The new addon from World of Warcraft, Dragonflight, is expected to be released in 2022. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus was able to take a look at the game before the alpha and is excited about the new class. The Evoker is really fun!
The press event lasted only 2 days, but I made the most of it. I spent over 10 hours exploring the new content of Dragonflight, including UI enhancements, crafting, and one of the new zones. In our hub, you can find the summary of features from Dragonflight.
However, most of my time was spent playing the new class. I spent 7 hours checking out the Evoker, a truly special class.
Because it is closely tied to the new race of Dracthyr. Every Dracthyr is an Evoker and every Evoker must be a Dracthyr. All of this comes with almost unnecessarily many customization options, which made my character creation take 10 minutes.
Honestly, I didn’t expect much from the Evoker. A spellcasting class that comes with only 2 specs, wears chain armor, and fights with elemental magic? Sounds like shamans, and I found them boring.
Generally, I do not like casters. Since Cataclysm was released in 2010, I have only played melee characters as my main. I always leveled my warlock to max level, but I have only raided actively with warriors, rogues, paladins, and death knights for the past 12 years.
Now the Evoker comes and shows me how much I may have missed. Because wow, it is really fun!
We have compiled some highlights from my test here for you in a handy 3 minutes of gameplay. Keep in mind that this is an early alpha and the gameplay may change before release:
Only 2 Specs, but many playstyles
Similar to demon hunters from Legion, Evokers only have 2 specializations: Devastation (DPS) and Preservation (healing). However, they don’t really fight with elemental magic, but with the colors of the various dragonflights:
- Red and blue deal magical damage
- Green and bronze are responsible for healing
- Black brings defensive abilities – maybe even for a future tank role
Dracthyr are descendants of dragons and accordingly, they can also fly. As in the new dragon riding system, Dracthyr can take to the skies and then glide, build momentum with abilities, and cover great distances. However, this requires practice.
The special feature of the Evokers is 2 brand new spell mechanics: Essences and Empowerment. Essences are needed as a resource to cast stronger spells. Empowerment makes spells stronger the longer they are cast with different effects.
Read more about the new Evoker class in our special:
Talents make Evokers really shine
All of this may initially sound standard for a new class, perhaps even somewhat less than usual. What makes me consider the Evoker after 12 years as the first caster is the versatility.
With Dragonflight, a talent system returns. And here the Evoker clearly stands out from all previously known talent trees. Because even within its specializations, there are further refinements available that allow me to play in my own way:
- A focus on blue abilities increases “cleave” damage and spontaneous spells
- Red abilities resemble the fire mage with strong AoE spells
- Green spells are for direct healing and regeneration
- Bronze abilities require foresight, can prevent damage, and even repeat spells
I really feel like a descendant of the famous dragon aspects as a Dracthyr Evoker and that is exactly why the new class is so exciting. Additionally, the Evoker’s ability kit feels rounded, perhaps even a bit too strong.
I tested alongside Marylin Marx from GameStar – she as a red dragon, I as a blue. We started directly at level 65, the maximum was 68. Our experiences were quite different, as I could gather from our conversations.
While I primarily fought with spontaneous spells and a lot of movement, Mary often stood back and bombed enemies from afar. At GameStar, you can read Mary’s impressions of the alpha of Dragonflight as well as her interview with Game Director Ion Hazzikostas.
Along with the Dracthyr, dragon riding is introduced as a new feature in Dragonflight. You can see gameplay in this video:
Versatile and fun, but also really hard to learn
Even as a DPS Evoker, I can heal fairly well with at least 2 spells and keep myself and my group alive. The spells flow – at least as a blue dragon – smoothly into each other with harmonious variations of long casts, spontaneous spells, and channeling.
All of this revolves around the dragon fantasy. Things like fire breath or the infamous devastation flight of Deathwing, which even has a healing version, are part of the kit. The last time I got so immersed in a class fantasy was with the Order Halls in Legion. Especially the rogue with his pirate rework back then completely captivated me – just like the Evoker does now.
On the downside, the Evoker is quite hard to play. Already during the character creation, there’s a warning that this is an “advanced class” and you might be better off playing another if you are not experienced.
In fact, it’s hard to figure out when to use what, overwhelmed by new talents and abilities. Even after 7 hours of intense play, I am not sure if I am really doing everything right. But at least it felt better over time.
Since the press event was designed for us to quest through a new area, I mostly played the DPS spec. There were no dungeons, so I couldn’t really test the healer, just a little experimentation.
What I have seen and tried so far seems just as unique as the damage spec. Green dragons play differently than bronze ones, similar to discipline and holy priests healing in different ways.
By the way … now that I can talk about it: The leak about inventory in Dragonflight is true. There really is a new bag slot, and at least in alpha, some materials can stack up to 1,000 times. Whether this will be taken over remains to be seen. In the video, we reveal everything you need to know about Dragonflight in 3 minutes:
The Evoker as a Model for the Future
One reason why I find Evokers better than all other casters is their range. Unlike most spell classes, Evokers have many abilities that only have a range of 25 meters.
This makes Evokers a “mid-range” class, as Product Director Pat Dawson also told me in the subsequent interview. They fill a gap between melee and ranged fighters, and in terms of positioning, they are unique.
There have been player ideas for such classes since at least Legion. Demon hunters or hunters with two ranged weapons like hand crossbows or pistols. Outlaw rogues as real gunslingers with ranged capabilities at medium distance.
So far, these classes do not exist yet, and the Evoker is the first to truly test this range. Dawson mentioned that they are currently observing how the new ideas are received. However, Evokers may serve as a model for future class changes or new specs.
If you want to get a picture of the new features and the Dracthyr for yourself, you can register for the beta test of Dragonflight. The alpha starts today (July 14, 2022), but only for a few selected players. The beta is expected to be more accessible to more people.
Dragonflight is set to be released in 2022, and according to Dawson, everything is on the right track to achieve this goal. Internally, the game is already much further along. Even my test felt … more complete than the alpha of Shadowlands at that time. But whether everything really works out remains to be seen. The community is still divided:
WoW: Fans look skeptically at the new expansion Dragonflight – rightly so?
