Heroes!

Big February updates arrive for both realms: a Balance Patch and the release of Mythic and Ascended Black Temple on Area 52!

Mythic and Ascended Black Temple

Prepare for the ultimate Black Temple experience: Mythic and Ascended difficulties release MARCH 2nd @ 18:00 Server Time!

Charge into the toughest Black Temple experience yet as you face off against Illidan to grab the best PvE loot in the game. Mythic and Ascended BT feature exclusive mechanics, epic rewards, unique achievements, custom mounts, and more! In addition to Mythic and Ascended versions of your favorite BT loot, you can complete Mythic/Ascended specific Achievements to unlock rare cosmetic mounts and show the world your skill. Rumor has it that Illidan himself has a chance to drop an extremely rare mount…

Guilds eager to prove their dedication and prowess can compete against each other in the Race to Realm First, which begins as soon as the raid goes live at 18:00 Server Time on March 2nd. Being the first guild to slay Illidan on Mythic/Ascended will net you a World First Achievement, and the exclusive (and adorable) Illidan Stormrage non-combat pet.

Do you have what it takes to overcome deadly new mechanics and take down the Lord of Outland? The challenge begins March 2nd.

• Mythic and Ascended Black Temple release March 2nd @ 18:00 Server Time
• New Boss Mechanics
• New Achievements
• New Cosmetic Mounts
• Mythic/Ascended Loot
• Challenge the Race to Realm First!

Balance Updates

February brings a big balance patch to both realms. These changes are targeted at improving the experience on Area 52. An Elune specific Balance Patch is in development, which will see many of the below Mystic Enchantment buffs coming to Wildcard-specific Talents and Abilities.

Tank Changes

Tanks have traditionally had a lot of overlap in how they do their job of ‘not taking damage’. To differentiate tanking styles and ensure that each style of tank feels awesome to play and has its own unique feel, strengths, and weaknesses, Ascension is moving towards the following vision for each style of tank:

• Defensive Stance - An iron bulwark that shrugs off damage with high baseline % damage mitigation
• Righteous Fury - A divine knight, capable of self-sustain and powerful temporary cooldowns
• Mana-Forged Barrier - A mage-tank that unleashes powerful spells to decimate enemies and defend allies
• Swashbuckler - An agile dodge/parry-focused adventurer that uses quick footwork to avoid damage
• Bear Form - A beastly juggernaut with massive HP that mauls foes
• Dark Apotheosis - A demonic tank that transforms Spell Power into Dodge to avoid damage and cleave through foes

This February Balance Update aims to help all tanking styles perform at all levels of play.

• Mana-Forged Barrier and Swashbuckler

Mana-Forged Barrier and Swashbuckler Tanks had trouble keeping pace with the massive DPS that Heroes have at higher tiers of play. The following buffs aim to solve Threat issues with Mana-Forged Barrier and Swashbuckler Tanks to bring them up to par with their counterparts:

[Both Realms] [Mana-Forged Barrier] Increased the base threat of Mana-forged Barrier by 5%.

[Both Realms] Increased the threat of Power Surge by 33%.

[Area 52] [Eldritch Knight] Increased the threat of Eldritch Wrath.

[Area 52] [Thermal Void] Increased the threat of Snowstorm and Ice Blast.

[Area 52] [Thermal Void] Increased the Frost Threat from 30% up to 50%.

[Area 52] [Thermal Void] The duration of Arctic Bulwark is increased to 3 seconds from 2 seconds.

[Area 52] [Thermal Void] Arctic Bulwark refunds 3% max mana when triggered.

[Area 52] [Bloodsail Captain] Increased the base threat mod of Captains Resolve from 25% up to 50%.

[Area 52] [Bloodsail Captain] Increased the weapon damage of Hammer the Gap to from 70% up to 120% match Devastate. This will result in a large threat increase from Hammer the Gap.

[Area 52] [Bloodsail Captain] Blurring Blade can now trigger from dodges as well as parries.

[Area 52] [Bloodsail Captain] Blurring Blade now restores 5 energy when you dodge or parry, with a one second internal cooldown.

[Area 52] [Bloodsail Captain] Fixed an issue causing Puncture to increase the cost of Hammer the Gap drastically instead of lowering it.

[Area 52] [Bloodsail Captain] Increased the Agility to Parry rating conversion from 20% to 30%.

[Area 52] [Bloodsail Captain] Hammer the Gap now generates 2 combo points.

• Righteous Fury and Crimson Champion

Righteous Fury and Crimson Champion tanks had access to huge amounts of damage reduction on a low cooldown, making them extremely overperforming at higher levels of content. The following changes bring them more in-line with other tanks, allowing them to remain viable without being mandatory.

[Both Realms] [Divinity] The Capstone Bonus of Divinity now reduces the cooldown of Divine Protection by 1 second instead of 2 seconds when being healed by others

[Both Realms] [Crimson Champion] Power Word: Shield now reduces all damage taken by 30% down from 50% for 5 seconds

[Both Realms] [Touched By the Light] While active, Touched by the Light will now cause Shroud of Light to heal you based on 25% of the damage taken, down from 30%
[Both Realms] [Touched By the Light] Touched By the Light now triggers once every 2 seconds, up from once every 1 second

 

• Bear Form

Bears have always been beastly tanks with a massive pool of HP. They will now also be a bit easier to heal thanks to a new interaction with Ironfur

[Both Realms] [New Capstone] [Elder Hide] Ironfur now increases your healing received by 4% per stack.

[Both Realms] Challenging Roar and Challenging Shout have had their cooldown reduced to 90 seconds from 180 seconds.

[Area 52] [Debilitating Roar] The cooldown reduction of Challenging Roar has been adjusted to 30 seconds from 120 seconds because the base cooldown has been changed, this still results in Challenging Roar having a 1 minute cooldown with the epic RE investment.

• Defensive Stance

Defensive Stance now has more baseline tankiness built into it, as well as a new method to clear Stagger without relying on the Undaunted LRE.

[Both Realms] The attack power reduction of Fracture can now be triggered by any damaging Warrior ability.

[Both Realms] [New Capstone] [Fracture] Fracture also applies Fractured Defenses to the target lowering their armor by 5%, this does not stack with similar effects.

[Both Realms] Improved Defensive Stance now reduces your damage taken by 3/6% from 2/4% and when you become enraged you gain 6/12% increased Physical damage.

[Both Realms] Improved Bloodrage now makes Bloodrage reduce your damage taken while you are in Defensive Stance by 2/4%.

[Both Realms] [New Capstone] [Improved Bloodrage] Casting Bloodrage clears your current Stagger, this effect can only occur once every 30 seconds.

[Both Realms] Shield Mastery now increases the damage reduction of Shield Wall by 7/15%.

DPS Changes

The February balance patch brings minor tweaks to both over-performing and under-performing builds to ensure as many playstyles as possible can compete at all levels of play.

[Area 52] [Dark Ranger] Shadow Artillery now lasts for 8 seconds, from 3 seconds. And the dot deals damage every 2 seconds from every 1 second. Shadow Artillery will now increase all damage taken from the caster by 10%.

[Area 52] [Dark Ranger] Casting Shadow Artillery now increases the damage of further Shadow Artillery casts by 20% for 5 seconds, stacking 3 times. This effect cannot be refreshed at 3 stacks.

[Area 52] [Dark Ranger] Increased the ranged weapon damage of Dark Arrows from 70% to 80%.

[Area 52] [Dark Ranger] Dark Arrows now has 6 charges from 5.

[Area 52] [Dark Ranger] Fixed an issue where Explosive Shot could trigger, and consume Dark Arrow charges upon dealing damage instead of upon casting the ability.

[Area 52] [Paratrooper] Reduced the weapon damage of Orbital Arrows from 100% to 90%.

[Area 52] [Locust Ranger] Increased the ranged weapon damage of Locust Shot from 75% to 90%.

[Area 52] [Wild Wrath] The Wrath damage increase from Wild Wrath is now 6% from 8% per stack, but it now also grants 6% critical strike chance per stack.

[Area 52] [Bone Arrow] Increased the base damage and scaling of the direct damage and dot portion of Bone Arrow by 20%.

[Area 52] [White Walker] Increased the combo point attack and spellpower scaling of Winds of Winter by 25%.

[Area 52] [Gurubashi Berserker] Reduced the Execute damage increase from Onslaught from 30% to 20%.

[Area 52] [Gurubashi Berserker] Gurubashi Rage now grants 20% increased rage generation, from 50%.

[Area 52] [Gurubashi Berserker] Gurubashi Bloodsurge now grants 25% Armor Penetration from 50%.

[Area 52] [Stormborn] Reduced the Lightning Shield damage increase from 100% to 75%.

[Area 52] [Stormborn] Maelstrom Weapon now increases the damage of Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning by 10% per stack against monsters.

[Area 52] [Stormborn] Stormborn no longer reduces the cooldown of Shamanistic Rage; it now instead reduces the cooldown of Air Ascendancy by 6 seconds.

[Area 52] [Ice Barrage] Increase the scaling of all Icicles by 30%.

[Area 52] [Ice Barrage] Increase the scaling of the direct damage and dot portion of Frostflame Shock by 30%.

[Area 52] [Ice Barrage] Increased duration of Frostflame shock to 18 seconds from 12

[Area 52] [Ice Barrage] The 5th Icicle will now trigger Brain Freeze if the final rank of Brain Freeze is known.

[Area 52] [Titanic Mutilate] Now increases the damage of your Whirlwind by 25%.

[Area 52] [Titanic Mutilate] Now increases cooldown reduction for Whirlwind given by Unending Fury by an additional second.

[Area 52] [Titanic Mutilate] Titanic Mutilate now deals 150% weapon damage per weapon hit. Up from 120%.

[Area 52] [Titanic Mutilate] Titanic Mutilate now has a warrior global cooldown type (1.5 sec). Changed from rogue one (1 sec). To make the rotation timing consistent.

[Area 52] [Titanic Mutilate] Damage of Bloodthirst is now increased by 10% per combo point. Up from 5%.

[Area 52] [Overflow] Increased the range of Overflow's heal to 12 Yards from 8 Yards.

[Area 52] [Overflow] Flowing now only requires 3 stacks to apply Overflowing down from 4.

[Area 52] [Ice Lash] Solid Ice now increases the damage of your Deep Freeze and Frostbolt by 16% per stack. Down from 20%.

[Area 52] [Fingers of death] Dark Winter now stacks up to 4 stacks. Up from 3.

[Area 52] [Fury of the Titans] Titanic Fury now also increases your melee haste by 10%.

[Area 52] [Hydromancer] Conductor now increases the damage of your Electrocute by 100% per stack. Up from 60%.

[Area 52] [Hydromancer] Increased base damage and scaling of Electrocute by 20%.

[Area 52] [Evoker] Evoker now increases the damage of your Fireball and Arcane Missiles by 5% per stack. Up from 3%.

[Area 52] [Burning Darkness] Flame Born now also increases the damage of your next Conflagrate by 3% per stack.

[Area 52] [Frozen Chaos] Frozen Chaos now increases the damage of your next Chaos Bolt by 35%. Up from 30%.

[Area 52] [Forbidden Technique] Forbidden Technique now deals 300% weapon damage from 230%.

[Area 52] [Forbidden Technique] Renamed the Shadow Daggers, Dusk Dagger is cast when you cast Ambush, Shadow Dagger is cast when you cast any Hunter Shot.

[Area 52] [Forbidden Technique] Increased the weapon damage of Shadow dagger from 36% weapon damage to 75%.

[Area 52] [Forbidden Technique] Added a new mechanics called Dusk Blade and Dusk Shot. When you are affected by Forbidden Dance your Ambush casts have a chance at increasing the damage of your Hunter Shots by 5% per stack, stacking up to 5 times. When you are affected by Shadow Powers your Hunter Shots have a chance at increasing your Ambush damage by 5% per stack, stacking up to 5 times.

[Area 52] [Forbidden Technique] Meditate now grants you a stack of Forbidden Chants every 3 seconds, increasing your Ranged and Melee attack power by 1% per stack stacking 5 times, the stacks are reset whenever you cast Meditate.

[Area 52] [Lava Sweep] Reduced damage of Lava Sweep by 15%.

[Area 52] [Shadow Visions] Vampiric touch empowerment now increases damage of Vampiric Touch by 10%. Down from 20%.

[Area 52] [Shadow Visions] Mind Blast empowerment now increases damage of Mind Blast by 30%. Down from 60%.

[Area 52] [Darkmaster] Now decreases the execute damage of Drain Soul by 25%. Down from 50% damage decrease.

[Area 52] [Zandalari Windreaver] Reduced damage of Loa’s Assault and Zandalari Glaive by 15%.

[Area 52] [Righteous Flames] Holy Fire now grants 15 changers of Innerfire per target hit.

[Area 52] [Midnight Flames] Casting Conflagrate will make your next Pyroblast chain to 2 additional targets.

[Area 52] [Hot Hands] Hitting a target affected by your Living Bomb with Fireball will increase the target's damage taken from your next Pyroblast by 5% and its chance to critically strike by 5%. Stacks up to 5.

[Area 52] [Astral Bomber] The amount of stacks gained through Lunar Bomber, Lunar Flames, Solar Bomber and Solar Flames has been reduced to 3. The damage granted has been changed to 8% per stack of Lunar or Solar Flames. Previously, 5 stacks of Lunar or Solar Bomber would stack with 5 stacks of Lunar or Solar Flames, which at 3% damage per stack would result in 5 x 5 x 3 = 75% damage increase. Now it results in a 3 x 3 x 8 = 72% damage increase, although the damage has been decreased the compromise of a faster stack up to result in a less punishing playstyle overall will be a net buff.

[Area 52] [Harbinger of Pestilence] Increased duration of Harbinger of Pestilence Buff by 2 seconds.

[Area 52] [Harbinger of Pestilence] Harbinger of Pestilence now also reduces cooldown of your Haunt by 0.2 sec per stack.

[Area 52] [Harbinger of Pestilence] Increased the scaling of Harbinger’s Bile by 33%.

[Area 52] [Elemental Destruction] Dealing damage with Energy Bolt now decreases the cooldown of Flame Ascendance by 6 seconds.

[Area 52] [Elemental Destruction] Elemental Destruction now increases the damage of your Elemental Immolation and Flame Shock by 16% per stack.

[Area 52] [Elemental Destruction] Elemental Destruction now increases the damage of your Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning by 4% per stack.

[Area 52] [Frost Bomb] Frost Bomb AoE Splash Pulse got its base damage tripled and scaling increased 50%.

[Area 52] [Frost Bomb] Frost Bomb ending detonation AoE got its base damage increased by 50% and scaling doubled.

[Area 52] [Frost Bomb] Frost Bomb main target pulse got its base damage and scaling tripled.

[Area 52] [Frost Bomb] Frost Bomb ending detonation main target got its base damage tripled and scaling increased 50%.

[Area 52] Increased base damage and scaling of Frost Orb and Arcane Orb by 20%.