World of Warcraft October 29 Update Brings Long-Awaited Warlock and Warrior Class Changes

Another round of class changes are here, and your favorite World of Warcraft class might look a lot different now.

New buffs and nerfs incoming in World of Warcraft. / Blizzard

Balancing changes aren't uncommon in World of Warcraft, but it was clear after the 20th anniversary update that some things had to change. Some classes came out on the other side, like Elemental Shaman, a bit too strong while Warlocks still left a lot to be desired.

Instead of forgetting about them until the next big content update, Blizzard is addressing the problem with the next game reset. This takes place on October 29 in NA, while EU has to wait until October 30. The reset doesn't bring any additional content to the game, but it could make your next Mythic+ dungeon or raid go smoother, depending on the class you play.

World of Warcraft October 29 Patch Notes

1. Death Knight
2. Druid
3. Hunter
4. Monk
5. Paladin
6. Priest
7. Rogue
8. Shaman
9. Warlock
10. Warrior
11. Player versus Player
12. Druid
13. Hunter
    
14. Monk
15. Paladin
16. Priest
17. Shaman
18. Warrior

Death Knight

Blood

• Blood Boil damage increased by 15%.
• Heart Strike damage increased by 20%.
• Blood Plague damage increased by 10%.
• Death Strike damage increased by 20%.

San’layn

• Developers’ notes: We are looking to increase the effectiveness of the Gift of San’layn window due to the reduced uptime after the patch 11.0.5 changes.
• Vampiric Strike proc chance increased to 35% (was 25%).
• Essence of the Blood Queen duration increased to 25 seconds (was 20 seconds).
• Gift of the San’layn increases the effectiveness of Essence of the Blood Queen by 200% (was 150%).

Druid

Balance

• Developers’ notes: The goals of these changes are to increase single target damage and to even out the power of talents in Balance’s spec tree to provide as much build flexibility to players as possible. We want Power of Goldrinn to be an effective single target pick, and we’d like talents like Touch the Cosmos and Hail of Stars to be more competitive with other options.
• Celestial Alignment and Incarnation: Chosen of Elune once again reset at the end of raid encounters.
• Starfall damage increased by 6%.
• Starsurge damage increased by 8%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
• Starfire damage increased by 5%.
• Wrath damage increased by 10%.
• Shooting Stars and Crashing Stars damage increased by 20%.
• Sunseeker Mushrooms grow 12% less often.
• Touch the Cosmos chance to proc increased to 15% for Wrath and 22% for Starfire.
• Power of Goldrinn’s damage increased by 25%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
• Rattle the Stars increases Starfall and Starsurge damage by 8% (down from 10%).
• New Moon and Half Moon damage reduced by 5%.

Restoration

• Call of the Elder Druid’s duration increased to 15 seconds (was 10 seconds).
• Dream of Cenarius now causes Wrath and Shred to transfer 100% (was 50%) of their damage done into healing and Starfire and Swipe to transfer 50% of their damage done into healing (was 33%).
• Developers’ notes: We’re looking to increase the playability of Dream of Cenarius, as the window for Heart of the Wild is a bit too short to be meaningful and the upside of this talent has not yet been worth it.

Hunter

Beast Mastery

• Developers’ notes: There were some niche situations where players might want to gain Trick Shots or Beast Cleave for more damage from Bleak Powder in single target. Bleak Powder is meant to complement AOE situations, not incentivize the usage of AOE in single target situations.
• Dark Ranger: Bleak Powder no longer damages its primary target.
• Pack Leader: Frenzied Tear proc chance reduced to 10% (was 20%).
• Pack Leader: Vicious Hunt damage reduced by 10%.
• Developers’ notes: Beast Mastery is overperforming in single target, and we’d like to reduce its single target while improving its lackluster AOE.
• Barbed Shot damage reduced by 25%.
• Stomp damage increased by 50%.
• Multi-Shot damage increased by 100%.
• Explosive Venom now procs at 3 stacks (was 5) and will appropriately apply Serpent Sting to enemies regardless of their distance to the caster.

Marksmanship

• Developers’ notes: Dark Ranger is overperforming in single target and we’re looking to reduce it while compensating with some AOE buffs to keep the AOE performance roughly the same.
• Dark Ranger: Black Arrow damage reduced by 10%.
• Dark Ranger: Bleak Powder damage increased by 25%.
• Dark Ranger: Shadow Surge damage increased by 25%.
• Developers’ notes: Symphonic Arsenal lost more bite than intended from the removal of Eagletalon’s True Focus.
• Sentinel: Symphonic Arsenal damage increased by 15%.

Monk

Mistweaver

• All healing increased by 6%.
• Awakened Jadefire now causes Spinning Crane Kick to transfer 110% of damage done (was 90%).
• Jadefire Teachings now increases Ancient Teachings by an additional 160% (was 140%).
• Rushing Wind Kick’s damage increased by 150% and Rushing Winds now increases Renewing Mist healing by 100% for its duration (was 50%).
• Yu’lon’s Whisper healing increased by 400%.
• Jade Bond now increases Mastery: Gust of Mist’s healing by 20% (was 60%).
• Developers’ notes: We’re excited that the Chi-Ji Mastery build exists and is powerful in the right conditions, but numerically, its output has been above where we’re comfortable. We’re decreasing the effectiveness of this build without breaking the cooldown reduction gameplay to keep the feel the same and compensating baseline to shrink the difference between this high-end output and regular play.

Paladin

• Developers’ notes: Holy Paladins’ mana has been plentiful enough to use Beacon of Virtue more often than we would like throughout a raid encounter. We would like the use of Beacon of Virtue to influence mana decisions more heavily.
• Beacon of Virtue now costs 5% base mana (was 4%).
• Holy Shock now costs 2.8% base mana (was 2.6%).

Priest

Discipline

• Developers’ notes: We’re increasing Discipline’s direct healing throughput to help in situations where no enemy target is present to trigger Atonement. We would also like to nudge Discipline’s performance up in raid, particularly for Oracle.
• Power Word: Radiance healing increased by 20%.
• Flash Heal healing increased by 15%.
• Premonition of Piety increases healing done by 20% (was 15%).
• Preemptive Care increases Atonement duration by 4 seconds (was 3 seconds).

Shadow

• Psychic Link now causes direct damage to inflict 30% of damage dealt to targets afflicted by Vampiric Touch (was 25%).

Rogue

Assassination

• Master Assassin - Critical Strike Chance granted during effect reduced to 20% (was 25%).
  
  

Shaman

Elemental

• Developers’ notes: With all of the changes to Elemental and Enhancement Shaman in patch 11.0.5, some changes were performing beyond our tuning goals. We’re adjusting several talents and abilities to reduce their overall power.
• Farseer: Ancestor Chain Lightning damage increased by 40%. Not applied to PvP combat.
• Farseer: Ancestor Lava Burst damage increased by 15%. Not applied to PvP combat.
• Farseer: Ancestor Elemental Blast damage increased by 15%. Not applied to PvP combat.
• Stormbringer: Arc Discharge now grants 1 instant cast Chain Lightning or Lightning Bolt (was 2).
• Stormbringer: Voltaic Surge now increases Earthquake and Chain Lightning damage by 5% (was 15%).
• Echo Chamber now increases the damage of Elemental Overloads by 20% (was 40%).
• Ascendance now increases the damage of Elemental Overloads by 100% while active (was 150%).
• Preeminence now increases haste by 20% while Ascendance is active (was 25%).
• Icefury now increases Frost Shock damage by 200% (was 150%).

Enhancement

• Developers’ notes: With all of the changes to Elemental and Enhancement Shaman in patch 11.0.5, some changes were performing beyond our tuning goals. We’re adjusting several talents and abilities to reduce their overall power.
• Lightning Bolt damage reduced by 10%. Not applied to PvP combat.
• Chain Lightning damage reduced by 10%. Not applied to PvP combat.
• Stormbringer: Tempest damage reduced by 15%. Not applied to PvP combat.

Restoration

• Farseer: Ancestor Chain Lightning damage increased by 40%. Not applied to PvP combat.
• Farseer: Ancestor Lava Burst damage increased by 15%. Not applied to PvP combat.

Warlock

• Developers’ notes: We are increasing the throughput of all Warlock specializations to make each more competitive with other classes in both single-target and multi-target situations. In particular, for Demonology this means reverting the reduction in Demonic Core generation to help with their overall mobility. We will continue to monitor the performance of each specialization and make further adjustments where needed.

Affliction

• Hellcaller: Wither damage increased by 25%. This change does not affect PvP combat.
• Agony damage increased by 15%. This change does not affect PvP combat.
  Corruption damage increased by 25%. This change does not affect PvP combat.
  Unstable Affliction damage increased by 20%. This change does not affect PvP combat.

Demonology

• Dreadstalkers now have a 100% chance to generate a Demonic Core (was 50%).
• Grimoire: Felguard damage is now increased by 125% (was 60%).
• Hand of Gul’dan damage increased by 25%.
• Call Dreadstalkers damage increased by 20%.

Destruction

• Hellcaller: Wither damage increased by 25%. This change does not affect PvP combat.
  
• Chaos Bolt damage increased by 10%.
  
• Immolate damage increased by 25%.
  
• Incinerate damage increased by 20%.
• Conflagrate damage increased by 25%. This change does not affect PvP combat.
  
• Rain of Fire damage increased by 20%.
  
  

Warrior

All

• Execute damage increased by 10%.
  
  

Arms

• Colossus: Demolish single-target damage increased by 15%.
• Slayer: Reap the Storm damage increased by 25%. This change does not affect PvP combat.
• Slayer: Slayer’s Strike damage increased by 15%.
• Mortal Strike damage increased by 15%.
• Overpower damage increased by 15%.
• Dreadnaught damage increased by 15%.
• Cleave damage increased by 20%.

Fury

• Slayer: Reap the Storm damage increased by 25%. This change does not affect PvP combat.
• Slayer: Slayer’s Strike damage increased by 15%.
• Mountain Thane: Lightning Strike damage increased by 30%.
• Bloodthirst damage increased by 20%.
• Bloodbath damage increased by 20%.
• Rampage damage increased by 10%.

Protection

• Colossus: Demolish single-target damage increased by 15%.

Player versus Player

Druid

Balance

• Fixed an issue where Frenzied Regeneration was being reduced more than intended. It should now correctly heal for 5% health every second (was 3% health every second).
• Rejuvenation and Wild Growth healing increased by 20%.

Feral

• Berserk and Incarnation: Avatar of Ashamane now increase damage by 10% in PvP combat (was 15%).
• King of the Jungle increases healing received and movement speed by 3% per stack (was 5%). Stacks up to 3 times (was 4 times).

Hunter

Beast Mastery

• Dark Ranger: Bleak Powder’s damage reduced by 30% in PvP combat.
  
• Dark Ranger: Withering Fire’s additional Black Arrows are now cast at 25% effectiveness (was 50%).
  
  

Marksmanship

• Dark Ranger: Bleak Powder’s damage reduced by 30% in PvP combat.
• Dark Ranger: Withering Fire’s additional Black Arrows are now cast at 25% effectiveness (was 50%).

Monk

Mistweaver

• Jade Empowerment now causes Crackling Jade Lightning to chain to 2 additional enemies (was 4) in PvP combat.

Paladin

Holy

• Herald of the Sun: Blessing of An’she now increases the healing of Holy Shock by 150% (was 200%).
• Herald of the Sun: Eternal Flame healing decreased by 10% in PvP combat.
• Lightsmith: Blessed Assurance now increases Crusader Strike’s damage by 40% in PvP combat (was 120%).
• Word of Glory healing decreased by 10% in PvP combat.
• Mana regeneration decreased by 25% in PvP combat (was 20%).
• Blessing of Summer now transfers 12% of healing into damage in PvP combat (was 18%).
• Hammer of Wrath damage increased 30%. Judgment damage increased 30%.
• Crusader Strike damage increased 30%.
• Avenging Crusader now transfers 200% of damage into healing (was 260%) in PvP combat.

Priest

Discipline

• We would like to make some adjustments to Discipline’s hero talents to make Voidweaver slightly more rewarding since it requires a lot of cast time spells to dish out healing. Oracle’s single target healing is also being slightly reduced.
• Voidheart increases Atonement healing by 30% (was 20%) in PvP combat.
• Premonition of Solace reduces damage taken by 10% in PvP combat (was 15%).
• Premonition of Solace absorption decreased by 15% in PvP combat.

Holy

• Renew healing increased by 20% in PvP combat.
• Prayer of Mending healing increased by 10% in PvP combat.

Shadow

• Developers’ notes: The following changes result in Void Leech healing for a significantly reduced amount in PvP, but for a similar amount as before outside of PvP.
• Void Leech heals every 3 seconds (was 2 seconds). Healing increased to 4% of max health (was 3%).
• Void Leech healing reduced to 2% of max health in PvP combat.
• Collapsing Void damage reduced by 10% in PvP combat.

Shaman

Elemental

• Ascendance now increases the damage of Elemental Overloads by 25% while active in PvP combat (was 75%).
• Lightning Bolt damage increased by 10% in PvP combat.

Enhancement

• Totemic: Whirling Earth now increases Flame Shock direct damage by 150% in PvP combat (was 300%).
  
  

Restoration

• Healing Wave healing increased by 15% in PvP combat.
• Healing Surge healing increased by 15% in PvP combat.

Warrior

Arms

• Slayer: Culling Cyclone now increases Bladestorm’s damage done by 20% (was 10%) per stack in PvP combat.
  
• Slam damage increased by 40% in PvP combat.
  
• Colossus Smash damage increased by 60% in PvP combat.
  
  

Fury

• Slayer: Culling Cyclone now increases Bladestorm’s damage done by 20% (was 10%) per stack in PvP combat.