For frost mages, the pre-patch for the expansion Midnight of World of Warcraft is a cause for celebration. An old friend is coming back.
Mages in World of Warcraft are still largely based on the mage concepts that existed back in Warcraft III. Spells like Fireball or Invisibility were present early on. A particularly iconic spell for Jaina Proudmoore (and all archmages in the game) back then was the Summon Water Elemental. A skill that mages could also learn with Wrath of the Lich King.
But with Dragonflight, the Water Elemental disappeared – only to celebrate a revival now. Because with the pre-patch 12.0, the bubbly companion is returning.
Finally back: The Water Elemental
What is changing? With the pre-patch of Midnight, which will be released in Europe on January 21, there are already significant changes to the game systems. This also includes the revisions of the talent trees. Especially for frost mages, this should be a reason to celebrate, as those who want to can learn the ability “Summon Water Elemental” – which hasn’t been in the game for about 2 and a half years.
With this, mages finally have the opportunity to be a “pet class” in WoW – just like hunters, warlocks, or death knights.
Was the Water Elemental around in the meantime? Yes, but only as a temporary cooldown. Those who wanted could briefly have a Water Elemental by using the ability “Icy Veins”. However, this was a “choice talent” and the alternative was usually more efficient. Moreover, it wasn’t quite the same to have the companion activated only for a short phase and not permanently.
When the Water Elemental was removed, the disappointment was great. Some mages even set out to show their elemental “all the beautiful places” one last time.
The return of Bubbles, Streams, and all other Elementals
Community celebrates the return: In the WoW subreddit, the return of the Water Elemental is being celebrated with a little comic:
But also the comments under the post show how much some mages have missed their Water Elemental:
- “I don’t care if Bubbles ends up being a DPS loss, I will use the talent. This is a monumental victory for mages.” – Just_a_Tomberry
- “Real mages choose the pet. That’s as iconic as a warrior charging over a cliff.” – Motormand
- “Water Elementals were an iconic ability of the archmage in Warcraft III. It was incomprehensible to me that they removed it at all.” – Auriansmule
- “I’m so happy! I’ve missed him! Welcome back, Streams!” – IamRoofstone
At least for mages, there is a small “happy ending” coming on Wednesday when they can finally be reunited with their Water Elemental. However, whether the cheerful companion will ultimately be strong enough to justify its choice as a talent remains to be seen. While Water Elementals return, other rewards are disappearing forever – you have only a few days left.
