WotLK Class Changes Build 9038 Wrap Up

Pretty big friday night, I really did not expect to see a build this large until some time towards the end of next week. That said, it’s good to see things are still moving very quickly. With the expansion just a few short weeks away the time is definitely ticking away. Make sure you check out the complete break down of class changes and analysis posts below.

• Paladin / Shaman Glyph Changes
• Rogue
• Shaman
• Death Knight
• Druid
• Warrior
  

Additional minor class changes and information on patch 3.0.2 build 9038

Hunter

• Marked for Death - Increases your damage done by your shots and the damage done by your pet’s special abilities by 1/2/3% on marked targets. Down from 2/4/6%.

Mage

• Missile Barrage - Gives your Arcane Blast, Arcane Barrage, Fireball, Frostbolt and Frostfire Bolt spells a 4/8/12/16/20% chance to reduce the channeled duration of the next Arcane Missiles spell by 2.5 secs and missiles will fire every .5 secs. Up from 3/6/9/12/20%.
• Torment the Weak - Changed to Your Frostbolt, Fireball, Frostfire Bolt, Arcane Missiles, and Arcane Barrage abilities deal 4/8/12% more damage to Snared targets. Up from 2/4/6%.

Paladin

• Divine Plea - You gain 25% of your total mana over 15 sec, but the amount healed by your spells is reduced by 20%. Down from 100%.

Warlock

• Improved Corruption - Ranks 3,4, and 5 tooltip fixed. Rank 5: Increases the damage done by your Corruption by 10%, and increases the critical strike chance of your Seed of Corruption by 5%
• Molten Core - Your Shadow spells and damage over time effects have a 15% chance to increase the damage of your Fire spells by 10% for 12 sec. Up from 6 sec.

WotLK Beta Build 9014 Class Changes

Death Knight WotLK Changes

Blood

• Bloody Vengeance - No longer increases frost and shadow damage.
• Blood Tap - Tooltip Fix : Duration changed to 20 seconds. (Old 47802d.)
• Bladed Armor - Now increases attack power by 1/2/3/4/5 for every 180 armor value. (Old 1/2/3/4/5 strength for every 400 armor)
• Bloody Vengeance - Now gives you a 1/2/3% bonus to physical damage (no longer effects frost and shadow) you deal for 30 sec after dealing a critical strike from a weapon swing, spell, or ability. Now stacks up to 1 times (down from 49).
• Abomination’s Might - Range of attack power increase now 45 yds (Old 20 yds)

Frost

• Obliterate Damage lowered. (Now Rank 3 - 100% weapon damage plus 238.5, and an additional 119.25 bonus damage per disease) (Old Rank 3 - 100% weapon damage plus 252, 126 bonus damage per disease.)
• Tundra Stalker - Now gives a passive bonus increase to your Icy Touch. (20/40/60/80/100%)
• Guile of Gorefiend - No longer gives bonus to Rune Strike critical damage.
• Howling Blast - Damage increased on all ranks. (Now Rank 5 - 259 to 281) (Old Rank 5 - 192 to 208)
• Runic Focus - Description changed to : “Unlike most casters, a Death Knight’s spells cause double damage on critical hits.”

Unholy

• Death and Decay - Damage Increased (Now Rank 4 - 62 Damage) (Old Rank 4 - 52 Damage)
• Blood-Caked Blade - Damage increased to 25% of weapon damage. (Old 20% of weapon damage.)
• Blood Plague - Chance to remove a Heal over Time effect reduced to 25% (Old 50%)
• Reaping - Pestilence removed, Blood Strike added.

Druid WotLK Changes

Balance

• Starfall - Now has a 30 yard range. Instant cast.
• Nature’s Splendor - Now increases the duration of your Insect Swarm by 2.0 sec (down from 3.0)
• Typhoon - Rank 4 now does 1010 Nature damage (formerly bugged at 1 damage).

Feral

• Rake - DoT damage increased for all ranks.
• Swipe - No longer has a target limit. Now: (Rank 1) Swipe nearby enemies, inflicting 9 damage. Damage increased by attack power.
• Mangle (Cat) - Now does 200% normal damage (up from 160%). Additional damage increased for all ranks.
• Protector of the Pack - Now reduced damage per party member by 1/2/3% instead of a flat 3% for all ranks.

Hunter WotLK Changes

Beast Mastery

• Aspect of the Viper reworded - Now: The hunter takes on the aspect of the viper, causing ranged attacks to regenerate mana but reducing your total damage done by 50%. Mana gained is based on the speed of your ranged weapon. Only one Aspect can be active at a time.
• Aspect of the Wild - Rank 4 now increases Nature resistance by 130 (up from 70).
• Kindred Spirits - Description now includes “This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.”

Marksmanship

• Aimed Shot - Mana cost reduced from 16% to 12% of base mana. Now instant cast. Cooldown increased from 6 seconds to 10 seconds. Ranged damage increase reduced for all ranks.
• Concussive Shot - Now has a 12 sec cooldown.
• Kill Shot - Now deals 200% weapon damage (down from 205%). Base damage reduced by approx 50% on all ranks.
• Multi-Shot - Mana cost increased for 12% to 13% of base mana.
• Focused Aim - No longer effects Aimed Shot. Now also increases your chance to hit by 1/2/3%.
• Marked for Death - Now increases your damage done by your shots and the damage done by your pet’s special abilities by 1/2/3/4/5% (down from 2/4/6/8/10%) on marked targets.
• Scatter Shot - Moved from Tier 5 to Tier 3, changed trees to Survival.

Survival

• Freezing Arrow - The trap placed by the arrow now breaks on any damage (instead of having a chance to break).
• Freezing Trap - Trap now breaks on any damage once again, instead of having a chance to break. (”Any damage caused will break the ice.”)
• Lock and Load - Now has a 2/4/6% proc chance on periodic damage (down from 5/10/15%).
• Point of No Escape - Changes from 3 to 2 points. Now also effects Freezing Arrow. Critical strike chance increase on affected targets is now 3/6% instead of 2/4/6%.
• Readiness - Moved from Tier 9 to Tier 5, changed trees to Marksmanship.
• Surefooted - Moved from Tier 4 to Tier 2. No longer increases hit chance.
• T.N.T. - Moved from Tier 2 to Tier 4
• Trap Mastery - Moved from Tier 3 to Tier 9. Now effects Freezing Trap in the same way as Frost Trap (duration increase, instead of root effect on dispell).

Mage WotLK Changes

Arcane

• Sound Effect Spell - Polymorph Penguin and Polymorph Sheep added
• Missile Barrage - Now affects Arcane Barrage. Now has a 3/6/9/12/20% chance to reduce the channeled duration of the next Arcane Missiles spell by 2.5 secs and missiles will fire every .5 secs.

Fire

• Empowered Fireball - Renamed Empowered Fire. Now affects Frostfire Bolt.
• Living Bomb - Now has no knockup.

Frost

• Deep Freeze - Now does no damage.
• Frost Warding - Moved from Tier 1 to Tier 2
• Frostbite - Moved from Tier 2 to Tier 1

Paladin WotLK Changes

Holy

• Divine Plea - Now you gain 25% of your total mana over 15 sec (up from 10 sec), but the amount healed by your spells is reduced by 100% (up from 50%).
• Infusion of Light - Now your Holy Shock critical hits reduce the cast time of your next Holy Light spell by -0.50/-1 secs (down from -1.25/-2.5 sec).
• Judgements of the Pure - Now lasts 60 sec (up from 30 sec).

Retribution

• Judgements of the Wise - Now immediately grants you 33% of your base mana (instead of 20% of your maximum mana).

Priest WotLK Changes

Discipline

• Improved Inner Fire - Moved from Tier 3 to Tier 2.
• Improved Power Word: Fortitude - Moved from Tier 2 to Tier 3.
• Silent Resolve - Ranks 4 and 5 removed.
• Twin Disciplines - Now increases “damage and healing” instead of “spellpower”.

Holy

• Guardian Spirit - This sacrifice terminates the effect but heals the target of 50% of their maximum health. Up from 10%.
• Holy Nova - Mana cost reduced to 25% of base mana from 33% of base mana for higher ranks. Lower ranks also had a mana cost reduction.

Shadow

• Devouring Plague - Amount of damage that heals you now specified, 15% of damage caused by the Devouring Plague heals the caster.
• Twisted Faith - Now works if your target is afflicted by your Shadow Word: Pain instead of Mind Flay.

Rogue WotLK Changes

Assassination

• Focused Attacks - Your melee critical strikes have a 33/66/100% chance to give you 2 energy (up from 1).

Combat

• Gouge - Damage now scales with attack power.
• Aggression - Moved from Tier 5 to Tier 4. Now increases the damage of your Sinister Strike, Backstab, and Eviscerate abilities by 3/6/9/12/15% (up from 2/4/6/8/10%).
• Blade Twisting - Now also increases the damage dealt by Sinister Strike and Backstab by 5/10%.
• Vitality - Now regens 8/16/25% energy (up from 3/7/10%).

Shaman WotLK Changes

Elemental

• Fire Nova Totem - Mana cost now 33% of base mana. (Old 26%)
• Fire Nova Totem - New ranks added. (Level 75 rank 8 - 755 to 843 damage) (Level 80 Rank 9 - 893 to 997 damage)

Enhancement

• Unleashed Rage - Now increases all attack power and has a 45 yard range.
• Dual Wield Specialization - Now increases your chance to hit while dual wielding by an additional 1/2/3% (down from 2/4/6%).
• Flurry - Attack speed increase lowered by 5% (Now 5/10/15/20/25) (Old 10/15/20/25/30).
• Stormstrike - 20% damage increase now only effects Nature spells.
• Maelstrom Weapon - Chance for buff to apply lowered, now can proc on any melee weapon hit (noncrit or crit). Duration increased to 30 seconds. (New 3/6/9/12/15) (Old 20/40/60/80/100)
• Spirit Wolves - Spirit Hunt - Duration removed.

Restoration

• Improved Water Shield - Now works on Riptide Critical Hits.
• Ancestral Awakening - Now works on Riptide Critical Hits.

Totems

• Frost Resistance Totem - Duration fixed to be 5 minutes.
• Totem of Wrath - Duration fixed to be 5 minutes.
• Fire Resistance Totem - Duration fixed to be 5 minutes.

Warlock WotLK Changes

Affliction

• Everlasting Affliction - Now Drain Life and Haunt will reset Corruption instead of Drain Life and Shadow Bolt.
• Drain Soul - Drains the soul of the target, causing 426 Shadow damage over 15 sec. If the target is at or below 25% health, Drain Soul causes four times the normal damage. If the target dies while being drained, and yields experience or honor, the caster gains a Soul Shard. Soul Shards are required for other spells.
• Curse of Doom - If the target yields experience or honor when it dies from this damage, a Doomguard will be summoned. Cannot be cast on players.
• Haunt - Now heals for 100% of damage done. Down from 200%.

Demonology

• Enslave Demon - Lasts up to 60 sec. Down from 300 sec.
• Demonic Pact - Does not work on Enslaved demons.

Destruction

• Chaos Bolt - Now does fire damage instead of chaos damage.
• Conflagrate - Now works with Shadowflame as well as Immolate.

Warrior WotLK Changes

Arms

• Sword Specialization - This effect cannot occur more than once every 6 seconds.

Fury

• Armored to the Teeth - Attack Power instead of Strength armor value require lowered. (Now 1/2/3 AP for every 180 armor.) (Old 1/2/3 strength for every 400 armor)

Protection

• Thunder Clap - Maximum targets removed.
• Revenge - Damage increased (Now Rank 9 - [1454.0 + AP * 0.207] to [1776.0 + AP * 0.207]) (Old Rank 9 - [652.0 + AP * 0.093] to [796.0 + AP * 0.093])
• Sword and Board - Now effects Revenge.
• Shield Slam - Damage increased (Now Rank 8 - 990 to 1040 damage) (Old Rank 8 - 756 to 794 Damage)

WotLK Leatherworking Recipes

With any expansion you can typically expect to see some additions and improvements to all the professions, but I’m particularly excited about the recent change to leatherworking. Several new recipes have already been confirmed to exist in beta, check them out below.

• Fur Lining - Attack Power — Permanently enchant bracers to increase attack power by 120.  Can only be used on the leatherworker’s bracers, and doing so will cause them to become soulbound.
• Fur Lining - Stamina — Permanently enchant bracers to increase stamina by 90. Can only be used on the leatherworker’s bracers, and doing so will cause them to become soulbound.
• Fur Lining - Spell Damage — Permanently enchant bracers to increase spell power by 70. Can only be used on the leatherworker’s bracers, and doing so will cause them to become soulbound.
• Fur Lining - Fire Resist — Permanently enchant bracers to increase your fire resistance by 60. Can only be used on the leatherworker’s bracers, and doing so will cause them to become soulbound.
• Fur Lining - Frost Resist — Permanently enchant bracers to increase your frost resistance by 60. Can only be used on the leatherworker’s bracers, and doing so will cause them to become soulbound.
• Fur Lining - Shadow Resist — Permanently enchant bracers to increase your shadow resistance by 60. Can only be used on the leatherworker’s bracers, and doing so will cause them to become soulbound.
• Fur Lining - Nature Resist – Permanently enchant bracers to increase your nature resistance by 60. Can only be used on the leatherworker’s bracers, and doing so will cause them to become soulbound.
• Fur Lining - Arcane Resist — Permanently enchant bracers to increase your arcane resistance by 60. Can only be used on the leatherworker’s bracers, and doing so will cause them to become soulbound.

While it may seem like a small step it’s certainly a move in the right direction. Leatherworking is one of several professions that have been somewhat neglected. Generally speaking it’s these type of crafting professions that end up offering little to no benefit end game. These include tailoring, blacksmithing and leatherworking. This early leatherworking buff leads me to believe there will be similar changes in store for the all the other professions.

In Burning Crusade these crafting professions were great to have when you initially hit 70, but as soon as you get some of the even better armor and items these quickly become dated and worthless. Thus leaving with you a profession that amounted to basically nothing for the last 75% of the expansion. It will be difficult for Blizzard to create enough reason for me seriously consider going a crafting profession, but with additional benefits like this it certainly will peak my interest in the future. Hopefully we’ll see more of this.