Blizzard to nerf Sludgefist and rework Stone Legion Generals in latest WoW patch

Blizzard is targeting Castle Nathria in World of Warcraft’s latest patch, nerfing Mythic Sludgefist and reworking the notoriously difficult Stone Legion Generals encounter.

With the scheduled weekly maintenance this week, the devs are deploying adjustments and fixes to dungeons and the Castle Nathria raid. The goals of the patch, according to Blizzard, are “orientated around eliminating some pain points” while “reducing difficulty in encounters” that have shown themselves to be “frustrating.” 

Plaguefall, Sanguine Depths, Spires of Ascension, and The Necrotic Wake are each receiving changes, reducing the health and damage of a wide range of mobs and bosses. These adjustments should help players push their Mythic+ keys above and beyond what they were previously capable of achieving. 

Council of Blood in Castle Nathria, Sludgefist, and Stone Legion Generals are also in line for changes. The damage of Sludgefist’s Colossal Roar, Chain Slam, and Chain Bleed are set to be reduced in the Mythic difficulty of the raid. And Stone Legion Generals’ health, damage, and absorb shield are being turned down a notch.

With the changes to Stone Legion generals, in addition to reducing the overall difficulty, the devs aim to make the encounter feel more consistent between attempts. While certain abilities are no longer avoidable, their “impact together with other abilities should be more realistic to manage, and the order in which they occur should be more reliable.”

Here are the patch notes for WoW’s latest update.

Dungeons and raids

• Manifestation of Pride (Prideful Affix) now sees through Stealth and Invisibility effects

Plaguefall

Margrave Stradama

• Plaguebound Devoted health and damage reduced by 40 percent
• Reduced the cast frequency of Infectious Rain during her final phase
• Slightly adjusted the timing of Plague Crash so there is a little more time between tentacle slaps

Sanguine Depths

• Fixed an issue where flying Chamber Sentinels would fail to contribute Enemy Forces requirements on Mythic Keystone difficulty

Kryxis the Voracious

• Severing Smash damage reduced by 20 percent on all difficulties
• Essence Absorption damage reduced by 20 percent on Mythic difficulty.

Executor Tarvold

• Fleeting Manifestation health reduced by 20 percent

Spires of Ascension

• Lakesis, Klotos, and Astronos are no longer affected by Mythic Keystone affixes that trigger on death (example: Sanguine)
• Lakesis, Klotos, and Astronos Oppression now increase damage taken by 1 percent per application (was 2 percent)

The Necrotic Wake

• When Bloody Javelin and Discharged Anima hits more than eight enemies, the total damage is distributed evenly across all targets
• Kyrian armaments (Bloody Javelin, Discarded Shield, Discharged Anima, and Forgotten Forgehammer) now persist through death
• Brittlebone Crossbowman damage reduced by 20 percent
• Fixed an issue where Brittlebone Crossbowman’s Shoot was ignoring armor
• Brittlebone Warrior damage reduced by 20 percent
• Brittlebone Mage’s Frostbolt Volley damage reduced by 20 percent and cast time increased to 3.5 seconds (was 2.5 seconds)
• Brittlebone Mage’s Frostbolt damage reduced by 36 percent and cast time increased to 2.5 seconds (was 2 seconds)
• Corpse Harvester health reduced by 29 percent
• Corpse Collector health reduced by 29 percent
• Stitched Vanguard health reduced by 14 percent
• Nar’zudah’s health reduced by 20 percent
• Skeletal Monstrosity’s health reduced by 20 percent and melee damage reduced by 25 percent
• Loyal Creation health reduced by 24 percent
• Kyrian Stitchwerk health reduced by 25 percent and melee damage reduced by 17 percent

Blightbone

• Carrion Worm’s Blood Gorge applications required to trigger Carrion Eruption increased to 5 (was 3)

Amarth

• Reduced the range skeletons are summoned during Land of the Dead
• Unholy Frenzy attack speed bonus reduced by 20 percent
• Reanimated Warrior damage reduced by 20 percent
• Reanimated Crossbowman damage reduced by 20 percent
• Reanimated Mage’s Frostbolt Volley damage reduced by 20 percent
• Reanimated Mage’s Frostbolt Volley damage reduced by 36 percent and cast time increased to 2.5 seconds (was 2 seconds)

Surgeon Stitchflesh

• Embalming Ichor duration reduced to 1 minute (was 6 minutes)

Castle Nathria

Council of Blood

• Dreadbolt Volley damage reduced by up to 20 percent in smaller raid sizes in Raid Finder, Normal, and Heroic difficulties. Damage will remain the same in 30-player raids
• Drain Essence damage reduced by up to 20 percent in smaller raid sizes in Raid Finder, Normal, and Heroic difficulties. Damage will remain the same in 30-player raids
• Dark Recital duration reduced to 6 seconds on Normal and Heroic difficulties (was 7 seconds)

Sludgefist

• Colossal Roar damage reduced by 10 percent on Mythic difficulty
• Chain Slam damage reduced by 35 percent on Mythic difficulty
• Chain Bleed damage reduced by 35 percent on Mythic difficulty

Stone Legion Generals

• Stone Legion Goliath health reduced by 10 percent on Mythic difficulty
• Stone Legion Goliath’s Ravenous Feast cooldown increased by 6 seconds on Mythic difficulty
• Stone Legion Skirmisher health reduced by 6 percent on Mythic difficulty
• Serrated Swipe, SerratedTear, and Stone Fist’s range increased to 100 yards (was 10 and 20 yards)
• Serrated Tear and Stone Fist damage reduced by 20 percent on Mythic difficulty
• Heart Rend’s range increased to 300 yards (was 10 yards)
• Heart Rend no longer applies Heart Hemorrhage to the player who dispelled the Magic effect on Mythic difficulty
• General Kaal and General Grashaal’s spell cooldowns now reset with phase changes
• Volatile Stone Shell absorb shield decreased by 20 percent on Mythic difficulty

The patch is scheduled to roll out later today in North America.