Greetings, adventurers! Librarian Husky here, excited to bring you a closer look at all the thrilling updates coming in Phase Four of the Season of Discovery. With a monumental wave of class changes on the horizon—from baseline runes and abilities to comprehensive balancing adjustments—there’s a lot to dive into. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just getting into the game, there’s something new to master and enjoy. Let’s embark on this journey together and uncover the mysteries that await!

Skill Books and Rune Availability Updates

It’s important to know that all runes previously moved to skill books, as well as skill books from past phases like those found in dungeons (increasing buff durations, redirect skills, etc.), are now accessible from vendors for a couple of gold each. You can find these with Milton Sheath in the Stormwind Library, located inside Stormwind Keep, or with Zor Lone Tree near the Shaman trainers in Orgrimmar.

Phase 4 Pre-Patch Changes

Additionally, all class changes are already live in the current Season of Discovery, creating a mini pre-patch experience. This gives players an early opportunity to familiarize themselves with their updated classes. Today, I’ll discuss a few classes and specializations that have seen the most significant improvements. These aren’t necessarily the highest-damage dealers or PvP champions but rather the ones with the most impactful updates, making them highly engaging to play.

Class Spotlight: Rogues

Starting with Rogues, the first major adjustment to note is a nerf to the Mutilate ability. This marks a shift in how Rogues may approach their rotations and skill builds.

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Rogue Class Adjustments in Phase Four

It was a long time coming, as this ability has been central to every Rogue spec since Phase 2. However, in Phase Four, Mutilate will now deal less damage, along with a reduction in the effectiveness of Envenom. To balance this, Blizzard has made efforts to enhance other Rogue identities to make them more competitive. The one that stands out the most is the dagger Rogue build.

Updates to Slaughter from the Shadows

The Slaughter from the Shadows ability has been updated, now reducing the energy cost of Backstab and Ambush by 30, up from 20, and increasing their damage against non-player targets by 60%. Additionally, Shiv has been removed and replaced with a new Rune called Cutthroat. This new ability allows Rogues to Backstab, Ambush, or Garrote without needing to be positioned behind their target, and it provides a 15% chance to make the next Ambush usable without stealth when performing a Backstab. These Rune changes are transformative for dagger Rogues.

Viability of Dagger Rogues for Leveling and Raiding

Whether leveling or raiding, this dagger build is expected to become highly viable. For leveling, starting with combat talents and progressing to Blade Flurry offers an efficient approach. Dagger Rogues are anticipated to excel in two-target scenarios when Blade Flurry is active, maximizing damage output with cooldowns and skills like Thistle Tea. After testing this on a Rogue character, the results were impressive, showcasing the potential of these changes.

New Viability for Dagger Rogues and Tank Rogues

If you’ve ever heard the phrase “front stabbing” before pre-Classic release, this new update gives it a whole new meaning. For dagger Rogue fans, this spec is now highly viable across almost all scenarios. Tank Rogues also received some significant updates. The ability Unfair Advantage now triggers on parries, always hits the current target, and grants one combo point when triggered. Additionally, Mongoose has been revamped, granting a 100% parry chance until a parry occurs and reducing the energy cost of Sinister Strike by 20 for the next 10 seconds after activation. For sword-focused Rogue tanks, this patch brings substantial improvements.

Hunter Class Changes: Ranged and Melee Updates

Hunters have seen a wave of updates impacting both ranged and melee styles. One major general change is that all Hunter traps are now usable in combat, eliminating the need for Trap Launcher. Heart of the Lion has been converted to a skill book, and True Shot Aura no longer grants melee attack power but instead only boosts ranged attack power. The melee attack power previously provided by True Shot Aura has been shifted to Heart of the Lion, so the bonus remains accessible.

Lone Wolf Talent Buff

The Lone Wolf talent has been significantly enhanced, increasing the damage bonus for Hunters who opt to go without a pet to 35%. This buff makes petless builds more attractive and competitive, providing a solid alternative for players focusing on maximizing damage output without relying on pets.

Major Updates for Melee and Ranged Hunters

This patch brings significant changes for ranged Hunters and even more for melee Hunters. The Cobra Slayer ability has been redesigned: Bite now has a chance to proc from melee attacks or enemy dodges, with an increasing chance the longer it goes without triggering. This effect also scales with attack power, making it a valuable addition to the Hunter’s abilities. Additionally, Flanking Strike now boosts all damage done by 5%, rather than just impacting Mongoose Bite and Raptor Strike, and it has a 33% chance to reset from pet basic attacks instead of Raptor Strike.

Pet Selection and Attack Speed Benefits

With these updates, pet choice becomes crucial, especially with Broken Tooth being a top pick due to its high attack speed. Alternatively, when Zul’Gurub (ZG) is released, there will be bats with similar attack speeds, though they won’t be available immediately. These pet options are especially beneficial for maximizing Flanking Strike resets and overall effectiveness in combat.

Marksmanship Tree Talents for Melee Hunters

Several talents in the Marksmanship tree have been adjusted to benefit melee Hunters as well. Efficiency now reduces mana costs, Lethal Shots increases critical strike chance, and Mortal Shots enhances critical strike damage bonus. For those not keen on dual-wielding, Blizzard has also introduced a new Rune, Wyvern Strike, specifically for Hunters wielding two-handed weapons. This rune is located deep in the Survival tree, making it an exciting option for dedicated Survival Hunters looking for a unique build path.

Versatility in Hunter Playstyles

Blizzard has worked to make multiple playstyles viable for Hunters, whether it’s ranged without a pet, ranged with a pet, melee with a pet, dual-wielding melee, or using a two-handed weapon. While one playstyle may ultimately prove superior, the range of options adds plenty of room for experimentation and personalization, promising a diverse and fun experience.

Warlock Class Changes in Phase Four

Warlocks have received some fascinating updates in Phase Four. One of the standout additions is a new spellbook ability called Fel Armor, which turns Spirit into a valuable stat. Fel Armor increases spell damage and healing by a flat amount and an additional amount equal to 50% of your Spirit, with health regeneration every 5 seconds. This setup, similar to the version of Fel Armor from Wrath of the Lich King, will make Spirit a highly desirable stat for Warlocks, as the 50% conversion to spell damage is substantial.

Backdraft and Felguard Buffs

The Backdraft Rune has been modified so it no longer consumes Immolate on the target, and the 30% haste buff duration has been extended from 10 seconds to 15 seconds. This update improves the flow of the Destruction playstyle. Additionally, Felguards have received significant buffs. They now possess the Demonic Frenzy ability, granting 5% additional attack power for 10 seconds with each melee attack, stacking up to 10 times. This change makes the Felguard a more appealing choice, where previously the Imp had unexpectedly outperformed it in earlier phases.

Raid-Wide Demonic Pact and Destruction Build Buffs

The Demonic Pact effect, previously limited to party members, now applies raid-wide, meaning only one Warlock needs to use it in a raid. This is particularly beneficial for Destruction Warlocks, as they are likely to take this rune in raiding scenarios.

Significant Updates to Paladin Class Abilities

The Paladin class has received extensive changes, perhaps the most transformative of any class. The Exorcist Rune, now available as a baseline ability from a skill book, reduces the cooldown of Exorcism by 2 seconds when it procs, rather than resetting it entirely. Seal of Vengeance has also become a baseline skill, accessible via a skill book. Additionally, Avenging Wrath can now be discovered, enhancing damage and healing by 20% and granting the iconic wings effect.

New Discoveries for Paladins: Divine Steed

Phase Four introduces Divine Steed as a new discovery, granting Paladins a 100% movement speed increase for 3 seconds on a 45-second cooldown. This enhancement provides greater mobility, giving Paladins a valuable escape tool and an edge in both PvE and PvP scenarios.

Major Improvements to Holy Paladin

The Holy specialization has seen substantial improvements. Infusion of Light has been adjusted to now increase the damage and healing of Holy Shock by 50%, up from 20%, and reduce its base cooldown to just 6 seconds. Additionally, Beacon of Light will now last an hour, allowing it to be placed on a tank for an entire dungeon run. A new rune, Divine Light, has also been introduced—a powerful, expensive heal that can fully restore health to a target.

New PvP-Oriented Rune: Shocker

Holy Paladins now have a new rune, the Shocker, enhancing the PvP viability of the spec. This rune grants additional spell power equal to the Paladin’s intellect for 30 seconds each time Holy Shock is used. This powerful spell power boost can support unique builds centered around this rune, potentially creating entirely new playstyles for Paladins.

Expanded Role for Tanks

All tanks have received a new ability that strikes up to 10 targets, marking a shift in Blizzard’s philosophy. Previously, tanking focused on single-target threat management, placing more responsibility on DPS players to control their damage. This change allows tanks to better manage multiple enemies, enhancing their effectiveness in large-scale encounters and providing improved control in dungeons and raids.

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Increased AoE Threat Management for Tanks

Blizzard has made this change likely due to the previous imbalance between DPS and tank abilities—DPS players received numerous AoE skills, while tanks were left with few options for holding multiple enemies. For DPS players, it can be frustrating to hold back when tanks struggle to manage AoE threat, but this update changes that. Now, as a tank, it’s much easier to maintain control in AoE situations. For instance, Thunderclap will now hit up to 10 targets, with a scaling bonus of around 5% attack power.

Expanded Threat Abilities Across Tank Classes

Several tank abilities now extend their reach to multiple targets. Abilities like Molten Blast, Shadow Cleave, and the improved Swipe Rune will now hit up to 10 targets. Additionally, tanks gain spell power or attack power from defense rating above the cap when using specific abilities. For example, Warriors using Shield Slam will gain four points of attack power for each point of defense above 300.

Benefits of Defense Beyond the Cap

With this update, each tank class gains additional damage from surpassing the baseline defense cap of 300, a stat that previously only helped mitigate critical hits and crushing blows. Now, seeing defense on gear offers not only increased survivability but also improved offense, which in turn boosts threat generation. This is a welcome change, ensuring that tanks feel more empowered in their role, especially in threat management.

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