Blizzard has rolled out a series of significant hotfixes for World of Warcraft Classic: Season of Discovery Phase 6, introducing major balance changes and adjustments for multiple classes. This guide summarizes the key points from the recent patch notes, highlights important class changes, and explores player feedback on the updates.
Key Hotfixes and Updates
1. General Changes
NPC Patrol Adjustments:
Samantha Swiftwolf will no longer patrol during the Blood Moon event in Shattrath Vale.
This change likely prevents unintended dishonorable kills (DHKs) for Alliance players.
World Buff Mechanics:
AQ Accommodations now correctly apply specific world buffs (Dragon Slayer, Warchief's Blessing, Zandalarian Hero Charm) to pets as intended, rather than granting all world buffs.
War Effort Resource Adjustments:
The cost of the War Effort Consume has increased from 100 to 250, likely balancing the accessibility of this resource.
2. Class-Specific Changes
Hunter
Kill Shot:
Cooldown reduced from 15 to 12 seconds.
Bonus damage increased by 20%, maintaining the 100% weapon damage component.
AQ 2-piece set now decreases Kill Shot cooldown by 65% (previously 50%) when the target's health is between 20% and 50%.
Mage
Arcane 4-Set Bonus:
Fixed an issue where the bonus failed to activate without equipped regeneration runes. This set now functions as intended.
Rogue (Tank-Specific Updates)
Main Gauche:
Generates 300% threat on impact (up from 100%).
Cooldown reduced from 20 to 15 seconds.
Provides a 200% threat increase to Sinister Strike for 30 seconds (previously 150% for 10 seconds).
Just a Flesh Wound:
Dodge reduction halved but increases physical damage reduction to 30% (from 20%), with an additional 1% reduction per 12 defense above 300.
Threat Adjustments:
Increased threat generation for Unfair Advantage by 50%.
Encourages a balance of defensive and offensive gear to maintain survivability without overpowered avoidance.
Shaman (Tank-Specific Updates)
Shield Mastery:
Now grants 4 spell power per defense point (up from 2).
AQ Set Bonuses:
2-piece set now triggers from Lava Burst and Molten Blast.
4-piece bonus increases threat generation by 20% and damage by 10%.
Warlock
Haunt:
Duration increased to 15 seconds (from 12).
Unstable Affliction:
Base damage before spell power increased by approximately 120%.
AQ Set Bonuses:
4-piece bonus increases fire damage by 5 per stack (stacking twice, previously 2% up to 5 times).
2-piece bonus increases Shadow Bolt damage by 10% and allows Chaos Bolt to trigger the improved Shadow
Bolt talent.
AQ tank set 4-piece allows Demonic Sacrifice to persist with an active pet as long as the Warlock does not resummon the sacrificed pet.
Player Feedback and Controversy
Raid Size Adjustments
Blizzard's decision to limit AQ raids to 25 players and 10-man instances to 15 players has sparked debate. Many argue this change unnecessarily restricts casual guilds that enjoy larger raid groups, while others see it as a step towards balanced gameplay.
Community Reactions
Some players feel the new raid caps force guilds into hardcore strategies like 10-man splits, creating an elitist environment.
Others advocate for reverting raid sizes to their original values to preserve casual gameplay styles.
Buff Management
With buffs like Songflower excluded from the Chronoboon Displacer, players question the rationale behind this restriction, which limits preparation flexibility.
FAQs
Q1: Are these changes live?
Yes, the hotfixes are rolling out as of the latest server reset.
Q2: Will raid size limits affect rewards?
No official changes to loot systems have been announced. Rewards are expected to remain proportional to raid size.
Q3: How does the Warlock AQ 4-piece set change rotation?
Warlocks can now maintain Demonic Sacrifice buffs while using pets, enabling greater versatility and sustained DPS.
Q4: Why were Rogue tanks adjusted?
Developers aimed to curb the overwhelming avoidance Rogue tanks gained from melee attacks, introducing a more balanced damage mitigation system.
Q5: Will more changes follow before AQ releases?
Yes, the developers have confirmed ongoing tweaks to AQ gear and mechanics for various classes.
The latest hotfixes in Phase 6 show Blizzard's commitment to refining gameplay and balancing classes in Season of Discovery. While not without controversy, these updates bring meaningful improvements to underrepresented roles like Rogue and Shaman tanks, alongside buffs to core DPS classes like Warlocks and Hunters. As the community awaits AQ's release, further refinements promise to keep the season engaging for all players.
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