Heroes!

In this update, we’re looking to address physical DPS in PvE.

As Ascension continues forward through The Burning Crusade, we’re keeping a close eye on the types of builds that are performing well, as well as those that have fallen behind. At current, physical damage builds have been hit a little too hard by recent stat allocation changes as well as the Proc Effect Overhaul.

Physical Damage-centered builds are currently underperforming in PvE, and some changes are coming to help them keep up:

• Raid Design is shifting to make certain fights easier for melee to keep pace with ranged damage dealers
  • Melee have to deal with certain raid mechanics that ranged DPS don't:
    (i.e. running out of an AoE swing),  leading to RDPS being overall more favorable in raids.
  • Changes are coming to ensure that melee builds always have a place in raids throughout TBC
• Armor on creatures level 60-70 is decreasing
  • A soft buff to physical damage dealers
  • An indirect buff to Tank Threat
  • This allows the time melee Heroes spend in melee range to count
  • Allows raids to keep mechanics that push melee away without making it detrimental to keep them in the raid
• Some Melee abilities have received buffs:

Talents and Abilities:

- Leader of the Pack now grants 5% critical strike chance, up from 3%.

- Rampage now grants 5% critical strike chance, up from 3%.

- Battle Shout attack power buff has been increased by 20%.

- Blessing of Might attack power buff has been increased by 20%.

- Unleashed Rage now gives 2/4/5% increased attack power, up from 1/2/3%.

- Trueshot Aura now gives 5% increased attack power, up from 3%.

- Aspect of the Beast now gives 5% increased attack power, up from 4%

- The Malice Capstone now gives 5 energy per tick, from 4.

- Increased the damage of Mongoose Bite by 5%.

- Increased the damage of Counterattack by 5%.

- Increased the damage of Rupture by 5%.

- Increased the damage of Garrote by 5%.

- Increased the Weapon damage scaling of the Seal of Command proc by 5%.

- Increased the damage of Stormstrike to 115%, from 110%.

- Increased the weapon-based damage of Backstab to 185%, from 175%

- Increased the weapon-based damage of Ambush to 285%, from 275%

- Bloodthirst has a 55% attack power scaling, from 50%.

- Overpower now deals 10% reduced damage to players, from 5%.

- Stormstrike now deals 5% reduced damage to players.

Random Enchantments: 

- Sinister Calling now increases damage by 4% from 3%.

- Vigor now increases energy by 20 from 10.

- Savage Strikes now increases critical strike chance by 4% from 3%.

- Aggression now increases critical strike chance by 3% from 2%.

- Improved Slice and Dice now increases the duration by 25% from 20%. In addition, it now increases bonus attack speed by 2%.

- Improved Ambush now additionally grants 3% damage to ambush.

- Serrated Blades now increases armor penetration by 2% from 1%.

- Improved Execute now additionally grants 3% damage to Execute.

- Counterpoise now gives 5% haste while above 50% rage, from 3%.

- Unending Fury now increases the damage of Slam by 3%, from 2%.

- Added back the Mace Specialization Mystic Enchant. It gives 2% melee haste and 1% Armor Penetration while wielding maces.

- Poleaxe Specialization now also increases your critical damage by 1%.

- Wild Quiver now adds 4% proc chance, from 2%.

- Sinister Flurry now has a 33% chance to proc, from 25%

- Blade Twisting now increases the damage of Sinister Strike by 3%, from 2%.

- Mortal Shots now increases the critical strike damage of Hunter shots by 5% from 2%.

- Master Tactician now grants 2% critical strike up from 1%.

- Ferocious Inspiration now grants 5% Steady Shot damage from 3%. The Arcane Shot damage remains unchanged.

- Weapon Expertise now grants 4 expertise up from 3.