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Patch 8.3 Build 32272 Blizzard Class Changes - Affliction Warlock Drain Soul, Nightfall Buffs

posted 2019/10/22 at 6:46 PM by Squishei

Today's Changes

Blizzard

I’ve updated the Affliction section in the OP with recent new changes. It now reads:

Warlock
Affliction
Deathbolt now deals 20% of the total remaining damage of the Warlock’s damage over time effects on the target (was 30%).
Drain Soul damage increased by 50%.
Nightfall now increases the damage of Shadow Bolt by 50% (was 25%), and now activates 33% more often.
*Developers’ notes: One of the key concepts about Affliction Warlock is spreading damage over time spells on a number of different targets. While Deathbolt keys off these types of spells, it provides more-than-expected burst damage and outperforms the other two talents in every situation. In addition to reducing Deathbolt’s effectiveness, we’re improving the other two options to give more options to Affliction Warlocks.

Updated Class Changes Full ListDevelopers' notes: Specs which excel at DoTs on multiple targets have, over the course of many tiers of content, generally had very high performance on the average. Their DPS advantage in raid encounters that play into their multi-target strength (which are relatively common) is not balanced by a comparable disadvantage in other areas. A small reduction in damage on these specs will leave them noticeably strong in the situations in which they're strong (albeit slightly less than before), and give other specs more opportunity to stand out at other times. At the same time, a few of the Essences added in Rise of Azshara are not performing as well as we would have liked, so we're increasing the effectiveness of some parts of them to help keep them competitive with the other Essences available.Classes

Druid

Balance

Moonfire damage and periodic damage reduced by 10%.

Sunfire damage and periodic damage reduced by 10%.

High Noon (Azerite Trait) damage increased by 11%.

Power of the Moon (Azerite Trait) damage increased by 11%.

Mage

Frost

Ice Lance damage increased by 20%.

Developers' note: Ice Lance damage hasn't kept up with Icicles scaling, making builds that ignore Ice Lance possible. The intent of this change is to give Frost Mages a better incentive to use Ice Lance within their rotation, as a DPS net gain.

Monk

Brewmaster

Stamina bonus reduced to 30% (was 35%).

Stagger percentage reduced to 90% of Agility (was 105%).

High Tolerance now increases the effectiveness of Stagger by 5% (was 8%).

Developers' notes: Brewmaster's extremely high effective health against Physical damage meant that they are rarely in danger against spike damage that threatens other tanks. This should still be a strength of Brewmaster, but not by such a wide margin.

Gift of the OxMistweaver

Rising Mist healing increased 30%, and now extends Heal-over-time effects by 3 seconds (was 2 seconds).

Developers' note: This talent is currently overshadowed on its row, and we want to make sure it's competitive enough to make its unique playstyle a viable option.

Life Cocoon

Developers' note: This ability had gotten weaker compared to player health pools since the start of the expansion, and this will help it better maintain its value.

Windwalker

Rising Sun Kick damage increased by 25%.

Blackout Kick damage increased by 10%.

Developers' note: These changes are intended to help Windwalkers perform better in single-target fights.

Paladin

Holy

Glimmer of Light (Azerite Trait) may now be applied to a maximum of 8 targets.

Developers' notes: Over the past year, builds centered around this trait have steadily pulled ahead of all other Holy Paladin playstyles, and to some extent all other healers in high-end content. This change is meant to preserve the gameplay of the trait, but limit the ability to increase its value drastically by stacking every possible bonus that reduces Holy Shock cooldown.

Priest

Discipline
Schism now increases damage done from Priest spells and abilities only.
Developers’ notes: This is intended to be consistent with other class cooldowns.

AtonementGrace

Developers' notes: Discipline's ability to contribute both damage and healing is slightly too high for what one character can bring to a group composition. At the same time, we're making their Mastery stat slightly more attractive.

Shadow

Auspicious Spirits damage bonus reduced to 25% (was 50%).

Fixed a bug causing Spiteful Apparitions (Azerite Trait) to be increased by 75% if you do not have Auspicious Spirits talented.

Developers' notes: The multiplicative interaction between Auspicious Spirits, Spiteful Apparitions, and Chorus of Insanity has specifically been a big part of Shadow's damage scaling somewhat out of control at high target counts.

Chorus of InsanityShadow Word: PainVampiric TouchWarlock

Affliction

Deathbolt now deals 20% of the total remaining damage of the Warlock's damage over time effects on the target (was 30%)

Developers' note: Under certain conditions, Deathbolt provides a degree of single target burst damage that feels out of line for a spec designed around damage-over-time spells. Additionally, it has been the dominant choice for Affliction's level 15 talent row for much of the expansion. We're reducing its effectiveness to bring it more in line with the other two options in that row.

Drain SoulNightfallShadow Bolt

*Developers’ notes: One of the key concepts about Affliction Warlock is spreading damage over time spells on a number of different targets. While Deathbolt keys off these types of spells, it provides more-than-expected burst damage and outperforms the other two talents in every situation. In addition to reducing Deathbolt’s effectiveness, we’re improving the other two options to give more options to Affliction Warlocks.

Essences

Worldvein Resonance

Major rank 1, when used, now additionally causes you to gain +50% bonus to stats from Lifeblood Shards for 10 seconds.

Vision of Perfection

Proc rate increased by 12%.

Unbound Force

Major rank 1 damage increased by 40%.

Minor rank 1 duration increased to 4 seconds (was 3 seconds).

Minor rank 3 increase of duration increased to 2 seconds (was 1 second).

Purification Protocol

Major rank 1 damage increased by 15%.

Major rank 2 now has the potential work on targets that are part of raid and dungeon encounters.

Vitality Conduit

We've rebuilt the way this Essences works, and it should be visually more impactful, as you will now see healing on your targets.

Comments

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Comment by omedon666As a fervent member of the cult of "drain soul for life purely for concept and aesthetics," these changes please me. It's Blizzard's job to make every talent "not wrong" if they're going to be options we can select and then group with other players.Comment by Deadractabsolutely hate drain soul. hope nightfall will become viableComment by WraknarAs a fervent member of the cult of "drain soul for life purely for concept and aesthetics," these changes please me.Comment by Vincentorone step closer to restoring drain soul to its former gloryComment by RisiahBring back Nighthold Afflock :DComment by GrowhoFinally getting drain soul back! Hated playing with shadow bolt as a filler this expansion.Comment by karuboYES!Comment by Perothviusabsolutely hate drain soul. hope nightfall will become viableComment by InsanoflexI don't get why people are so into drain soul as a primary spell, if you want a DoT class with a channeled beam SPriest is right thereComment by walrockOh hey, they are going to balance the talent row that was imbalanced as @#$% for 15 months.
But hey, its not like we already told them in the Beta or the months and months after that, no biggie.
Its not like they are paid pretty pretty high salaries to do these kind of things.

Wait..what?...
Ok... now thats awkward..Comment by walrockI don't get why people are so into drain soul as a primary spell, if you want a DoT class with a channeled beam SPriest is right thereComment by wowwowyDrain soul: Damage increased by 300% now it might finally be worth it.... Gods I miss drain soul. It was so bad it was better to pick NO talent then that one. And drain soul is part of affliction class fantasy for me. This will make it better then no talent, but still nowhere near deathbolt.Comment by wowwowyI don't get why people are so into drain soul as a primary spell, if you want a DoT class with a channeled beam SPriest is right thereComment by johncgaltMastery: Grace effectiveness increased by 12%Comment by JaigarI don't get why people are so into drain soul as a primary spell, if you want a DoT class with a channeled beam SPriest is right thereComment by Kanariyawow only took literally the entire expansion to fix this talent imbalance.

Though based on their track record, I'd say this was a pretty quick fix.Comment by Terrorshark• Mage•Frost• Ice Lance damage increased by 20%.•Developers' note: Ice Lance damage hasn't kept up with Icicles scaling, making builds that ignore Ice Lance possible. The intent of this change is to give Frost Mages a better incentive to use Ice Lance within their rotation, as a DPS net gain.

It is about time! Over a year of frost mages not using a core instant cast ability because it was a dps loss. Well done.Comment by QuadramBring back Nighthold Afflock :DComment by InsanoflexI don't get why people are so into drain soul as a primary spell, if you want a DoT class with a channeled beam SPriest is right thereComment by KhursdWould have like to seen Affliction, and Warlock changes in general, to mythic plus viability. Yes we are strong in raid, however, we need mythic plus to gear. Everyone can't be in Method and spam 15 keys every week. Most of us have to PUG. Warlocks are getting instantly declined for PUGs. You can say "its your IO score" (community issue) or you can say "item level", but on day one of any new season in full Mythic raid gear it's the same thing and you get behind the power curve real quick. Dungeon balance is equally as important as raid balance if you're going to force us to gear that way. I refuse to reroll Demon Hunter just to get into any content I want to play.

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