Some classes and specializations in World of Warcraft currently have a pretty poor standing, especially in raids. However, the three weakest are now receiving a significant buff aimed at bringing them out of the slump.
These are the buffs: On Wednesday, January 13, 2021, a new balance patch for Shadowlands will be released. This will strengthen three of the classes that are currently at the bottom of the ranks in the raid Castle Nathria:
- Assassination Rogues: Damage of all abilities increased by 8%
- Frost Mages: Damage of all abilities increased by 9%
- Fury Warriors: Damage of all abilities except “Bladestorm” and “Dragon Roar” increased by 8%. The talent “Butchery” increases the damage of “Whirlwind” by 25% (previously 30%)
In the current DPS list of Shadowlands , these three classes occupy the last three spots in heroic mode. Even in normal and mythic modes, they hold three of the last four positions. That may change soon.
Mages, Rogues, and Warriors Buffed
What do the buffs mean? The increased damage on all abilities means that the overall damage of each specialization will also roughly increase by this value. However, since players typically do not play perfectly, the boosts are expected to be around 7-8%.
For each of these classes, this translates to an increase in damage of roughly 250 DPS.
How strong will the classes be afterward: In the DPS ranking, Assassination Rogues, Frost Mages, and Fury Warriors are likely to make up about one to three ranks. Thus, they won’t rise very far in the rankings.
Furthermore, they will still remain significantly behind their other specializations. Each of the classes has at least one specialization that is still considerably stronger. Therefore, the actual effects are relatively small, similar to the previous nerf of the three strongest classes.
However, the buff means that the classes no longer have to be considered “unplayable.” Even if they remain relatively weak, they are catching up to other classes. Those who play well with them may now perform better than with a specialization that does not suit them.
More buffs and changes for many specs
In addition to the three weak classes, there are further balance adjustments and a minor change in PvP:
- Blood Death Knights now receive 70% of their strength as armor through Bone Shield (previously 50%)
- Frost Death Knights gain an additional 2% damage when wielding a two-handed weapon
- Windwalker and Brewmaster Monks gain an additional 2% damage when wielding a two-handed weapon
- Players now drop flags in PvP when the ability “Capsule Caregiver” from the Night Fae Covenant is activated
All changes are currently still in progress. The numbers may still change before the update is released.
On Wednesday, you can also look forward to more story snippets regarding the plot of Shadowlands. Things are currently heating up, as developments concerning Sylvanas and Anduin are sparking more discussions and speculations. When we asked you whether the “evil” Sylvanas should become “good” again, you had a clear opinion on that.
