Patch 7.1.5 for World of Warcraft brought a lot of class changes. We have summarized the key new features at a glance instead of the German patch notes.
Patch 7.1.5 of World of Warcraft has significantly shaken up class balance. Although the goal was for all classes to be more balanced, it will surely take several days and weeks for players to get accustomed to all the changes. We have briefly summarized the most important changes for all classes. German patch notes for the class changes are not yet available two days after the patch. Therefore, we summarize the highlights.
Please note that secondary attributes in patch 7.1.5 have been significantly altered. Most class changes are thus buffs, which relative weakens some secondary stats. Just because it says here that an ability does 15% more damage, does not mean that the “absolute damage” in the game increases. It can look quite different due to other changes outside of these class changes.
Death Knight
PvE: Almost all areas have seen improvements for Death Knights. Blood Death Knights now have enhanced self-healing, and the damage of Frost and Unholy Death Knights has been increased.
PvP: Blood Death Knights now deal 10% less damage in PvP – previously it was 15%. So, a slight increase.
Demon Hunter
PvE: Things are also looking good for Demon Hunters. The damage of almost all abilities has been increased, and Tanks are now a bit more resilient, as more mitigation is already included in their passive bonuses.
PvP: Both specializations now deal more damage. Havoc benefits from improved and new talents that allow dealing percentage-based damage to enemies.
Druid
PvE: Especially Moonkins will be pleased with massive buffs to their abilities, making them more useful in raids, but Feral Druids also benefit from these buffs. For Tanks, the values shift only slightly, while for Healers, almost everything remains unchanged.
PvP: Guardian Druids have received numerous new talents and now deal slightly more damage in PvP while taking less damage.
Hunter
PvE: All Hunters now have access to traps again, and all specializations benefit from buffs to their abilities – especially Survival Hunters, who have been buffed by 12% across all abilities.
PvP: Shorter cooldowns for all Hunters and a slight reduction in damage for Survival Hunters in PvP – this primarily affects their traps.
Mage
PvE: Mages can rejoice, as the damage of all spells has been increased by nearly 12% – for Fire, it is even a remarkable 27%. Additionally, all specializations now have their own shields with different effects, tailored to the respective spec.
PvP: Only Frost Mages have been slightly nerfed, as a talent of Ice Lance has been toned down.
Monk
PvE: Brewmasters are now even better tanks as they can absorb magic damage more effectively. Overall, the damage of all abilities has been increased by 8-9%, and Healers are pleased with reduced cooldowns.
PvP: Shorter cooldowns and lower chi costs for Windwalkers are on the agenda. Otherwise, Brewmasters see some talent changes that slightly reduce their survivability.
Paladin
PvE: Paladins have experienced very few changes. Only the Retribution Paladin had to say goodbye to his major Blessing of Might, but in return, he received a 12% damage boost – some abilities, like Consecration, have been buffed even more.
PvP: The values for Paladins in PvP have been recalculated, making all three specializations a bit more balanced.
Priest
PvE: Shadow Priests lose Mind Blast and their passive effect “Lingering Insanity”, but in return receive a hefty 25% more damage on almost all spells. Void Bolt now increases the duration of DoTs by 3 seconds instead of refreshing them completely.
PvP: Holy Priests can now keep their teammates alive much better in PvP and have received a few new talents. Greater Heal now increases the target’s life by 10%.
Rogue
PvE: Rogues receive buffs to their damage in almost all categories, but at the cost of their slow abilities, which have been toned down. Shred for Outlaw Rogues now also increases energy regeneration.
PvP: Rogues now have about 10% more stamina – and thus hit points – in PvP situations.
Shaman
PvE: Elemental Shamans have had their talents shaken up and damage increased, while Enhancement Shamans deal significantly more damage and have improved self-healing.
PvP: Restoration Shamans have been strengthened. Their Earth Shields can no longer be dispelled and their Healing Wave now heals about 50% stronger than before.
Warlock
PvE: The damage of all primary pets has been increased by 20%. Aside from that, there are only small changes, but Destruction Warlocks now deal more damage than before.
PvP: Affliction Warlocks can now deal percentage-based damage and are more effective against targets below the 30% HP threshold.
Warrior
PvE: Fury and Arms Warriors receive a damage boost of around 5%, while Protection Warriors show improved rage generation.
PvP: Warriors can now disarm, causing enemies to temporarily not wield weapons or shields. Additionally, secondary stats for Fury and Protection Warriors have been adjusted.
If you are interested in the hard details, you can read them in the official patch notes (see sources), but they are still only available in English.
Legendary items can be upgraded to item level 940 with patch 7.1.5.
