: Throw Glaive deals damage to enemies near its initial target.

Choice Node: Evasive Action and Unhindered Assault

  • Evasive Action: Vengeful Retreat can be cast a second time within 3 seconds.
  • Unhindered Assault: Vengeful Retreat resets the cooldown of Felblade.

Incisive Blade: When enhanced, Chaos Strike and Soul Cleave deal 30% increased damage.

ALDRACHI REAVER ROW 2

Aldrachi Tactics: The second enhanced ability in a pattern shatters an additional Soul Fragment.

Choice Node: Army Unto Oneself and Incorruptible Spirit

  • Army Unto Oneself: Felblade surrounds you with a Blade Ward, reducing physical damage taken by 10% for 5 seconds.
  • Incorruptible Spirit: Consuming a Soul Fragment also heals you for an additional 15% over time.

Wounded Quarry: While Reaver’s Mark is on your target, melee attacks have a chance to strike with an additional glaive slash for damage and shatter a soul.

ALDRACHI REAVER ROW 3

Intent Pursuit: Casting an enhanced ability reduces the remaining cooldown of The Hunt by 2 seconds.

Escalation: Each successive enhanced ability deals 10% increased damage. The effect of the second enhancement is increased by 100%.

Warblade’s Hunger: Consuming a Soul Fragment causes your next Chaos Strike, Fracture, or Shear to deal bonus damage.

ALDRACHI REAVER CAPSTONE

Thrill of the Fight: After consuming both empowerments, gain Thrill of the Fight, increasing your attack speed by 15% for 5 seconds and causing your next ability to deal 30% increased damage and healing.

Specializations: Feral and Guardian

Druids of the Claw are masters of their mighty animal forms. When they transform into cats or bears, they become ferocious physical combatants and protectors of the wild.

DRUID OF THE CLAWKEYSTONE

Massive Attack: Your auto-attacks have a chance to make your next Ferocious Bite (Feral) or Maul (Guardian) become Massive Attack.

  • Feral: Finishing move Dreadful Wound is not affected by Circle of Life and Death. (Feral) If a Dreadful Wound benefiting from Tiger’s Fury is re-applied, the new Dreadful Wound deals damage as if Tiger’s Fury was active.
  • Guardian: Slash through your target in a wide arc, dealing physical damage to your target and additional damage to all other enemies in front of you.

Bestial Strength: Ferocious Bite damage increased by 5% and Primal Wrath’s (Feral)  direct damage increased by 100% Maul and Raze (Guardian) damage increased by 10%.

DRUID OF THE CLAW ROW 2

Wildshape Mastery: Ironfur and Frenzied Regeneration persist in Cat Form. When transforming from Bear to Cat Form, you retain 80% of your Bear Form armor and health for 6 seconds. For 6 seconds after entering Bear Form, you heal for 10% of damage taken over 8 seconds.

Choice Node: Ruthless Aggression and Killing Strikes

  • Ruthless Aggression: Massive Attack increases your auto-attack speed by 20% for 6 seconds.
  • Killing Strikes: Massive Attack increases your Agility by 5% and the armor granted by Ironfur by 20% for 6 seconds.
    • Feral:  Your first Tiger’s Fury after entering combat makes your next Ferocious Bite become a Massive Attack.
    • Guardian: Your first Mangle after entering combat makes your next Maul become a Massive Attack.

Pack’s Endurance: Stampeding Roar’s duration is increased by 25%.

DRUID OF THE CLAW ROW 3

Choice Node: Empowered Shapeshifting and Wildpower Surge

  • Empowered Shapeshifting: Frenzied Regeneration can be cast in Cat Form for 40 Energy. Bear Form reduces magic damage you take by 4%. Shred, Swipe, and Mangle damage increased by 5%.
  • Wildpower Surge: Shred and Swipe grant Ursine Potential (Feral) and Mangle grants Feline Potential (Guardian).
    • Ursine Potential: When you have 8 stacks, the next time you transform into Bear Form, your next Mangle or Swipe deals 100% increased damage and generates 15 extra Rage.
    • Feline Potential: When you have 6 stacks, the next time you transform into Cat form, gain 5 Combo Points and your next Ferocious Bite or Rip deals 50% increased damage for its full duration.

Aggravate Wounds: Every Finishing Move, Shred (Feral),  Maul, Raze, Mangle (Guardian), Thrash, or Swipe you cast extends the duration of your Dreadful Wounds by 0.4 seconds, up to 6 additional seconds.

Choice Node: Strike for the Heart and Tear Down the Mighty.

  • Strike for the Heart: Shred, Swipe, and Mangle’s critical strike chance and critical strike damage are increased by 8%.
  • Tear Down the Mighty: The cooldown of Feral Frenzy (Feral)  and Pulverize (Guardian) is reduced by 5 seconds.

DRUID OF THE CLAW CAPSTONE

Claw Rampage: Berserk, Shred, Swipe, and Thrash have a 25% chance to make your next Ferocious Bite become a Massive Attack (Feral). During Berserk, Mangle, Swipe, and Thrash have a 25% chance to make your next Maul become a Massive Attack (Guardian).

Specializations: Devastation and Preservation

Flameshapers specialize in Red Dragonflight spells related to life-energy, flame, and breath magic. They have the ability to engulf enemies or allies in dragonflame, causing Fire Breath or Dream Breath to detonate, dealing massive damage or healing.

FLAMESHAPER KEYSTONE

Engulf: Engulf your target in dragonflame, damaging or healing them. For each of your periodic effects on the target, effectiveness is increased by 50%. Active ability. 20 second cooldown.

FLAMESHAPER ROW 1

Choice Node:Trailblazer and Shape of Flame

  • Trailblazer: Hover and Deep Breath travel 50% faster, and Hover travels 50% further.
  • Shape of Flame: Tail Swipe and Wing Buffet scorch enemies and blind them with ash, causing their next attack within 4 seconds to miss.

Traveling Flame: Engulf causes Fire Breath or Dream Breath (Preservation) to spread to a nearby target. If no valid targets are present, its duration is refreshed.

Enkindle: Essence abilities are enhanced with Flame, dealing 20% of healing or damage done as Fire over 8 seconds.

FLAMESHAPER ROW 2

Conduit of Flame: critical strike chance against targets above 50% health increased by 10%.

Burning Adrenaline: Engulf quickens your pulse, reducing the cast time of your next spell by 30%. Stacks up to 2 charges.

Choice Node: Fan the Flames and Expanded Lungs

  • Fan the Flames: Engulf reignites Enkindle, extending its duration and effectiveness by 25%.
  • Expanded Lungs: Fire Breath’s damage over time is increased by 20%. Dream Breath’s heal over time is increased by 20% (Preservation).

FLAMESHAPER ROW 3

Titanic Precision: Living Flame, Reversion, and Azure Strike critical strikes have a 100% increased chance to trigger Essence Burst.

Red Hot: Engulf gains 1 additional charge and deals 20% increased damage and healing.

Choice Node: Lifecinders and Draconic Instincts

  • Lifecinders: Renewing Blaze also applies to 1 nearby injured ally when cast.
  • Draconic Instincts: Your wounds have a small chance to cauterize, healing you for 30% of damage taken. Occurs more often from attacks that deal high damage.

FLAMESHAPER CAPSTONE

Consume Flame: Engulf consumes 8 seconds of Fire Breath (Devastation) or Dream Breath (Preservation) from the target, detonating it and damaging (Devastation) or healing (Preservation) all nearby targets equal to 300% of the amount consumed, reduced beyond 5 targets.

Specializations: Beast Mastery and Survival

Pack Leaders are Hunters that use the instincts, knowledge, and respect they’ve gained over the years as they formed a deep bond and trust with the animals they adventure with. They bring a new style of ferocity and coordination to their combat, teaching their pet to strike their prey with simultaneous attacks.

PACK LEADER KEYSTONE

Vicious Hunt: Kill Command prepares you to viciously attack in coordination with your pet, dealing additional physical damage with your next Kill Command.

PACK LEADER ROW 1

Pack Coordination: Attacking with Vicious Hunt instructs your pet to strike with their basic attack alongside your next Barbed Shot (Beast Mastery), Raptor Strike, or Mongoose Bite (Survival).

Howl of the Pack: Your pet’s Basic Attack critical strikes increase your critical strike damage by 5% for 6 seconds, stacking up to 3 times.

Wild Attacks: Every third pet Basic Attack is a guaranteed critical strike, with damage further increased by critical strike chance.

PACK LEADER ROW 2

Den Recovery: Aspect of the Turtle, Survival of the Fittest, and Mend Pet heal the target for 20% of maximum health over 4 seconds. Duration increased by 1 second when healing a target under 50% maximum health.

Choice Node: Tireless Hunt and Cornered Prey

  • Tireless Hunt: Aspect of the Cheetah now increases movement speed by 15% for another 8 seconds.
  • Cornered Prey: Disengage increases the range of all your attacks by 5 yards for 5 seconds.

Frenzied Tear: Your pet’s Basic Attack has a 20% chance to reset the cooldown of Kill Command and cause Kill Command to strike a second time for 30% of normal damage.

PACK LEADER ROW 3

Choice Node: Covering Fire and Scattered Prey

  • Covering Fire: Kill Command increases the duration of Beast Cleave by 1 second (Beast Mastery). Wildfire Bomb reduces the cooldown of Carve or Butchery by 2 seconds (Survival).
  • Scattered Prey: Multi-Shot increases the damage of your next Multi-Shot by 25% (Beast Mastery). Carve or Butchery increases the damage of your next Carve or Butchery by 25% (Survival).

Cull the Herd: Kill Shot deals an additional 30% damage over 5 seconds and increases the bleed damage you and your pet deal to the target by 25%.

Choice Node: Furious Assault and Beast of Opportunity

  • Furious Assault: Consuming Frenzied Tear has a 50% chance to reset the cooldown of Barbed Shot and deal 30% additional damage. (Beast Mastery)  Consuming Frenzied Tear has a 50% chance to make your next Raptor Strike or Mongoose Bite free and deal 30% additional damage. (Survival)
  • Beast of Opportunity: Bestial Wrath (Beast Mastery) or Coordinated Assault (Survival) calls on the Pack, summon a pet from your stable for 6 seconds.

PACK LEADER CAPSTONE

Pack Assault: Vicious Hunt and Pack Coordination now stack and apply twice and are always active during Call of the Wild (Beast Mastery) or Coordinated Assaulted (Survival).

Specializations: Arcane and Frost

Spellslinger Mages are prodigies of spellcasting that have learned to splinter their sorceries, creating powerful and volatile new effects.Spellslingers can conjure and manipulate these splinters with prowess, allowing them to devastate the battlefield with rapid barrages of razor-sharp crystals.

Developer notes: Spellslinger Splinters are themed and tuned based on your active Specialization. Arcane’s Splinters are named Arcane Splinters and deal moderate Arcane school damage. Frost’s Splinters are named Frost Splinters and deal light Frost school damage. Those specifics have been omitted from this mockup for the sake of tooltip readability, as both specs’ Splinters serve the same purpose.

SPELLSLINGER KEYSTONE

Splintering Sorcery: When you consume Nether Precision (Arcane) or Winter’s Chill (Frost), conjure a Splinter that fires at your target.

  • Splinter: Conjure raw magic into a sharp projectile that deals damage. Splinters embed themselves into their target, dealing additional damage over 16 seconds. This effect stacks.

SPELLSLINGER ROW 1

Augury Abounds: Casting Arcane Surge (Arcane) or Icy Veins (Frost) conjures 8 Splinters. During Arcane Surge (Arcane) and Icy Veins (Frost), whenever you conjure a Splinter, you have a 100% chance to conjure an additional Splinter.

Controlled Instincts: While a target is under the effects of Nether Tempest (Arcane) or Winter’s Chill (Frost), 20% of the direct damage dealt by a Splinter is also dealt to nearby enemies. Damage reduced beyond 5 targets. (Arcane) Direct damage from Arcane Splinters resets the duration of Nether Tempest.

Splintering Orbs: The first 8 times an enemy is damaged by your Arcane Orb (Arcane) or Frozen Orb [Frost], conjure a Splinter that fires at the damaged target. Arcane Orb (Arcane) and Frozen Orb (Frost) damage is increased by 10%.

SPELLSLINGER ROW 2

Choice Node: Slippery Slinging and Look Again

  • Slippery Slinging: You have 40% increased movement speed during Alter Time.
  • Look Again: Displacement has a 50% longer duration, 25% longer range, and leaves behind a Mirror Image.

Choice Node: Reactive Barrier and Phantasmal Image

  • Reactive Barrier: Your Prismatic Barrier (Arcane) and Ice Barrier (Frost) can absorb up to 50% more damage based on your missing Health. Max effectiveness when under 50% health.
  • Phantasmal Image: Your Mirror Image summons one extra clone. Mirror Image now reduces all damage taken by an additional 5%.

Choice Node: Volatile Magic and Unerring Proficiency

  • Volatile Magic: Whenever a Splinter is removed or recalled, it explodes, dealing damage to nearby enemies. Deals reduced damage beyond 5 targets.
  • Unerring Proficiency: Each time you conjure a Splinter, increase the damage of your next Supernova by 18% (Arcane) or Ice Nova by 6% (Frost). Stacks up to 30 times.

SPELLSLINGER ROW 3

Shifting Shards: Shifting Power fires a barrage of 8 Splinters at random enemies within 40 yards over its duration.

Spellfrost Teachings: Direct damage from a Splinter has a 5% chance to summon an Arcane Echo (Arcane) or Icy Comet (Frost) that deals damage to all nearby enemies and increases the damage enemies take from you for by 6% for 6 seconds.

Force of Will: Gain 2% increased critical strike chance. Gain 5% increased critical strike damage.

SPELLSLINGER CAPSTONE

Splinterstorm: Whenever you have 8 or more active Embedded Splinters, you automatically cast a Splinterstorm at your target.

  • Splinterstorm: Recall all Embedded Splinters to you, dealing their remaining periodic damage instantly. After a brief delay, unleash a devastating barrage of Splinters, dealing damage to your target for each Splinter in the Splinterstorm. Splinterstorm grants you Clearcasting (Arcane) or applies Winter’s Chill to its target (Frost).

Specializations: Brewmaster and Windwalker

As a Shado-Pan, learn from your forebears and stand proud against your foes in defense of your friends and family. Bide your time and charge up your power before unleashing an overwhelming flurry of blows to overwhelm your opponents.

SHADO-PAN KEYSTONE

Overwhelming Flurry: Dealing damage equal to your maximum health generates a Flurry Charge. For each 400 Energy you spend, unleash all Flurry Charges as Flurry Strikes, dealing physical damage per charge.

SHADO-PAN ROW 1

Choice Node: Pride of Pandaria and High Impact

  • Pride of Pandaria: Flurry Strikes have 15% additional chance to Critically Strike.
  • High Impact: Enemies who die within 5 seconds of being damaged by a Flurry Strike explode, dealing damage to uncontrolled enemies within 8 yards.

Veteran’s Eye: Striking the same target 5 times within 2 seconds grants 2% haste. Multiple instances of this effect may overlap, stacking up to 10 times.

Martial Precision: Attacks penetrate 10% of the target’s armor.

SHADO-PAN ROW 2

Choice Node: Protect and Serve and Lead from the Front

  • Protect and Serve: Your Vivify always heals you for an additional 30% of its total value.
  • Lead from the Front: Chi Burst, Chi Wave, and Expel Harm now leech 20% of damage dealt.

One versus Many: Damage dealt by Fists of Fury and Keg Smash counts as double towards Flurry Charge generation. Fists of Fury damage increased by 10%. Keg Smash damage increased by 30%.

Choice Node: Whirling Steel and Predictive Training

  • Whirling Steel: When you become injured, summon Whirling Steel, increasing your Parry chance and Avoidance by 15% for 6 seconds.
  • Predictive Training: When you dodge or parry an attack, reduce damage taken by 10% for the next 6 seconds.

SHADO-PAN ROW 3

Against All Odds: Flurry Strikes increase your Agility by 1% for 6 seconds, stacking up to 20 times.

Efficient Training: Abilities that spend Energy deal an additional 15% damage. Every 50 Energy spent reduces the cooldown of Storm, Earth, Fire, Serenity, and Weapons of Order by 1 second.

Vigilant Watch: Blackout Kick deals an additional 20% critical damage and increases the damage of your next set of Flurry Strikes by 10%.

SHADO-PAN CAPSTONE

Wisdom of the Wall: Every 10 Flurry Strikes, become infused with a Wisdom of the Wall for 20 seconds. Wisdom of the Wall grants the following effects:

  • Your critical strikes deal an additional 30% damage.
  • Your Mastery’s effect is increased by 25%.
  • Versatility now also increases your Dodge and critical strike chance by 25% of its effect.
  • Flurry Strikes now deal additional Shadow damage to all uncontrolled enemies within 6 yards.

Specializations: Mistweaver and Windwalker

Conduits of the Celestials have devoted themselves to the teachings of the four August Celestials so wholeheartedly that they can channel their power outwardly and call upon their assistance regularly in combat. They can become pure conduits of the August Celestial’s power during brief moments, preventing some other actions but empowering them heavily.

CONDUIT OF THE CELESTIALS KEYSTONE

Celestial Conduit: The August Celestials empower you, causing you to radiate Nature damage onto enemies and healing onto up to 5 injured allies within 20 yards over 4 seconds, split evenly among them. Healing and damage increased by 6% per enemy struck, up to 30%. You may move while channeling, but casting other healing or damaging spells cancels this effect. Active ability. 1.5-minute cooldown.

Developer’s Note: Celestial Conduit’s channel will not break when using defensive, utility, or movement spells.

CONDUIT OF THE CELESTIALS ROW 1

Choice Node: Temple Training and Xuen’s Guidance

  • Temple Training: The healing of Enveloping Mist and Vivify is increased by 10% (Mistweaver). Fists of Fury and Spinning Crane Kick deal 10% more damage (Windwalker).
  • Xuen’s Guidance: Teachings of the Monastery has a 15% chance to refund a charge when consumed. The damage of Tiger Palm is increased by 30%.

Courage of the White Tiger: Tiger Palm has a 15% chance to cause Xuen to claw your target for physical damage, healing a nearby ally for 200% (Mistweaver) or 100% (Windwalker) of the damage done. This chance is increased while Invoke Yu’lon, the Jade Serpent or Invoke Chi-Ji, the Red Crane (Mistweaver) or Invoke Xuen, the White Tiger (Windwalker) is active.

Choice Node: Restore Balance & Yu’lon’s Knowledge

  • Restore Balance: Gain Refreshing Jade Wind while Chi’Ji the Red Crane or Yu’lon the Jade Serpent is active (Mistweaver). Gain Rushing Jade Wind while Xuen, the White Tiger is active(Windwalker).
  • Yu’lon’s Knowledge: Refreshing Jade Wind’s duration is increased by 10 seconds (Mistweaver). Rushing Jade Wind’s duration is increased by 4 seconds and multiple uses may overlap(Windwalker).

CONDUIT OF THE CELESTIALS ROW 2

Heart of the Jade Serpent: Consuming 8 stacks of Sheilun’s Gift causes Yu’lon to decrease the cooldown time of Renewing Mist, Rising Sun Kick, Life Cocoon, and Thunder Focus Tea by 100% for 8 seconds [Mistweaver]. Consuming 30 Chi causes Yu’lon to decrease the cooldown time of Rising Sun Kick, Fists of Fury, Strike of the Windlord, and Whirling Dragon Punch by 100% for 8 seconds (Windwalker).

Developer’s Note: Heart of the Jade Serpent’s required stacks to activate for Mistweaver will change to 16 when talented into the Veil of Pride passive.

Strength of the Black Ox: After Xuen assists you, your next Enveloping Mist’s cast time is reduced by 50% and causes Niuzao to grant an absorb shield to 5 nearby allies for 5% of your maximum health (Mistweaver). After Xuen assists you, your next Blackout Kick causes Niuzao to stomp at your target’s location, dealing damage to nearby enemies, reduced beyond 5 targets (Windwalker).

Flight of the Red Crane: Refreshing Jade Wind (Mistweaver), Rushing Jade Wind (Windwalker), and Spinning Crane Kick have a chance to cause Chi-Ji to quickly rush to 5 targets, healing each target (Mistweaver) or dealing physical damage to each target struck (Windwalker).

CONDUIT OF THE CELESTIALS ROW 3

Choice Node: Niuzao’s Protection and Jade Sanctuary

  • Niuzao’s Protection: Fortifying Brew grants you an absorb shield for 25% of your maximum health.
  • Jade Sanctuary: You heal for 10% of your maximum health instantly when you activate Celestial Conduit and receive 15% less damage for its duration.

Chi-Ji’s Swiftness: Your movement speed is increased by 25% during Celestial Conduit and for 3 seconds after being assisted by any Celestial.

Choice Node: Inner Compass and August Dynasty

  • Inner Compass: You switch between alignments after an August Celestial assists you, increasing a corresponding secondary stat by 3%.
    • Crane Stance: haste
    • Tiger Stance: critical strike
    • Ox Stance: Versatility
    • Serpent Stance: Mastery
  • August Dynasty: Casting Jadefire Stomp increases the damage of your next Rising Sun Kick by 30% or healing of your next Vivify by 50% (Mistweaver only).

CONDUIT OF THE CELESTIALS CAPSTONE

Unity Within: Celestial Conduit can be recast once during its duration to call upon all of the August Celestials to assist you at 200% effectiveness. Unity Within is automatically cast when Celestial Conduit ends if not used before its expiration

Specializations: Elemental and Restoration

Harness your spiritual magic, improving your spell casting capabilities and empowering you to call upon ancestors to aid you and your allies in combat.

FARSEER KEYSTONE

Call of the Ancestors: Primordial Wave (Elemental) or Unleash Life (Restoration) calls an Ancestor to your side for 6 seconds. Whenever you cast a healing or damaging spell, the Ancestor will cast a similar spell.

FARSEER ROW 1

Choice Node: Latent Wisdom and Ancient Fellowship

  • Latent Wisdom: Your Ancestors’ spells are 20% more powerful.
  • Ancient Fellowship: Ancestors have a 15% chance to call another Ancestor when they expire.

Choice Node: Heed My Call and Routine Communication

  • Heed My Call: Ancestors last an additional 2 seconds.
  • Routine Communication: Lava Burst casts have an 8% chance to call an Ancestor (Elemental). Riptide has a 15% chance to call an Ancestor (Restoration).
  • Elemental Reverb: Lava Burst gains an additional charge and deals 5% increased damage (Elemental). Riptide gains an additional charge and heals for 5% more (Restoration).

FARSEER ROW 2

Offering from Beyond: When an Ancestor is called, they reduce the cooldown of Fire Elemental and Storm Elemental by 10 seconds (Elemental) or Riptide by 2 seconds (Restoration).

Primordial Capacity: Increases your maximum Maelstrom by 25 (Elemental). Increases your maximum mana by 5% (Restoration).

Spiritwalker’s Momentum: Using spells with a cast time increases the duration of Spiritwalker’s Grace and Spiritwalker’s Aegis by 1 second, up to a maximum of 4 seconds.

FARSEER ROW 3

Choice Node: Nature Harmony and Earthen Communion

  • Natural Harmony: Reduces the cooldown of Nature’s Guardian by 10 seconds and causes it to heal for an additional 5% of your maximum health.
  • Earthen Communion: Earth Shield has an additional 3 charges and heals you for 25% more.

Maelstrom Supremacy: Increases the damage of Earth Shock, Elemental Blast, and Earthquake by 8% (Elemental). Increases the healing done by Healing Wave, Healing Surge, Wellspring, Downpour, and Chain Heal by 8% (Restoration).

Final Calling: When an Ancestor expires, they cast Elemental Blast on a nearby enemy (Elemental). When an Ancestor expires, they cast Hydrobubble on a nearby injured ally (Restoration).

  • Hydrobubble: Surrounds your target in a protective water bubble for 10 seconds. The shield absorbs incoming damage, but the absorb amount decays fully over its duration.

FARSEER CAPSTONE

Ancestral Swiftness: Your next healing or damaging spell within 10 seconds is instant and deals 10% increased damage and healing. If you know Nature’s Swiftness, it is replaced by Ancestral Swiftness and causes Ancestral Swiftness to call an Ancestor to your side. Active ability. 45 second cooldown.

Specializations: Affliction and Destruction

From darkened corners of Azeroth and to the shattered lands of Outland, Satyrs have spread corruption and summoned hellfire in the name of their masters. Amongst their sects, Hellcallers are the most feared; weaving together the vilest of Shadow magic and entropic fel fire. Following in the footsteps of epochal Hellcallers such as Xavius, Peroth’arn, and Xalan, you now wield their terrible, corruptive magic and may even lose yourself to the same promises of power that consumed them.

HELLCALLER KEYSTONE

Wither: Bestows a vile malediction upon the target, burning the sinew and muscle of its host, dealing Shadowflame damage over 18 seconds. Replaces Corruption (Affliction) or Immolate (Destruction).

HELLCALLER ROW 1

Xalan’s Ferocity: Shadow damage increased by 5%. Fire damage increased by 5%.

Blackened Soul: Your damaging abilities further corrupt enemies affected by your Wither, increasing its stack count by 1. Each time Wither increases it has a chance to become acute, dealing Shadowflame damage to its host every 1 second until 1 stack remains. Wither will always become acute after reaching 8 stacks or when its host reaches 20% health.

Xalan’s Cruelty: Fire critical strike chance increased 10%. Shadow critical strike chance increased 10%.

HELLCALLER ROW 2

Choice Node: Mark of the Legashi and Aura of Enfeeblement

  • Mark of the Legashi: Curse of Weakness also applies Curse of Tongues.
  • Aura of Enfeeblement: Enemies within 10 yards are affected by your Curse of Weakness and Curse of Tongues at 75% effectiveness.

Choice Node: Hatefury Rituals and Bleakheart Tactics

  • Hatefury Rituals: Wither deals 100% increased damage but its duration is 50% shorter.
  • Bleakheart Tactics: Wither damage increased 15%. When Wither gains a stack from Blackened Soul, it has a chance to gain 1 additional stack.

Choice Node: Zevrim’s Resilience and Illhoof’s Design

  • Zevrim’s Resilience: When you consume a Healthstone, you also restore 10% of your maximum health as Soul Leech.
  • Illhoof’s Design: Sacrifice 10% of your maximum health. Soul Leech now absorbs an additional 15% of your maximum health.

HELLCALLER ROW 3

Mark of Xavius: Agony damage increased 10%. Agony is now a combo skill (Affliction). Directly recasting Agony within 2 seconds applies Agony to 1 other nearby enemy. Wither damage increased 10%. Wither is now a combo skill. Directly recasting Wither within 2 seconds applies Wither to 1 other nearby enemy (Destruction).

Cull the Weak: Casting Wither directly or refreshing Wither with less than 4 seconds remaining causes Wither to gain 3 stacks.

Mark of Peroth’arn: Blackened Soul deals 5% increased damage per stack of Wither (Affliction). Agony deals damage 10% faster. Wither deals damage 10% faster (Destruction).

HELLCALLER CAPSTONE

Malevolence: Dark magic erupts from you and corrupts your soul for 20 seconds, causing enemies suffering from your Wither to take Shadowflame damage and increase its stack count by 3 (Affliction). While corrupted, your active Withers are acute, your haste is increased by 10%, and Malefic Rapture grants 1 additional stack of Wither to targets affected by Unstable Affliction. While corrupted, your active Withers are acute, your haste is increased by 10%, and Chaos Bolt grants 1 additional stack of Wither (Destruction).

Specializations: Arms and Fury

A Slayer has one goal: the execution of their chosen target, and woe betide any who stand between the Slayer and their prey. Slayers are unrelenting in their pursuit and attacks, overwhelming their foes with a furious, unending onslaught of steel. When a Slayer has you in their sights, your days are numbered.

SLAYER KEYSTONE

Slayer’s Dominance: Your attacks have a high chance to overwhelm your target’s defenses and trigger a Slayer’s Strike, dealing low damage and applying Marked for Execution, increasing the damage they take from your next Execute by 10%. Stacks 3 times.

SLAYER ROW 1

Imminent Demise: Sudden Death’s chance to reset the cooldown of Execute and make it usable on any target, regardless of health is increased.

Using Sudden Death accelerates your next Bladestorm, striking 1 additional time (max 3). Bladestorm’s total duration is unchanged.

Overwhelming Blades: Each strike of Bladestorm applies Overwhelmed to all enemies affected, increasing damage taken by 1% for 10 seconds.

Developer’s Note: Fury will have access to Bladestorm via specialization talents in The War Within.

Choice Node: Relentless Pursuit and Vicious Agility

  • Relentless Pursuit: Charge removes all movement impairing effects and grants you 70% movement speed for 3 seconds.
  • Vicious Agility: Heroic Leap reduces the cooldown of Charge by 5 seconds and Charge reduces the cooldown of Heroic Leap by 5 seconds.

SLAYER ROW 2

Death Drive: You heal for 50% of damage dealt by Sudden Death.

Choice Node: Slayer Reflexes and Constant Pressure

  • Slayer Reflexes: Slayer’s Strikes have a chance to reset the cooldown of Bloodthirst and Overpower.
  • Constant Pressure: Cooldown of Overpower reduced by 10% (Arms). Cooldown of Bloodthirst reduced by 10% (Fury).

Choice Node: Tunnel Vision and Thrill of the Kill

  • Tunnel Vision: Your auto-attack speed increases while you are in combat. Changing targets resets this effect.
  • Thrill of the Kill: Execute increases your auto-attack speed for 10 seconds.

SLAYER ROW 3

Slay: Marked for Execution increases the critical strike chance and critical strike Damage of your next Execute on the target by 5%.

Frenetic Flurry: Overpower (Arms) and Bloodthirst (Fury) have a chance to cause you to unleash a brief Bladestorm, striking all enemies around you once. You can now use Pummel and Storm Bolt while Bladestorming.

Slayer’s Focus: Overpower cooldown reduced by 10% (Arms). Bloodthirst cooldown reduced by 10% (Fury).

SLAYER CAPSTONE

Unrelenting Onslaught: When you Execute a target that you’ve Marked for Execution, reduce the cooldown of Bladestorm by 5 seconds per stack of Marked for Execution and apply stacks of Overwhelmed equal to the number of stacks of Marked for Execution the target had.

The 10.2.6 Content Update Arrives 20 March

Quote from: Blizzard
Mark your calendar for 20 March when the 10.2.6 content update goes live with a bold, new, limited-time event. You won’t want to miss out on the fun. It’s important to note that Dragonflight season 4 will go live several weeks after the release of the 10.2.6 content update. For heroes working toward the Amirdrassil Feats of Strength, you’ll need to obtain Ahead of the Curve: Fyrakk the Blazing before Season 4 begins, and the achievement is no longer available to earn.

Hearthstone’s 10th Anniversary Event Updates

Quote from: Blizzard

With hotfixes coming soon, we’re making the following adjustments to the Hearthstone’s 10th Anniversary Event:

  • Fixed a bug where it was possible to complete the Whizbang encounter and not receive Trading Post credit for it.
  • Players can now collect missing cards by using the Hearthstone Gameboard toy to defeat others in a friendly game. It will continue to drop cards after the event ends.
  • The event duration has been extended by 96 hours, and is now scheduled to end on Friday, March 22.
  • For the remainder of the event, the boss portal will open every 30 minutes (was every 60 minutes).

Thank you very much!

Hotfixes: March 12, 2024

Quote from: Blizzard

March 12, 2024

Classes

  • Druid
    • Restoration
      • Rejuvenation healing increased by 12%. Does not affect PvP combat.
  • Evoker
    • Preservation
    • Developers’ notes: Preservation has been underutilized lately, in part due to the range restrictions of the specialization. To help compensate for that, we’re increasing the healing and defensiveness of Preservation so they can traverse the battlefield more easily and safely.
      • Time of Need clone’s overall healing increased by 100%. Time of Need clone’s Living Flame healing increased by 16%.
      • Live-Giver’s Flame heals for 40/80% of damage done (was 35/70%).
      • Inherent Resistance reduces magic damage taken by 4/8% (was 2/4%) for Preservation Evoker.
      • Attuned to the Dream increases healing done and received by 3/6% (was 2/4%) for Preservation Evoker.
  • Hunter
    • Marksmanship
      • All damage dealt by you and your pets abilities increased by 3%.
    • Survival
      • All damage dealt by you and your pets abilities increased by 3%.
  • Mage
    • Frost
      • Flurry damage increased by 25%.
      • Waterbolt and Water Jet damage increased by 25%.
      • Frostbolt damage increased by 10%.
      • Ice Lance damage increased by 5%.
  • Monk
    • Mistweaver
      • All healing reduced by 6%. Does not affect PvP combat.
      • Sheilun’s Gift healing increased by 6%.
      • Jadefire Stomp healing and damage increased by 6%.
      • Expel Harm healing increased by 6%.
  • Rogue
    • Subtlety
      • Eviscerate damage reduced by 6%. Does not affect PvP combat.
  • Shaman
    • Elemental
      • All damage increased by 3%. Does not affect PvP combat.

Dungeons

  • Black Rook Hold
    • Addressed an issue where Amalgam of Souls can trigger 2 soul burst simultaneously if the last Restless Soul is absorbed at 15% Health.
  • Dawn of the Infinite: Galakrond’s Fall
    • Addressed a Blight of Galakrond issue where Blight Seep left behind by a previous enemy will stop inflicting damage when the enemy is no longer in combat.

Players versus Player

  • Fixed an issue that caused Light’s Protection, Soulburn: Drain Life, Icy Feet’s lockout effect, Master of the Elements, and Fury of Elune to be vulnerable to enemy purge effects.
  • Demon Hunter
    • Havoc
      • Demon Hide (talent) physical damage reduction is now 3% (was 5%).
      • Scars of Suffering (talent) Versatility bonus reduced to 2% (was 4%).
      • Illidari Knowledge (talent) Magic damage reduction is now 3% (was 5%).
      • Will of the Illidari (talent) max health bonus reduced to 3% (was 5%).
      • Essence Break (talent) damage bonus for Chaos Strike/Blade Dance reduced to 40% (was 50%).
      • Resolved an issue that prevented the 50% PvP reduction to the Throw Glaive cast by Screaming Torchfiend’s Brutality (2-piece) from being applied.
  • Druid
    • Adaptive Swarm can no longer be cast during arena or battleground preparation.
    • Fixed an issue that caused the Well-Honed Instincts debuff to not clear upon the start of a PvP match.
    • Feral
      • Frenzied Regeneration is no longer reduced by 37.5% for Feral and Balance Druids in PvP combat. Restoration druids’ Frenzied Regeneration remains reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
      • Wild Attunement no longer activates when Cyclone is cast on an immune target.
    • Restoration
      • Fixed an issue that caused Reforestation stacks to persist past the starting room in PvP instances.
      • Fixed an issue that caused Reactive Resin to apply to the Restoration Druid if heal over time effects were dispelled after being spell stolen.
  • Hunter
    • Beast Mastery
      • Kill Shot damage increased by 25% in PvP (was 10%).
    • Survival
      • Raptor Strike damage increased by 5% in PvP (was 11% reduced).
      • Mongoose Bite damage increased by 5% in PvP (was 11% reduced).
  • Mage
    • Ring of Fire (PvP Talent) now deals 18% of its target’s health over 6 seconds (was 24%).
    • Arcane
      • Prismatic Barrier now reduces magic damage taken by 10% (was 15%) and reduces the duration of incoming magic effects by 15% (was 25%) in PvP combat.
    • Fire
      • Fevered Incantation now increases Critical Strike damage by 1% (was 2%) per stack in PvP combat.
      • Meteor’s damage increased by 30% (was 11%) in PvP combat.
      • Fireball’s damage increased by 35% (was 18%) in PvP combat.
      • Scorch damage increased by 300% (was 200%) in PvP combat.
      • Fire Blast damage is now reduced by 8% (was 14%) in PvP combat.
      • Living Bomb damage increased by 800% (was 440%) in PvP combat.
  • Monk
    • Mistweaver
      • Vivify healing decreased by 10% (was 20%) in PvP combat.
      • Invigorating Mist healing increased by 12% in PvP combat.
      • Soothing Mist healing increased by 15% in PvP combat.
      • Soothing Mist (Jade Serpent Statue) healing increased by 15% in PvP combat.
  • Paladin
    • Holy
      • Denounce (PvP talent) damage increased by 70%.
      • Judgment damage increased by 50% in PvP combat.
      • Greater Judgment absorb increased by 30% in PvP combat.
  • Priest
    • Discipline
      • Smite damage increased by 25% in PvP combat.
      • Atonement healing increased by 8% in PvP combat.
  • Rogue
    • Outlaw
      • Float Like a Butterfly (talent) effectiveness is now reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
      • Precision Shot (talent) damage reduction is now 3% (was 5%) in PvP combat.
      • Take Your Cut (PvP talent) haste granted reduced to 10% (was 15%) and duration reduced to 10 seconds (was 12 seconds).
  • Shaman
    • Enhancement
      • Healing Surge healing is now increased by 25% in PvP combat.
  • Warlock
    • Soulburn: Demonic Circle now lasts 4 seconds in PvP Combat (was 6 seconds).
    • Soulburn: Demonic Circle now increases movement speed by 30% in PvP combat (was 50%).
    • Call Observer health reduced to 6% of Warlock’s health (was 8%) and Laserbeam damage reduced to 8% of enemy health (was 10%).
    • Destruction
      • Flame Rift damage from the Amirdrassil 4-piece set bonus is now reduced by 30% in PvP combat.
  • Warrior
    • Cacophonous Roar damage threshold is increased by 100% (was 200%) in PvP combat.
    • Arms
      • Execute damage increased by 25% in PvP (was 15%).
    • Fury
      • Execute damage increased by 65% in PvP (was 50%).

March 5, 2024

Dungeons

  • Darkheart Thicket
    • Addressed an issue where Strangling Roots will still spawn even if Oakheart is defeated while casting the spell.
    • Addressed an issue where Crushing Grip will go off if the boss is defeated while gripping a player.
  • The Everbloom
    • Addressed an issue where Infested Icecaller’s Cold Fusion can target pets.
  • Waycrest Manor
  • Addressed an issue where some Jagged Hounds are not damaged by Wildfire.
  • Wildfire now only damages creatures in combat.

Player versus Player

  • Verdant Aspirant’s Wand is now purchasable from Seltherex.

Dragonflight Season 4 Dungeon Changes Ahead

Quote from: Blizzard

Dragonflight Season 4 brings with it a variety of changes, including new adjustments to dungeons, their progression, and rewards.

In the Player Feedback Loop

As a part of ongoing development in Dragonflight, the development team identified three issues to address based on community feedback regarding the dungeon system as it is:

  • Heroic dungeons are barely distinct from Normal dungeons at maximum level, and that distinction mostly only matters during a few days after players first reach max level.
  • “Mythic 0” dungeons rapidly lose relevance a few weeks into an expansion, once the M+ season starts, with occasional exceptions for the weekly event quest.
  • The only truly endgame dungeon mode (M+) currently revolves around a timer. This means that other than new mega-dungeons, there isn’t really a place for endgame players who enjoy a more methodical dungeon pacing and gameplay.

Given the combination of two underutilized difficulties, and a gap in meeting player demand, we’re restructuring dungeon difficulty and rewards in Season 4:

  • Heroic difficulty and rewards will move up to roughly the current level of Mythic 0. These dungeons will remain available to queue into via Group Finder (default hotkey: “I”), though the item level requirement to queue will also go up accordingly.
  • Mythic 0 difficulty and rewards will move up to roughly the current level of Mythic 8-10 (this is a bit hand-wavy – numerically it’s close to M10 but not having a timer at all or affixes really offsets that quite a bit).
  • The existing Mythic+ system will pick up where that leaves off, such that a Mythic 5 in Season 4 is roughly equivalent in difficulty, rewards, and M+ Rating awarded, to a Mythic 15 today.

Here’s a visualization of the change (light blue circles represent where new affixes appear, going from M2/M7/M14 in the current world to M2/M5/M10 in the new one):

No Timer Like the Present

Season 4 changes will apply to all eight of the Dragonflight dungeons. As a part of these adjustments, we have a few goals in mind:

  • Recalibrate core difficulties to align with seasonal player experience and progression.
  • Serve the community who enjoys dungeon content but feels that Mythic+ content isn’t for them due to the pressures of taking part.
  • Create a better environment in Mythic dungeons to prepare more players to take part in Mythic+.

One of the most notable changes players can look forward to is the removal of the timer for Mythic Keystone dungeons for what are currently 0 and 10. Players can run through these dungeons at their own pace without the need to watch the clock while still honing their skills.

Here’s a look at the changes for each difficulty:

  • Normal
    • This difficulty is unchanged.
  • Heroic
    • The tuning and rewards of this difficulty are increasing to be equivalent to a baseline Mythic (Mythic 0) dungeon in the current system.
    • Mythic difficulty changes and mechanics will not be present in this difficulty.
    • This remains a queueable experience.
  • Mythic
    • The tuning and rewards of this difficulty are increasing to the equivalent of a +10 dungeon with affixes in the current system.
    • There are no timers, affixes, or limitations on changing specializations or talents while in the dungeon.
    • The goal is to create a mega-dungeon like difficulty for this experience. This difficulty should present a meaningful challenge and provide commensurate rewards without the pressures of the current Mythic+ system.
    • Mythic 0 is still on a weekly lockout under this model.
  • Mythic+
    • The Mythic+ system will have rewards up to level 10, with +2 starting from what would regularly be a +11 in the current Mythic+ system.
      • A +5 should be as hard as a +15 and +10 should be as hard as a +20 in the current Mythic+ system etc.
    • Affixes would slot in at +2, +5, and +10
      • +2 – Fortified/Tyrannical
      • +5 – Entangling / Incorporeal etc.
      • +10 – Bursting / Bolstering etc.
    • Dungeon ratings should be equivalent to what they represent in the current system.
    • There should be a smaller range of keystone levels to find groups for, and more meaningful progression between each level.

To the Victors Go the Spoils

It’s important to note that the basic structure of dungeon rewards is not changing significantly, so what you would have earned for completing a Mythic 0 will be earnable in the Heroic difficulty dungeon instead. Here is a basic rundown of what you can expect:

Initial Upgrade Level Item Level
(S3)		 Dungeon Awards
(S3 End-of-Run)		 Dungeon Awards
(S3 Great Vault)		 Item Level
(S4)		 Dungeon Awards
(S4 End-of-Run)		 Dungeon Awards
(S4 Great Vault)
Explorer 1/8 415 454
Explorer 2/8 418 457
Explorer 3/8 421 Normal Dungeons 460 Normal Dungeons
Explorer 4/8 424 463
Adventurer 1/8 428 Heroic Dungeons 467
Adventurer 2/8 431 470
Adventurer 3/8 434 473
Adventurer 4/8 437 Mythic 0 476 Heroic Dungeons
Veteran 1/8 441 Mythic +2 Heroic Dungeons 480
Veteran 2/8 444 Mythic +3 & +4 483
Veteran 3/8 447 Mythic +5 & +6 486
Veteran 4/8 450 Mythic +7 & +8 Mythic 0 489 Heroic Dungeons
Champion 1/8 454 Mythic +9 & +10 Mythic +2 493 Mythic 0
Champion 2/8 457 Mythic +11 & +12 Mythic +3 496 Mythic +2
Champion 3/8 460 Mythic +13 & +14 Mythic +4 & +5 499 Mythic +3 & +4
Champion 4/8 463 Mythic +15 & +16 Mythic +6 & +7 502 Mythic +5 & +6
Hero 1/6 467 Mythic +17 & +18 Mythic +8 & +9 506 Mythic +7 & +8 Mythic 0
Hero 2/6 470 Mythic +19 and up Mythic +10 & +11 509 Mythic +9 and up Mythic +2 & +3
Hero 3/6 473 Mythic +12 & +13 & +14 512 Mythic +4 & +5
Hero 4/6 476 Mythic +15 & +16 & +17 515 Mythic +6 & +7
Myth 1/4 480 Mythic +18 & +19 519 Mythic +8 & +9
Myth 2/4 483 Mythic +20 and up 522 Mythic +10 and up

Crest and Flightstone rewards are changing to match the same difficulty  with only some minor adjustments.

  • Flightstone earnings for any given Mythic+ will match the equally challenging Mythic+ from previous seasons. This means that a Mythic +2 in Season 4 will give the same number of Flightstones as a Mythic +12 in Season 3 currently does. The rewards will continue to match difficulty, even if what we’re calling those difficulty changes.
  • Bonus Flightstone awards for increasing any party member’s Mythic+ score remain unchanged.
  • Whelpling Crests are no longer available from Mythic+ dungeons, as those difficulties no longer exist. Players can continue to collect Whelpling Crests from many outdoor sources.
  • Players will earn 10 Drake Crests on successful completion of a Mythic 0 dungeon, as there is no timer to beat.
  • Wyrm Crests will be available in Mythic +2 to Mythic +5 dungeons in the same quantities as existing Mythic+ dungeons.
  • Aspect Crests will be available in any Mythic difficulty from +6 and up, also in the same quantities as existing Mythic+ dungeons.

We believe these changes provide new opportunities for players to experience Mythic and Mythic+ dungeons while providing additional challenges for endgame players in the future. We look forward to your feedback and we’ll see you in the dungeons when Dragonflight Season 4 goes live in the future.

Extended Maintenance Planned 13 March

Quote from: Blizzard

In our Americas, EU, and Asia regions this week, we’ve planned for an estimated 8 hours of downtime to do some critical server infrastructure improvements to our Network File System (NFS).

At this time, the 8 hour window is just an estimate, and we can’t determine in advance how much time it’s going to take with much certainty. While we hope that NFS updates won’t take the full 8 hours, we have to allow for the scenario where the update processes take much longer than expected.

We’ll let you know during maintenance tomorrow if it looks like it’s going to go long.