WoW Dragonflight’s first update ushers in major tanking and balance changes

Dragonflight is the latest World of Warcraft expansion that launched on Nov. 28 worldwide. After a full week of discovering the ancient secrets of the Dragon Isles, learning more about the intricate past of Raszageth, and exploring four new zones, it’s time for a weekly reset. Unsurprisingly, this weekly reset has brought substantial changes to classes, including balancing and tweaking tanking.

With this update, Blizzard Entertainment is heavily buffing Fire Mages, Mistweaver Monks, and Protection Warriors. On the other hand, Restoration Druids and Assassination Rogues are getting hit with the nerf hammer to leave room for other classes in Mythic+ dungeon runs. On top of this, the devs are giving tanks additional threat generation to ensure that first dungeon pulls are nothing but smooth sailing.

So, let’s take a look at all class changes in Dragonflight that will go live after this weekly reset.

Class balancing

Tank specializations    

• Tank-specialized characters now generate 650 percent additional threat (was 550 percent).            

Demon Hunter    

• The Hunt damage reduced by 10 percent.
• Fodder to the Flame’s trigger rate no longer scales with Haste.   

Druid    

Restoration        

• Regrowth healing decreased by six percent.           

Hunter    

• Steel Trap damage has been reduced by 20 percent.
• Explosive Shot damage has been increased by 15 percent.
• Barrage damage has been increased by 15 percent.

Marksmanship        

• [All damage increased by 10 percent.
• Heavy Ammo now causes Trick Shot ricochets to deal an additional 25 percent damage (was 10 percent).       

Survival        

• All damage increased by five percent.       

Mage    

Fire        

• Flamestrike damage increased by eight percent.
• Pyroblast damage increased by five percent.
• Fireball damage increased by 10 percent.
• Scorch damage increased by 10 percent.
• Ignite damage increased by five percent.       

Monk    

Brewmaster        

• Brewmaster’s Balance now grants 45 percent increased Stamina (was 30 percent).       

Mistweaver        

• Awakened Faeline Spinning Crane Kick now heals three nearby allies for 60 percent of the damage done (was 50 percent).
• Vivify healing to primary target increased by 20 percent.
• Peaceful Mending now increases healing received by Enveloping Mist and Renewing Mist by 30 percent (was 20 percent).
• Yu’lon’s Whisper now heals five targets (was six) and healing increased by 15 percent.           

Paladin    

Protection        

• Aegis of Light now grants 50 percent increased Stamina (was 45 percent) and 30 percent increased Armor (was 15 percent).

Rogue    

Assassination        

• Exsanguinate cooldown increased to three minutes (was 45 seconds) and bleed effect magnitude reduced to 80 percent (was 100 percent).                        

Shaman    

Restoration        

• All healing spells healing increased by five percent.
• Acid Rain damage increased by 50 percent.   

Warlock    

• Soul Leech now converts three percent of damage dealt to an absorb shield (was six percent).   

Warrior    

Arms        

• Fueled by Violence now heals for 85 percent of the damage done by Deep Wounds (was 65 percent).       

Protection        

• Fueled by Violence now causes Deep Wounds to heal you for 85 percent (was 65 percent) of the damage it deals.
• Brutal Vitality now adds 15 percent of the damage dealt to your active Ignore Pain (was 30 percent).

Player versus Player   

Death Knight        

• Anti-Magic Shell (Talent) absorption amount reduced by 25 percent in PvP combat.
• Improved Death Strike increase to Death Strike’s healing has been reduced by 50 percent in PvP combat.
• Will of the Necropolis (Talent) damage reduction reduced by 50 percent in PvP combat.
• Anti-Magic Barrier (Talent) increase to Anti-Magic Shell duration and amount absorbed has been reduced by 50 percent in PvP combat.
• Abomination Limb (Talent) will no longer pull individual enemy players more than once over its duration (was every four seconds).

Frost            

• Death Strike’s healing increased based on recent damage is reduced by 50 percent if the damage was dealt by players or their pets.           

Unholy            

• Death Strike’s healing increased based on recent damage is reduced by 50 percent if the damage was dealt by players or their pets.            

Druid        

Restoration            

• Budding Leaves is now 70 percent effective in PvP combat.           

Evoker        

• Scarlet Adaptation’s cap is reduced by 30 percent in PvP combat.
• Fire Breath’s initial damage is reduced by 30 percent in PvP combat.
• Disintegrate and Pyre deal 15 percent increased damage in PvP combat.    

Preservation            

• Mana regeneration is reduced by an additional 10 percent in PvP combat.    

Mage        

Arcane            

• Nether Precision now 75 percent effective in PvP combat.
• Prodigious Savant now 80 percent effective in PvP combat.
• Arcane Bombardment now 65 percent effective in PvP combat.                        

Frost                

• Piercing Cold is now 50 percent effective in PvP combat.
• Ice Lance damage increased by 20 percent in PvP combat.
• (PvP Talent) Snowdrift no longer has a cast time (was 1.5 seconds).
• (PvP Talent) Snowdrift’s cooldown reduced to 45 seconds (was 60 seconds).                                    

Monk        

Mistweaver            

• Ancient Teachings of the Monastery now heals for 375 percent of damage done in PvP combat (was 240 percent).                    

Rogue        

• Echoing Reprimand damage reduced by 30 percent in PvP combat.                        

Shaman    

Elemental            

• Magma Chamber effectiveness reduced by 50 percent in PvP combat.                        

Enhancement            

• Improved Maelstrom Weapon increases the damage and healing of spells by eight percent/15 percent per stack of Maelstrom Weapon in PvP combat (was 10 percent/20 percent).
• Raging Maelstrom increases the effectiveness of Maelstrom Weapon stacks by three percent in PvP combat (was five percent).
• Stormstrike and Windstrike damage increased by 30 percent in PvP combat.            

Warlock        

• Curse of Tongues reduces cast time by 10 percent in PvP combat (was 15 percent).
• Curse of Tongues applied through Amplify Curse reduces cast time by 20 percent in PvP combat (was 35 percent).                    

Warrior        

Arms            

• Mortal Strike’s damage is no longer reduced by 30 percent in PvP combat.
• Sharpened Blades now increases critical strike damage by five percent in PvP combat (was 10 percent).
• Martial Prowess now increases Mortal Strike’s damage by 15 percent per stack in PvP combat (was 30 percent).
• Execute damage increased by 20 percent in PvP combat (Arms only).
• Rend damage reduced by 15 percent in PvP combat (Arms only).   

War Mode    

• Bloody Tokens from honorable kills are no longer awarded while in a raid.    

Professions

Alchemy    

• Alchemical Experimentation has been re-enabled.   

Engineering    

• Tinker’s Workbench and Portable Tinker’s Workbench are now also considered Anvils.

Reputation

Cobalt Assembly    

• Leech stacks now capped at five.