Today’s update will be centered and focused around PvP and is the first one of smaller but more frequent updates. The trend for this season has been burst and front loaded damage, which happened especially for melee builds. To help you combat that, new tools are being introduced. For this changelog article, some of the reasons and thoughts will be given on most of the individual changes being made today. Two impactful changes are happening that will open up the way you’re able to build and play in PvP! Let’s start with those:

• Metamorphosis no longer limits the player to Warlock abilities, but to all Shadow and Fire abilities instead. Its overall damage increase has been changed from 15%, from 20%.

The demon is unleashed and things are gonna get hotter than ever before. A strong ability versus melee builds now has new options to play with. What type of demon will you be?

• Stagger from the Tactical Mastery capstone no longer has a health threshold, can now trigger from magic damage taken, and is now able to trigger against players. The damage from Stagger no longer breaks crowd control effects.

Instead of receiving all damage immediately, you can now delay some of it over 10 seconds for PvP as well. A strong tool against burst for tanky 2-handed builds. Maybe there are some interesting Mystic Enchant interactions to play with here as well…

• Frozen Core now increases the duration of Ice Block by 1/2/3 seconds, changed from 2/4/6.

There are better things to do than standing around and waiting for Ice Blocks to expire so let’s improve that situation a bit.

• Frostbolt now lasts for 7 seconds, changed from 9. 
• Lower ranks of Frostbolt, which lasted shorter than 7 sec, have gotten their duration reduced by 1 second.
• Winter's Chill now has 7% healing reduction per stack, changed from 8%. 
• Winter's Chill stacks are now dispelled instantly, instead of one at a time.
• Frostbolt PvP mod increased by 5%.
• Frost Bomb PvP mod increased by 10%.

Frost Bomb was introduced a little while ago and the popularity of Frostbolt builds exploded. Frostbolt provides a lot of utility while still having good damage and it’s been seeing great success thanks to that in 1v1 arena. These changes reduce a bit of their damage and their utility while also offering some better counterplay opportunities.

• Increased the absorb values of Mana Shield and Ice Barrier by 10%.

Mana Shield and Ice Barrier used to be strong spells versus front loaded damage. They have been a bit on the weak side lately and not too popular so this will help them out.

• Cat Form, Bear Form and Dire Bear Form no longer make the player immune to Polymorph effects.

Feral builds can be very good at hunting down casters and avoiding a lot of ways you want to stop them with. In addition, Polymorph is often disregarded for other crowd control effects. With this change, maybe you can be the wolf and the Feral player be the sheep.

• Arcane Subtlety now increases the range of Arcane Missiles and Arcane Blast by 3/6 yards, but no longer gives dispel protection.

Arcane casters didn’t have the ability to invest into their range and could get out-ranged by other casters. You can expand your mind and your range but not quite enough to also increase the range of Arcane Barrage, as that could get a bit too frustrating to face.

• Furious Attacks has been reworked and is now a 3 points talent, changed from 2. It now reduces the healing done to the target by 4/7/10%, stacking up to 3 times.

A lot of players would only need to invest one TE for this very powerful effect which just gave too much power per point. Now it’s at a more reasonable place and you’ll need to be on your target slightly longer to build up your stacks.

• Second Wind now generates 16% of base health, changed from 12%.

A simple change to a simple way of increasing your survivability. With its 30 second ICD, it’s strongest versus opponents that like to finish you quickly or to reset the fight over and over.

• Repentance now has a 50 second cooldown, changed from 45.
• Wyvern Sting now has a 50 second cooldown, changed from 45.

These crowd control effects are in a separate diminishing return category than most of the other crowd control spells which can make sometimes too powerful for chaining crowd control. While they can be tools to reduce burst, they can also be tools to set up burst and be frustrating to face. So the cooldown goes up by a little.

• The Improved Kick capstone now grants 35% attack speed, changed from 30%.
• The Brutal Pummel capstone has had its damage increased by 20%.

These capstones don’t see too much use. In some cases it can be related to the power of Burning Determination, which is on our radar. Either way, this will make them feel a bit better to pick up.

• Shadow Embrace is now able to trigger from Drain Soul and Drain Life.

 Drain soul and Drain life is a bit behind in terms of their utility & usability. This change is directed to boost the feasibility of incorporating those spells into your hero.

• Increased the base armor of Demon Skin, Demon Armor, Frost Armor and Ice Armor by 20%.

A small buff to one of the many options of taking a bit less reduced physical damage. As simple as that.

• Nature's Guardian from the Restoration Shaman tree has been reworked. It is now a 3 points talent, changed from 5, increases spell haste by 1/2/3%, and has a new capstone.
• [New Capstone] Nature's Guardian - Whenever a damaging attack brings you below 30% health, you're healed for a small amount, increased by your healing power. This effect has a 30 second cooldown.

A new capstone where you can put your hopes in a Nature’s Guardian to not get bursted down and die. With a bit of spell haste to make it feel better to pick up overall.

• Fear Ward now has a 25 second cooldown, changed from 30.
• Tremor Totem now has a 45 second cooldown, changed from 50 sec.

While options to remove crowd control effects are great, it feels bad when everyone has them. Tremor Totem and Fear Ward however are two options that haven’t been very popular lately. For them to be a more interesting option, their cooldowns are getting slightly reduced..

• Reduced the bonus speed of the Shaman PvP boots to Ghost Wolf to 10%, changed from 15%.
• Guardian's Favor now increases the duration of Hand of Freedom by 0.5 seconds, changed from 1 second.

There have been talks about the power of Flag Carrier builds. While they are frustrating to face, it can be hard to make changes that only affect them and doesn’t reduce the power of abilities and fun playstyles for everyone else. It’s something that will see more tweaks in the future however.

• [New Epic Enchant] Temporal Shield - Transforms your Pain Suppression into Temporal Shield. Envelops you in a temporal shield for 4 sec. All damage taken while shielded will be instantly restored if the shield lasts its full duration.

A new ability with a 45 second cooldown and a very high potential. A high risk, high reward defensive cooldown with a fair amount of counterplay. A new way to counter incoming burst damage. Oh also, you can spellsteal it and yes, you receive all the healing from the damage that was built up.

• [New Epic Enchant] Blazing Barrier - Transforms your Combustion into Blazing Barrier, a shield placed on the caster, absorbing damage. If the shield is destroyed, a Blast Nova erupts, knocking back and slowing enemies for 2 sec. The cooldown is reduced by the Playing with Fire talent. Shares a cooldown with Ice Barrier.

A new type of shield which builds using Fire spells can get the most value from. Another option to reduce some of that front loaded damage. Also, the visual looks fire.

• [New Epic Enchant] Exhausting Leech - Your Shadow Bolt drains your target's life force, applying Lesser Curse of Exhaustion, slowing them by 35% for 5 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 5 seconds, and requires the final rank of Soul Leech.

Shadow Bolt focused builds don’t have a lot when it comes to utility and control. With this you have the ability to slow your enemies and if that wasn’t enough, you get to experience Soul Leech, which is an interesting way of getting some extra health back (and some extra mana if you also specialize into Improved Soul Leech)

• [New Epic Enchant] Impeccable Timing - Your mastery of time magic gives you Impeccable Timing, increasing your chance to trigger Missile Barrage by 100%. You must bide your time for 10 seconds between Impeccable Timings. Requires the final rank of Missile Barrage.

Arcane Missiles builds can suffer when they don’t get their Missile Barrage procs. Well, now you have the power to control your own destiny. Just don’t go and risk your life to cast Moonfire on a group of enemies ready to charge at you, only because you had your Impeccable Timing up. Fine, who am I kidding, of course you should!

• Your heals and absorbs are now 5% less effective while using Spirit primary stat in 2v2 and 3v3 arena.

A small tweak to reduce the power of healers in arena, without affecting other areas of the game, and to indirectly increase the strength of double DPS comps.

• [Alar] Resilient Constitution now reduces damage taken in PvP by 47%, changed from 45%.

This was increased recently, after BWL was released but let’s slow the pace down a little extra to slightly shift what builds and playstyles are successful.

• Heart of the Crusader now deals 65% reduced damage versus players, changed from 60%.

This package is making Judgements pack a real punch. It’s getting another damage reduction to make them feel better to face.

• Ambush now deals 20% reduced damage versus players, changed from 15%.
• Mutilate now deals 20% reduced damage versus players, changed from 15%.

With a lot of energy regen these abilities can be spammed and the damage goes through the roof.

• Chain Lightning and Lightning Bolt now deal 5% reduced damage in Battlegrounds.

This might not shock you, but Lightning builds are still very popular and strong in Battlegrounds. Let’s tune them down a little.

• [Area 52] Vampiric Touch now deals 30% reduced damage versus players, changed from 25%.
• [Area 52] Devouring Plague now deals 25% reduced damage versus players, changed from 20%.
• [Area 52] Shadow Word: Pain now deals 35% reduced damage versus players, changed from 30%.

The Shadow Priest version of DoTs are doing well on Area 52. Taking their power down a notch before someone goes into a demon-like frenzy with the new Metamorphosis change.

• [Alar] Riposte no longer has a PvP modifier, it previously did 5% reduced damage versus players.
• [Area 52] Riposte now deals 5% reduced damage versus players, changed from 10%.
• Devastate now deals 15% reduced damage against players, changed from 20%.

Bumping up the power of some abilities for 2-handed tanks in PvP.

• Titan’s GrIp now reduces the damage you deal in PvP by 5%, changed from 10%

TG has been weak in PvP for a while, this should help out.