Before the start of
Season of Discovery Phase 2, some players were concerned that many mechanical bosses in the new
Gnomeregan raid would be immune to "bleed" and "poison" effects. If that were the case, many beloved runes and character specializations favored by players would become ineffective.
Fortunately, Blizzard designers stated in a live interview at the beginning of
Phase 2 that no boss in
Gnomeregan would be immune to poison or bleeding effects. However, some bosses would increase their resistance to such effects.
As usual, with no PTR testing in Phase 2, many specific details could only be explored after the launch. However, with the release of the
Gnomeregan raid, some players have already figured out the resistance of these bosses. Players have also made unexpected discoveries regarding the armor of
Gnomeregan bosses—mechanical bosses have very high armor values, some even higher than the final boss "Ragnaros" in the level 60 Molten Core raid!
Boss
| Approximate Armor
| Bleed Reduction
| Poison Reduction
|
Grubbis
| 2250 | None | None |
Viscous Fallout
| 2250
| None
| None
|
Electrocutioner 6000
| 4455
| 20%
| 20%
|
Crowd Pummeler 9-60
| 3731
| 20%
| 20%
|
The Mechanical Menagerie
| 3731
| 20%
| 20%
|
Mekgineer Thermaplugg
| 4455
| 20%
| 20%
|
In Phase 1
Blackfathom Deeps, most bosses had low enough armor values that conventional armor reduction abilities could reduce their armor values to near zero. This meant that these bosses ultimately had zero or only a few percent reduction in physical damage dealt to players. Gnomeregan's mechanical bosses, however, are completely different and generally mitigate 30% to 50% of physical damage.
The table below shows different boss armor values in
Gnomeregan and some common skill combinations for reducing armor debuffs. The table items demonstrate how much physical damage the bosses' armor can reduce.
Skill Combination
| 2250
| 3731
| 4455
|
No debuff
| 37.2%
| 49.5%
| 54.0%
|
Homunculi
| 15.6%
| 36.5%
| 43.3%
|
Homunculi + Faerie Fire
| 9.8%
| 33.3%
| 40.8%
|
Homunculi + Faerie Fire + Curse of Recklessness
| 3.2%
| 29.7%
| 38.0%
|
With the introduction of numerous new spell damage equipment in Season of Discovery Phase 2 and bosses having very high armor values, it seems Blizzard wants to enhance the damage of caster DPS, making them a more competitive output type in Gnomeregan than before. In previous Blackfathom Deeps DPS rankings, caster DPS was noticeably weaker than physical DPS.
During last year's Blizzard Carnival announcement of the Season of Discovery, Blizzard stated they wanted all classes to feel "overpowered," not just warriors like in the WoW Classic version. These high armor values indeed give caster DPS a chance to feel powerful, but Blizzard should adjust and lower armor values to make physical DPS more competitive or keep them as they are and give caster DPS time to shine.
It would be great if both caster and physical DPS were equally competitive in PvE, but achieving this vision seems difficult at the moment. Many would argue that such imbalance is a bad situation, but balancing so many classes, equipment, and abilities is not an easy task. Adjusting boss armor values upward or downward may be a good way to establish a relative balance between the caster and physical damage in the game.
UPDATE 27FEB.2024: The increased armor value of certain mechanical bosses in Gnomeregan has been reduced slightly.
Previously, Blizzard "teased" a comprehensive class adjustment this week. Will melee hunters be "cut down"? Which classes will rise to dominance?
Currently, we also offer gold delivery service for all players. US players can order from the link:
WoW SoD Gold, EU players can order from the link:
WoW SoD Gold EU. We promise the best delivery speed and service.
Coupon code: mmojugg.
WoW SoD Gold
WoW SoD Items
WoW SoD Boosting