Ups and downs

So the 4.3 PTR is up, and it looks like the designers have chosen to rework existing buffs to provide more of a melee buff, rather than simply applying an ICC-style buff to the Deathwing raid. Specifically, they’re increasing the melee attack power bonus from Trueshot aura, Unleashed rage, Blessing of might and Abomination’s might.

The good:

• This buff inherently applies to the raids that have been problematic for melee this tier.

The bad:

• Make no mistake – future balancing decisions are going to be based around melee having this buff at all times.
• Rogues, druids and warriors can’t bring this as a self-buff.
• While current design doesn’t really consider balance while levelling, this may affect lower-level characters – also see next point*.
• This buff will apply in PvP, and it has already been stated by the devs that they feel melee is balanced in PvP.

Hmm. This seems like an early shot for the path of least resistance. I’d look for at least a PvP change, if not a rebuild of the mechanic. Otherwise we’re likely to see some nerfs of PvP-specific skills bleeding back in again.

In other news, it looks like Blizzard have decided to make the priest “big cooldown” – Divine Hymn – useful again. It now affects 5 targets, and with the revamped State of Mind talent increasing healing done and reducing the cooldown to 3 minutes, Holy priests now effectively have their own Tranquility. This is stated to be in response to the popularity of PW:Barrier…

Okay, wait a sec. There aren’t that many situations where you can even stack properly for a barrier without risking terrible things devouring your raid wholesale. Holy Tranq seems like an overreaction. Guess we’ll see, but in the meantime… brb, lrnin2Heal.

 

* haha yeah, like anyone cares about anything below the 85 bracket… *cof* sorry, should stay out of the pvp forums.

• fffff
• lets all hate on the melee
• oh look an update
• priest
• speculation
• warcraft
• warrior