Blizzard has posted additional developer commentary explaining some of the new Warrior changes in this week's Alpha build for The War Within, from redefining Arms AoE rotation, to punching up Fury's Bloodthirst, and major buffs for Bladestorm! There are a few Warrior updates in today’s Alpha build. After giving Arms and Fury access to both Bladestorm and Ravager, it was clear that Ravager had strong advantages in all situations. We’d like Bladestorm to be a strong pick for burst AOE, so we’re buffing its damage significantly, and reducing Ravager’s damage slightly. This should help make the choice between these abilities more meaningful and let each ability shine in different situations. Arms We’ve heard the feedback that the Arms AOE rotation lacks definition, so we’re making adjustments to Cleave to make it the centerpiece of Arms’ AOE rotation in The War Within.
Evoker Class Changes and Developer Feedback for The War Within - Reduced Threat for Devastation
18.04.2024 - 23:21 / wowhead.com
Blizzard has released all the Evoker class changes alongside developer notes for The War Within Alpha, noting that Devastation Evokers are getting a threat reduction on some spells due to threat issues!
These changes include:
- Starter level reduced from 58 to 10
- Reduction of Devastation's threat on pull
- Lifespark (DF Season 1 Tier set) added to the Preservation Tree
Developer Notes
EVOKER
- Evokers now start at level 10 (was level 58).
- Evokers now unlock the talent pane immediately after choosing a specialization in the Forbidden Reach, and they no longer learn “temporary” talents as they complete the Forbidden Reach experience.
- Several base spells that were previously learned at level 58 are now learned at level 10.
- Mass Return is now learned at level 38.
- Fury of the Aspects is now learned at level 48.
- Fire Breath threat generated reduced by 50%.
- Pyre threat generated reduced by 30%.
- New Talent: Lifespark – Reversion healing has a chance to grant you instant cast Living Flame and increase its damage/healing by 50%.
- New Talent: Titan’s Gift – Essence Burst increases the effectiveness of your next Essence ability by 25%.
- Life-Giver’s Flame is now a 1 point node (was 2). Its position has been relocated at the bottom middle of the tree.
- Grace Period is now a 1 point node (was 2). Its position has been relocated as a capstone below Timeless Magic.
- Font of Magic and Power Nexus have been relocated to the middle center of the tree.
- Cycle of Life has been relocated as a capstone at the bottom left of the tree.
Class Changes
- EVOKER
Evokers now start at level 10 (was level 58). - Evokers now unlock the talent pane immediately after choosing a specialization in the Forbidden Reach, and they no longer learn “temporary” talents as they complete the Forbidden Reach experience.
- Several base spells that were previously learned at level 58 are now learned at level 10.
- Mass Return is now learned at level 38.
- Fury of the Aspects is now learned at level 48.
- Devastation
Developer’s note: Devastation Evoker can generate very high threat at the start of a pull due to a combination of their Mastery: Giantkiller and
World of Warcraft Destroys an Iconic Location in the First Hour of The War Within
Warning: Spoilers for World of Warcraft: The War Within below.
Early Season 1 Warlock Tier Set Model Preview for The War Within
In the latest Alpha build, we've datamined an early preview of the Warlock Tier Set appearances coming in Season 1 of The War Within. Season 1 Tier Sets will be available from the Nerub'ar Palace Raid featuring eight bosses, culminating in a showdown with Queen Ansurek, the Nerubian ruler who's leading her people down a dark path. First Look at the Nerub'ar Palace Raid Tier Set bonuses are still unavailable to be datamined, but stay tuned for updates when they become available.
World of Warcraft Changing Human Racial Ability in The War Within
World of Warcraft is changing the iconic Diplomacy racial trait for Humans to no longer increase faction reputation earnings in The War Within. With many reputations becoming account-wide in The War Within, World of Warcraft is making this change to make sure players don’t feel required to play Humans in order to get an edge for their account.
Naguura Interview with Michael Bybee and Sean McCann in The War Within - Delves, Mythic Affixes, Raid Buffs
Naguura interviewed Michael Bybee and Sean McCann about End-Game in the War Within covering Delves, Mythic+ Affixes, raid buffs, encounter difficulty and more! We've summarized some of the biggest points, but please check out the full video for full context and additional questions!
This Week in WoW (April 19, 2024) - The War Within, Collector's Edition, Plundersurge,
It's been a busy week in WoW and here's Blizzard's recap of the awesome events that happened this last week.
Get Ready for The War Within with New Raid Consumables - Weapon Oils, Drums, Flasks, and More
Players looking to tackle the toughest content in The War Within are likely all too familiar with the preparation needed for raids, PvP, and Mythic +. To fully unlock your potential, you aren't just running into an instance portal full speed into a pack of enemies — you're toting a full bag of consumables along with you to provide every edge possible. The War Within will be no different, offering players both new and more familiar consumables to work with: everything from enchantments to flasks and potions will be on a raider's To-Do list before that weekly lockout comes around.
Earthen Dungeon Armor and Weapon Models in The War Within
In this post, we're taking a look at all the new «Earthen Dungeon» armor and weapon models in the War Within, presumably from the eight new expansion dungeons. Note that while the weapons come in many colors, the available armor tints are limited--we expect them to increase as the alpha progresses. The cloth set will also have a robe option in the future.
Fancy Cosmetic Helms, Shoulders, and Cloak Models in The War Within
The War Within Alpha adds some elaborate cosmetic models, including Kobold Candle and Fungi helms. Notably there are 3-piece sets (shoulders, tabard, cloak) themed around some major factions in the expansion--check out those Kobold shoulders! Many of the cosmetic helms were also confirmed to be from delves at BlizzCon.
Game Rant Interview on Hero Talents and Dungeons in The War Within - Dragonriding Escort Dungeon
Game Rant interviewed George Velev and Andrew De Sousa on Hero Talent and dungeons in The War Within, discussing the upcoming Dragonriding Escort Dungeon, the Dawnbreaker, and Hero Talents! Game Rant Interview We've briefly summarized some of the major points below, but please read the full interview for more interesting questions and full context!
Khaz Algar Questing Armor and Weapon Models in The War Within
As players quest through Khaz Algar in the War Within, they'll acquire simple gear from leveling themed after the homelands of the Earthen. Here's a look at all of the new weapons and armor from War Within questing. Note that we expect more color variants to be added later in development and we'll update our coverage accordingly!
New Heirloom Ring from Event in The War Within
The War Within data includes an interesting addition: a new heirloom ring. The data indicates that it will be a reward from the pre-expansion patch event or a new World Event present in Khaz Algar. It seems like this new heirloom will be similar to Dragonflight when you could obtain Unstable Elemental Confluence during pre-patch and still during the expansion. The ring is created using Lifeless Stone Ring, which casts Infuse Memories. This spell requires three reagents: