The depths of World of Warcraft are getting more difficult again – at least for healers. Because Brann as a tank is receiving massive restrictions.
The depths have received a major update with Season 2, as Brann Bronzebart can now function as a tank. This allowed players to delve into the depths with a healing specialization and achieve successes. This worked well. Too well, as Blizzard found. Because now Brann Bronzebart is getting significant nerfs as a tank.
What is changing about Brann? The list of changes is quite long and affects nearly all aspects of tank Brann. Both the damage he deals will be reduced, and the damage he takes will be significantly increased. In detail, the changes are:
- Electrified devices now grant 30% increased damage per stack (previously 25%).
- Electrified devices no longer stack with healing from the DPS or tank specialization or with passive healing effects.
- The damage buff from electrified devices now has an internal cooldown of 5 seconds on healing over time and passive healing for healer specializations.
- Electrified devices now stack up to 12 times (previously 20 times).
- Thunderstrike from tank Brann deals 35% less damage.
- Thunderstrike from tank Brann deals reduced damage when there are more than 8 targets.
- Electrified pistol from tank Brann deals 35% less damage.
- Pistol shot from tank Brann deals 15% less damage.
- Tank Brann takes 60% more damage.
- The maximum health of tank Brann has been reduced by 20%.
- Bronzebart’s brown bear now deals 80% less melee damage.
- The second stomp of Bronzebart’s brown bear deals 25% less damage.
- The third stomp of Bronzebart’s brown bear deals 35% less damage.
- The stomp from Bronzebart’s brown bear deals less damage when there are more than 8 targets.
- Knocked extension chip now grants 4% / 6% / 8% / 10% additional health at the corresponding ranks.
- Knocked extension chip now causes Brann to lose all threat when the bot reaches him.
- Knocked extension chip now has a large icon for the debuff.
- A bug has been fixed where Brann Bronzebart was benefiting doubly from the bonuses of Bronzebart’s brown bear (health points and avoidance).
In summary: Brann will require your attention much more than before. Also, you will need to deal more damage yourself and cannot just “heal relaxed” – that would probably take quite a long time in the depths.
What does Blizzard say about it? In the official WoW forum, Blizzard argues:
During the first days of Season 2, we noticed that Brann’s tank specialization is the best choice for completing the depths by far. While we are pleased to support a pure healing-focused playstyle in the depths for everyone who wants it, Brann’s tank specialization has simply proven to be too powerful, as players could just sit back and focus solely on their healing.
Our goal is for Brann’s specializations to be approximately equally balanced and for the depths to present a challenge that provides satisfying progress for the chosen playstyle.
Community mocks: “Fun Detected”
Was Brann too strong? That really depends on who you ask. Many have had extremely good experiences with Brann as a tank. As a healer, you could basically stay in the background, provide him with some healing-over-time effects, and hardly had to worry about him while being spared from the mechanics of the mobs. In such cases, the depths at levels 8, 9, 10, or even 11 were significantly too easy.
For others, Brann often feels like a “wet rag” that collapses at the slightest problems. This is especially true with devastating area attacks, which he often does not evade on his own. This can even cause Brann to become a “one-hit” and just collapse.
How well all this works also depends on how high you have leveled your Brann. Some have already leveled Brann to level 70 – then he is extremely tough and strong. Those who have only leveled Brann to level 10 or 20 will run into problems more often.
The community definitely seems to disagree with these drastic changes and complains with the usual “Fun Detected” whenever Blizzard makes a change they don’t like. Whether Brann now functions as intended by the developers after the changes, we will probably find out in the next few days. Overall, the new season is well-received – as many wonder: “What am I overlooking? What is bad?”
