brewmaster Brewmaster Monk Preview: Rotation, Talents, Abilities, and Leveling

[Vlad 411]

This article is no longer being updated. Please check our Brewmaster Monk guide, which is fully compatible with Mists Pandaria, and is being constantly updated. Thank you.

The Brewmaster is the Monk tanking specialisation, which will be added to the game in Mists of Pandaria. This specialisation completes the Monk's truly hybrid nature (tank-healer-DPS), and it will be the 5th tanking class in the game.

As usual, keep in mind that this article is based entirely on Beta content, where raid encounters are not yet available and many mechanics are in development and under constant change.

Introduction

The Brewmaster is adept at avoiding damage (mostly through parrying) and mitigating it (through a new mechanic, called stagger). This results in a generally smooth damage intake. We would argue that the amount of damage that Brewmasters can currently avoid or mitigate is too high, and will most likely be re-balanced.

General Brewmaster Characteristics

Here are a few facts about the Monk's tanking specialisation:

• leather-wearer;
• can use Fist Weapons, One-Handed Axes/Maces/Swords, Polearms, and Staves.
• dual resource system comprised of Energy and Chi (more on this below);
• the usual array of tank abilities (interrupts, slows, stuns, disarms).

The Resource System

The Brewmaster Monk resource system is comprised of Energy and Chi.

Energy is very straightforward, acting in the same way as Rogues' and Feral Druid DPS' resources of the same name. It regenerates steadily over time, at a base rate of 10 per second. Its regeneration rate is affected by haste. Its regeneration rate is also increased by the prefered Brewmaster stance, /images/wow_icon_monk_stance_drunkenox.jpg Stance of the Sturdy Ox. Energy is used for various abilities (both threat-generating abilities and utility abilities), but also by /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_jab.jpg Jab, the main Chi generating ability.

Chi is required for a number of tanking abilities used by Brewmaster Monks in their normal rotation. It has a maximum capacity of 4 (5 if the /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_ascension.jpg Ascension talent is taken) and it does not decrease or decay in any way (even when out of combat).

Survival

Brewmasters have various tools at their disposal for staying alive while tanking, in addition to the rather standard dodge and parry mechanics. We will present them all here.

Stance, Mastery and Staggering

While tanking, you should always be in in /images/wow_icon_monk_stance_drunkenox.jpg Stance of the Sturdy Ox. This provides you with various benefits:

• reduces all damage taken by 20%;
• increases Stamina by 20%;
• increases Energy regeneration rate by 30%;
• reduces chance to be critically hit by 6% (meaning that you will never be the victim of a critical hit from raid bosses).

Moreover, you are granted a new mitigation mechanic, Stagger. Stagger causes all damage you take to be split into two parts:

• damage taken instantly;
• damage taken over 10 seconds (as a DoT).

At its base, 70% of any damage you take is taken instantly, and the remaining 30% is staggered over 10 seconds. However, there is a self-buff that you should be keeping active on yourself at all times when mitigation is important (/images/wow_icon_spell_magic_lesserinvisibilty.jpg Shuffle), that increases the staggered part of the damage by 20% (making it 50-50). Shuffle also increases your parry chance by a whopping 30%.

Finally, your Mastery, /images/wow_icon_inv_drink_05.jpg Mastery: Elusive Brawler, further increases your staggered damage portion. Mastery also increases your chance to parry.

While it may appear that there is no real benefit to the Stagger mechanic, this is not true. You have an ability, /images/wow_icon_inv_misc_beer_06.jpg Purifying Brew, which removes all the staggered damage currently you. This ability has a 1 second cooldown and costs 1 Chi, meaning that you can, more or less, use it freely.

Survival Abilities

In addition to dodging, parrying and staggering, Brewmaster Monks have several abilities that help them survive.

/images/wow_icon_inv_misc_beer_06.jpg Purifying Brew allows you to remove any staggered damage currently on you, as explained above.

/images/wow_icon_ability_monk_expelharm.jpg Expel Harm allows you to heal yourself for a reasonable amount, while also dealing damage to the target. Expel Harm generates 1 Chi, and costs the same amount of Energy (40) as /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_jab.jpg Jab, your primary Chi generator. Expel Harm has a 15 second cooldown, but when you are under 35% health, its cooldown is removed.

/images/wow_icon_ability_monk_guard.jpg Guard provides a small damage absorption shield, lasting 30 seconds or until broken by damage. While the shield is active, any heals you cast on yourself are increased by 30%. Guard costs 2 Chi and has a 30 second cooldown (theoretically allowing for full uptime, if the shield would not be broken by damage). The amount of damage absorbed by Guard is increased by up to 15% (5% per stack) by a self-buff applied by casting /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_tigerpalm.jpg Tiger Palm.

/images/wow_icon_ability_monk_elusiveale.jpg Elusive Brew is a small defensive cooldown that increases your chance to dodge by 10% for 8 seconds. It has a 45 second cooldown and has no resource cost.

/images/wow_icon_monk_ability_avertharm.jpg Avert Harm is a spell that reduces all damage taken by you and nearby allies within 10 yards by 50%. 50% of the remaining damage taken by these allies is redirected to you. Avert Harm lasts 15 seconds, but its effect is canceled if you reach 10% health. It has a 1 minute cooldown and no resource cost.

/images/wow_icon_ability_monk_healthsphere.jpg Healing Sphere is a spell that allows you to place up to 3 healing spheres on the ground, which heal players who walk over them. While this ability can be used to heal yourself, it heals for a rather small amount and costs 60 Energy to use, so it is only really useful if you can pre-cast it before the fight begins.

/images/wow_icon_ability_druid_giftoftheearthmother.jpg Gift of the Ox is a passive ability that gives you a 1% chance each time you deal damage to spawn a healing sphere next to you. This healing sphere is special in that you are the only player who can see it. It heals you for a small amount.

/images/wow_icon_ability_monk_fortifyingale_new.jpg Fortifying Brew is a defensive cooldown that increases your health by 20%, your Stagger amount by 20%, and reduces your damage taken by 20% for 20 seconds. It has a 3 minute cooldown and no resource cost.

You can choose one of the following survival abilities, as your tier 5 talent:

• /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_jasmineforcetea.jpg Healing Elixirs, which heals you for 10% of your maximum health each time you use a Brew (Fortifying Brew, Purifying Brew, Elusive Brew). It has a 15 second internal cooldown.
• /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_dampenharm.jpg Dampen Harm, which causes the first 3 attacks against you that deal over 10% of your health in damage to be reduced in half. It has a 1 minute and 30 second cooldown and no resource cost.
• /images/wow_icon_spell_arcane_massdispel.jpg Diffuse Magic, which reduces all damage taken by 90% for 6 seconds. It also makes you immune to magic debuffs, reflecting them back to their caster. It has 1 minute and 30 second cooldown and no resource cost.

Statue

/images/wow_icon_monk_ability_summonoxstatue.jpg Summon Black Ox Statue lasts 15 minutes and has a 3 minute cooldown. It provides you with several benefits:

• For every 150,000 damage you deal, the statue will place a shield, absorbing a small amount of damage on a low health member within 40 yards of it. It cannot cast this shield on you.
• Casting /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_provoke.jpg Provoke (the Monk's taunt ability) on the statue will cause all enemies within 8 yards of the statue to attack it.
• /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_leeroftheox.jpg Leer of the Ox, an ability granted by a Major Glyph of the same name. It causes the statue to slow the movement speed of a target by 50% and force them to attack it for 8 seconds.

Threat and Damage

As a Brewmaster, in addition to simply surviving, you will have to use several abilities in order to keep aggro and deal damage. Several of these abilities are inter-related to your survival abilities, as we will see.

/images/wow_icon_ability_monk_jab.jpg Jab is your primary Chi generating ability. You will be using this to dump Energy and give yourself enough Chi to use other abilities.

/images/wow_icon_achievement_brewery_2.jpg Keg Smash is an ability that hits the target and up to two nearby enemies for a small amount of damage. Additionally, it applies two debuffs to the targets:

• /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_drunkenhaze.jpg Dizzying Haze, which reduces the target's movement speed by 50% and gives it a 3% chance to "misfire" its attacks, damaging itself instead. This debuff lasts 15 seconds.
• /images/wow_icon_ability_warrior_warcry.jpg Weakened Blows, which reduces physical damage by 10%, lasting 30 seconds.

Keg Smash costs 40 Energy, generates 2 Chi and has an 8 second cooldown.

Dizzying Haze can be applied manually to targets, in an area, with the same effect as the the debuff applied by Keg Smash. It costs 20 Energy, has no cooldown, and generates a large amount of threat.

/images/wow_icon_ability_monk_breathoffire.jpg Breath of Fire is a frontal cone AoE attack that breathes fire on all targets 12 yards in front of you. If the targets are affected by Dizzying Haze, they will catch fire and burn for a reasonable amount of damage over 8 seconds. It costs 2 Chi and has no cooldown.

/images/wow_icon_ability_monk_roundhousekick.jpg Blackout Kick is your main threat-generating ability. You will use this often, as it applies and refreshes the Shuffle buff on you, which is integral to your survival. It costs 2 Chi.

/images/wow_icon_ability_monk_tigerpalm.jpg Tiger Palm is another threat ability. Using Tiger Palm stacks two self-buffs on you: one which causes you to ignore up to 15% of the target's armor, thus increasing your threat, and one which causes your next /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_guard.jpg Guard to be 15% stronger. It costs 1 Chi, but deals considerably more damage per Chi than Blackout Kick.

/images/wow_icon_ability_monk_cranekick_new.jpg Spinning Crane Kick is a channeled AoE ability that deals damage to all enemies within 8 yards for 3 seconds. It generates Chi and, unlike other channeled abilities, does not interfere with your ability to dodge or parry attacks.

Playstyle

The playstyle of Brewmaster Monks revolves around spending Energy to generate Chi, and using both Energy and Chi to stay alive and maintain aggro. Many abilities are being frequently changed at this stage of the Beta, but it appears that a viable way to play the Brewmaster is:

• Make sure /images/wow_icon_monk_ability_summonoxstatue.jpg Summon Black Ox Statue is active at all times.
• Use /images/wow_icon_achievement_brewery_2.jpg Keg Smash, /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_expelharm.jpg Expel Harm and /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_jab.jpg Jab (in that order of priority) to generate Chi.
• Use /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_roundhousekick.jpg Blackout Kick to maintain your Shuffle buff (greatly increasing your survivability).
• Use /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_tigerpalm.jpg Tiger Palm to spend additional Chi, when your Shuffle buff is not about to expire or when it is not needed. Tiger Palm also buffs your next Guard, so it can be used with that in mind.
• Use /images/wow_icon_inv_misc_beer_06.jpg Purifying Brew to clear your staggered damage whenever it is high or you are in danger of dying.
• Use your various survival and healing abilities at the right time. This will depend on a fight-by-fight basis, and may require quick thinking.

If facing multiple enemies, make sure that they are affected by /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_drunkenhaze.jpg Dizzying Haze (either from casting it manually or from /images/wow_icon_achievement_brewery_2.jpg Keg Smash) and then use /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_breathoffire.jpg Breath of Fire. You can also use /images/wow_icon_ability_monk_cranekick_new.jpg Spinning Crane Kick for AoE threat and damage.

Closing Remarks

This concludes this first look at the Brewmaster specialisation. As we have said before, rather important changes have taken place in regards to many mechanics of Brewmasters, recently, so much of this is subject to change.

As always, we eagerly await your comments.

[Lolwtfjacob 10]

I'd like to add that if you are in need of extra self healing, to use the talent "Healing Elixirs" and that will allow you to heal for a fairly significant portion of your health if you use Purifying brew as much as you can. I know that on my windwalker, we have Tiger's eye brew and when I use that I gain around 15k health. Not a bad self healing ability.

[Vlad 411]

This is already mentioned :)

Sadly, Healing Elixirs can only proc once every 15 seconds, so even though we can spam Purifying Brew, we'll only be getting a heal every 15 seconds.

[Peelyon 416]

Vlad whats your personal take on the spec?

Im hoping you can provide some decent insight into how they feel to play before I commit to levelling one. I may try and make a premade version at some point in the Beta but your thoughts would be great!

[Vlad 411]

Vlad whats your personal take on the spec?

Im hoping you can provide some decent insight into how they feel to play before I commit to levelling one. I may try and make a premade version at some point in the Beta but your thoughts would be great!

Honestly, I like the way the spec plays right now. I would say I like it a lot. It's very similar to a Blood Death Knight, in the sense that you have a lot of active tools to help you deal with the damage you are taking. At the same time, you are a lot less spiky than a DK and missing two Death Strikes won't get you dead, so it's pleasant in that sense too. It's nothing like a Feral Druid tank in Cataclysm who basically just sits there and takes it, using a big cooldown every 3 minutes.

I really like the Stagger mechanic. It promotes smart play, and it looks like it will reward skilled and aware players. Also, it's very refreshing to have something new other than dodge/parry/block.

Right now, however, it feels to me like this spec has way too much avoidance and mitigation. Between 50% Staggered damage (not counting anything you have from mastery), 50%ish parry, 10-15% dodge and Elusive Brew/Guard, you can get yourself nigh-immune for extended periods of time. I feel like something will have to go, and we'll need to see how it feels then.

[Peelyon 416]

Sounds great Vlad tyvm!

I had plenty of misgivings about the pandas especially as another tanking option, but it sounds a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be.

I love having decision making in a players hands, and the stagger like you said could promote really great decision making. I can think of plenty of fights where it would be extremely useful. Hopefully it will bring a few old tanks back into tanking as I know of a fair few who just get bored of standing there swinging pretending that aggro is a difficult mechanic to maintain.

[Lolwtfjacob 10]

This is already mentioned

Sadly, Healing Elixirs can only proc once every 15 seconds, so even though we can spam Purifying Brew, we'll only be getting a heal every 15 seconds.

Are you sure about the 15 second CD? They must have changed it because I was on my Windwalker monk dueling my brother and I was spamming it just fine. Could it be a new update or maybe it's in WW talents?