Bind on Forever

Change report · Warrior, Mage, Shaman, Hunter, Druid, Rogue, Warlock, Priest

Shield Wall stops 60% of damage, down from 75%. The class deep dives don't say so.

Most of Blizzard's four class deep dives match the files. The lines that don't run from Shield Wall's smaller cut and Arcane Focus at half strength to Chain Lightning rank 3's swapped digits and Demonic Knowledge's full-level cap.

Blizzard covered eight classes in four deep dives, on Sep 30 and Oct 7. Most of their lines match build 70291. In the ones below, the files show a cut the post leaves out, a number it gives for one talent point, or a change that was already in Classic.

Warrior

  • Shield Wall: the Sep 30 post gives the new 15 min cooldown. The wall got thinner too, 60% less damage for 12 sec where Classic gave 75% for 10 sec. With 2 points in Improved Shield Wall (11 min off), it’s ready every 4 min. Game files · build 70291
  • Spearing Strike: the post says damage doubles against mounted targets, Dragonkin and Giants. The tooltip gives 40% weapon damage plus 80% more against them, three times the base hit. Build 70291 added the dismount line to the tooltip. Game files · build 70291

Mage

  • Arcane Focus: at 5 points, Classic’s version cut the chance to be resisted by 10%. Forever’s adds 5% hit with Arcane spells. Under the new wording it’s the same modifier at half the size. Game files · build 70291
  • Elemental Precision: Fire and Frost hit goes from 6% for 3 points to 5% for 5 points. Game files · build 70291
  • Magic Absorption: the post mentions the once-per-second limit, which Classic had as well. The talent dropped from 5 ranks to 2, and a fully resisted spell returns up to 2% of your mana, down from 5%. Resistances top out at +10 in both. Game files · build 70291
  • Two of the post’s changes were already in Classic. Cold Snap had a 10 min cooldown in Classic Era too (the post says it rose from 5), and Mage Wand Specialization was 2 points for 25% there as well. Game files · build 70291

Shaman

  • Chain Lightning rank 3: with the cast down to 2 sec, ranks 1, 2 and 4 take 57.1% of your spell power. Rank 3 takes 51.7%, the same digits in a different order. Until that changes, rank 3 gets less from gear than the ranks on either side of it. Game files · build 70291
  • Anticipation: “twice as much Dodge” holds per point, 2% instead of 1%. The talent lost two ranks, so the most you get goes from 5% to 6%. Game files · build 70291
  • The post swaps the two later totem sets. Call of the Ancestors comes at 30 and Call of the Spirits at 40.

Hunter

  • Improved Aspect of the Monkey: the same trade as Anticipation, 2% per point over 3 ranks for 6% (Classic 5%). Your pet also gets half of the aspect’s dodge. Game files · build 70291
  • Savage Strikes: the post says 2/4% more melee damage. The tooltip says 2/4% more critical strike chance with all melee abilities. Classic gave Raptor Strike and Mongoose Bite 10/20% crit. Game files · build 70291
  • Trueshot Aura rank 5 gives less than rank 4, and the post calls it otherwise unchanged.

Druid

Rogue

  • Murder: the post says it covers Giants now and drops Beasts and Dragonkin. Classic’s Murder covered Giants already. The bonus also doubled, to 2/4% from Classic’s 1/2%, and the post doesn’t say so. Game files · build 70291
  • Feint sheds five times its Classic threat. The post says double.

Warlock

  • Demonic Knowledge: the post gives “up to 33% of your level”, the one-point value. At 3 points it’s 100%, so at level 60 you and your demon each get 60 spell damage. Game files · build 70291
  • Improved Felhunter: it has 3 ranks. The post’s 10% and 2 sec are one point’s worth; 3 points give 30% and 6 sec off Spell Lock. Game files · build 70291

Priest

The two new racial spells have twice the cooldown the post gives, and five spells it calls unchanged moved. Both are on their own page. Fade sheds five times its Classic threat, like Feint.

Every line of the four posts, with what the files say about each, is on the notes pages: Priest and Warrior, Hunter and Druid, Mage and Shaman, Rogue and Warlock.

Sources

  1. Blizzard, Class deep dives: Priest and Warrior (Sep 30)
  2. Blizzard, Class deep dives: Hunter and Druid (Sep 30)
  3. Blizzard, Class deep dives: Mage and Shaman (Oct 7)
  4. Blizzard, Class deep dives: Rogue and Warlock (Oct 7)