Big April 7th Class Tuning Pass Detailed: Buffs for Underperformers and Tanks

For our PvE tuning this week, we are taking another pass focused on increasing underperforming specs in both raid and Mythic+ dungeons. In addition, we are making a few adjustments for most tank specs to increase their survivability and to help bridge the gap between tank performance.

For PvP, we are continuing to buff underperforming specs, monitoring healer balance, and reducing burst damage from specs that can land kills in short windows.

As we move forward, we will continue to monitor spec performance with our next tuning pass focused on Hero Talent diversity as well as continue to monitor overall class and spec balance across game modes. Thank you for the continued feedback.

Classes

• Death Knight
  • Blood
    • Melee auto-attack damage increased by 25%
    • Death Strike damage increased by 12%.
    • Blood Fortification armor increased to 45% (was 35%).
    • Bone Shield now increases armor by 180% of Strength (was 150%).
  • Frost
    • Developers’ notes: Frost Death Knight is behind our expectations in single target damage, so we’re increasing Obliterate and Frost Strike damage to give a more targeted boost in single target scenarios. We also included a damage increase to Frostbane to help Rider of the Apocalypse in multi-target scenarios.
    • Obliterate damage increased by 12%. Not applied to PvP combat.
    • Frost Strike and Frostbane damage increased by 15%. Not applied to PvP combat.
• Demon Hunter
  • Vengeance
    • Developers’ notes: Vengeance single target damage has remained below our expectations. Single target damage sources are being increased.
    • Melee auto-attack damage increased by 40%.
    • Focused Cleave damage bonus for Soul Cleave’s primary target increased to 60% (was 50%).
    • Soul Carver damage increased by 50%.
• Druid
  • Balance
    • Starfall damage increased by 16%. Not applied to PvP combat.
    • Ascendant Eclipses’ Lunar Bolt damage increased by 10%. Not applied to PvP combat.
  • Guardian
    • Scintillating Moonlight now causes Moonfire to reduce damage dealt to you by 6%/12% (was 5%/10%).
    • Rend and Tear now causes Thrash to reduce the target’s damage done to you by 3% per stack (was 2%).
• Evoker
  • Devastation
    • Developers’ notes: Flameshaper’s performance in single target scenarios is less competitive with Scalecommander than desired. This adjustment is intended to increase Flameshaper’s viability, without invalidating the time and effort Evokers have put into learning how to play Scalecommander effectively.
    • Flameshaper: Consume Flame now causes Disintegrate to detonate 150% of Fire Breath damage (was 115%).
• Paladin
  • Protection
    • Developers’ notes: We’re observing that Protection Paladins are experiencing difficulty with magical damage and periodic damage in Mythic+ dungeons. Our intent with these adjustments is to improve survivability and agency with a combination of upfront damage reduction and self-healing.
    • Auto-attack damage increased by 50%. Not applied to PvP combat.
    • Glory of the Vanguard (Rank 2/Rank 3) increases Judgment damage by 20%/40% (was 10%/20%). Not applied to PvP combat.
    • Glory of the Vanguard (Rank 4) increases Shield of the Righteous’ damage to your primary target by 100% (was 50%). Not applied to PvP combat.
    • Greater Judgment causes the target to take 50% increased damage from your next Shield of the Righteous (was 40%). Not applied to PvP combat.
    • Imbued Shield reduces magical damage taken by 12% (was 10%).
    • Redoubt increases armor by up to 60% based on missing health (was 50%).
    • Light of the Titans’ healing is increased by 200% when afflicted by a harmful periodic effect (was 100%).
  • Holy
    • Developers’ notes: Holy Paladins healing output is behind our expectations, so we’re targeting an increase to their holy power spenders to reinforce their core gameplay loop and make using resources more satisfying.
    • Word of Glory healing increased by 20%. This also applies to Eternal Flame and its periodic healing.
    • Light of Dawn healing increased by 20%.
• Monk
  • Brewmaster
    • Developers’ notes: Moving into Midnight, Brewmasters gained a significant amount of self-healing. While this has shored up one of the spec’s longstanding weaknesses, we’re finding the total of their defensive capability is a bit too potent. These changes aim to tone down self-healing and narrow the gap between Monks and other tank specializations.
    • Vital Flame now causes you to heal for 40% of all Fire or Nature damage dealt by your spells and abilities (was 50%).
    • Shado-Pan: Predictive Training now reduces all damage taken by 8% (was 10%).
    • Windwalker
    • Fists of Fury now deals 60% of its primary target damage to other targets (was 54%).
• Rogue
  • Assassination
    • Caustic Spatter causes 20% of your Nature damage to hit nearby enemies (was 18%).
    • Garrote and Rupture damage increased by 5%.
    • Fan of Knives and Crimson Tempest damage increased by 10%.
  • Outlaw
    • All damage increased by 4%.
    • Blade Flurry causes your abilities to strike nearby enemies for 28% of damage dealt (was 30%).
    • Fatebound: Fate Intertwined increases the percent of damage Blade Flurry spreads by 5 (was 6).
    • Trickster: Nimble Flurry increases Blade Flurry damage by 25% while Flawless Form is active (was 30%).
• Shaman
  • Enhancement
    • Developers’ notes: We are making some adjustments for Enhancement that are aimed at helping consistent damage sources outside of burst windows, while slightly skewed towards bringing Stormbringer’s performance closer to Totemic.
    • Lightning Bolt damage increased by 8%. Not applied to PvP combat.
    • Chain Lightning damage increased by 25%. Not applied to PvP combat.
    • Crash Lightning initial impact damage increased by 20%. Not applied to PvP combat.
    • Crash Lightning weapon enhancement effect damage increased by 10%. Not applied to PvP combat.
    • Stormstrike and Windstrike damage increased by 15%. Not applied to PvP combat.

Player versus Player

• Demon Hunter
  • Fixed an issue causing Illidari Knowledge to reduce magic damage taken by 1.8% per point instead of 2% per point in PvP combat.
  • Devourer
    • Developers’ notes: We’re increasing passive mitigation for Devourer as their survivability in PvP was lower than we liked. We’re also making another pass at lowering the burst potential from both hero talent trees and increasing overall damage to compensate.
    • All damage done increased by 8% in PvP combat.
    • Illidari Knowledge now reduces magic damage taken by 4%/8% in PvP combat (was 1.8%/3.6%).
    • Armor of Souls now increases Armor by 100% (was 50%).
    • Void-Scarred: Voidsurge damage reduced by 20% in PvP combat.
    • Annihilator: Voidfall Meteor damage reduced by 10% in PvP combat.
    • Annihilator: Otherworldly Focus now increases Collapsing Star and Voidfall Meteor damage by 15% when striking a single target in PvP combat (was 35%).
• Hunter
  • Beast Mastery
    • All damage reduced by 5% in PvP combat.
• Monk
  • Windwalker
    • Developers’ notes: We are targeting a couple sources of burst damage as well as overall damage for Windwalker Monks to reduce their outlier burst capabilities and tweak down their overall pressure.
    • All damage reduced by 3% in PvP combat.
    • Glory of the Dawn damage reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
    • Weapon of Wind now increases damage during Zenith by 5% in PvP combat (was 10%).
• Paladin
  • Protection
    • Developers’ notes: We’re taking another pass at reducing the strength of Protection Paladins, targeting some of their burst and healing capabilities.
    • All healing done reduced by 10% in PvP combat.
    • Glory of the Vanguard damage reduced by 25% in PvP combat.
• Rogue
  • Assassination
    • Developers’ notes: Mutilate has fallen behind its expected contribution in PvP combat. A sizeable buff is being applied, intended to improve steady damage output.
    • Mutilate damage increased by 180% in PvP combat.
  • Outlaw
    • Developers’ notes: Outlaw has been overly reliant on Adrenaline Rush and lacks damage outside of those windows. These changes increase overall damage while keeping Adrenaline Rush effective.
    • All ability damage increased by 8% in PvP combat.
    • Menacing Rush damage bonus during Adrenaline Rush reduced to 10% in PvP combat (was 20%)
  • Subtlety
    • Trickster: Flawless Form now increases the damage of finishing moves by 2% per stack (was 4%).
• Shaman
  • Restoration
    • Healing Wave healing increased by 20% in PvP combat.
• Warlock
  • Affliction
    • All damage done increased by 12% in PvP combat.
    • Unstable Affliction damage increased by 15% in PvP combat.
• Warrior
  • Arms
    • Developers’ notes: Our goal for Arms Warrior is to increase their overall damage as their consistent pressure has been lower than we would like. We’re also reducing the effectiveness of their Colossus burst window as its damage was condensed into too small of a time period.
    • All damage increased by 3% in PvP combat.
    • Rend damage increased by 15% in PvP combat.
    • Deep Wounds damage increased by 100% in PvP combat.
    • Colossus: Demolish damage reduced by 15% in PvP combat.
    • Colossus: Celeritous Conclusion now causes the final strike from Demolish to increase the critical strike chance of your next Mortal Strike by 15% (was 100%).