Where Does Your Spec Land After the August 25th Buffs? Writers Weigh In

Unlike its August 18th counterpart, August 25th tuning pass brings mostly buffs for specs, likely to avoid disrupting the Race to World First event. While there are a lot of buffs, not all buffs are created equal, with some specs being drastically affected, while others barely feel any different.

We’ve asked our class writers to put numbers on it and the spread is wide: from specs receiving around 8% buffs, to others barely seeing the needle change.

Tuning Result Summary

Frost Death Knight

• Tuning Changes
  • Developers’ notes: Frost Death Knight has performed under our expectations at the beginning of Curse of Ula’tek, especially in the Venomous Abyss raid.
  • All ability damage and melee damage increased by 6%.
  • Obliterate damage increased by 15%.
• Writer Verdict: Significant Buff

Writer Commentary by Bicepspump

“Frost has been underperforming and received a significant buff with these changes. Expect a 6% AoE buff and a 7% Single Target buff. This will bring Frost in line with the rest of the pack but probably won’t make it a top contender.”

Vengeance Demon Hunter

• Tuning Changes
  • Mastery: Fel Blood effectiveness increased by 24%.
• Writer Verdict: ~2.5-3.5% buff

Writer Commentary by Meyra

“Moves Mastery up to be equal to Critical Strike and Versatility defensively. A 2.5-3.5% buff baseline against Physical damage and slightly more depending on your gear.”

Restoration Druid

• Tuning Changes
  • Developers’ notes: These changes are intended to address Rejuvenation and Wild Growth feeling weak in season 2, particularly in dungeons. We’re also increasing the power of the 4-piece class set to make sure it’s an impactful and noticeable set bonus. These changes are accompanied by slight nerfs to their raid healing to keep them around the same power in raid while increasing their power in dungeons.
  • Druid Restoration 12.1 Class Set 4pc increases Genesis duration by 8 seconds (was 4 seconds).
  • Rejuvenation and Germination healing increased by 15%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Wild Growth healing increased by 10%.
  • Nature’s Bounty replicates 10% of Regrowth’s healing (was 20%).
  • Everbloom heals 5 targets (was 6 targets).
  • Everbloom heals for 48% of Lifebloom’s final heal (was 40%). Does not apply to PvP combat.
• Writer Verdict: Buff Small in Raid, larger in Mythic+

Writer Commentary by Voulk

“For the vast majority of players, these changes will be a small buff in raid, and a larger buff in Mythic+.

The only nerf included is to Nature’s Bounty, which was a powerful talent but required standing still for the most dangerous parts of the fights. These changes will give us a lot more variation in our healing sources, while also opening up new builds and talents. Great changes.”

Preservation Evoker

• Tuning Changes
  • Developers’ notes: We’re further increasing some of the Preservation triage heals to help them keep up with other healers in dungeons.
  • Verdant Embrace healing increased by 25%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Living Flame healing increased by 20%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Dream Simulacrum increases healing of Verdant Embrace by 40% (was 30%).
• Writer Verdict: Buff – Mostly M+ and Single-target

Writer Commentary by Mytholxgy

“These changes provide a nice increase to our Mythic+ and single-target healing, but they also give us the potential to utilize Lifeforce Mender and Lifespark in raid. Lifespark builds were previously only slightly behind those using Titan’s Gift, but they can be more difficult to execute and have a heavy mana cost. It is likely that you will see players utilizing both builds once the new patch goes live.

Preservation has established itself as one of the stronger Mythic+ and Raiding specs in Patch 12.1, leaving many players surprised to see buffs in the new patch notes.”

Beast Mastery Hunter

• Tuning Changes
  • Developers’ notes: We’re looking to increase Beast Mastery area damage and cleave capabilities.
  • Wild Thrash now deals 300% increased damage when striking more than 2 targets (was 200%).
  • Beast Cleave now causes your pets to strike nearby enemies for 70% of the damage dealt (was 55%).
• Writer Verdict: Potent AoE Buffs

Writer Commentary by Azortharion

“These are very potent AoE buffs, worth around 8% in Mythic+ keys, and around 4% on cleave-heavy fights in the Raid (of which there are many). It is almost certainly the go-to Mythic+ spec for Hunters now. In Raid, it remains mediocre due to how much single-target it loses to do any cleave/AoE at all, and its poor burst/execute.”

Marksmanship Hunter (PvP)

• Tuning Changes
  • Sentinel: Moonlight Chakram damage reduced by 30% in PvP combat.
  • Rapid Fire damage increased by 15% in PvP combat.
  • Arcane Shot damage increased by 15% in PvP combat.
• Writer Verdict: Dark Ranger Wins for PvP

Writer Commentary by Slo

“The adjustment to Moonlight Chakram makes Dark Ranger the preferred Hero Talent tree for Marksmanship, and Marksman players should feel the buff to Rapid Fire which in turn will make Windrunner Quiver and Unload much more powerful.”

Frost Mage

• Tuning Changes
  • Developers’ notes: We’re primarily focused on Frost’s performance in Mythic Keystone dungeons. The recent removal of the health increase from Improved Ice Barrier had a greater effect on Frost’s overall survivability than intended. We like the symmetry of the three Improved Barrier talents having one additional effect, and Frost has historically had a slightly larger absorb than Arcane and Fire, so we’re baking it into the baseline absorb amount rather than re-attaching it to Improved Ice Barrier. We’re also making some targeted increases to Frost’s area of effect damage.
  • Ice Barrier absorb amount increased to 35% of maximum health (was 30%). Does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Blizzard damage increased by 10%.
  • Frostfire Talent: Shatter damage to nearby enemies increased by 10%.
  • Frostfire: Isothermic Core – Meteor damage increased by 25%.
• Writer Verdict: Underwhelming buffs

Writer Commentary by Kuni

“This is approximately +0.5% over a key.

Extremely underwhelming for a ‘targeted increase to Frost’s area of effect damage’ and continues to showcase a disconnect between the spec’s design and playstyle, and how Blizzard is actively tuning Frost’s numbers.”

Brewmaster Monk

• Tuning Changes
  • Developers’ note: We’re adjusting the absorption of Celestial Brew and Celestial Infusion to improve its impact as a defensive option and to help address pain points players are experiencing in some encounters.
  • Celestial Brew and Celestial Infusion absorb value increased by 20%.
• Writer Verdict: Buffed, but not a pain point.

Writer Commentary by Sinzhu

“With this latest buff, Celestial Brew and Infusion are now at 300% of their original strength from patch 12.0 due to previous number buffs over the 12.1 PTR. Of course, this also came with doubling their cooldowns, which is arguably the greater “pain point” players are experiencing with the abilities now and remains unaddressed.”

Retribution Paladin

• Tuning Changes
  • Developers’ notes: We’re increasing the damage of the Paladin Retribution 12.1 Class Set 4pc significantly, to make sure its rotational ask is worth executing.
  • Class Set 4-piece Divine Arbiter main target damage increased by 150%.
  • Class Set 4-piece Divine Arbiter secondary target damage increased by 75%.
• Writer Verdict: Buff, fixes design issues

Writer Commentary by Bolas

“The Retribution set is designed so that you’re weaving different Holy Power spenders based on Divine Purpose procs. However, the damage was low enough that you wouldn’t want to actually use it actively on some target counts. This buff makes it worth using in all situations, and is a solid buff to Ret damage on top.”